Hempstead County Historical Society Hears From Melissa Nesbitt
HOPE – The Hempstead County Historical Society met June 24th. Kennan Williams introduced Melissa Nesbitt, Archival Manager of the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archive (SARA). Mrs. Nesbitt showed the Society some highlights of Hope, since it is Hope’s 150th birth year. A few people she mentioned included Harry Shiver who preserved and studied much Hope history, Richard Hill, who was born Hope in 1905, and Dr. Robert Walz, a Little River County native who taught at SAU in Magnolia and also collected and preserved many old photographs which now reside at the archives.
Nesbitt also showed part of Paul Simm’s scrapbook. She also showed a photo of Hope’s first airport which was established in 1929. She said the earliest example of the Star of Hope they have is from 1899. She discussed the history of the Jerome P. Duffie family tree. Kennan Williams gave some details about a couple of Duffie’s children.
