ational Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Transcription

1 NPS Form (Ot. 1990) OMB No United States Department of the Interior "'"ational Park Servie ational Register of Histori Plaes Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and distrits. See instrutions in How to Complete the National Register of Histori Plaes Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete eah item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the infonnation requested. If an item does not apply to the property being doumented, enter "NI A" for "not appliable." For funtions, arhitetural lassifiation, materials, and areas of signifiane, enter only ategories and subategories from the instrutions. Plae additional entries and narrative items on ontinuation sheets (NPS Fom a). Use a typewriter, word proessor, or omputer, to omplete all items. 1. histori name Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit other names/site number SC0049-SC0080, SC0016, SC Loation street & number South Main Street between First and Fifth Streets, Washington Street between Seond and Third Streets. 0 not for publiation ity or town Waldron 0 viinity state Arkansas ode AR ounty Sott ode 127 zip ode State/Federal Ageny Certifiation As the designated authority under the National Histori Preservation At, as amended, I hereby ertify that this [81 nomination 0 request fo r detennination of eligibility meets the doumentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Histori Plaes and meets the proedural and professional requirements set for in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property [81 meets 0 does not meet the National Register riteria. I reommend that this property be onsidered signifiant O nat i~ ally. (See ontinuation_sheet for additional 7rru,;;.) -6 Z Signature of ertifying offiiavfitle Arkansas Histori Preservation Program State or Federal ageny and bureau In my opinion, the property 0 meets 0 does not meet the National Register riteria. CO See Continuation sheet for additional omments.) Signature of ertifying offiiavfitle Date State or Federal ageny and bureau 4. National Park Servie Certifiation I hereby erti fy that the property is: 0 entered in the National Register. 0 See ontinuation sheet 0 determined eligible fo r the National Register. 0 See ontinuation sheet 0 determined not eligible for the National Register. 0 removed from the National Register. 0 other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Ation

2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit i:: Classifiation mership of Property (Chek as many boxes as apply) Category of Property (Chek only one box) Number of Resoures within Property (Do not inlude previously listed resoures in ount.) [8J private D building(s) [8J publi-loal [8J distrit D publi-state D site D publi-federal D struture D objet Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "NIA" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) Contributing Nonontributing Number of Contributing resoures previously listed in the National Register Buildings Sites Strutures Objets Total 6. Funtion or Use Histori Funtions (Enter ategories from instrutions) COMMERCE/TRADE/retail/groery/bank/restaurant DOMESTIC/hotel RECREATION AND CULTURE/theatre GOVERNMENT/ourthouse Current Funtions (Enter ategories from instrutions) COMMERCE/TRADE/retail/restaurant RECREATION AND CULTURE/theatre 7. Desri ti on Arhitetural Classifiation (Enter ategories from instrutions) LATE 19 TH CENTURY COMMERCIAL AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN MOVEMENTS/Commerial Style LATE VICTORIAN/Italiante MODERN MOVEMENT/Art Deo Materials (Enter ategories from instrutions) Foundation walls roof other CONCRETE, BRICK, STONE STUCCO, STONE, BRICK, ASBESTOS, SYNTHETIC ASPHALT, MET AL Narrative Desription (Desribe the histori and urrent ondition of the property on one or more ontinuation sheets.)

3 8. Statement of Signifiane liable National Register Criteria ark "x" in one or more boxes for the riteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) Levels of Signifiane (loal, state, national) LOCAL ~ A Property is assoiated with events that have made a signifiant ontribution 'to the broad patterns of our history. D B Property is assoiated with the lives of persons signifiant in our past. Areas of Signifiane ARCHITECTURE COMMERCE (Enter ategories from instrutions) ~ C Property embodies the distintive harateristis of a type, period, or method of onstrution or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artisti values, or represents a signifiant and distinguishable entity whose omponents lak individual distintion. Period of Signifiane D D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. D B. removed from its original loation. D D D C. birthplae or grave of a historial figure of outstanding importane. D a emetery. E a reonstruted building, objet, or struture. D F a ommemorative property D G less than 50 years of age or ahieved signifiane within the past 50 years. Signifiant Dates Signifiant Person (Complete if Criterion Bis marked) Cultural Affiliation (Complete if Criterion Dis marked) Arhitet/Builder Jim Henry Courier, J.Y. Bynam, and John T. Forrester Narrative Statement of Signifiane (Explain the signifiane of the property on one or more ontinuation sheets.) 9. Major Bibliographial Referenes Bibliography (Cite the books, artiles, and other soures used in preparing this form on one or more ontinuation sheets.) Previous doumentation on file (NPS): 0 preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register Previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Histori Landmark 0 reorded by Histori Amerian Buildings Survey # 0 reorded by Histori Amerian Engineering Reord # Primary loation of additional data: ~ State Histori Preservation Offie D Other State Ageny 0 Federal Ageny 0 Loal Government 0 University 0 Other Name of repository:

4 l 0. Geographial Data reage of Property Approximately 12 ares UTM Referenes (Plae additional UTM referenes on a ontinuation sheet.) 15 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing [8J See ontinuation sheet Verbal Boundary Desription (Desribe the boundaries of the property on a ontinuation sheet.) Boundary Justifiation (Explain why the boundaries were seleted on a ontinuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title organization street & number An ela L Clifton Panamerian Consultants, In. 91 Tillman Rd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ity or town Memphis state Date telephone TN April 7, zip ode lditional Doumentation ubmit the following items with the ompleted form : s Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indiating the property's loation Photographs A Sketh map for histori distrits and properties having large areage or numerous resoures. Representative blak and white photographs of the property. Additional items (Chek with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items.) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.) name street & number ity or town state telephone zip ode Paperwork Redution At Statement: This information is being olleted for appliations to the National Register of Histori Plaes to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listing. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in aordane th the National Histori Preservation At, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) Estimated Burden Statement: Publi reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response inluding time for reviewing instrutions, gathering and maintaining data, and ompleting and reviewing the form. Diret omments regarding this burden estimate or any aspet of this form to the Chief, Administrative Servies Division, National Park Servie, P. 0. Box , Washington, DC ; and the Offie of Management and Budget, Paperwork Redutions Projets ( ), Washington, DC

5 ~~~ ~~~- Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit ited States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 1 SUMMARY The Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit was one a thriving ommerial enter for Waldron, Arkansas. The town is the ounty seat for, in the western setion of the state near the Oklahoma border. One building within the distrit boundaries has been previously listed on the National Register of Histori Plaes. The 1933 Sott County Courthouse (NR Listed ) is loated on the west side of South Main Street between West Seond and West Third Streets. Within the boundaries of the distrit there are 35 total resoures that inlude 34 total buildings and one anillary struture. Out of the buildings within the distrit, 57.6% (19 total not inluding the Sott County Courthouse) maintain a high level of integrity and ontribute to the distrit. The other 14 buildings aount for 42.4% of the distrit and are non-ontributing. Several periods of signifiane represent this distrit sine there are different phases of development for the n of Waldron that our between the years No known buildings were built after The aldron Commerial Histori Distrit's buildings represent ommerial arhiteture from the late nineteenth and early twentieth enturies. ELABORATION The oldest buildings still standing in Waldron's Commerial Histori Distrit were built ira Organization and development of Waldron's Main Street began before the 1880s, but no buildings before that time survived. In the late 1830s, Willliam Featherston operated a tavern where the Ben Franklin Building (SC0059) now stands. The first period of growth reflets Waldron beoming the ounty seat in Between 1850 and 1859 the town housed three groery stores, two hotels, a ourthouse, a jail, a post offie, and one blaksmith. John Waldron surveyed the ten ares that Featherston had donated to the town in The log ourthouse built during the 1840s was replaed with a brik ourthouse in 1860 that later burned in In 1869 the Continental Hotel, also referred to as the Malone Hotel, was ereted on the east side of South Main Street and the south side of West Third Street in the present loations of Cruthfield's Cafe Building (SC0058) and the parking lot to its north. The brik ourthouse that was destroyed during the Civil War was replaed with a log building until a two-story building was built in 1870 beoming the town's fifth ourthouse. From 1870 to 1878, the town went through a period referred to as the "Waldron War" where lawlessness was rampant and more than thirty people were murdered. This aused the town to suffer eonomially until the late 1870s when two-story brik buildings replaed the wood-onstruted businesses on South Main Street. The next period of development inludes strutures built between This reflets a period of moderate eonomi growth due to the otton industry and Waldron being a ounty seat. The otton industry and ourthouse generated a population growth to approximately 800 by The next ~riod of development dates between The dates reflet the town's two banks, the Bank of aldron and the First National Bank, opening in 1901, the beginning of mining operations, and the oming of the railroad in The period between reflets the period after the Great Depression when many Civil Works projets hanged the fae of South Main Street by paving the streets and putting in new waterworks. Between 1940 and 1958 few buildings were ereted on Main Street.

