From the WPA Federal Writers Project - answers to Questionnaire - Arkansas HRS Form J
Interview done by: Virgil G. Erwin

 

Early Settlers Personal History
     1. Mrs. Loreta Hester Roberts
     2. Fayetteville, Arkansas RFD #1
     3. Retired housekeeper
     4. Housekeeper
     5. March 26, 1858
     6. On the Old Judge Dave Walker place now known as the Lotta Stone place located about four miles
     southeast of Fayetteville.
     7. Yes, N. Green Roberts, July 27, 1879, near Baldwin on the Lewis Hester place.
     8. Native
     9-10. She has lived in Washington County all her life eighty-three years. Fayetteville has been her Post office.
    11. Native
    12. The dwelling houses were built of logs most of which were unhewn. Some had dirt floors. The windows in some of the houses were only a square opening covered with oiled paper or cloth. They had large fireplaces with iron rods across or over the fireplace from which cooking pots were suspended in which cooking was done. Everybody did the cooking on the fire. The chimney’s were built of split wood and clay mud. The house where she was born was considered a mansion. It was a two story red brick house belonging to Judge David Walker. Brick was shipped here for this house. Mrs. Roberts remembers her father telling about how the brick was hauled from Van Buren, Arkansas. Judge Walker had several families of slaves on the place. Most homes used sawed blocks of wood for chairs. Some had board benches without a lean back and were placed against the wall.
13. Tallow candles. She said she carded and spun cotton wicks used in molding tallow candles.
14. First electric lights in her community were 1940, but electric lights have been used in Fayetteville since about 1880.
15. Wood was the only fuel used.
16. Pork, beef, mutton, and vegetables such as beans, peas, cabbage, and turnips. Butter and milk were also had. Syrup made from sorgum was the only sweets they had. They rarely bought sugar and once in a great while they were able to buy green coffee. Fish were in the river, but they very seldom went fishing. Although there were wild turkey and deer, hogs furnished most of their meat supply. Squirrels were so numerous they often did great damage to corn, and deer eat up their pea patches.
17. All clothing was home manufactured. The women folks carded and spun wool and cotton. Sometimes in making woolen goods they would be able to buy the worp. When she began to spin she was not tall enough to reach the spindle. A plank in the floor was removed and the spinning wheel was lowered so that she could do her part. Each member of the family had a certain thing to do. Plain cotton cloth was made for table covers, hand towels, bed sheets, and undergarments. They would use bark of trees and such other coloring as they could gather in the forest and dye the cloth for dresses and shirts. Men’s clothes were made from geans. Stockings and socks were knit of wool thread. Most knitting was done at night. Mrs. Roberts has home made woolen coverlet which her mother made. It is over 100 years old. I saw this article. Their shoes were also home made. A negro slave of Dave Walker’s was the shoe maker. Wooden pegs were used for tacks. Most children went barefoot until they were eight or ten years old. Her first pair of store shoes were bought for the cost of two bushles of dried apples which she dried and sold.
18. It was the custom to charivarie parties when they got married unless a wedding dinner had been served. Those who were invited could not take part in a charivarie, but were supposed to serenade the parties. The serenade was a sort of musical intertainment. The fiddle and banjo were the instruments used. This was followed by singing. Dancing was strongly forbidden by the old folks.
19. The first store dress she ever had was a calico dress costing $.50 per yard. She was fourteen years old at that time. The skirt of this dress had ten widths. Such cloth today is about ten cents per yard. About three and a half yards will make a dress now. Then it took eight or ten yards. She states that the food they had then was such as could be made at home. Coffee cost from $.35 to $.50 per pound then. They roasted it and ground it by means of beating it with a hammer on top of a stump. Hog meat was $.02 ½ to $.03 per pound. Flour was made from home grown wheat. Soda and salt was about all they had to buy. Soda was $.10 per package and salt from $3 to $5 per barrel. During the war when the Federal Army was stationed at Fayetteville, her parents would swap vegetables for coffee and sugar.
20. During the war salt became very scarce and many families had none. Mr. Hester, her father, was able to get salt from the Federal Army. This was divided among the neighbors. Wheat bread became very scarce about the close of the war, but a few farmers had wheat which they divided among the neighbors without cost. If a family came to want on account of sickness or any misfortune, the neighbors supplied his needs from their own supply. If a neighbor had a burn out, his neighbors came together in a crew and rebuilt his house and gave clothing and furniture until his loss was made good.
21. Corn, wheat and oats were the main field crops. Potatoes, cabbage, beans and peas were grown in he garden. The tomato retained its place in the flower garden until about the time she was married in 1879. They had learned tomatoes were good to eat before this time. They eat them raw. It was not until recent years that they canned tomatoes.
Horses, mules, cattle, sheep and hogs were among the domesticated animals. Geese, ducks, turkeys, and chickens were always kept on the place. Wolves and Mt. Cougars destroyed lots of their turkeys, pigs, and lambs.
