Various News
Articles
Compiled by Debbie Lunsford Yates
CEMETERY “CLEAN-UP DAY” SET BY
HDC
The Earle Enterprise –
The Home Demonstration
Club of Heafer, has taken as their worth-while project the cleaning up of
The “Clean UP Day” is set for Tuesday, March 15th. The ladies are asking that anyone who can
help identify the unmarked graves to be there sometime throughout the day.
The ladies expect to spend the entire day at the cemetery and
any volunteer help will be accepted. If
you come bring your lunch.
Gibson Bayou is the only cemetery near Earle. It is in a run-down condition. The Club members are to be commended in the interest
that is being manifested.
Don’t forget the date, Tuesday, March 15.
ASSISTANCE ASKED FOR IMPROVING
The Earle Enterprise –
Rev. L. W. Harvey,
Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of God, has accepted a pastorate at the
The
Volunteer workers have
been putting in spare time at this effort but more substantial help is needed
if the project is to be successful. He
is asking for donations, either labor, or cash to secure labor, in order that
Earle’s only public cemetery may not continue to be an eye-sore.
The money, if donated,
will be spent conservatively, and labor when volunteered may work at their own
election, doing as they see fit.
This is a worthwhile
project to which the people of Earle and surrounding territory are urged to
subscribe in any amount possible. You
may contact Rev. Harvey or any member if you desire to join in this project.
ALL-DAY SERVICES AT GIBSON BAYOU
SUNDAY
The Earle Enterprise –
There will be an
all-day service at the Gibson Bayou church Sunday, May 31, with dinner being
served at
Rev. L. W. Harvey is pastor of the Gibson Bayou church and will
conduct the morning service. He invites
everyone without a church home to come to these services and join with them at
the
Next week has been set aside as clean-up week for the
CLEAN-UP DAY AT GIBSON BAYOU NEXT
THURSDAY
The Earle Enterprise –
Member so the Gibson
Bayou Church, friends and well-wishers have designated Thursday, June 25 as
Clean-Up Day a the Gibson Bayou Cemetery north of Earle.
A committee, headed by Mr. Abbott, has been appointed to seek
volunteer workers for this day and also financial assistance from interested
persons who are unable to donate their time.
Present plans call for honey-suckle vines and weeds to be cut
and all trash removed.
Work will begin Clean-Up Day morning and will be supervised so
that a more orderly plan of work can be carried out. It is asked that you come early, bring your
lunch and join in the fellowship at the
REVIVAL AT
The Earle Enterprise –
Revival services began
Sunday at the Gibson Bayou Pentecostal Church of God and will continue into
next week with services beginning at
The Rev. G. C. Bledsoe of
The public is cordially invited to attend each service.
The Earle Enterprise –
The
They have secured the
services of Rev. E. R. Manning (photo) of
Services begin at
At the present time,
the church is badly in need of funds to carry out their plans. They also need gravel and other building material
and would appreciate any donations on your part.
Rev. Manning extends a
cordial invitation to all who are without a church home to come and worship
with them.
GIBSON BAYOU REVIVAL BEGAN THIS
WEEK
The Earle Enterprise –
Creating much interest
to the people of the Gibson Bayou community is the revival which began at the
Evangelist Depriest, known as the “Old Time Preacher Man” is a
forcible man of God and his messages are being well received by an
ever-increasing congregation.
The
Rev. Roland Manning, pastor, cordially invites everyone to
attend these revival services and urges those of you without a church home to
attend any of their regular Sabbath services.
A hearty welcome awaits you.
GIBSON BAYOU
Evening Times,
By Don Freeman
OLD MEETIN' PLACE
Clifford Chisum eyes
the land he loves (photo) near the old frame church
building where, as a lad, he used to make a pallet on the floor in front of the
pulpit when the preacher lingered on the message. The church was built about 1869 and is one of
the oldest historical places in
Crittenden Countians do a lot of
remembering each August when those with family and friendship ties gather for a
reunion at the
The
Mrs. T. J. Cloar, Jr., and Clifford Chisum have roots in the
Gibson Bayou community and like to reveal glimpses of its past. Mrs. Cloar says the
The pulpit of the church is made of rough boards and the benches
are fashioned from split logs.
