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Home of Wilbur D Mills, Kensett's most famous person

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

Wilbur D Mills was born in Kensett Arkansas in May 1909 and died in May 1992. Wikipedia says:

Wilbur Daigh Mills (May 24, 1909 - May 2, 1992), was a powerful Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Arkansas. He was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in the 1960s, and briefly a candidate for President of the United States in 1972.

Wikipedia has lots more to say about him and also about how his career was almost ruined when he was found with an Argentine stripper named Fannie Fox.  Search for that if you like scandal.

He called Kensett home all those years and today I drove by his old house.  Here are pictures of the house from many years ago and as it is today.  Kensett is just a couple of miles from Searcy.

Wilbur Mills house

Wilbur Mills house

It hasn't changed a lot.  There is a large add on apparent on the side but the folks have maintained the historical character in the front.  That's good!

Comments (17)

Suesan Jenifer Therriault
JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA
"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

The owners have done an excellent job preserving the original look and feel of the house. I think it's amazing how you manage to get hold of the original pictures for your post.

Mar 07, 2009 01:16 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Susan, thanks for comment.  I never thought too much about the old pictures and how folks might like seeing them again until I started this blogging.  Blogging seems to sharpen the senses.

Mar 07, 2009 01:22 PM
Anonymous
A

Great job on before and after!  I love those, too.   My mother, now 100 yrs. plus l month, was a classmate of Wilbur Mills in high school.  She remembers his first public speaking contest:  in those days they had contests for skills like typing, shorthand, public speaking, debate, etc.   She says he was scared to death, and I THINK she says, ran off the stage in fright.   He certainly recovered and made a name for himself in politics.   One of the ladies taking care of mother in her home, also cared for Polly Mills, Wilbur's wife - for many, many years.

I'm sure your ActiveRainers love all this Searcy history we put on here but surely when they see my name, they know to just move on.

Anita Fuller

 

Mar 08, 2009 01:21 AM
#3
Mike Saunders
Retired - Athens, GA

Barbara - I remember the Wilbur Mills story, thanks for the pictures, the house looks almost the same now as then.

Mar 08, 2009 01:37 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, you are better known on this blog site than I am.  You do a great job of adding interest to my "blah" beginning.  That is knowledge that wikipedia doesn't have....about his first speech contest being a failure for him.  If I remember his wife Polly was greatly loved by everyone, wasn't she?   And as far as I know they lived in that little house while they were in state of AR all through the years?

Mike, the Wilbur story was the forerunner, I think, of all the bad stuff to come.  Thanks for reading the blog and commenting.

Mar 08, 2009 01:47 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Wilbur D Mills was born in Kensett Arkansas in May 2009 and died in May 1992.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow.. living backwards like Benjamin Button?  ;-/

Mar 08, 2009 01:59 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Alan, how can you be so smart and so funny too!!  I'll never live that mistake down!  I have hurriedly changed it........thanks for pointing it out in such a clever way.

Mar 08, 2009 03:35 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Wilbur D Mills was born in Kensett Arkansas in May 2008 and died in May 1992.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, we're getting closer!   :-)

Here, Barbara... why don't you just copy and paste this:

Wilbur D Mills was born in Kensett Arkansas in May 1909 and died in May 1992.

Mar 08, 2009 04:15 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Alan, I'm just trying to get your attention!  Plus I'm not good at figures!!  Really LOL!

Mar 08, 2009 05:58 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Barbara... mission accomplished.

besides, you don't have to try to get my attention... you've already got it babe!

Mar 08, 2009 06:14 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mrs Barbara,

You are not the lady who was involved in that scandal with him, are you? Were you ever known by the first name Fanny, or the last name Fox? Nutsy is investigating familial connections again.

Nutsy, in official capacity

Mar 08, 2009 08:07 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Nutsy, you're back!!! 

I feared you were gone forever in the rain forest.  Investigate it.  Perhaps I had some fun way back then that I have become too old to remember.  If you find me guilty give me all the slutty details for me to relive it!!

Perhaps-a-Fox god-mother  Ms Barbara

Mar 08, 2009 08:29 AM
James Downing - Metro DC Houses Team REALTORS®, CRS, GRI, ABR,MRP, MilRes
Real Living | At Home - Washington, DC
When Looking to Buy or Sell - Make the Right Move

Fannie Fox huh????  Hmmm... Can't say I know her - good thing I guess !  LOL

Mar 08, 2009 03:00 PM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Wilber Mills was a very interesting person.  Everyone in White County considered him a personal friend and always just referred to him as Wilber.  When people had federal government problems they would just go talk to Wilber when he was in town and more often than not the problem was taken care of.  He had an unbelievable memory of people’s names and could walk down the street recalling them when he met them.  My dad was involved in state politics and I had met Mills several times, he always called me “Little Sam” after my dad, Sam Sullivan.  Anyway, I had not seen him in at least 10 or 15 years and I was back in D.C. on business and had some time free so I went over to the capital building to look around.  I was in the Gallery of the House Chambers, just above the aisle as he walked up to aisle, he glanced up and saw me and said, “Hello, Little Sam” and walked on. 

Mar 08, 2009 03:11 PM
#14
Betty Fletcher
Fletcher Property Management Inc CRMC® * www.FletcherPM.com - Little Rock, AR
MPM, RMP - Little Rock Arkansas Property Manager

Barbara - Great old picture of the house.  Looks like it has tons of potential - love the front porch!  Thanks for sharing a bit of Arkansas history. It is a shame that the things most often remembered about people are the mis-steps and mistakes they make when there are so many good things to remember too!

Mar 08, 2009 03:24 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

James, how'd you pick just the name of Fannie Fox?  Did you know Wilbur Mills?  And you could go see the famous location where Fannie jumped in the water.....

Harold Gene, that's a great story about him.  I always knew he was loved greatly in this area.  Too bad about Fannie.

Betty, you are right about that.  I guess our little minds can take in small details where we can't fathom the large important ones.

 

Mar 09, 2009 12:15 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mrs Barbara,

I think we have cleared you, so you need not worry. I think you were never named Fannie or Fanny, so case closed.

Nutsy, ace investigator

Mar 09, 2009 11:32 AM