From the WPA Federal Writers Project - answers to Questionnaire - Arkansas HRS Form J

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Early Settlers Personal History

1.  W. W. Williamson
2.   Russellville, Ark.
3.   Retired
4.   Farming and Teaching School
5.   May 23rd 1853
6.   Shiloh Neighborhood near Russellville, Ark.
7.   1. Sallie Brigham - Shiloh near Russellville
      2. Thula Hamilton - Shiloh near Russellville
      3. Lizzie Bryant - Bakers Creek
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10.  88 years
11.  Native
12.  Born in Pope County, Arkansas
13.  Early home was frame house, rock chimney
14.  Taller, candles
15.  In Russellville
16.  Wood
17.  Principal food – hog meat, milk, butter and vegetables, Game was plentiful.
18.  My mother spun thread and wove them at home. Everything we wore was made at home. Even straw hats, I platted the straw, and Mother made them.
19.  Do not recall early court ships – Shivarees were frequent in our neighborhood.
20.  When a young man and up until I married, we never bought anything, only a little sugar. I can’t compare prices at all. We lived at home.
21.  We always shared food in time of need.
22.  Early cultivated crops were: corn, cotton, wheat, oats and potatoes.        Domesticated animals were horses, cows, sheep, goats and hogs.
23.  Early farm implements were ploughs, hoes, harrow, all home made
24.  Early industries were farming, stock raising and fruit raising.
25.  We used sassafras root, poke salad and oak bark and sumac berries for dying clothing.
26.The group activities – We had house raisings, corn huskings, wood chopping, rail making, brush arbor meetings, camp meetings, hog killings and sorghum making. Each helped the other at this time.
27.We put out forest fires with brooms and brush, and wet sacks. Then we would use horse and plough and make a ditch to keep from spreading to other parts; great crowds would come to help. For building fires, we used the bucket brigade.
28.Shiloh Creek, empties into Illinois Bayou.
29.We would go to Dardanelle, Ark. and on Arkansas River, we would see the boat landings.
30.The early schools were held in the County and in log school houses with rock chimneys.
31.The location of school was Shiloh near Russellville, Ark.
32.John Bonds
33.Funds were provided by tuition, and my father paid about $1.00 a month. When we reached the high grade, the tuition was more.
34.The school books used were: Ray’s Arithmetic, Webster’s Dictionary and McGuffey’s Reader.
35.All the early reading matter was the Bible. We never saw newspapers or magazines.
36.The first telegraph station was seen in Russellville about 1875.
37.The early horse cars were: horse and wagon, ox wagon, horse and buggy.
38.First automobile in Russellville, Ark. 1911.
39.The first train was seen in Russellville, Ark. in 1873. Captain Perry was the one, who built the railroad. This was very slow, as they had to move all dirt and gravel with wheel barrow, built levees, hewed ties in county.
40.First airplane was seen in Russellville, Ark. about 1919.
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49.I remember there was a big battle at Dardanelle. The Federal Soldiers took Dardanelle, Ark. and stayed there. The Confederate Soldiers retreated and crossed the Arkansas River and went North. My father was in the Confederate Army and died during the war from a terrible fever. He was stationed in Louisiana. The Federal Soldiers robbed my mother and took all we had, household goods and everything.
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51.In the Reconstruction days, the Bush Whackers, Scalawags and Carpetbaggers took the Country. The regular soldiers were not as bad. They would rob, kill and abuse everyone they can in contact with. There was no law, and they did as they pleased.
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53.I am a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Russellville.
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57._____30 Descendants
58.My sons and daughters are: S. H. Williamson, Dessie Williamson Love, Josie Williamson Bowden, J. L. Williamson, Thula Williamson Parker, Buna Williamson Fulton, Wood B. Williamson.
59.Grandchildren: William Franklin Williamson, Lynn Williamson, Dorris Williamson, Gleen Bowden, Margaret Bowden, Mrs. Bessie Love, Bowden Gilmer, W. J. Bowden, Mildred Williamson, Mrs. Louise Williamson Griffin, Mrs. Mary Helen Coleman, Robert Parker, Redger Parker, William Bryan Williamson, Edgar Love, Mrs. Lucille Love Wilson.                   
Great Grandchildren: William Glenn Bowden, LucyDeion Bowden, Margaret Gilmer, Bobby Gilmer, Mary Gibson Bowden, Bessie Louise Love, Sonny Love Wilson, Jammie Gail Wilson.
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