This digital story recording was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.

Students at the Gentry Intermediate EAST Students in Gentry, Arkansas, worked with the Gentry Public Library to produce short documentaries about everything from local parades to growth in their small town.

Mrs. Marla (Feemster) England (00:05): ... yeah. As long as I could ever remember, Gentry had fireworks. And probably the same for you, I didn't like those big boomers. They just really would scare me. But that was one of the things that was very much fun. Dad, you said that you don't think they had the fireworks at all around the '50s.

Mr. Danny Feemster (00:28): Somewhere along there, yeah. Probably couldn't afford them. They had them like you said, down at the Creek some, but just mostly firecrackers to playgrounds. But it drew a big crowd every year and it gets bigger every year now.

Mrs. Janie Parks (00:48): About the turn of the century in the early 1900s, Gentry had two vacation spots, just south of town. One was called Feemster's Playground and people would camp there and stay in little cabins and swim in Flint Creek. Flint Creek had a lot more water in it then, than it does now. But it was a great place for people to spend the afternoon in the hot summer. Feemster's Playground was right on what we now call Highway 59, but there was a second park called Maryada Park, named after the daughter of the person that developed it. And it was a little farther to the west down Dawn Hill Road. It was a great swimming spot and picnic spot. And several of the Freedom Fest celebrations happened down in Maryada Park, during that time at about the turn of the century.

Mrs. Marla (Feemster) England (01:42): I can remember not only did... At fireworks time, but at Christmas time it was a big to-do too, because we always had the fire truck and Santa Claus was always on the fire truck. And he always went to the fire station and he saw the children and handed out candy. And that was quite an experience as well.

Mrs. Janie Parks (01:59): The Gentry Christmas Parade is usually in the first weekend in December, every year. It is a tradition that we've had in Gentry for at least 50 years, probably going back much farther than that. It's a great time for people to come together and watch a parade of local people, local businesses, local industry, the Gentry High School Band. Everybody has a good time on Main Street and visits with their friends and visits the businesses along Main Street. It's a great time in a small town.

Mrs. Peggy (Steele) Chenault (02:42): We went to several Christmas Parades this year. And the last one we went to was the one in Gentry. And my husband kind of was like, "It's probably not going to be any better than the other two that we've seen." And when we left, he goes, "Oh my gosh, that was the best Christmas Parade ever." Gentry does it. Gentry knows how to do it right. And Gentry has always been known for having a fun time.

Asset ID: 2022.06.02

Find a complete transcript at www.museumonmainstreet.org