Fordyce, Dallas
County, Arkansas
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 Fordyce was established in 1882, and was given the name "Fordyce" in
honor of the builder of the railroad, named Samuel W. Fordyce.
It obtained a post office on June 25, 1883. Fordyce was incorporated
on April 8, 1884. The town site is reported to have been
partly cleared by W. W. Killigrew before 1850. In 1881, the
property was owned by Dr. A. S. Holderness. The city was a
plat of about 135 acres, mostly north of the tracks, with streets
running parallel and perpendicular to the tracks, which runs
northeast and southwest. Businesses first lined First Street
with about ten stores, two livery stables, a hotel and a depot.
About 1884, business began to line Chief Street. The 18 businesses
on Chief Street were mostly brick buildings, started by the
example of the Hamptons in 1887.
The Fordyce Enterprise was
the first newspaper, started in 1884 by J. M. Raines. According
to the Step. 8, 1887 edition (the oldest Dallas County newspaper
in existence), there were several Fordyce merchants advertising,
Among these were Ederington and Dunn General Merchandise
and Plantation Supplies; G. W. Smith and Bros. Dry Goods, Grocery
and Queenware; Nutt Barnes and Co. Dry Goods, Grocery
and ready Made Clothing; W. A. Elliott General Merchandise;
J. J. Hempstead Watches, Clocks and Jewelry, Amis and
Wilkins, General Merchandise and Plantation Supplies; Chandler
and Rowland General Merchandise and Plantation Supplies;
W. A. Waters and Co. Drug Store; J. E. and G. M. Hampton
General Merchandise; R. W. Cheatham and Bros. General-
Merchandise; and Jordan and Westbrook Livery, Feed and
Sales Stables. The doctors named were M. S. Moore and
J. A. Waters of Fordyce and J. K. I-lodge and W. W. Lea of
Princeton. The lawyers named were R. C. Fuller and Malt
Cramer of Fordyce and M. M. Duffie and R. H. Dedman of
Princeton. The notary publics at Fordyce were HA. Barnes
and D. R. Weyand. S. G. Smith was a barber who advertised "tonsorial
work." Local
residents named were Chas. Robertson, Mrs. W. H. Watson,
Miss Helen Pattillo Sam Nutt (farmer), Edward Jordan,
Mr. Hempstead, Gus Cooks, Capt. Banks, Bailey Green, Wiley
Hampton, Dr. Parham, Mr. Dunn, Mr. J. J. Daniels, Squire
Higginbotham, Billy Bowland, Jord Mosley, Miss Katie Whitfield
(new music teacher at Now Edinburg), Assessor Hawkins,
Bob Richardson, Miss Jennie Robertson (teacher at New Edinburg),
R. W. Parham (farmer), Jeptha Oliver, Miss Katie Grimes
and Mr. Kendrick.
The churches, schools and banks came along with the establishment
of the new town. The Baptists were already active in the
area when Fordyce was established. The Presbyterians came
in 1883 and the Methodists in 1886.The private schools
were the Clary Training School in 1890 sponsored by the
Methodists (with J. D. Clary in charge - this eventually
became the first public school in Fordyce, Gus Warren,
principal) and the Judson Baptist Academy in 1901 sponsored
by the Judson Baptist Association.
The Clary Training School ~ photo
provided by Teresa Harris
By 1908, there were
three banks in Fordyce (the Bank of Fordyce, Citizens
Bank and the South Arkansas Bank, and Trust).
The
National Bank, Fordyce, Arkansas ~ photo provided
by Teresa Harris
The first Kilgore Hotel opened in 1900 on the comer of
East 2nd and Spring, proprietor and owner J. H. Kilgore.
The two-story frame building was replaced by a two-story
brick hotel in 1912, which later burned in 1928. Another
Kilgore Hotel building was constructed that operated
as a hotel until 1957 when it was converted into a rest
home.
The special election to move the County Seat occurred in
1908. The first election narrowed the choices to Princeton
and Fordyce. The second election established Fordyce as
the new Dallas County Seat. The County offices were located
in the upper floor of the McKee building until 1912 when
E. L. Koonce, general contractor, completed the construction
of the new courthouse.
Source: Merritt, Richard (1976) Review of Dallas County, AR
History gleaned from the Bicentennial Edition of the Fordyce-NEWS
ADVOCATE.
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