HISTORY THROUGH POSTCARDS: THE COTTON GIN

"The invention of the cotton gin caused massive growth in the production of cotton in the United States, concentrated mostly in the South. Cotton production expanded from 750,000 bales in 1830 to 2.85 million bales in 1850. As a result, the region became even more dependent on plantations and slavery, with plantation agriculture becoming the largest sector of its economy. While it took a single slave about ten hours to separate a single pound of fiber from the seeds, a team of two or three slaves using a cotton gin could produce around fifty pounds of cotton in just one day. The number of slaves rose in concert with the increase in cotton production, increasing from around 700,000 in 1790 to around 3.2 million in 1850. By 1860, black slave labor from the American South was providing two-thirds of the world’s supply of cotton, and up to 80% of the crucial British market. The cotton gin thus “transformed cotton as a crop and the American South into the globe's first agricultural powerhouse."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HISTORY AND POSTCARDS 

 

The Moses Crawford Family

The History of the Evaline Wright
and Moses Crawford Family

Compiled information from the records of

Lois Crawford and Mary F. Crawford Lendennie, 

and the files of Dru Duncan 

The progenitor of this Crawford family was Moses Crawford, born ca 1805 in Georgia and died October 23, 1888, married in 1831 near Helena, Arkansas, Evaline Wright, born in Tennessee and died August 24, 1876, Mississippi County, Arkansas. Moses parents were from South Carolina. He came to Arkansas with his parents in his youth. After marrying Evaline, Moses first busied himself in rafting, hunting and also did a little farming. At that time, other occupations were more profitable than farming. They moved to Mississippi, then to Osceola in 1844 and made one crop before settling on land in Chickasawba Township in 1845. They cleared 35 acres and lived there ten years. They sold their farm and moved to Pemiscot Bayou where they remained until their death. To Moses and Evaline were born eight children: Sarah Evaline Crawford, Mary Jane Crawford, Nancy Evaline Crawford, William Crawford, George W. Crawford, John Charles Crawford, Charles Moses Crawford, and Thomas Yates (T. Y.) Crawford.
Reverend William L. Crawford, born February 15, 1847 and died January 13, 1916, buried Mooney Cemetery, married Lula Field, born February 1870 and died June 27, 1920, buried Mooney Cemetery.

T. Y. Crawford was the eldest of the eight, born  in 1833, St. Francis County, Arkansas. T. Y. began working for himself at the age of seventeen, working, hunting and working in wood yards on the river . Previous to his marriage to Miriam Myra Potter at the age of twenty-three, he had purchased a farm in Missouri. This farm was traded to his father, Moses, for the homeplace on the Pemiscot Bayou. T. Y. lived there until his death. The farm comprised 274 acres, 60 under cultivation, was improved with  buildings, fences, and orchards. In 1888, T. Y. began running a trading boat down the bayou but the next winter brought his stock of goods to his house and kept a successful store there.  To T. Y. and Miriam were born:
1.Tom W. Crawford,
2. John T. Crawford,
3. George W. Crawford,
4. Wesley Crawford,
5. Margaret P. Crawford,
6. W. Richard (Dick) Crawford, married Nancy Moody, born February 1867, Arkansas. They lived in Gosnell. To them were born:

6-1. Hardy Richard Crawford, Sr., born May 3, 1892 and died June 17, 1961,  married November 18, 1915, Mary Emma Akin, born 28 November 1897, Yarbro, Arkansas and died 22 March  1979, Blytheville, Arkansas, the daughter of Benjamin Akin, born November 1875, Tennessee and died 19 September 1946, Blytheville, Arkansas, married 29 December 1896, Tipton County, Tennessee,  Clara Chapman  of Yarbro, Arkansas, born 1875 and died 20 July 1954, Blytheville, Arkansas.  H. R. and Mary Emma  moved to Dell in the early 1920s, where H. R. Senior was a bookkeeper and co-owner of the Dell Cotton Gin Company.  They owned a home on Main Street opposite the Dell Methodist Church.  H. R. Senior was the Mayor of Dell during the years 1935-37.  To H. R. Senior and Mary Emma were born:

6-1-1. Richard Benjamin  (R. B.) Crawford, born September 10, 1917, Yarbro, Arkansas and died  April 5, 1990, married in 1938, Thelma Koehler. He graduated from Dell High School and attended Arkansas State College in Jonesboro. He served his country in the Air force during World War II. R. B. and Thelma lived in Dell where R. B. was the manager of the Dell Compress until 1958. They moved to fresno, California where he was associated with the cotton industry. To R. B. and Thelma were born: 6-1-1-1. Thelma Louise (Lucy) Crawford;
6-1-1-2. Barbara Joan Crawford,  6-1-2. Hardy R. (H. R.) Crawford, Jr., born February 21, 1920 and died October 5, 1995, Dell, Mississippi County, Arkansas, married Lois Aileen Gaither of Caruthersville, Missouri. H. R. lived in Dell nearly all of his life. He worked as a bookkeeper and was manager of the Dell Water Company.   And other thing……….------- In  1950-51, H. R. was the Recorder for  the Dell Town Council. To H. R. and Lois were born two children: 6-1-2-1. Lois Gaye Crawford, married  ; 6-1-2-2. Robert Hunter Crawford.

6-1-3. Emma Lou Crawford, born December 17, 1922 and died January 19, 1989, married Malcolm Greenway of Dell. To Emma Lou and Malcolm were born: 6-1-3-1. Rebecca Greenway  6-1-3-2. Malcolm Greenway, Jr.

