Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR

Sobering old photos! These pictures are sorta continuing the story we started a few days ago regarding the house on Arch Street in Searcy Arkansas that has been changed so much.

These are what we need when we are feeling as if times are awfully tough. Blogging buddy Anita supplied these photos of possibly some of her relatives, definitely at her home on Arch Street in Searcy.

The question is whether this man is absolutely worn out from working, whether the car hit the tree, or whether he is just doing what he usually does everyday. If he'd had air-conditioning and TVs as we have today, he'd not be doing the nap at this place!

Another question here. Is she exasperated because of the man's behavior under the tree? Is she just showing off her legs?

I can remember hanging clothes on a clothes line. If you had children and diapers it took a lot of hanging. Once we got a clothes dryer and my husband made the observation that he sure missed the smell of sheets hung outside to dry and perhaps it would be nice to use a clothes line again I didn't speak to him for days! And I said dirty words under my breath.

A new restaurant has opened at 2315 W Beebe Capps Expressway on the West side of Searcy Arkansas. Lots of vehicles have been parked around it saying that Searcy is trying it out. Searcy is great about going to a new restaurant and giving it a try. Usually ONE try! If the food is not excellent, that's it! It's not going to be around very long.

I gave it a try the other day. Here's what I liked best of all. The decor will bowl you over when you walk in the door. There are boats hanging from the ceiling, bicycles perched on dividers, old uniforms hanging from the ceiling. It is like visiting a museum and stepping back in time. You can feast your eyes on all the old stuff.

And the one who provided the old stuff, free of charge and doing the work himself, is our very loved builder Steve Ghent who moves old houses and restores them, who respects and loves history. He has collected these items throughout the years and used them to give atmosphere to this restaurant.

My friend and I had a very pleasant meal so the food is good at this new restaurant. I hope it is here for a long time. And if you see Steve Ghent tell him how much you enjoy his decorating this building.

The White County Historical Society has a collection of pictures on its website and they've said we can share them. Here's a great one of the train depot in Letona, Arkansas.

Letona is about 15 miles from Searcy and has 215 residents at this time.

We're exploring how the trains went to every little town and below is a picture of the Letona depot. But first we we found this picture of a young woman named Corrine Harrison Hart at about 1924 sitting at the depot. Corrine is Anita's mother. Anita is a contributor to this blog. Anita, do you think the man in the background is ogling your mother?

I love the depot picture because of the houses in the background. Letona, if you visit, still has a lot of houses with large lots. I'd have to go back to see if any of these are still standing.

One very interesting thing I discovered about Letona this year is that if you live in city limits you have to go to the post office to get your mail. I sold a house in Letona and the people were surprised, as was I, that the mail didn't run to the houses in the city. That would be good exercise if you walked to the post office each day.

Halloween parties are fun! The elaborate costumes that some folks buy or rent are amazing to see. We attended one last night and the star of the show could be this butler. He talks, he growls, his eyes shift and he makes you feels as if he is alive!! Or could come alive!! Or may be alive! After all, it was Halloween when spooks run free. Those eyes followed me all night long.

The guy on the left owns this spook and that guy on the right is the owner's twin!

And the couple on the right************************

*******************we were underdressed!

Formal gardens still exist in parts of the world, I'm sure. But in Searcy Arkansas I see only one example of what I think of as formal. This house is on the Historic Register and has a vast history. One of the stories that I heard was that the lovely wood shades which show on the windows here had been thrown away once. The neighbors hauled them out of the trash and saved them until a person bought the house who would appreciate them and then they gave them back.

The yard, let's say garden, is always perfectly maintained just as you see in these pictures. This is not new landscaping. The little shrubs have been small for years. I assume that they are a type plant that does not grow large. The owner seems to maintain the garden himself because I see him out in the garden a lot. I hope he does not mind that I'm featuring his historic home and garden on this blog.

This house also was featured in a book published in 1993 called "Millicent, the Millicent Collinsworth Story" by Millicent Collinsworth and Jan Winebrenner. I looked on Amazon.com and didn't find it available so perhaps my copy is a collectible!!