About Searcy's Old Searcy Arkansas

One of our most historic homes has become our Searcy Art Gallery. The Black House as it is called is just two blocks from the court square at 300 E. Race Street and is leased to the city by one of our prominent retired surgeons.

Today as I was headed toward home, I steered into it to see the latest display.

There was a display of lovely hats and shoes and memorabilia from the days when we wore hats. The display is provided by Irene Crouch and is titled "For the Love of Hats." The display was impressively laid out in several rooms of the house. There was even a Christmas tree decorated with hats and a small tree decorated with buttons.

If you're in Searcy Arkansas, stop by and visit the lovely old 1800's house.

Searcy, Arkansas had its share of dime stores. At least that's what I heard them called as I was growing up. Snowdens was one of the dime stores in Searcy.

"Mama, can we go to the dime store?"

When Mama said yes we were happy kids.

Snowdens was still in Searcy AR when I arrived in about 1967. It was located on the South side of the court square. The Snowdens lived on Arch Street and evidently they never threw anything away but built a building behind their house to hold all the stuff.

Arch Street wasn't far from where I lived and I had to drive by there all the time. Once the store had closed and the Snowdens had died their heirs were cleaning the place up and throwing things away. The pile of old stuff beside the road was enticing. I stopped by and started rifling through the trash and throwing a few things in my car.

One of the heirs came out and INVITED ME TO LEAVE! What a grouch and a waste of all that beautiful junk that was to be picked up by the trash man. The items that I salvaged were 1940's order books for items that they carried in the store. You can see what they cost per item or per dozen. Junk? Yes. Shoulda been thrown away in the 40's? Yes.

But that's what makes an item collectible. Almost all of them were throw away!

Old pictures of your home town are so much fun! We drive through the four lane new highways and love the convenience but it is still heart warming to look back in time to "how it used to be."

Here's an old service station picture. Looks like there's the White County Courthouse in the background. If so, this station must have been on what is now Main Street of Searcy Arkansas. Searcy old timers speak up and tell us about this old station.

I had someone loan this photo that is actually pretty fascinating. It is the interior of an old sign shop in Searcy AR with people that some of you from Searcy may recognize. If so, tell me who they are. I can see one Poll Parrot Shoes sign, a Charles Lovell Contractor sign, Wakenight General Electric and a Tower Court Cabins sign plus others. Several are neon which must have been pretty high-class back then.

Searcy Arkansas is located in White County with a population of approximately 20,000.

Some folks think that Halloween is a great time to have a party. There are no gifts expected, no crass commercialism (at least there used to be none....times may be changing) and no big meals to prepare. All one has to do is welcome little kids at the door and give them a piece of candy. You can also get yourself an outfit and pretend for one day that you are someone else; costume parties are great fun!

If you live in the subdivisions where parents drop the kids out, that candy thing can be a big expense. I live where the houses are so far apart that parents have to drive the kids so I always buy candy that is something we like because we have leftovers! : )

But the point of this blog is just to show you this fantastic picture of Searcy Arkansas kids in costume on what looks like a float. It would date back to the 40's! Searcy readers, if you are on this float, tell me which one you are. And who on earth was the boy in the background who was fascinated by all these girls?