Children came in wagons and on horseback from as far as
Crawfordsville to attend the
The first grave monument in the cemetery was hewn from a slab of
an oak tree. Mrs. Cloar said a red-hot piece
of iron was used to carve the name and date of birth and death of the person
buried there.
"In those days, most families had a family cemetery, or a
graveyard as they were called, on their own land," Mrs. Cloar said. She said Gibson Bayou graveyard was a free
burying place.
When
As the years passed and the community shrank, its people moving
into Earle or elsewhere, people became disinterested in the cemetery. On one occasion, the graveyard was set on
fire by pranksters, and many of the (Continued on Page Four) ...remainder of article not included....
At Gibson Bayou
Annual Gathering Blends Old, New
Evening Times,
By Kay Atchison
Evening Times Staff Writer
“That fellow over there – I feel guilty every
time I mow past his grave. I used to
turn his mules loose while he was in church,”
-- Cliff Chisum
(Photo of Cliff Chisum standing beside
tombstone of Gabe Smith)
The cars parked out front were late model, and the gospel group
was carting electronic amplifiers and microphones through the church door. But a walk through
Sunday, the church was crowded as visitors who once called the
Earle area home came back for the church’s annual gospel singing and outdoor
dinner. Blankets spread out under trees
became picnic tablecloths, and tombstones decades old became handy bases for
youngsters playing tag.
Located on either side of Arkansas Highway 149 about three miles
north of Earle, the cemetery contains graves dating from just after Civil War
times. But the grounds had fallen into
disrepair before Cliff Chisum, who now holds the position of cemetery
custodian, decided to do something about it.
The land resembled a jungle when Chisum made his first attempt
to clear it about 11 years ago, he said.
“Trees had fallen down and nobody moved them. When they came here to bury, they’d have to
cut them a path to the grave.”
So with the help of People’s Implement Co. in Earle, who donated
tractors for the cemetery care, Chisum began the slow process of restoring the
cemetery to its original state. Now, 11
years later, at the age of 75, he is training his great-granddaughter to carry
on the upkeep.
Worn granite tombstones in the cemetery read like pages of a history
book, especially with Chisum’s explanatory
comments. Directly behind the church
lies the grave of Mary Jane Fulkerson, who adopted Chisum at the age of 6. Chisum remembers her telling tales of Union
occupation during the Civil War before her death in 1944 at the age of 102.
Her husband, W. W. Fulkerson, built the church building, which
Chisum estimates to be “100, maybe 110 years old. He hewed those sills with a broadaxe,” he said, gesturing toward the white frame
building, “and they’re just as straight and true as any you see.”
One headstone Chisum pointed out was that of a local
blacksmith. “Somebody killed him on his
way home from work. They never did know
who killed him.” (Note: this
appears to be E. L. Byrn)
Many of the graves hold people that Chisum once knew. He pointed to one with a laugh.
“That fellow over there – I feel guilty every time I mow past
his grave. I used to turn his mules
loose while he was in church.”
Keeping up the church grounds gives Chisum a lot of pleasure, he
said. “This is an old place. I’ve been lots of places and done lots of
things, but I’ve never been anywhere I enjoyed as much as here.”
OLD FASHIONED SUNDAY -- (Photos) -- It was church services,
singing and dinner on the grounds Sunday at
--- Staff Photos by
Gibson Bayou Dates Back to 1869
The Buyer’s Guide, Serving the Earle and Parkin Area -
By Ann Preston
HISTORICAL
SPOT – (Photo) - The Gibson Bayou
Community Church and Cemetery has a history that dates back to 1869. The church has been a lot of things to a lot
of people, located outside Earle on Hwy. 149.
One of the oldest historical spots in
The Gibson Bayou church and Cemetery dates
back to 1869, and the church was the only one around the area for long
time. It was a Methodist church and was used
for various purposes besides religious services such as school and a voting
precinct.
The church itself was about 20 feet by 40
feet with a dirt floor and a stick chimney at each end. The pulpit was made of rough boards, and the
benches were split logs with neatly polished surfaces. Holes were bored into the connected part of
the logs with wooden pins inserted for legs.
It is believed the Gibson Bayou was named
for A. G. Gibson and Mary R. Gibson.
