INSIDER HISTORY OF CHEROKEE VILLAGE ARKANSAS (Continues)

Paul, I must thank you again for this excellent posting on the history of the village. It is fascinating and there's lots I never knew. It's really good to read about some of this. I'm one of your many fans!

Hi Forum,

I will be continuing with the Early History of Cherokee Village and the reflection of Zora Uffelman Wuellner from where we left off. It is an interesting reflection because it gives some sense of the commercial and social development as well as the growth of the Cherokee Village churches.

"...There were no places to shop and no churches in those early years at Cherokee Village so this was done in Hardy. There were no telephones (but when they did come to the Village there were as many as 15 on a party line), no street lights or street signs. Cable TV came to the Village in early 1966. The Thunderbird Dining Room was added to the Sitting Bull Restaurant in 1962 and later Burger Broil was installed. Mr. Uffelman was manager of that room the last two summers before Thunderbird Recreation Center was built. As many as 100 teenagers would be there some nights during the summer.

The Country Club was organized in 1960 and the first fire truck arrived in 1963. In 1965 a bowling league was formed for Villagers at Batesville and later the Indian Hills Lanes was built. Zora was an avid bowler.

Many clubs and organizations developed including the Hobby Club, a Garden Club, Men's Club, Lion's Club and the Kiwanis Club. Zora remembered the construction of the first Mobil Station in 1963 and the first Supermarket in 1966."

Does anyone out there remember any of these places or developments? The sheer number of teenagers gives a sense of a lively Village with youth early on. I had never heard of "Burger Broil" before. Of course, the supermarket being referred to would likely be the one at Town Center which is now transformed to City Hall. Also, it is interesting to note that Hardy -- not Ash Flat -- seems to have been the early shopping area before the development in CV.

Thoughts?
To be continued...

Hi Barb,

Here is a little more on Cooper Communities and it does mention Florida as a location. This would be the company started by John Cooper's son, John Jr.

http://www.coopercommunities.com/about.aspx

Hi Forum,

Thanks, also, Barb for your encouragement. The story regarding Brooksville, Florida is interesting to me as well. As we get into the Early History further, I hope that more will be revealed on the ending of this project. The break-in at the development's trailer couldn't have felt like an encouraging sign, along with Mr. Hirsch's ill health from the weather. Still, one senses that Florida would be a natural place to expand. Perhaps Cooper Industries already has. I will do some research and get back to you. Thanks again for your support.

What a shame Mr. Coopers Sunnyland Village in Brooksville Fl did not take off . That is only about 45 minutes north of where I live. And yes, the humidity is unbearable at times. I really find the information on the development of Cherokee Village and the Coopers other enterprises very interesting. Thanks Paul for all the info.
Barb

Hi Forum,

This is one sweet reflection from the Early History of Cherokee Village. It is particularly nice in two ways. Firstly, it reflects the magic of the place. How a simple visit to Cherokee Village would take hold of a person. Secondly, it gives a little more insight into the early marketing approaches of Mr. Cooper.

MEMORIES

By: Zora Uffelman Wuellner

In 1962, Zora and her husband "Heinie" visited friends in Cherokee Village planning to stay only an hour or so, but they stayed three days. That was enough to convince Zora that she wanted to live among the beautiful scenery and meet all the friendly people. They moved to 48 Shoshone Drive in November.

Zora went to work in the Letter Office (where she received the letters sent to people giving them a 3 day vacation to the Village) then transferred to the gift shop known as "Wigwam" to work with Connie Collier, manger and owned by Mrs. John Cooper. In one corner of the gift shop was a new Post Office. all mail had to be hand stamped. At that time 450 families were receiving mail.

Zora had many fond memories hat she often shared with ehr friends and family in Kansas City. she spoke of the Sitting Bull Restaurant and how it became the morning coffee hour for men who arrived to wait for their mail. Someone asked Col. Shaver one morning what people do here! He replied: 'Well, when you get up in the morning -- you have nothing to do. When you go to bed at night, you don't have it half done." ...

To be continued....