6 ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 2 ~~~- -~~~ The arhiteture of downtown Waldron during this period of development an be desribed as traditional ommerial arhiteture with some strutures ontaining Italianate features. The ten buildings ereted during this time period represent 34% of the distrit. The brik buildings vary between one and two-stories and have retangular plans. The west side of South Main Street is the only side that has buildings that survived from the nineteenth entury. The building at 282 South Main Street (SC0071, ontributing) ontains Italianate features that inlude arhed windows on the seond floor, arhed doorways on first floor, deorative brikwork on front favade, and a braketed roof. This building is ira 1880 and referred to as the Waldron Hardware Merantile Building. John T. Forrester, who was a prominent businessman in Waldron at the turn of the entury, originally owned it. Dozier and Son Building (SC0075, ontributing) loated at 234 South fain Street exemplifies the traditional nineteenth entury ommerial building and was originally a groery re. The onstrution of the building is ira Waldron housed two hotels, eight general stores, five groery stores, three drug stores, one shoe shop, six dotors' offies, and several real estate offies in The Boston Cash Store Building (SC0079, nonontributing) loated at 200 South Main Street was built ira 1880, but the entire front fayade has been reonstruted. The north side of the building still shows evidene of its Italianate influene from an arhed doorway and braketed roof on this one-story brik struture. Most of the buildings that survived from this period have been altered onsiderably, exept for the Waldron Hardware Merantile Building (SC0071, ontributing) and the Stone Bros. Building at 290 South Main Street (SC0070, ontributing). This is evident from looking at Figures 7-01 and Businesses began to flourish on South Main Street during this period of development. The Kansas City Southern Railroad ame to Waldron in 1902, as well as the First National Bank and the Bank of Waldron both opening in The majority of the onstrution during this time period was on the east side of South Main Street between East Seond and East Fifth Streets. Eleven buildings from this time period remain in the histori distrit, whih makes up 32% of the total strutures. The one and two-story brik buildings from this period represent standard twentieth entury arhiteture. The Bank of Waldron (SC0061, ontributing) loated at 245 South Main Street is a great example of this time period. It is a two-story brik struture built in 1901 that has one and two story ornies over the windows with inlaid stonework over the two-story. double-hung windows. The Post Offie Building (SC0062, ontributing) loated at 251 South Main Street was built ira This is the only building that remains with a beveled, side entrane. The building shows Italianate influenes with its arhed doorways and windows and deorative brikwork, even though most i:talianate buildings do not post-date the nineteenth entury. The building at 173 South Main Street (SC0080, ntributing) is the only building on the east side of South Main Street between East Seond and East Third Streets that has a ompletely original favade.

