1960’s – Miss Arkansas

1960’s – Miss Arkansas

1960s

Nita Kay VanHook (later Lindsey), as of this writing, has been Newport’s only Miss Arkansas. Here, she cuts a ribbon before an admiring throng of homefolks. Beauty pageants like the Miss Jackson County contest, held annually, were a staple of small-town life....
1960’s – Swifton Coon Hunt

1960’s – Swifton Coon Hunt

1960s

Hunting has remained a constant among the premier activities of Jackson County males over the last 185 years. Here, Jack Jimerson (left) and Claude Brown of Swifton display the results of their most recent raccoon hunt. Duck hunting is by far the preferred form of the...
1960’s – Nicholson Tractor, Swifton

1960’s – Nicholson Tractor, Swifton

1960s

Tractors, large combines, and cotton-picking machines spelled the downfall of many agricultural towns throughout the South. As mechanization robbed laborers of their jobs, they moved away, taking their buying power with them. If towns could not generate other sources...
1960’s – Tornado Destruction

1960’s – Tornado Destruction

1960s

Tornadoes have always been a constant threat in Jackson County, as in much of Arkansas. The damage shown here reflects the incredible force of these storms, which generally track the old Southwest Trail from southwest to northeast through Arkansas. Although Newport is...
1960’s – Bob Penix and Jim Bailey

1960’s – Bob Penix and Jim Bailey

1960s

Two leading Tuckerman farmers, Bob Penix (left) and Jim Bailey, inspect a crop of peanuts. As intensive cotton farming robbed the soil of its minerals, farmers experimented with a wide variety of other crops in an effort to replenish the soil. Eventually, soybeans and...
1960’s – Robert Harvey

1960’s – Robert Harvey

1960s

Robert Harvey, a lifelong resident of Swifton, was a longtime member of the Arkansas General Assembly. Senator Harvey was one of the most influential members of the Arkansas legislature for decades and the author of the Revenue Stabilization Act, by which the State of...