HISTORY THROUGH POSTCARDS

PICKING COTTON IN THE OLD SOUTH. . .

Although I love the prologue from the movie Gone With the Wind, we can only claim a few brief years between the 1920s-40s of any resemblance to the beautiful Old Southern Plantations, and then there were few. It never fails to surprise people when we tour them through the Historic District that cotton farms and plantations here in our part of Northeast Arkansas did not exist before the Civil War--or right after. We were late-comers to the Cotton industry. There were a few family run farms as early as the 1880s but they only farmed a few acres each. Until the early 20th century, it was swampland. No one wanted to move to land that flooded at least two to three times a year. . .READ MORE. . .

STEAMBOATS ON THE RIVERS. . .

Steamboat's A-Coming!! Steamboat's A-Coming!!

For those who lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, that cry was exciting. Steamboats in many ways were the only link our ancestors had to the outside world. . .READ MORE. . .

 

 MORE POSTCARD HISTORY COMING SOON. . .

It's Cotton Pickin' Time

For those of you who no longer live in the Dell area, here's a reminder that it's Fall and time to pick cotton. . . . .

These photographs were taken a couple of years ago. . . .but late yesterday afternoon, into the night, and again this morning, it was the scene here at the farm. . . .

Wish I could convey the "smells" of Fall when harvest season is here. . . .and the chug, chug, chugging of the cotton gin behinds us. . . .the activity up and down the road. . . .

or, how much fun it is to ride in one of those big air conditioned pickers. . . .

For now, the best I can do is share these few photos. . . .

and hope. . . . .

that you're having a fine, cotton pickin' day, too. . .