MEMORIES OF SPARKSVILLE

       Sparksville was located between Columbia and Breeding about ten miles from Columbia on Highway
61 at Meatskin Road. It was a lively little community, with two General Stores: Coomer and Page General Store and Harvey General Store.  Brother-in-laws CAGER CAREY COOMER and Frank Wolford Page were the owners of the Coomer and Page General Store.  The Walter Harvey family owned and operated the Harvey General Store.
       Sparksville also had a Service Station, General Garage, Grist Mill and a Saw Mill.
 The three near by schools were Wilson School on Meatskin (Weed) Road, Bird School on Bird Ridge and Firkins School on Hwy. 61 near Harrods Fork Creek.
       It also had four churches: Methodist, two Baptist and Nazarene. A Post Office was located in the Coomer and Page General Store.

       Sparksville was always busy on Saturday, with neighbor men setting on the porch whittling and telling their stories, keeping up on how the crops and everyone was doing.  There would be horses and mules hitched in front and at the side of the stores, for most people had no automobiles then, just teams and wagons.  Sometimes a car would come up the road, giving opportunity for some to hitch a ride to Columbia for the day.

       It was common around noon to see some buying their lunch for 15 cents.  One could buy a thick slice (1/4 in. thick) of bologna or cheese (real cheese) for five cents, a  "Moon Pie" for five cents and a bottle of pop (6-8 oz.) for five cents, with bread or crackers.  All for only fifteen cents.

       I was born out past Wilson School on Meatskin Road in a log house that has been long gone for many
years.  So I am told.  I attended Wilson and Firkin School (near Breeding).  I graduated from the eight grade
there, before moving to Indianapolis, Indiana.

       I would like to find pictures of the old stores, schools, churches and historical homes that were once
there.  It is my desire to place Sparksville and the pictures on my Wilson, Wheeler, Coomer, Garmon  and
Yarberry Families Genealogy of Adair County site.

Sparksville is gone but not forgotten.

_Carlis B. Wilson -[Email]