Marion Co TOC

       (Page 289) The first white settlers in Marion County were primarily men who were part of the "Westward Ho" movement who came to explore and to find new hunting and fishing grounds. Most of them did not stake out homesteads and begin to clear the forests for farm land and to build permanent homes. Rather they cleared small patches of land for gardens for corn and tobacco and built crude one-room log cabins with little furniture. As game became scarce, they moved on west.
       Some of these who came liked what they found: prime forests, smooth, fertile land along the streams, an abundance of pure water from the many springs, wild game, and an ideal climate. These chose to stay and these became the pioneers and developers of Marion County.
       Progress was slow for few of these had wealth; there were no roads, schools, churches, towns, nor industries. What these pioneers had was: industry, honesty, self-reliance and a spirit of cooperation and the desire to build a new home in this wilderness.
       Their first undertaking was to build a house for their family and a barn for what livestock they had brought along. They usually selected a home site near a spring on high ground because of their fear of chills and fever from, as they thought, the dampness and humidity in the valley. An Ozark folk legend has it that the house site was selected by the husband and wife going to the spring. The wife was given two large buckets of water and told to carry the water as far up the hill as she could without resting. The place where she had to rest was selected as the building site.
       The first homes were log houses often with double chimneys and built by the family and neighbors in "house raisings." Land was cleared for farming and many times the choice trees were cut, sawed into logs to be used for additional buildings and stored to be made into lumber when sawmills would be available.
       Farming at its best was crude - A Georgia Stock pulled by oxen or a team of horses or mules in new ground was a trial of a man's ability to overcome the temptation to use profanity when the plow hit a root and broke and struck his shins, and often the ground itself was not well-prepared for planting. An Ozark saying was: "The Lord didn't go with one to plow the new ground."
       (Page 290 Top) (photo: Harvest time, crading wheat.) As more people came to the area and communities began to spring up, the earlier trails became roads connecting neighbor with neighbor and communities with other communities.
       In the early 1800's the treaty with the Osage Indians gave the settlers the right to apply for homestead rights. By 1819 when Arkansas became a territory, there were few white people in what is now Marion County, but by 1836 when Arkansas became a state and Marion County became a County, the population had grown considerably. Land was now offered for homesteads for those who applied and "proved up" their claim. Land was also given to those who would pay five years tax in advance.
       Early farming was largely row cropping of corn, cane, tobacco, beans, peas, and other crops that could be used for food for man and beast. There was some wheat and oats grown, particularly in what was then called the Flippin Barrens, the King's Prairie, and along Crooked Creek.
       After steamboats reached Buffalo City and McBee's Landing, farmers began growing cotton. It was in effect the first money crop for farmers and many of the farmers along the river and creek bottoms turned their farming interest to cotton. The first cotton gin in Marion County was operated by Will McBee at McBee's Landing just above Cotter on White River. Soon other gins were built at Bruno, Oakland, Yellville, near Peel, Pace's Ferry, Old Powell near Pyatt on Clear Creek, and Buffalo City. The gin at McBee's Landing was destroyed by a flood near the turn of the century. Durl Wood soon established a gin in Flippin and operated it for a number of years. He later sold it to a group of businessmen in Flippin and the gin was called The Farmer's Gin. It was managed by several different men during its years of operation including: Houston Poynter, H. F. (Square) Woods, George Billings, George Sanders, and J. B. (Bob) McCracken. During the (Page 291 Top) (photos: Bales of cotton in front of gin at Flippin in early 1920's. Standing in front row left to right are: Tom Black, W.J. Pierce, and R.L. Hayes, man in back row unidentified & Bales of cotton on loading platform at Flippin ready to be shipped by train in the 1920's) (Page 292 Top) (Photos: Loads of cotton waiting at the gin & "King Cotton" Harvest time) (Page 293 Top) (Photo: Early Canning Plant. One of the first to can food by steam, called pressure cooking. Left to right: John Reed and grandson Dolia Burleson, Frank Reed, girl on right unidentified [man, woman and baby on the right side of the photo are not mentioned in the caption]) time Farmer's Gin was in operation, cotton became a very profitable crop and many "hill farmers" began growing cotton. Practically all of eastern and northern Marion County farmers were growing cotton and it was being hauled by wagon and teams to Flippin to be ginned. This gin, during the busy season, operated 24 hours per day and even then it sometimes took twoor three days for a farmer to get his cotton ginned. This indicated the necessity for another gin and Seth Hurst, who had previous ginning experience, built a new and very modern gin on the site now occupied by the Seawright Motel and Automotive Supply Store. Both gins were busy and proved to be profitable business enterprises. The new gin was owned and operated by Seth Hurst.
