Guy
Two miles north of Greenbrier along U. S. Highway 65
and then along Highway 25 north and east about seven miles lies the town
of Guy. T.J. Rowlett moved into this area in 1848. W.W. Martin and the
Gentry family moved in a little later, about 1865. Jacob Hartwick built
a grist mill in 1868 on Cadron Creek just below the northern boundary of
the county. He built the first dam across Cadron Creek to impound water
for the steam boiler of a grist mill which was constructed of logs. He
was also the liquor distiller of the area.
The Old Texas settlement nearby had Math Hartwick, Daniel Martin, Hosea
King, Bevil Cargile, John Walton, John Rowlett, Eli and Bob Foster, Bill
Bynum, and Ned King as early settlers. They were homesteaders and raised
everything that could support the necessities for the family.
W. W. Blessing came to the area February 18, 1860. J .A. Jolly settled
downstream in the Black Fork community with Rev. H.C. and J .R Jolly. I.
Green had the first store and it served as the landmark in giving
directions for the location of people and places. John Edgar and Willis
Tomlin were sons of Theodore Henry and Lucy Caroline Langford Gray who
moved into the area in 1867. Theodore had served in the Confederate
army. George Thomas Mode was born January 11, 1871 near Hartwick Mill.
His parents were John and Mamie Mode.
John Rimmer came to Faulkner County in 1876 and settled near Cash
Springs on the old Russell place. After one year they moved to the
Mallett bottoms near Fishtrap Bridge, then to a point three miles west
of Guy on the Pinnacle Springs Road. Here they homesteaded land. By 1880
he had cleared 20 acres which he cultivated with two steers and a horse,
producing two bales of cotton and 150 bushels of corn.
Prior to 1885 the cotton was taken to Quitman or Pinnacle Springs for
ginning. Later agin was located three miles southwest of Guy as well as
one in Guy on Wolf Branch.
Liquor was declared illegal within a three mile radius of the California
Church, April 7, 1882. The post office was first located at Ruray about
two miles to the north of Guy with Marcus H. Garrett as postmaster. It
opened May 3, 1886 and closed October 26, 1891. When Garrett moved away
the first post office was moved to Guy June 5, 1890 with Charlie Martin
as postmaster. His store doubled as a post office.
Dr. Frank Montgomery and a Dr. Flemming came to the community in 1885.
The first school was located on Wolf Branch about three fourths of a
mile north of Guy. Later a school was located south of Guy at Copperas
Springs. A spring was nearby and the community cemetery was located in
this area. Both of the schools came together in 1898.
Following the depression years of the 1930s the Guy community, as did
many rural communities, made good use of the federal works program in
the use of native materials - rock, timbers, etc. - to construct better
school buildings and civic buildings. It was during this time the
Smith-Hughes agriculture program was used in many of the communities. As
a result, intensified farming and improved living conditions on the farm
became a reality and rural life has not been the same since.
In 1914 Guy had 140 subscribers to the telephone exchange. In 1924 a
fire destroyed the business district of Guy. Only four buildings were
left standing. Dr. B.F. Banister, Sr. lost his office building valued at
$1,500; Hartwick Mercantile business loss was estimated at $6,000: H. W.
Montgomery estimated his loss at $7,500; R.L. Lieblong estimated his
loss at $11,500; G.T. Mode had purchased his store two days prior and
set his loss at $1,500; S.F. Glover had a loss of $700 and L.C. Allen
estimated the loss of his blacksmith shop at $2,000. This was a blow
which was felt in more ways than the financial losses. Some of these
rebuilt but some relocated and were lost to the community.