They owned the land around the church and cemetery are buried there.
After their death, a woman called “Aunt Sue”
Morgan and her son looked after the grounds.
Her home was in the south end of the cemetery and her yard was full of
flowers which people often picked to place on a loved one’s grave.
The School
It
has been said that children rode horseback or came in wagons from as far away
as Crawfordsville to attend school at Gibson Bayou. Julia Florance Ryles was one of the teachers as well as a man named
“Cotton”, who lived with the Ben R. Rush family.
The Cemetery
In
the 1880’s, the Bayou became known as “The Bio”. A lot of confusion and bickering went on when
the highway was put through the oldest part of the cemetery. Some people even moved their loved ones to
other cemeteries.
The
majority of the markers date back to the late 1700’s and 1800’s 1. In 1790, the gravestones were made from oak
trees, and a red hot poker was used to burn the name, birthdate,
date of death and epitath [sic] on the oak slab.
Among
the many stones in the cemetery, one that stands out is a tall, granite
monument resembling a tree trunk with the inscription “Woodman of the
World”. Another is a tiny marble stone
of an innocent baby lamb, marking the grave of an infant son.
Not
only is the Gibson Bayou Church and cemetery the oldest historical spot in
Crittenden County 2, but it is the home of the famous Carroll
Cloar. Many of his famous paintings are
taken from the Gibson Bayou community and cemetery.
Added Notes:
1 The oldest existing markers in the cemetery are
dated from the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s.
2 The oldest historical spot in
ACCIDENT
An errant automobile on
Arkansas Highway 149 was the source of damage to the historic
HOMECOMING
August Homecoming Extends Gibson
Bayou Tradition
August 1985
.Homecoming Services At Church
Are Set Aug. 18
The old-fashioned
tradition of all-day singing and dinner on the ground will be repeated Aug. 18
when
The church, which has
stood at its present location for more than 150 years, is considered to be one
of the oldest in
Mr. and Mrs. Cliff
Chism, who have taken care of the church and its surrounding cemetery, are
hoping for a big turnout Aug. 18 for the homecoming. "Some years, we've had as many as 100
there," Mrs. Chism said. "It's
just singing and eating and then more singing," she added.
A collection will be
taken during the service for the cemetery upkeep fund. Mowing and keeping up the cemetery has been a
project of Chism's since he and his wife returned to Earle from
"When we moved
back from
Ancestors of many
present-day Earle families are buried in the Gibson Bayou cemetery, which
straddles Arkansas Highway 149 and contains graves that date back to the
1840's. Many of the graves were moved
when the highway was cut through the middle of the church property, and some
graves are marked only with an uncut stone from the nearby
Descendents of early
residents buried in the cemetery, along with others members of the community,
are invited to bring lunch and take part in the homecoming services.
'Old Time Religion' still
practiced at Gibson Bayou
Evening Times,
by Carol Rolf, Evening Times
Staff Writer
"Give me that old time religion ... that's good enough for
me."
And it was more than
"good enough" recently when Arkansans, past and present, gathered for
a day of old fashioned toe-tapping, hand-clapping, uniquely Southern gospel
music at the
They had dinner on the
grounds before the "singing convention" as the sessions used to be
called, began --- and when it ended, all left the small wooden church with a
greater sense of their own being and of that of the past.
The homecoming
celebration is held annually on the third Sunday of August, according to Gladys
Wright of Earle. Although she is not a
member of the small nondenominational church, Mrs. Wright is very interested in
the history and preservation of
"The music they
sing at Gibson Bayou is very much a part of our history," Mrs. Wright
said. "These people feel, as I do,
that music is very much a part of worship."
The small church
cemetery, where grave markers dating back to the late 1800's can be found, is
another vital link to the past of the Gibson Bayou area of the county. According to Mrs. Wright and Melvin Watson,
the unofficial organizer of the homecoming and cemetery caretaker, it was
started as a free burying place for those who had no family cemetery, which
were common at that time. Gibson Bayou
was also used because it was "high ground" in an area prone to
frequent flooding.
Watson said his father,
the late William L. Watson, who was born in 1886, said the church building was
there "as far back as he could remember." Watson said his father told
him, "Many brought their dead by boat to
According to some
records, Gibson Bayou dates back to about 1869.