       Cotton farming was hard work and it required the work of all the family. Little machinery was available and most of the work of hoeing, spraying and picking was done by hand. For many years cotton was king (hence, the term King Cotton) and it remained so until the price of cotton dropped so low that farmers reduced their cotton acreage. About this time, the U. S. Government, Department of Agriculture, initiated the acreage allotment for cotton farmers and thereafter few farmers in the county grew cotton.
       At the height of the cotton as 'King Cotton' in Marion County, there were two gins at Bruno -The Farmer's Gin Cooperative operated by W. C. Keeter, and another owned by the Angel family; there was a gin at Eros, four at Old Powell, one at Yellville, one at Oakland, one near Oakland on Spring Creek, one near Pace's Ferry owned and operated by the Frost Brothers, one near Buffalo City and, perhaps, there were others.
       In the 1940's all the gins in the county ceased to operate and cotton as a money crop was only a memory. The last cotton grown in the county was in (Page 294 Top) 1966 on acreage allotments belonging to J. B. McCracken and Jim McGowne. This cotton was ginned at Morrilton, the nearest gin at the time.
(Photo: Tomato Factory work force at plant in Flippin west of town. Top Left George Smothers, George Sanders, Lester Sanders, Thomas Wooton, Hattie Billings, Mr. Suttle, May Hackler, Adeline Matthews, Eula Matlock. 2nd Row: Frank Hurst, Bob Hurst, I.P. Rose, Roscoe Arney, Willie Pangle, Mamie Pangle, Nellie Pangle, Wheeler Sublett, Lonnie Davis, Myrtle Cornell, Lillie Wise, John Wise. 3rd Row: 1st 2 people unknown, Vineta Hurst, Clemma Johnson, Dolly Lee, Eula Hurst, Mattie Mason, Margaret Talbert, Dorothy McGowne, Avanell Hurst, Francis Black, unknown, Hazel King, Mrs. George Smothers, Biffle Smothers, unknown, Laura Wise, Minnie Johnson, Albert Beavers, Mrs. Albert Beavers and her two children. Front Row: Josie Black, Nellie Matthews, Mary Arney, unknown, unknown, Garvin Huddleston, unknown, Ester Mears, Zena Huddleston, in front of Zena, Mary Catherine Henry, in front the manager, Mr. Harmon, known as Tomato Pete)
       As the production of cotton declined, a new money crop was being developed-tomatoes. Many farmers, particularly upland farmers, began to clear land and plant tomatoes for sale to the canning plants that sprang up over the county. Seth Hunt, formerly engaged in cotton ginning, built a large, modem canning plant in Flippin and this plant furnished seasonal employment for many women and girls in the area. Mr. Hurst himself was a big producer of tomatoes on his farm on Lee's Mountain northwest of Flippin. He shipped many carloads of canned tomatoes over the Missouri Pacific Railroad to various markets. During WW II, the U. S. Government contracted for his total output of canned tomatoes paying him a bonus price because of the fine quality and certain mineral content that was needed for the food supply shipped to the armed forces in the Pacific Theater.
       Other tomato canning plants were the Markle plants near Dodd City and one at Pyatt, the Young plant in Pyatt, all producing high quality tomatoes (Page 295 Top) and employing a large number of women and girls and some men. There were probably other canning plants in the county but memory fails to recall where they were located. After the close of the war, for some reason, this industry died in Marion County. It would seem to have great possibilities but no one appears to be interested.
