History in an Envelope

Looking through old collections of documents often reveals a thread or two about a location that has personal meaning or interest to you. I recently discovered a brown envelope given to me about seventeen years ago by a former co-worker, Linda McDowell, who had taken a position at the Arkansas History Commission (known now as the Arkansas State Archives). The attached note said the donation to the History Commission came from Rita Galloway, a community historian, with instructions to give duplicates to the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, specifically directing it to my attention. It was resting in a box under my desk, and I’d decided to look through the box to remind myself what was in it.

The brown envelope held two photos showing school-age children believed to have attended North View (or Northview) School in the area of Solgohachia and Morrilton around 1943. The principal was Clifford E. Minton.

I recognized names I’d heard most of my life. Two of the names are common on my family tree. The Toombs names are directly connected to my grandfather’s grandfather, Richard Toombs, our Civil War ancestor. The Vample surname is connected to my grandfather’s first cousin, Preston Toombs, on his maternal line.

Also in the envelope was a booklet titled “History of Cypress Creek District Woman’s Missionary Association,” which included a photo of Mrs. M. A. Vaughn, the first president of the organization. Her work centered on Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Solgohachia while involving the church in statewide activities. The vision stated in this program says she wanted the women to “catch a vision of future opportunities.” Other names included in this document are generational names familiar in central Arkansas: Vaughn, King, Crosby, Morris, Knox, Archie, Jones, Dooley, Martin, Marshall, Hammonds, Hawkins, Donald, Walker, Littles, Tyus, Ealy, Brewer, Canady, Maxfield, Cain, Henson, Clemons, and Garlington.

Another item was “The Annual Messenger,” volume 9, number 1, dated January 1953. This item includes financial statements for various churches in the area and general news concerning the churches. This primary source document also shows details about various families living in the area, making it a great find for anyone looking for genealogical information about smaller communities.

These items have been preserved because along their journey to the History Commission and the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, someone decided to “save the information” for future generations to glance upon. My question is: How many people made the individual choice to save each item? My next thought was a prayer of thanks that someone saw the value in the information it contained. The materials will soon have a home in the vertical files of the Roberts Library Research Room.

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Come see us in the Research Room in the CALS Roberts Library to discover more treasures from the past. Visit the CALS website (opens in new window) for Roberts Library visiting information (opens in new window).

Rhonda Stewart is the genealogy and local history specialist for the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, housed in the CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art.