Enola
The early Enola area was known as Fredrick's Lick,
named in reference to a natural salt lick located near Cadron Creek. The
earliest settlers in the area were four brothers named Wyler who lived
in a small hut on the East Cadron. The men supposedly came to the area
after fleeing the Battle of Bunker Hill. The men were hunters and became
landowners as well.
One of the principal founders of Enola was Jonathan Hardin who came to
the area in 1837. He established his farm on top of a hill a half a mile
west of Fredrick's Lick. Hardin, a wealthy and influential man, owned
about 3,000 acres of land and approximately 15 slaves. Among Hardin's
properties were a coal mine and a blacksmith shop.
Hardin's large two-story house served as an inn and a tavern. The house
was strategically located at the crossroads of the Lewisburg-Searcy, Des
Arc-Springfield and Little Rock-Clinton roads. Folktales theorize that
Hardin buried his fortune beneath a large tree near his homeplace.
In the late 1840's, a log building was erected at Siloam Springs, which
was to be the location of the Mount Zion Baptist Church and the
schoolhouse. One of the church activities was a Masonic lodge, known as
Enola Lodge No. 124.
Shortly after the Civil War the communities of Enola and Mount Vernon
began to grow on each side of Siloam Springs. When the log schoolhouse
needed repair, both groups decided to relocate. The Mount Zion Church
settled temporarily in a log house on Matthews Hill, about a mile from
Enola. A year later, the church sold the house materials to Mount Vernon
and bought a lot closer to Enola.
The early settlers' days were filled with activities and never-ending
tasks. There were crops to plant, barns and houses to build and land to
clear. Housewives spun cloth, quilted, cooked, made clothes, and tended
children. The church offered such activities as singing schools, singing
conventions, and inspirational sessions. There were also log rollings
and house raisings to bring community members closer together.
Pioneers were generally hardy, robust individuals willing to battle the
elements to protect their homestead. One such pioneer was "Granny"
Smith, who was about six feet tall, muscular and, had a fully developed
temper. Before coming to Arkansas, Granny had hauled cross ties and
helped to build the first railroad in Georgia. After the death of her
husband, Granny moved to Enola with her large family.
George Washington Dalton came to the area with his parents in 1851. His
mother died soon after the family arrived in Enola. He attended school
for one year before joining the Union Army at age 15. Dalton taught
himself how to read and spent much of his leisure time brushing up on
his new hobby. After his discharge, he returned to Enola with two
friends, Steve Lamar and Tom Harper, who both settled in Enola. Dalton
later became a teacher, ordained minister, writer, and farmer.
Dalton reportedly was one of the first farmers in the area to rotate his
crops, terrace his land, prune and spray his orchard and construct
concrete cellars for fruit and vegetable storage. He also was one of the
first to have a radio and electric ice box. In his attempt to "keep up
with the times," Dalton learned to drive at the age of 70.
One of the first professional doctors to live in the areas was Dr.
Anthony Hinkle. After attending medical school in Louisville, Kentucky,
Hinkle moved to a farm two miles northeast of Enola. In 1860, Hinkle
moved to Black Fork Creek, east of Greenbrier. His son, Dr. Bill Hinkle,
later served as a representative, a Conway County Clerk and Union Army
captain in the Civil War.