6-1-4. Virginia Crawford, born December 10, 1924, married Harold Knop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Virginia graduated from Dell High School and attended Arkansas State College. To Virginia and Harold was born: 6-1-4-1. Kathleen Knop.

6-1-5. Mary Francis Crawford, born January 27, 1929, married 1948 Johnny Lendennie. Mary Francis graduated from Dell High School and attended Arkansas State College. To Mary Francis and Johnny were born: 6-1-5-1. Mary Jean Lendennie  6-1-5-2. John Richard Lendennie;
6-1-5-3. Steven Lucius Lendennie.
                6-2. Dixie Crawford, born ca 1904 and died January 1950, Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas
                6-3. Clarence Crawford
                6-4. Henry Crawford
                6-5. Katy Crawford (Hart)
                6-6. Relee Crawford (Sanders)
                6-7. Annie Crawford (Mosely)

7.Isaac Y. Crawford
8.Mary Bell Crawford
9. Edward M. Crawford
10. Henry L. Crawford

THE SEVEN CRAWFORD SONS

Louella Tate and William Henry Payne Family

Excerpts from: The History of William Henry Payne

and Louella Mae Tate

Recorded by Dorris Jean Payne Williams, assisted by Virginia Helen Payne Duncan,

and Harriet Nadine Payne Seiford, August 1996.

Additions by Robert Franklin Payne, Sr., May 2001

 

  L to R: Martin Stephen Payne, Flora Mae Payne, Alva Little, 

Laura Myrtle Payne, Margorie Anderson Little, Lawrence Little (baby) 

Back: Mary Elizabeth Thompson Anderson Payne, 

William Henry Payne, Bert Little, Eva Little

Louella Mae Tate was about fourteen, when she moved from Marion, Illinois, to Belknap, Illinois, during World War I. William Henry Payne was serving in the U. S. Army, spending some time in France. The Tate and Payne families were neighbors in the county of Johnson. The Payne's owned a 40 acre farm, and Frank Tate worked on the farm owned by Cal Casper in Johnson County, Illinois. Previously, Frank Tate had worked as a fireman on the railroad between Marion and Carbondale. Because of a train wreck, Frank was laid off and went to work at a local coal mine, but due to ill health, he had to get out of the mine. As a result he moved his family to the Belknap, Johnson County, Illinois area.
    When Will, William Henry Payne, returned home from the war, he was met at the train station in Belknap by a large portion of the townspeople. It was a habit of many people to meet the train just to see who got off that day. That was Louella Mae Tate's first look at the ex-soldier, who served his country in France. At that time, it was thought that Will Payne was engaged to Louella's best friend, Hettie Griffith (Lemke).
    Later Will Payne walked Louella Tate home from a party and a budding romance blossomed. They were married in Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois, at the courthouse, August 20, 1920. They made the trip to Cairo by train and returned to Belknap to make their home with Will's mother, Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Payne. Will's father had died while he was in France and he did not know until he returned home that his father, Martin Stephen Payne, had passed away.
    It seemed living with a mother-in-law proved difficult for all concerned. One of Louella's duties was to milk the cow. Each time she did so , the cow would kick. She complained to Lizzie, who always insisted the cow did not kick. One evening Louella grabbed the shinny new milk bucket and went to the barn to proceed to milk the cow. Well, the cow kicked again, flattening the bucket and spilling the milk. Louella returned to the house with flattened bucket in hand and very little if any milk. This was Lizzie's NEW SHINNY BUCKET. Needless to say words flew between them. But also other things happened. At one point Lizzie tried to feed a new grandchild, Harriet, the white part of chicken manure for colic or something similar, but Louella intervened. That DID NOT happen.
    No doubt Will was caught in the middle because sometime after Harrriet was born, Will and Louella went to Wright City, Missouri, west of St. Louis, to work as a hired hand on a cattle farm. Upon arrival at the farmer's home, Herman and Maggie Stoff, they were offered supper or maybe they called it dinner. Will and Louella were hungry and tired and upon sitting down to a beautiful table, they were given a bowl of soup, much to the dismay of Will. He thought that was IT. But, jelly, preserves, butter and apple butter were set on the table. Will ate a huge serving. Then other courses came, bringing meat, vegetables and dessert. Needless to say, they had the most elegant meal they had ever been served.
    The Stoff's were of German descent and a lovely family. The Paynes's corresponded with them for many years after they left Wright City.
    There was also another hired hand. He often came home with Will for lunch. Louella and Harriet would watch out the window at lunchtime, and if they could see two people walking, Louella would put another pan of biscuits in the oven. The man had never eaten hot biscuits, (he was a bachelor), and he really liked them.