(Photo: threshing crew of Marion County)
       After cotton and tomato crops no longer seemed profitable, farming in Marion County had almost a complete change. Row cropping almost disappeared. Fields that formerly grew corn, cotton, cane and beans now became pasture land or hay meadows. Alfalfa, clover, and lespedeza became leading hay crops to be used as winter food for the now increasing herds of a better grade of cattle being grown. With this change, livestock production, particularly cattle, became the main agricultural product. Farmers who had formerly had a few cattle-grade cattle on open range-now, due to the passage of a Stock Law, put their cattle on pastures and began to upgrade their herds. In a short time many farmers throughout the county were growing registered Angus, Brahmas, Herefords, Red Polls and Shorthorns of the beef type and Jerseys, Holsteins and Brown Swiss for dairy products.
       This upgrading of cattle had two natural results: first, a growing interest in and the production of more and better cattle, and as a result of the first, there followed the second, the organizing of a livestock auction and building of the livestock auction bans. The first livestock auction organized was in 1935 by a group of cattle growers and businessmen. Stockholders of the original company were: W. E. Rose, A. E. Hall, Gus McCracken, P. W. Huddleston, Garland Odgen, Willie Bell, Gordon Sanders, Ike Cornell and R. Daffron. The first livestock auction was held on September 11, 1935, at the newly constructed livestock pens located near the Flippin High School. It was what might be termed an "Instant Success" and in a short time a sales barn was built. Cattle from adjoining counties as well as from Missouri were (Page 296 Top) brought to the sale held weekly on Wednesday as buyers from the Springfield and Kansas City market attended and paid top prices. Later an Auction Barn was built at Yellville.
(photos: Cattle on farm near Flippin belonging to Tobe Daffron & Hog-killing time in the early 1930's. Standing by the tree is John Linck, his helpful neighbor was Billy Gibson)
(Page 297 Top) (Photos: Uncle EB Wood, grandfather of Lyle Wood looking at cattle & Registered Herefords bred and grown on Lyle Wood farm. Lyle in pasture viewing his prized Herefords
(Page 298 Top) (Photo: Wally Burleson of Yellville the last of the pioneer blacksmiths of the county)
(Page 299 Top) (Photo: Berry Pickers about 1915. Front Row left to right: Norvel Pyle, Thelbert Adams, Clifton Pyle, Walter Adams, Hoyte Pyle, unknown, Ewell Adams, John Q Adams. Back Row L-R; Gasslie Nanny, Elva Pyle, Ora Adams, Delia Adams, Effie Adams, Nell Adams, Rettie Adams, Kirk Keeter, Olaf Pyle)
       The Flippin Livestock Auction continued to operated under various owners until the late 1960's or early 1970's when Tobe Daffron, the owner at that time, moved it to Mountain Home where he still operates it. The Yellville Livestock Auction apparently was not so successful and did not continue for nearly so long as the Flippin Auction. It is now occasionally used as a site for a horse show and auction.
       The production of a better grade of dairy cattle also developed a growing interest in the production of milk and cream for the market. Many farmers shipped milk to Springfield in five and ten gallon milk cans that moved over the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Later milk routes were established in practically every section of the county. In time a Farmers Cooperative Creamery was organized and a cheese plant was built at Yellville. Farmers throughout the county found a convenient market for their milk and cream. It no longer operates as a cream plant. There is in Yellville a goat milk canning plant that has been in operation for about 20 years. Some farmers raise milk goats and supply the plant with the milk.
       For a short time farmers in the south part of the county tried production of strawberries as a money crop. This was successful as long as the Flint Rock Berry Growers Association of Marshall was active and maintained a big acreage and the Berry Auction in Marshall. In the past few years, due to the difficulty in securing pickers, the Searcy County market has almost disappeared and only a few farmers now grow strawberries commercially. Col. Deva Still on Highway 14 South has an acreage and found a ready market for his 1976 crop at a good price. He is, along with Dr. Svendson of Yellville, engaged in growing and marketing fine apples, pears and other fruits which find a ready market. It is hoped that their success may encourage others to (Page 300 Top) plant orchards, at least enough to produce fruit for home consumption.
(Photo: Wood cutting in the 1930's. L-R - Clem Hogsed, George Hogsed, Rue Estes and Francis Gibson)
       It seems that this pretty well covers and will serve as a resume of agriculture in Marion County.
