Wednesday’s Wonderful Collection - Little Rock Central High School "Tigers" athletic photographs

Preceded by Sherman, Scott Street, and Peabody schools, Little Rock High School opened at Fourteenth and Cumberland Streets, Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1905. In 1927, the school moved to the current building at Fourteenth and Park streets. It was renamed Little Rock Central High School in 1955.

The school’s stadium, Quigley Park, which opened in 1936, was named for Earl Quigley. He was a coach for the Tigers from 1914 to 1935. Before War Memorial Stadium was built in 1948, Quigley was used by college and university football teams including the Arkansas Razorbacks. According to the Little Rock School District, “It was not unusual for the Tigers to draw larger crowds to Quigley Stadium than the Razorbacks.”

This collection consists of the 117 athletic photographs of Little Rock High School (later Little Rock Central High School) for the years 1915-1954. A later photograph of the 1967-1968 basketball team is also included. Teams photographed include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The teams were often state champions. Harris and Shrader, popular Little Rock photographers of this time period, photographed many of the teams. More recent photographs were done by Associated Photographers. Besides showing their work, the collection provides a visual record of male students who were involved in sports during these years as well as the uniforms worn.

·         1. 1915: Football team, (first row) Murray, Harris, [unidentified]; (second row) Marshall, [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], Isgrig, Manning; (third row) [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified], [unidentified] (Box 1)

·         2. 1915: Basketball team, (first row) Truthman, Pfaff (captain), Workman, Throgmorton; (second row) Milliken, Whitten, Haley; (third row) Fillers (coach), Hanley (faculty manager) (Box 1)

·         3. 1916: Football team (Box 1)

·         4. 1916: Basketball team, (first row) C. McCarron, Rudisill, DeMent; (second row) V. McCarron, Pfaff, Sloan (captain), Milliken, Powell; (third row) Stevenson (student manager), Fitsgibbons, Pipkin (coach), Coleman, Quigley (coach), photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         5. 1917: Football team, state champions (Box 1)

·         6. 1917: Basketball team, state champions, (first row) A. Smith, Rudisill, McCarron; (second row) Halton, Mitchell, DeMent (captain), Craig, Bratton; (third row) Quigley (coach), Smith, B. Powell, Pipkins (coach), M. Powell, H. Powell, Stevenson (student manager) (Box 1)

·         7. 1917: Baseball team (Box 1)

·         8. 1917-1918: Basketball team state champions, (first row) Craig, DeMent, Powell (captain), Mitchell, Ball; (second row) Gay, Adams, Smith, McCarron, Isgrig, Alley, Quigley (coach). G-25, W-24, L-1, Pct.-.960 (Box 1)

·         9. 1918: Football team (Box 1)

·         10. 1918-1919: Basketball team (Box 1)

·         11. 1919: Football team, state champions (Box 1)

·         12. 1919: Track team, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         13. 1919: Baseball team state champions, G-14, W-14, L-0, Pct.-1000 (Box 1)

·         14. 1919-1920: Basketball team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         15. 1920: Football team (Box 3)

·         16. 1920: Track team (Box 1)

·         17. 1920: Baseball team, state champions, G-35, W-34, L-1, Pct.-.971 (Box 1)

·         18. 1921: Track team, state champions, (first row) Allen, Riffel, Sprick, Peay, Watson, Bale, Glover, McNair; (second row) Smith, D. Hardeman, Harper, Tatum, Nickelson (captain), Bomar, McGarry, Fulmer, Brown; (third row) Feild (student manager), Felix, Tator, Bright, Wycott, Kirkwood, Brown, Dempsey, Pipkin (coach), 42 points (Box 3)

·         19. 1921: Baseball team, state champions, (first row) Guidice, Garauflo, Sadler, Allen, Spatz; (second row) Nesser (mascot), Biggadike, Faulkner, Arendt, Harper (captain), Little, Felix, Mashburn, Barbee (mascot); (third row) Feild (student manager), Coleman, Taylor, Bright, Wycott, Patterson, Presley, Quigley (coach), G-43, W-37, L-6, Pct.-.860 (Box 3)

·         20. 1921-1922: Basketball team, G-33, W-29, L-4, Pct.-.889 (Box 1)