    Will was not happy cattle farming, and was given the opportunity to go to Blytheville, Arkansas, to farm with his Uncle George Payne. George Payne, was a one half brother to Will's father, Martin Stephen Payne. Uncle George Payne owned a small farm east of Blytheville. The farm was located close to the current State Route 18 Highway and I-55 exit.
    Will and Louella, along with Harriet, rode a train from St. Louis to Arkansas. . . Louella said she had been very cold on the train as well as on the trip to Uncle George's farm. When they got to the house the doors were open and the dogs were lying all around the stove. To her, that was NOT paradise!! Louella Payne spoke well of Aunt Lula and most of the children, but Uncle George, though he was good to them, had a problem with alcohol. Will did not like that part of him. Will and Louella became very close to George and Lula's son, John Henry Payne, and his wife, Tassye Taylor Payne.
    Since it was winter and not time to start farming, Will went to work for the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company. The company had houses in Blytheville for their workers. Will and Louella moved into one of them. It was located on the east end of town. Virginia was born there in 1923. . .
    . . . About 1925, Will and Louella, located at Hermondale, Missouri, near Holland, just across the Ark-Mo state line, on a farm owned by Uncle George Payne. Will was farming there when Wayne Kenneth Payne, was born. Also while living in Missouri, the couple made friends with Wallace and Tiny, (probably a nickname), Cox. They owned a grocery store. Tiny would always include Harriet in the candy giving. The families remained friends for many years, visiting frequently and exchanging Christmas cards. . .
    After living in Hermondale for a while, they moved back to Blytheville and lived near the Sudbury School. It was there that Harriet began school. Virginia remembers that Louella walked Harriet to school.
    Also at that time, Leatha Tate, Louella's sister, lived with the family and worked at Blytheville Laundry, located on South First Street. Leatha met and married Bill Payne, son of George and Lula Payne, and Will's half cousin, whom she later divorced. Leatha Tate Payne later married Bucey Owens, and lived in Yarbro, Arkansas, where Bucey farmed in the area. Later they moved south of Roseland and lived there for several years and later moved near Dell, Arkansas, and farmed until Bucey's death.
    Sometime after that the family moved to the Ekron Community, which is now County Road 519, near the Half Moon Community, northeast of Dell, Arkansas. There was a post office, school and (a store) in the community. For many years, Will sharecropped 40 acres with two mules on the John Roney farm. He was given a "furnish" (loan) of $25.00 a month, which was paid back when the crop was harvested. Later Will farmed the entire farm of John Roney until he retired. It was while there, Wilma Jane Payne, was born in 1928. She died February 01, 1929, and one year later on February 01, 1930, Dorris Jean Payne, was born. One fall, Will was not able to repay Mr. Roney, so he moved to another place. After farming a year, he repaid the loan to Mr. Roney. Mr. Roney was impressed and said no farmer had ever done that before.
    Will and Louella moved to Yarbro, Arkansas, north of Blytheville, and lived in a big house with Leatha and Bucey Owen, Louella's sister. Will farmed with Bucey on the Easley place. Later they lived in Flat Lake community, east of Blytheville. It was there that Will fell off a mule that was frightened when going over a bridge and broke his arm.
    Dorris was just big enough to walk. Once while walking by her Dad's side, she hit her head on his arm cast. Thinking she had hurt him she would say "sorry". While there, Will farmed for Mr. Colony. From Flat Lake, the family moved back to the Ekron Community, where Johnny William, Robert Franklin and Russell Lee were born in 1933, 1937 and 1939 respectively. They remained there until 1984, when Will and Louella moved were they lived when they first moved to Blytheville. Will died in 1985 and Louella in 1990.
    The Ekron Community and Town of Dell, Arkansas, has been a vital part of this family lives. All of the children of William Henry and Louella Mae Payne attended school at Dell. Harriet, Virginia, Dorris, Johnny, Robert and Russell Payne, graduated high school at Dell. Dell was a vital part of the lives of all of the siblings.
    William Henry Payne served on the Dell School Board for a short period of time after the Ekron School consolidated with Dell. Robert Franklin Payne, Sr., son of William and Louella Payne lived in Dell, for a number of years, working at the Dell Compress and later, Agrico Chemical Company east of Blytheville. Robert Payne served on the Dell Town Council for a number of years and the Dell School Board from the mid 1970's till Dell School consolidated with Gosnell Schools.

