Bill Yates
Small-town America. Waldron, Arkansas, a little town in the foothills of Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains. Explore the rich history of this most beautiful and wild country.
Now Available:
"The Waldron War" - The True Story of Scott County's Bloodiest Decade
For a large part of the decade of the 1870s, Waldron and Scott County, Arkansas were gripped in a cycle of politically motivated violence that ultimately took as many as 30 lives. This book tells the story of that unrest and how it impacted the law-abiding citizens who found themselves caught up in it. One final, shocking act of violence finally brought an end to the vendetta known as The Waldron War.
More Stories You Will Enjoy
Pearl - Lost Girl of White Oak Mountain
This is the incredible true story of little Pearl Turner, the three-year-old daughter of a sharecropper, who became lost in the dense wilderness of the White Oak Mountain region of Scott and Logan Counties in Arkansas. Pearl's disappearance in October of 1923 became front-page news all over the United States, and the search that followed her disappearance involved hundreds of volunteers who came from all over Western Arkansas to help. A mysterious mountain hermit added intrigue to the story when he became involved, and from that point on the disappearance of little Pearl took on unexpected twists and turns.
The Growing Up in Waldron Collection
Sixty-six stories of life in a simpler time, back when kids rode their bikes to the store to get a popsicle and could spend all day playing with a cardboard refrigerator box. This is a personal look into the author's life growing up in the small town of Waldron, Arkansas in the 1960s and 1970s.
A Postcard from Home
This book is a collection of vintage postcards and photographs of Waldron and Scott County Arkansas. Spanning the first half of the 20th Century, this book is a journey back in time to a place where horses and buggies lined Main Street and cotton was king.
You will read the sometimes poignant messages of the people living in that era, sending heartfelt requests to "write back" or wishing they could see their far-away loved ones. One thing that hasn't changed is the beauty of the Ouachita Mountains and the grit and determination of the residents who built their lives there.
About the Author
Bill Yates is a Waldron, Arkansas native, graduating from Waldron High School in 1974. He was a teacher and administrator for Waldron Public Schools for 29 years and retired as Director of the Academic Success Center at The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith in 2017. He enjoys collecting memorabilia and vintage postcards related to Waldron and Scott County, and loves researching the history of his hometown.
Contact
For media requests, collaborations, or general questions, please contact me at billyates118@gmail.com
I strive to respond personally to every message, though it may take a little time as I'm often lost in a new story!