·         21. 1922: Track team, state champions, (first row) Counts, Burns, Cohn, Hopson, Atkinson, Horton, Reynolds, Moult, Powers, Karcher, Allen, D. Braddock; (second row) E. Cone, Eberle, McNair, Metrailer, Fulmer, Bagley, Coleman, Watson, Felix, Read, Sprick, J. Smith, Bale, Saifer, Grimmett, Hollowell, McLennon; (third row) Feild (student manager), J. Braddock, Youngblood, Bomar, McGarry, Hampton, Wycoff, Bright, Kirkwood (captain), Hogshead, Brown, Nickelson, Pipkin (coach); (fourth row) A. T. McMillan, Fish, M. Smith, Sanders, Gilliland, Halliburton, R. Smith, Bridges, Naylor, Pauli, Wade, 42 points (Box 3)

·         22. 1922: Baseball team, state champions, (first row) Garauflo, Spatz, Sadler, R. Jones; (second row) Dempsey, Hendricks, Cockrill, Lewis, Coleman, N. Jones, Guidice; (third row) Feild (student manager), Rogers, Felix, Wycoff (captain), Bright, Kirkwood, Nickelson, Quigley (coach), G-27, W-24, L-3, Pct.-.889 (Box 3)

·         23. 1923: Track team, (first row) Critz, J. Smith, Healy, Stout, B. Allen, Campbell, Bale, Howard, Griffee, Karcher, Slagle, M. Smith, Horton, Curtis; (second row) J. Allen, Knowlton, Greer, Eberle, Hollowell, B. Johnston, Geister, Rozzell, Ray, Moult, Powers, Counts, Dobbyns, M. Wright; (third row) Greenwood, Spricks, O. Johnston, Brasher, Metrailer, Hendricks, Coleman, Mitchell, Boren, Shillcutt, Martin, Vogel, Mathis, Welsh, Medlock, Bliss, Moser, Reynolds, C. Reid; (fourth row) Pipkin (coach), Felix (captain), Hodges, Whalen, Tinney, Brown, Halliburton, Harrington, Parker, Kirkwood, Hampton, Adams, M. Johnston, Read, Youngblood, Quigley (athletic director), photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         24. 1923: Baseball team, (first row) Haustein, Howard, Healy; (second row) Woodie, Diehl, Clark, Felix (captain), Coleman, Guidice; (third row) Quigley (coach), Baker, Fulmer, Parker, Kirkwood, Brasher, Hendricks, G-16, W-9, L-7, Pct.-.562, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         25. 1923-1924: Basketball team, (first row) Hathaway, Speaker; (second row) Haustein, Thompson, Howard, Avinger (captain), Shaw, Smith, Hollowell; (third row) Quigley (coach), McClaren, Whitten, Bradley, Johnston, Brice, Adkins, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         26. 1924: Track team, Southwestern Interscholastic Conference champions, (first row) C. Miller, Greer, Powers, M. Miller, Shaw, Youngblood (captain), Billingsley, Warner, Karcher, Eberle, Patton; (second row) Mitchell (student manager), Metrailer, Streepy, Johnston, Greshem, Hampton, Avinger, Holt, Boren, Jarrett, Hendricks, Pipkin (coach), photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         27. 1924: Baseball team, state champions, (first row) Tate, Loyd, Rogers; (second row) Burket, Howard, Plummer, Hendricks (captain), Jones, Shaw, Haustein; (third row) Lipe, Whitten, Baker, Parker, Fulmer, Speaker, Griffin, Quigley (coach), G-30, W-21, L-9, Pct.-.700 (Box 3)