Hi Forum,

This section will conclude the section on Fountain Place, the former Cooper homestead. In posts to come, we will look at such things as the development of the Village newspaper, the story of the Sitting Bull restaurant. Garden Club, churches, political development, and more on healthcare. Enjoy:

In 1995 Harold Hirsch, and early sales representative with Cherokee Village Development Company, sold the Cooper home and about 22 acres surrounding it to Larry and Louise Pelton. The building had been used very little by the university so there was much work to be done for the Peltons' dream of making it into a Bed and Breakfast and a very elite place for dining to come true. As world travelers, the Peltons brought in dining furniture from Mexico, as well as the beautiful fountain for which the estate is now named.

In 2000, the Peltons sold the estate to Spring River Inc, dba Fountain Place, a Christian Retirement Community which had been organized in this area be Cherokee Village Lutheran Church, Cherokee Village United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church of Cherokee Village, Peace Lutheran Church, Spring River Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The Christian home, that emerged as a result of this purchase, employs a professional staff that encourages and promotes self-fulfillment in all respects of life. Senior residents of Fountain Place enjoy three nutritious meals daily, planned activities and games, transportation for shopping excursions or doctor visits, a swimming area, walking and hiking trails.

John and Mildred Cooper, both now deceased, were a compassionate couple and would today be pleased that so many elderly people are making use of the home and grounds they built and loved so much.

More will come from the Early History of Cherokee Village...

Hi Forum,

I am returning now to the Early History of Cherokee Village. The account picks up from Maude White writing on the former home of John and Mildred Cooper now called Fountain Place. (By the way, if you have not seen the video above of the kayaking on the lake, you will truly enjoy it.) Here is the account on Fountain Place continuing:

Mrs. Cooper kept a watchful eye over the construction and at one point had workman build a tower the height of her bedroom window to be sure she could see the three lakes from her bedroom.

The main house as built by the Coopers contained two large bedroom sites for the two younger Cooper children still at home, Rebecca and John. A master bedroom, a conference room and office for Mr. Cooper, a kitchen, a large dining room and living area combined with a sunken fireplace and overhanging balcony, completed the main house.

Mrs. Cooper's brother, Wells Borum, was very talented with ironwork, and was commissioned to make chandeliers throughout the main house and guest house. One unusual story about the house is told as follows: the brother asked the men who laid the stones for the fireplace if he might age the stones by covering them with a potion whose formula had been handed down from Michelangelo. They agreed, so he applied the potion. Those who view the fireplace today can determine for themselves if the stones appear older than the 40 years they have been part of the Cooper home.

A guest house with four suites and connected to the main house was built also at the time of the original construction.

In the early 1980's, John and Mildred Cooper moved to Bella Vista, their second development, to make their home. The Cherokee Village home was deeded to the University of Arkansas for seminars. The U of A did not use the home very often and finally deeded it back to the Daggett Development Company in 1994.

To be continued...

My Friends,

I regret that it has been a few days since my last entry on Fountain Place. It has been a very busy time this week at work, but I will begin posting again on Friday.

In the meantime, here is a nice video on kayaking one of the Village's lakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeoocd7xRrg

Hi Forum,

Our next installment from the Early History of Cherokee Village concerns Fountain Place, formerly the Cooper home. This community endeavor shows again the spirit of the CV community and the generosity of the Cooper's. You will note some names we have heard before!

Enjoy this entry from the Early History of Cherokee Village:

FOUNTAIN PLACE

By: Maude White (deceased in October 2004)

Fountain Place, originally known as the John and Mildred Cooper home, was a dream come true. In the early 1950's John Cooper of West Memphis bought 400 acres of land and started developing a retirement area called Cherokee Village Development Company.

The Coopers, who had spent their summers in the original building on the property, moved to what was then known as the Dr. Smith house located where the Tenkiller Townhouses are now. Their former summer home then became the sales office for development.

The Dr. Smith house had its own stables and Mrs. Cooper, being an accomplished equestrian, took advantage and frequently rode her horse to the top of a tall hill on the property where she could admire the sunset. She often said that was the most peaceful spot she had ever known and that the beautiful view seemed to go on forever. She told her husband that this was where she would like to build their home someday. Thus, the John Cooper home, later to be known as Fountain Place, had its beginning.

