Louis, If you are the sponsor, it would help if you would place a area on the webpage where people could see how to join the maillist. I don't think that is on your page. Desha County ought to be one of the busiest mail lists in the state..........lots of history there. Jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Hi Louis! We're up to five on the Desha list; anyone else out there? Bill, Jann, Amy, Jo-Ann, Louis...and counting... By the way, does anyone else have ancestors from the area who fought in the Civil War? I'm working on a Lee line and am willing to keep my eyes out for your kin, too. Jo-Ann Stephens Bahai@netusa1.net

Jann: I can remember the Ford car Robert Moore drove while he was sheriff. It had a red light in the rear window that read "Stop". Everyone knew it was the sheriff's car and would stop when the thing came on. When the sheriff sold the car he left the red stop light in the rear window. Ol' Dub Bates, I think it was, bought the car and stopped hisself a great many folks before the sheriff put a stop to it. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Hi Louis, Are you the sponsor of the Desha Co. mail list?? All you other subscribers.........Louis helped me a lot on my Huddleston family in McGehee.......I'm sure he can help some of you. Jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Louis: Now we are getting somewhere. This is the type of information that will be useful to all of us. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Ya'll seem to have a good "handle" on Robert Moore.......I really don't know anything about him other than his son, Robert Moore married my second cousin in Warren, (now divorced) and my son-in-law, Wade Partridge descends from Robert's father, Dr. Miles Smith Moore. Dr. Moore had a daughter named Lula Joanna Moore who married 1st to Andy Hayes, 2nd to Dr. T.F. Collins and 3rd to Dr. C.D. Lawrence. There is a place in Dumas named the Jody Partridge Center. Jody was my son-in-law's sister. Wade's grandparents were John William Tucker who married Anna Louise Whitaker........they all lived at Dumas. jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Bill, You reference to check writing and cotton chopping made me think of my Uncle Austin Williams in Warren (Bradley Co.). He was my dad's brother, and "pore as Job's turkey." Anyway, they were all born around Florence in Drew Co., and my uncle was visiting his sister, Inis Humphry who was living near Rohwer or Jerome....where they chopped cotton......aunt Inis had bought a BIG jar of peanut butter...and Uncle Austin had never heard of it let along eat any of it.......he said he sat under the front porch and ate that whole 'dad-burned' jar.......thought he had died and gone to heaven. To prove that we can rise from humble beginnings......my Uncle Austin went on to portray the Doctor in the movie, "The North and The South." But we still talk about that peanut butter.........and he still loves it!!! Jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------F8753F3AEA08DF797D895C48 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Attached is an article clipped from a 1911 newspaper's special edition, obviously designed to attract new settlers to Desha County. I have several microfilm reels of older Desha County newspapers, and will try to post selected items from time to time. Hope you will find them interesting. Louis Reitzammer at Jackson, Tennessee < reitzamm@usit.net > --------------F8753F3AEA08DF797D895C48 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; name="Deshaco4.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Deshaco4.txt" DESHA COUNTY = by J. W. Dickinson (From Historical Edition of The Arkansas City Democrat, Arkansas City, Ar= k.--1911) Desha County contains 8,000 square miles and very little of waste land. = She is bounded on the East 100 miles by the greatest river of the world. = She is watered by the Arkansas, the White, Bartholomew and other smaller = streams. Railroads pass over the County in several directions and termina= te at Arkansas City, giving the people cheap, competitive rates of freigh= t. About one twentieth of the land in Desha is in cultivation, nineteen-twe= ntieths in valuable timber, mostly virgin. About half the land of the Cou= nty is valley land protected by enormous levees so high and base so broad= , that the Mississippi at high tide has capitulated and passes her floods= peacefully on to the sea; and gives us no trouble from overflows. The other half of the County is table land, all very rich and productive= , and will yield the greatest abundance of cotton, corn, rice, fruits and= vegetables and all the products of this climate. Many great saw mills, s= tave factories, shingle mills are now busy felling the forest, making the= finest grades of lumber, shipping it away at good profits. These lands c= an be bought at low prices, five to ten per acre for timber lands, small = cash payments, balance on long time and can be paid for by the sale of th= e timber. Cleared land, according to improvements, $15.00 to $50.00 per a= cre, small cash payments, balance long time and can be paid for by growin= g crops or by renting at the price of $6.00 per acre. It certainly is the= best County in the State for the capitalist to invest for large profits = and the plain farmer man to secure a good home for scarcely anything but = his energy. These facts ought to appeal to the man of moderate means to c= ome and secure a good home whilst the "light holds out to burn." Desha Co= unty has about 18,000 population; lands mostly owned by people who are in= telligent, energetic and prosperous and will gladly open their arms and w= elcome good people from anywhere, even though he should live North of the= Mason and Dixon line, in icy regions and where the price of land is so h= igh he can never secure a good home. Astonishment to the writer is why those people do not come in great drov= es, bringing their wives, children and dogs and become one of us, be happ= y and prosperous. We hear someone say in "God's Country", "Those people d= own South do not want us Northern folks, and more particularly if we are = Republicans." You say up North, "We would go down at once but we fear ost= racism in politics." To give you the truth we will briefly answer these o= bjections. Ex-State Senator Henry Thane, Ex-Mayor of Arkansas City, and E= x-Clerk of Desha County lives at Arkansas City. When a young man (about f= orty years ago) with his young wife he came from Indiana to Desha County = and settled among us. He is a Vestryman of the Episcopal Church, he talks= and votes his politics openly. We Democrats have not killed him yet. We = want more such men of sterling integrity. We care nothing for a man's pol= itics or his religion, just so he is a gentleman. We take him in without = probation, and he soon becomes one of us. Mr. Thane has prospered, he is = now president of five State Banks in this section: Desha Bank and Trust C= ompany, at Arkansas City; Bank of McGehee, at McGehee; Merchants and Farm= ers Bank at Dumas; Dermott Bank at Dermott; and Chicot Bank at Lake Villa= ge. These Banks are well managed but cautiously, and afford capital suffi= cient to aid all worthy enterprises, as well as the farmers, and furnish = money to each enterprise as much as each ought to have, they are common f= actors in the building up of the country. Under Mr. Thane's supervision a= thorough drainage system has been organized and partly completed. A cana= l of nine miles in length, thirty-three feet wide and twelve feet deep wi= th lateral ditches into this Canal the surplus water and excessive rains = are quickly drawn from the farms and a wonderful improvement can be seen = on the productions of the soil. Come and see, or write Henry Thane. You p= eople can believe what an Indiana man tells you. = The writer has lived in Desha County with his family for over thirty-six= years constantly, has made forty-three crops in the County. He is a Tenn= esseean, seventy-seven years old, his wife seventy-six. They have enjoyed= as good health as they did on the mountains of Tennessee. We have only t= wo doctors at Arkansas City, both graduates, excellent physicians and do = the practice for the city and surrounding country (about seven miles) a p= opulation of four or five thousand people and strange to say they are nea= rly starving for the want of patients. In traveling over the hill country= through towns of like population we find ten or more doctors all prosper= ing from their practice. This ought to settle any questions about health = care. = Desha County has a number of good towns: Arkansas City, the County Seat,= McGehee, a railroad town, and Dumas, and quite a number of towns along t= he railroad and rivers. At the County Seat we have a splendid brick Court House and Jail, and ar= e constructing a three-story brick high school building. The increase in = our schools demanded this improvement. We have four churches: Methodist, = Baptist, Episcopal, and Catholic. We have a prosperous little city standi= ng on the bank of the great Mississippi. The County also has plenty of go= od schools. = The morals of the people are good. Our courts thirty years ago were in s= ession at each term over a month and often an adjourned term as long. Exp= enses of the court were great. Now the Circuit Court meets twice a year a= nd clears the docket inside of two weeks. The Chancery Court convenes twi= ce a year and clears the docket inside of four or five days. The expenses= of the courts are a mere bagatelle. Arkansas is a great State. Desha is the best County, so come at once you= fellows whilst you are offered greater inducements than any other sectio= n can possibly offer. We will heartily welcome you, make you feel at home= , happy and prosperous, if you are a man that wants to become useful to t= he country and prosperous yourself. (End of article) COMMENT: J. W. Dickinson, co-founder of Arkansas City, was a former slave= -owner. Portions of the article which might be considered offensive have = been omitted.--LR --------------F8753F3AEA08DF797D895C48--