22. All farming tools were home made, single stock, wood plows with bull tongue made by blacksmiths. They also made plows, hoes, and horseshoes from slab steel. Mr. Roberts bought his first cultivator in 1890 when he tried to set it up, he could not and had to go to town to get the storekeeper to come out and put it together. Wheat and oats were harvested with reap hook that was homemade. It was not until about 1880 that he bought a cradle for cutting wheat. In 1890 Mr. Roberts bought a threshing machine run by steam power. Until then, wheat and oats were frailed out.
23. About the only industry was farming. However there were some lumber manufactured. Goshen was the nearest saw mill and blacksmith shop.
24. Some wild plants used for food was polk salad, carpenter’s square, wild onions, crow’s foot and yellow paw-paws. For tea, red sassasfrass, spice wood and cymore chip.
25. Group activities were house raisings and log rollings. Mr. Roberts gave a six day log rolling in 1879 and was successful in piling and burning the logs on a sixteen acre track of land on his farm near the river. Quilting bees were common at log rolls. The women would make quilts and prepare dinner. Although her people were very much against dances, one time Mr. Roberts had a fence destroyed by an overflow of the river and gave a rail mauling and fence build with the understanding that the young people might dance that night. He got the rails made, hauled and over one fourth of the fence made. Then they danced all night. The young people also enjoyed sing-plays. Hog killing was a time of great rejoicing among the young people. At one time her father killed twenty big fat hogs. The work was all done by noon after which a bountiful dinner was served.
26. The camp meeting was an annual affair and was conducted for about two weeks at a time. The place where Mr. Lewis Hester’s home now is was the ideal place for camp meeting because it had a large spring just across the road and beautiful forest. People would come to these camp meetings from fifty miles around. It was an occasion when separated friends would get together. These meetings were conducted by the Church of Christ and were very quiet affairs. They seldom disturbed by outbursts of joy such as sometimes were characteristic with Methodist and Baptist.
26.There were no forests fires that attracted attention and such fires were allowed to burn out.
27. None
28. Her brother Raymond Hester, conducted a boat landing twelve miles below Van Buren, where he sold coard wood used on the steam boats. It was at this place where goods were unloaded for Fayetteville. It was also a place where such farm produce as Northwest Arkansas furnished were shipped. The pony express first carried the mail from Fort Smith to Fayetteville. It ran once a week. Later the stage coach carried the mail.
29. The first school that she attended was on what is known as the Lee William place in an old log dwelling house. It had a large fireplace. This was a subscription school taught by Mr. Buck Willford. The tuition was $1.00 per head. This was in the summer of 1870. The next school was at the old Holt School House. It stood where the Baldwin school now stands. This was a large log building with a fireplace at each end. The seats were of split log with holes drilled through at right angles and wood pegs placed in these holes. Seats had no lean back.
30. Ans. In item 29
31. Samuel Patrick was the teacher. Funds for this school (1872) were furnished by taxation.
32. Ans. In item 31. Teacher’s salary was about $25.00 to $30.00 a month and ran about three months.
34. The school books used were McGuffy’s Reader, Ray’s Arithmetic, and the old Blue Back Speller. These were all the books used. Children were furnished with slates which they used to work arithmetic on.
35. The first Telegraph station was at Fayetteville about 1800.
36. She says she never saw a trolley car, that there were none nearer than St. Louis.
37. She never took a trip on a rail road.  She does not remember when she saw her first automobile, but that a Dr. Walker of Fayetteville owned it.  It looked very much like a buggy without a top. This was about 1904 or might have been as late as 1908.
38. In 1800 the first passenger train pulled into Fayetteville. It was an occasion of great rejoicing; People from all over the country were in town to celebrate. The band played and cannons were fired.
39. She saw her first airplane about 1914 at the County Fair.
40. Not until about 1930. Never rode on a bus.
41. There was a theater in Fayetteville operated by local people, but she never attended.   There were traveling shows such as Barnum and Baily. That was the occasion when everybody did go to see the show.
42. The most important celebration was that concerning the coming of the rail road. Political feeling was such that there was nothing of much to do over the Civil War.
43. None. Rumors of the James boys caused some uneasiness, but nothing ever happened where she lived.
44. No duels.
45. During the war feeling ran high. Feuds among neighbors were very common. There was a Mr. William Wallace Killed from the brush. This caused a great stir and for awhile it looked as if the whole community would become engaged in a community fight, but through the work of Jack Walker, a Negro slave, quiet was established.
46. None.
47. There was a bank robbery at Fayetteville soon after the Civil War. One of these robbers sustained a flesh wound, and in the effort of his partners to rescue him they were almost captured. Finally they left him near her home where he was picked up by the officers.