Mrs. Cooper drew rough plans which were completed by architect, Lynn Wassell, probably a student of E Faye Jones, and a firm called Farrell and Robinson. Duke Moody of Memphis and his partner, James Owen, landscape architect, did the landscaping. Owen is the father of Cary Jackson of Cherokee Village. Jim Gore, Bill Orr and Paul King engineered the construction with Bassham in charge of the house construction itself. The rock work was mainly done by Order, Gordon and Edgar Morgan. ...


Please note that the famous architect E. Faye Jones, who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, appears again as an architect involved. You can find wonderful information on E. Faye Jones at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Fay_Jones

And perhaps E Faye Jones most famous building at:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lh5.ggpht.com/_GfvokjHTGEs/Sjtvu3lydVI/AAAAAAAAB8M/bb7vhadrDGY/s640/fayjonesoutside.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.123people.co.uk/s/fay%2Bjones&usg=__LmKQpQ3G4CCqYKWdB4ac9a9MoWc=&h=427&w=640&sz=141&hl=en&start=227&sig2=BqXf1wZZ_15hK8jeonLhsg&zoom=1&tbnid=VzBv7Kux99FlvM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=183&ei=e2nXTOTXHoKdlgfY0pCQAw&prev=/images%3Fq%3DE%2BFaye%2BJones%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D559%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C5754&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=717&vpy=138&dur=378&hovh=130&hovw=195&tx=220&ty=53&oei=omjXTOOpEcL68AbDsfSCCA&esq=2&page=14&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:227&biw=1024&bih=559

To be continued...

Hi Forum,

If you haven't yet had a chance to view the above videos, I would encourage you to give them a look. The videos sure give a nice sense of the area. The second video makes you feel like you are on the walking trail!

The following will finish the reflections of Harold Hirsch from the Early History of Cherokee Village. We will continue with other memories from early CVers:

Mr. Cooper had, at different times, several twin engine Cessna planes and later on a small jet. One time we were flying to Florida and we kept hearing this noise flapping against the side of the plane but couldn't figure out what it was. When we landed we discovered that one sleeve of my leather coat was outside the door the whole trip. The sleeve was stretched out twice as long as the other sleeve. Mr. Cooper's pilot was Lindy Hallmark who flew me and the boys to Florida.

After Mr. Cooper dissolved Cooper Communities here in the Village, I started working for King-Rhodes. Kenneth King, Ron Rhodes and Joel King owned this company. I had previously worked with Ron Rhodes as he also worked for the Cooper Co. selling real estate. I still continue to work for Ron Rhodes every day and feed my cattle out on the farm.

I have been a member of the Sharp County Conservation District for 64 years. I have been an active member of the Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) for 44 years. It was quite a privilege to be honored with this induction into the Hall of Fame.

Here is a link to RC&D: http://www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/

To be continued...

Hi Forum,

I also mentioned concerning my recent trip to the Village that there was talk about the need for more walking trails. I certainly vote YES! Some might wonder what the major existing trail looks like. This nice video will give you a sense of what it is like to walk it in the fall.

https://www.youtube.com/v/Fj6QmuqT1Hc

Hi Forum,

I will continue with Harold Hirsch's reflections in the next post. Every once in awhile a nice new Cherokee Village video pops up. I like this new one because it gives a sense of the "finished product" of Cooper's work. There are surely moments in time when one might like the Village best in its history, but in terms of its amenities and recent history, this is one sweet video. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTztsNIAQKk

Hi Forum,

The following section offers some interesting tidbits about the lakes. One of the things i marvel at the most is the way so much was built with such little equipment. Amazing! It is also a tribute to the value of Mr. Cooper's promise to Villagers. His word was his bond.

Again, this is taken from the Early History of Cherokee Village about Harold Hirsch. The interview and transcript was done by Betty Holliger. Thanks Betty.

The first lake to be built was Cherokee in 1955. It was full of water before the dedication. This was started with one bulldozer and a road grader.

