The Rainbow Girls Fort Smith in the Time of Segregation A History of The Adventurous The Christmas Holiday The Lincoln Echo Benjamin Bonneville Basketball Tournament Vol. 38, No. 2, September 2014 MISSION: The mission of the Fort Smith Historical Society, Inc., founded in 1977, is to publish The Journal of the Fort Smith Historical Society and through the Journal and other activities to locate, identify, and collect historical data; to publish source materials and historical articles, all pertaining to the city of Fort Smith and the immediate surrounding area. Preservation of Fort Smith history is our primary mission, and to this end, we always welcome the loan of Fort Smith historical material and will return it promptly. MEMBERSHIP & ORDERS: Journal back issues are QUESTIONS pertaining to the Fort Smith Historical available. Cost for the current issue is $7.50 plus a Society or The Journal should be addressed via e- $2 mailing charge per copy. Cost for past issues is mail to: $4 plus the $2 mailing charge. A composite index Mary Jeanne Black [email protected] for Volumes I through IX is available for $10 plus Carole Barger [email protected] a $4 mailing charge. Cost for the complete set of Joe Wasson [email protected] Journals, Volumes 1 through 37, is $225. Volumes I and II will be reproduced copies, as these issues VISIT OUR WEBSITE! www.fortsmithhistory.org. are no longer available in original form. Our website is updated regularly and contains in- formation on the Organization, Membership, Back Membership in the Fort Smith Historical Society Issues: How to order, Tables of Contents of Back includes a subscription to The Journal of the Fort Issues, Contacts & Links, Archives and a Gallery Smith Historical Society, which is published semi- of Historical Images: Views of Old Fort Smith annually. Correspondence concerning current or back issues of The Journal, membership dues and See the Google group, Fort Smith History Forum, all business matters should be sent to: for a bulletin board of current research questions. Readers may post their own research questions or Fort Smith Historical Society topics in hopes of furthering their own research. Attention: Nancy Ciulla, Treasurer P.O. Box 3676 Webmaster: Al Whitson Fort Smith, AR 72913-3676 [email protected] MANUSCRIPTS: Submissions of all types of Fort Smith, Arkansas, related materials including previously unpublished family Bibles, diaries, journals, old maps, church minutes or histories, cemetery information, family histories, and other documents are welcome. Manuscripts, including quotations and footnotes, must be double- spaced, using The Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press). Footnotes should be numbered consec- utively in the text, assembled at the end of the article, along with a list of any additional sources. The author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address should appear only on the title page. Manuscripts may be submit- ted on CD disks, using word-processing programs supported by Windows. Photographs should be duplicates or submitted in digital format, documents should be photocopies, as they cannot be returned. Manuscripts are subject to editing for style and space requirements. All articles and images accepted will become property of the Fort Smith Historical Society, Inc., unless return is specifically requested. Submit to: Managing Editors The Journal of the Fort Smith Historical Society P.O. Box 3676 Fort Smith, AR 72913-3676 Neither the Fort Smith Historical Society nor the editorial staff assumes any responsibility for statements, whether of fact or opinion, made by contributors. AMELIA WHITAKER MARTIN Journal Editor & Co-Founder 1977-2004 EDITORIAL BOARD: Billy D. Higgins, Editor Carole Barger Wincie Hendricks Steven Kite George McGill Loren McLane VOL. 38 NO. 2 CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2014 Clara Jane Rubarth Bob Willoughby DESIGNING: News & Opportunities ............................................................................................ 2 Cathy Peterson INDEXING & PROOFING: Fort Smith and the Great War: Part I ..................................................................... 4 Shelley Blanton by Jerry Akins OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Chuck Girard, President Neale “Bobo” Henderson: From Andrews Field to Kansas City Monarchs .......... 13 Calline Ellis, Corresponding Secretary edited by Billy Higgins Sherry Toliver, Recording Secretary Wincie Hendricks, Membership Chairman The Rainbow Girls: Fort Smith in the Time of Segregation.................................. 19 Nancy Ciulla, Treasurer Mary Jeanne Black, Inquiry Coordinator introduction by Nichelle Brown Christian and Researcher Jerry Akins History of The Lincoln Echo ................................................................................. 