"This church has
mothered many churches found today in Earle and in the county," said
Dickey Daniels, pastor of the Harvest Time Tabernacle at
Mrs. Wright said the
church has no regular minister now, and that only Sunday school classes are
held.
"I try to come
back for the homecoming as often as I can," Daniels said. "This church means a lot to me."
"It's a shame that
the people who have a tie to the past here, who have people buried here, don't
take time to give donations to the Gibson Bayou Community Association," he
said. "This cemetery is a private
cemetery and must depend on donations for its upkeep. I would hope that everyone who has a
connection here would make a contribution to the fund, even if only a dollar is
all they could afford."
The singing inside the
church is not like any found in a modern-day Protestant church. The old hymns are often led by untrained men,
women and children, many of whom are also untalented. Other song leaders sound almost professional.
In either case, the
voices from the congregation are loud and full of spirit, punctuated now and
then by a hand raised in the pews, signaling approval or enjoyment of the
singing.
Some of the hymns are
familiar --"Amazing Grace," "Fly Away," "Precious Lord
Take My Hand" -- others not so well know.
But all have the same kindred spirit that has brought the worshipers
together for another year.
And most are sung
totally from memory.
Harp -- or shape note
-- singing, an interesting aspect of the Southern gospel singing often
practiced at the Gibson Bayou homecoming was not heard this year, however.
Shaped notes came into
use approximately 100 years ago to assist people who were unable to either
read, or write, or could not read music.
Instead, special shapes -- triangles, ovals and squares -- were used for
each note in the musical scale, simplifying learning to sing or play an
instrument.
"In fact, I
learned to sing and play the piano by shaped note," said Bryan Speed of
Earle, curator of the
After many local people
had led the singing, a group from Holy Cross Episcopal Church,
HOMEMADE QUARTER: Melvin Watson of Earle, called for a
"homemade quarter" to sing "On the
COMING HOME
- Dickey Daniels, pastor of Harvest Time Tabernacle at Wichita, Kan., enjoys a
visit with Carroll and Pat Cloar of
VANDALS
Evening Times,
Vandals have stolen
five tombstones from the historic
Cooper said M. L.
Watson reported the theft to Deputy J. M. Oakes, who was visiting the cemetery
Saturday.
Watson said two of the
stones that were stolen had marked the graves of his grandparents. He told the officer he had noticed the stones
turned over a few days before and thought someone was cleaning the cemetery
lots. But when he returned Saturday, the
stones were gone along with bouquets of silk flowers which families had places on
graves.
Gibson Bayou is one of
the oldest cemeteries in
ROOTSWEB MESSAGE BOARDS -
CRITTENDEN COUNTY, ARKANSAS
GENFORUM MESSAGE BOARDS -
CRITTENDEN COUNTY, ARKANSAS
Author: Debbie Lunsford Yates
The board of
In addition to the Homecoming, efforts are being made to raise money for the restoration
of
Author: Debbie Lunsford Yates
Effort was made in April to raise
money to repair the old
On June 24, Jack Stepp, Church and Cemetery Commission Chairman, attempted to
finish the job with local help. No one had realized the extent of damages. He
determined that all of the original beams and joists were so rotten from
moisture and termite damage that restoration is impossible. Also the side walls
are leaning and splitting, the rear 1/3rd floor decking is severely damaged.
A meeting of the commission members was called and they declared the entire
church "Unsafe". DO NOT ENTER signs were posted around the building.
All repair efforts have been cancelled.
The only alternate solution is to demolish the building and 'rebuild' it back
to its original state, attempting to use those materials that resemble the
1890's. The current pews could possibly be reinstalled. A Rebuilding Fund would
have to be established, and achieved. This decision will be made as soon as
possible, at which time a meeting of all still living past members, local
community and all concerned will be held.
All previous contributions toward the repairs of this church were greatly
appreciated. Any suggestions will be welcomed.
Committee Meeting
Evening Times,
The Gibson Bayou Church/Cemetery Committee held their quarterly
meeting Jan. 8 in the home of Joyce and Jack Stepp. Others present were Joe
Wood, Ruth McGill, Janis Lancaster, Jane and Bryan Speed, Annice Jones, Danny
Lunsford and Debbie L. Yates.
