The Butterfield Stage is one of the most recognizable names from old westerns. Virtually every movie had a scene where wild Indians or wilder outlaws chased after the poor travelers huddled within the coach, often one with an injured driver holding on for dear-life. Few realize that part of that storied history passed right through the small towns and villages of the Arkansas River Valley.
John Butterfield started the line in 1858, primarily to deliver mail to California but carried passengers to increase the profit margin. Two feeder routes carried passengers into Fort Smith, the jumping off site to those traveling to California. One originated in St. Louis, Missouri with stops in Rogers, Fayetteville, and Northwest Arkansas. The second arm of the stage began in Memphis, went through Little Rock and along present day I-40, crossed the Arkansas River near Dardanelle, and followed the old military road into Fort Smith.
The stage line, began in 1858, employed over 1,500 men who maintained local stations, drove the coaches, fed the passengers, and took care of the horses and mules required to pull the stage coaches.
The ticket cost around $200 which would be equivalent to several thousand dollars in today’s money. Travel in the coaches was uncomfortable; often the coach carried as many as nine passengers in an area about the size of a modern car. Passengers rode three to a seat, facing each other with legs dovetailed. On steep grades such as the Boston Mountains, they had to get out and walk.
The stage averaged between five and ten miles per hour with stops to change horses or mules every ten to fifteen miles. In our region, stops were made at Conway, Morrilton, and then the large station at Pottsville. The stage then crossed the river by ferry at Dardanelle and continued up the Military Road. The Stinnett family maintained a large station near Delaware, a station existed at Shoal Creek, then Creole station near Subiaco, Moffet’s station near Short Mountain at Paris, just north of Charleston, and the station in Lavaca. The final leg ended on Third Street in Fort Smith. At Fort Smith, passengers disembarked and waited to join with the passengers coming from St. Louis and then continued the two-thousand mile, twenty-five day trip to California.
Traveling the route today, one can still see remnants of that history. The beautiful and historic Potts Tavern still stands. I passed the old barn on Shoal Creek every morning on my bus route and watched over the years as it slowly disintegrated into dust. Foundation stones can still be seen at Creole station, and historical markers are found at Stinnett’s station and in Lavaca.
Senator Boozeman office has recently expressed an interest in making Butterfield Stage an historic route. Walking through the dust on the old military road as a youth, I would never have dreamed that the old road contained so many secrets and stories of our past.
In their final football game of the 2020 season, the Cedarville Jr High Pirates played away at Mansfield on Thursday, October 29. This group of players has gone above and beyond on and off the field since this past summer. From intense practices to hardcore Thursday night matches, the Jr Pirates have pushed themselves mentally and physically in hopes of steering their ship to greatness and established as a program that no longer gets overlooked and underrated.
In their game against the Tigers, they knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. But they were ready to go big or go home the moment they entered the stadium. To get the battle going, the Pirates kicked off to the Tigers. Right out of the gate Braxton Bentley came in with a huge hit leaving the Tiger receiver wishing he had not caught the ball. Chasyn Oden got in on the tackling action as well and after failing to do anything with the ball, Mansfield gave the field to Cedarville. After a few offensive attempts by the Pirates, they too took a turnover on downs.
Again the Tigers ball, Mansfield made every attempt to get on the board but Noah Waterman was quick to put a freeze on the Tigers offense with his unwavering counter-attacks. With minutes left in the first quarter, Mansfield’s QB was primed for a pass and as he launched the ball to his intended receiver, Dylan Adkins came in with the smack-down intercepting the Tigers ball and proving his point that Cedarville meant business. Freshman, Colton Arnold, was the Pirates offensive human dynamo the entire night running routes faster than the Road Runner on a treadmill. As the first quarter ended with a score of 0-0, it was Cedarville’s ball to start quarter number two.
