1
“Little” Midvale, Idaho Midvale used to be a pretty good size town. At one time there were a big market (grocery) & dry goods store, two banks and a service station. Now we have 3 church- es, a cafe, post office, fire station, ambulance serv- ice, large school, library, small market, VFW hall, but no service station. (Population in 2013 was 160) There is now a dirt “walking” trail” where the railroad used to run thru town. The trail is also used by a Wagon Train which passes thru Midvale once a year and camps overnight in our park (Nice park). Our home on Keithly Creek Road is 4.6 miles west of Midvale, from where we look out across a prairie, where over 2000 head of cattle graze, to the Sturgill and Hitt mountain ranges, which are normally snow-covered until early July. A portion of Payette National Forest is only 7 miles west of our home, and 50 miles to our north- west is Hells Canyon, Ore- gon, where we used to go fishing (in our younger years), for catfish in the Snake River. I’m now 91 and Kenneth is only 85. We have been married 54 years and have lived outside Midvale continu- ously since 1998. We had lived in the same house previously before moving to Oregon for a few years before 1998. I’m originally from Kensett, but lived in Des Arc from 1942 to 1959. Kenneth was born in Ore- gon. When Ken and I mar- ried in 1962, Kenneth had one daughter, Diana; and I had two daughters, Wanda and Brenda, and three sons, Roger, Lynvel and Jerry. Why we now live in Idaho is because when vis- iting Jerry who lived in Cambridge, ID, only 12 miles from Midvale, we found we loved the area. But we’ve since lost Jerry in 2002, Brenda in 2009 and Diana in April 2015. We first lived in Califor- nia for about 10 years, where Ken operated heavy equipment; and then moved to Kensett, Ar in 1971 for about 5 years to care for my parents who still lived there. Another lengthy living stint includ- ed 18 years in Hydro, OK. Love to all, Iona Burnett Botts Note: The 1078 mile- long Snake River, in which the Botts fished, begins in Wyoming in Yellowstone National Park, continues across southern Idaho, then along the Oregon bor- der and thru Hells Canyon on to Washington where it meets the Columbia River. “T “T HE HE P P AGES AGES T T URNED URNED B B ACK ACK ” ” (Compiled from White River Journal files) Thursday, April 7, 1932 Thursday, March 20, 1958 Thursday, April 1, 1943 W HITE R IVER J OURNAL , T HURSDAY , M ARCH 31, 2016 3 See photos in COLOR, Online L t. Commander F. Julian Becton, was a hero of the USS Aaron Wards’ epic battle with a superior Japanese force last No- vember, it has been learned in his hometown of Memphis. Becton was second in command of the Aaron Ward, a de- stroyer when it took on four Japanese ships in- cluding a battleship and sunk or damaged all. Commander Becton was born at Des Arc, son of former residents, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Becton, who moved from Des Arc to Hot Springs a few years ago. Two-hundred and fifty million dollars has been set as the non-bank quota for the Eighth Fed- eral Reserve District in the Second War Loan starting April 12. The Treasury Department will borrow 13 billion dollars in the greatest money-raising campaign in World history. Eight billion will come from non-bank investors and five billion from bank sources with the enor- mous sum being used to back up our armed forces who are carrying the fight to the enemy in Europe, North Africa and the far- flung islands of the South Pacific. Of the quarter- billion non-bank quota, the money will be raised by the sale of War Bonds to Americans. Arkansas’ quota is $20,160,000. U. S. Bonds will be issued in any denomination you wish. Preparations are be- ing made by the Prairie County Health Dept. for tuberculosis clinics which are scheduled for April 13 and 14. The one for Des Arc will be at the Courthouse at 9 a. m. April 14, advises J. F. Hays, M. D. Director. Seventy-five club offi- cers and 4-H Club local leaders met at Oak Prairie, Wednesday, March 24, with Mr. W. J. Jernigan, State Club Agent. County officers elected are President, Billy Joe Morton, Oak Prairie; secretary, Virginia Castleberry, DeValls Bluff; reporter, Richard Norman, Des Arc; song leader, Twyla Sommers, Des Arc. A county com- mittee was appointed in- cluding officers and Mrs. Anna Murray