---

Payne Family Records
Submitted by:
Robert Franklin Payne, Sr.
Grandson of Martin Stephen Payne, Son of William Henry Payne
 

---

Martin Stephen Payne (son of Henry Y. Payne and Jane Cave)    b. 1 Dec 1858  N. C.     d. 21 Nov 1918  Ill
   (Martin Stephen Payne moved to southern Illinois in 1872 at the age of 12 years old. He was living with his
   parents in 1880 in New Grand Chain, Pulaski County, Illinois. His father, Henry Y. Payne, moved his family of
   six children, and his second wife, Mary Ann Burris from Surry County, Illinois. The story was told by one of
   Henry Y. Payne's daughters, the family floated by raft down river, starting on the New River in western Virginia,
   just across the State Line from Surry County, North Carolina, across West Virginia to the Ohio River and down
   to Hillerman Landing just west of Metropolis, Massac County, Illinois.)
        married: Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Thompson (Anderson)         b. 15 Aug 1865  Ill       d. 25 Nov 1951  Ill

Children of Martin Stephen Payne and Mary Elizabeth Thompson Anderson:

01    William Henry Payne                    b. 2 Sept 1893  Ill         d. 24 Jan 1985  Ar
            (William Henry Payne served in the U. S. Army Calvary during World War I. He served in France and
            Germany. He was overseas when his father, Martin Stephen Payne, passed away. William did not know
            until his return home after the War that his father had died. William and Louella moved to Northeast
            Arkansas, near Blytheville in 1922 and remained in the area the remainder of their lives.)
                married 28 Aug 1920  Ill
                Louella Mae Tate                  b. 4 Dec 1900  Ill.        d. 3 Nov 1990  Ar
                    (Parents: Franklin Tate and Auta Mae Hutchinson)
                Children of William Henry Payne and Louella Mae Tate:
                        01-01    Harriet Nadine Payne             b. 6 Apr 1921  Ar
                            married 18 Dec 1943  Ar
                            George Arthur Seiford                     b. 3 Sept 1922  Ar
                                (Parents: George Seiford and Myrtle Church)
                        01-02    Virginia Helen Payne              b. 30 May 1923  Ar
                            married 26 July 1946  Ar
                            Carl Eugene (Tootsie) Duncan        b. 24 Jan 1924  Ar
                                (Parents: Claude Duncan and Velia Tomlinson)
                        01-03  Wayne Kenneth Payne             b. 7 Apr 1925  Mo        d. 6 Mar 1993 Ms
                            married 10 Jan 1945  Ar
                            Ruth Juanita Trammel                     b. 13 Jul 1928
                                (Parents: Paul and Ida Trammel)
                        01-04  Wilma Jane Payne                    b. 9 Dec 1927  Ar         d. 1 Feb 1929  AR
                        01-05  Dorris Jean Payne                    b. 1 Feb 1930  Ar
                            married 7 Oct 1961  Ar
                            Charles Clark Williams                   b. 21 Jul 1930  Ar
                                (Parents: Chelsa Sigle Williams and Dorothy Clemance Clark)
                        01-06  Johnny William Payne              b. 30 Apr 1933  Ar
                            married 21 May 1953 Ar
                            Betty Sue Lauderdale                      b. 8 Apr 1935  Ms
                               (Parents: Samuel and Emily Lauderdale)
                        01-07  Robert Franklin Payne             b. 3 Jul 1937  Ar
                            married 30 Aug 1956  Ar
                            Loretta Yvonne Sigman                   b. 21 Sept 1938 Ar
                                (Parents: Earl Kimbrough Sigman and Lois Loretta Lollar)
                        01-08  Russell Lee Payne                    b. 14 Aug 1939  Ar
                            married 27 Aug 1960  Ar
                            Patricia Lee Penter                          b. 8 Jul 1941  Ar            d. 16 Feb 1989 Ar
                                (Parents: Arthur Penter and Ora Lee Hawkins)
                            married 28 Jan 1995  Tn
                            Helen Ingram Watkins

02  Donna Bell Payne    b. 18 Sept 1895  Ill    d. 23 Aug 1896  Ill

03  Earnest Guy Payne  b. 18 Sept 1897  Ill    d. 22 Jan 1898  Ill

04  Lura Myrtle Payne  b. 22 Oct 1899  Ill      d. 22 Jan 1999  Ill (99 y o)
        married: Earl Miller  b. 9 Jan 1898          d. 25 Nov 1986  Ky
        married: William Larrsion   b. 1898  Ill    d. 1984 Ill

05  Flora Mae Payne     b. 16 Mar 1901 Ill      d. 2 Nov 1972 Ill
        married: Clyde William Betts   b. 25 Jul 1897 Ill   d. 12 Jul 1981 Ill

06  Lilliam Precilla Payne   b. 27 Mar 1905 Ill    d. 14 Sept 1905 Ill

Photo: William Henry Payne, Margie Anderson Little, 
Laura Myrtle Payne and Flora Payne
 
 

CC DUNCAN MEMORIES: Farmer's Gin Company of Dell

"U. W. Moore, Leslie Moore, Earl Magers, Russell Greenway, Dewey Sheppard built the Farmers Gin Co. of Dell, Inc. Mr. Earl Magers managed the gin until his death in January 1957. During the time Mr. Magers managed the Cotton Gin, I worked on the farm during the spring months. I weighed cotton at the Farmers Gin Co. of Dell, Inc, during the winter and fall months. 

You might say I got an education on how far people would go to cheat. On certain customers trailers, I had to check and see if they had some people in the trailer, too. Also, if there was a water keg or barrel on the trailer, I checked to see if it had water in it. I repeated the above when they weighed back across with the empty trailer. The cottonseed rebate was figured on the first weight, less the weight of the cotton bale. To have a higher rebate, the people would not weigh back across, and they'd dump the water.

After Russell Greenway and Mr. Earl Magers died, it left Mr. U. W. Moore and Leslie Moore. The Board of Directors appointed me as manager. There were a few other customers, but really not very many. The gin customers were made up of the stockholders. Most of the cotton came to the cotton gin in trailers. I tried to gin the trailers in rotation as they were weighed across the scales. You always had some that had to have the trailer now. I would stay with the schedule. It was tough on the small person, because they did not have enough trailers for their cotton. The Moore brothers told me all they cared about was getting their trailers empty. So I tried to do that. Everything went along well, except I had ginners who liked to drink on the job. I got John Ray trained as a ginner and had much better luck. Of course you had the break downs in machinery. I spent many nights, as well as days, going to Memphis, Tennessee for parts. I did not get paid that much, but the job was ideal for me. I had the farm, but Arnold (Gilliam) took care of that. I could spend my time on the golf course, or with the family during the summer months. But come fall, that gin ran 24 hours a day."

WRITTEN 9 OCTOBER 2002

GROWING UP IN THE DELTA by DeLois Tittle

While my father, Curtis Duncan, was fighting his battle with cancer, DeLois Tittle wrote him several letters, telling him how the crops were doing and did some reminiscing along with it. DeLois works at Half Moon Farms. She grew up in this area and went to Dell School. With her permission I have added some of her letters to this site, hoping her words might bring back some memories to those who spent their childhood growing up on the farm. 

