Fifty years ago in Eureka Springs (according to the January 2, 1964 edition of the Eureka Springs Times-Echo newspaper), Bye Bye Birdie with Janet Leigh and Dick Van Dyke was playing at the New Basin Theater. The KTHS Radio Program Schedule (“1480 on your dial”) lists that the Dwight Nichols Show started weekdays at 3 p.m. The radio station signed off daily at 5:15 p.m.
In cultural news, rehearsals were announced to begin at the New Orleans Hotel for the Carroll County Players production of The Village, a three-act comedy written by local Michael Mountjoy. The column Library Notes gives a short review of William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies. Although originally published in 1954, a film version of it had recently been released. K.S. Chyrchel [Remenar] had us read this book during the 1983-1984 school year at Eureka Springs High School and I distinctly remember that Piggy had asthma.
Fifty years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Ross Bowser, of Marysville, Calif., traveled to Eureka Springs to visit Mr. and Mrs. Grover Roark. Alas, the Roarks were not at home as they were in Arizona visiting their daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Sherman returned home from Omaha.
A front-page article announced that Democratic Congressman Jim Trimble of Berryville would run for reelection, thus ending speculation he would retire because of his health. Had he retired, it was thought that Democratic Governor Orval Faubus would run for the seat. Instead, Trimble was elected to his eleventh and final term in Congress. Also that year, Orval Faubus easily won his final term as Governor. (Interestingly, he garnered 81 percent of the Arkansas black vote.)
The Eureka Locker Plant at 7 Main Street had pork steak for 37 cents per pound. Walker’s Supermarket had ground beef priced at three pounds for a dollar and bananas were ten cents per pound at Clark’s Market.
A short item tells of the Shrader family of Mundell moving to Pea Ridge. This is significant because they were among the very last residents to be relocated so Beaver Lake could begin filling with water.
Meanwhile, over in the old part of the city hospital on the 15th at 1:20 a.m., Dr. Redmond was assisting Erik Weems make his first appearance on this earth. Mother Mary Weems was also present.