100 years ago
June 20, 1916:
PARK SITE IS GIVEN TO ASHDOWN CHILDREN
A. Goldsmith, capitalist and planter of this city, has at a great expense to himself given and improved a block of ground in the best residence section of the city to be used entirely as a park for the little children. The park, which will go by the name of Goldsmith's Playground, is nicely fenced in and has innumerable seats, swings and benches.
June 21:
NEW SKATING RINK
"Baby," the big, black, trick-skating bear, and her cub, "Snookums," were the features at the New Skating Rink last night and Monday night. Baby can really skate and performs some very interesting tricks. One of her best stunts was the slide for life on skates. A wrestling match with her trainer followed; Snookums wrestled a Teddy Bear. A matinee will be given this afternoon and Saturday afternoon.
June 22:
TODAY IS THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR
Today is the longest day of the year. The course of the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. The time between the rising and setting of the sun on this date gives more than fifteen hours of daylight. On December 21, the sun is above the Tropic of Capricorn, thus making it the shortest day of the year. The March and September equinoxes occur when the sun passes over the equator.
June 23:
FOR SALE
One beautiful six-room house, plastered throughout and bath; modern; $50 cash, $26.60 per month, and no more. Sol-Feinberg E6549
FOR SALE
Eighty acres, 50 cleared; 4 miles' city; 16 corn, 12 cotton, orchard, berries, potatoes, horse, 150 chickens, cow, six hogs, wagon, tools, furniture, good house, barn, all for $2,000. M.C. Wade E6922
June 24:
TAKES ON FIVE POUNDS OF FOOD TO BE A SOLDIER
Hiram Martin, 20 years old, walked 20 miles in four hours and 10 minutes today to join Company D, Arkansas National Guard, and then had to increase his weight five pounds in order to pass the examination. This he did by devouring the greater part of the contents of an ice box in a local restaurant. Martin was plowing his field at Bloomer when he heard of the president's call. He left the plow and started making his way to Fort Smith.
June 25:
MERCHANTS CONSIDERING MOVE TO CLOSE STORES SATURDAYS AT 6
A move is on foot by the merchants of Texarkana to close their stores at 6'clock every Saturday evening during the months of July and August. The object of this move is to give their employees the benefit of the rest and recreation they deserve after a hard week's work, as well as the merchants themselves.
June 26:
INJURED WHILE CROSSING ARKANSAS VIADUCT FRIDAY
While crossing the Arkansas viaduct Friday afternoon, Miss Duflot, a sister of Mrs. Richard Choate, was painfully injured when she was struck by a rock which was thrown by the force of an explosion in ballasting for the foundation of the new Iron Mountain scales. Miss Duflot was carried to the home of Dick Choate and given medical attention, and from last reports was improving nicely.
50 years ago
June 20, 1966:
RICHARD ARNOLD NAMED FATHER OF THE YEAR
Richard S. Arnold, Texarkana lawyer was named "Father of the Year" by the Texarkana Fraternal Order of Eagles Sunday afternoon. "This award is made in recognition of Mr. Arnold's devotion to the American ideals of family, church, and country. He is a young man of whom Arkansas can be proud," Kuhn said.
June 21:
CYO LEADER
Frank Sterle, son of Dr. and Mrs. Frank J. Sterle of Texarkana, was elected president of the Northwest Texas Catholic Youth Organization Sunday at the June Deanery meeting held here. He will be a senior next year at Texas Senior High where he is on the basketball team and is active in the Spanish Club. Science Club and Allied Youth.
June 22:
7,877 REGISTER IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
A total of 7,877 Columbia County citizens had registered by this week to vote in the Democratic Primary, County Clerk Talmage Whitlow has reported. In 1964 a record number of persons were eligible to vote when 9,119 poll taxes were sold in the county.
June 23:
FINAL PAPERS SIGNED FOR NEKOOSA-EDWARDS PAPER MILL
Final documents for the $46 million Nekoosa-Edwards paper mill at Ashdown were signed Monday in Memphis, Tenn., paving the way for construction. The closing transactions included delivery of documents and bonds in the principal amount of $46 million for which payment was made. The paper mill is to be built on a 2,300-acre tract of land located about one-half mile south of the Ashdown city limits off U.S. Highway 71. The mill is expected to employ 465 workers. According to company officials, the mill will have a daily production capacity of 400 tons of bleached craft pulp and 20 tons of paper.
June 24:
LOCAL HOSPITALS OK FOR MEDICARE
Texarkana's three hospitals are eligible to participate in Medicare beginning July 1, Otis A. Blackwood, manager of the Social Security district office in Texarkana, announced Thursday. St. Michael's, Wadley and Cotton Belt hospitals have been certified for participation in the Medicare program. Also found eligible to participate are the Little River Memorial Hospital at Ashdown, DeQueen General Hospital at DeQueen, Polk County Memorial Hospital at Mena and the Linden Municipal Hospital in Linden.
June 25:
IN QUEEN'S CONTEST
Miss Martha Hunt, the current "Miss Atlanta," will represent the Chamber of Commerce of Atlanta, Texas, in the Marion-Cass Soil and Water Conservation District's 14th annual queen contest to be held in Jefferson June 24. She is a 1966 graduate of Atlanta High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Council, and drum major of the Atlanta band. She won the title, "Miss Atlanta", in April at a beauty pageant sponsored by the Atlanta forum in which contestants were judged on personal interview talent, swim suit, and evening gown competition. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. Hunt.
June 26:
FOUR STILLS SEIZED
The Texas Liquor Control Board reported Thursday its agents seized four illicit stills in May, having a total capacity of 360 gallons. Two stills were in Titus County and one each in Bowie and Nacogdoches counties. The board said stills are getting more scarce but a few are still being found.