       The next most important industry in Marion County is the timber industry. Since the county had an abundance of fine hardwood trees, pine and cedar, it was one of the first industries in the county. Small sawmills were built by the early settlers of the county and many men and boys found employment in cutting the timber, hauling it to the mills, and many were employed at the mills. Some of this fine lumber found its way by wagon to Springfield, Missouri markets and other found its way by rafts or flat boats down the Buffalo and White Rivers to the Steamboats plying White River from McBee's Landing to Batesville and Newport from whence it was shipped by rail to all parts of the country. Incidentally, the fine quality of this lumber can be attested to by an inspection of the lumber found in some of the early homes built and still standing in excellent condition now one hundred years after they were built.
       The timber industry also furnished employment to many men and boys who cut cedar posts for the market and to those who made cross ties for the railroads. Often these were rafted down the river to Cotter where they were inspected and bought.
       Later, most of the virgin white oak, post oak, and, still later, the red oak timber was cut for stave bolts. These bolts were hauled to the stave mills for use in barrels and kegs for storing and aging liquor and wines. There were a number of these stave mills in Marion County at various times, but so far as available information, none are operating now. However, stave bolts are still being cut in the county, particularly the southern part, and hauled to a stave mill near Marshall. Perhaps, some stave bolts are being cut north (Page 301 Top) (Photo: Pasco Mill was located at the head of Mill Creek south of Yellville. Photo is of many people none are named in the caption) of White River and sold to mills in Missouri. Some of the names associated with the stave industry which come to mind are: Freeman Brothers who operated several mills at various locations in the county; Ernie Gentry, a native of Rush, who now lives in Mountain Home and his partner, a Mr. Dean of Ava, Missouri, who moved to Flippin; these supplied choice white oak staves to the International market, particularly to French and Italian wine makers; Oscar Crunkleton of Eros who later moved to Springfield and the Kaylors who operated the last stave mill in Flippin. There are doubtless others who operated stave mills in the county whose names cannot now be recalled. Many names are associated with the sawmill and lumber industry in Marion County. The Young family of Pyatt was one of the pioneers in this industry and some members of the family are still engaged in this. N. Carroll for many years was engaged in the sawmill and lumber business at Flippin and after his death members of his family carried on the business for years. The Dillards and Davenports of the Mull and Caney communities in the south part of the county were for many years sawmill operators and engaged in the lumber industry. Perhaps some members of these families are still engaged in this industry.
       The Quigley family and the Markle family of the Dodd City-Monarch area have long been associated with the timber industry in Marion County. The Hollingsworth family of Oakland for many years operated a sawmill and had a prosperous lumber business on Little North Fork.
       Oscar Crunkleton was engaged in sawmilling and lumber for years in the Eros area. W. W. Treadway was a long-time sawmill and lumber dealer in the Kingdon Springs area. The Fisk family operated sawmills in the Kingdon Springs area. Willie Fisk operated a mill in Old Flippin for a time before moving his mill to the Cowan Barrens area south of Yellville where he (Page 302 Top) continued to operate it most of his life. The Linton family of Summit is another name associated with this industry.
(Photo: Virgin Pine logs on way to sawmill - John Evans and Charlie Thompson)
       Stell Fletcher of Maumee in Searcy County, perhaps, had at one time the most prosperous sawmill and lumber business in the area. Much of the timber and many of the employees at the mill came from Marion County.
       Ike Lack and his son, Guy, operated sawmills in the Buffalo-Rea Valley communities. Lee and Virgil Humphrey operate a mill in Rea Valley at this time. Ambrose Pilgrim operates a cedar mill in Flippin at the present time.
       The sawmill and timber industry in Marion County has declined but it is still an important part of the economy of the county. It might be pointed out that from the timber industry have come some specialities and some wood craftsmen. To mention some of these the following come to mind: C. R. Strauss, formerly of Flippin, made cedar chests, furniture and novelties during the Depression 30's; Roy Linton of Summit was a skilled artisan and craftsman of hand-made cedar novelties and toys; Mrs. Hensley of Summit made fine violins and other musical instruments from native timber-hand carved; the Cull Brothers of Pace's Ferry and Cotter made chairs from ash- largely hand-machined, and bottomed with hickory or paw-paw bark; Walter (Chairmaker) Johnson of Newton Flat was also a skilled artisan in the making of this type of chair-no more comfortable chairs have ever been made.