June 8, 2005 

Dear Mr. Duncan,

Well farming is in full swing and things are busy. We could surely use a rain, but that will come when the good Lord deems it to be time. The crops are looking good and hopefully this will be a good year for all of us. We tried to cut wheat yesterday but the moisture is still too high so we have put it on the back burner for a few days. Tons of fertilizer are being put out and we are using the pivots where we have them. Of course there are the usual problems of flats and the men running out of chemicals faster than Randy can service them all. . .I once had a dream of owning maybe 40 acres of ground for him to farm. . .I suppose because I came from a farming background and have never lost my amazement at the constant replenishing of the earth which made me want some land so badly. So I still stay close to my roots in my profession and rejoice as do the men when spring finally arrives and we smell the soil and know when it's time to plant. You know exactly what I mean. When I was a child we learned which soils would make the best mud cakes by the feel and the smell. Of course my mom did not always share our enthusiasm when she would find out we were taking her eggs for the batter. Once I slipped into a hen house to steal some eggs from underneath a chicken. I had seen my mother do it many times, but she would put the egg back. That was very confusing to me until I took the egg and did not put it back into the nest. I learned what a setting hen was in a way I never forgot. She clawed and pecked me and my mother came running when she heard my screams. I was still holding the egg when she arrived. She took it from my hand and returned it to the nest and the hen was happy. I was too young to realize she was preparing for the baby chicks with those eggs. That was one time I did not get a spanking as my mother felt I had already had one which would leave an indelible impression on me. She was certainly correct. Did I quit stealing the eggs? Certainly not, I just made sure I got them from a nest which did not have a hen sitting atop. As I said I came from the farm in the most practical sense. I can still see the ladies around the quilting frames and remember when I first learned to piece a quilt. All was done by hand and sewed with love making many memories from the fabrics used and the time shared with neighbors. How different from today in this fast paced world. The generations which have followed us have lost a great heritage which could only result from the experience and never realized by our sharing in word the lessons of life we learned. How lucky we are to have those memories and foundation upon which to call when we need them....

PLOWS AND WHEELS FROM BURDETTE PLANTATION

June 21, 2005

Hello,

Well it's definitely summertime in the delta and I am glad you are inside and cool. It seems as it gets hotter my errands increase or perhaps I just notice it more. As I am cold natured the heat is a welcome experience for me but as I recall the days when I was chopping cotton it was not always so welcome especially when the wind was so hot and dry. How we longed for some rain and on those nights when it would rain the sound of the spatters heard through an open window were so relaxing and gave the night breeze a cool breath. We did not have an air conditioner and a fan for each bedroom was a luxury not easily afforded. In preparation of the coming summers, we always had to make sure the screens were in good order. That's how I learned to cross stitch though that was not the terminology we used. The term then was just patching the screens. It was certainly effective. When growing up on the farm and arising at 4:30AM to help with breakfast and be in the field by 6:00AM, I had all the fantasies of most farm kids to get a job when I grew up that would not require getting up before daylight. I would sit on the back porch fighting the mosquitoes and make all the plans for my future. The warm nights were filled with the perfume of honeysuckle and gently wisped me away into dreams and aspirations. The next day however was filled with the reality of my present plight but my nights were always there to keep my dreams alive. At this time of year we were looking forward to July as the crops would be layed by. Though getting relief from the chopping there was more work to do as this time was for canning and quilting. Children always worked from an early age so gardening, canning sewing skills were as much a part of our education as going to school. Some would view my childhood as difficult but it really was not. Life was slower and a much gentler time than the busy schedules of present days and filled with love and security. We had no reason to lock our doors at night and could never have imagined the crime of today. I am so glad I have that heritage and the strength it gave me to cope with all the things that happen in life. How lucky I was to have a good foundation  which was provided by good Christian parents. Farming has changed so much since then and how I wish my dad could have lived to see the wonders of it all. The cotton here was more than head high and picked by hand rather than machines so it could be grown even on poor black dirt and nothing will ever be as good as watermelons picked directly from the vine when ripe. Filled with sweet goodness we always ate too much of them and of course the rinds were the choice weapon against siblings and friends. Thanks for going down memory lane with me and perhaps it has stirred some sweet memories for you of days long since gone, but never forgotten. All the promises made I find myself getting up at 4:30AM every morning so I can be at work by 6:00. I suppose old habits are hard to die, but you know I probably wouldn't have it any other way...

THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER

Killing Bares Jungle Casino at Pettyville

BIG LAKE--by T K PHOTOGRAPHY

Eva Melton, born in Manila, Arkansas, sent this article via email.  She received her copy from the Dorsey Edmundson Family. She is currently researching her Edmundson roots. Thank you, Eva, for sharing. . .
 
(ca. 1922 or 1923)
 
KILLING BARES JUNGLE CASINO AT PETTYVILLE
-----------------
Arkansas Sheriff Flushes Young Monte Carlo When Gamblers End Love Feud in Fight.
-----------------     MANILA, Ark., May 8--Clustered in the jungle wilds near Pettyville, amid fragrant blossoms of rustic foliage, sheriff's deputies today stumbled upon a secluded Monte Carlo, a veritable hidden casino that rivaled Arkansas City, in its calmest days, for poker action and dice fading fame.
    This nook of the card sharp and lair of the "crap shooter" was revealed during a man hunt by the sheriff in the aftermath of a desperate love feud, fought to the death, last Saturday, when Dorsey Edmundson, of Big Lake, Ark., was found beneath a card table, a bullet wound in his breast.
    George Duncan, of Dell, Ark., was sought by the deputies, charged with the murder. He was captured and conveyed to the Blytheville jail because indignation against the prisoner was running rampant in this community. Money plentiful in Game
    As the story was learned by the sheriff, a "craps game" was the star attraction of the woodland casino Friday night and early Saturday. Coin and bills in prosperous amounts had changed hands during the night's performance and business was picking up in the "tiger's retreat."
    "Moonshine" was bubbling and beading and old Bacchus was in his prime until Duncan and Edmundson met at the table of the "galloping dominoes."
    Duncan and his wife had been separated for two or three years. Edmundson was alleged to have been paying her court. The feud of jealous rivalry had long been pending, and friends had forecast "hip pocket" action between the two more than once.
    A dispute, ______ over the game, spectators thought, arose between the two. Duncan is alleged to have reached for his "gat." There was a click, an explosion and a burst of smoke. Edmundson crumpled on the ground.
    The deputies found all the tables, chairs and paraphernalia of a metropolitan gambling resort in the dense growth of brush and wildwood.