Lordy have mercy. Even Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer wouldn't get hisself in a mess like I am heading my goodself for. I noticed on a trip to India once that the Indians, the real ones, use the word "goodself" and I kind of took a lickin' to it. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

C.L. Jones: I don't think Robert Moore received a percentage. I think the deal was, for several if not all Arkansas counties, that as collector, and the county sheriff is still the collector, he collected the money and could quite legally put the money in his private interest bearing account. On the final day that taxes were due, he would then write a check payable to the county. Back many years ago the interest on a million dollars did wonders for a private account. I think it is understandable that the collector wanted the taxes paid well in advance of the final due date for taxes. I'm sure the taxes totaled several millions and they stayed in the private account for quite a while in many cases. Even one day at 5% would equal 399.99 a day for a million dollars. I suspect a great deal of money was, indeed, collected. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Hello All, Jann, there is at least one more of us Desha Listers out here in cyberspace: Amy Fowler Bishop (or Amy Bishop Fowler?) is also around. Is anyone else reading this? :-) If so, please jump in and holler a bit. (Bill, you're ruining my years of "proper" training...before long, I'll have to go warsh somethin'...) :-) Jo-Ann Stephens Bahai@netusa1.net

Jann: I love the "Newsbriefs". I recognized the name McKennon name. They were ginners in the Watson/Dumas area. Mr Claude McKennon had a gin in Watson and I think it was his son, Joe Lee McKennon, who owned the gin or a gin in Dumas. In Joe Lee McKennon's office at his gin in Dumas he had framed and hung several checks that he had written and they were in excess of $1,000,000 each. They impressed me when I was chopping cotton for 30 cents an hour for six days a week which totaled $18.00. That's ten hour days and I'm sure the math will work out. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Jann: Robert Moore was the Sheriff of Desha County for many years. He was certainly there in the late forties and early to mid fifties. His wife is still alive and lives in Arkansas City. I didn't talk with her the last time I was there but the County Clerk or some such advised me to talk with her in order to learn a little of the background of modern Desha County. I don't think my mind is failing me. Maybe it wasn't Mrs Moore but I believe it was her that I was referred to. I think he was Robert S Moore but again that is coming from a failing memory. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Arkansas Gazette May 19, 1916: McGehee: This is clean-up week in McGehee. Major J.J. Simmons says those failing to clean up their premises will be fined. McGehee: Workmen have begun clearing the new route of the Bartholomew Bayou road, which will be improved under the Alexander road law. The Road Committee of the Public Service Bureau will visit other cities to get information on road building. McGehee: Five hundred and sixty head of cattle, en route from Louisiana to Earle, Ark., were dipped here today. The cattle were bought by a new firm at Earle, which is engaging in cattle raising. April 8, 1918 Dumas - The Liberty bond campaign opened here yesterday with an address by Judge Kerwin of Pine Bluff. A meeting today was addressed by Lieutenant Carrore of the French army. Subscriptions already total $30,000. June 9, 1918: Miss Idelle McKennon of Dumas is visiting Mrs. Maude Quilling, 514 West Fourteenth street, Little Rock. Dec. 7, 1918 Dumas - Mrs. Bessie T. Jacobs, wife of Mayor Trigg R. Jacobs, died this morning of influenza. She is survived by her husband, one sister and three small children. April 12, 1914 McGehee - The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Glosup, who was taken to St. Vincent's Infirmary in Little Rock this week, died at that institution Thursday night of measles. Feb. 19, 1914 State marriages: Dr. W.E. Hutchison and Miss Nellie Edington, at Dumas ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Anyone know anything about Robert Moore who was sheriff/marshal/deputy, "law enforcement" (don't know which), at Arkansas City?? He was a son of Sen. I.E. Moore from Dumas. I.E. Moore was the son of Dr. Miles Smith and Parthenia Faucett Moore who lived in Bradley, Drew and Desha Cos., at different times. Jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

How many of you on this list remember that Mrs. T.N. Pennick was the 2nd Grade teacher there in Watson in 1948? Well, she was and I'll bet she was a good'un. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

How Ya'll Are: In about 1943 we moved from Danville in Yell County to the old Kings Store at Pea Ridge. It then became Covey's Store for what that is worth. Anyway, I started the third grade with Mrs. Shelby Willis and we went in a church of some kind because the new school was not yet completed. The old building burned and a new brick building was built. Incidentally, just a few short months ago they tore the new building down. That made me madder'n a ol' wet settin' hen. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html

Jann: At some point in the past these towns may well have been in different counties. Thae are now, however, resting firmly in Desha (Halley) and Chicot (Dermott) counties as reported. It looks as if all three of us are on the list. Actually I have corresponded with a couple more but I can't remember who it was. I'll start keeping up with it until the List Administrator makes herself or himself known. Bill Covey Creator of Ol' Tubby Joe Stottlemeyer Author of: Watson Is Where It Wuz http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Station/3265/Welcome.html ----- Original Message ----- From: Jann Woodard <stoneface45@hotmail.com> To: <ARDESHA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, December 06, 1999 2:53 PM Subject: Re: Desha County Towns and Communities > Bill, > > To show how dumb I can be!!.......I thought all this time that Halley was in > Chicot Co., and Dermott was in Desha Co.!!! > > The Halley family was in Bradley County by the 1850 census, and migrated to > Halley between 1870-1880. > > Do you have any idea how many people are on this list, or is it just me, > you, and JoAnn????? > > Jann

It would be of great benefit to us all if everyone would post their surnames of interest. I spend at least one day a week at the Archives in Little Rock, and would be happy to keep names in mind. Jann ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

The following Desha Co. obits can be found in the Arkansas Gazette: 1923 Mary Armstrong L.R. Brady Mattie Mae Gibson John W. Wooten John Bridgewater Johnnie Burt Herman Marcus, Jr. 1924 Belle Bowles Tom Watson Abraham Anderson Mrs. W.H. DeClark John Q. Henry George W. Land Tom Mitchell Dean R. Morley Tom Robinson Milton Zimmerman ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com