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.

Recorded by Buffalo Island Central High School, EAST Students, in conjunction with the Buffalo Island Museum, Arkansas.

Red Palmer recalls what it was like to remove stumps from fields after trees were cleared to make way for farming the land in Buffalo Island, Arkansas.

This story is part of Buffalo Island Central EAST's online story map From Swamp to Farmland and exhibits at the Buffalo Island Museum, which both trace the the history of agriculture in the area.

Red Palmer (00:04): Now there was stumps, what they call stumps, where they'd saw the tree down, and that was still sticking up out there in the field. And I remember us digging them up and cutting them up and chopping them out and, like that, getting that old stump out of the way where we could farm the land.

Asset ID: 2018.20.19