·         28. 1924-1925: Basketball team, district champions, (first row) Van Frank, Snow; (second row) Brinkley, Dollins, Howard, Masters, Shaw; (third row) Quigley (coach), Smith, Clark, Bradley, Whitten, Graydon, Geister (student manager), Felton (student manager), G-30, W-16, L-14, Pct.-.534, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         29. 1925: Football team, (first row) Patton, Hooper, Shaw, Scott, Haustein, Miller, Hurley, Poppenheimer, Estrada, Parks, Brinkley, Bennett; (second row) J. Smith (student manager), Clark, Hudson, McWilliams, Lackey, Snodgrass, Heath, Gunn, Snow, Carruth, Wage, Coonley, Masters, H. Smith, Reid, McCowan, Felton (student manager); (third row) Ivy (assistant coach), Bledsoe, Faisst, Whitten, Rowland, Van Frank, Neblett, Holt, Lipe, Williams, Butler, Graydon, Autry (student manager), Quigley (coach), photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         30. 1926: Football team, (first row) Jackson (advertising manager), Bennett, Buchanan, Biddle, Wanger, Gebelin, C. LaForge, Staples, Estrada, R. LaForge, Brinkley; (second row) Hodges (student manager), Avinger, Warner, Tubbs, Smith, McLeod, Barnard, Stalnaker, Harris, M. Whitten (captain), Shaw (captain), E. Clark, R. Whitten, Heath, Scott, McCowan, Snow, 0. Clark, Parks, Campbell (student manager); (third row) Bigbee (faculty manager), Ivy (assistant coach), Wage, Satterwhite, Gunn, Rowland, Bradley, Hawn, Holt, A. Avinger, Van Frank, Grimmett, Hall, Coonley, Graydon, Quigley (head coach), Smith (student manager), photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         31. 1926: Track team, state champions, (first row) Thompson, R. Patton, Shaw, H. Patton, Rozzell, LaForge, Warner, Billingsley, Cox, Wanger, Miller, Simms, D. Graydon; (second row) Quigley (coach), Ivy (assistant coach), Faisst, Coonley, Brown, Dunkin, Holt, Van Frank, Grendt, Byrn, Davis (student manager), Smith (student manager), 47 points, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         32. 1926: Baseball team, state champions, (first row) Brinkley, Reed, Martin, McBride (mascot); (second row) Shaw (captain), Lee, Heath, Plummer, Poppenheimer, G. Graydon; (third row) Quigley (coach), Ivy (assistant coach), Whitten, Holt, Van Frank, D. Graydon, Davis (student manager), Smith (student manager), G-15, W-14, L-1, Pct.-.934, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         33. 1927: Football team, (first row) R. LaForge, Brinkley, Buchanan, Wanger, Barnard, Parks, Hooper, Bennett; (second row) Biddle, Hayes, C. LaForge, Tubbs, Satterwhite, C. Avinger, Graydon, Neblett (captain), Fulton, Heath, Early, Neatherly, Bailey, Staples, Estrada; (third row)Quigley (coach), Scott (assistant coach), Treischman, Castleberry, Herbert, Lipe, A. Avinger, Lancaster, Hawn, Henn, Lusby, Williams, Grimmett, Stalnaker, Berry (assistant coach), Stebbins (advertising manager), photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         34. 1927: Track team, state champions, (first row) Sprick, Bennett, Buchanan, Park, G. Graydon, C. LaForge, Woodie, Shewmaker, Patton, R. Laforge, Wanger, Brinkley, Holloman; (second row) Ivy (assistant coach), Barnes (assistant coach), D. Graydon, McLeod, Hall, Holt, Dunkum, Grendt, Coonley, Roberts, Tubbs, Quigley (coach), 59 points, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         35. 1927: Track team, state champions, 59 points, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         36. 1928: Football team, (first row) Hooper, H. Stafford, Bennett, T. Keith, Harlan, Bowen, Parks, [unidentified], LaForge, Staples, R. Keith, Buchanan, L. McLain, Anderson, N. Stafford, (Davy), (Wescot); (second row) Johns (trainers), Withee, Tubbs, Whitley, Spears, Early, C. Avinger, McLeod, Satterwhite, Stalnaker, H. Hall, May, Rey, Brice, Stewart, T. Hall, Biddle, Haynes, Miles (student manager); (third row) Quigley (coach), Bigbee (faculty Manager), Berry (assistant coach), Perdue (assistant coach), Lipe, Lusby, Smith, Elliott, Lancaster, Neblett, C. Williams, McConnell, A. Avinger, [?]rry, Davidson, Hefington (student manager), Gladden (advertising manager), photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         37. 1928: Basketball team (Box 1)

·         38. 1928: Track team, state champions (Box 1)

·         39. 1929: Football team, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         40. 1929: Basketball team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         41. 1929: Track team, state champions (Box 1)

·         42. 1929: Track team, state champions (Box 1)

·         43. 1930: Football team, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         44. 1930: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         45. 1930: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         46. 1931: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         47. 1931: Basketball team, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         48. 1931: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         49. 1931: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 1)

·         50. 1932: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         51. 1932: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         52. 1933: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         53. 1933: Track team, state champions, (first row) Gamblin (mascot), Sanders, [unidentified], Gordon, Ellington, Futrell, Wilson, Galloway, Phillips, Lusby; (second row) R. Medlock, Rayburn Medlock, Johnson, Driver, Russell, Presley, Donaldson, Hawkins, Cartwright, Cuist, Hudson, Morris; (third row) Quigley (coach), Berry (assistant coach), Lowrey, Sumlin, Smith, Thorpe, Frick, Watson, Robbins, McMurry, Riley (trainer), Barnes, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         54. 1933: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 2)