48. The Civil war days was a time of great suffering and anxiety. Much of which cannot be written. Often father and sons were on opposite sides in the war. Food became scarce; stealing and robbing were common. None felt safe. Old men who were not able to be soldiers had to hide out. Her father had to stay hid out and to see a horseman coming about brought fear. He might be an outlaw, soldier, or a messenger bringing news of defeat. When Fayetteville was taken by Federal Troops, everybody was uneasy. Some were afraid of being reported as Southern sympathizers. Hatred and feeling ran high.
               There was an old Negro slave names Jack Walker who had his master’s money. His master’s name was Dave Walker. The soldiers found out he knew about the money or had it and undertook to make him tell where it was. They threw a rope around his neck and hung him to a limb and let him down. Still he refused to tell. This was repeated two more times and the fourth time he fainted. When upon recovering he still refused to tell, they gave him a good whipping with their belts and turned him free.
               A squad of soldiers camped near her father's home and took whatever they found that they wanted. They took all the fat hogs. Her mother swapped vegetables for coffee and sugar until she found out that the neighbors were suspicious that she was giving information to the soldiers. Parched peas and corn was used as a substitute for coffee. Some of the neighbors had to use potatoes as substitute for bread. Confidence between neighbors was destroyed. The soldiers would take the very best of the horses. Her mother kept two horses hid in the cane brakes while the soldiers were in Fayetteville.
49. Mrs. Roberts heard the battle on Mt. Sequoyah and remembers the Sunday the Confederates tried to retake Fayetteville. Her father took part in that battle, although he was not a soldier. Her brothers were also in that fight, but deserted the army at Van Buren. She also remembers the battle of Prairie Grove. She could hear even the small arms from where she was. Mr. Robbers had two brothers in that battle. Neither of them were hurt, although there were 3000 killed that day. Some of the Federal soldiers in their retreat came down the river near their place.
50. Several men were killed at home.
51. She said, “The only thing I know of the KKK is that it was a mean thing. My husband had nothing to do with it.”
52. The only religious institution with which they had to do was the establishment of the church at Baldwin. Her father and mother were instrumental in the Church of Christ at the place and during their annual meeting they often feed from fifteen to twenty-five people daily. They took no part in any fraternal organizations.
53.Her father, Mr. Hester, did not want to take part in the war, so in his effort to stay at home he had to hide out. It so happened on day when he was coming in to see about the folks that he met two neighbors. They were women. He stopped and asked them what they had heard. Then one of these women saw a man coming and told Mr. Hester to hide. He ran along the hillside where there were grapevines hoping that they could not follow. He was shot in the shoulder, but was able to get home, the wound soon healed. However, another thing happened which brought on complications.
               Bill Wallace, one of his neighbors was shot from the brush and was killed. Since Wallace was a Confederate sympathizer and Mr. Hester in favor with The North, it was natural to accuse Mr. Hester of the deed. Mrs. Roberts states that it was really some unknown party. Mr. Hester and Mr. Wallace were very good friends. After this Riley Wallace, a brother of Bill's had deserted the confederate army at Van Buren and made his way home. He was afraid Mr. Hester would report him to the army, so he shot Mr. Hester from the brush and killed him. On his way from where he killed Mr. Hester he met Jack Walker and told him what he had done. The Negro said, "You did a mean trick, Mr. Hester was the only man in this community that helped put your brother away. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
              She had a brother, Robert Hester, in the Confederate Army who was killed at Van Buren. Her husband had three brothers, John Roberts, in the Confederate Army, and Tom and Lewis in the Federal Army. They served all through the war without sustaining any injury. John was discharged at Little Rock, Arkansas. He came in contact with both his brothers there and they came home together, John riding one of his brother's mules home.
54. None
55. Mt. Sequoyah is the most noted site made such by the battle that was fought there.
56. Total descendants number forty-one.
57. Mrs. Myrtle Philips, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Rt. 2
Mrs. Rena Gillian, Fayetteville, Arkansas Rt. 1
Miss Stella Roberts, “Frankie” "         "        "
Mrs. Lenna Clark, Little Rock, Arkansas
 “   Effie Henson, Fayetteville, Arkansas Rt. 2
 "   Ora Williams           "            "           "   5
Mr. Stone Roberts         "            "           "    1
58. Grandchildren Are:
Charley Philips, Fayetteville, Arkansas Rt. 2
James Lacy                  "             "        "   5
Has no great-grandchildren
59. None.
25. Supplementary to question 25.
The mountain cougars and timber wolves were plentiful and were destruct around sheep. Sheep had to be shut up in such enclosures as the wolves and cougars would not get into. Sometimes they would kill and destroy calves. White river runs through her farm an din early years was filled with fish, but Mrs. Roberts says it was very seldom they fished. There is a large log barn still standing and in use on this farm that was put up in 1870. The logs were put together with wooden pens. No nails were use except in nailing on the roof. The rafters were put together and penned to the top log by means of wooden pegs.
 
Transcribed by Emily McCollom, Class of  2011 and Alex Rowland, Class of 2012