100 years ago
April 15, 1919:
Marvin Lott home destroyed by fire
Fire completely destroyed the house of Marvin Lott, at 1627 West 5th street, this morning about 2 o'clock. The home was recently purchased from Andrew Rose and was partly covered by insurance. All the household goods were destroyed by the flames, except a single trunk that was saved. The furniture was also partly covered with insurance.
April 16:
Westbrooks homestead sold for heirs' benefit
The John Westbrooks homestead six miles from Ravanna, two miles from the Louisiana line, was sold at public outcry at the Miller county court house yesterday morning to Arthur J. Gurley for $850. John T. Davis, circuit clerk and recorder, conducting the sale. The property consisted of 126 acres. Owing to there being so many heirs, it was not practicable to divide the place, so it was sold and the money apportioned.
April 17:
Pleasant Hill
The Home Demonstration at the home of Mrs. Charles Cochran, with a good attendance. Miss Lena Owens, the demonstrator, was present, and all of the officers, except the reporter; also thirteen members and two visitors. After a short social period, the president called the meeting to order, and the minutes were read by the secretary, which was followed by lessons on maize, boiled, and French salads, given by Miss Owens. Mrs. Cochran served the guests with two kinds of delicious cake. It was decided that the next meeting would be held with Mrs. Ruth Giles on the fourth Wednesday afternoon in this month.
April 18:
Forestry expert finds many diseased trees
C. J. Foster, special field agent of the agricultural department at Washington, is in Texarkana this week in the interest of forestry work of the civic league, and yesterday morning a special tour was made of a portion of the city by W. H. Laney, Mr. Foster, Mrs. Ben Smith, Mrs. Whitmarsh, Mrs. C. S. Todd and others, and it was found that a considerable portion of the trees were diseased, especially those on the Arkansas court house lawn, and it was found that the condition of some of them would cause their removal; also, trees at Kline Park and around the Central school were found to be infected to a great extent.
April 19:
Two Miller County farms sold at auction
Two tracts of Miller County land were sold at public outcry at the court house Tuesday in order to perfect title and enable partition sales. The J. M. Hemperly place, of 80 acres, six miles past Ravanna, was sold for $580; and 132 acres of land lying six miles east of this city was sold to Mrs. Georgia Lumpkin for $1900.
April 20:
Texarkana butchers organizing union
A butchers union is being organized here with G. E. Richardson as chairman. Fifteen members have signed the chapter application. The purpose is that of mutual advancement.
April 21:
Food ordinance violation cases
There will be a food inspection violation case in each of the city courts today as the result of complaints filed by the chief food inspector. Joe Getzler, of the Texas side, has been cited for maintaining an insanitary grocery, and the Post office café for selling milk which does not comply with standard.
50 years ago
April 15, 1969:
Arkansan to head first Turkish casino
Dane Harris, operator of the Vapors Club here, announced that an Arkansas-based company he heads has been chosen to set up and run Turkey's first gambling casino. The casino, for foreigners only, will set up in a mansion once owned by Sait Halim, the pasha who signed a pack to enter World War I with Germany. The house is just outside Istanbul. Harris said Investment Opportunities, Inc. of Arkansas would purchase gaming equipment from London, establish a school for training personnel to operate the casino, and open the business by September. They will also build a hotel adjacent to it.
April 16:
Has been named
Miss Karen Kennedy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Billy M. Kennedy, former residents of Texarkana, has been named Miss Richardson at the annual Jaycee sponsored Miss Richardson Pageant. Karen was a former student of Spring Lake Park Elementary School and F. Ben Pierce Junior High. She will participate in the Miss Texas Pageant to be held in July in Ft. Worth.
April 17:
Area news
Tim Duke, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Duke of Magnolia, was first place winner in the annual Voice of Democracy contest. Johnny Morgan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Morgan, was first runner-up, and Minday Phillips, daughter of Mr. and Hal Phillips, was second runner-up. Mrs. Margie Farrar, president of the Billy Bennett Post No. 2870 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, presented the awards.
April 18:
Local births
Sunday at Wadley Hospital, births were Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie R. Hatfield, a boy, and Mr. and Mrs. Tommy M. King, a girl. Saturday, April 12, Mr. and Mrs. David Briggs, a girl, and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur S. Baker Jr., a boy. Friday, April 11, Mr. and Mrs. Larry W. Hayman, a girl, Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Vazquez, a girl, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Beasley, a girl.
April 19:
Easter Seal donations at $6,892
Citizens and Bowie Counties donated $6,892 to this year's Easter Seal Campaign. The Easter Seals Parade netted $3,613.73. A total of $3,349 was collected through the mail. On behalf of the Texarkana Society and the Temple Memorial Treatment Center, "I especially want to thank the volunteers who called at the homes to receive contributions," Sr. J. W. Cady, 1969 chairman of the campaign, said.
April 20:
Apollo 10 likely to be televised
Space officials say there is better than a 50-50 chance that the descent of two Apollo 10 astronauts toward the moon next month will be seen on home television in live color. It all depends on whether the first color TV camera designed for a manned spaceship will be ready in time for Apollo 10's scheduled May 18 liftoff. With two black and white TV cameras also aboard, Apollo 10 is expected to be the most televised flight yet.
April 21:
Parking his horse is a headache
John Maxwell, an attorney, is having trouble parking his horse. Three weeks ago, Maxwell was charged with leaving his horse tied to a parking meter when he went into a restaurant. After writing a ticket, a policeman told Maxwell he could leave the horse on private but not public property. Maxwell then moved the horse to a "park and lock" lot. When his case came up in Recorder's Court Wednesday, Maxwell had to use the same parking lot, several blocks from City Hall, because a closer lot rejected the animal.
"They're kind of messy, you know," the attendant said. In court, Maxwell agreed that the horse was in fact his, and that he had in fact tied it to a parking meter. He said that any post, parking meter or otherwise, qualifies as a hitching post according to the dictionary and a series of definitions in Black's Law Dictionary. An assistant city attorney, Larry Warren, told the court the horse was blocking, or could have blocked, the entire sidewalk. "He could just as easily have turned around and put his other end out in the street and been a traffic hazard," Warren said.
"You have to have him on a leash," Warren said, "That's what the ordinance says."
Maxwell replied: "I believe the legislative intent of the ordinance was to restrict people from tying large dogs out where they would be a hazard to the public. Who ever heard of a horse on a leash?" Judge Tennant Smallwood took the case under advisement and will seek information as to the ordinance and what should be done about horses parking in 1969.