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Early Settlers Personal History 1. C.F. (Frank) Spillers 2. Charleston, Arkansas 3. Retired farmer 4. Farming 5. July 15, 1856 6. Pickens County, Alabama 7. Nora Jones, July 10, 1880 8. Came to Arkansas from Alabama in 1870 9. 1870-1940 10. Came to Arkansas by wagon 11. Came with my father, He was looking for a better country to live in 12. Built mostly of logs with stone chimneys 13. Brass lamps with kerosene 14. About 1935 or 1936 15. Wood and coal now we have gas 16. For bread, wheat flour and corn meal. For meat, pork and beef, there was a few wild turkey and deer. 17. Farmers wore jeans in winter and linen and cotton during the summer, during the Civil War clothes were made at home with the spinning wheel and loom, since that time they were manufactured at other places 18. The young people had great time at chivaries (shivarees) in this part of Arkansas 19. Flour $16.00 a barrel, sugar 12 to 14 cents per lb. Pork 10 cents at the pole and higher prices when cured out and sold at the stores. Present prices $5.00 a barrel, sugar 1 ¾ cent per lb. pork 9 cents per lb. 20. If one family had more food than it needed and their neighbors was in need they gave it to them and did not expect any pay. 21. Early cultivated crops were corn, wheat and cotton, potatoes and all kinds of vegetables were raised. Domesticated animals were horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. 22. Early farm implements were scooter plows, turning plows, harrows and double shovel. The scooter plows were made at home, the turning plows, harrows and double shovels were purchased at town. (can not remember the prices) 23.Farming, ginning cotton, thrashing wheat, flour mills and carpenters building houses 24. Polk salad and dock plant 25. Logrolling and big dinners, play and dance. At night those wanting to play would play and those wanting to dance would dance. House raisings and quiltings with dinner and play parties and dance. At corn huskings they would hide a jug of whiskey in the corn to be husked, and the crowd would choose up, one group on one side of the pile of corn and the other group on the other side. The side that got the jug first got it. The people had great meetings under brush arbors, whole communities would come together in these meetings. The people were more sociable and ready to help each other in sickness or any other way than they are now. 26. Fighting building fires was done by men with buckets, to carry the water from the well to the fire. 27. None 28. I remember a tavern north of Ozark in Franklin County, the people in the north would drive their horses horses and mules from the north to the south, they would stop at this place for the night the building was a large one, the porch on one side was 40 ft. and one across the end and other side 60 ft. These horse drivers would stop at this one, one night and one at Chismville the next night and one close to Waldron the next night. There was a stage line from Ft. Smith, Ark. via Paris, Ark. to Dardanelle, Ark. traveled the old military road. 29. The early school houses were log houses, split poles with peg legs for seats. The most of them were taught in summer dates 1875-1882 30. There was a school in Hurricane Township, 8 miles north of Charleston and at Grand Prairie. 31. Teachers names; William Abernathy taught at hurricane in1875; Hall Gram taught at Grand Prairie in 1875. P.C. Mays taught at Grand Prairie in 1882 32. Funds were provided by tuition, $1.50 a scholar payment was made in money or its equivalent 33. Webster's Blue Back Speller, McGuffey's reader, Rays Arithmetic and Barnes History. 34. The reading matter of the early settlers was the Bible and county papers. Don’t remember the names 35. At Charleston in 1899 36. Don’t know 37. 1904 in St. Louis 38. Columbus, Mississippi 1868 39. In 1910 at the reunion park east of Charleston 40-59. Couldn’t get answers to other questions
Transcribed by Alisha Carey, GHS Class of 2007
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