First published in the Franklin County Historical Association Observer, Vol 1, No. 1, 1976-77

Sept 1, 1875:

Hester Felker is very ill.

Sept 1, 1875:

J. Dick Berry's family spent the day out at Bond's spring, (Watalula.)

Sept 18, 1875:

Eli Littleton died.

Oct. 2, 1875:

Bro. E.M. Roach and Bro. B.H. Greathouse began a protracted meeting.

Oct. 8, 1875:

Carter Fleeman, small son of Mr. and Mrs M.F. Fleeman, died.

Oct. 19, 1875:

Mr. Flet Stanley died.

Nov. 17, 1875:

Mr. Oscar Webb died.

Dec. 1, 1875:

Mr. Eichenberger (the old gentleman) died.

Dec. 23, 1875:

Mr. John Moore and Miss Kate Head married.

Jan. 29, 1876:

May Moore and her cousin, Will Ross, went to Ft. Smith on the steamboat named Ella Hughes.

Feb. 5, 1876:

The cars reached Ozark for the first time.

March 19, 1876:

Dan Rice's Circus is here today.

May 23, 1876:

Had a Sunday School Picnic and a May Pole at Walker's Spring

June 5, 1876:

Bettie Shores and Elmira Collins started to California.

August 13, 1876:

Bro. L.L. Burrow preached for us today.

August 21, 1876:

W.B. Moore commenced to keep books for Tom Parks at Webb City.

Sept 14, 1876:

Methodists had two festivals, one on night of the 13, also on night of 14th. Made $300.00.

Dec. 20, 1876:

Mrs. Forrest died over at Huntsville, (grandmother of Mr. Sid Forrest.)

Jan 4, 1877:

People are walking over the river on the ice.

Jan 8, 1877:

Susie Calloway died.

Feb. 14, 1877: W. B. Moore and family moved to Webb City.

Feb. 21, 1877: Mrs. Tom Carter died.

Feb. 22, 1877: Mr. Henry Hunter and Miss Mollie Wright were married.

March 19, 1879:

F.M. Elsey's hotel burned.

May 18, 1879:

Mrs. Addie Lane visited in Webb city today.

May 20, 1879:

The Methodists had another festival. Miss Addie Elsey and Miss Alice Moore waited on the table.

June 22, 1879:

They are repairing the steam ferryboat.

July 3, 1879:

Tommie Moore and Eugene Hail have joined the band.

July 9, 1879:

Mr. Quaile is having a tin roof put on his store building.

July 15, 1879:

Miss Alice Moore is spending the week with Mrs. W. B. Moore in Webb City.

July 17, 1879:

Mrs. W. R. Douglass died at ten pm. Dr. Thos. Douglass' mother.

August 12, 1879:

Miss Lizzie Montague and Miss Alice Moore visited friends in Webb City.

Sept. 1, 1879: A temperance society, known as the "Murphys," organized.

Sept 27, 1879:

Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Forrest announce the birth of a son.

October 3, 1879:

Mrs. Harriet Crabtree came from the Nation to visit her sister, Mrs. Sula Fleeman.

Oct. 12, 1879:

Bro. B. L. Ferguson began a protracted meeting.

October 25, 1879:

Bro. Withers preached for us last night.

Oct. 26, 1879:

Allie Montague, Parthena Turner, Edna Jennings, Susie Miller and Sammie Carter were baptized by Bro. Ferguson, and joined the Methodist church. Lura Blackburn joined the Presbyterian church.

November 10, 1879:

Annual conference meets here today; quite a number of preachers here. Bishop Pearce is to preside.

Dec. 24, 1879:

Mr. Jet Greer and Miss Jennie Plunk married.

Dec. 28, 1879:

Mr. Dupree Sadler was killed south of the river.

Dec. 31, 1879:

Rev. B. L. Ferguson and Miss Belle Bourland were married.

Oct. 2, 1880:

Rev R. L. Ferguson died this morning. The text from which he preached his last sermon was "Oh that I had wings of a dove, I would fly away and be at rest."

Dec 17, 1880:

Mr. Greer and family came here from Ga. to reside.

Jan 1, 1881:

The river is frozen over and has been for several days.

Jan 15, 1881:

Some of the young men of the town advertised the fact several days ago that Prof. "Merganser" would fly over the river on the afternoon of Jan 15, 1881. Quite a crowd gathered at the appointed time on the river bank. One of the young men was up on a high scaffold with a mysterious looking box which had a cloth over it. At the appointed time he took from the box a gander and pitched it into the air, thinking it would fly over the river as they had procured it from someone over there. But it just flew down to the ground a few feet from the scaffold, and the show was over.

Jan 17, 1881:

Mr. Henderson Bourland died suddenly, at the home of Buck Bourland.

