Round Mountain is about 13 miles north of Morrilton, the county seat. It is three miles north of Solgohachia on the road to Lanty, which is two miles further north. Round Mountain is a large hill with a spherical contour and it is a very prominent feature on the landscape. It is still tree covered except where shale has been dug out for road surfacing. The highway circles the west side just above the base of the hill. The hill may rise 500 to 600 feet above the general elevation of the area.

It probably took 3 to 4 hours by horse drawn wagon to reach Morrilton, the county seat and only town of any size in Conway County. This part of the country was very primitive in the 1880’s and remained so for some 80 years. The roads were unpaved and there was no bridge across East Point Remove Creek between Round Mountain and Solgohachia. The creek could be forded by a good team and heavy wagon at a water depth of up to four feet, but probably very few would try it; they would just wait until the water went back down. The road through Lanty was not paved for about 90 more years. I’m not sure when the bridge was built across East Point Remove. State Highway 9 through Solgohachia was paved in the 1950’s.

The extended Skipper family is not completely clear, but James’ grandfather, Joseph W. Skipper had died. His grandmother, Susan Louisa, age 49, was still living in the area with some of her children. Louisa was probably a second wife and was 15 years younger than Joseph. She was called Suza for short. At home with her were John, 29; George, 20; ‘Deed’, 13; and great-grandmother Rebecca Garnto, 78. Other uncles and aunts may have been in the area: Charles, 38; David, 30, Caroline, 26; and Laura, 24. Three others may have died by then. Wilson was Deed’s twin brother and Mary and Dunkin would have been in the mid teens.

Republican Chester A. Arthur was president having succeeded James Garfield after his death. Since Joseph Skipper, Jim’s grandfather, had been a staunch Republican and had joined the Union Army after Little Rock fell. It is possible that the middle name, Arthur, was in honor of the president. The Republican political persuasion would be linked to the Skippers for years. Charles Darwin died that year.

Life in the 1880’s

• Electrical Power

Edison had just invented the electric light (although the streets of Paris had been lit by electric carbon arc lights for some time). Electrical power systems did not exist. Electric lights were so rare that in 1885 the folks of Austin, Texas, put up a string of electric streetlights specifically for a celebration. There were no electric motors or appliances. Electricity did not reach the Lanty area for another 60 years or so.

• Refrigeration

New Orleans had had a commercial ice making plant for about 15 years, but ice was not readily available out in the country. I don’t know when Morrilton first got an ice plant. Most rural people stored milk and butter in cold spring water, if they had access to a spring or they just drank the milk warm. There was a thriving natural ice distribution system in the northern states which delivered ice by clipper ship all alone the Atlantic coasts, but I doubt that much of it got up river to Morrilton. There was a commercial ice cream plant at an ice cream parlor in Austin, Texas, in the 1880’s and the owner used the steam powered refrigeration system to cool his parlor.

• Heating

Wood was used for cooking and heating. Wood was readily available for the labor. Some may have used coal. Many older homes used fireplaces, but others used cast iron cook stoves and heaters.

• Lighting

Since there was no electricity, there were no electric lights. However, there was plenty of kerosene from the Pennsylvania oil boom of recent years. President Lincoln had studied by candlelight, these youngsters studied with the faint aroma of kerosene.

• Entertainment

Entertainment was totally different back then; it consisted of social activities and sports like baseball. Basketball had not been invented. Edison had just invented the phonograph, the first system for recording and reproducing sound. Very few people had phonographs for many years. There were no movies, radio, or TV of course. Because of this, many cities, even small towns had their own bands.

• Communications

There were two choices: the Postal Service or the telegraph; both had been in use for many years. The telephone had been exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, but it took many years to provide phone service out to rural areas. The first long-distance line was constructed in 1881 and a 292 mile long line was built in 1884.