·         55. 1934: Football team, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         56. 1934: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         57. 1934: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         58. 1935: Basketball team (Box 2)

·         59. 1935: Track team,state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 2)

·         60. 1935: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 2)

·         61. 1935: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         62. 1936: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         63. 1936: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         64. 1936: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         65. 1937: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         66. 1937: Basketball team (Box 2)

·         67. 1937: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         68. 1937: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         69. 1938: Football team, state and conference champions, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         70. 1938: Football team, state champions, Maack, Edwards, Gardiol, Hinton, Russell, Kopert, Ambort, Carter, Hughes, T. Spaulding, Atkinson, White, Smith, Green, Walter, B. Spaulding, Freeland, Clyde Van Sickle, Nickel, Homer Berry, Brown, Rolph, Crowson, Baer, Mize, Donaldson, Moore, Bernard, Thomas, photo by Fausett Hogue (Box 2)

·         71. 1938: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         72. 1939: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         73. 1939: Basketball team, conference champions, photo by Shrader. (Box 2)

·         74. 1939: Track team, state champions, photo by Harris. (Box 3)

·         75. 1939: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader. (Box 3)

·         76. 1939: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         77. 1940: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         78. 1940: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         79. 1940: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         80. 1941: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         81. 1941: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         82. 1942: Football team (Box 3)

·         83. 1942: Track team, state champions, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         84. 1943: Football team (Box 3)

·         85. 1943: Track team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         86. 1945: Football team, photo by Shrader (Box 3)

·         87. 1947: Football team, state and district champions (Box 3)

·         88. 1948: Football team, Arkansas AAA champions, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         89. 1948: Basketball team (Box 3)

·         90. 1948: Track team (Box 3)

·         91. 1948: Track team, Arkansas AAA champions, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         92. 1948: Track team, Arkansas AAA champions, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         93. 1949: Football team, Big Six champions (Box 3)

·         94. 1949: Basketball team, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         95. 1950: Basketball team, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         96. 1950: Track team, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         97. 1950: Track team, photo by Associated Photographers (Box 3)

·         98. 1951: Track team, Big Six champions (Box 3)

·         99. 1952: Basketball team (Box 3)

·         100. 1952: Basketball team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         101. 1952: Track team, Big Six champions (Box 3)

·         102. 1952: Track team, Big Six champions (Box 3)

·         103. 1953: Track team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         104. 1953: Track team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         105. 1954: Basketball team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         106. 1954: Track team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         107. 1954: Track team, Big 7 champions (Box 3)

·         108. 1967-1968: Basketball team (Box 3)

·         109. Undated: Football team (Box 3)

·         110. Undated: Football team (Box 3)

·         111. Undated: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 3)

·         112. Undated: Basketball team, photo by Harris (Box 2)

·         113. Undated: Basketball team (Box 2)

·         114. Undated: Track team (Box 2)

·         115. Undated: Track team (Box 2)

·         116. Undated: Track team, pole vaulter (Box 2)

·         117. Undated: Track team, pole vaulter (Box 2)

·         118. Undated: Baseball team (Box 2)

Newspaper Opens Door to State’s Territorial Past

William E. Woodruff, age 35

Newspapers are often the best source to learn Arkansas history. Among the state’s oldest newspapers was the Arkansas Gazette, which was founded by William Woodruff during the state’s territorial days.

William Edward Woodruff was born Dec. 24, 1795, in Suffolk County, New York, to Nathaniel and Hannah Woodruff. He was the first of five children. Woodruff was 12 years old when his father died in 1808. Two years later, he started a seven-year apprenticeship with Alden Spooner, editor and publisher of a newspaper in Long Island.

After his apprenticeship, Woodruff worked for book publishers in New York. Then, in 1818, he headed west, where he worked as a newspaper printer in Louisville, Kentucky, and in Nashville, Tennessee. 

When Arkansas became a territory in March 1819, Woodruff realized territorial residents would need a newspaper. He bought a small printing press and made plans to move to Arkansas Post, the territory capitol. The trip was arduous and took about six weeks by river. Once he arrived, Woodruff spent about a month building his living quarters and setting up his printing press. The capitol had few buildings or amenities. 