The Tigers barely had time to get their feet under them for the Pirate’s first play of the quarter when Arnold blew Mansfield’s socks off with a 62-yard running TD. Dylan Atkins solidified the two-point conversions and the scoreboard lit up 8-0 Cedarville with 7:50 left in the first half. The Tigers responded with their own TD at the 3-minute mark placing the score at 8-6 Cedarville. After some nice yardage acquired by Briley Small from Mansfields kick, that would be the only excitement the Pirates would get in the remainder of the first half. With a turnover on downs, the Tigers were able to capitalize on their turn with the ball as they laid down another TD. The second quarter ended with a halftime score of 14-8 Mansfield.
#51 Alex Heaton
The second half of the game opened with nice runs by Arnold and Waterman coupled with the tackling skills of Knowlton Christian. This combo did the trick as Arnold was able to drop-ship a rushing TD tying up the score 14-14 at the end of the third quarter. Talk about a finger-nail chewing battle. It was very evident at this point that neither team was going to lay down quietly. The fourth quarter opened with Cedarville possessing the ball. Things were looking good for the Pirates as Arnold helped move his team downfield when it happened. The Pirates fumbled the ball but the Tigers were unable to get anything done offensively as they turned the ball back over to Cedarville. With 2:25 left in the game, the Pirates fumbled again. And again, Mansfield fell short as well opting to punt the ball to the Pirates.
With time quickly running out, the Tigers punt was taken by Dylan Adkins who along with coverage by Braxton Bentley, set the Pirates up nicely for victory. But as fate would have it, with 18 seconds left on the clock, Cedarville’s ball was intercepted by Mansfield for a TD finishing the game and the Pirates season with a final score of 22-14 Tigers.
#3 Colton Arnold
“The Jr Pirates finished with a final record of 2-5,” said coach, Max Washausen. “I thought they played really hard all season and in the final game as well. Colton Arnold had 26 carries for 162 yards and 2 TDs against Mansfield. He earned 148 carries, 948 yards, and 8 TDs total on the season. I have really enjoyed this group’s attitudes and I believe they have a really high ceiling for improvement over the offseason. I know I have said this before, but I’m proud of this group of 20-22 7th-9th graders. A lot of kids can choose to do a lot of other things and these guys are learning great life lessons through the game of football.”
Freshman, Colton Arnold, chatted with me about his thoughts going into his final game as a Jr High player. “It was a pretty emotional game for me if I’m being honest. I have worked so hard my entire Jr High career and this being my last game wearing number 3 and playing on the Jr High squad, I was ready to go in and get a win. I wanted it, real bad. I had a goal of getting at least 1000 yards this season and came close but didn’t quite achieve it..that was on my mind a lot going into the game and throughout the entire contest. I also didn’t want to let my team down or my program. I go 100 percent until the whistle blows. All game long.”
#19 Dylan Adkins
To say this was an intense and physical match between Cedarville and Mansfield would be an understatement. But Colton has a way to stay cool under pressure. “I believe that it’s all a mindset. If you have a mindset that you’re gonna go in there, play hard and win, that greatly increases your focus and positivity on the field. I’ve learned over the years of playing football that you can’t go into a game already defeated. You have to keep a level head and keep your mind on the game. I know that if I stay calm and positive my teammates follow by example. That’s my drive and push to finish and win the game.”
As a 9th-grader, Arnold is already as polished and refined as his older counterparts. But how is his success made possible? “Hard work! If you want to be successful, you have to have a “want to attitude”. There’s no other way around it. If you don’t have the drive to do something, you just aren’t going to achieve it. My success is credited to my years of hard work and dedication. Bryson Turner, Briley Small, and Braxton Bentley are the reason I was so successful this year. It’s also thanks to an excellent line. They made me look like an excellent athlete.”