With Permission by T K Photography

Dave & Shirley Short Donate The Everett-Short Family Log Home to the Widner-Magers Farm

Log Cabin Construction from the Everette-Short Log Barn-WMFHD

On Everett Ridge, close to the town of Prim, Arkansas, sits a 125+ year old log home, showing some signs of its age. When Shirley Short's grandfather homesteaded the land in 1907, the log house was one of two located on the property. The story goes that he and his family chose the better one and quickly settled into a farm life. According to Shirley and Dave, one local gentleman who lived to be over 100 years old, stated that the structure was present as long as he could remember. This was at least 20 years ago. The log home is estimated by the Short family to have been built on or before 1875

.Dave was raised in Mississippi County, Ar and attended the Dell School for a time. He met Shirley when he joined his brother in the trucking business, close to Prim. Dave never moved back to Mississippi County, but he and Shirley do visit the area often. When the article concerning the Widner-Magers Farm was published in Rural Arkansas Magazine in July 2009, the Shorts decided to offer the old log home to the historic district north of Dell, Arkansas, so that others might enjoy it.

Everette-Short Dog Trot Barn

Many Dell residents do not realize that the first homes in the area were of logs. Vast forests covered the area, so it was only natural that the houses were constructed of materials at hand. When Earl and Alice Magers came to Dell, they moved into an existing dogtrot style log house north of Dell, close to the Mooney Cemetery. Mamie Magers Griffin remembered the house well. One side of the dogtrot was the hub of their family life. It was heated with a large fireplace. The kitchen was " set up" in this room, and most family activities took place there. When it came time for bed, the entire family slept in the second side. A fire in the fireplace of the sleeping room helped keep them warm and cozy at the beginning of their slumber. But, by morning, the fire was gone. As long as she and her sister, Naoma, remained in bed, all was fine. But, once those little feet touched the cold floor, neither of them wasted time running to the kitchen, where their mother was cooking breakfast. During the hot, humid summers, all the windows and doors were left open. Much of the housekeeping work was done on the central open porch between the two rooms. Churning butter, cleaning vegetables, canning and many other tasks were carried on outside of the hot rooms. "If there was any breeze at all, the porch was the coolest place to be."

The Everett-Short log home is also of the two pen dogtrot style. The walls are constucted of hand-hewn logs. The structure was used as the Everett Family home for many years. When Shirley's father took over the farm, he turned the home into a barn for his livestock. Over the years, the barn was abandoned. It sat silently deteriorating as time went by. The Shorts then faced the hard decision of a high cost restoration or a demolition of a part of their family history. The Rural Arkansas Magazine article presented them with a third choice--the one that brought Dave and Shirley to the Widner-Magers Farm one hot August day with the offer of a donation of their historic structure.

While the deterioration is too extensive to move and reconstruct the home as it was built, plenty of the logs will be salvaged for a single pen structure. To be located at the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District, the Everett-Short Family Log Home will serve as a lasting legacy from the descendents of Fransus M. Everett and as a tribute to the pioneer settlers of early Arkansas history.

Details of the Dog Trot Barn

The United States of America

To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Whereas There has been deposited to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States a CERTIFICATE OF THE REGISTER to the Act of Congress approved 20th May, 1862, "To secure Homesteads to Actual Settlers on the Public Domain," and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of FRANSUS M. EVERETT had established and duly consummated in conformity to law, for the North East quarter of Section seventeen in Township twelve North of Range ten West of the Fifth Principal Median in Arkansas, containing one hundred and sixty acres according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General: Now know ye, that there is therefore, granted by the United States unto the said Fransus M. Everett the above described; To have and to hold the said tract of Land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Fransus M. Everett and his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, I Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused these letter to be made Patented the seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty first.

Signed By the President: Theodore Roosevelt

At the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District

 December 2009,

John Holt and Malcolm Griffin made their way to the Everette-Short Family Log Home. Fighting cold and rain, the two documented the original structure with photos and sketches. Then came the removal of the roof, side sheds, and "lean-to" additions in order to expose the original structure. A numbered white tag was nailed to the end dovetails of each log so that reconstruction would be possible. The whole process took a week. The logs are now ready to be loaded onto Dave's semi for the move to the Widner-Magers Farm.

The entire process was observed by the Short family and other interested persons from the local area. A school group was also scheduled to visit the site. 

 We wish to thank Dave and Shirley Short, and their family, for the very generous donation to the WMFHD. Their kindness and thoughtfulness is unsurpassed.

The Widner-Magers Farm and Dell History

EARL MAGERS BARN, built ca 1930 at the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District

History of the Widner-Magers Farm Historic District, 
Earl Magers and Dell 

Constructed between 1912-1939, the Widner- Magers Farm Historic District is comprised of five buildings and three outbuildings. Located on North Arkansas State Highway 181 approximately 1.6 miles north of Dell, Mississippi County, Arkansas, the complex is being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places with local significance for its association with cotton farming in Dell and Mississippi County, Arkansas. Set against a backdrop of cotton fields and the Pemiscot Bayou, the WMFHD has been a center of agricultural activity since 1896, however, most of the buildings were constructed by Earl Magers between 1930-1939.  Excellent examples of 20^th century Plain/Traditional and Craftsman architectural-style, the farm buildings have been maintained with few changes by the Earl Magers/Curtis Duncan family for 77 years. 

