Welcome to retracing Our Roots as we grab our fried chicken, potato salad, and picnic basket and head to the Old-timer’s Reunion & Community Picnic!
Our first stop takes us to the Fourth of July in 1902. We’ll venture across the state line into Ozark County, Missouri, following Lick Creek to a lush valley where families, friends, and musicians once gathered. Even former enemies set aside their differences here, renewing lost friendships and creating cherished memories. As the festivities commenced, nearly half of the participants hailed from Baxter County. Old soldiers who once viewed each other with contempt now shook hands and embraced with mutual respect. Events like these not only rekindled old friendships but also introduced young people to potential mates, fostering new family alliances across the border.
Lemonade stands, watermelon, fried chicken, music, and dancing were at the top of everyone’s list. Leading the entertainment was Uncle Matt Gault on the fiddle—a local favorite in both Ozark and Baxter counties.
Next, we move to the Reunion of the Blue & Gray and Picnic in Mountain Home, Arkansas, scheduled on August 1 and 2, 1902. The event kicked off with a grand parade led by a 10-horsepower steam engine, pulling a trailer filled with old soldiers in uniform, waving proudly to the crowd. Following them was another wagon carrying young men portraying the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Behind them, young ladies of Baxter County dressed in elegant dresses representing the individual states and territories of America.
The day’s highlights included eloquent speeches and a feast featuring barbecued beef and fried chicken. However, there were some complaints that the men handling roasting and Barbequing the meat had not washed his hands!
As evening sun set, old soldiers and pioneers gathered around campfires scattered across the picnic grounds, sharing stories of the trials and triumphs they had faced throughout their lives.
The second day’s most anticipated attractions were twofold. First was the hot air balloon ascent featuring Professor Murgle of Tioga, Illinois. As he reached the proper altitude, the crowd below held its breath, waiting for the thrilling moment as he leaped from the balloon and deployed his parachute. The second major event was the much-anticipated baseball game. The Yellville team, dressed in brand-new uniforms, faced off against Mountain Home. While the Yellville team was a well-practiced, finely tuned machine, the Mountain Home team had been hastily assembled a couple of days before the occasion. Yellville pulled off a victory over their host, Mountain Home.
Finally, the Baxter County Fair is recorded as initiating in Cotter on September 19-21, 1905, to showcase the booming new town. Afterwards, the Fair became a consistent event in Buford, Arkansas, and they incorporated the Old Settler’s Day Picnic on October 7, 1911. Buford was also known for fielding one of the best baseball teams in the region, putting up fierce competition against well-trained teams from Yellville and Gainesville. The Baxter County Fair was usually held on the fourth weekend of September in Buford.
As we wrapped up our episode, we posed a trivia question for our listeners to answer.
Q: Rapp’s Barren name changed to Mtn. Home by voting. What voting token were used by
throwing them into a circle drawn on the ground?
- Goobers
- Rosy Arkansas Marbles
- Prairie Rose petals
- Corncobs
Email your answer to sammy@ktlo.com and we’ll talk about the answer in an upcoming show.
Thank you for your continued support, emails, and suggestions—they fuel our local programming! As always, a special thanks to Rapp’s Barren Brewing Company for sponsoring 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨!