The committee members expressed their appreciation to Debbie for
updating the cemetery list through 2001 and thanked her in advance for her
continuation of this project.
Debbie's
home is in
There was a discussion about getting the church and cemetery on
the state or national historic register. Bryan Speed plans to produce a Gibson
Bayou video tape.
Donations
and memorials are welcome, as well as volunteers.
For more information call Jack at 792-7574.
Gibson Bayou Homecoming
Evening Times,
All
To raise funds for the restoration of this Civil War church,
there will be a silent auction along with food and drinks for purchase. There
will be a garage sale at the Mad Butcher in Earle that morning before the
homecoming.
Gibson Bayou church is the oldest church in the area. Famous
artist Carroll Cloar attended this church as a child with his mother and later
painted a portrait called "The Night of The Heavenly Music."
Carroll was inspired to paint this painting as he and his mother
walked home from church one night and heard beautiful music and singing above
them.
There are more unmarked graves in the
If you are interested in genealogy, please come by and share
your information with us. There will be genealogical information there as well
for anyone to review. Some of the families with history there are: Abbott,
Akins, Annis, Baker, Carter, Cloar, Crim, Daniels,
Please come and see this historic church, and spend some time
with friends and family at the
For further information or to make a donation for the
restoration fund or garage sale, please call Clara McGill.
News Briefs – Gibson Bayou
Evening Times,
Benefit April 27
The Gibson Bayou Church/Cemetery Committee is sponsoring a
benefit on April 27 on the lot by Mad Butcher, intersection of Hwy. 64 in
Earle. Yard sale begins at
Group is Working to Preserve History of Gibson Bayou
Evening Times,
By Leigh Ann Kennedy
Evening Times Staff Writer
"When
I was a boy, and I used to wander through
These are the words of the late Carroll Cloar, northeastern
Cloar's reminiscence of the Earle cemetery inspired his work
"Gibson Bayou Anthology" of 1956. In the piece, Cloar depicts the
dearly departed of Gibson Bayou, dressed in their most formal and somber burial
attire, standing beside their markers - markers with which Cloar said he'd
become so familiar.
Now another group of local residents is working to preserve the
memory of this historic place. Simply named the Gibson Bayou Church/Cemetery
Committee, the group, led by Jack Stepp, has sponsored a number of work days at
the cemetery and is hosting a fundraising benefit this Saturday.
According to a 1970s article by Earle reporter Ann Preston,
The
Speaking of the church house's usage, Dr. James C. Throgmorton
was quoted as saying in the 1919 History of Crittenden County, "This house
was used for various purposes, such as church, school, Sunday school, also a
voting precinct for elections. The pulpit or rostrum was constructed of rough
boards and furnished a place for the Doctor of Divinity to stand while
dispersing his circumlocutions as an antidote for sin."
Committee member Janis Lancaster said that a number of
denominations have used the church, the latest being a Pentecostal group in the
early 1950s. Sunday school classes were held there as late as the mid-50s.
Since the early 60s, said
Of
the graveyard, Pat Isabel Brown wrote in 1967, "The cemetery is still
being used, but it is hard to dig a grave without hitting another one."
However, the cemetery is still in use to this day. Reported Sue
Ann Elms in her weekly Earle news column, there were two internments at the
cemetery in February and March 2002.
Reporting on the cemetery's condition, Brown said in her piece,
"Many of the markers are funeral home markers which have deteriorated
because of weather and are not unreadable. Some of the monuments are broken and
many are hard to read. There are many people buried here who do not have
markers." She followed her article with a list of persons buried without
markers, including entire families.
In their latest efforts, the committee is attempting to have the
church and cemetery listed on the National Historic Registry and has enlisted
the help of U.S. Rep. Marion Berry and a few rural development agencies.
With the goal of maintaining and restoring the church and
improving the cemetery, the committee continues to accept donations for their
work, and this Saturday they are asking the community to take part in a benefit
for Gibson Bayou. On Saturday the lot by Mad Butcher, intersection of Hwy. 64
in Earle, the committee will have a yard sale beginning at
At
Donations
are welcome, and all proceeds will go to up-keep of the cemetery. Rain date for
the benefit is May 4.