The Widner-Magers Farm Historic District  is located on Arkansas North State Highway 181 in the northern part of the Mississippi County, Arkansas Delta, 9 miles west of Blytheville, Arkansas, and 10 miles south of the Missouri Bootheel. It is north of the present town of Dell, in the township of Hector.

 

The original absentee owner of the future Magers property was Thomas J. Blackmore, who acquired 159.17 acres on June 17, 1855, through the Swamp Land Act of 1850. This property would pass through several more absentee owners until 1878 when W. B. Sizemore, one of the original pioneers of the area, bought it. He owned the land until his death, when his son Robert Sizemore inherited it. J. D. Widner apparently bought the land sometime around 1896. In an affidavit of March 1926, Hugh and J. W. Perry stated that J. D. Widner had lived and farmed the acreage for thirty years.

Between 1878 and 1902, the Dell community was located north and west of the Pemiscot Bayou. The settlement had a population of approximately two hundred people. Mr. Widner and his family were a part of this settlement. Neighbors included the Hector families, who were the first settlers east of Big Lake. They moved to the area in 1832. The township is named after them. Other neighbors included the Perrys, the Sizemores, the Petersons, the Rays, the Daughterys, and others. Many of the original families were of Cherokee descent, including the Hectors. Their houses were built on the many Indian mounds along the Pemiscot Bayou, for the area was very swampy and subject to flooding each year. A number of the early settlers are buried on one of the old cemetery mounds approximately 1/2 mile south of the Widner homestead. Descendents of these early families still live in the area. In fact, a descendant of Sam Hector lived on the Magers farm until his death in 1995.

The community depended on the Pemiscot Bayou as access in and out of the area. There were no roads, only trails. The swampland was flooded much of the year, which made ground travel almost impossible. The Dell community was on somewhat higher ground. A post office has been reported to have been there since 1889, but the postal service records states the first post office was in 1897, located in J. B. Richardson’s store, on the south side of the bayou. Mr. Richardson also owned a loading dock there, where goods could be brought in and cotton, wood, furs, fish, and game could be sent south to the Mississippi River or north to St. Louis, Missouri. A wooden bridge crossed the Pemiscot Bayou at Richardson’s store. In 1896, School District #23 was formed. The first schoolhouse was built not too far south from Mr. Widner’s farm. The building was also used as a community church.

In 1902, big news arrived at the Dell community. The railroad was coming! The Jonesboro, Lake City, and Eastern Railroad was building a bridge across Big Lake, just west of Dell, in order to access the thousands of acres of virgin timber. Dell was a boomtown overnight.  Farmers from all over the country moved in behind the massive logging industry, buying the cutover land for as little as fifty cents per acre. Some of the original farmsteads north of Dell began to be divided into small farm lots. Mr. Widner apparently sold part of his acreage in this fashion, but he kept the best land and his farmstead for himself until 1930.

Earl Magers was one of the many farmers who came to Arkansas to buy the cheap, rich, swampland. He arrived with his wife and two daughters in 1916. The year before, the family had moved from their home in Hayward, Missouri to Yarbro, Arkansas. Earl was not impressed with the land there. He made a trip further south to the Dell area, only to find richer soil, plus the opportunity to fund his farm through real estate transactions. He returned to Yarbro to gather his family.

Earl was a major influence in the shaping of Dell and it’s communities. From 1916 until 1957, when he died, Earl remained in Dell. He bought and sold many parcels of land, including lots in and outside of Dell. He was not a real estate agent. His interest was in helping the community grow. In 1919, he bought the remainder of the First Addition of Dell owned by the Sparks Brothers Land Company, Inc. He kept an entire block of lots for his own home and for the future homes of his three daughters. He sold the remainder lots to other families. He also built many of the early houses in Dell, with the help of local labor. He set aside one section of the First Addition of Dell for the black community. There he had several of the houses and establishments built. One of those buildings, the grocery, is now located at the Earl Magers Farm Headquarters.

MAGERS BARN, built ca 1930

In 1918, Earl served as recorder for the Dell town council. From 1925-29, he was mayor of that same council. From July through October 1928, he was postmaster for Dell. During the 1920’s, he took his turn with others as town marshal. That was the days of walking the levee to make sure no one dynamited the long mounds of dirt in order to relieve the water pressure up north but causing flooding south. He also rounded up many stills, holding raids on "moonshiners" during the Prohibition.

One of the major accomplishments of Mr. Magers occurred during the Great Depression, when most school systems operated in the red and many had to close. With only an eighth grade education, Earl, and the school’s principal, Mr. Mullins, kept the Dell School in the black for all but one year. He served on the Dell School Board from 1933-1941 and was instrumental in consolidating Half Moon, Ekron and Perry schools into the Dell School District. Until 1939, the Dell School only had eight grades. Students had to travel ten miles to Blytheville in order to finish high school. Mr. Magers worked hard to turn the Dell School into a twelve grade system. In 1939, Dell had its first graduating class.

Earl Magers also served on the Dell Methodist Church Board of Directors for many years. When the church leaders decided they needed a new facility, Earl was appointed to the building committee. The new church was dedicated in 1950. There was no mortgage on it. All debts were paid in full. The new church appeared in Life magazine.

