ARIZARD-L Archives

From: "Betty G. McCollum" <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD] interesting article
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:06:36 -0500
References: <000601c7dc6e$7f778100$6601a8c0@dell3000>

That was a really good story; thanks for sending it, Vera.
Betty Mc
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vera Reeves" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 6:22 PM
Subject: [ARIZARD] interesting article


> July 23, 1953 Melbourne Times - Melbourne, AR
> Article by J. A. Roberts
> Aunt Sinda Tate at 97 Still Does Her Own Milking
>
> Aunt Sinda Tate, who is 97 years old, visited Mr and Mrs W. M.
> Pittman, both 83 in Lafferty last Sunday. It was the first visit she had
> made to the community in eleven years, although she lives only two miles
> away.
>
> Mrs Tate, who is one of the oldest residents of this county, is
> the daughter of John and Mary Francis, who came to Arkansas from
> Mississippi in 1859, and settled on little Lafferty Creek.
>
> They arrived at Batesville by boat and the family walking,
> according to Mrs Tate’s story, from Batesville to the farm they bought on
> this creek. As the story goes, it required one man to carry the money bag
> containing the amount used to by the farm. They bought their farm from
> Uncle Richard “Dick” Williamson, father of the late William “Bill”
> Williamson. They paid $1,200 cash for the farm which is known as the
> Francis Place.
>
> Mrs Tate says she can remember Uncle William “Bill” Davis, one
> of their neighbors, a settler, who was there when they came to that part
> of the country. She recalls that he beat his corn on the top of tree
> stumps to make bread meal as there was no mill to grind corn nearby. Mr
> Davis was a great uncle of Rev. W. E. Davis, present pastor of the Sage
> Baptist Church. He came to this part of Arkansas in the early 1840’s from
> Kentucky.
>
> Mr Davis cleared land for his crop, but did not fence it. There
> were very few domestic animals in the country at that time and the forest
> was full of wild animals such as deer, bear, panthers, and other beasts.
> Since it is believed that most wild animals have a great dislike for the
> scent of dead bodies of their species, Mrs Tate recalls that Mr Davis
> would kill bears and place their heads at intervals around his crop. As
> the bears have a great liking for corn, especially in the roasting ear
> stage. By this means, reports have it, Mr Davis protected his crops in the
> winter.
>
> In spite of her age, Mrs Tate has a clear memory of events from
> her childhood until now. Through feeble, she walks about the house and
> yard and does her house work. She also still milks her cow. She lives with
> her son, Myrl, on the same place her father bought when the family came to
> Arkansas in 1859.
>
> A short time ago their hired man was late in coming to harvest
> hay so Mrs Tate got the pitchfork and helped in the hay until the man
> came.
>
> Mrs Tate remembers the slaves of the Civil War days and many
> unhappy events of that troubled time.
>
> Though her eyesight is poor she still takes the Melbourne TIMES
> and keeps in touch with the activities in the county.
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------
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• [ARIZARD] interesting article by "Vera Reeves" <>

  • Re: [ARIZARD] interesting article by "Betty G. McCollum" <>