  Time marches on and not many of the men and women of the pioneer eighties are with us today. Among those who are native born or who came in their youth when the town was a booming spa are: Mrs. Annie House, Jim Bradley, Mrs. Fred West, Mrs. Wilma Jarrett Ellis, Mrs. C. A. Fuller, Mrs. Louis Haneke, Mrs. May S. Miller, Mrs. Chrystal Lyle, Wallace McQuerry, Otis McGinnis, Joe Hoskins, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Porch, Sam Riley, E. A. Jordan, Tom Walker, Walter Burris, T. L. Hawley, Mrs. Claude Pike, Charlie Perry, Mrs. Maud Woodruff, Frank Pickard, Mrs. Alice Campbell, Mrs. Lida Mae Roberts, and perhaps a few others. Most of these older residents now live in retirement, but a few are active in business. Early in the twentieth century we find F. O. Butt on the stage of action as a practicing attorney. Mr. Butt served his district as senator in the state legislature, was mayor of Eureka Springs for two terms and newspaper editor for a number of years. He is still on the job as a practicing attorney. R. R. (Dick) Thompson came to Eureka Springs in 1908 as a teacher in Crescent College and later became president of the institution. In the middle twenties he established his Lake Lucerne Resort and the Ozarka Water Company and now devotes his time to the management of these two concerns. Claude A. Fuller began practicing law in 1898 and has been closely connected with the business interests of the town since that date. Mrs. Annie House, “the oldest newspaper woman in Arkansas,” came to Eureka Springs as a child in 1880. Sam A. Leath, our guide and historian, has had an active part in civic affairs since 1898. He has been connected with the Chamber of Commerce for many years. Jim Bradley, Joe Porch and Tom Walker are all old-timers who continue in business. It would take many pages to list all the men and women, now dead or moved away, who contributed to the building of the town. I name only a few whom I have special reason to remember—Charley Stehm, Major J. W. True, Claude Pike, Harvey Fuller, Floyd Walker, W. N. Duncan, Dr. C. E. Davis, B. J. Rosewater, Dr. C. F. Ellis, Prof. C. S. Barnett, W. O. Perkins, Col. C. D. James, Mrs. Adelaide Wayland, Albert G. Ingalls, A. Q. Burns, William Kappen, H. T. Pendergrass, Dr. J. S. Porch, A. L. Hess, Major W. E. Penn, Earl Newport, Louie Webber, Louie Haneke, Eaton Cole, Dr. J. F. John, Dr. J. H. Webb, Dr. Charles Bergstresser, Dr. Pearl Tateman, Arch Kimberling, George Hardy, Harry Wickham, Lucien Gray, B. L. Rosser, Miss Nellie It took World War II to start an influx of homeseekers toward the Ozarks. This invasion came as an aftermath of the war and Eureka Springs received its share. At the opportune time, Marge Lyon and her genial husband, Robert (“the jedge”), moved into the community and Marge began telling the story of Eureka Springs and the Ozarks to a vast audience of readers with her column, “Marge of Sunrise Mountain Farm” in the Chicago Tribune. Marge was influential in starting thousands of people in quest of the fuller life of the countryside. Retirement people flocked to Eureka Springs to buy homes; others came to go into business. By 1950, Eureka Springs had been given the nickname, “Little Chicago,” because of the large number of people from that area. The town of Eureka Springs owes Marge Lyon a vast debt of gratitude. Her lucid lines have lured thousands of visitors to the hills, many of whom came to stay and are now happily located far from the city’s noise and confusion. They have helped balance the town’s economy and have added to the culture and social life of the community. In 1946, I located Ozark Guide magazine at Eureka Springs and have given the community a national journalistic voice that has an influence in bringing both tourists and homeseekers. Eureka Springs is the only Ozark town having an Ozark magazine with national spread. It lays the magic carpet for exit from the confusion of the city to the land of Ozark enchantment. The assimilation of the newcomers into the social and economic life of the town has been successful. The ratio of newcomers to natives is now about fifty-fifty. It is almost impossible to tell an old-timer from a newcomer. The melting pot is doing its work. * * * * * * * * Eureka Springs is one of the two cities in Arkansas having a commission form of government. The other city is Fort Smith. In 1918, this system was adopted for our town. It provides for a commission of three persons, one of whom is selected to act as mayor. The present commission is composed of Mayor A. J. Russell, Ray Freeman and Col. C. C. King. Mr. Russell has been mayor for fourteen years. Eureka Springs is a city of churches with the following denominations: Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Assembly of God Nazarene, Episcopalian, Christian Science and Catholic. The Presbyterians have the oldest church building. It was built in 1886 following the completion of the Crescent Hotel. The same stone masons built both buildings. The school system of the city is one of the best in the South. A modern building was erected in 1951 and it is the last word in convenience. Both the elementary and high schools have “A” ratings. Eureka Springs has a full quota of civic, fraternal and patriotic organizations such as: the Masons, Elks, I.O.O.F., Rotarians, Lions, American Legion, Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Council, Woman’s Club, Music Club, Ozark Artists and Writers Guild, home demonstration clubs, and others. The American Legion hut is one of the finest in the state. The social life of the community is enriched with many cultural and recreational activities throughout the year. We have a modern post office building with Cecil Walker as postmaster. Carroll County is one of the nine or ten counties of Arkansas that have two county seats. It has courthouses both at Berryville and Eureka Springs. Our courthouse is secondary but represents the western district of the county and has offices for both county and city officials, a court room, and a jail which is vacant most of the time. Modern comforts and conveniences make Eureka Springs a pleasant place to live. Electricity is supplied at reasonable rates by the Southwestern Gas and Electric Company. Natural gas was installed in the late forties by the Arkansas Western Gas Company. This fuel is both convenient and inexpensive and a great asset to the town. The municipal water supply is adequate for any emergency. The city lake is fed by sixteen springs, and a deep well, dug recently. Bonds were voted a year or two ago for the rebuilding of the city’s sewer system and the disposal plant. Most of the streets of the city are paved. Telephones are available for both business and home use. For recreation, we have the Harmon Playgrounds, equipped with playground equipment and stage, and lights for night use. It has a playground supervisor during the summer months. The city auditorium seats about 1200 people and is the town’s amusement center for shows, concerts and festivals. The Basin Circle Park is equipped with seats and has a stage for concerts and other entertainments. The New Basin Theatre, owned and operated by Cecil Maberry, is air conditioned and has a change of program three times a week. The American Legion sponsors square dancing at the city auditorium on Saturday nights. Throughout the week there is dancing at the Basin Park Eureka Springs has two bath houses and a modern hospital. It has two printing plants, one of which publishes the Eureka Springs Times-Echo and prints Rayburn’s Ozark Guide. The volunteer fire department has a new truck and modern equipment, and the city police force is adequate for local needs. The town has modern motels and cafes, most of which remain open through the year. Outstanding antique and gift shops are located here. Practically all lines of mercantile business and services are represented at Eureka Springs. We have one bank, four lawyers, three doctors, one optometrist and one undertaker. In 1948, Eureka Springs had its first Ozark Folk Festival, directed by Robert Serviss. Mr. Serviss got the backing of a number of local business men and formed the Folk Festival Association. Serviss directed the festival again in 1949. During the next two years, the late Harry Wilk, who was president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Ned Bailey, secretary of the organization, put on the festival and extended it from three days to a full week. In 1952, the Festival Association was incorporated and Grover Roark elected president. I directed the festivals in 1952, 1953 and 1954. In 1954 people from twenty-seven states attended this event. The festival, held in mid-October, has developed into an immense jamboree and attracts thousands of visitors. |
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