Three cotton gin companies were built in Mississippi County due, in part, to Earl Magers’ efforts. The State of Arkansas incorporated the Dell Gin Company, which was located inside the Dell City limits, on June 5, 1926. Earl was one of the first stockholders, along with C. F. Floyd, J. N. Welborn, Charles Armstrong, E. M. Woodard, J. L. Wallis, S. T. Freeman, and E. A. Stacy. He was elected secretary and appointed, along with Charles Armstrong, to "look after the building of the gin and purchase material". The Dell Gin Company ran until 1975, when liquidation of the assets began.

On May 20, 1946, the State of Arkansas incorporated the Farmer’s Gin Company of Dell. Earl Magers, Ulric Moore, Leslie Moore, Russell Greenway, and Dewey Sheppard were the principle stockholders. The ginning facilities were located approximately one mile from Dell, on east Highway 18. The Farmer’s Gin Company was in operation until 1985.

The third cotton gin Earl helped established was built at Half Moon, Arkansas. This structure was entirely composed of poured concrete. Because of the threat of fire, most cotton gins in the area were framed in wood, but the walls and roof were covered in tin. This concrete building was an experiment in the gin building concept.

Earl was interested in developing the farming industry in Mississippi County by using innovative ideas. One example was his foresight in the use of an irrigation system during hot, dry summers. In 1951, he was the first farmer in this area to build and use such a system. Area farmers were invited to witness the event, which was well attended. Most farmers today still use irrigation.

Another innovative practice Earl began was to clean, weigh, and bag a part of the soybean crop as it was harvested in the field. Enough of the bagged soybeans were kept for the next year’s planting. The excess bags were sold to other area farmers at a reduced rate, bringing down the cost of buying seed each year.

WIDNER-MAGERS FARM HISTORIC DISTRICT LOGO

For himself and his family, Earl was interested in obtaining the best farmland in the area. On March 5, 1930, Earl bought the 50.51-acre farmstead from J. W. Widner and his wife Kittie. He paid $6566.30 for it ($4566.00 cash to the Widners and took over a $2000.00 note). He already owned a number of acres in the Dell area, but this property was centrally located and an excellent choice for a headquarters. Also, there were several houses, barns and outbuildings that could be incorporated into the complex. Earl moved the original Widner home to a new location for one of his farmhands and built a new house for his farm manager. This is the present house found at the headquarters. Within the 50.51 acres Earl bought, more farmhouses were built for the ten to fifteen families who worked for him. A 1938 map indicates at least twelve houses lined either side of the road on the Magers property, close to the complex. Two large barns were also built within a mile from each other to house the livestock, hay, and equipment used for farming. The barn, still standing at the farm complex, housed the mules, a few horses, and some of the wagons. The cribs in that barn held corn and feed for the stock. It also stored cottonseed each year. One of the old wagons and a few pieces of the original equipment are still housed in this barn. The small barn shed, built by Mr. Widner and located at the headquarters, was also used for animal stock.

The largest barn, less than a mile away and located on the Pemiscot Bayou, stored hay and was shelter for the cows and horses. A shed for the pigs was close-by. Both of these buildings were torn down years ago.

All barns, farmhand houses, outbuildings, and sheds were painted red with white trim, Earl’s trademark. Cypress was the wood of choice, for it was very abundant in the area. Lumbering was still a big business until the late 1930s. Much of the lumber used on the Magers farm was virgin timber, cut and milled close-by. It was plentiful, cheap, and a natural deterrent of termites and other insects. The barns and buildings were built to last. Unfortunately, when farming turned to mechanization and tractors replaced mules, the sheds of the old barns weren’t wide enough to house the tractors and their equipment, which is one of the main reasons some beautiful old barns were torn down. The large barn and the smaller barn shed at the headquarters are the only ones left on the original Magers acreage.

In 1957, Earl Magers died of cancer, as was the fate of many of the early farmers. I was ten days from being six years old. My Mom, Irene Magers Duncan, inherited part of the 1000+ acres and the 1.34-acre farm headquarters. She and my Dad, Curtis Duncan, had moved to Dell in 1950. He worked for Earl as the Farmers Gin manager and "right hand man". After Earl’s death, Irene’s inheritance became the C. C. Duncan Farm. My father ran the farm, while maintaining his position at the Farmer’s Gin Company. In 1975, he retired from farming. The Dilldine Farms of Half Moon, Arkansas began renting the land for crop rent and continues to do so today.

For the next thirty years, the farm complex was used very little, mainly for the storage of cast-off farm equipment and a multitude of old tires. Only Mr. Dilldine’s farmhands occupied the farmhouse. For the most part, these barns and buildings, with all the rich history within their walls, laid in wait. The complex waited and watched as one by one the other farmhouses, barns, and outbuildings disappeared from the area. Its only inhabitants were barn owls, rabbits, mice, and snakes.

In December 2004, Irene Magers Duncan passed away suddenly. Granddaddy had left the farm to the "heirs of her body", being my brother Richard and me. Preserving a little of the Delta farm history by returning the farm to the 1930’s had been a dream of mine for many years. Some trading took place. The farm complex became mine

My Dad was able to see the beginnings of the dream coming true before he passed away in 2005. I spent long hours with him, pouring over old photographs and listening to his stories. He gave me much information about the farm, the people, and the land. He was able to make one last visit to the headquarters in 2005, just to make sure that we "got it right". His final comment was, "It’s good to see Life come back into this ole farm. Now, I know it will be taken care of."

I see the Magers Farm Headquarters as an opportunity to preserve a part of the disappearing Delta history. It’s an opportunity for visitors to observe a farm complex of the 1930s in the Mississippi Delta, where few original buildings remain. It is a part of our history that needs to be kept and recognized, so that the "future may know our past". . . . . . . . .Written by Dru Duncan for the National Register of Historic Places 2007