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Unexplored? But not ignored. Searcy Sleuths, how about the Cookie Basket building?

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Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

We give a  lot of attention to the grand old buildings and stores and architecture in Searcy but we have not looked at this little building located downtown on Market Street.  I'm hoping the Searcy Sleuths will be able to give us some history.  I can remember a little of the history.  Seems it was turned into a restaurant by someone who served Cajun food.   That didn't last.

After that a lady decided to open a cookie store!  A cookie store!!  Was she out of her mind?  Who ever heard of a cookie store in Searcy Arkansas?  She made it!  She made the best cookies in the state and the restaurant still stands.

The Cookie Basket

Just look at it now.  It seems largely unchanged outside but the side wall appears to have once has a door.

The Cookie Basket

This little building does have nice lines and The Cookie Basket has kept it looking historic.  Let's do down on Tuesday for their famous Poppieseed Chicken!

 

Show All Comments
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Luke, you should have done this one.  Perhaps that girl who took your place will help us out.

Harold Gene, when I came on the scene Berryhill Sports was on Center Street, so I thought.  It had lots of steps and was sorta hard to climb into.  Right now I think there is a Cutiecakes type business in it.

In fact it is right in front of these small buildings.  Note the Rendezvous in the background....changing shape and looks.

Center Street downtown

Feb 13, 2012 09:06 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

I, and some of the Sleuths, are coming to Searcy this Friday.  We will investigate and will post our findings Friday afternoon.  Stay tuned.....unless  other Sleuths jump in.

I do know the person who runs/owns the Cookie Basket.....granddaughter of Carthel Mac Angel...SHS class of '53.

Feb 13, 2012 11:23 AM
#4
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Barbara, in the early 1950's, Allen's Bakery was in one of the small building on Center that you show in you latest picture.  I think it was the center building but not sure.

I'm pretty sure that Berryhill's was on Market, right behind Headlee's when I was still in Searcy.  They could have moved to Center Street by the time you arrived, I don't know.

 

Harold Gene Sullivan

 

Feb 13, 2012 11:52 AM
#5
Anonymous
Debbie Wantuloki

Since I don't have any intelligent comment to add, I thought I might just enjoy myself! 

C is for Cookies, that's good enough for me!

Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C!

Feb 13, 2012 02:03 PM
#6
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, also the one who started the cookie business was Ginger DeMaris's mother.  She could also tell us lots of things.

Harold Gene, they may have been there earlier and moved.  I'll ask my husband.  He may remember.

Debbie, creative also starts with a C and that is what you are!!  LOL

Feb 13, 2012 11:19 PM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

O.K. guys.  Here's the scoop:   Berryhill's Sporting Goods, 106 E. Market, phone 604.     Modern Beauty Shop, 108 E. Market, phone 449.  Operators: Nan  Neda and Mart.  Mart is Mart Bevill, can't remember the others.   I'm pretty sure someone has commented on the Beauty Shop and Mart, on this blog....Was it you, Mary?  Maybe it was Ramona Riddle???

I'm thinking The Cookie Basket is occupying both stores.  I shall check on Friday.

If I could go back in time, I would go into Allen's Bakery and buy a loaf of that salt-rising bread.   Mary, I use King Arthur flour all the time as I bake bread....and have been tempted to try their salt rising starter but never have.  Guess from your experience I'm better off just "remembering" and smelling in my mind.

Feb 14, 2012 01:12 AM
#8
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Mary, my mother worked at Allen's Bakery in 1943. I remember her bringing home ladyfingers and little pecan pies. When Paula and her parents moved back to Searcy after her dad was discharged from he Navy, they lived in an apartment above the bakery. Think about the baking odors wafting up from below.

The last time I was in the Berryhill store building there was a thrift shop run by a granddaughter. I believe that was around 2003. Good memories of Berryhills and model airplanes and engines as Harold remembers also. Here's a couple of pics to bring back memories. These are from 1951 Harding College Bison.

Berryhills and Allen Bakery

 

There's Mr. Berryhill showing some sporting goods.

Oh yes, the blog featured building. Well, it's in the approximate location of Berryhills but I don't remember that facade. Wish I had taken a picture of the store 10 years ago.

 The rising in salt rising bread is a misnomer. It's quite a dense bread that makes the best ever toast. I love the cheesy flavor. I got it regularly at Safeway stores in California under the Entemann label.

Feb 14, 2012 06:35 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Everything I've read about making salt rising bread at home is that it is NOT for the faint of heart, and very labor intensive.  How's about Don ordering some from Safeway/California and let's all meet in Searcy to break bread.