#1 Kendal Hightower and #3 Colton Arnold
Next season, Colton will be joining an over-the-top and most likely unstoppable Sr High Pirate crew consisting of Cody Dickens, Darryl Kattich, Bruce Turney, Hayden Partain, Hayden Morton, Bradley Perkins, Levi Hightower, Tyree Mongold, and Jace Baker. But as always, it’s never too early to start planning for the future. “My number one goal is to become a starter as a sophomore although I know it will be tough. I want to be part of the winning program that Coach Washausen has built from the ground up.”
The Lady Bulldogs earned their championship birth after beating Lakeside (25-13), (25-8), and (25-13) on Thursday. Their straight wins against Sheridan and Marion in early tournament games gave Greenwood the green light for undefeated 5A bracket play.
Downtown Hot Springs, Bank OZK Arena hosted the finals where many hopes, dreams, and teary eyes would be fulfilled. Would it be the Bulldogs or the Jonesboro Golden Hurricanes?
First set – (W) Greenwood: 25-18
Greenwood came out to play and dominated the tempo on both offense and defense. The energy was electric from the game floor to up in the stands as parents, and plentiful students came to cheer on the Lady Bulldogs. That same energy boosted confidence as well as settled nerves.
Second set – (W) Greenwood: 25-20
Heading into the second set, the Lady Bulldogs were calm, focused, and determined to make a sweep of this and call it a day. And they did just that. The win poised the Bulldogs for the third set.
Third set – (W) Greenwood: 25-21
NERVES of steel. That’s the defining words which illustrates this set as these ladies headed into what they hoped were their final play, to hoist the trophy on court, and bring it home.
Bring it home they did. As play commenced, a win was all they wanted. That’s all they had to do, was just win! Win together as a team as they have proved to do, and have done so well.
In the final points of the game, it was a tense environment. The thoughts of earning (not given) the 5A STATE Finals trophy was apparent, but the Bulldogs went to fight, and earn that trophy.
And, earn they did. The Lady Greenwood Bulldog Volleyball team are your 2020 5A State Champions.
Can I confess something? I learned to make homemade biscuits because popping a can of biscuits is too much for my anxious soul. I wish I could tell you I do it because it’s cheaper-it is, but that’s not why I make them. I wish I could tell you it’s because they are so simple to make; it’s true, but that’s not why I do it. No the truth is, I am just too jumpy to bust a can of biscuits. There, glad I got that off my chest.
Whatever your reason for trying homemade biscuits, I have tips to get you the best batch of homemade biscuits! My husband says they are better than his grandmas, and that’s a compliment! There probably isn’t anything else in the world I can out cook his precious grandmother on, but hey I’ll take the award for the biscuits!
To begin make get all your ingredients together but the milk and butter. Leave those two in the refrigerator until you are mixing them in and placing the biscuits in the oven. You will want them to stay as cold as possible!
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 milk
6 tbsp butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425*, grease pan for muffins (I use a muffin tin because I don’t want to roll out my biscuits, it’s a game changer!)
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
Chop up butter to add, ideally you will be able to see the chunks of butter in the batter. Dump in the milk and shape your biscuit.
Roll out dough and use a biscuit cutter OR grab clumps of dough with your hand and place on a pan or in a muffin tin. Bake for 12 minutes.
My pans were my grandma’s so they are older than me, and the cooking spray has built up over the years, you will have to look over that.
In the series, “Greenwood Business of the Week,” we will feature a variety of retail shops and restaurants throughout the City of Greenwood.
Denver Street Barbershop-
Established 2020, Denver Street Barbershop, Steve Moore has been cutting hair for 30 years. David Strickland is a recent graduate from barber college. Their services include men’s and women’s hair cuts, shampoos, and perms. Beards can also be shaped an trimmed, with straight razor shaves available, as well as hair products. It is located at 610 West Denver, Greenwood, across from La Fiesta; behind the veterinary office.
Mission statement: Bring high quality services and professionalism to our clients. Satisfying the best in grooming for men, women and families in my community.
Hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. House calls and appointments available.
It is the end of October, but this year maybe more than any other there is a lot of buzz about when to decorate for Christmas. Most people can agree 2020 has just been weird. We all need something that brings us a little joy and happiness.