• Transportation

The steam locomotive rail train was the ultimate modern transportation by land. Any other land travel was by foot, horseback, or horse or ox drawn wagons, carts, or carriages. There were probably few carriages in rural Arkansas. Roads were usually prepared by scraping the surface and digging ditches to keep most of the water off the road. Very few had crushed stone surfaces, much less all-weather paving so travel was limited in wet weather. Even in 1900 people were traveling to Oklahoma by wagon, crossing the Arkansas River on ferries. Travel by water was much more common then, but since the trans-continental railroad had been completed in 1869, fewer people made the trip around Cape Horn or the alternate, transferring by rail across the Isthmus of Panama. Air travel was limited to joy rides in hot air balloons, which had been in use for 100 years.
The "Bicycle Age"
The safety bicycle appeared about 1880. Both wheels were the same size. During the next ten years various improvements were made in the bicycle, including rubber tires, ball bearings for wheels, coaster brakes, cushion saddles, and handle bars that could be adjusted for the rider's comfort.
The bicycle was in its greatest use in the United States from 1889 until about 1900. In 1889, the air-filled rubber bicycle tire was introduced. By 1896, about 4,000,000 people in the United States regularly rode bicycles. In 1899 there were 312 bicycle factories in the country which made more than 1,000,000 bicycles during the year. Today, more than 24,000,000 people in the United States own bicycles. One factory in Little Rock, Ark., can turn out as many as 3,000 bicycles a day. (From the 1965 World Book Encyclopedia)

• Hygiene

There was no indoor plumbing or water supply in the rural areas (and perhaps none in most small towns). Water had to be drawn from a spring or from a ‘dug’ well. (Drilled wells may have been in use also.) Some people collected rainwater in cisterns. Some people had hand pumps for pumping water from wells or cisterns, but I think they were rare in this area. Those were the days of weekly baths in a washtub in the kitchen or at the swimming hole in the summer, if there was one near by. I think that many homes didn’t even have an outhouse; the men simple went outdoors or to the barn, the women used a pot or ‘slop’ jar which could be emptied outdoors later. Well-to-do families had a commode seat to hold the pot at a nice sitting height and to provide a cover for the pot. 'Toilet paper' was not common either.

Although combs and hair brushes were common, many rural people didn't have tooth brushes. They chewed the end of a twig and brushed their teeth with that. In the recent '1900 House' TV project, tooth brushes with pig bristles were used. Handles were probably made of 'hard' rubber.

• Other Things

They didn't have zippers! The first slide fastener was invented in 1892 and the modern metal toothed slide fastener in 1913. In 1924 B.F. Goodrich introduced Zipper galoshes with slide fasteners. Aluminum containers and products did not exist. Napoleon had tried to produce aluminum for equipment for his army, but found that it was too expensive. There was no plastic, no cellophane, no celluloid. In other words, products were either natural such as cotton, wool, wood, ivory, and leather or iron, brass or copper. Probably iron containers coated with either zinc, enamel, or tin coatings for rust proofing were available to the common people. Rich people probably had brass cookware. Many used cast iron pots and skillets.

Rubber was the new material of the century. Although the native population of Central and South America had used the sap of the rubber tree for balls and coatings for their feet, it was not until 1823 that Charles Macintosh of Scotland produced the 'mackintosh' a rubberized cloth raincoat. In 1839, Charles Goodyear, accidentally discovered the 'vulcanization' process to make rubber into stable, elastic, airtight, and watertight products. Solid rubber tires were mounted on Queen Victoria's carriages in 1846.

The first Zeppelin was flown in Germany and in the U.S. there was hope that the animals providing transportation in the cities could be replaced by gasoline engine-powered vehicles to reduce the pollution resulting from all the animal waste on the streets. Teddy Roosevelt apparently made a campaign swing through Conway County, because the family tells the story the Roosevelt expressed admiration for Dave Skipper’s ox team. Teddy Roosevelt served two terms as President. The Wizard of Oz was published.

