Greene County, Arkansas - Centennial Edition Section 2

=============================================================================================================

Photo Caption:
Identified as a work crew at The Henry Warpe Co. in 1902, the above photograph indicates that stave work was, for the most part, a young man's occupation. A few grizzled faces dot the crowd, but most are young and many are children. Some men still living in Paragould began working in the mills as early as age 8. At one time almost 50 sawmills dotted the Greene County landscape, sawmills of almost every size and type. Top right, the Hasty mill was one of the larger operations. Lower right, the Dover brothers had a family operation near the present junction of Hwy. 412 and Reynolds Road. And the woods were full of smaller mills.

Photographs are courtesy of: The Big Picture files; Mack West; Mary Keasler;

Above Left Photo Caption:

Dickson Lumber Co., owned by Clarence Dickinson, was located on Poplar Street, where the Chamber of Commerce office is now. This photograph is thought to have been taken in 1902 or '03.

Above Right Photo Caption:

Paragould was once considered a barrel capital of the world, or more correctly a barrel stave capital. Everett Pickney, above , worked 13 years for the big Wrape mill and has had is own smaller operation since 1970. Located on the site of the old Missouri Pacific roundhouse, Pickney's P&J Stave Mill is the only stave factory left in a town that once had many. The mill rough cuts white oak staves that are shipped to Memphis to be finished and made into Seagram whiskey barrels.

Photographs are courtesy of: Cathryne Lane and Mark Lashley/Daily Press.