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1950’s – Dinner on the grounds
Dinner on the grounds at Newport's First Baptist Church was a favorite activity on pretty Sundays. The Reverend Ed McDonald thought it was a good idea and apparently so did a lot of little boys. (Courtesy of Jane Parnell.)
1950’s – Silver Moon
The Silver Moon in Newport, with a seating capacity of 800, was thought to be the largest honky-tonk in Arkansas. People came from as far away as Memphis to hear Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Sonny Burgess, and many other rock-and-roll,...
1957 – Boy Scouts
Boy Scout Troop No. 67 from Newport prepares to attend the National Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1957. Pictured here are, from left to right, (first row) David Hare, Jim Carr, and Robin Carr; (second row) troop leader Ray Fann, Stanley Wilson, Cecil...
1950’s – George Kell’s Team
Baseball hall of famer George Kell of the Detroit Tigers, a native of Swifton, coached this all-star team in the mid-1950's. Clockwise from the bottom left are James McCoy, Mike Allen, Sonny Wayland, Kell, Crackie Parker, Chigger Jones, Dale Harrison and George Kell...
1956 – Sonny Burgess, early Pacers
Jackson County native Sonny Burgess, in the dark coat, entertains the crowd at Farmers Day in 1956 with his band, the Pacers. Onstage with Sonny are Kern Kennedy on the piano, Bobby Crafford on drums, Jack Nance on trumpet, Joe Lewis on lead guitar, and Johnny Ray...
1955 – Elvis at Swifton Gym
Elvis Presley warms up for a performance at the Swifton High School gymnasium in 1955. A 13-year-old Tara Chapman snapped this photograph with her Brownie camera; later, her father took her to Elvis's pre-Graceland house in Memphis, and the King came out and sang to...
1955 – Lindley and Governor
As the newly elected governor of Arkansas Girls State, Newport's Lindley Williams is escorted into her inauguration by Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus in 1955. Outfitted in her prom dress, Williams was following the tradition of her day, which clearly did not regard...
1953 – February Follies
For many years, the Newport Service League put on an annual follies to raise money for its many charitable projects. This was always a popular enterprise, both for the many citizens who loved the opportunity to strut their stuff onstage under the direction of a...
1953 – Newport’s Business Leaders
Gov. Francis Cherry ( front row, fourth from right ) visited Newport in 1953 to meet with the town's business leaders. Chamber of commerce executive director Maude Hinkle escorted him around and undoubtedly apprised him of the many industrial development opportunities...
1953 – Tim and Smiley Burnett
Nine-year-old Tim Watson won the Smiley Burnett Look-Alike Contest in 1953. Burnett was a film star who played in the cowboy movies many children loved to watch on Saturday afternoons. Young Tim came home from the movie with his prize, a mean little Shetland pony,...
1952 – President Truman speaks in Newport
President Harry Truman (speaking) made a stop in Newport in 1952 to campaign for his old friend Sid McMath, who had held Arkansas in the Democratic Party in 1948 when the Dixiecrats bolted and almost cost Truman his election. Sitting on the platform with Truman are,...
1951 – African American High School
W.F. Branch High School, the Newport school for African American children, was imposing. In the wake of the 1954 Brown decision by the US Supreme Court, the Newport School Board constructed additional modern school buildings in an attempt to stave off school...
1952 – Emory Chapel Methodist Church
Emory Chapel United Methodist Church in Newport was originally a congregation of the northern Methodist Episcopal Church. Established in 1881, the first church on Front Street was traded in 1897 for a lot on Remmel Avenue, where it is still in operation. The church...
1951 – St. Paul’s Fire
In 1951, two young boys broke into the sacristy of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and started a fire in the sanctuary, perhaps accidentally. The ensuing blaze gave the townspeople quite a scare, but the Newport Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire without...
1951 – Gov. Sid McMath speaks
Gov. Sid McMath came to speak at the fifth Farmers Day in 1951, when he was running for reelection. A record crowd of 10,000 people was reported that year. Eleanor Jowers, on the left seems to be less than impressed. Miss Newport Betty Castleberry, on the right, sang...
1950’s – Farmer’s Day goes into the night
Farmers Day extended into the night and drew huge crowds from all over the county. Note the level of racial integration in a town that had experienced very little racial tension to this point. (Courtesy of Farmers Electric.)
1950’s – Farmer’s Day, Remmel Park
Farmers Day was an annual production of Farmers Electric Company and the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) and a popular event in Newport for over 20 years. Staged at Remmel Park and on the high school football field, the day's events included musical...
1950’s – Downtown Newport
Downtown Newport in the early 1950's showed many improvements over earlier years, as evidenced by this postcard. On Saturdays, this stretch of Front Street was crowded with shoppers and moviegoers, as everyone came to town for a day of socializing, "Out on the...
1950 – School Play – Snow White
Mary Erwin's sixth-grade class performed Snow White at the Walnut Street School in 1950. Among the cast members are, from left to right, (first row) Aubrey Burgess, Duane Egnis, Leo Davis, James Edward Morris, Dallas Burrow, David Adcox, Earl Jones, Wayne Orsborn,...
1940’s – Mule Race
The mule race held at Lockwood Park in Newport in the late 1940's was a fundraiser for a local business. Mules were famously ungovernable and obstinate, so the prospect of watching local leaders try to make them race was one that promised hilarity and an uncertain...
1949 – Safety Patrol
The 1949 Safety Patrol at Gibbs Albright Elementary School in Newport was composed of a group of proud young boys who had been selected for their good grades and good deportment. As in other towns, girls were not eligible to serve on the Safety Patrol- often to their...
1940’s – Steve KNBY
Newport High School senior Steve Stephens showed an early talent for the entertainment industry when he worked as a disc jockey at Newport's radio station, KNBY. Stephens later went on to statewide fame as the host of the weekday afternoon television dance party in...
1949 – Sam Walton and John Minor
A 15-year-old John Minor (right) stands with his pal Sam Walton at a nearby fishing camp. Walton was manager of Newport's Ben Franklin Store, and he soon became president of the chamber of commerce and a community leader. Unfortunately, Walton was not able to renew...
1948 – Newport Bar Association
The Newport Bar Association gathered for its annual fall party in 1948. Pictured are, from left to right, (first row) Fred Pickens Jr., Jud Hout, J. Fred Parish, Harold Ervin, Kaneaster Hodges Sr., Roy Evans, W.H. Reid, and Millard Hardin; (second row) Jessie Berry...