Han 19, 1881:

Miss Mollie Montague and Mr. E. Douglass, also Miss Elizabeth Montague and Mr. W.W. Adams were married.

Jan 25, 1881:

Miss Alice Moore and Mrs. T. Moore are circulating a petition to the legislature for total prohibition; been out two days and have over two hundred names.

Jan 8, 1880:

Wm. P. Smith started to St. Louis to have his eye treated. He was shot in the eye by a Roman candle, Christmas.

Jan 8, 1880:

Tommie C. Moore is clerking in Will Quaile's hardware store.

Jan 12, 1880:

Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Eichenberger announce the birth of a son.

Jan 15, 1880:

Mr. and Mrs. S.R. Chew announce the birth of a son.

Feb. 12, 1880:

A supper was given at the court house for the benefit of the brass band.

Feb. 14, 1880:

Dr. E. M. Blackburn died.

Feb. 27, 1880:

Jas. Howard was hanged here today for the murder of his wife. Some estimated the number of people here at five thousand.

March 12, 1880:

Mrs. Dick Shores died.

April 4, 1880:

Jack Eichenberger is having a bridge built over Gar Creek. The wooden part of the bridge is complete but the fills on either side are to be made.

April 16, 1880:

Mr. Blackburn died. (Dr. Ed Blackburn's grandfather.)

May 2, 1880:

Rev. Sam Buchanon dedicated the new Presbyterian church.

May 20, 1880:

Misses Allie Montague, Edna Jennings and May Moore attended a picnic at Webb City.

May 30, 1880;

Mr. R. Hooper and Miss Julia Webb were married.

June 26, 1880:

Mrs. Mollie Elsey and Mrs. Jennie Blackburn started to Eureka Springs for a visit.

June 30, 1880:

Mrs. Nelson Moore and family started to Texas on a visit.

July 3, 1880:

Had a barbecue at Walker Spring. One of the seats in the Flying Dutchman broke and Delia Bender was hurt, but not seriously.

July 25, 1881:

Davis Williams, Tommie Moore and Eugene Hail started this morning to Mineral Springs on a camping trip. They have a balkey team; am wondering how they are getting along.

July 25, 1881:

Everything burning up; has not rained in so long.

Sept 8, 1881:

T.C. Moore is taking the census.

Oct 6, 1881:

There is a tent show here; they have their tent back of Quaile's warehouse.

Dec 31, 1881:

Those present at the watch party tonight were Davis Williams, Tom Moore, Casper Winburne, Will Lane, Eugene Nail and Misses Orelsa Huggins, Delilah Felker, Deal Bender, Mattie Williams, Leona Williams and Alice Moore.

March 23, 1882:

Blind Tom, a wonderful pianist, gave an entertainment here. He is a colored man.

April 10, 1882:

The meeting being held at the Methodist church by Rev. Geo. W. Hill still continues; has been going on about eight weeks. One hundred and four conversions so far.

April 16, 1882:

As we came out of the church tonight the whole northern sky looked like it might be on fire. Said to be an aurora borealis.

May 2, 1882:

Went to hear James H. Berry speak today. He is in the race for governor of the state.

May 3, 1882:

Prof. Paul Graham organized a choir for the temperance meetings known as the Murphys.

June 6, 1882:

Been raining a great deal lately and has been cold for several weeks, some think the cotton is ruined.

July 4, 1882:

The railroad gave another excursion today to Van Buren.

Aug 3, 1882:

Jas. H. Berry, Mr. Breckenridge and Mr. Numan spoke at the court house today.

Aug 8, 1882:

Mrs. F.M. Elsey, Mrs. J.D. Berry and Mrs. W.B. Moore went out today making up money for the temperance campaign. They received $62.

Aug 21, 1882:

Rev. Geo. W. Hill, L.L. Wittich, W.W. Mansfield and others are canvassing the county in behalf of temperance.

Sept 5, 1882:

Election day. This township gave a majority of 70 against license to sell whiskey.

Oct. 12, 1882:

A comet is visible now and is very bright about 4am.

Oct 22, 1882:

We felt a slight earthquake at 4pm.

Nov 21, 1882:

Mr. Thomas D. Berry was elected president of the Murphys temperance society.

Jan.22, 1883:

Very cold. People walking across the river on the ice.

Feb. 4, 1883:

It is snowing and sleeting, lightning flashing and thundering all at once. Never saw the like before.

Feb 4, 1883:

T.C. Moore and Wm. Quaile are collecting taxes.

Feb 12, 1883:

F.M. Elsey sold the hotel to Buck Bourland.

March 7, 1888:

Three or four men tried to rob the train west of Mulberry; they killed Mr. Cain, the conductor of the train.

Apr 18, 1883:

Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Adams announce the birth of a son.

May 28, 1883:

Mr. and Mrs. T.C. Moore announce the birth of a son, named him Roy.