Feb 14, 2012 10:21 AM
#10
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Well, you Sleuths have done it again.  We now remember two Berryhill locations.  I think, Anita, that the cookie store probably does take up all the space that used to be two stores. 

Mary, I don't believe I have ever tasted the salt-rising bread.  Don says it has a cheesy flavor so perhaps that is why it was so loved! 

Don, those are great pictures and someone will probably know the people in the pictures.

Feb 14, 2012 11:48 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Sorry, ActiveRain:  this is just a private message to Luke Jones.   I evidently can't comment on your TimeFishing blogspot....I've tried several times.

Growing up I spent a lot of time at my cousin's who lived in Park Hill, North Little Rock.  We would walk - I think - to the Park Movie Theater.  I will never forget seeing "The Thing" there......scared us to death.   Her address was 34l5 Olive, Park Hill.   I'm pretty sure it's been renamed but I thought you might figure out the house, and take a picture for me.  It looks like those you pictured today.  (sort of).

Thanks in advance.

Anita Fuller

Feb 15, 2012 05:12 AM
#12
Luke Jones
Garver - Little Rock, AR

Anita,

Neat! I'll hunt down that address. Sorry you're having trouble commenting on my blog - maybe it's the image captcha? Those things can be hard to read. I'll see if I can mess with my settings.

I'm guessing you mean "The Thing From Another World," a 1950s movie based on a classic sci-fi story by John W. Campbell called "Who Goes There?"

That movie had a big impact on the filmmaker John Carpenter, who you might remember for having directed "Halloween." Later, in the 1980s, he went on to remake "The Thing," but he based it more on the original story than the 1950s movie. Carpenter's remake is NOT for the faint of heart.

They remade The Thing again last year, but by all accounts it was not necessary.

A bit too much information? :)

Feb 16, 2012 02:42 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Hey all, I'm just the camera man.  And I took the camera by the old Berryhill Sporting Goods store (as some of us remember) and snapped a picture.  Here it is.  I was always amazed at the steps that were necessary to get into the stores right here and the steps still look sorta difficult.  Just across the alley is The Cookie Basket so if Berryhill moved locations it was an easy trek to get from one to the other.

Old Berryhill Sporting Goods

Berryhill Sporting Goods Searcy AR

Feb 16, 2012 04:21 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Luke  that is the movie we saw!  I recently saw it on t.v. - probably Turner Classic Movies.  It wasn't scary, it was hilarious to my husband and I watching, and remembering.   In the theater my cousin and I would cringe everytime they opened a door, for fear "The Thing" (from Another World) would be standing there.

Feb 16, 2012 10:03 AM
#15
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

I saw that movie at the Rialto in Searcy. I bet everyone jumped a foot out of their seats when they opened that chest with the dead dog inside.

Barbara, those buildings bear no resemblance to the building I remember. I remember that Berryhills had one door and a big picture window with display case filled with sports and model airplane stuff. Just thinking about that made me realize how unusual it was to have a sporting goods store and also model stuff. We had it good with that arrangement. I remember I got an unfinished bow blank made of lemon wood or was it orange wood. 

Anyway, I used pieces of broken glass to scrape and shape it into a bow. I still have it!

Bow from Berryhills

Feb 16, 2012 11:16 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, those probably were picture windows long ago.  How neat that you still have the bow!  It has character.  Guess I'd better put another old picture on my list of things to do.

Feb 16, 2012 01:21 PM
Anonymous
Sherry

The old Allen's Bakery is now the quartz and granite building on Center St.

My dad, Ivan Quattlebaum, bought it years ago.  Then it was sold to the present owners.

Sherry

Feb 17, 2012 10:57 AM
#18
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Sherry:  might you give us (Billy ,Bob and I) a little better description of the old Allen's Bakery building....We drove up and down the street yesterday and still can't be sure.  or better still, Barbara:  hows about a picture?

Feb 17, 2012 09:58 PM
#19
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Sherry, more info needed!!

Anita, I don't have an old picture.

 

Feb 17, 2012 11:26 PM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

The Google Man thinks this might be the former Allen's Bakery building because of the upstairs.

 

Maybe Allen's Bakery

Here's another inside look from 1956.

Allen's Bakery Inside

 

Feb 18, 2012 08:25 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, those are two good pictures!  You and the google man are such good friends.  He never behaves for me as well as he does for you.  Those are also good-looking hyoung men in that bakery.  Who were they?

My comments are not coming through along with the pictures not working right.  Be patient.  I may not know you have made a comment. 

Feb 21, 2012 10:51 AM
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