Kensett Arkansas. A largely unchanged small railroad town near Searcy Arkansas.

My fondest memories of Kensett was, when a little girl, going to meet relatives coming to visit, on the train.  Most were coming from Memphis but I'm not sure Blyethville, too.  I would put a penny on the train track and was so thrilled to find it again, smashed.   I was told that was 'against the law" so naturally I was always thinking a policeman would be coming to get me.

Kensett had a movie theater that we high schoolers  all enjoyed going to.....esp. on Sunday nights, after M.Y.F. (Methodist Youth Fellowship)....MYF was at 6:00 and out in time for us to go to church, which we never did, we headed to Kensett and the Sunday evening movie.

You've made Kensett look good again, Barbara.  Good post.

Anita Fuller

Sorry to leave the impression that ONLY Kensett had a Sunday night movie.   The Rialto in Searcy, and the movie theater in Bald Knob were open on Sunday nights, too.   For whatever reason we just liked to drive over to Kensett..you'll have to remember in those days that was a long way...but not as long as going to Bald Knob.   I don't remember if Kensett showed movies during the week or just on the weekend.

Anita Fuller

About a year ago I read a most fascinating book, Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America by the now Junior Senator from Virginia James Webb. I briefed him one time while he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy.  Anyway, the book is a history of the Scots-Irish, which is my heritage. I was really surprised when I got near the end of the book and here was a chapter entitled “Kensett, Arkansas”.  He had lots of not complementary things to say about his family and the Mills’ family interaction.  If anyone is interested in the Scots-Irish history, I strongly recommend this book.

Anita failed to mention another reason we would go over to the movie at Kensett, it was cheap.

Yes, the Thompsons will be here tomorrow and we have gone all out to make them feel at home, the weather is suppose to be above 90 degrees all week.  Keep in mind that the most 90+ degree days we have ever had in a row is either 3 or 4, depending on who you believe.  So this could be the longest HOT streak ever here. 

The Born Fighting book is really a very well written, easy to read book.  So even if you wanted to just read about Kensett, you should check it out of the library and read it.  The short version is that Webb's father-in-law (or maybe his father-in-law's father, I don't remember which right now) felt that Mills took advantage of the poor people in Kensett, owing both the bank and general store.  So, even thought he was crippled, he would walk to Searcy to do his business to avoid Mills' establishments.

Wow, $51 from Amazon for Born Fighting is quite steep.  I checked out Barnes & Noble (bn.com) and they have the paperback version for about $12.  Still not real cheap but better.  The paperback version is what I have.  I usually buy from Barnes & Noble since I don't have to pay our 10% sales tax.  Amazon being in Washington has to collect the 10% tax. I've been wondering when that game will stop but I'll play it until it does.

Our King County Library has a great sevice for us.  I live in an adult community, called Providence Point, and we have our own library here run by our local community.  So I can go online and view the county library holdings, select what I want and the next Wednesday they will deliver it to our local library where I can pick it up.  Can't beat that.

I grew up in Kensett, and no it hasn't changed much. Except not as many people now.

I'm 30 years old ..I moved to the far northwest corner of Arkansas 16 years ago but as a kid I grew up in Kensett ..I laid down 2 take a nap and for some reason I went back in time and started having very lucid and vivid memories of growing up in kensett lol It was like I went back in time 20 years ..I started remembering things I long forgotten about ..The sad thing is I remember when all those little building b4 they went out of buisness ..I remember walking to Barnards store on the corner 2 buy my granparents ciggarets ..I remember a man named Mr .Scott who had a furniture store and also a little grocery store on the block down from the bank , he had all kinds of cheap candies and was a real nice man ..I remember going to that bank on the corner with my Grandma ..I use 2 run the streets of Kensett , I use 2 play in the kensett cemetary , When I was a kid that Kensett movie theater was closed but one day I went inside and grabed a sack of clothes lol I was about 10 years old and I took the sack of clothes home and picked through them and it was some old vintage 50's and 60's clothes ...I use 2 also play on the train tracks and I use 2 play at the kensett pool hall , I also rember taking my bike down 2 that really old gas station on the corner and they would air up my bike tires ...I really miss that little town..

I didn't grow up in Kensett, but had family there and in Doniphan. I remember going to the movies with my cousin.That must have been around 1950 or so.My mother had a cousin that was post master at that time.

I loved to visit my Dad's sister who lived in Kensett. Her last name was Sloan. My aunt Carolyn and her husband Ray Linder owned a lumber mill in Doniphan and I have fond memories of playing with their children.......And they had a passel lol!

If they ever invent a time machine, and I get a chance to use it, I'll set the dial for 1950 Kensett Arkansas :-)    Thanks for the memories.