A very interesting communication from J W Atkinson, of Benton, tells of some of the things that were happening in Pocahontas over 50 years ago. When his father, W T Atkinson, moved here from Tennessee in 1867, the town had a population of about 400 with 3 general stores, 1 drug store, 2 saloons, 1 hotel, 1 blacksmith shop, 1 saw mill with a cotton mill attached, 2 churches, the Catholic and 1 used by all protestant people, and the school house. Mr Atkinson says:

“Among the most prominent citizens were Sam and Levi Hecht, merchants, John, Dave, and Rufus Black lawyers and merchants, John and Lute Imbolden, Pat Crenshaw, Ike Hirst, Will Waddle, Mr. Gray the druggist, Mr. Irby the livery stable keeper, Mrs Nancy Jones the hotel keeper, John and Dave Jones who built the first steamboat there. The boat was built for the Inman brothers. The physicians were Drs. Crowley, Martin, and Esselman. The list of the prominent men would not be complete without the name Maj Surridge, one of the brave and noble men of those days. Then there was Ex-Gov Drew. I well remember the first time I saw him. We were killing hogs and I had a big fire going when he stopped to warm. He was riding a small mule with a long tail and a mane that was unusual and wore a Beegum Hat and a swallow tail coat, which together with the appearance of the mule made a picture that I will never forget. The only dairy for the town was conducted by an old man whose name I have forgotten. To deliver the milk he used sacks with compartments made to fit the old square pickle bottle which contained the milk. These he would throw across the back of his old jennie and peddle it out.

“Christmas day in 1867 was very much as it is today. Men went around in their shirt sleeves, but on the second day in January there came a rain and sleet that froze on the ground and timber and stayed there until some time in March. During the cold spell I saw as many 30 wild deer passing from the ridges to the cane brakes. All kinds of game was plentiful but guns and ammunition was scarce. We had only the old muzzle loading rifle and army muskets left by the soldiers a short time before. My brother was lucky as he came into possession of old Killdevil, the noted Sam Hildebrand rifle that Sam had killed so many men with.”

Mr Atkinson regrets that he had not space enough to tell much more about the grand old men who hewed the Wonder State out of the wilderness that existed in those days.
Pocahontas Star Herald, 4 January 1924