Perhaps this year would be the perfect year to introduce new traditions. I have 5 we will be introducing to our two kids this year in hopes we continue them for a lifetime.
We are opting out of Elf on the Shelf and instead looking to focus on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem (or the nativity set in the corner). They will be sharing verses and some fun along their journey as we count down to Christmas.
This is our first year as a family of four, and I am looking forward to letting my boys pick gifts for each other. Granted the baby will be 6 months old, so he will not be very much help with picking for big brother. Still, this will begin a new tradition for them to share in the joy of giving!
For a change this year we are only giving gifts that we make or buy from a small business. I personally hope to keep this tradition for years to come!
Hosting a movie marathon! My husband is in for a surprise on this one, I am a fun wife like that. We will be hosting a movie marathon at some point before Christmas comes!
Last but possibly what I am most excited about is matching pajamas! I have not been successful yet with getting us all decked in the same attire, but this year will be the year! I can’t wait for the photos to come!
What traditions does your family enjoy or what traditions will you be adding?
The Mansfield Jr Tigers faced a familiar foe on Thursday, October 29th in the Cedarville Pirates. The Jr Pirates had held the Tigers number the past few years and the Tigers knew this game wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Mansfield chose to receive the ball on the opening kickoff and sent the offense on the field to start racking up points. Unfortunately, the Pirates fired all defensive cannons at will and sent Mansfield off the field with a quick three and out. Mansfield’s defense was up next and they repaid what the Pirates had looted from them sending Cedarville out on a three and out also.
Tyler Turnipseed
Back and forth the teams went as both offenses tried to get their feet under them. Trey Powell was able to take a blistering run for 23 yards and everyone knew at that point that it was game on. Unfortunately, miscommunications and penalties kept the Tigers offense with their noses just above the water. It was a cold night and the Tiger defense must’ve been frozen to the ground at the beginning of the second quarter when Cedarville’s power back blasted right up the middle of the field for a big run and touchdown. After the Pirates tacked on the two-point conversion, Mansfield was down 8-0.
#61 Turner Wright and #79 Sammy Sellers
Mansfield would not let an iceberg touchdown sink them though. The Tigers got the ball back and went right to work. Quarterback, Peyton Martin, scrambled out of the pocket to pick up positive yardage and then hit Toby Towe with a precision pass for a Mansfield Tiger first down. After the big catch followed by big runs by Martin, Powell, and Jeremy Strozier, Cedarville called a time out to patch the hole in their boat. Apparently, they didn’t use Flex Seal though because the tigers came right back at the Pirates with a barrage of runs by Powell and Strozier. Martin then zipped a pass to Tyler Turnipseed for a big gain, but a penalty brought the ball back. The Tigers made a mistake and quickly made up for it as Martin found a wide-open Powell in the end zone for a Tiger touchdown with 3:02 left in the first quarter.
Trey Powell
With defenders Towe and Dakota Langford punching holes in the Pirates hulls at every snap of the ball, Cedarville wound up turning the ball over on downs to Mansfield again. It was now time for Mansfield’s offense to drop a Tiger Torpedo on the Pirates. A quick pass to Strozier and then to Towe drew the Pirates defense to load one side of the field which the Tigers made them pay for. Mansfield called a timeout and on the ensuing play, Martin connected with Turnipseed for another Tiger TD. Turnipseed tacked on the two-point conversion and the score was set at 14-8 Mansfield going into halftime.
#30 Dakota Langford
After the half, Cedarville came out cannons blazing………but so did the Tigers. Mansfield’s defense began to shred Cedarville’s game plan piece by piece. Although there were big-time solo tackles, for the most part, every ball carrier in blue and white was met with an ambush of red jerseys. Mansfield did miss the boat on one play though as the Pirates took a quick run for a score tying the game up toward the end of the third quarter. But that would be the last time Mansfield would allow something like that to happen.