7 ted States Department of the Interior tional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number During the 1920s, the streets of South Main Street were paved, and a entral water system replaed the isterns, wells, and outhouses. The ten buildings onstruted during this period of development represent 34% of the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit. All but two buildings reflet standard twentieth entury ommerial arhiteture. The Sott County Courthouse (SC0016, individual listing) built in 1933 replaed the 1904 ourthouse after it was destroyed in a fire. The ourthouse is a great example of the Art Deo style onstruted with onrete and brik detail and has fixed windows with entral inset awnings. The Pines Theatre (SC0064, ontributing), built in 1931, also reflets an Art Deo style. The Davis' Groery Store Building (SC0067, non-ontributing) was built ira It reflets standard twentieth entury ommerial arhiteture and was originally a double, front-gabled struture with a high parapet on the front fa9ade. The lot where this struture stands was one a gristmill, and when Robert Davis built the struture he inlaid 'eral of the mill stones with the ut stone in the front fa9ade During this period of development only four buildings were built on South Main Street, whih reflets only 12% of the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit. A new water filtration system resulted in the establishment of a poultry proessing plant in Waldron. Memorial Hall (SC0045, ontributing) was onstruted between 1946 and The two-story building is a traditional red brik struture that still serves as a ommunity-gathering plae and hosts ultural events. In 1953, the Continental Hotel was torn down and in 1954 Cruthfield's Cafe (SC0058, non-ontributing) was built on the south side of the lot. The north side of the lot now serves as a parking lot. Cruthfield's Cafe is unique for South Main Street, for it is the only building with asbestos siding and overhanging eaves on a ontinuous flat roof. The style reflets a modern ontemporary style from the 1950s. The only building with roman brik is Jim Angel 's Shoe Shop Building (SC0051, ontributing), whih was onstruted ira Exept for Cruthfield's Cafe Building and Jim Angel's Shoe Shop Building, all the buildings from this period are traditional red brik and stand out from the buildings built in the earlier periods of development Present No buildings during this period of development were built within the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit, although some alterations on the buildings did take plae. The Building at 294 South Main Street (SC0069, non-ontributing) and all the buildings on the west blok of South Main Street between West Third and West Fourth Streets have had their front faades overed with aluminum slipovers exept for the First National Bank Building (SC0077, ontributing) at some point during the 1960s. A modern ourthouse was ereted on st Street and the 1933 Sott County Courthouse now lies vaant. The ity now has a total of three banks, ut none of them remain within the boundaries of the histori distrit. All these things have led to a deline in the businesses that remain on South Main Street.

8 . ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 4 ~~~- -~~~ INTEGRITY With 57.6% of the resoures ontributing to the integrity of the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit it has a strong visual onnetion to its period of signifiane. Interruptions in this distrit are related to two main fators. The first being the eonomi shift that removed South Main Street as the main enter of ommere for the town of Waldron. Taking the ourthouse away from South Main Street to First Street and moving businesses to the west side of Seond Street altered the ommerial enter and resulted in the vaany of many of the buildings still present on South Main Street. Nine buildings or 26% of the distrit are presently vaant with many other businesses having seasonal hours. Five of the vaant buildings are ontributing strutures, and many of these strutures have beome onsiderably negleted. Urban development during the late 1960s ontributed to the alteration of the faades of several buildings in the distrit. Four out of the five ' "1ildings with aluminum faades are non-ontributing strutures within the distrit. Many of the buildings, ant and oupied, have boarded windows and original faades making it seem as if time has stood still in this distrit.

9 'ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page Resoure# Address Current Oupant SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Jason's Barber Shop/Apts. SC S. Main Street Diret TV SC S. Main Street Law Offie (satellite offie) SC S. Main Street Law Offie (satellite offie) SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Seasonal holiday store SC S. Main Street Vaant North side of239 S. Main SC0058 Street Warehouse for Wildhorse Pawn SC S. Main Street Wildhorse Pawn, Gun, and Auto SC S. Main Street Work Horse Chemial SC S. Main Street Moss Bank (wreaths & flowers) SC S. Main Street Hunt's Dry Goods Massage Therapy SC S. Main Street Center/Residene SC S. Main Street The Sott Theatre SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Vaant/Residene SC Washington Street Hidden Treasures Store SC S. Main Street The Parsely Store Antiques SC S. Main Street Holmes Insurane SC S. Main Street Vaant SC S. Main Street Nothing Fany Flea Market soon 274 S. Main Street Gifts for Faith SC S. Main Street Residene SC S. Main Street Margaret Ann's Flower & Gift SC S. Main Street Mo's Bakery SC S. Main Street Ebie's Gift Box and Flowers SC S. Main Street Nor-Wes Upholstery SC S. Main Street Get 'R Dun Graphis SC S. Main Street The Waldron News W. side ofs. Main between E. SC0016 Seond and E. Third Streets Old Sott County Courthouse SC us 71B Memorial Hall MAP ID# CINC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC IL Chart Referene: C - Contributing NC- Non-Contributing IL - Individually Listed

