(From Polk County Genealogy Society Quarterly - reprinted with permission)
(The society's publication includes a drawing or photograph of some of the persons mentioned in the article.)
GIBBS - "Dr. A.J. Gibbs came here in Oct 1896 from Eureka Springs and is considered one of our most useful citizens and physicians. He was raised in Mississippi, studied medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical College in 1857, and went through the war as a surgeon in the Confederate army."
DAGG - "Dr. H.M. Dagg was born in Washington, Penn., July 26, 1850, moved with his parents to Dallas, West Virginia when quite young. He...read medicine with Dr. S.M. McCracken of Washington, Penn., graduated at Cleveland Medical College in the class of '79, practiced medicine in Dallas, WV, until the year 1889 when he came to Kansas City, MO, from there he moved to Clay county, MO.... "He purchased the first resident lot sold in the city..and he owns some valuable mining claims...."
REESE - "Dr. W.A. Reese is a native of Caldwell county, KY, and a descendant of a patriotic ancestry; the one grandfather a Revolutionary and the other an 1812 soldier. He moved with his father to MO in the spring of 1856, and a few months after entered Chapel Hill College, and four years later graduated from the MO Medical College.... He is at present time a member of the city council...." [The drawing of Dr. Reese is badly damaged.]
LINDSAY - "Dr. S. L. Lindsay has been a dentist for more than thirty years. He was born at Springfield, IL, Mar. 12, 1846.... He came to Arkansas in 1871 and located in Prairie county and in 1887 moved to Beebe in White county. He came to this county in 1893 and stopped in Dallas until this town was located...."
Terry - "W.M. Terry, Jr., D.D.S., graduate of the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, class of '96, practiced in Burlington, IA, since then until the present time."
WATKINS - "Dr. P.R. Watkins was born in Alabama but raised in Ark., coming to this city in April, 1897. He graduated from the Vanderbilt Institute at Nashville, TN...."
RAMEY - "Dr. I.I. Ramey is one of the leading physicians of this city, locating here....[rest of paragraph damaged].
ALLEY and GLITSCH - "Glitsch & Alley, lawyers, is the title of one of our legal firms.... J.I. Alley, the junior member of the firm is a native of Arkansas, resided in Boone county for a number of years and from there removed to Montgomery county where he attended the public schools, read law and was admitted to the bar six years ago. He is now 28 years of age...."
BYERS - "Col. J.C. Byers is a native of Ohio. He came to Arkansas in 1887, locating at Fort Smith.... Mr. Byers is a member of the state and U.S. supreme court bars.
McPHETRIGE - "Atty. Pole McPhetrige...was born in VA and came to this county in 1872,residing at Dallas....
MATHENY - "W. Ivan Matheny, Esq... formerly of Hot Springs...is our present city attorney, and is talked of as a probably candidate for representative in the legislature from Polk county, at the coming Sept. election.
RADCLIFF - "H.J. Radcliff - being a Manxman by birth...came from Kansas, where for several years he had been engaged in the practice of law...."
YORK - "M.V. York came here from Lagrange, IL, about 15 years ago and located on a farm which is now inside the corporate limits. He has been active in many enterprises, making brick and running a mill and carding factory at his place. When the town was chartered he was chosen a member of the council...."
BOYER - "W. I. Boyer, the pioneer furniture merchant and undertaker of Mena, was born in New Jersey. He came to this place from Kansas.... He has devoted considerable time and money to develop the mining interest of this section."
LANDES - "Jos. P. Landes, the wide-awake townsite agent, when asked for his 'obituary notice,' said, 'I left Kansas City July 9, 1896, came to Poteau on [a] passenger train, boarded the construction train and rode to the end of the track, then rode a spring wagon to Mena, eighteen miles. It was almost a wilderness, now a presidential postoffice and a town of 3,200 people and increasing everyday."
WINN - "Harry Winn, the hustling proprietor of the Electric Studio, came here from Henderson, TX, in the spring of 1897. His studio, as fitted up is one of the best in this section of the state. A large number of the photographs used in making the cuts for this issue of the Star were taken by him."
STUCK[E]Y - "Mr. E.O. Stuck[e]y is the manager of the P.M. Stuckey general merchandise store of this city, and is a native of this state, coming here last October.... Mr. Stuckey is quite a musician, having composed and published several selections in sheet form."
DAVIS - "W. J. DAVIS - One of the best known and most popular men in this county and one who thoroughly appreciates the building of the railroad and a big town here, is W.J. Davis, the circuit clerk and ex-officio county clerk and recorder. The sale of lands and town lots since the advent of the railroad have materially increased the return of his office and made Mr. Davis correspondingly happy. Everybody knows 'Jack' Davis and Jack knows everybody, and considering the fact that he has less than one hand with which to greet voters and give them the democratic handshake, he has served the people of this county in office a long time, having held the position he is now in for fourteen years, though defeated twice by the populists. Nothing daunted, however, Mr. Davis tried it a third time and as a result is now in for another two years. Everybody calls Jack a good fellow and he is certainly an accommodating official."
