Chapter Fourteen

Agriculture and Industry

Page 298-304

The Flippin Livestock Auction continued to operated under various owners until the late 1960's or early 1970's when Tobe Daffron, the owner at that time, moved it to Mountain Home where he still operates it. The Yellville Livestock Auction apparently was not so successful and did not continue for nearly so long as the Flippin Auction. It is now occasionally used as a site for a horse show and auction.

The production of a better grade of dairy cattle also developed a growing interest in the production of milk and cream for the market. Many farmers shipped milk to Springfield in five and ten gallon milk cans that moved over the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Later milk routes were established in practically every section of the county. In time a Farmers Cooperative Creamery was organized and a cheese plant was built at Yellville. Farmers throughout the county found a convenient market for their milk and cream. It no longer operates as a cream plant. There is in Yellville a goat milk canning plant that has been in operation for about 20 years. Some farmers raise milk goats and supply the plant with the milk.

For a short time farmers in the south part of the county tried production of strawberries as a money crop. This was successful as long as the Flint Rock Berry Growers Association of Marshall was active and maintained a big acreage and the Berry Auction in Marshall. In the past few years, due to the difficulty in securing pickers, the Searcy County market has almost disappeared and only a few farmers now grow strawberries commercially. Col. Deva Still on Highway 14 South has an acreage and found a ready market for his 1976 crop at a good price. He is, along with Dr. Svendson of Yellville, engaged in growing and marketing fine apples, pears and other fruits which find a ready market. It is hoped that their success may encourage others to plant orchards, at least enough to produce fruit for home consumption.

It seems that this pretty well covers and will serve as a resume of agriculture in Marion County.

The next most important industry in Marion County is the timber industry. Since the county had an abundance of fine hardwood trees, pine and cedar, it was one of the first industries in the county. Small sawmills were built by the early settlers of the county and many men and boys found employment in cutting the timber, hauling it to the mills, and many were employed at the mills. Some of this fine lumber found its way by wagon to Springfield, Missouri markets and other found its way by rafts or flat boats down the Buffalo and White Rivers to the Steamboats plying White River from McBee's Landing to Batesville and Newport from whence it was shipped by rail to all parts of the country. Incidentally, the fine quality of this lumber can be attested to by an inspection of the lumber found in some of the early homes built and still standing in excellent condition now one hundred years after they were built.

The timber industry also furnished employment to many men and boys who cut cedar posts for the market and to those who made cross ties for the railroads. Often these were rafted down the river to Cotter where they were inspected and bought.

Later, most of the virgin white oak, post oak, and, still later, the red oak timber was cut for stave bolts. These bolts were hauled to the stave mills for use in barrels and kegs for storing and aging liquor and wines. There were a number of these stave mills in Marion County at various times, but so far as available information, none are operating now. However, stave bolts are still being cut in the county, particularly the southern part, and hauled to a stave mill near Marshall. Perhaps, some stave bolts are being cut north of White River and sold to mills in Missouri. Some of the names associated with the stave industry which come to mind are: Freeman Brothers who operated several mills at various locations in the county; Ernie Gentry, a native of Rush, who now lives in Mountain Home and his partner, a Mr. Dean of Ava, Missouri, who moved to Flippin; these supplied choice white oak staves to the International market, particularly to French and Italian wine makers; Oscar Crunkleton of Eros who later moved to Springfield and the Kaylors who operated the last stave mill in Flippin. There are doubtless others who operated stave mills in the county whose names cannot now be recalled. Many names are associated with the sawmill and lumber industry in Marion County. The Young family of Pyatt was one of the pioneers in this industry and some members of the family are still engaged in this. N. Carroll for many years was engaged in the sawmill and lumber business at Flippin and after his death members of his family carried on the business for years. The Dillards and Davenports of the Mull and Caney communities in the south part of the county were for many years sawmill operators and engaged in the lumber industry. Perhaps some members of these families are still engaged in this industry.

The Quigley family and the Markle family of the Dodd City-Monarch area have long been associated with the timber industry in Marion County. The Hollingsworth family of Oakland for many years operated a sawmill and had a prosperous lumber business on Little North Fork.

Oscar Crunkleton was engaged in sawmilling and lumber for years in the Eros area. W. W. Treadway was a long-time sawmill and lumber dealer in the Kingdon Springs area. The Fisk family operated sawmills in the Kingdon Springs area. Willie Fisk operated a mill in Old Flippin for a time before moving his mill to the Cowan Barrens area south of Yellville where he continued to operate it most of his life. The Linton family of Summit is another name associated with this industry.

Stell Fletcher of Maumee in Searcy County, perhaps, had at one time the most prosperous sawmill and lumber business in the area. Much of the timber and many of the employees at the mill came from Marion County.