32 Carole Barger by Richard Lee Eby Jimmy Ciulla Jane Ann Hartmeier The Adventurous Benjamin Bonneville ................................................................ 39 Jerry Hendricks by Matt Myers Billy Higgins Steven Kite The Christmas Holiday Basketball Tournament: 1951-1974 ............................... 44 George McGill Loren McLane by Jim Wyatt Clara Jane Rubarth Joanne Swafford Who Knew? ......................................................................................................... 52 Joe Wasson by Mary Jeanne Black Rena Westbrook Al Whitson 1914 Newspapers ................................................................................................ 55 Bob Willoughby by Crystal Jenkins Membership in the Fort Smith Historical Society includes subscription to The Journal of the Fort Books: A Chair in Time by Lee Holland ............................................................... 57 Smith Historical Society, which is published semi- Reviewed by Peggy Higgins annually. Membership year begins January 1 and ends December 31. Index ................................................................................................................. 58 For membership, send dues with your name and mailing address to: The Fort Smith Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 3676 Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913-3676 COVER: Main photo—The Rainbow Girls, photo courtesy of Nichelle Brown Christian. Types of Membership Lower left photo—The Lincoln Echo sign in Brunswick Place in downtown Fort Smith. Annual ............................................. $ 30.00 Lower middle photo—Benjamin Bonneville. Senior Citizens (62 or older) .............. 15.00 Lower right photo—Basketball action during a Christmas Holiday Basketball tournament. Annual Sustaining .............................. 50.00 PRINTING: Midwest Type and Printing, Fort Smith, Arkansas Joint Membership with Fort Smith Museum of History ....... 100.00 © Copyright 2014 ISSN 0736 4261 Annual Business Sponsor ............... 200.00 By the Fort Smith Historical Society, Inc. Life (Individual) ................................ 350.00 c/o Fort Smith Public Library Journal Back Issues .......................... each copy 4.00 3201 Rogers Avenue (For mail orders, add $2.00 mailing charge per copy) Mailing address: P.O. Box 3676 Composite Index Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913-3676 For Volumes I thru IX .............................. 10.00 (For mail orders, add $4.00 mailing charge per copy.) CHANGE OF ADDRESS We welcome the loan of Fort Smith historical Change of address cards are free at your post office. If you move, please fill one out and send materials and will return promptly. it to: P.O. Box 3676 • Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913-3676 The Fort Smith Historical Society, Inc. is a non- profit organization under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except for brief excerpts for Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Gifts and lega- review purposes, without the consent of the editors of The Journal. cies are tax deductible. 1 NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES 23, 2014. Coins will be Fort Smith Historical Society available after January 2015 Quarterly Meeting in $0.50, $1.00, and $5.00 Wednesday, October 15, 2014 denominations. Community Room, Main Branch The design for the $1 silver Fort Smith Public Library coin features the name of the 6 p.m. city on the wanted poster. *** 2014 Mid-America Conference on History Drennen-Scott House Fort Smith Holiday Inn Civic Center Van Buren, Arkansas September 18-20, 2014. Crawford County Chronicles Hosted by Department of History, UAFS George Sabo will present an archaeology program Co-sponsored by the Fort Smith Historical Society on Sunday, September 7 Registration form included in this issue Sunday, October 5 Civil War in Crawford County *** Programs at 1:30 and 3:00. Reservations are free but required: [email protected] or 479-262-2750 *** Clayton House Programs Sunday, September 28, 2014, 2:00 p.m.: “Clayton Conversations: History of St. Scholastica Monastery and the Benedictine Pioneers.” Presentation will be provided by sisters of the St. Scholastica Monastery. Introductory music program with refreshments begins at 1:30 p.m. Memorial Bench Dedicated Sunday, October 26, 2014, 2:00 p.m.: “Clayton Con- The Fort Smith Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority versations: The 1970s Saving and Restoration of the in partnership with the Fort Smith Historical Society dedi- Clayton House.” John Mott, architect and preservation cated a memorial bench in honor of Dr. Harry Pelot consultant who led the restoration, will share the details McDonald at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on July 25, of this award-winning project. Mott is now with John 2014. Milner Associates Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia. Intro- At