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The community which has been known as Harmon since 1902 was originally called
"Wildcat Creek". According to Mrs. Ida Thompson. who now lives near the
spring, the community got its name from the fact that a huge wildcat was
killed near the spot, by the earliest settlers of the area
According to a newspaper clipping in Mrs. Thompson's scrapbook, which was
written many years ago by Mrs. B. F. Clark, daughter of the late Mr.
and Mrs. James H. Phillips, the earliest settlers of the area included
her parents, the families of Lawson Gutherie (present E. F. Wright
farm), George Bonham (present Arch McNeely, E. B. Crain
and Earl Parker farms), Payton Callison (present Earl Brown
farm), Billy Sullivan (present O. L. Lively estate), and
Joseph Holden.
Earl H. Brown, now living southwest of Harmon, remembers hearing my
great-grandmother, who was known as Aunt Sally Sullivan, say that in
1867 there were no houses between hers (just east of Harmon spring on D. L.
Lively property) and the house which J. H. Phillips was building on
the now John Davis property just across from the school house, and that
she could stand in her yard and clearly hear the ring of the axes hewing out
logs for the building.
My great uncle, E. F. Wright, now living west of Harmon, remembers
hearing his father-in-law, Arm Late of Smith's Chapel (now Tontitown)
tell of hunting deer and scouting for the army in 1865 in this area
accompanied by Lawson and Carter Gutherie, who lived where the Wright
home now stands. He also remembers hearing Mrs. Strain, daughter of
Joseph Huff, tell that her father built a double log house about 1965 on
the property where his house now stands. This house was torn down in 1924 when
he erected the present structure, but some of the hewn logs are still sound
and solid and are part of a log sweet potato storage house.
In 1868 Leonard Thompson, father-in-law of Mrs. Ida Thompson, and his
family moved to the area, claiming a section of land surrounding the property
now owned by Mrs. Ida Thompson. This was later divided into farms and
sold.
About 1870 Rube and Jim Lively, the Sylvester Clark family,
Billy Richardson, James Curry, and Bill Persell moved
here.
According to Mrs. B.F. Clark's newspaper story, the first schoolhouse
was built in 1867 by Lucian Brown, Frank Marshall, Bill
Persell, Joseph Huff and James H. Phillips on the site of
the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Wright, west of present Harmon
store. The lumber for the floors, ceiling and facings was hauled from
VanWinkle's mill, between Eureka Springs and Huntsville.
At first pay schools were held. Some early teachers were Callie Smith,
Lizzie Simpson and John McIntire. The first free school was
taught by Charlie Clark, brother-in-law of Mrs. B. F. Clark.
Other early teachers were Mr. Crane, Bill Langston, and a Mr.
McCoy. My great-uncle, B. F. Wright, particularly remembers
Mr. McCoy who was able, with only one leg and a crutch, to run and play
town-ball with the boys. School terms were only three or four months long.
Books used were McGuffey's reader, blue-back speller (later McGuffey's
speller), and Ray's arithmetic. Children had crude seats but no desks. Slated
were used instead of paper and pencil. Writing schools were sometimes held;
each pupil paying one dollar tuition for two weeks' training.
The first Sunday School and preaching services were held in 1868 by members of
a Christian faith know as Soul Sleepers. Mrs. Ida Thompson remember
hearing that the belief of this religious group was that on Resurrection Day
every soul would return to inhabit its former home on earth. When my
great-grandmother, Adeline Wright, moved to her home here, the former
occupant sent word that she wanted her home back on Resurrection Day.
Great-grandmother Wright replied and told the good lady she was welcome to it.
In 1870 a Union Sunday School was organized, which met until the church was
moved to the hill, north of present Harmon store, in 1903.
In 1882 my great-grandfather, W. B. Wright, and his family and the
Jeff Brown family moved from Springdale to the area. My
great-grandfather traded his property, just east of the present intersection
of Highway 68 and 71, because the trains on the newly-laid railroad had killed
or crippled some of his calves, to Bill Persell, who resided just west
of the log school house. In addition to 175 acres of land, he got a large
molasses mill, which was all under a roof. My great-uncle, E. F. Wright,
says that the operation of that molasses mill prevented his going to school
most of the short terms then offered.
Some others who were living here at that time, not before mentioned, are
Charlie Rightshell (on S.C. Easley farm), Billy Osborne
(Terrel Roper place); Mr. Osborne rode horseback daily to Smith's Chapel
(now Tontitown) to teach school. My great-aunt, Mrs. E. F. Wright, then
Mertie
Late, was one of his pupils. Other residents were Henry Essex
(on present A. A. Thompson property), Andy Essex (former
George Bement place), Charlie Clark (George Dobbs farm),
Frank Clark (Montague farm), Tommy Saunderson (D. E.
McCamey farm), Jeff Brown (Ervin McCamey farm), and
Heywood Thompson (Max Smith place). Most land transactions in those
days were trades, but good land could be purchased for less than $10 per acre,
cash.
In 1882 the log building was torn down and a frame schoolhouse and church was
built. A Methodist church was organized by W.F. Wright, Jeff Brown
and others, with thirteen original members. Thereafter the school and church
were know as "Ebenezer", but the community remained "Wildcat". The first
preacher was D.C. Ross, followed by W. Demick in 1884 and H.
Armstrong in 1886. Mrs. Ida Thompson remembers that she carried
her blue-back speller to Sunday School, the first time she went, after they
moved here in 1883, because they had no literature for children and she was
not old enough to read in the Bible. Later, Bible story cards were given to
the children.
In 1885 the first apple orchard was set out by W. B Wright, whose sons
had learned the art of grafting from the Brogdons in Springdale. Other
orchards following in quick succession until about 1900 over 125 acres were in
apples.
The only store and post office were at Old Wheeler, a place now know as
Oscar Andrews' and situated about halfway between the present White Oak
schoolhouse and cemetery. At one time this store was managed by the family of
Squire Hogg. Mr. Hogg and a Mr. Reed from Cincinnati
carried the mail from Cincinnati to Fayetteville, each making the 30-mile trip
daily and spending the night in alternate towns. They traveled in two-seated
hacks drawn by horses, and carried passengers, eggs, chicken, and other
produce as well as mail.
Later, a farmer's union was organized and the store was managed by
Granville Wright.
Most families raised cotton, and since there were no gins in the area, it had
to be seeded by hand or with crude homemade gins. My uncle, E. F.
Wright , says that each member of his family was given so much to seed
evenings and each person must do his amount before he went to bed. This
cotton was spun into thread, woven into material and made into clothing at
home. Other crops raised were corn, wheat, sugar cane, and tobacco.
There were few entertainments in early days. Square dances were held in some
homes, but spelling bees were main events. People came from miles away. Sides
were chosen. Sometimes when spellers missed words, they took their seats, or
again, runners from each side made scores. Words were from the blue-back
speller.
Families did much visiting, even taking families of eight or more children and
staying all night with families of like size in homes of two rooms. Children
slept on beds made on the floor.
House and barn raising were common, as men sharing heavy labor was the only
way of getting buildings up.
When land was to be cleared, the trees would be deadened. Later, all the
neighbors came to the log-rolling, at which time trees standing would be
chopped down and rolled into piles for burning. All the children came along to
enjoy the fun and the ladies cooked the dinner.
In 1902 George Harmon purchased a small store owned by Abner and
located near Henry's spring, northeast of White Oak cemetery, and moved it to
present location of the Harmon Grocery, a United States post office was
established, and the community became known as Harmon. The post office was
discontinued in 1906 and the community is now served by rural carriers from
Springdale and Fayetteville.