10 ited States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number SKETCH MAP Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit l~d f E-1-~\1 o~ ~ WA._S_H_l _N_G-TO_N_S_T_R_E_E_T_~ I : : I- 1- li: D: :D~ ~ :J : :}-- <DU: 0 :1- :ui () 1- u..,cll 1331 O Z UJ r ~- j~ LJ!8 ~ ,3 1 21' ; i~o ig34, 1 I X I 1 I : : : I.::::.. ~ L J I I SOUTH MAIN STREET < : : ' I I, , r..:: UJ I I: 19 ~: 18 lj._ : u..i: I ~ ~ ljj _J _, > z < 0 p N LEGEND Boundary p Parking D x Buildings Non-ontributing > Photo loations

11 'ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 7 Figure 1. Faing north on South Main Street at the intersetion of Danville Road, a

12 ited States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 8,~. '. ~~... '. -. '..... Figure 2. Faing west on South Main Street near Danville Road, a

13 ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page Main Street In Winter Figure 3. Faing south on South Main Street at the intersetion of Seond Street, a

14 'ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 10 ~~~- -~~~- Figure 4. Faing east on South Main Street between Seond and Third Streets, a

15 ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 11 Figure 5. Faing south on South Main Street on the east side of the street from Dunan Street, a

16 'ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 12 ~~~- -~~~ Figure 6. Faing north on South Main Street west of East Fifth Street, a

17 ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page 13 Figure 7. Faing west on South Main St. between West Third and West Fourth St. (view of SC ), d

18 ted States Department of the Interior ational Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page 1 ~~~- -~~~ SUMMARY The Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit is being nominated to the National Register of Histori Plaes under Criterion A for its assoiation with early development in Waldron and Criterion C for its variety and quality of 19th and 20th entury ommerial buildings. The distrit is being nominated with loal signifiane. Waldron's Commerial Histori Distrit exemplifies the growth of the town through its height in the 1950s. The period of signifiane goes from ELABORATION Waldron is urrently loated in, in the western part of the state. Waldron is on the west entral border in Arkansas in the Ouahita Mountain region approximately 30 miles east of the llldahoma border and 100 miles south of the Missouri state line. The town is surrounded by mountainous ges with timber and large fertile valleys along the Fourhe Lafave, Petit Jean, and Poteau rivers. 1 The area of Western Arkansas where present-day Sott County is is part of the land sold during the Louisiana Purhase in 1803 to the United States. Sott County was originally part of the Chotaw land grant in William Grandison Featherston is the first known person to settle what is now the town of Waldron in He built a log abin on his farm, operated a small tavern, and opened a post offie in the area he named Poteau Valley. Featherston donated ten ares of his farm to Sott County in 1848 to have the ounty seat move to his land. John P. Waldron drew out the plat map for Featherston in 1859, and the Poteau Valley was renamed Waldron in his honor. The ten ares surveyed inorporate the present-day area that makes up South Main Street and the majority of the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit.2 The town of Waldron was inorporated on Deember 17, Corn, otton, and lumber supported the early eonomy for the town. Loal businessmen opened otton gins, lumber mills, and gristmills in Waldron to manufature the raw materials being produed in the area. 3 By 1860 the town boasted four dry good stores, one hotel, two saloons, and a new brik ourthouse that subsequently burned down in Although it is unknown whih buildings were destroyed, the 14th Kansas Calvary of the Union fores burned part of South Main Street in After the Civil War, land beame really heap and the population ontinued to grow, as well as the eonomy. The Continental Hotel was built in 1869 and owned by Free Malone. The town had four general stores, a 'The Enylopedia of Arkansas History and Culture." Aessed online: :// lo ediaofarkansas.net/en lo edia/ent -detail.as x?ent ID=985. Marh 6, 2008., I of3. 2 The Goodspeed Biographial and Historial Memoirs of Western Arkansas. The Southern Publishing Company: Nashville, Tennessee, 1891, "The Enylopedia of Arkansas History and Culture,'' 2 of3. 4 Goodner, Charles, E. Sott County in Retrospet. Frank Boyd Publishing: Mansfield, Arkansas, 1976, 12.

