I went to Thida Arkansas for the very first time yesterday. A native of Thida, Debra Wilson, showed me all around. She grew up there, walked the streets there, and met her husband there. It is a lovely little town. Here are three pictures of the town.
This is an old store, no longer in use but notice the writing. Looks as if it says, Attn, Deb!
Here's the post office, a lovely little brick building that is probably open a few hours a day.
And here is the Thida AR general store which IS open. It is rustic in appearance on the outside and the inside has a few tables where the proprietor prepares sandwiches for her customers. She gave me this information about the small town with the unusual name.
"When settlers first moved into this area they had given some consideration to the name Liberty Hill. Mr. J. W. Caldwell an established member of the community, strayed out of the community and crossed the White River by way of the ferry boat near Oil Trough. He went to the town of Newark and met a lady who lived there by the name of Thida. The minute he saw this lady he fell madly in love with her. He thought Thida was one of the prettiest names he had ever heard. When Mr. Caldwell returned home a meeeting of the citizens was in progress. They were in a state of confusion trying to decide on a name for their community. Mr. Caldwell suggested the community be named Thida in honor of the lovely lady he had met."
Wouldn't it be nice to find some old pictures of the town and the lady??
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