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Poughkeepsie in Sharp County
Is home to fish frys and reunions
Written by: Tracy L. Crain
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Sunday, June 3, 2001

Georgia Jarrett wrote an essay in high school about the history of Poughkeepsie; a quaint, secluded community in Sharp County. She gave the paper to her instructor, Bartus Allen.

"I thought for sure he’d tear it apart, but he didn’t change a single word. That was the greatest compliment I ever received. He was wonderful with words," Jarrett said.

Along with her essay, Jarrett, a schoolteacher for 34 years, has maintained most of Poughkeepsie’s historical materials.

A History of the One Room Schools of Sharp County: Country School Memories gives a description of the brush, log cabins and the small one-room frame structures that provided the educational settings for most of Arkansas, including the Sharp County School District.

As noted, the Sharp County School District, created in 1869, existed previously as a part of Lawrence County.

As stated in the book, "Thoughtful people may well acknowledge that…indeed there was even more to the little one room school than is implied by the selective voices of nostalgia and fond remembrance."

Thomas Mann said in the book, "The Common School is the great discovery every made by man."

There are many in this community that can relate to that statement because of the wonderful memories associated with the years that Poughkeepsie had a school district all its own.

"Nearly all of the fun in this community left when the school consolidated with the community of Strawberry two years ago," Jarrett said. "The school had a heart and it was the heart of this community. When the school closed, a part of the community’s heart died as well."

Although faint, there are a few heartbeats left said to belong to the remaining Poughkeepsie Elementary School.

"We’re glad to have our elementary school, but we miss our basketball team. Everyone loved those games. When the school consolidated, we lost our team and now only have a game here occasionally," she said.

Jarrett describes the most memorable event in the community as a political rally held in the 1980s.

"President Clinton, who was governor then, had a parade here. It was a big day. We’d never had anything like that before except for the parades we had on the Fourth of July as part of the school," she said.

Jarrett, a resident since 1940, believes the area’s best attributes can be found in the quietness and beauty of the surrounding hills.

"I spend a lot of time in California and when I’m there, I always get homesick. So much so, that I embrace the hills when I get home because I miss them. I’m just a hillbilly at heart," she said.

Part of the love of "hillbilly" life, Jarrett said, is having an appreciation of its cultural roots.

A man by the name of Jarrett "Mac" McFarlin is famous for a book he wrote, titled, Life Along the Strawberry River in the Ozark Mountains.

A compilation of short stories and anecdotes, Jarrett believes it characterizes the townspeople.

In his story about being a Green Beret, one of Jarrett’s favorites, McFarlin states that during the World War II and the Vietnam era, his companions would often change the lyrics of songs to met their needs.

Instead of singing the once popular song, "Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me," they would sing, "Don’t sit under the guilt tree with anyone else but me."

Jarrett’s works, along with his war stories, depict life along the nearby Strawberry River.

"That’s the main place people go for fun here. I don’t go over there very much because a person can hardly get through for all the cars," she said. "It seems like we’re always having to stop and wait until the other cars get through before getting to the water."

Along with the Strawberry River, Poughkeepsie offers convenient camping and horseback riding. "We’re also fortunate to have our little modern store. They’ve got a good breakfast deal. Guys gather down there like guys are known to do in these parts," she said.

Imogen Norris, another resident of Poughkeepsie loves life among the hills.

"My husband Don and I lived in a big city of 27 years. When he retired, we came back here and so much was different. I wouldn’t want to live in the city again," she said. "because…it’s absolutely beautiful here in the fall."

Although beautiful, commerce in this little community with an estimated population of 75 is rather limited.

"We have a real nice post office, the Han-D-Mart, two churches, and that’s about all," Norris said. "We have to go to Batesville or Ashflat just to visit a Wal-Mart."

A real good way to get on the bad side of this community, would be to not show up for the local fish frys, or the family and alumni school reunions.

"The alumni reunions are very popular," Norris said. "We’ve had some really famous people graduate from our schools. There were a lot of doctors. We’re proud of them and glad they come back to visit."

Described as good people working for the weekend in nearby Batesville, residents enjoy the rustic, almost romantic life found here.

They appreciate the historical ties of this former cattle and cotton farming community where two cotton gins were once located.

The story of the town’s name, according to Jarrett and Norris, originates from the pages of a letter written by Bartus Allen.

Geraldine Peebles, local Sharp County Historical Society member, confirms its validity.

According to the letter, it is believed that sometime around 1848, a small band of American Indians, resided in the area.

Among them, there was a little Indian girl named Poughkeepsie.
She was carrying water from the existing spring at the lower end of the town and fell into a spring and drowned.

The location was named in her memory.

(Poughkeepsie is an excerpt from Road Trips; a weekly feature of small towns in Arkansas written by Tracy Crain and published by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.)