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| Tims Chili Kitchen remembered downtown |
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| Question: Several years ago, I read something about a chili kitchen in Harrison. Do you know what business that could possibly be, and when it operated? |
| Answer: No doubt the business you read about was Tims Chili Kitchen, a well known and popular place to eat in Harrison for several years. Located on the south side of Stephenson Avenue just off the southeast corner of the square, Nathaniel Newton Tims opened his eating establishment in 1925. Even today, many people remember the famous Tims Chili which still remains as a Tims family recipe. |
| N. N. Tims moved with his parents to the Capps area several years before 1900. While the family had intended to move to California from Missouri, their stop in Capps was necessitated by the illness of a daughter. While waiting for her to recover, they fell in love with the area and decided to stay in what was then callen Mountain Spring. They bought land for a house near the spring and additional land (more than 200 acres) for orchards and pastures. Their old homeplace has been known for many years as the Flora Worthington place. |
| Nathaniel Newton married Routh Floyd March 15, 1899, after returning home from the Spanish-American War. Children born to this union were: Paul Newton, who died as an infant; Anna Lee, who married Estella Kendall; Irtie Jane, who married Cleo Stewart; Ernest, who married Maud Marvin Lindsey; Fay Almarine, who married Arlie Turner; Ove Gene, who married Carl Orendorff; and Morene, who married James Akers. Anna Lee is the only remaining child alive, residing in Little Rock. Several grandchildren, including Gale Turner Young, Gene Turner and Donna Gene Childers, make Harrison their home today. |
| As the N. N. Tims children advanced to high school age, the family moved into Harrison from Capps so the children would have opportunity to attend high school. Buying a home with three lots on North Vine Street (now Main Street), where Hudson Grocery now stands, the Tims lived there the rest of their lives. |
| Tims served on the city council and was responsible for the purchase of 10 additional acres of land added to Maplewood Cemetery, which was a wise decision. Had it not been for this purchase, the cemetery would have run out of spaces long before the announcement in 2005. |
| The Tims family was always active in community affairs and involved in the Methodist Church of Capps and later, Harrison. |
| When the youngest child, Anna Lee, graduated from high school, someone asked Tims "If it weren't a bit sad to have the last of his seven children to finish school." Tims replied, "I should say not. This makes me happy to get the last one through." |
| Using a magnifying glass, one can read the signs on the mirror behind the counter in Tims Chili Kitchen: Ham, Bacon, Sausage and Eggs; Chili, Soup and That Good Coffee; and Our Advertised Good Pipe Mixture - 2 and ½ ounces - 10 cents. His outstanding chili sold for 5 and 10 cents a bowl - what a bargain. |
| Tims operated the Chili Kitchen until 1936 when it was sold to Jim White. |
| The Heritage Museum, located on the corner of South Cherry Street and Central Avenue, strives to preserve the history of Boone County and its people. Stories and pictures of businesses, such as Tims Chili Kitchen, are available for the public to enjoy Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. We invite you to come visit. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Smith can be contacted at bchm@windstream.net |
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