Other committee members and trustees of Gibson Bayou are Ruth
McGill, Janis Lancaster and Joe Wood, and more have joined the committee
recently.
Event Planned to Raise Funds for Gibson Bayou
News Leaders,
EARLE
– The Gibson Bayou Association will hot a yard sale and barbecue on Saturday,
Aug. 2, at the
Proceeds from the event will help build a duplicate church at
the historic site of Gibson Bayou, located north of Earl. An original structure
was built at the site in 1898.
The yard sale will begin at
The barbecue sale begins at
All day, gospels and blue grass music will be provided by
Hickory Hill Bluegrass and Gospel Band of Wynne.
Gibson Bayou Update
Time Share, a Newsletter for
Earle Classmates, January 2004
Published by W. Joe Wood
The
1898
Thanks to those of you that have contributed. Thanks to
those who have helped with fund-raising projects ----- but more funds are
needed.
The previously mentioned video tape has been completed and is
now available. Mrs. Lacie Greer prepared the
30-minute tape from old photos of the church and cemetery that were provided by
many friends. Bryan Speed narrated with the history of this landmark.
Copies of the tape are being sold for $25 and can be ordered from: Jack Stepp,
Also, some who have already purchased the video may have
received faulty or 'less than premium copies'. If so, please return the
faulty tape and a new one will be sent to you without charge.
Plans are underway for producing yet another video or DVD, to
include even more pictures and other items about the
Proceeds will be used for this 'duplication' building fund,
which we hope to begin in the spring or summer of 2004.
Gibson Bayou Update
Time Share, a Newsletter for
Earle Classmates, June 2004
Published by W. Joe Wood
For many years, the Gibson Bayou Committee, currently headed by
Jack Stepp of Earle, has been raising funds to
maintain the church and cemetery. In the mid 1900s, Cliff Chism undertook the job of 'cleaning-up' the overgrown
cemetery, and at his death, others have volunteered and finally formed a
committee to maintain this landmark. Many and varied fund raising
projects existed. For the past few years, about $2,500-$3,000 is needed
yearly just to mow the grass at the cemetery. AND, a great job of this
has been done for the past several years.
Since August 2000, Timeshare has
asked your help for this maintenance and to repair/restore the Church. Thanks to
many of you, and the other friends of the
The August, 2002 [issue] of Timeshare reported the restoration
fund had been changed to a 'replication fund.' The January, 2004 issue
stated that the circa 1898 church building was razed due to it's decaying
condition.
During April, 2004, the foundation and piers were laid, then on
Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, a crew of volunteers laid the flooring and
framed the walls. Almost every week-end since, more progress is being
made.
Completion of this duplicate
Gibson Bayou Update
Time Share, a Newsletter for
Earle Classmates, May 2005
Published by W. Joe Wood
The interior walls are being installed. The raised pulpit area
has been
completed. The pews are being put back in THANKS to many of you that have
helped in the expenses of this landmark duplication project. Please continue
to donate to this Building Fund and the Cemetery Maintenance Fund.
On
From the history of the Earle
Methodist church: "On a cold day in January, 1906, thirteen Baptist and
Methodist met in a small frame building at 1212 2nd street in Earle to begin a
Sunday School and Church. They alternated pastors -- a Methodist for two weeks,
then a Baptist for two weeks. The Methodist Pastor was Rev. Bedford Lee
Harris. His parents had named him for the Bedford Forrest, and Robert E.
Lee. He was a member of the White River Conference of Arkansas, and was
appointed to the Marion-Crawfordsville Circuit, which included all of
The history of the Earle Baptist
church differs slightly, in that it states their church was organized in the
fall of 1902, when an Associational Missionary, the Rev. R. C. Medaris "came to this tiny untamed village, surrounded
by dense forests in which all types of wild game abound." Their history
states "the Baptist church was started over the objections of many -- as
there was already a
The Earle Methodist history says that prior to 1906, Earle
Methodists worshipped at Gibson Bayou. The Methodist parsonage burned in
1933, and is seems that all prior records were destroyed in the fire, thus the
Methodist history was reconstructed from the memory of some of the 1933
members.
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Deborah Lunsford Yates, 2000 - 2012
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