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| Chamber booklet revealed area's assets during 1930s |
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| Question: Boone County Heritage Museum hosted the Harrison Chamber of Commerce "Business Before Hours" this past Wednesday. Several old Chamber brochures from the early 1930s were displayed, and one person suggested that a Friday column be done about how Harrison was promoted at that time. |
 Answer: The 1930 booklet issued by the Chamber of Commerce (pictured left) referred to Harrison as the "Hub of the Ozarks" and as being "In The Land of a Million Smiles." It is fascinating to see what our town had to offer not only tourists, but residents alike.
The railroad center, both in Harrison and Bergman, was highly promoted, listing passenger trains daily schedules linking service to all Midwest cities.
Accommodations were provided in Harrison for all classes of tourists, with cabins or tent space at the tourist park, or the luxurious appointments of the Hotel Seville, referred to as "One of the most beautiful hotels of its size in America." Several other hotels offered an equally cordial welcome.
Coweta Falls was featured as a private fishing resort and all you needed to play at the local Harrison Country Club was to bring your clubs. But the Chamber brochure did not just advertise Harrison - it publicized the entire county. Churches of all denominations were represented, with church life closely aligned with social activities of the small communities of the county.
Bragging of paved streets extending into all residential sections of Harrison, and good surfaced gravel roads in the county, were certainly selling points to our out-of-state visitors. I question the statement about "good" gravel roads, since you hear many stories about "chug holes" on county roads about this time. |
| In almost all old advertising for this part of Arkansas, the one thing mentioned was the fruit growing industry. Evidently, apples grown in Boone County captured first place at the Arkansas State Fair each year. Also mentioned were canning factories - in 1930, our county had 17 tomato canning factories. These factories canned about $500,000 worth of tomatoes annually and had no trouble finding a market for the finished product. |
| "Facts About Harrison" made up the closing page of the little brochure: |
| Elevation: Approximately 1,200 feet above sea level; |
| Headquarters of the Missouri & North Arkansas railway; |
| 1930 population estimate (preliminary): 3,623; |
| Three banks, total resources approximately $2 million; |
| One daily newspaper and two weeklies; one printing plant; |
| Four hotels & eight restaurants; |
| Amusements - two motion picture houses, golf course, miniature golf course, swimming pool, two bowling alleys, indoor croquet; |
| Auditoriums - Community Hall, National Guard Armory; |
| Organizations - Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternal orders, active Rotary and Lions Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, several women's clubs active in public affairs; |
| Principal streets are paved with especially wide thoroughfares about the Court Square, in the heart of the business district; |
| Mail Service - Six rural routes operate daily from post office housed in commodious Federal building, city-wide parcel post and mail delivery by truck and carriers; |
| Transportation - two M&NA passenger trains daily to north and south, bus connections, Missouri Pacific White River Branch with two trains daily, six bus lines give daily service in all directions over graveled highways; |
| Distances - Springfield, Missouri, 98 miles; Little Rock, 150 miles; Branson, Missouri, 38 miles; Fayetteville, 108 miles; |
| More than 100 retail outlets in all lines, one wholesale grocery, one wholesale hardware; |
| Excellent utility facilities providing electrical service, telephones, water, ice and sewer. |
| Since some of the Chamber members were first-time visitors to the museum, many commented about all the artifacts and memorabilia housed in the Heritage Museum. We strive to preserve the history of this county and its people, and we are proud of the collection so generously donated by people who value their heritage. |
| Have you turned in your family history for Volume II of the Boone County, Arkansas Family History Book? Take time to compile your family history to be published - whether you have lived here seven days or 70 years, we welcome your addition to this book. |
| The Boone County Heritage Museum, located on the corner of South Cherry Street and Central Avenue, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Breece can be contacted at bchm@alltel.net |
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