RE: A humorous true story of a visit to Greenwood, AR ca. 1930. My aunt, Betty Miller Francis told me the story about her trip to visit her grandmother, Rebecca McDonald Johnston Miller House in Greenwood, AR abt. 1830-33. > > "My sisters and I took the train from Ennis to visit my grandmother, > Becky (Rebecca). We were met at the train station by Gramma and Aunt Retha > in a 'touring car.' It was very fancy with panels (like the modern station > wagon). We thought she surely must be rich; we guessed that everyone's > heads would turn and admire us. If there were admirers we soon left them in > the dust for a long winding drive through the woods. > We were restless. Gramma, hoping to distract us, began to tell us > stories. We soon learned that she was famous for telling ghost stories. I > will never forget the story we heard on that ride in the woods." > "Back in old-timey days," she began, "when we had to ride through these > woods with horse and buggy, there were ferocious BIG black panthers that > roamed the woods. Panthers favorite food was little girls. One night, we > were on our way home after it started getting dark. We heard a sound. > Sorta like a cat crying loud. We clicked the reins to speed up the horses suspecting it might be ... a panther! The crying got louder and louder... > the crying turned into roaring... we went faster and faster and faster > ... AND FASTER AND FASTER AND FASTER AND FASTER... THE ROAR WAS AT OUR > WHEELS RIGHT BEHIND US.... LOUDER AND LOUDER AND LOUDER... > > IT WAS CATCHING US... SO WE JUST THREW THE BABY OUT TO THE PANTHER!" > > "Stunned into silence, we sat closer to gramma until the ride was over and > we were home safe in her house. > A few days later, we learned that we would get to go out to the garden > and help hoe. The work was fun, chopping at weeds haphazardly. Until, off > in the distance we heard a sound... like the loud cry of a cat." > "IT'S THE PANTHERS," someone shouted. "We dropped our hoes in our > tracks and tore off for the house and hid in the closet." > "It probably was just a cat," my aunt said after she told me the story. > "Don't you think it probably was just a cat?" > My 75 year old aunt is still uncertain! > > Blessings, Cynthia > > > From: JACK WIGGINS <wigginsjack@worldnet.att.net> > To: Cynthia Forde <cynthia.forde@worldnet.att.net> > Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 11:00 AM > Subject: Re: [ARSebast] SAM HOUSE > > > > Greenwood School District No. 25 was for most all of the schools in south > > eastern Sebastian County. It encompassed the Cornish, Jenny Lind, Rye > Hill, > > New Hope, Burnville. Communities farther south and west were in another > > district of the county. Since your information reference Greenwood, it can > > be assumed your ancestor lived in the Greenwood school attendance > boundary. > > > > The major elementary and only high school was in Greenwood proper. > > Children's of families in the outlying areas would have attend an > elementary > > school nearby. Such schools varied in grades taught. New Hope was a one > room > > school house for I think grades 1-3. Jenny Lind was 1-9, Cornish 1-6, Rye > > Hill 1-6. After completing the grade level of the elementary school the > > student were then bused to the Greenwood schools. > > > > The Greenwood Elementary school that existed by 1900 was housed in a sand > > stone quarried rock building originally built around 1882. The elementary > > school was housed in that building until the 1950's when a new school was > > built on the site of newly acquired acreage adjoining the high school. > > > > Now as to records. If they still exist they will be in the archives of the > > Greenwood District Superintendent of Schools. About the only thing the > > record would contain would be name and grades for each grading period. > These > > would be the teacher daily roll book and record. I don't believe you would > > find any other information. Also the are some peculiar laws that prohibits > > release of school records except to the person they refer to. You may try > > and write and see what they can tell you. You know over the years there > have > > been many fire that destroyed public records. The Superintendents office > was > > house in the high school building. A new school had been built about > 1928-30 > > era. That school building burnt, So, there could be that all school > records > > of previous years were lost in the fire, I know when I was in high school > > there were no fire resistant file cabinets being g use for records. > > > > Superintendent of Schools > > District No. 25. > > Greenwood. AR 72936 > > > > After the new elementary school was built the old school property was sold > > to Means Wilkerson, President of te Farmers Bank of Greenwood. He > completely > > renovated the building to be his residence. His widow still resides in it. > > > > > > Jack > > > > > > >