Finally, he was able to publish the first edition of the state’s first newspaper Nov. 20. For the next two years, he published the Gazette weekly.

Woodruff moved his press to Little Rock when the territorial capital moved in 1821. For the next 20 years, Woodruff worked in the newspaper business but not always as the owner of the Gazette.

Woodruff also served in the War of 1812 and started the first circulating library in Arkansas. He owned a steamboat, ferry and land agency and was elected to public office at the local and state levels. Woodruff sold the Gazette and bought it back several times. At one point he started another newspaper, called the Arkansas Democrat, in 1846. The newspaper was completely separate from another newspaper, renamed the Arkansas Democrat in 1878.

Woodruff died June 9, 1885 at his home on Eighth Street, which remains standing. He was 90 years old. Woodruff is buried at Mt. Holly Cemetery.

The Gazette merged with another daily newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat, in 1991. Until the merger, the Gazette was the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River.

Information about the Gazette is available in the Archives’ online collection at archives.arkansas.gov. Microfilm is available at the Arkansas State Archives headquarters at 1 Capitol Mall, suite 215. The Archives, in partnership with the Central Arkansas Library System, also has digitalized at least 24 Arkansas newspapers through a joint newspaper digitization project with Newspapers.com. The website includes Gazette articles from November and December 1819.

Famous Folk Singer Penned Songs of Arkansas Heritage, Civil War

James Corbett Morris, known as Jimmy Driftwood, plays his homemade guitar.

Arkansas folk singers and songwriters have a long tradition of using American history to connect with audiences. Among Arkansas’s most famous folk singer-songwriters is Jimmy Driftwood, who traveled the U.S. with his homemade guitar in the early 1960s.

Some of Driftwood’s songs used little-known historical events. For example, the song, “He Had a Long Chain On,” tells the story of a boy who awakened to a stranger outside his window. The stranger looked sad and wore a long chain. In the song, the stranger refuses help removing the chain, saying “I guess we had best let it be.” He then walks into the wilderness dragging the chain behind him.

Driftwood said the song was about people who opposed joining sides during the Civil War. These men wanted nothing to do with the war, and many joined secret societies, called “peace societies,” for protection. Peace societies used elaborate hand gestures and verbal passwords to identify members. A member might say “It was a very dark night” and another would answer “Not as dark as it will be in the morning.”

Members of the societies used the passwords and gestures because they were targets.

In November 1861, Sam Leslie, a prominent citizen of Wiley’s Cove Township in Searcy County, wrote Gov. Henry Rector to complain about a peace society in his community. Rector then demanded society members be sent to Little Rock, “where they will be dealt with, as enemies of their country whose peace and safety is being endangered by their disloyal and treasonable acts.” 

Confederate militias rounded up suspected peace society members across north-central Arkansas. Men were chained and marched for up to six days to Little Rock to stand trial for treason. Society members who didn’t escape were forced to enlist in the Confederate army or stand trial. Most enlisted and later deserted. Men who went to trial were acquitted and sent back home.

The marches are largely forgotten, but as a child, Driftwood’s parents told him stories about them. His mother told him the man with the long chain might come to visit if Driftwood misbehaved. Later, Driftwood incorporated those stories and histories into his music. As a school teacher, he wrote folk music to teach history to school children. Driftwood continued to teach, write, perform and support folk music in Arkansas for decades. When he died in 1998, he left behind a legacy of music that continues to captivate audiences and preserve history.

Wednesday’s Wonderful Collection - W.S. Davis medical ledger, MS.000497

W.S. Davis, born in Tennessee in 1856, began practicing medicine in 1876. He moved to Indian Territory in 1878, and to Logan County, Arkansas, in 1879. He eventually settled at Owensville, on the middle fork of the Saline River in western Saline County, Arkansas. Davis married Mary Camer of Independence County, Arkansas, on July 28, 1875. They had two children, John and Sophie. Dr. Davis was a member of the masonic lodge and an associate member of the Saline County Medical Society. He practiced medicine in Saline County until his death on June 14, 1939.

These ledgers contain patients' names, fees charged, and other bills and financial records from W.S. Davis' medical practice in Saline County.

This collection is available on microfilm only.

·         1886 (Reel MG03520)

·         1888

·         1891

·         1896

·         1899-1902

·         1904

·         1906

·         1910-1914 (Reel MG03520-MG03521)

·         1914

·         1917-1922

·         1921-1924

·         1925

·         1928-1930