HISTORY OF RHEA COMMUNITY Washington County, Arkansas by Dorothy M. Johnston, Ph.D. JOHNSTON PUBLISHING COMPANY, ROUTE 2, LINCOLN, ARKANSAS Although the author and publisher have exhaustively researched all sources to en­ sure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this book, we This book is dedicated to my assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or any inconsistencies father and mother, herein. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. Harry H. and Lena Barnes Johnston, who moved to the Rhea community in 1933 Copyright © 1987 by Johnston Publishing Company Rt. 2, Box 79A Lincoln, Arkansas 727 44 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 0-936853-01-8 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 87-80193 ii iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface . .~· . vii Eras of a Place Called Rhea . 1 Summary of Major Historical Events . 2 Rhea 'Ibday . 3 Bluff Dwellers and Other Indians........................ 7 Early Settlers . 12 The Mill............................................. 25 Mansion Builders 1855-1862 . 31 Civil War Happenings 1862. 45 Naming of Rhea's Mill and Post Office 1867 . 59 Rhea Mercantile Store Journals . 62 The Methodist Church. 82 The Sunday School. 96 The School. 111 Businesses ........................................... 136 The Club ............................................ 142 The Cemetery . 154 Marriages ........................................... 166 The Rhea Farm ....................................... 168 Rhea Murders . 170 A Rhea Notable . 173 Later Residents. 175 Professional Residents ................................. 197 Poets and Song Writers . 204 Honor Roll . 207 Potpourii . 208 Index of Names. 211 v Preface The purpose of this book was to research records and resources List of Figures to find detailed data which revealed the living history of the people who were residents in the community, from prehistory to present, and to preserve that history for future generations to know the ac­ 1. Rhea Residents 1986 .............................. 4 tivities within the community over a period of more than one hun­ 2. Township 15 North, Original Field Notes dred and fifty years, especially during the early development of the of Washington County 1832 ....................... 15 county. Rhea community was a major commercial area during the 3. Original Landowners 1834-1840 .................... 17 latter half of the last century, and played a role in the development 4. Early Landowners, Section 5, Township 15 North, of Washington County, serving not only as a commercial center for Range 32, West ................................. 18 people as far away as the Indian Territory, but also producing edu­ 5. Rhea School District No. 143 and Prairie Grove cators, attorneys and pastors who led and served residents in this School District No. 23 ............................ 116 and other communities in Washington County, throughout the 6. Officers of Rhea Home Extension Club .............. · . 152 State of Arkansas and in other states. 7. Southern Half of Rhea Community 1908 .............. 176 The organization of this book follows a chronological sequence, 8. Northern Half of Rhea Community 1908 ............. 177 divided into logical chapters according to particular topics. 9. Rhea 1908 ..................... ·. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 178 There are many difficulties encountered in undertaking a history 10. Rhea Residents 1915-1920 ......................... 179 book. Obtaining one single fact may be elusive and time-consuming. 11. Rhea Residents 1922-1930 ......................... 180 Only the person who is persistent against overwhelming odds will 12. Rhea Community 1974 ............................ 181 survive the adversities of publishing a book. Only the thought of preserving our heritage sustains us and helps us to push relentlessly onward to reach our goal. This book may have only limited interest, except to those who have Rhea community roots. However we want to preserve the heritage for them, however few they may be. A book of history cannot be written without a great deal of data from many sources. I am indebted to a number of contributors in­ cluding the following individuals and organizations: Little Rock: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Fayetteville: Mildred Carmichael, Floyd Cox, Leon Gregory, Kin­ ley Johnson, Flora Kirk, Dr. Ronald Konig, Lloyd McConnell, Mrs. Tom Pearson, Sr., Ruth Rhea Price, Circuit Clerk's Office, County Board of Education, District Superintendent's Office of the United Methodist Church, Northwest Arkansas Archaeological Society, Special Collections Department of the David W. Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas, Washington County Historical Society and Washington County Treasurer's Office vii vi 1 Lincoln and Rhea: Ola Crawford, Donna Franks, Tim Franks, ERAS OF A PLACE Gordon and Lillian Hartley, Frank Holt, Bill Keen, Bill and Dorothy Kelly, Edna Luginbuel, Ina Maxwell, Frank McKee, CALLED RHEA Dorothy Nash, Ruth Holt Payne, Helen Reed, Ardle Thomas and Ina Thompson. I. Prehistory: Bluff Dwellers Prairie Grove: Charles and Marianna Branchcomb, Kate Chea­ II. Osage and Cherokee Grounds and Lovely Purchase/County tham, Frank David, Jack and Veda Ditmars, Thm and Irene Dyer, to 1828 Roberta Carnahan Kennedy, Earlene Matthews, Gaston Matthews, III. Washington County and Early Years of White Settlers Nell Mobley, Gladys Montgomery, Donald Parks, Jewel Hulet Pen­ 1827-1855 nington, Reba Richmond, Clydene Tyree and Rollans Wilson N. Mansion Builders 1855-1862 Bella Vista: Larry Swaim v. Civil War Happenings 1862-1865 Cincinnati: Lucille Hulet Pearson VI. Reconstruction Era 1866-1874 Dutch Mills: Woodrow Choate VII. Heyday: Period of Prosperity 1874-1930 Farmington: Waymon Giles, Harold Johnston, Marie Neal, VIII. A One-store Thwn 1930-1965 Frances Williams IX. A Rural Community 1965 to Date Rogers: Wilma Dean Whiteley Springdale: Pat Reed, Shiloh Museum Out-of-State: Clyde Dyer, Junction City, Oregon Troy Gregory, Oaks, Oklahoma Virginia Nolen, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Don Rhea, Bullhead City, Arizona James Rhea, Boulder City, Nevada Marcheita Snapp, Garland, Texas Alpha Jean Crawford Ward, Port Thwnsend, Washington Apologies are extended for any misspelled names. The inconsis­ tencies of spelling of names in the many records precluded deter­ mining the correct spelling in certain instances. D.M.J. The History of Rhea Community is being published posthumously. The author, Dr. Dorothy Johnston, was killed in a one-car accident July 12, 1987, near her home, Route 2, Lincoln, Arkansas. viii 2 3 SUMMARY OF MAJOR ~~ RHEA TODAY@~ HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE RHEA COMMUNITY Located in west Washington County, Arkansas, about five miles north of Lincoln, and a half a mile west of blacktop County Road 33, popularly known as the Wedington Road, the Rhea settlement today 1827 First white settlers consists of a dozen homes and four streets. Business activities of the 1829 First land ownerships residents today are dairy farming, poultry, and beef cattle opera­ 1832 First land surveys tions. Other residents earn their livelihood by employment in the 1846 First recorded cemetery burial surrounding towns including Fayetteville. Once Rhea, with its 1850's Steam Mill built steam mill and large mercantile store, was a bustling major trading 1862 Occupied by Union Army one month and during Battle of center in the county in the 1800's; today, the Methodist Church, Prairie Grove with its white spire, in the northwest section stands as a sentinel on 1867 Name changed from Valley Steam Mill to Rhea's Mill the hill overlooking the serene setting for the forty-one residents 1867 Post office established and first postmaster including seventeen children. (Figure 1). ' Late The topography of the area is predominantly flat rich farming 1800's Name changed from Rhea's Mill to Rhea land with a few rolling hills in the community. Along the western 1874 First record of church members (Elizabeth D. Stevens and edge of the community is a mountain range, extending north of the Rebecca E. Crawford) received by certificate in Methodist Rhea township, from Wedington Gap to the north, then south to the Church by Rev. Tidings Lincoln rural area, two mountains divided by Pearson Hollow, 1876 First record of church members (Joseph and Mary Gregory) through which Moore's Creek flows above and below the Lincoln received in the Methodist Church by vows by Rev. Smith Reservoir. The surface of these hills is composed of Boone limestone, 1884 First record of burial in new cemetery: William H. Rhea one of the Pennsylvania series. This overlays a soft shale. Due to 1886 School District No. 143 established and three-room school weathering, a number of shelters in the bluffs have been formed house built ranging up to more than a hundred feet, including along Moore's 1889 First record of infant baptism in Methodist Church: Maggie Creek. Beneath these shelters have been found favorable places for D. Lane preservation of objects in the everyday life of the bluff dwellers. 1912- Undoubtedly many of the relics belonged to the Osage and Chero­ 1913 First frame Methodist Church constructed kee, who used the area until 1828 as hunting grounds. 1936 Native stone two-room school house constructed Two major geological faults underlie the Rhea community, one 1946 Rhea School District 143 consolidated with Prairie Grove extending from the Hartley