After Lake Sequoyah and Thuderbird Lakes were built the channel joined the two lakes. Mr. Cooper had a Seismography Engineer from Caterpillar Tractor Co. survey the land prior to digging the channel. They told him it was 55 feet of dirt and 5 feet of rock. There was a big mistake, as it was 55 feet of rock and five feet of dirt. Since Mr. Cooper had promised the land owners that the two lakes would be joined he never faltered on his promise. If he told you he was going to do it -- it was done. I trusted Mr. Cooper to stand by his word and he also trusted me to make any decisions that needed to be made.

I went to Florida for 6 weeks as Mr. Cooper wanted to start a village there also. When I got down there the humdity caused such sinus trouble that I had to return to Arkansas. we had an office set up there and within two months someone broke in and stole what we had there while I was in Arkansas. It would have been built near Brooksville, Florida. It was to have been called Sunnyland Village.

To be continued...

Hi Forum,

Thanks Chuck for your kind remarks. We may move things around in a bit for coherence in the future. Right now, I hope everyone is able to follow along.

The next reflections will be of Harold Hirsch and were taken from an interview by Betty Holliger. We thank her for the wonderful work she did in transcribing this interview. There is a good bit of the interview which focuses on Mr. Hirsch's upbringing. It is interesting indeed. Yet I think it is best to start at the place where Mr. Hirsch starts working for Mr. Cooper. Mr. Hirsch was 90 at the time of the interview. Here is that porition from the Early History of Cherokee Village:

Dr. Claude Cooper, a doctor at this time in Thayer, recommended to his brother. John A. Coooper, Sr. that he hire me to work and purchase land for him since I was so familiar with the area. I didn't really want to work for him but, at his insistence, bought land for him for a whole year. The white areas on the map of Cherokee Village, the people would not sell to us. They wanted twice the price Mr. Cooper offered them. He said just pass them by. The property later sold at auction and didn't bring the price that Mr. Cooper had offered them.

I worked for Mr. Cooper for 38 years, all the time that he was in this area. I worked for the Coooper Company, which included Cherokee Village, Hot Springs Village and Bella Vista, buying land for one year. Mr. Cooper gave me leave for a 3 month trip to Europe which I really enjoyed. On my return it was back to selling lots and homes in Cherokee Village.

In 1955 we went to shows in Chicago, Illinois and they gave away gift lots when it first started. This got people to Arkansas and when they got here they found their lot was (in most cases) not suitable to build on. They were then shown lots in Cherokee Village which they could trade their lot in on. The free nights came later. I went to Chicago, Illinois to several kinds of trade shows for 22 years. We went to other shows around the mid-west also. From the names and addresses we obtained, the office would do mailings.

There were very view spec homes built at this time. We had floor plans and the homes were built when people owned the lots. Tom and Betty Jones was one of the first couples that I sold a home. Cooper built the homes that were ordered. I would take plans and make them suit the people's needs. The spec homes were on Skyline Drive and Hiawatha Dr. I still own a spec home on Skyline of the first three that were built. We would get so many people wanting to come here and we had no where to put them up for the night. the first homes were built by a construction company called Seminole Company. Then John A. Cooper, Sr. formed Cooper Homes and they built the houses. ...

To be continued....

Hi Paul, I now have read the entire thread, and it is great. I was getting into David Cox's writings, and it stopped, with me posting on the hospital issue. I think you should move it if you can, to around the hospital issue, so as not to divide Mr. Cox's fantastic addition. It is really fun reading his observations. It's ironic that while you were here we spoke of the same sense of wonder that can catch you when you least expect it here. Making new friends everyday. It makes me thankful to be living here, and also reinforces that the very same sense that he felt, is alive and well in our community today.

Hi Paul, Thanks for continuing this history of the village. I have not read it all yet, but wanted to comment on the postings concerning the hospital. I was really surprised by the scope of the whole operation... Living here for 10 years, I thought I had a grasp on it somewhat, but I was way wrong. I was fortunate to not need these services in my first couple years here, so I had not been there at all. I sure took it for granted that it was there, but I never expected to see the wide range services they offered. I did know after it closed that we needed this in our community.
I believe now more than ever that the hospital is not only deeply needed , but that a well managed hospital in this area is more than viable. It is a necessity we can not do without, and that we have been misled to think that it would only be borderline successful. After reading the true scope of the services we did have, I am not buying into that mindset.