19 n.,ited States Department of the Interior onal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page 2 ~~~- -~~~ blaksmith shop, a gristmill, a ouple of saloons, and the new hotel. In 1870 a new two-story brik ourthouse replaed the log house that ated as an interim ourthouse after the 1860 ourthouse burned. During this time tensions between former Confederates and Union supporters resulted in a period of general lawlessness and at least thirty murders referred to as the "Waldron War." This resulted in Governors Elisha B. Baxter, August H. Garland, and William R. Miller sending the militia into Waldron to regain order between The 1870 ourthouse burned in 1882, and the ourthouse was not replaed again until After the "Waldron War," the eonomy began to flourish in Waldron. By 1891, the population in Waldron grew to 487. Many new businesses opened and brik ommerial buildings began to replae many of the wood onstruted buildings. The businesses inluded eight general stores, five groery stores, three drug stores, two millinery stores, a hardware store, a shoe shop, three blaksmiths, two hotels, two gristmills,,.., e planning mill, six dotors' offies, and several real estate agenies. Even though the railroad had not n built through Waldron during this time, the otton shipments per year were averaging 8,000 to 10,000 ales. 6 In 1901 both the Bank of Waldron and the First National Bank opened on South Main Street, and by 1902 the Kansas City Southern Railroad went through Waldron. This made Waldron an important shipping point for Western Arkansas. The ommerial/business distrit had at least twenty-seven strutures that were mainly brik at this time. Finally, in 1904 the town deided to rebuild the ourthouse, and a two-story brik struture with a upola was onstruted. The town ounil also improved the appearane of South Main Street by adding sidewalks and shade trees. The Waldron Telephone Company opened in 1904 providing servie to the town when the only telephone in town had been loated in the T.G. Bates store. Even more improvements ame in 1908 with the ompletion of the Sott County Jail and the Sott County Poor Farm, whih were ommissioned by Judge W.A. Bates. In Otober 1909 the entire blok of buildings were destroyed by fire where the Old Pike Blok is loated on the east side of South Main Street between West First Street and Seond Street. Another fire destroyed part of South Main Street in February The fire was mostly ontained to the east side of South Main Street between Danville Road and East Fifth Street but did do some damage to the Stone Bros. Building and The Waldron Hardware-Merantile Store Building as well. In 1908 the Rural Free Delivery System was established by the postmaster and reated three to four routes that ran twelve to fifteen miles from Waldron. This made the need for improved roads and bridges even more apparent. Judge W.A. Bates ommissioned three steel bridges to be built in June 1909 by the Illinois Bridge Company out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. 7 The population jumped from 487 to 900 during this. d 8 peno. 5 Ibid., The Goodspeed Biographial and Historial Memoirs of Western Arkansas, Goodner, "The Enylopedia of Arkansas History and Culture," 1 of3.

20 r.,ited States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie N atio~al Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page 3 ~~~- -~~~ Growth from 1910 to 1919 was not nearly as expansive as it was between 1900 and This time period was more remembered for its inflation and World War I. Community events suh as pinis, ounty fairs, sporting events, and Chautauquas beame more popular. Waldron had its first ounty fair in 1919 and had the first plane land in the area during the fair. A silent movie theatre alled the Gem Theatre was built in Waldron in In 1912 the Waldron Telephone Company plaed large poles to install a able system on South Main Street to improve ommuniation. In 1916 the first major franhise to sell Ford automobiles ame to Waldron when Bates and Williams opened the City Garage, whih was loated diretly west of the ourthouse. The Women's Christian Temperane Union of Waldron began a ampaign in 1912 to enat prohibition, and within a month if the ampaign Mayor Sullivan made an exeutive order that halted the sale of alohol in the town. 9 --,iring the years , Waldron ontinued to have steady growth until the stok market rash. Lumber otton were still the main ash rops. B.S. Hinkle beame the County Agent in 1923 and is noted for improving onditions for farmers. He helped with new farming tehniques and even worked in the fields with farmers on oasion. He also treated and vainated attle for farmers. Along with his efforts to help farmers, he beame one of the people responsible for the Rural Eletrifiation lines in Sott County. In 1926 the ity of Waldron held its first Cotton Parade whih exhibited the latest farm tehnology of the day. Lumber ontributed to the eonomy as well. Many sawmills sprang up all over Sott County, and C.E. Forrester had around forty mills all over Sott County. The first radio arrived in Waldron in 1923 and was owned by Dr. C. Bevill. During this period the prie of otton plummeted from 40 ents a pound to eight ents a pound ausing finanial hardships for otton farmers. 10 The 1930s marked the era of the Great Depression. Waldron's First National Bank losed its doors, but the Bank of Waldron stayed in business. The attempt to find oil and gas in the ounty was headed by Dr. C. Bevill. Two hundred and fifty people witnessed the beginning of the drilling operations at the Harrison Huie farm in the 1930s, but no oil or gas was found in Sott County, exept for the Mansfield field. The New Deal brought the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to Sott County, and Waldron opened a WPA offie on South Main Street in the 1930s. The WPA provided jobs for many people living in the area. The Civil Works projets were headed by Mrs. G.C. Bates, whih provided work for 81 women in Waldron. These women worked in anning and sewing enters all over the ounty. 11 South Main Street from West First Street and East Fifth Street was paved in the 1930s. The Southwestern Gas and Eletri Company built a system of streetlights, and telephone poles were removed from the streets. 'T'he Pines Theatre opened in 1931 on South Main Street bringing movies with sound to Waldron. The 1904 urthouse burned in 1933 and ompletely destroyed all the tax books, but the land reords survived. A new 9 Goodner, IO Ibid., II Ibid.,

