Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it is often nice to stop and remind ourselves about what makes Christmas special. My grandmother and her two sisters, Lou and Jewell, sat down with me several years ago and shared some of the special things they remembered about past Christmases with their family. Continue reading
Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.
One of the most notable things about modern Conway (besides the roundabouts!) is the large number of banks located in the city. This is a sharp contrast to the 1960s and 1970s when there were only two major full-service banks. They were First National Bank and First State Bank and Trust Company. Both left a large footprint on the city. Continue reading
Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.
“Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?” For the last five decades, most children have been able to answer this question. They can probably even sing you the song and tell you about Cookie Monster, Elmo and Oscar the Grouch. But did you know you can turn off of Donaghey Avenue onto Sesame Street? Continue reading
Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.
One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories was getting to see the Christmas decorations at the Arkansas Children’s Colony. We would drive by on I-40 to see the display that usually included a Merry Christmas sign, a tree and a small passenger train. All were festively decorated with lights and garland. This was often one of the first Christmas displays of the year so it signaled the beginning of the Christmas season.
As a child, I didn’t know Continue reading
Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.
In the early 1980s, I worked downtown every Saturday at Cordia’s Gift Shoppe (where Grand on Oak is today). Cordia Mote was the owner and my grandmother, Viola Burnett, was the store manager. We made some wonderful memories selling gifts for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas.
The store had a bridal registry so it was a major destination for wedding and bridal shower gifts. Cordia’s Continue reading