       There are doubtless many other names associated with the timber industry in Marion County whose names cannot be recalled but suffice it to say that all of these have played an important part in the economy of the county.
       Hunting, trapping and fishing as commercial enterprises have never been of particular importance to the economy of the county but in pioneer days it was a source of both clothing and food. Later hunting and trapping did supply an additional source of revenue during the winter season. Men and (Page 303 Top) (Photo: Old type well-drill owned and operated by John Linck in the dry-times of the 1930's.) boys enjoyed the sport of hunting and trapping fox, coon, possum, an occasional muskrat, beaver and pole cat or skunk. In addition to the sport, the pelts were ready cash when taken to the 'hide dealer', and often brought a good price when the pelts were prime. Some of the early pelt buyers were - Fonce Hall, Baxter Vanzandt, and Edd Parnell of Flippin; Sam Martin of Oakland; Frank Treadway of Peel; Mr. Buchanan of Yellville; W. C. Keeter of Bruno; Pyle and Hudson of Bruno Some hunters and trappers shipped their pelts to Tunston Brothers of St. Louis or to K W. Biggs Company in Kansas City.
       During the Depression a great many people turned to mussel shell digging or fishing along White River. Men, women and the larger children were engaged in this work. It was hard, tiring work locating a mussel shell bed in the river, digging these shells while standing in waist-deep, cold water, in the glare of a scorching sun, pestered by flies, gnats and mosquitoes and putting these mussel shells into a bag or sack hung over the shoulder until the bag was filled or became so heavy that one must take to the bank and unload. After this the shells must be opened, cleaned and washed and then sacked ready to be carried to the market where they would be sold to the button factory. The button factory was usually the large factory at Newport, a small one at Oakland and one at Cotter. Occasionally, excitement followed the opening of the shell for a few fine pearls were found. Uncle Ealum Mears of Newton Flat found one that reportedly he sold for $500-a lot of money in that day. Bob and Vesta Williams of Flippin found several of lesser value and Pearl Frost found a valuable one near Pace's Ferry.
       Some natives found additional income by digging and marketing certain native herbs used in the production of certain drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians. Among these herbs and plants were: ginsing, mayapple root, Indian red root, and various other plants. Robert Keeter of (Page 304 Top) Summit was, perhaps, the best informed man in the county on such herbs and each spring he spent time collecting and marketing those he had gathered. Jim Davenport of Mull, along with his close friend Mr. Langston, also knew where to find these herbs along Water Creek, Buffalo River, Rush Creek, Cow Creek and near DeSoto Springs. Uncle Ealum Mears of Newton flat was another that knew these herbs, where they could be found, and when to look for them. It was not a source of big revenue and to many of those who gathered, it was more of an opportunity to get out and live close to nature for a brief time in their otherwise busy hum-drum world.
       Industry in Marion County now is of a more sophisticated nature. The tourist industry brought about by the building of Bull Shoals Dam and the creation of the huge lake brings literally thousands of tourists into the county annually. These visit and spend days or weeks fishing on the lake or floating the White and Buffalo Rivers and Crooked Creek. The Buffalo State Park, now a part of the National River Park System, has become a favorite vacation spot.
       Factories employing hundreds of workers -such as Kenzie Kraft Boats, owned and operated by Kenzie Baird; the Ranger Boat Company, owned and managed by Forrest and Nina Wood; the Micro-Plastic Manufacturing Company-are now located in or near Flippin.
       A shipping center for the Mar-Bax Shirt Company of Gassville is located at Yellville or Summit. There is also a Concrete Block Manufacturing plant, a Concrete Culvert Company, and the Marion County Ready-Mix Concrete Company. There are at least three Sand, Gravel, and Crushed Rock Companies in operation. Many citizens of the county are employed in the Mar Bax Shirt factory at Gassville and at the Baxter Laboratories near Mountain Home. The county has a very low unemployment record-less than 4%.
       The future outlook is very good and we feel confident that more industries will locate here in the future.