Jeremy Strozier
As the teams entered the fourth quarter tied, it was clear both teams were tied on the field as well. No one could get the edge on the other. As the clock ticked down, Cedarville began to make costly mistakes. Dakota Langford recovered not one, but two fumbles by the Pirates to help set up the game-winning drive for Mansfield. Mansfield started driving the ball with runs by Powell and Strozier. As the Pirates began to key on the Tiger’s running backs, Peyton Martin found a gap for a first down. Then another. Then another. Then the end zone as Martin darted in from a yard out. Martin then doubled down and put up the two-point conversion giving the Tigers a 22-14 lead with only 24 seconds left in the game. Out of an act of desperation, Cedarville threw a hail marry pass and the ball dropped right into the hands of Tyler Turnipseed for the nail in the coffin interception. The final in this thriller of a game was Mansfield 22 / Cedarville 14.
The 2020 Mansfield Tiger Freshmen 9 with the win in their last home game of the season. L to R is Sammy Sellers, Raine Hecox, Turner Wright, Tyler Turnipseed, Jeremiah Butler, Peyton Martin, Trey Vaughan, Zach Hayslip, and seated is Dakota Langford.
You don’t win games with defenses or offenses, you win them with a pure 100% team and Mansfield proved that. The Jr Tigers improve to 3-3 in conference on the season as they continue to grow as a team and rewrite their 2020 season. Next Tuesday, the Tigers will travel into hostile territory as they go to Hackett to take on the Hornets in what is sure to be another great Jr High face-off.
The Mansfield’s 7th-grade crew has been a force to be reckoned with all season. The group has held their own against their non-conference 4A opponents and has rolled in all but one of their conference games this season. With only two games left, the Tigers were ready to play back-to-back rivals Cedarville and Hackett. With Pirates first on the list, the 7th grade Tigers proved that they will be the unstoppable force AND the immovable object in the future as they planked Cedarville 36-6 Thursday night.
Zander “Z-Dog” Walters
The Tigers started off on defense which has been one of their strong points all season. The Mansfield defense made their presence felt as they tore down the Pirates sails leading to a three and out on Cedarville’s opening drive. With Mansfield now in possession of the football, it was ground and pound time. If you’ve followed Mansfield 7th grade football this year, then you already know that “Ground” is running back Dawson Robinson, and “Pound” is running back Zander Walters. Walters took the first handoff and pounded his way 12 yards. Robinson grounded the Cedarville defense the next three plays with lightning speed giving the Tigers two more first downs in the process. With Mansfield’s drive putting them at the five-yard line, it was Robinson who took the handoff blowing past Pirate defenders en route to a Tiger touchdown. Walters tacked on the two-point conversion and just like that, Mansfield was up 8-0.
Dominic Shores
The cold weather didn’t seem to affect the Tiger’s defense as they were on fire. Cadien Ore was the match that started the fire for Mansfield as he racked up tackle after tackle in a monstrous performance all game. With Ore shutting down the Pirates power run game, Cedarville took the ball outside the box. That wasn’t any better for the Pirates though due to the presence of Dominic Shores, Cooper Edwards, and Alex Hecox. The trio clawed down any runners in their territory forcing Cedarville to punt again. Like clockwork, Robinson and Walters took over from there with the pair driving downfield with three big runs and Walters capping it off with a 16-yard touchdown run. Robinson punched in the extra point and it was the Tigers up 16-0. Mansfield’s defense continued to punch holes in Cedarville’s ship with James Bausley, Kanon Fisher, Hecox, and Ore creating havoc in the backfield. With the defense succeeding doing their job, Mansfield took over offense again and it didn’t take long to light up the scoreboard. Cooper Edwards telegraphed a perfect pass through heavy coverage to hit Walters for a 35 yard touchdown. Although the Tigers didn’t get the two-point conversion, they headed into halftime with a commanding 22-0 lead.
