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Scene from old downtown Searcy Arkansas.... Ford Buick Place?

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

Searcy AR

This fantastic old picture of downtown Searcy Arkansas is worth displaying.  You see our old Courthouse in the background and I believe this is part of the old Ford Buick Place.  I called my husband in to ask him where it was and he got all excited and said it was on the East side of the Courthouse and housed the John Deere Store. I pointed out the signs say car and truck so he then thought it might be something else. 

I think the picture may have been taken by my photographer friend Paula when she did her 4H project in photography and she can surely straigten me out as to where this was and what the background is.  Look at what appears to be a church in the background and the house on the horizon fascinates me.

Please, Searcy readers, tell me more!!

Comments (32)

Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

What an eye, Barbara. No you don't have the pic of Tom's Place across the street from the front of our old high school on  the corner of Pine St. One could get hot dogs and cokes there.

It wasn't as famous as The Little Store across from the side of the high school. That's where all the boys would go to smoke and we would get nickel cups of Yarnell's vanilla ice cream and stick the wooden spoon through the lid, turn it over and remove the cup for a ice cream lick.

Anita and I loved those ice creams.

Jan 19, 2009 06:15 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, that's a clever way of making a form of ice-creamcycle.  You'd have to eat it fast or it would melt!  This is a strange little store with no windows in the front.  But perhaps this is the back.

Jan 19, 2009 06:28 AM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

I cannot let the rest of you have all the fun!  I think the picture was taken from the high school, probably on top or the second floor, looking southeast. The high school was located on the corner of Vine and Gum, using the current street names. Gum was Pine when the picture was taken.  The courthouse is easy to identify, but I, also, see the old jail (directly above the "GARAGE" sign) and the First Methodist Church steeple (very dimly above the jail and "GARAGE" sign).

 

We've have this discussion before and Paula should certainly know where she took to picture but her picture of the Church of Christ look identical to the West Race Street Baptist Church. It was in the center of the block, like the picture, with houses on both sides.  I remember the Church of Christ being a corner lot.

Jan 19, 2009 06:55 AM
#15
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Harold Gene, did you read Don's comments and see his pictures?  I can't argue with any of you because as I've said before, I'm a newcomer!!  Even my husband, when I showed him this picture, couldn't get it absolute. Jim Baugh Jones was the same way.  He also wasn't sure.  Don't be too hard on Paula;  she was a wee lassie at the time.  And if her parents were like parents of today, they'd have taken the pictures for her.  LOL

Jan 19, 2009 07:08 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Paula and I believe that Harold is absolutely correct. I originally thought the shot was taken from the high school then talked myself into thinking it was from the C of C on Locust and Vine. I think Harold's recognition of the old jail cinches it. I have found a 1946 picture of the Locust and Vine Church of Christ. There is a similarity to the West Race Baptist Church.

Good job, Harold. I'm glad we finally got this settled. So Paula's pic is the West Race Baptist Church.

I thought the faint white steeple was the First Methodist Church but couldn't figure the location as being correct. Here's a revised map for consideration. Consider looking toward the church (5) from the high school, the court house would be on the right. What's confusing about this pic is the depth of field.

 

 

Jan 19, 2009 08:10 AM
Anonymous
Bob Collins, Colorado Springs, SHS '51

I agree with Harold Gene. I just checked my 1950 "The Lions Diary" and there's a picture in there that has the building with the "Local Trucks Systems" sign on it. If you have a copy go to the page called "Campus Snapshots" and look at the picture titled "January Weather on the Curb. That old tinned roofed building beyond the school bus is the one pictured above. You'll need a magnifying glass but the same sign is there. Even the rust patterns on the roof are the same. I remember capping strawberries in that old building one spring. I'm e-mailing a copy to Barbara and asking her to post it. /BC

Jan 19, 2009 08:31 AM
#18
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Barbara, I still don't have my account active. so would you please publish this picture with the thread?  It goes with my latest post which I've already filed

Searcy high 1950

I agree with Harold Gene. I just checked my 1950 "The Lions Diary" and there's a picture in there that has the building with the "Local Trucks Systems" sign on it. If you have a copy go to the page called "Campus Snapshots" and look at the picture titled "January Weather on the Curb. That old tinned roofed building beyond the school bus is the one pictured above. You'll need a magnifying glass but the same sign is there. Even the rust patterns on the roof are the same. I remember capping strawberries in that old building one spring. I'm sending a copy to Barbara and asking her to post it. /BC

SHS '50.jpg

Jan 19, 2009 08:37 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Thanks, Bob.  I posted above.  And thanks, Don, and Harold Gene and Anita for figuring out this super hard puzzle.  I am still confused, myself, but that's because of my not having the luck to grow up here!!

Jan 19, 2009 08:42 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Great pic Bob Collins sent. Boy that brings back memories. Look at the building to left of tin roof building. That's the little store I mentioned where we got the ice cream cups. I capped strawberries in that building also. We're missing the 1950 Lion's Diary. We have 1942, 48,49,51-54.

Don

Jan 19, 2009 09:30 AM
Anonymous
Billy Fuller

Y'all, that little store to the west of the high school campus was Mrs. Bell's store...it was owned and operated by Mrs. Crawford Bell.  Not sure when it ceased to exist.  The last year for the high school building as a high school was 1961.  I don't think the store was in business then.

BillyFuller

Jan 19, 2009 10:14 AM
#22
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don and Billy, the building to the left, or behind, the tin building looks like a house!!  Your ice-cream building looked tiny!  What's the story here?

Jan 19, 2009 11:06 AM
Anonymous
Bob Collins, Colorado Springs, SHS '51

Anita, Gail West was a class behind me: SHS'52. Mrs Ruth Fuller was one of my favorite teachers.

Don, there's a not so good picture of the 'truck' building in the 1948 "Cavalier". It's 'S Club initation' on the Organization page. That's Billie Cook out front of the mob. Also, there's an interesting aerial view of Searcy in the back of that album. It was taken from the southeast some where over or near the compress and stave mill. I could make out the Rock Island rail yard, the Baptist Church, the Mayfair Hotel, the Court House (of course) and dear ole Searcy High School. You may be able to do a lot more with it using your special processing tools. /BC 

Jan 19, 2009 12:03 PM
#24
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Bob, thanks for bringing back memories.  I spent many lunch hours sitting on that high curb in front of the high school.  You were just ahead of me, my class was 1953 and my brother, A.J., was ahead of you in class of 1947.  Paula was in my class but the "youngesters", Don and Anita, were a year behind us.  I, too, was in the band, played baritone.

Jan 19, 2009 03:32 PM
#25
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Harold asked me to emphasize his comment by a graphic he produced showing the landmarks he described.

Jan 20, 2009 12:28 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Thanks, Don.  For some reason I couldn't save it when he emailed it to me.  You're a whiz!!!

Jan 20, 2009 12:39 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

More pictures thanks to Bob Collins.

Here's the truck sign building from the pic referenced above.

Also Here's the aerial view from the 1948 Cavalier.

Jan 21, 2009 10:57 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Here's a blowup from aerial view showing the area from the high school to the Methodist church.

Jan 21, 2009 10:59 AM
Joshua & Kathy Schmidt
ERA Henley Real Estate - Cabot, AR

Barbara,

     Great shot!  I am digging the courhouse in the background.  I have always loved the courthouse in Searcy.  One of my favorite landmarks in Arkansas.

Jan 21, 2009 11:22 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, you are a real detective!  I love the aerial view photo but I can't tell what is what so we may need a little pointer or two.  Can you put a few on the photos?

Jan 21, 2009 11:23 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Johs and Kathy, you are great Searcy loyalists!  Thanks for visiting and commenting.

Jan 21, 2009 11:29 AM