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Across the street from the Dictionary House in Searcy AR. Duncan's Used Cars.

By Barbara S. Duncan

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

November 19, 2012 06:08 AM

We've had quite a conversation about the Dictionary House on East Park Avenue and how the house housed the Words, who invited folks to come up and explore words in the dictionary.

Across the street was the first V. W. Duncan used car lot. He'd opened up, built a little office and was very proud. Several pictures were made, including the one that accidently took a picture of the Dictionary house.

Here are two others taken on that day. V. W. and Wyndelene Duncan.

Duncan car lot on East Park Ave Searcy AR

There was a really big house beside this little car lot building. Perhaps the Sleuths remember it also and can tell us about it. This link will take you to see it. Then try this link for one more look at the area.

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Steve Hoffacker

Steve Hoffacker LLC - West Palm Beach, FL

Certified Aging In Place Specialist-Instructor

Barbara,

Just look at that 3 digit phone number on the sign. Wow! :)

Steve

Nov 19, 2012 03:09 PM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Steve, that was probably in the early 40's.

Nov 19, 2012 08:37 PM

Anonymous

Mary Dunn

If this picture was taken it was either before I was born or before my memory kicked in. So, can you tell me exactly where the car lot was? Maybe where Tommy Key's station was much, much later? Or was it further down on Park Avenue? Was it across the street from the 'Dictionary' house or next door to it? I'm having a really difficult time placing things by looking at the pictures

Nov 19, 2012 09:50 PM

Mary, I think you got it right when you said the house was where Tommy Key's filling station was. That would put the car lot about where the old Dairy Queen was? The number above the door is 210 and that is East Park. The Dictionary House was across the street so says the Sleuths. Be sure to click on the links for a good picture of the house beside this little house. It was big. Rodger remembers it being a rooming house.

Nov 19, 2012 10:03 PM

I agree that the 'Dictionary' house was on the SE corner of Main and Park. I don't remember any houses - big, little or otherwise - across the street on Park. The only buildings I remember were a series of warehouse-type buildings (sort of a strip mall configuration) behind Key's to the north and behind the Dairy Queen to the east Of course, you did say the picture was likely taken in the early 40's and I wouldn't remember that if they were demolished before 1945.

Nov 19, 2012 10:31 PM

Don Thompson

Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

The Word house was 211 E. Park so that puts it directly across the street from the Duncan extravaganza. The Dairy Queen is what I remember since I wasn't in the market for a car or selling one.

Nov 20, 2012 07:39 AM

Don, I think you are right about the car lot and the Word house. Wasn't the Dairy Queen about in the middle of the block behind the car lot? By about 1950, the boarding house was empty and in bad shape. When it was torn down, that may have been where the Key station was.

Nov 20, 2012 07:53 AM

Okay, you Sleuths. I have it straight from the horse's mouth. My husband is right now looking at those old pictures and he said that the car lot was on the corner of Main and Park. The big old apartment house was facing Main and the Dictionary house was on the corner of Main and Park with the front door facing Park and the back door facing Main. He swears by this so I guess we have it settled. He also says the big old apartment house was a house of ill-repute (not his words) before it was torn down.

Nov 20, 2012 08:10 AM

The Dairy Queen was 210 E. Park also in Anita's 1957 telephone directory so it was where the Duncan car lot was located and across from the Word house. QED

Nov 20, 2012 08:36 AM

Don, could it have also been 210 Main? The horse's mouth was young then but that is what he said about it. Check her book for what was on Main.

Nov 20, 2012 10:35 AM

I don't know exactly what the street numbering conventions were for buildings on a corner but I would think the street they faced would get the assignment and the Dairy Queen faced Park Avenue just like the Duncan car lot. I always thought that having a Park Avenue address was prestigious because of the famous one in NYC.

No it couldn't have been 210 S. Main as well.

A curious thing happens when I Google 210 S Main Searcy AR, I get 212 S. Main Georgetown pictured which is the One Stop Cafe in Georgetown. Go figure. Try it.

I finally just used 211 E. Park and got the view o.k. Look and Weep. Nothing but parking lots now. No Cat House, no Duncan, no Word.

Park Ave and Main

Nov 20, 2012 09:40 PM

Anita Fuller

When you blogged recently about The Black Cat Cafe and showed a picture of Betty and Benson's Black Cat sign, I was reminded of somthing I didn't want to mention, until Roger referred to it (above).....the "house of ill repute". For a short time, in that boarding house FACING Main St., there lived some ladies of the night. When they were in and available, the black cat sign would be out on a pole in front of the house. When they were unavailable the sign would not be there. all this was told to me by my daddy, E.V. "Dick" Hart.

I think we need to go back to Benson and ask him about that sign!

Nov 20, 2012 10:02 PM

#12

Don, perhaps the horse's mouth got it twisted through the years. Perhaps it really was on Park Avenue and I agree that the address sounds high class.

Anita, surely Benson is not saving a sign that advertised a house of ill repute!! I'll ask him the next time I see him.

Nov 21, 2012 03:07 AM

Across the street from the Dictionary House in Searcy AR. Duncan's Used Cars.

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