June 22, 1883:

The four men who robbed the train and killed conductor Cain on March 7, 2343 hung in Clarksville today.

July 14, 1883:

Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Eichenberger announce the birth of a daughter.

Sept 27, 1883:

Jack Eicheberger's livery barn burned.

Sept 29, 1883:

H.C. Carter's home burned. So many fires lately people are growing suspicious of a stranger who has been in town about two weeks.

Apr 16, 1884:

We have a new milliner, Mrs. M.J. Henley. She and family came here from Searcy. (Mrs. Henley was Mrs. M.B. Conatser's mother)

Apr 19, 1884:

Hunter's show is here, the tent is back of Mat Greer's brick store.

Apr 21, 1884:

Jim Crawford died; tuberculosis was cause of his death. Will be buried at Gar Creek cemetery.

Apr 30, 1884:

Dr. Wyatt, dentist, is here; makes regular trips here.

May 10, 1884:

The ladies of the Methodist church met at Mrs. Colburn's to work on our quilt.

June 11, 1884:

Mrs. Pleas Harris died. (Elsey Harris' mother)

July 15, 1884:

Raining this morning; first rain in thirty-five days.

July, 1884:

Corwin Bill is postmaster here now and Frank Naylor is deputy postmaster.

July 23, 1884:

There was an excursion to Little Rock today. Alva Greer, Eugene Moore, Willie Bill and others went from Ozark.

Aug 7, 1884:

The Ozark Blues (baseball club) went to Clarksville today for a match game; were beaten.

Aug 8, 1884:

Mr. Perry F. Webb died. He was one of our old-time citizens.

Aug 14, 1884:

The Clarksville baseball club came up today and played the Ozark Blues. Our blues beat them 10 to 5.

Aug 30, 1884:

The Democrats had a barbecue at Walker Spring today; Poindexter, W.W. Mansfield, Hulbert Sadler and J.T. Tolleson spoke.

Setp 1, 1884:

The election was held today. The Brothers of Freedom and Republicans beat.

Sept 26, 1884:

The county Sunday School convention met here today. Miss Bettie Carter, C.C. Colburn, W.W. Jennings and Mrs. T. Moore are the delegates from our Methodist SS. The next convention will be held at Watalula.

Sept 29, 1884:

Genie Greer died this morning at 4:30. I loved him and we will miss him so much in our Sunday school class.

Oct. 2, 1884:

Eugene Hall commenced working at the depot with Al Reynolds.

Oct 7, 1884:

Miss Bettie Carter gave an entertainment at the court house, gave two plays; the parts were taken by young people of the town. One of the plays was entitled "The School Marm;" the other was "Paddle Your Own Canoe."

Oct 11, 1884:

Corwin Bill returned from a trip back to his old home in Ohio.

November 4, 1884:

Presidential election, Cleveland and Hendrix running for president and vice president.

Nov 8, 1884:

Governor James H. Berry spoke on the street rejoicing over the Democratic victory.

Nov 8, 1884:

Corwin Bill commenced a five months school out at Lonelm.

Nov 16, 1884:

We are needing rain, wells are giving out.

Nov 29, 1884:

Henry Cready who has been working in T.P. Williams' store in Webb city came to Ozark to work for Web Bros.

Dec 20, 1884:

Heard today of the death of Robert Steele. He had started to California looking for a location, but died before he reached his destination.

Dec 26, 1884:

Dr. John Blackburn and several others started today to the New Orleans Cotton Exposition.

Jan. 6, 1885:

Jeff McIlroy and Miss Lettie Gosnell were married at the home of her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Gosnell.

January 14, 1885:

Chris Steel got back today with his brother Bob's remains. F.M. Elsey's family who went with Mr. Steele, are in California.

Jan 21, 1885:

Allie Montague and Bettie Henley are working for Mr. Colburn in The Democrat office.

Jan 29, 1885:

Alec Wortherm and Irene Monroe (col.) were married.

Feb 9, 1885:

W.W. Adams and wife left today and Jack Eichenberger and wife leave tomorrow, all going to New Orleans, La., to the Cotton Exposition.

Mar 2, 1885:

C.C. Colburn went to Little Rock to the legislature to do some lobbying against establising two courts in Franklin County.

Mar 12, 1885:

Bro Pettie is conducting a protracted meeting at the Baptist church.

Apr 6, 1885:

The Bible Society was organized. Elected W.W. Mansfield president; Dr. H.H. Turner, vice president; Tommie Davis, secretary; Mrs. Crudup, treasurer.

May 1, 1885:

Rufus Eichenberger came home with his little boy. His wife died in Illinois.

May 8, 1885:

Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Eichenberger announce the birth of a girl baby.