The certificate says: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greetings:

Whereas, On the 6th day of January, 1908, James A. Skipper was appointed Postmaster at Solgohachia, in the County of Conway, State of Arkansas, and whereas he did on the 1st day of February, 1908, execute a Bond, and has taken the Oath of Office as required by law:

Now know ye, that confiding in the integrity, ability, and punctuality of the said James A. Skipper I do commission him a Postmaster, authorized to perform the duties of that Office at Solgohachia aforesaid, according to the laws of the United States and the Regulations of the Post Office Department: To hold the said Office of Postmaster, with all the powers, privileges, and emoluments thereunto belonging, during the pleasure of the Postmaster General of the United States.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the Post Office Department to be affixed, at Washington City, this eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eight, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-second.

Jim and Jo Skipper and
their first child, Thelma, born on July 27, 1908

This was the year Henry Ford produced the first Model T. GMC was also started that year. Congress passed a law making it mandatory to put the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ on all U.S. money.

Republican William Howard Taft was elected president.

Jim was almost 32 and Jo almost 24 when his mother died. Thelma was six and Irving was two. Jim and Jo had been married for seven years.

Jim’s oldest sister, Mary Krisell, had died. She had been married to John Krisell and left eight children, Ernest, Frances, Lora, Cora, Ellen, Hobert, Olin, and Arthur. I’ve known Ellen and her children since I was a child and Hobert appears later in England in 1920 when Ida Skipper visited.

Jim’s next sister, Harriet Lyod, lived near Lanty. Her children were William David, John, and Louisa.

The third sister, Louisa (Aunt Lou Treece), was married and may have already moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Jim’s older brother, John Quincy, lived in the area and eventually settled in Morrilton. John Q. was a traveling Singer Sewing Machine salesman and then later was appointed postmaster at Morrilton. His daughter Ida was 14, Annie was 13, ‘Son’ was 11, Gordon was 8, Bertha was 7, Naomi was 5 ½, Delma was 4, and ‘Bill’ Quincy was 1 ½. He later had Everett and Winnie, then John Quincy Jr.

The fourth sister, Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Cowan, (36), lived at Lanty. Her husband’s name was Sonnetia (Nett for short). I haven’t found anyone who knows for sure how his name was pronounced, but my guess is sohn-eh-t’-ah. Does it mean ‘little sonnet’? Her children were Leon, William, Jackson, Sturl, Stella, Katie, and Arba. I remember references to Sturl and Stella as I grew up in Conway County.

The fifth sister, Rosie Elmer (27), was married to John Edwards and soon moved to Oklahoma. Her children were Millard, Mildred, Othel, Mary Opal, Leonard, Sybil, and Carl. Of course most of these were born after 1914. I remember references to a Carl Edward, but it may be someone else.

Younger brother, Carl Toby (24), married Ida Octavia Treadwell and was living nearby. His children were Rita and Reba, Roy, Ruth, Raymond and Carl Toby Jr. Roy Skipper worked at the Sterling Variety Store’s warehouse where I worked for one summer.

The sixth sister, Ethel Pauline (19), probably was still at home, but she married Jim Turner and they moved to Oklahoma. They eventually had Paul, Genevieve, Ione, Adeline, and Fredis.

It is possible that at least three of Jim’s uncles and four of his aunts were still living in the area. There were also Nolands, relatives of Jo, who lived in the Lanty area and were buried at Lone Grove.

I think that Jo’s sister, Willie, had already married Dave Krisell and lived in the Lanty area.

When Kate died there was a dispute of the inheritance of the family property. Based on what I was told by Florence Skipper Krisell's grandson and Ethel Skipper Turner's son, the younger sister wanted the brothers, John, James, and Carl, to receive all the land. The husbands of the older sisters did not agree. John threatened to hit Florence's husband with a chair while they were in the county courthouse trying to settle matters.

A few years later, Ethel's family was visiting where several family members and friends had assembled. Ethel introduced her son Paul to several of the women, but conspicuosly passed one by. After they had left the group, Paul asked his mother who the woman was, and she answered, "My sister."

1916
Piggly-Wiggly, the first self-service grocery store opened up north somewhere. I remember when the Kroger chain opened the first real self-service store in Morrilton in the early 1950’s.

