1890’s – Best’s Restaurant and Saloon

1890’s – Best’s Restaurant and Saloon

Berry Best’s brother and sister-in-law Ira and Jewel Best owned a popular restaurant and saloon at the corner of Walnut and Front Streets.  The kitchen help is pictured here standing outside with Ira’s domesticated wolves.  The man in the dark hat in the...
1890’s – Best Livery Stable

1890’s – Best Livery Stable

Berry J. Best ran a thriving wagon yard and livery stable at the turn of the 20th Century.  Here, he bought and sold horses, mules, built and repaired wagons, and sold feed for livestock, which were crucial to one of the major forms of transportation at the time....
1890’s – Black River Railroad Bridge

1890’s – Black River Railroad Bridge

The railroad bridge over the Black River had a swinging section in order to let the tall steamboats pass through, as did most railroad bridges of this era.  The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway Company built a branch line at the little town of Diaz that...
1890’s – White River Ferry at Newport

1890’s – White River Ferry at Newport

In the days before a bridge crossed the White River, ferries were the only means of transporting mules and wagons, with their loads of goods and people, from one side to the other.  This postcard with the signature white ink of photographer Parker, made its way to...
1898 – Newport Lake Frozen

1898 – Newport Lake Frozen

In the 1898 ice storm, Newport Lake froze solid, and men and boys had a fine time challenging Mother Nature.  The banks of Newport Lake had been the site of many Indian encampments before the coming of the white settlers.  The lake was a source of both pleasure and...
1890’s – Doswell Institute

1890’s – Doswell Institute

The Doswell Institute was a private school in Auvergne established in 1896 by Franklin Doswell, who was prominent in leading education efforts in Jackson County.  Although the students paid tuition, the school was not successful and closed in 1906, perhaps because by...