Hi Forum,

Here is the next section of the Early History of Cherokee Village that has David Cox's memories. I was struck by the ease with which they made friends upon arrival. It is also a reminder not to get too busy!

...Before long it happened again; Cherokee Village had me under its spell..

A month later I rolled into Cherokee Village with my family. It was to become our permanent home. after the move we often fished at the river and swam in the pools. We didn't know many people, but we made new friends every day. My wife and children were as captivated by the Village as I.

But now baseball and basketball and marching band and Boy Scouts and aerobics and play practice and all kinds of meetings kept our schedule too full to enjoy the Village as we did in the beginning. As the job has grown, too, with more subscribers, more advertising, more pages and more employees, our special projects always seem to require more hours than we anticipate. Life here becomes almost indistinguishable from life anywhere else.

But then something unexpected happens -- like walking along the Lake Chanute dam early in the morning and seeing faintly through the fog, a lone fisherman in his boat, appearing to float in the shimmering white cloud.

Or seeing a family of foxes bounding across the lawn of a Village couple, the vixen keeping a watchful eye for danger as her kids romp, oblivious to their audience. Or seeing the explosion of white dogwood trees everywhere in the Village, appearing almost instantly to herald the end of winter.

Or visiting friends on Lake Thunderbird and watching the evening sun sink silently into the hills beyond the milky pink water just as it did 30 years ago over another lake not too far away. Cherokee Village has cast its spell once again.

David Cox and his wife, Heidi, purchased the newspaper from Cooper Communities Inc. in 1991.

To be continued....

Hi forum,

Thanks for the kind words, Mike. The following excerpts from the Early History of Cherokee Village will jump around a bit. Some of the stories can be taken out of sequence and seem to me good to read that way. I also want to return later to more on healthcare in the history of the Village. The story of the Ambulance Service and its award-winning quality and growth is worth hearing. It sure gives a sense of the need in the Village for that emergency service and the dedication of those involved.

The following story is taken from David Cox's reflections in the Early History. Mr. Cox was Villager Editor from 1990 to present. The story, like many to come, gives insight into how the Village was promoted.

By: David Cox

It was about 1965, and I was 7 years old, when I first saw Cherokee Village.

My family didn't take many vacations, except to visit grandparents. So the trip to Cherokee Village for a free weekend -- along with a tour of the Village with a salesman from the Cooper Company -- was a rare treat. We could see a lake from the carport of the cabin where we stayed. It must have been Lake Cherokee. I've driven the streets east of the lake thinking maybe I'd recognize the house if I saw it again, but it's been too long.

My older sisters met some local boys who asked them if they wanted to see a haunted house out in the country. Without asking permission, they went along, leaving a note to tell my parents where they went. Fortunately, they boys had nothing more in mind than taking the girls to see a big, abandoned farmhouse, after which they brought them back unharmed. More remarkably, my parents didn't punish my sisters or even scold them. It was as if they were all under a spell of good will, believing nothing bad could happen in this place and receiving just reward for their faith.

My brother and I cashed in on my parents' momentary bout with permissiveness to ask Dad for one of his cigars...and he actually gave it to us. As I recall, we turned a little green after the first puff. It was our first cigar and made us feel almost grown up.

I remember my parents sitting outside the cabin in lawn chairs drinking coffee as the sun set. My brother and I sat nearby, taking turns holding the cigar, pretending to smoke.

This spell we were under was not so much a matter of what we did; I don't remember much of that. It was a matter of where we were. Cherokee Village had that effect on people. In later years I forgot the name Cherokee Village. I even forgot that the vacation was taken in Arkansas. But I never forgot that magical weekend.

Twenty five years later, I stood on the Lake Cherokee dam. It was August 1990, and I had just climbed Otter Creek Falls to see the source of water. As I watched the fish swimming under lily pads in front of the spillway, I didn't recognize this as the same lake which lingered in that fond childhood memory. Even the cigar I puffed that morning failed to connect the moment with the memory.

I had come to the Village with Publisher Jim Hall and the CCI [Cooper Communities Inc.] marketing director Charlie Hughes to see the Cherokee Villager and decide whether I wanted to become its editor. Jim and Charlie were meeting right then with the Village project director, Max Solomon, and had sent me to explore the area.

