“U.S. Presidents” Volvelle

US Presidents volvelle, circa 1931Donated by  Bill Stamper

As Emily Marinker of the New York Academy of Medicine writes, “[A volvelle is] a (brilliantly) simple paper construction of moving parts; layers of rotating discs with information on them.”

This “Biographies of U.S. Presidents” volvelle was produced by Arthur Sichel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has a copyright date of 1931. Information for each president includes birthplace, religion, ancestry, years in office, inauguration year, the order in which he served, party affiliation, profession before becoming president, final resting place, and the vice president who served with him. The religions listed on the volvelle include Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Society of Friends (Quaker), Methodist, No Claim, Presbyterian, Reformed Dutch, and Unitarian. Five ancestries are listed: Dutch, English, Scotch, Scotch-Irish, and Welsh. Below each president’s image is his name, birth date, and death date. 

A German immigrant, Arthur Sichel (1887–1955) arrived in America in 1903, settled in Pennsylvania, became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1927, and married Kamma Riegelsen from Denmark in 1932.  In the 1930 census, Arthur Sichel listed his occupation as  “advertising salesman.”

The volvelle was found by the donor when he bought the former home of the John A. and Margaret Long Phillips family of Huntsville (Madison County). John Phillips served as Madison County’s sheriff from 1926 until he was shot and killed by 80-year-old county resident Jason Matlock on December 22, 1930. Sheriff Phillips less than ten days left in office; Arkansas Governor Henry Parnell appointed Margaret Phillips to finish out her husband’s term. According to the Madison County Record (December 30, 1930), as she “assisted [Sheriff Phillips] all the time with the clerical duties of the office and is better qualified than anyone else to wind up the affairs in the office. She will appoint deputies to look after any work outside needing attention.”

U. S. Presidents volvelle, 1931

Donated by  Bill Stamper

As Emily Marinker of the New York Academy of Medicine writes, “[A volvelle is] a (brilliantly) simple paper construction of moving parts; layers of rotating discs with information on them.”

This “Biographies of U.S. Presidents” volvelle was produced by Arthur Sichel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has a copyright date of 1931. Information for each president includes birthplace, religion, ancestry, years in office, inauguration year, the order in which he served, party affiliation, profession before becoming president, final resting place, and the vice president who served with him. The religions listed on the volvelle include Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Society of Friends (Quaker), Methodist, No Claim, Presbyterian, Reformed Dutch, and Unitarian. Five ancestries are listed: Dutch, English, Scotch, Scotch-Irish, and Welsh. Below each president’s image is his name, birth date, and death date. 

A German immigrant, Arthur Sichel (1887–1955) arrived in America in 1903, settled in Pennsylvania, became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1927, and married Kamma Riegelsen from Denmark in 1932.  In the 1930 census, Arthur Sichel listed his occupation as  “advertising salesman.”

The volvelle was found by the donor when he bought the former home of the John A. and Margaret Long Phillips family of Huntsville (Madison County). John Phillips served as Madison County’s sheriff from 1926 until he was shot and killed by 80-year-old county resident Jason Matlock on December 22, 1930. Sheriff Phillips less than ten days left in office; Arkansas Governor Henry Parnell appointed Margaret Phillips to finish out her husband’s term. According to the Madison County Record (December 30, 1930), as she “assisted [Sheriff Phillips] all the time with the clerical duties of the office and is better qualified than anyone else to wind up the affairs in the office. She will appoint deputies to look after any work outside needing attention.”

Pencil Box

This pencil box belonged to Claud McCuistion of Rogers, who died in November 1919 at the age of thirteen due to injuries sustained in a runaway wagon accident. He is buried in Fayetteville’s Mount Comfort Cemetery in Fayetteville.

The contents of the pencil box are as Claud left them.

This pencil box belonged to Claud McCuistion of Rogers, who died in November 1919 at the age of thirteen due to injuries sustained in a runaway wagon accident. He is buried in Fayetteville’s Mount Comfort Cemetery in Fayetteville.

The contents of the pencil box are as Claud left them.

Class Ring

Donated by Ada Lee Shook

This ring belonged to Frances Slaughter. She was born in Goshen (Washington County) in 1905 to John Lionel (“Lona”) and Ada Bevers Slaughter. The family moved to Springdale in 1914 and from there to Fayetteville in 1921, where Frances graduated from high school in 1922.

Frances kept a diary during her senior year. On Friday, May 19, 1922, she wrote of graduation day:

Frances Slaughter, circa 1922. Carl Smith, photographer/Ada Lee Shook Collection (S-98-85-965)

I got up at 8 A.M. and went to the Ozark [Theater] to practice. I got real mad at Mary Dale Sellers. I pressed my dress, made sandwiches and everything. I went to the Commencement exercises and after that to Thelma’s bunkin [bunking] party. We started to go on a night gown parade but saw a drunk man. We went to sleep about 3 A.M.

In the fall of 1922 Frances Slaughter entered the University of Arkansas. There she met William Carl Smith, whom she married in 1926. The Smiths had one daughter, Ada Lee, born in 1928.

Chautauqua Debate Medal

Donated by the Mary Braun estate

In 1898, Professor Josiah Shinn, president of Springdale College, (located at the site of the present-day Springdale Public Schools administration building), organized Springdale’s first chautauqua, a summer event that featured educational entertainment. Originating in Chautauqua, New York, chautauquas enjoyed great popularity across the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Springdale’s third chautauqua ran from June 24 to July 4, 1900, offering thirty-three lectures and cultural programs over the course of eleven days. On Thursday, June 28, a debate was held featuring three students from Springdale College:  L. T. (Lewis) Farrar, Thad Berry, and Guy Phillips.

The medal was discovered among items donated to the Shiloh Museum as part of the Mary Braun estate in 2014, 114 years after Thad Berry’s triumphant debate.

Springdale News, June 29, 1900

Springdale College graduating class of 1901. Thad Berry is standing second from left, and yes, he’s wearing his chautauqua debate medal. Standing left to right: Ethel Berry, Thad Berry, Cora Pritchard, John Young, Otto Christian, and Floy Daily. Seated left to right: Guy Phillips (one of the debaters bested by Thad Berry), Sophia Walker, Gussie Keeney, and Henry Ogden. Washington County Historical Society Collection (P-709)