#13 Dawson Robinson
The second half was the same book in a different chapter. Mansfield started off with Robinson taking back-to-back handoffs before quarterback Edwards pulled the ball on a play fake to gain big yardage. If it works, why stop? Mansfield did the exact same plays again except this time Edwards took the Cooper Keeper all the way for an 11-yard score. Joey Fildes caught the two-point conversion pass and the Tigers increased the score to 30-0. The Tigers offense is loaded with talent and they have a full stable of running back studs. This was evident for all to see when the Tigers coaches pulled Walters and Robison out for a rest.
Ethan Martin
This put Ethan Martin and Traevin Copeland in the backfield. If Cedarville thought this was a second-string for Mansfield, they were dead wrong. Martin and Copeland showed the Pirates that there aren’t strings on Mansfield’s team, instead, there’s merely a rotation. Martin struck a few powerful runs and then Copeland exploded 62 yards rushing for another Mansfield score which set up a 36-0 lead for the Tigers. Charlie Collier showed out in the second half compiling solo and assisted tackles to the left and right as the Tigers continued to shut down the Pirates offense. The pure effort award in the second half would go to Jacob Delp as he battled much bigger Pirate players but held his own very well. Delp was so pumped that his legs never stopped moving even after the plays ended while he ran in place waiting to line up again. Mansfield did slip once though giving up a Pirates score but they made up for it when Martin ripped down the Pirates running back to stop the two-point conversion. With time running out in the game, Edwards ran three consecutive keepers to run out the clock landing the Tigers with the 36-6 victory.
#35 Alex “Ax-Man” Hecox
The win sets the 7th grade Tigers with a 6-3 overall record and a 5-1 record in conference. The record is quite impressive since most of Mansfield opponents this season have been forced to play 8th graders on their 7th-grade squads due to low 7th grade numbers. Mansfield will travel to Hackett next week for a Sebastian County Showdown. The game will be played on Tuesday, November 3rd instead of the normal Thursday night match. Mansfield vs Hackett is the game both teams have had circled on their calendar since the 2020 schedules came out.
Logan Ore, Kanon Fisher, Ethan Martin, and Joey Fildes
America’s Got Talent, sure. Arkansas has talent, no doubt. But Mansfield, we know is a hidden gem when it comes to talent. Payton Black, a young lady who calls the small town home, is so talented, it’s absolutely scary!
Black, 20, has been doing special effects makeup since the young age of 14. “I have always loved horror movies and I was fascinated with how they could transform a person just by using makeup,” shared Black. “I started watching some YouTube tutorials and then used some techniques I liked best and blended them with some different styles to make it personalized for me.” Her preferred style of SFX makeup, gore. In fact, Halloween is her season to shine!
**photos are makeup, not actual injury**
Her talent certainly could take her places, big places–Hollywood, even! But for now, she maintains it’s just a hobby. “Everyone tells me I should make it a career. I honestly just love doing it as a hobby. I am going to college for Elementary Education so that’s my career goal.”
The reaction from her clients is reward enough for her to continue in the work she loves. “I love seeing people’s reactions to it and I love being able to be creative and make each person look unique since no two makeups will ever be the same.”
Black also does less-scary versions that are kid friendly!
If you are interested in learning more about the work of the talented Payton Black, you can visit her Facebook page and message her directly with any questions.
In the series, “Greenwood Business of the Week,” we will feature a variety of retail shops and restaurants throughout the City of Greenwood.
The Polka-Dotted Zebra Established February 2015, The Polka-Dotted Zebra Children’s Boutique has been gladly serving our community, offering new children’s clothing and accessories for five years. Their items also include shoes, custom tees, and gifts. Owned by Sheila Bailey, it is located at 560 West Center Street, Ste A, Greenwood, next to Greenwood Flower and Gift.
Hours are Tues.-Fri. 10-5, & Sat. 10-3. Ph.: 479-996-0096