Ike Lack and his son, Guy, operated sawmills in the Buffalo-Rea Valley communities. Lee and Virgil Humphrey operate a mill in Rea Valley at this time. Ambrose Pilgrim operates a cedar mill in Flippin at the present time.

The sawmill and timber industry in Marion County has declined but it is still an important part of the economy of the county. It might be pointed out that from the timber industry have come some specialities and some wood craftsmen. To mention some of these the following come to mind: C. R. Strauss, formerly of Flippin, made cedar chests, furniture and novelties during the Depression 30's; Roy Linton of Summit was a skilled artisan and craftsman of hand-made cedar novelties and toys; Mrs. Hensley of Summit made fine violins and other musical instruments from native timber-hand carved; the Cull Brothers of Pace's Ferry and Cotter made chairs from ash- largely hand-machined, and bottomed with hickory or paw-paw bark; Walter (Chairmaker) Johnson of Newton Flat was also a skilled artisan in the making of this type of chair-no more comfortable chairs have ever been made.

There are doubtless many other names associated with the timber industry in Marion County whose names cannot be recalled but suffice it to say that all of these have played an important part in the economy of the county.

Hunting, trapping and fishing as commercial enterprises have never been of particular importance to the economy of the county but in pioneer days it was a source of both clothing and food. Later hunting and trapping did supply an additional source of revenue during the winter season. Men and boys enjoyed the sport of hunting and trapping fox, coon, possum, an occasional muskrat, beaver and pole cat or skunk. In addition to the sport, the pelts were ready cash when taken to the 'hide dealer', and often brought a good price when the pelts were prime. Some of the early pelt buyers were - Fonce Hall, Baxter Vanzandt, and Edd Parnell of Flippin; Sam Martin of Oakland; Frank Treadway of Peel; Mr. Buchanan of Yellville; W. C. Keeter of Bruno; Pyle and Hudson of Bruno Some hunters and trappers shipped their pelts to Tunston Brothers of St. Louis or to K W. Biggs Company in Kansas City.

During the Depression a great many people turned to mussel shell digging or fishing along White River. Men, women and the larger children were engaged in this work. It was hard, tiring work locating a mussel shell bed in the river, digging these shells while standing in waist-deep, cold water, in the glare of a scorching sun, pestered by flies, gnats and mosquitoes and putting these mussel shells into a bag or sack hung over the shoulder until the bag was filled or became so heavy that one must take to the bank and unload. After this the shells must be opened, cleaned and washed and then sacked ready to be carried to the market where they would be sold to the button factory. The button factory was usually the large factory at Newport, a small one at Oakland and one at Cotter. Occasionally, excitement followed the opening of the shell for a few fine pearls were found. Uncle Ealum Mears of Newton Flat found one that reportedly he sold for $500-a lot of money in that day. Bob and Vesta Williams of Flippin found several of lesser value and Pearl Frost found a valuable one near Pace's Ferry.

Some natives found additional income by digging and marketing certain native herbs used in the production of certain drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians. Among these herbs and plants were: ginsing, mayapple root, Indian red root, and various other plants. Robert Keeter of Summit was, perhaps, the best informed man in the county on such herbs and each spring he spent time collecting and marketing those he had gathered. Jim Davenport of Mull, along with his close friend Mr. Langston, also knew where to find these herbs along Water Creek, Buffalo River, Rush Creek, Cow Creek and near DeSoto Springs. Uncle Ealum Mears of Newton flat was another that knew these herbs, where they could be found, and when to look for them. It was not a source of big revenue and to many of those who gathered, it was more of an opportunity to get out and live close to nature for a brief time in their otherwise busy hum-drum world.

Industry in Marion County now is of a more sophisticated nature. The tourist industry brought about by the building of Bull Shoals Dam and the creation of the huge lake brings literally thousands of tourists into the county annually. These visit and spend days or weeks fishing on the lake or floating the White and Buffalo Rivers and Crooked Creek. The Buffalo State Park, now a part of the National River Park System, has become a favorite vacation spot.

Factories employing hundreds of workers -such as Kenzie Kraft Boats, owned and operated by Kenzie Baird; the Ranger Boat Company, owned and managed by Forrest and Nina Wood; the Micro-Plastic Manufacturing Company-are now located in or near Flippin.

A shipping center for the Mar-Bax Shirt Company of Gassville is located at Yellville or Summit. There is also a Concrete Block Manufacturing plant, a Concrete Culvert Company, and the Marion County Ready-Mix Concrete Company. There are at least three Sand, Gravel, and Crushed Rock Companies in operation. Many citizens of the county are employed in the Mar Bax Shirt factory at Gassville and at the Baxter Laboratories near Mountain Home. The county has a very low unemployment record-less than 4%.

The future outlook is very good and we feel confident that more industries will locate here in the future.