21 yr.,_ited States Department of the Interior onal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page 4 ~~~- -~~~ Art Deo ourthouse was ompleted in with the help of the Publi Works Administration (PW A) workers. 12 Sine the 1940s the fae of Waldron has hanged by shifting from a ommerial enter on the outskirts of the Western frontier to beoming an industrial town. The Waldron Furniture Manufaturing Company opened during this period as well. An airport was built in the southwest setion of the ity. Other improvements inlude a hospital, a nursing home, and new shool system. The ity built a modern water plant that has a filtering system for surfae water, whih allowed for the poultry industry to move to Waldron. During the 1950s Ralph Herald Snyder opened a hiken plant in Waldron as part of Arkansas Valley Industries, In., whih later beame Valma Industries in The plant now operates as part of Tyson Foods, In. and -11.ploys the most number of itizens today. Along with the poultry and lumber industry, Waldron also has an ustry for manufaturing air pollution monitoring systems. 13 The industrial growth in Waldron shifted the fous away from its Main Street area. Most of the businesses and restaurants are loated on the west end of Seond Street near the Highway 71 bypass. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit is being nominated to the National Register of Histori Plaes under Criterion A for its assoiation with the early development in Waldron and Criterion C for its assortment and quality of 19th and 20th entury ommerial strutures. The distrit is being nominated with loal signifiane. Waldron's Commerial Histori Distrit represents the development of the town through its peak in the 1950s. Its period of signifiane spans from Ibid., "The Enylopedia of Arkansas History and Culture," 3 of3.

22 TY\ited States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number BIBLIOGRAPHY Blythe, Gary. Interview. Waldron, Arkansas. Marh 11, Goodner, Charles, E. Sott County in Retrospet. Frank Boyd Publishing: Mansfield, Arkansas, Herndon, Dallas T. Centennial History of Arkansas. Vol. 1. Little Rok, Arkansas: S.J. Clark Publishing Company, Huston, Barbara. Interview. Waldron, Arkansas. February 29, The Goodspeed Biographial and Historial Memoirs of Western Arkansas. The Southern Publishing Company: Nashville, Tennessee, 1891.

23 TTnited States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number ADDITIONAL UTMS: 5. 15S E N 6. 15S E N 7. 15S E N 8. 15S E N 9. 15S E N S E N VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Beginning a blok West of South Main Street on West First Street, proeed easterly aross South Main Street the reek behind SC0049, thene proeed southerly to East Fifth Street, thene proeed westerly aross outh Main Street to the alley, thene proeed northerly down the alley to West Third Street, thene proeed westerly on West Third Street to the alley behind Robert Davis' Groery Store Building (SC0067), thene proeed northerly on Huston Street to West Seond Street, thene proeed easterly on West Seond Street to South Main Street, thene proeed northerly on South Main Street to Dunan Street, thene proeed westerly on Dunan Street to the end of Memorial Hall (SC0045), thene proeed northerly behind SC0045 until West First Street, whih is the point of beginning. BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION This boundary was drawn to inlude properties in the Waldron Commerial Histori Distrit with the greatest density of strutures maintaining a high level of histori integrity.

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