TERRY - Mr. Terry is a native of Iowa, and came to Arkansas in 1891. He commenced railroading in 1868 and is now roadmaster of the Southern division of the Pittsburg & Gulf.... He is a graduate of the law school of the Iowa State University . . . ."
JOHNSON - "Mr. D.R. Johnson, who came with his family from Iowa last June, bought property and built him a nice nine-story residence at the head of Port Arthur avenue has gone into copartnership with C.A. Hollopeter. Mr. Johnson is a native of Indiana." . . . "Mr. Hollopeter was also a resident of Iowa and came here in November, 1896...."
HAMILTON - "Jno. H. Hamilton & Co. has been in business here from the start.... Mr. Hamilton, the senior member of the firm, located here in July, 1896 and built the third house erected here, and opened the first real estate office. He associated with him in the business Mr. B.F. Thompson, of Dallas, an old resident, who is well acquainted with the lands and country of Polk county as well as the people of the country...."
PETTY- "G.W. Petty is the pioneer of Mena merchants erecting the first business house and opening the first stock of goods, moving here from Ransom, this county. He was a member of the city council and is a member of the school board...."
FISH - "Charles Fish who came here from Ft. Smith during August 1896, and opened a second hand store on DeQueen street between Honert and Janssen avenue, is conducting a successful business...."
ELLIS - "J.J. Ellis came to this city in September 1896 to take charge of the Mena Lumber Company. He has been in the lumber business in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas before coming here...."
BOOTH - W.H. Booth & Co. "This establishment was located here on May 1, 1897, by W.H. Booth of Texarkana, where he makes his home.... S. P. Doyle is the local manager."
WATTLES - "R.M. Wattles of the DeQueen Street Second Hand Store, came here from Cripple Creek, CO last April...."
BROWER - "J.P. Brower is one of our most extensive timber buyers and shippers, making a specialty of walnut logs for export...etc."
HUDGINS - "J.G. Hudgins...[is] a member of the visiting committee of the schools of this palce, is a native of Georgia and came to Arkansas in 1866. He has resided at Dallas, this county, thirty years.... When he first came here he purchased cattle and drove them to Memphis to ship to Virginia. Mr. Hudgins...transferred many of his enterprises here locating the first sawmill, having it ready to run prior to the town being platted...."
C.A. SMITH & Bro. - "These gentlemen are Texans, coming here from Atlanta. . ."
POPE - "One of the best known men in the city is C.E. Hope, proprietor of Hope's Transfer Line...."
LONG - "J.W. Long holds the title of being the pioneer barber of this city. He came here from Hacket City and opened up a barber shop on August 10, 1896, while the place was a city of tents.... In 1897 he formed a partnership with W.A. Walker."
BARNEY - "The Mena Cigar Factory ...was established Sept. 16, 1896, by T.C. Barney.... During the past year the factory...made 40,630 cigars...."
VARLEY - "The Enterprise Store established by Mrs. Mary Varley and her daughter. They came here from Waukasha, WS, in November and opened a store. Ladies can find there everything they need in dress finishings, notions, ribbons, and toilet articles...."
OWEN - "The coming April will be nine years since R. S. Owen commenced business at Dallas with a few hundred dollars worth of groceries... Mr. Owen established a branch business at this place in 1896...."
COLE - ROWTON - HAWTHORN - "C.H. Cole came here from Eureka Springs...and conducts a very nice milk dairy...." "The Mena Dairy is the pioneer dairy of this place and is now located one and one-half mile west of town. The proprietors, Messrs. Rowton and Hawthorn, run an up-to-date dairy...."
YAISER - "New Tin Shop. J.D. Yaiser came here from North Dakota and began work as a tinner in connection with Sneed & Jones hardware store.... He has his shop on Janssen avenue between Mena and DeQueen streets.... [He] purchased a tract of land one mile south of town...."
"The Pipkin & Hanes Drug Store - This firm established their drug business at Dallas...in 1892 and remained in business there until March of 1897. At that time the firm moved to this place.... J.L. Pipkin, the senior member, was born in Yalobusha county, MS, on February 23, 1850 and came to Polk county, Arkansas, December 15, 1867.... J.B. Hanes, the junior member, was born in Hall county, Georgia, Sept 1858 and came to this county to reside on Oct 27, 1880."
WELCH - "Welch's Harness Store. L.W. Welch...opened a first class harness store on West Sherwood avenue...."
"Green & Lewis - Mr. E.M. Green and party visited this section of country in the spring of 1896 and with his party hunted wild game over the ground where now stands our city. In July, in company with his brother, R.G.Green of Chicago, and J.A. Lewis, formerly of West Plains, Mo., Mr. Green returned with a large stock of general merchandise...."
"Keen & DePew. - This firm is among the oldest and best known contractors and builders in this city...."
"Notestien &
Garahty. - This firm of contractors
has only recently been organized...."
KEY
- The Hub Grocery. J.S. Key, proprietor..
BRUMLEY
- "The Model Hand Machine Laundry [has been]
established on Amsterdam street near the roundhouse, with Brumley &
Son, proprietors...."
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