How many people remember when President Harry S. Truman visited Arkansas on July 1 and 2 in 1952? Fran Troy was only 14 years old, but as she put it, “I was so excited.. I walked from our house in west Batesville and stood on the bayou bridge where the president’s train stopped. I remember seeing him standing on the back of the train. It was just exciting to see the president of the United States!”
A great crowd had gathered in Batesville and Paul and Ann Rhodes couldn’t even find a place to park, so they had to turn around and go home. Don Hedden was a Second Lieutenant in the Arkansas National Guard at that time. “I remember being a bit excited about the event and I was in charge of a detail that was guarding the spot where the president’s train stopped for him to give his speech,” he said.
President Truman’s visit to Arkansas in 1952 began when he flew into Little Rock and took a special train to Newport, then traveled on to Norfork where he spent the night. Governor Sidney McMath, among other officials, traveled with him.
They then motored to Norfork and Bull Shoals dams to dedicate them. After the ceremonies they traveled by train back down to Batesville, where he made a whistlestop speech, then traveled on to Newport and flew out from there.
The idea for making a short documentary of Truman’s trip to Arkansas began when the Old Independence Regional Museum found a dozen negatives from their Bill Estes photographic collection that highlighted the president’s visit in Batesville. Museum volunteers Mary Ann Marshall and Twyla Gill Wright set about to collect more photos and information about the president’s visit.
The Harry S. Truman Library provided his itinerary for that trip and the actual audio speech he made in Batesville. Craig Ogilvie drew maps for the production and Gary Bridgman narrated the story. Gene Stewart Productions turned it into a 10 minute DVD. It will be shown for the first time at the museum’s annual meeting on Sunday, September 23 at 2 pm.
Special to that event will be a short program that former Governor Sidney McMath’s eldest son Sandy McMath will present. At the time of the president’s visit, he was only ten years old, but his father took him out of school to see the president. He is now an Arkansas lawyer with a nationally recognized practice, having graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1966. He is also a U.S. Marine Vietnam veteran and is the author of numerous legal articles and two best selling travel books on his extensive travels in Africa and South America.
McMath will discuss the president’s visit and the underlying political reasons for the trip: to highlight the hydro-electric and flood control work of the Corps of Engineers, to garner public support for such projects in the future, and to demonstrate solidarity with Governor McMath, who was locked in a tough re-election battle.
The afternoon’s museum program will then change pace to a different kind of remembering. It will turn into a celebration of Sara Low’s life. Katie McLean, who was one of Sara’s best friends, will tell a few stories of some of the fun and meaningful times spent during their lives together. At that time the museum will also dedicate a corner of its research library to Sara’s memory. Items significant to her life are displayed, along with a maquette (small statue) of American Airline’s 9/11 larger than life memorial statue. Sara’s parents Mike and Bobbie Low donated the maquette to the museum.
During the museum’s annual business meeting, governing board members will be elected, two awards will be given, and the museum’s new Advisory Board, headed by Bill Walmsley, will be announced. This is the museum’s 14th year of service to the community and region.
The program will be free and open to the public. Normal museum hours are: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
Old Independence is a regional museum serving a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820’s Arkansas territory.