The photo of the kids in the car was also taken in 1918, perhaps at the same time. Apparently John Quincy Skipper and his family and some of the others met in England for a family gathering. Along the back row Delma Skipper seems to be standing on the floorboards, Jo Skipper and Noland Roe may be on the running board. Naomi Skipper and Thelma are in the front seat. Thelma is holding Florence Krisell. Wilbourn Krisell is standing in the white suit. Bertha Skipper is in the back seat. Irving is in the middle, and Quincy Skipper is on this side of the seat wearing a hat. Perhaps the little one behind Irving is Bradley Skipper. These are John and Maggie Skipper's kids, James and Jo Skipper's kids, and Dave and Willie Krisell's kids. John and James were brothers and Jo and Willie were sisters. The kids ranged in age from Florence who was one to Bertha who was 11.

The KitchenAid electric food mixer was introduced. During the 20's and 30's American homes began to have more of the things that we have now all become accustomed to.

The first radio station in Arkansas, WOK in Pine Bluff, started broadcasting.

Ida Skipper, John Quincy’s oldest child, took the train from Morrilton to England to visit the Skippers and Krisells. She walked from the depot to Carl Toby Skipper’s house. She wrote in a letter to her boy friend and future husband, Don Bostian, on Monday, June 7th. She said Ida (Carl’s first wife) and all the kids ran out to meet her and hugged and kissed her, even Carl. However, Hobart (Krisell?) didn’t. They also wanted her to stay through Sunday for a fishing trip so there was no need for Don to come to see the movie on Saturday. Mrs. Jackson and her kids Clyde, Nolan, and Fred Roe came for a visit. She was going to help Carl and Hobart hoe cotton, but it was too wet. She reported that Uncle Jim (Skipper) had “a case of mumps.” Hobert Krisell and Noland Roe are names familiar to me.

The little boy was identified on the photo mount as Jo's second son, James, my father. He looks like he's younger than in the Oklahoma Reunion picture that follows. Even when enlarged, the image doesn't look quite like him, but I'll go with the insciption on the photo mount. Jo must have been an independent woman; I think she insisted on having a business of her own. This looks like a resale shop not much more than an indoor rummage sale, but later she had a more impressive place with some hired help.

The paving of Route 66, part of the U.S. Highway system was finally completed from Chicago to L.A. People started getting their kicks on Route 66 although the song was not written until the late 1940’s. (Not the Route 66 TV theme song.)

Apparently Jim and Jo made a motor trip with the two younger children and another child. This is one of the two photos from Thelma's album. Perhaps Thelma took the photo. She would have been 20 that year.

Their baby boy, Joe Noland Skipper, was born on February 19, 1931. Jim was 48 and Jo was 40.

Jim’s brother, John Quincy, died April 17th at the age of 54.

Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt soundly defeated Hoover with the promise to end prohibition and with the theme song “Happy Days Are Here Again.” Of course the days were not so happy for Jim, since the election of a Democrat meant his loss of the job as postmaster.

Jo went to Cisco, Texas, with Joe Noland for health reasons. A letter from Jim to Jo tells that he misses her and that he expects to lose his postmaster position when Roosevelt takes office.

Hello How are all. Well I think you for your card. Well I’m still here as happy as I was 30 years ago today. Got more to be happy for – 5 greatest kids on earth. Some older; tho don’t feel so much older tho. Your Dad.

Nylon stockings were introduced that year. Perhaps she never had a pair. She might have had a special pair of silk stockings, of course. There is a pair of fancy sheer stockings in the old family collection, but I don’t know whether they were hers or even whether they are nylon or silk. The movie “Gone with the Wind” was released that year.