from Oak Prairie. Program num- bers were presented by Des Arc Jr. Girls, Oak Prairie, Prairie Chapel, Cuneo, DeValls Bluff, and Idlewild. Other clubs rep- resented were Edwards and Brown Grove. Des Arc Young Bus- ness Men’s Club met at the cafeteria on the cor- ner at Young’s Dept. Store for dinner and then by the courtesy of Mr. Bar- low, the store manager, the group retired to the furniture room where an interesting meeting was held. R. H. Romunder of Des Arc, president of the Choctaw Transportation Co., informed us Tuesday that he had just returned from a trip last week through Missouri, Ne- braska and Iowa, on the Missouri River looking for a few steel barges to be used in transporting logs on a large govern- ment contract his com- pany has. Our old friends, Bill Tipton, L. C. Arrowood, J. M. Holland, B. W. Bran- ham Sr., and C. G. Pruett, the blacksmith, East Side citizens, have been to town since our last. Our old friends, L. T. Vandiver, S. S. Conder, Ed Harper and Buford Sis- son of the Northside, were in town trading last Saturday. Miss Maxine Marsh, who has been employed on the Government Steamer, Progress, out of Memphis, visited with her parents, M. and Mrs. L. D. Marsh and friends here this week. The Des Arc Senior High class and their sponsor, Miss Nettie Spradlin, were enter- tained last Thursday af- ternoon at a fish fry. P rairie County offi- cials must elimi- nate all unneces- sary expenses and lower several necessary expendi- tures if the county is to stay within its income and meet provisions of Amendment No. 11, J. Bryan Sims, chief of county auditors in the state office said yesterday. As of February 15, 1932, the county has total outstand- ing warrants of $28,031.93. County revenues this year are expected to reach $28,000 and warrants in the sum of $13,754.02 have been issued against the amount with 10 1/2 months to run. Beginning next Sunday, April 10, at 11 a. m., a big tent revival meeting under the auspices of the Methodist Church in Hazen will start and con- tinue for two weeks, two services daily. Rev. John L. Tucker is pastor. Carpenter W. D. DeVore of Des Arc is building on a new residence on his brother, John’s plantation southwest of Des Arc, this week Prairie County is fairly well stocked with good hogs at the present time. There are more hogs in the county than have been in the last three years. There are two or three outbreaks of cholera reported to the County Agent’s office week- ly. At the present price of Anti-Cholera serum, it is not wise to take a chance on losing hogs to cholera. Farmers and others met at the courthouse in Searcy on Saturday and organized the White County Demo- cratic League by the adop- tion of a constitution and by-laws. White County citi- zens say they will demand clean politics. F. N. Baker of Gray township was elected chairman and J. A. Gibson of Center Hill, Des Arc Township, was elected sec- retary. We are glad to report that James Allen, the little 15-year old son of Mrs. Birdie Wall, who was oper- ated on about ten days ago at the Gilliam Infirmary in this city for appendicitis, is on the road to recovery, being able to return home yesterday. Drs. Gilliam, Crow and Yancy, performed the operation which has proven successful so far. A Father and Son Ban- quet, sponsored by the school F.F.A. Chapter will be held at the Masonic Temple in this city Friday night. Members of the Presby- terian Church have added to the beauty of their church and yard this week by trimming up the big oaks on the lawn. Our friends from Mem- phis, Messrs. Hugh and John Hayley and Wm. Stew- art, were in the city on business and meeting old friends here yesterday. Messrs. Ralph Greer, J. F. Loretz, Smith and Rich Lenderman and Owen Hut- son attended the ball game between Chicago White Sox and Little Rock Travelers in Little Rock on Sunday. One candidate for Con- gress in Texas is thoroughly wet, so wet that he went into court and had his name changed so that his initials was made to stand for the word “WET”. He is Walter J. Wet Reid, candi- date from the Fifth District. This candidate is no Prohi- bitionist. Misses Ruie House, Hazel Bacon, Lorena But- ler, Christine Wicklund, Louise Green and Mr. Bruce were motorists to DeValls Bluff and returned on Sunday. Estimated revenue from the increase in postage rates from 2 cents