- Early Life in Dardanelle
- 1.
- Dr. L.E. (Louis Edward) Love is
one of the most colorful and best loved characters in Dardanelle.
His quaint, original sayings are a by-word in every home. He has
been introducing Dardanelle babies to the world, prescribing for
the sick, and listening to “hard-luck” stories since long before
any of the younger generation can remember, and is still actively
engaged in the practice of medicine.
- 1-13. He was born August 24, 1855, at a small place known as
Red fork in Desha County, Arkansas. When he was 12 years old his
father moved to Cardin Bottoms about 20 miles south of Dardanelle.
There he went to school to a Mr. Eastman, paying tuition and
studying the “Blue Back Speller”, “Ray’s Arithmetic”, and
“Mitchell’s Geography”. In 1870 his family moved to Dardanelle and
he began to study medicine. Later he went to St. Louis to continue
this study and in 1877 at the age of 21; he graduated from the
“St. Louis Medical School”. He didn’t marry until he was fifty
years old on account of having a widowed sister and her children
to support and care for. He is the father of three children and
has one grandchild.
- 14-16. Dr. Love’s first home was a large two-story building
made of logs with dirt chimneys. Each room had a wood burning
fireplace and tallow candles provided the light.
- 17-22. all clothing and food were made and raised at home.
Prices for these things were very high as it was in the
“Reconstruction” period after the Civil War. Cotton and wool were
raised for their clothing and they were homespun. They raised
their pork, beef, and mutton and there was plenty of wild fowl
such as ducks, geese, and turkeys. Potatoes, pumpkin, corn, and
wheat were some of the early food crops. Flour and meal were
ground at home. Dr. Love thought wild plants such as poke salad
were poison until he began to study medicine and found that it
could be used as medicine. He assured everyone now that if they
will eat plenty poke salad and drink plenty sassafras tea in the
spring they won’t be bothered with malaria and chills in the
summer. Dr. Love remembers his mother baking corn and potatoes to
use as coffee during the Civil War.
- 23. The farming implements were also homemade-turning plow,
bull tongue harrows, wooden tooth harrows, and wagons. Oxen were
used for turning land and horses and mules for the wagons and
carriages.
- 24. Early industries were grist mills and cotton mills.
- 38-39. the first automobile Dr. Love ever saw was while he was
going to school in St. Louis. It was in the city on display for
the people to see. While coming up the Arkansas River on a steam
boat when a child he saw his first train off in a distance.
- 42. Chief amusements in those days were music and dancing.
Each summer a group of young people would gather at Sulpher
Springs (about 20 miles west of Dardanelle) for dancing. This was
a very popular health resort at that time and had many visitors
during the summer months.
- 49. Dr. Love remembers the Yankees coming to their home during
the Civil War and killing their turkeys and chickens that were
running in the yard. However, their home wasn’t entered their food
taken away as some of the neighbors’ were because, he says, his
father was a Mason and when he would see a band of them coming he
would go outside and talk with them a few minutes and they would
go away.
- 51. Dr.
Love remembers seeing just one band of hood Ku Klux Klan. When a
small boy he and his brothers were driving horses to the range and
met a group of them. He said “they like to have scared me to
death”.
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... End of interview...
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