Greene County, Arkansas - Centennial Edition Section 2

Greene County Arkansas

Paragould, Arkansas

Centennial Edition Section 2

10- Section 2, Centennial Edition Paragould Daily Press, Monday, August 29, 1983

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"The Business of Greene County businesses is business"

S.L. Joseph's and the Bertig Brothers' department stores were located across the street from each other in buildings now occupied by Belk's and the Heritage. Joseph is fifth from left and Ad Bertig third from left in their respective pictures.

Photo courtesy: Webb Green Photo courtesy: Mary Keasler

Continued from Page 9

Vance Cupp and Sons
   In 1933, J.E. and Rosa Newberry
built a cotton gin in the Light commu-
nity and one of his sons-in-law man-
aged it. Vance Cupp Sr. attended a
cotton classing school in Memphis. It
was Newberry Gin until 1946 when,
after Newberry's death and the gin
burned and was rebuilt by the Cupp
family, it was renamed Vance Cupp
and Sons Gin.
   The gin was first powered by steam
and the engine burned cord wood which was cut from timber in the com-
munity. A diesel motor later was in-
stalled. An electric motor was used
until 1975, when the gin ceased to op-
erate because the acreage was turned
to grain production.
   The building now serves as a ware-
house for farm products. On the site
today is also a fertilizer blender plant
built in 1973. In 1975 the granary was
licensed by the federal government as
a bonded warehouse for stored grain.
In 1977 the first commercial milo dryer
in Greene County was installed and in 1982 the storage capacity of grain was increased to 400,000 bushels. The

complex is still operated by the Cupp family.
Before the gin was built in 1933,
Newberry and Lawrence Dacus, both
of whom lived in Walcott, built a gene-
ral store at Light in 1903. In 1912 Newberry bought out Dacus' share and
rode horseback from Walcott to Light
to open the store at daylight and close
at dark.
In 1916 he moved his family to Light
and continued to operate the store until his death in 1938. The Vance Cupp family took over the store in the 1950s and continues to operate the Vance Cupp and Sons store.

Dollins Furniture Co. Inc.
The building which houses Dollins
Furniture Co. Inc. was built in 1907
and was called Breckenridge Mercen-
tile. The furniture company was estab-
lished in September 1933. The building was shared with Johnson-Cloyce Hard-ware until the late 1950s when Dollins Furniture acquired the entire building.
Danny Dollins is the owner.

Greene County Abstract Co.
Greene County Abstract Co. at 120
N. Second St. was established in Janu-

ary 1935 and searches and abstracts legal records. L.V. and Olga Hooper
Rhine are the owners.

Kingsway Supper Club
   The Kingsway Supper Club opened
in 1935 and was built by Walter Cole.
It was purchased by Joe Coates in
1938, then by Gary and Mary Hughes
in 1980. It became a private club on
Nov. 19, 1981.
   The dance floor is made of Michigan
beechwood, while the interior is panel-
ed in pithy cypress from the Cache
River bottom.

Arnold's Jewelry Inc.
Arnold's Jewelry Inc., located at 115
S. Pruett St., opened in Rector on May
1, 1936, and moved to its present loca-
tion on July 15, 1950.
M.R. and Pearl Arnold are the owners.

Terry's Cafe
   Terry's Cafe was established in the late 1930s where the Capitol Theatre stands today, but moved across the street to 117 W. Emerson St. in 1964 when Beulah Beasley took over. In June 1983, under the ownership of Ken and JoAnn Lizenbee, the cafe moved

back across to 110 W. Emerson St.

Paragould Abstract Co.
   Paragould Abstract Co. was estab-
lished by W. A. Branch in 1941 and
operated by his daughter, Frances,
until he sold it to Alfred J. Holland on
May 16, 1976. It became the first computerized title plant in the state in
June 1982.
   The business at 113 W. Emerson St.
is managed by Jo Ann Gassaway. The
company handles land title abstracts.

Heath Funeral Home
   Verlyn and Helen Heath came to
Paragould Aug. 1, 1945, with the pur-
chase of Irby Funeral Home at 221 W.
Main St.
   The Heaths purchased the A. J.
Emerson Funeral Home in Paragould
in 1952 and merged the two businesses
   On Dec. 12, 1970, the Heaths built a
new facility at 321 W. Garland St.
Lynda Heath Bryant and Verlyn G.

continued on Page 11

Transcribed from the 1983 Centennial Edition by : PR Massey

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