When she arrived in Norman, Ark., Marie Pinkerton disliked the untidy appearance of the park in the center of the town, so she founded the Garden Club to help improve the area. With help from the Works Progress Administration, the Garden Club replaced the barbed wire fence with a native stone wall and installed four diamond-shaped flower beds in the park. The club also raised funds to turn a small building in the center of the park into a town library. The Norman Town Square was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Montgomery County News Sept. 17 2015. by Betty Ruth
Crump Williams.
Norman Garden Club 1937
In the early 1930s Mr J. L. Pinkerton and his wife, Marie
Pinkerton, moved to Norman. He took over the management of the Black Springs
Lumber Company Mill. Marie started to work at the company commissary, which was
across the from the town square. Everyday she looked at the unsightly square
with its rugged barbed wire fence and dreamed that someday a public library
would be located in the center of it with a nice rock fence around it.
Finally she organized the town's women and named them the
Norman Garden Club. This was in 1936 and by April 25, 1937 the club was
officially in place with a membership of fifteen. The membership grew to more
than sixty. They held fundraisers. They managed to get most of the building
materials donated. A public library was built in the town square. The WPA with
the help from several local men constructed a rock fence. A cable that had been
lying in the Caddo River was dragged out, cleaned, and attached to the rock
fence and then painted. The cable had arrived by rail some 27 years earlier but
after the doomed Slatington Mine closed in 1910. The club made flower beds and
planted the state flower from every state. They presented home talent plays and
skits to raise funds to beautify the city square and to purchase books for the
library, which was used by the Norman high School for a number of years. The
photo in the MCN has the old Norman High as the backdrop. All the ladies'
dresses were made from the same pattern and material but different colors - all
bought from the commissary. Each lady paid for her dress material but some
couldn't sew, so Hattie Crump and Goldie Cox made several of the dresses. The
Norman Library is still open from 1-4 on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. The
square,
library [Aug.
2013 article] and the old Norman High School are listed on the National
Register of Historic places.
Forward.
First Row from left: Pearl Hogan, Goldie Cox, Bernice Phelps, Winston Cook,
Marie Pinkerton, Lodia Rowland, Alta Cook, Myrtle Thomas, Esther Kaut
2nd Row: Nova Rowton, Dora Reece, Hattie Crump, Nora Davis, Mable Bates, Mrs
J.H. Davis, Marie Newman
3rd Row: Gertrude Scroggins, Mae Eudy, Mrs John Walker, Ezzie Davis, Faye
Lively (nee Crump), Mrs Neighbors, Faye Hicks Robbins, Winnie Page.
4th Row: Ida Dalton, Beatrice McMillan, Eva Parkinson, Minerva Simpson, Rosie
McMillan, Iva Reece
5th Row: Gladys Markham, Orvie Johnson, (unknown), Leoda Reece, Elsie Millam,
Elsie Hickey, Dortha Anderson, Buenna Warneke, Avis Goodner.
Anderson Clyde nee Dorothy KENT Bate [Bates] Ted nee Jenny May BRUNT Chopin Madge Clady Nora Cook Orba Cook Winson [Winston] w/o Grady W. Cook Cox Cy Crump Clyde nee Hattie ANDERSON Dalton Will nee Ida Irene KING David Mrs J.P. Davis Berry nee Ezzie MILAM Davis Mrs J.H. nee Jewel ONEAL Donblogan Mrs Endy Mrs (Mae) Foshee Marvin Goodner Jeff nee Avis ANDERSON Hickey Olen (Elise) |
Hogan Frank nee Pearl ROBERTS Johnson Faye Johnson Lee Johnson Richard E. nee Roberta Kirk Earl Kout [Kaut] Fred nee Esther E. McMillian Roger McMillian Mrs E. (Beatrice) Neighbors Will Newman Marie - deceased Parkerson Walter nee Mrs Eva Smith Pinkerton Mrs J. Luther nee Marie Rawton Frank Reece Albert nee Iva Lee Reece Earl nee Dora L MAXEY Reece, SR Robert Owen nee Leotta PROWSE Robbins Olen nee Faye HICKS |
Roland [Rowland]Melvin nee Loda R Scott Grady nee Cilia Simpson Mrs L.A. (Minerva) Slaughter Oscar nee Iva COOK Smith Gube Smith Jess Smith Juanita Stewart Maude Stief [Steif] Bob nee Rita Dee ROWAN Tarver Wildon Thomas Norine Thomas Paul Thompson Clarence nee Nora Vaughn Chas. Walker John Walker Maude Wohiue??? Mrs R.G. |
Lets give these women a first name. Please let me know any spelling errors and Christian names. Thanks. There appears to be [misspellings] of some of the names. A large image. Source unknown.