Her obituary was in the Arkansas Gazette:
England, March 29 – Mrs. Mayola Josephine Skipper, 48, wife of J. A. Skipper England business man and former postmaster, died in Little Rock hospital today. She is survived also by two daughters, Mrs. R. E. Edgeworth of Little Rock and Miss Pauline Skipper of Conway; three sons, Irvin of Little Rock, James of Conway and Joe Nolan Skipper of England and three sisters, Mrs. L. C. Rowen of England, Mrs. D. L. Krisell of Humphrey and Mrs. Sid Kissire of Morrilton. She was a member of First Baptist church and had lived here 21 years. Funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Wilson funeral parlor by the Rev. James A. Overton of North Little Rock. (I have attempted to type this with its original spelling errors. Also not that the length of time given indicates a move to England in 1918.)

Thelma was 31. Her desk calendar had these entries: Saturday, March 11th, Coleman and I went to Hot Springs (rather on the Lake) with Mr. & Mrs. Bradberry – spent the night. March 12th, Just fished & fiddled around all day – Got home about 8:30 pm. Monday, March 13th, Washed. Mother came in town- took her to the Hospital at 5 p.m. She is to be operated on at 8 in the morning. Theresa & I went after Joe & Dad. Irving went after Pauline and James. They got here about 12: p.m. March 14th, Mother was operated on at 8 AM – was in operating room 2 hours & 10 minutes. Brought Nell Rose out & had Dr. She has flu. March 15th, Mother about same – Dad, Joe, Pauline, & James went home. Had nurse come in at 11 to 7. March 16th, Mother about same – Had nurse again to-nite. March 17th, Mother about same – had Ethel Joe to come in at 3 to 11 – one to come in 11 to 7. March 18th, Mother about same – Had both day & night nurse. Sunday, March 19th, Spent most of Day at Hospital. Stayed until 11 – Ethel Joe came on then. March 20th, Went to Hospital at 8 AM. Stayed until 11 pm. Was worn out – Ethel Joe came on then. March 21st, Mother some better. Went down at 8 A.M. – left at 11. Ethel Joe came on. March 22nd, Mother lots better this a.m. was at Hospital most of day. Louise P ate dinner with us. P.M. Mother not feeling so well. March 23rd, Mother not so well. Ruth got her divorce from Clinton Crumpton – Miss Ruth Turner. Friday, March 24th, Mother not any better – went to show that nite – Irene Dunn “Love Affair”. March 25th, Bought Gro. – Coleman played tennis. Mother not better. Theresa, Coleman & Virginia & I went to preview. Sunday, March 26th, Dad came up. Dr. said might have to operate again. Coleman worked. Dad stayed all night. Had Ethel Joe. March 27th, Dad went home. Olin brought he & the kids back. Dr said he would operate at 8 in the morning. We all had blood tests as follows: Coleman – 1, Theresa – 1, James – 4, Jimmy Lewis – 2, Me – 2, Howard – 3, & mother test 2 also. Tuesday March 28th, Mother was operated on again this a.m. at 8 o’clock. Jimmie Lewis gave blood. Seemed pretty good until 11 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29, 1939 – Hospital called us at 1 A.M. said mother couldn’t live. She lived from 1 AM to 5 until 2 p.m. then passed on to eternal rest. Went to England & selected casket, cemetery plot, etc. (The obituary was pinned to this page with a straight pin.)
This photo was printed on Post Card stock. Jo's daughter, Pauline, had written on the back that her mother had made the beautiful blue knit dress that she was buried in. Jo's son, Irving, probably took the picture. About 60 years later, he photographed Pauline in her casket.

Thursday, March 30th, Went to England about 11 A.M. Aunt Ethel & Elmer & Uncle Jim from Okla. Had come. John Loyd from Morrillton. We to see mother – she looked beautiful in her blue knit dress – her hair was waved. Had pink carnation corsage on her shoulder. Funeral services were at 3 P.M. Rev. James A Overton preached. Mrs J. H. Coleman sang. Pallbearers: Bradley Skipper, Wilburn Krisell, Olin Krisell, Carter Johnson, Noland Roe, Roy Skipper – All nephews. So many pretty flowers. Theresa, Mother Edgeworth, Mrs. Chapple, Mrs Stephens, Mrs. Sanders, Coffey, Mrs. Elliott, Mrs. Brown came down. I spent the night. It was so lonesome without mother there. But God knows best I guess. (Uncle Carl, Aunt Sid, Willie, Nolar, Zoes all came. Aunt Ethel, Elmer & Uncle Jim stayed.)

