Glade ‘s first settler, Abner Jennings, began ferry service across the White River to connect Glade community (Sec 35, T20N, R28W) to the Larue community (today’s Rocky Branch Marina).  He was appointed postmaster at  “Jennings Ferry” on Sept. 22, 1858.  He resigned to join the Confederate Army in 1861 and was replaced by John W. Bland, but, he too soon joined the army.

 

The Jennings Ferry Post Office/Store  became an important stop for travelers between Eureka Springs and Rogers in the 1870s.  The roadbed carved by oxen mules and wagons is still visible in some places today.

 

The community recognized the need for a school and built one in 1887 and named it Jennings Switch #105, and it was rebuilt twice.  The current schoolhouse was built in 1938 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places (#92001123).  Today, it is privately owned.

 

On May 8, 1903, the U.S. Postal Service separated the Jennings Ferry Post Office from the LaRue Post Office and postmaster, Simon L. McGinnis selected the name of “Glade” to replace the name of “Jennings Ferry.”

 

The Glade Post Office was the earliest post office in east Benton County along White River in 1858 to 1866.  Originally, it was called Jennings Ferry, but several name changes and locations occurred until 1903.

 

During the Civil War, it closed in 1866.  At one time it was known as the Larue Post Office but the same site as Glade.  It was discontinued in  February 1869 and reestablished March 8, 1870.  Again, it was discontinued in February 1869 and re-established March 8, 1870

 

Through the 19th Century and into the 20th Century, Glade and its surrounding communities provided the social, education, spiritual and commercial center of family life.  They took their eggs and pelts to the Glade Store to trade for sugar, baking powder, coffee, etc. and got their weekly mail.  It was a 14 mile (9 hour) wagon trip to Rogers—across Cedar, Ford and Ventris Creeks—to sell eggs, cream, wool, walnuts, dried beans.  They took their grain to the War Eagle Mill to be ground and wool to Roaring River Dam to be carded by the water powered machine.

 

Lysenby and Ona Willaims were the last owners of the Glade Post Office/Store. They are the parents of Herb, Stan, Gene (deceased) and Patricia.  Lysenby wanted to save the PO/store and moved it to Pea Ridge because of Beaver Lake.

In 2020, Stan Williams and crew moved the old Glade Post Office from Pea Ridge back, now next to the Old School House to be restored.

 

It is the hope and desire of the Glade Communisty Historical Society members to restore some of the history and rebuild the sense of community.

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May 24, 2021, Patricia Williams-Heck writes about the early history of the Garfield area. 

Read her wonderful article here in this pdf document...

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