May 12, 1885:

Bro. Geo W. Hill is conducting a protracted meeting in the Methodist church. There have been twenty-two conversions so far. Bro. Hill received an anonymous letter a few days ago, but it does not disturb him.

June 9, 1885:

Eva Elsey came home today from McMinville, Tenn., where she has been attending school.

June 12, 1885:

The steam mill over Gar creek blew up today, killing John Malloy who worked there. They found his body in the well close by.

June 25, 1885:

Has rained every day for about ten days; never did see so much rain in June.

July 4, 1885:

There was an excursion to Van Buren today and all the men and boys on the train were drunk and fought all the way home, so said Aunt Meck Johnson (colored) who was on the train.

July 13, 1885:

J. Dick Berry has received his commission as postmaster at Ozark.

July 27, 1885:

Have just returned from the Sunday school convention at Watalula. Miss Bettie Carter, Mrs. Laura Wallace, Corwin Bill and Mrs. T. Moore were delegates. We went in Uncle Jim Sutherland's hack.

Dec 31, 1885:

Emma Carter, Myrtle Berry, Lura Blackburn, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Nichols and Fannie Nailor all went to Van Buren to a dance tonight.

Jan 6, 1886:

Mr. Alf Williams and Allie Montague were married and left on the eventing train for Fort Smith where they will reside.

Jan 8, 1886:

Thermometer registers two degrees below zero this morning. They have been crossing the river on the ice for more than a week.

Jan 27, 1866:

W.W. Adams and wife, B.L. Jones and wife, Mrs. Lizzie Nichols, W.C. Bill and May Moore started to New Orleans to the Cotton Exposition. Mr. and Mrs. Jones will go on to Florida.

Feb 2, 1886:

Snow is eighteen inches deep. The roof on the Jack Eichenberger's Livery Barn fell in from the weight of the snow. Several have had the snow taked off their houses.

Feb 17, 1886:

W.W. Jennings and Mrs. Ellen Williams were married in the Methodist church.

March 10, 1886:

M.B. Conatser and Mrs. Mollie Bradley were married at the home of her mother, Mrs. M.J. Henley. They left for St. Louis immediately after the ceremony,.

March 12, 1886:

Rufus Eichenberger died. He and Miss Mollie Faust were to be married the 31st of this month.

May 14, 1886:

Had a Sunday school picnic in Wallace woodland. Dick Berry and W.W. Jennings ran a foot race.

May 24, 1886:

W.W. Adams, O.B. Donaldson and C.T. Bill will go to Charleston to audit the clerk's books.

May 25, 1886:

Mrs. Lizzie Berry is here visiting her mother, Mrs. J.F. Quaile. She came from Washington City.

May 25, 1886:

J. Dick Berry is very sick. Doctor says a foot-race between he and W.W. Jennings at a picnic a few days ago is the cause of the trouble.

Apr 12, 1887:

Mrs. Laura Wallace and Mrs. T. Moore are to call on people this afternoon for contributions to finish paying for the monument which has been placed at the grave of W.H. Fayth in the Ozark cemetery. The inscription on the monument is: Lt.-Col. W.H. Fayth, killed June 25, 1864; age 26 years.

Apr 24, 1887:

Mrs. Sammie Carter Taylor died this morning at her home in Memphis, Tenn. Her husband (Oscar Taylor) and three children survive her. The youngest about a week old. The remains will be brought to Ozark for burial.

May 11, 1887:

Someone burned the colored Methodist church last night.

May 11, 1887:

Dr. Hairston and family leave today for Texas to reside.

May 17, 1887:

Mag Montague and Corwin Bill leave today for Camden, Ark., to attend the grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias.

May 24, 1887:

Sheriff Billie Huggins and Baylus Webb brought Mr. Hammond and son from Texas who were wanted here for the murder of Clay Collins in 1871.

May 30, 1887:

Bert McLane and Orelsia Huggins were married today.

June 30, 1887:

Mr. J.R. McIlroy died last night. Another one of our good citizens passed away. The Masons will conduct the burial service tomorrow.

July 14, 1887:

W.S. Garner bought Benham Carter's store house and goods. W.B. Moore and Charley Lewter are invoicing.

July 24, 1887:

Mrs. E.E. Montague (mother of Mrs. W.W. Adams) died at 9pm. We will miss her so much, she was so faithful to the church. funeral service will be tomorrow in the Methodist church.

Aug 1, 1887:

Willie Garner and Miss Lula Lay were married at the home of the bride's parents in Quitman, Ark.

Sept 6, 1887:
The Y.M.C.A. had an entertainment at the home of W.W. Jennings. Anna Alston and Edna Jennings furhnished the music and Oma Bourland and Corwin Bill gave recitation.

Sept 21, 1887:

A.H. Boles moved to Ft. Smith. Judge Wilson is moving into the boles home here.