INDUSTRIAL AND SOUVENIR EDITION OF THE ADVANCE Monticello, Ark., Tuesday, December 17, 1907 THE TOWN OF WILMAR The town of second importance in Drew County is Wilmar, situated about 8 miles nearly due west of Monticello on the Warren Branch of the Iron Mountain R. R. Wilmar is a thriving little city of 1,000 or 1,200 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Gates Lumber Company and up to the spring of the present year was the home of Beauvoir College. These two institutions have been responsible for the existence of Wilmar as a town and have formed the chief basis of its prosperity and growth. The first settler in the present town of Wilmar was Capt. J. T. D. Anderson, who soon after the extension of the Warren Branch to its present terminus of Warren, opened up a small store and also acted as postmaster and depot agent, using the house which now serves as a depot for the combined purposes of store, postoffice, depot and residence. Capt. Anderson owned practically all the land on which the town has been built and it was probably his liberal policy to a great extent that determined the Lumber company to locate its plant at this point. He has always been an influential citizen of the place and is today a prominent merchant and honored resident of the town. The real history of Wilmar, however, dates from the advent of the Gates Lumber c Company, 17 years ago. This was augmented about ten years ago by the location in the town of Prof. J. L. Spence, who established a high school which was afterward changed to Beauvoir College and which grew to have a total enrollment of between 400 and 500 students. The college was abnadoned on the removal of Prof. Spence to Monticello, but the town has a flourishing and most excellent high school, under the efficient management of Prof. W. B. Massey. The school comprises 11 grades and has a nine months term. The enrollment in round numbers is 200. Four literary teachers, one music teacher and one expression teacher are employed. The school has literary societies, boarding department, etc. and is in the best working condition. In addition to the enterprises above mentioned, Wilmar now has a stave factory with a capacity of 10,000 per day, a bank with $25,000 capital, five general merchandise stores, one exclusive dry goods store, one drug store, livery stable, blacksmith shop and a Farmer's Union Warehouse (the only one in the county) with a capacity of 1,000 bales. The warehouse was established during the present year. Wilmar possesses one of the most public spirited citizenry to be found anywhere. They are brim full of local pride and loyalty, and any new citizen or any new enterprises may be sure of finding a warm welcome, a helping hand and hearty encouragement in Wilmar. ************************************************ Notes: The relocation of Gates Lumber Co. to Crossett, Arkansas (Ashley County) was the beginning of the decline of the town of Wilmar. Prior to that time, many people in Monticello would go to Wilmar to shop as there were better stores. My mother and her siblings attended the high school mentioned in this article. She and a sister were awarded gold pieces by Miss Eva Burford (married name Bird) for excellent work. In the graduation books of Lucy Mae and Henri Erba Owens, they mentioned that "as I lived close to school, I did not have a roommate". I wondered about this until I came across this paper about 10 years ago. I now know that it was a boarding school. Erba was Valedictorian of her class and Lucy Mae spent her senior year at Woodruff High School in West Helena, Arkansas while living with the family of the former Superintendent (Smith) of this high school. Prof. Smith had transferred that year to Woodruff and persuaded my grandparents to allow Lucy Mae to attend his new school. Prof. J. L. Spence and his daughter, Helen who never married, were in the insurance business in Monticello for many years. Helen remained a friend of Lucy Mae Owens Haisty Wright. Prof. W. B. Massey was later County Superintendent of Schools for Drew County and I was in his office in the Court House many times with my mother who was there in the capacity of Principal of the elementary school at Drew Central. The J. T. D. Anderson home was later owned by William Louin McKinstry and his family. Louin was the grandfather of Wayne Groce, Karen's husband, and James William Willis whose book about the Civil War we have been discussing. One story that I remember about Beauvoir College was that a circus came to town when my mother was young. It set up on the grounds of Beauvoir College (same location as the present school at Wilmar) and while it was there, an elephant escaped and terrorized the town. Carolyn jhaisty@tcac.com