I drove around the Village, stopping at the South Golf Course Restaurant for lunch and admiring the splendid view. Later I threw in a line at Star Falls and caught a few pumpkinseed bream. I walked through the John Cooper home (now Pelton Place) and stopped at Thunderbird Marina to feed bread to the fish. Before long it happened again; Cherokee Village had me under its spell....

To be continued...

Paul,

What a great description of your recent visit to CV! This entire thread has been a great read and judging from the many page views this thread has received, many other people also think so. Thank you!

Hi Forum,

If I may take a moment of personal privilege, it would be a joy to report my own "insider" impressions of Cherokee Village from my recent trip.

Firstly, it is an absolutely fantastic time of the year to visit. I would very much recommend a visit in the early fall. For one thing, the landscape opens up as the leaves begin to fall from the trees and vistas and views open in wonderful ways. The lakes are more visible from the roads and the mountains show much of their underlying terrain.

The weather was great! It was an interesting combination of lovely warm days and cool mountain nights. I very much like that combination. The walking trail near Town Center that goes to Lake Thunderbird was a nice and meditative walk. I spent time sitting by the stream as well. I understand that there is a bit of a debate right now about the need for further walking trails in Cherokee Village. I would like to support the growth of these trails. They are used much more than I think many are aware of by young families and visitors. We need more!

The condition of the Village was really encouraging. Clearly, Code Enforcement and basic community spirit are high. The Village looks nice, grounds well maintained, and kind of happy settling into the change in season can be felt after the summer activities. There is still a good level of activity but also a sense of a gentle pace as the community becomes a little less "vacationing" and more everyday "living" in feel.

One high point was a Thursday night in Hardy hearing two "open microphone" guitar players. The food was great as was the music. If you haven't had a chance to go yet to Words and Words Afterwards, I highly recommend a visit. There's real local talent there.

Th lakes in the Village are lovely this time of year. I like the dying down of boating and the sense of the lakes in their natural state. I had fun simply being at the water's edge of two of the lakes -- Aztec and Thunderbird.

The final thing to report personally is that intangible "something." Chuck had mentioned to me privately that the sense of community spirit raised by my posts was in his view both solid and high. I certainly agree based on my recent visit. The Village just plain looks and feels good.

Thanks for letting me share my reflections.. The Early History of Cherokee Village will continue tomorrow.
.

Hi Forum,

Okay, let's go back -- WAY back! On my recent visit I was again struck by the landscape. The rock formations in particular amaze me as they are very ocean-like. In fact, you can occasionally find shells! How on earth could that be the case in the mountains of Arkansas? Well, it turns out that there's a quite reasonable explanation but one that will amaze us:

"REGIONS

You can understand Arkansas, its people and its settlements, by studying the landscape and geography. About 400 million years ago, Arkansas was under the ocean during the Paleozoic Era. Rock, known as limestone, was created when the creatures living in the water died and accumulated on the bottom of the oceans.Limestone is found in northern Arkansas. In western Arkansas, sandstone and shale were laid down, also remnants of the Paleozoic Era. Also during this era, the plateaus of the Ozark Mountains were formed, as well as the long ridges of the Ouachita Mountains.

At the time dinosaurs roamed the earth during the Mesozoic Era, eastern and south Arkansas were under the waters of what would be the Gulf of Mexico. This was 130 million years ago. The Gulf of Mexico withdrew from Arkansas about 50 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era and left behind sand and gravel that is common in south Arkansas today.

Today, the geography of Arkansas can be divided into the uplands and the lowlands. The uplands have mountains and are rocky while the lowlands are hilly in some places and low, flat and wet in other places. The soil is sandy and there are many rivers. Each supports many different plants and animals, farming, scenery and recreational opportunities.

From the uplands to the lowlands, Arkansas can be subdivided into six natural divisions, each with its own unique geographical features."

Taken from:

http://www.arkansasheritage.com/discover/natural_environments/regions.aspx

The Insider History will continue....

Hi Forum,

I'm back from my trip and have a lot to report. Stay posted.

I like this too. Fun to read this.

Thank you for the efforts. I sent this link to my brother.