Friday, March 31st, Tried to straighten the house some. Brought Dad to L.R. Bought some shoes, etc. Went out to the zoo to kill time – came by & got him some groceries then Nila and Irving went home with him. I took hot bath & went to bed.

Jim wrote this will in May:

England Ark
May 16th 1939
To whom it may concern
This is my will. Should I die before Joe Noland Skipper. is grown. I want him to have all my insurance to Educate him & care for him. I also want Thelma Edgeworth to be the Executor if she is still survive me. If not want James A. Skipper Jr. as Executor.
(Signed) J. A. Skipper

I think that these photos must have been taken after Jo died; otherwise she would have been in the set. These two photos were scanned from the original negatives which were in 35mm movie format. This format is called half-frame 35mm now. In the early days, some photographers started using the single frame feature of 35mm movie cameras to take still photos on movie film. Then manufacturers started making 35mm cameras specifically for still photography and that eventually displaced nearly all other still camera formats except for large format professional cameras. I think Irving must have taken these photos, but I don't know what sort of camera he used except that it used 35mm film. There is a whole series of photos of James.

James Jr., in the photo at upper right, married Eva Louise Maxwell, my mother, November 19, 1939. He was 18 and she was 19.

Merchant, Former Postmaster, Dies
England – James A. Skipper Sr., aged 57, of England, died in a Little Rock hospital Friday night. Mr. Skipper came to England from Conway County in 1917. Prior to that time he served as postmaster at Solgohachia from 1908 to 1912. After coming here he served as postmaster for England 13 years.

At the time of his death he was a merchant, He was financial secretary of the Woodmen of the World and member of the First Baptist Church.

Mr. Skipper is survived by three sons, Irving and James A. Skipper Jr., of Little Rock, and Joe N. Skipper of England; two daughters, Mrs. R. C. Edgeworth of Little Rock and Miss Pauline Skipper of England; one brother, C. T. Skipper of Hot Springs; three sisters, Mrs. Fate Treece of Jonesboro, Mrs. J. P. Turner of Webbers Falls, Okla., and Mrs. John Edwards, Webbers Falls.

Funeral services will be held Sunday at the First Baptist church at 2:30, conducted by Rev. Cecil Meadows. Interment will be in Mulberry cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Ed Carllee, Carroll Leonard, W. G. Cunning. Ed Swain, Ed Weintraub, Shelby Kennedy, Guy Fisher and A. H. Magie.

A hand written will was saved with the old letters and photographs. It made provisions for Joe Noland’s education. The three married couples each took turns keeping Joe and they all worked together to buy him the things he needed. They eventually decided that a Catholic boarding school was the answer, but he didn’t like it and ran away to England several times to stay with Uncle Dave and Aunt Willie and their families.

The three sisters mentioned in the obituary were Louisa “Lou” Rebecca Treece aged 66, Ethel Pauline Turner aged 46, and Rosie Elmer Edwards aged 53. The brother, Carl Toby, was 51. The oldest sister, Mary Florence Krisell had died in 1903 and the second sister, Harriet Lucretia Lloyd, had died in 1918, and the fourth sister, Elizabeth “Betty Casandra Cowan had died in 1931. She and Harriet were buried at Lone Grove where John Quincy taught school. John Quincy was buried near his father in the McLaren Cemetery in Lanty, so apparently they had all stayed in the Round Mountain area.

Lou Treece died in 1954 at the age of 80. She was buried at Jonesboro, AR. Ethel Turner, the youngest child, died in 1957 at the age of 63 and was buried at Gore, OK. Rosie Elmer Edwards died in 1975 at the age of 87 and was buried at Gore, OK. Carl Toby Skipper, Jim’s baby brother, died in 1957 at the age of 61 and was buried at England, AR.

• Deceased