![]() The original rock structure of the old Verona Post Office and General Store remain on private property on County Road 5013, one quarter of a mile from the Anderson Flat Community Building and Cemetery.īerry, Earl. Decoration Day remains the central community event in the twenty-first century and is celebrated on the third Sunday in May at three locations on the property: the Anderson Flat Community Building, the Anderson Flat pavilion, and the old schoolhouse. In the mid-1970s, a second community center was erected on the original church and school property.Īs in many small rural communities of the south, Decoration Day was the most important day of the year in Anderson Flat. Community members assembled for church services at the Old Schoolhouse/Church near the cemetery or at the Church of Christ, which was located half a mile north off of State Highway 235. Throughout the decades, the old schoolhouse/church has been the central meeting place for the community. A Mennonite cemetery is located half a mile east of the Anderson Flat Cemetery. ![]() In the 1950s, a Mennonite group settled near the Anderson Flat community. Two sawmills were built and utilized from the 1960s through the early 1980s. As the timbers grew and forests expanded, lumber was an economic staple for the area. In the late 1940s, a general store was established on State Highway 235. They would process their corn into meal and the wheat into flour at the old mill that was located near the Verona store. Joe (Searcy County) in 1949.ĭuring the 1940s through the 1960s, local farmers grew corn, peanuts, cotton, and wheat. The school population was consolidated with schools in Bruno (Marion County) and St. The 1947–48 school year was the final full year for students attending the Anderson Flat facility. On Sundays, the pulpit was filled by a pastor for the community church. School days were sometimes interrupted for funerals. ![]() Throughout the week, the building was utilized as an educational facility. In the mid-1930s, additions were made to the school and church building based on the demands of the increased population of students. Anderson and James Bosmon Swafford remain as residents of the Anderson Flat community in the twenty-first century. The first gravestones in the cemetery that included names were for James A. His grave was marked by a jagged rock located at the corner of the cemetery next to the road. According to legend, the first grave was dug in the 1890s for a horse and chicken thief who had been apprehended and hanged. The Anderson Flat cemetery is located on 1.7 acres of the forty acres deeded to the community. The Verona Post Office was established in 1912 and was housed in the Verona General Store. In the late 1800s to middle 1900s, the community was home to a small general store, post office, and grist mill. In the early 1900s, the Anderson Flat Schoolhouse and Church was developed as a one-room multi-purpose building that served students in grades 1–8. Anderson deeded the acreage for the schoolhouse and community. In 1883, James Bosmon Swafford submitted a petitioned request to the Marion County Court for the establishment of a schoolhouse for Township 17, Range 17. As the population in the Anderson Flat area grew, the need for a house of worship and schoolhouse arose. In the late 1880s, public schools in rural Arkansas counties were scarce. Native American artifacts have been located in area caves and along the lake or marsh that ran parallel to the property where the schoolhouse/church was later erected. The Anderson Flat community was established on prairie land with several flat acres in the mostly hilly Ozarks region. In the twenty-first century, it sustains a small population and holds an annual homecoming Memorial Day event. The coronation and dance will be held on Saturday.Anderson Flat, also known as Verona, is a rural community in the southwestern corner of Marion County near the Searcy County line. parade followed by the Homecoming game at 7 p.m. On Friday, fans can follow the "Yellow Brick Road" for the 1 p.m. Thursday will be the "Through the Woods" pep session. Along with coronation practice, there will also be the annual Powder Puff football game, boys volleyball game, and a tug of war competition. ![]() Wednesday is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" day. Today is "Twister Tuesday." Students will vote for winners in the Lip Sync contest as well as the Tik Tok Teacher contest. They also sponsored "Wig Out at the volleyball game." On "Midwest Monday," students voted for the Homecoming King and Queen. The spirit week schedule is full of activities. This year's theme is "The Wizard of Oz," and students and staff have been busy preparing for the event. MARION - It's Homecoming week at Marion High School and it's one event that is nearly back to normal after a year of changes and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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