A blog about the history of the Ozarks and the people who have lived in the region from the earliest recorded history to today.
Red, White, and Blue Dress
Jessie Stewart (1892-1980) showed her patriotic spirit when she wore this dress to the annual reunion at St. Paul (Madison County) in the early 1900s. . . .
Eaton Family
Elbie and Lillian Eaton family at the Boston (Madison County) school and church, early 1940s . . .
Picking Beans
Picking beans at the McGarrah farm near Siloam Springs (Benton County), July 1, 1955. Standing, from left: Mrs. Bob Anderson, Bob Anderson, Geneva McGarrah Bauer, unidentified, Tom Anderson, Tom Alverson, Tom Alverson (bushel basket on shoulder). Crouched, from left:...
Ozark Nuthead Dolls
“Hillbilly Wedding,” a hickory nut doll diorama, was made by Ben Smith and his wife, Ethel. The Smiths, who lived in the Fayetteville/Springdale area, made dolls and . . .
Brogdon and Hazel Produce Warehouse
Forrest Hazel and Preston Brogdon ran a bustling wholesale produce market for more than thirty years, during Springdale’s heyday as an agricultural hub . . .
Jigsaw Puzzle
This puzzle was a souvenir of the 1939 New York’s World’s Fair held at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York. With a slogan of “Dawn of a New Day,” the fair opened . . .
J. A. Steele General Store
Joseph Albert Steele (1866–1931), a lifelong resident of Elm Springs (Benton County), was a storekeeper and buyer and seller of local farm products. In the May 6, 1917, issue of the Egg Reporter magazine, Steele noted a downturn in the number of eggs being brought to...
Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic SP
This camera has seen a lot of Northwest Arkansas history. It belonged to longtime photojournalist Charles Bickford who worked for the Springdale News . . .
Paul’s Blue Ox
When cataloging an artifact, many aspects of it can be extremely helpful in determining how it was used, where it came from, and the date range of manufacture and/or use. . . .
Henbest Sisters
Seven daughters of John and Susan Henbest posed for this portrait around the year 1900. The Henbest family lived on a farm near Mount Comfort . . .