to 3 cents for first class postage is $135,000,000. Grass and trash pile fires are dangerous. One of this kind excited our townspeo- ple yesterday morning when a small outhouse on the J. D. Weatherley lots was destroyed in this man- ner. Our old friend, Mr. J. H. Beck of Fairmount was in the city on business Mon- day with friends from Stuttgart paying taxes. He is one of Prairie County’s best citizens and spoken of as a candidate for county sher- iff. J ack Curtis Miller of Des Arc, co- owner with Archie D. Patterson of the Hickory Plains Lumber Co., arrived home Tuesday from a plane trip to Central America on a timber buying trip that took him over 4,000 miles. He made stops at New Orleans, Meridi, Mexi- co, Guatemala City, San Salvador and Havana, Cuba. His destination was Tegueigalpa, Hon- duras, where he found excellent timber in the mountains. He was told that some of the Indian villages only had mule trains and no modern highways in most of the country. The Prairie County Classroom Teachers Association and the Prairie County Educa- tion Association held a joint session at a din- ner meeting in the De- Valls Bluff school lunchroom Tuesday evening. The invoca- tion was given by Mr. Weems of Hazen. Offi- cers elected for the Ed- ucation Association were: Carl Stewart, Hazen, pres.; James R. McCormick, Des Arc, vice-pres.; Miss Ethel Benish, Hazen, secre- tary; and Mrs. Thur- man Knuaff, DeValls Bluff, treasurer. Offi- cers for the CTA are: Mrs. Inez Love, DeValls Bluff, president; Mrs. Georgia Taylor, Hazen, vice-pres.; Mrs. Thur- man Knauff, DeValls Bluff, secretary; and Mrs. Norma Ramsey, Des Arc, treasurer. The fourth-class post office of Brasfield, Ark., in southeast Prairie County is being closed as of March 31. In the future, mail ad- dressed to people of the Brasfield Commu- nity, should be mailed to RFD, Biscoe, Ark. Mayor Tom E. Atkins fined one man $17 for public drunkenness the past weekend. Ar- rest was made by town marshals, Orvil E. Owens and Virgil Self. Mrs. Elsie Minton, president of the Des Arc School Band Boost- ers Club said this week that on Friday night, April 4, at 7:30 p. m., there will be a Talent Show in the school au- ditorium. Admission will be 20 and 35 cents. Rev. S. B. Echols, founder of the Everlast- ing Gospel Mission Church at Des Arc some six years ago, and who built a very nice church building here, has moved to Holly Grove. He will be back here Thursdays and Sundays until the con- gregation can get a new pastor. The new federal-aid highway system now being built across the country will be finished by 1973 and will save thousands of lives year- ly. Interstate highways will have wide lanes and no stoplights, sharp curves or inter- sections.. Louis Sanders of Clarendon was in Des Arc on his regular trip last Saturday buying shells and scrap iron. Cordell Whittaker has accepted a position here with Pay & Save Supermarket of Jeff Holmes Jr. Glen Over- turf has resigned the position. FREE: At Wallace Esso Station: March 29- 30 - FREE Lubrication Job with each oil change. An electrical dem- onstration will be held at Hickory Plains school for all women of the community. Mrs. Eagle Boyd, Home Eco- nomics teacher at Des Arc High School, will give instructions based on using large and small electrical appli- ances. BABY CHICKS, now available at Des Arc Lumber Co. Get yours early for layers or meat. The occasion (both photos): Iona’s 90th birthday, July 12, 2014 Sitting, from left: Wanda Davis, Iona’s daughter, Iona and Kenneth Botts Standing, from left: Lynvel and Roger Burnett, Iona’s middle and oldest sons, respectively (Note: Iona’s two other children, deceased, were: Brenda, Roger’s twin sister, and Jerry Burnett) Sign above porch says “Ken & Iona Botts” (home for 22+ years) (snow shovel resting next to front steps) Five Generations, minus One - July 12, 2014 Sitting: Natasha and Iona holding the newest, 12-day old Dale Standing: Iona’s oldest son, Roger. Missing is Roger’s son and Natasha’s father, Clint, who passed away in 2009 Iona & Kenneth Botts, Journal subscribers, share a little about their life in Idaho MONTANA CANADA WYOMING IDAHO MIDVALE HELLS CANYON (Snake River) UTAH NEVADA CALIFORNIA OREGON WASHINGTON Summary of March 22 letter from Iona Botts, conversations with both she and Kenneth Botts, plus Journal research:
