This week’s article was found in the Timpson, Texas Area History 1800-2002 compiled by the Timpson Area Genealogical and Heritage Society.  The article was written by Jackie Emanis Grant.

Arcadia Community is located twelve miles west of Center, twelve miles east of Garrison, and twelve mile southeast of Timpson. The records show that Arcadia was established around 1887. At one time, the Arcadia Community was a thriving area with several mercantile stores, churches, three schools, a blacksmith shop, syrup mill, saw mill, cotton gin, barber shop, baseball field, and post office. The estimated population during these years was around four hundred.

The post office was located in the back of the Jim Walker store at the intersection of today’s FM 138 and FM 1645. It was in a corner partitioned off and entered by a swinging gate. The office equipped with boxes where the mail was placed. It was at this time that the Arcadia Post Office was called Toomey because another town in Texas already had the name of Arcadia. Today, the old walker home and store property are owned by Greg Grant.

Some of the early families that settled Arcadia were: Bishop, Block, Chapman, Childs, Cox, Crawford, Darnell, Dockens, Ellison, Emanis, Etheridge, Emmons, Gillespie, Grant, Gunnels, Hughes, Johnson, Jones, McCleary, Murray, Neal, Oliver, Pate, Patterson, Peace, Powdrill, Prince, Smith, Thomas, Walker, Wallace, Warren, Webb, and Wheeler. These settlers came from many different locations including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, and Alabama.  A number of their descendents still reside in the community.

In June of 1887, the trustees of the Arcadia Community paid $5 to E.S. Hicks of the firm Hicks and Brothers to purchase one acre o land that was to become the Arcadia School. F.M. Crawford, who being sworn upon oath, said he was hired by the Woodmen of the World and the Arcadia committee to build a schoolhouse and the WOW Lodge, each paying equally for the work. Each paid equally for material used in the building as well. The WOW was to use the upstairs and the school was held in the lower level. Records filed on August 3, 1921, show that the WOW building was sold for $250 to the Newbern Lodge located at (Toomey) Arcadia. This appears to be the first account of Arcadia being called Toomey, sometimes as written.

The Arcadia School District No. 60 was established in 1893 and was held in the lower level of the WOW building, which was later the location of the Newbern Lodge building. The School Trustees at this time were: John Graves, Dick Crawford, and Dick Powdrill. O.S.Cox was the teacher. In 1895-96 the trustees were: Dick Powdrill, Bill Wallace, and J.M. Burgay. In 1917 the school teachers were: M.B. McGee and Miss Margie Oliver.

Arcadia had two churches at one time. In 1900 the Arcadia Missionary Baptist Church paid the sum of $5 for land to Mr. and Mrs. O.S. Cox. This church was located near the intersection of today’s FM 1645 and FM 138, behind the Jim Walker Store. Some of the pastors that once preached there were Curtis Peace, Alvin Pate, R.L. Hooper, and Hiram Melton. Marquette Wallace and Ruby Dee Smith were both baptized in Jack Emanis creek by Bro. Melton.  At times, other church meetings were held in the lower level of the WOW Lodge. Going to church was an important event for almost everyone in the Arcadia Community.

There were two mercantile stores in Arcadia. Some of the families that owned and operated these stores were: O.S. Cox, J.C. Walker, J.F. Etheridge, and J.A. Gunnels. In 1935, Mrs. Lou Wheeler and J.A. Crawford, and J.E. Wheeler purchased land from J.A. Gunnels and established a store. Mrs. Lou Wheeler had the only store at that time and it was referred to as “Miss Lou’s Store”. Mrs. Wheeler was a vital part of Arcadia and was a widow when she went into the store business. Mrs. Lou Echols Wheeler was born December 29, 1869, and passed away on June 8, 1965. Her full name was Louisiana Echols and she had two sisters. One sister named America Echols and the other was named Texas Echols.

According to grandson J. Reginald Crawford, in 1939, after being in business for awhile, Mrs. Wheeler moved the Walker Store from the location adjacent to her store. Workers came and placed the building on logs and rolled it across the street next to the existing store. After Mrs. Wheeler died, her son-in-law, J.A. Crawford, daughter, Gladys Wheeler Crawford, grandson, J. Reginald Crawford, and granddaughter, Wylda Crawford ran the store. At this time it was called the Jim Crawford Store. Many folks gathered at the store to visit, play washers or to turn the wooden chairs over and use as prop to take a nap in the afternoon. In 1969, after the store closed, the building was torn down and the lumber sold.

Following the Wheeler-Crawford Store was the opening of M & E Grocery on FM 1645, near the old Arcadia Missionary Baptist church building. This store was owned and operated by Marquette Wallace Emanis and Eloy Emanis. After closing of this establishment, the Golden’s Grocery opened in 1975, which was owned and operated by Aaron B. Golden and R.J. Golden. Golden’s Grocery closed in January 1985. This existing building is located on the site of the original Jim Walker store at the intersection of FM 138 and FM 1645.

Arcadia hand many other businesses as well. Jack Emanis was the town barber and accounts are given of several syrup and grist mills being located in the area along with a cotton gin owned by L.D. Williams which used water from what was later known as the Mirt Patterson pond. In 1902 a sawmill was owned and operated by John Wilkes Booth Franks on the John Jones place between Arcadia and Stockman.
An article written by Mrs. Ruth Smith Grant, in the 1955 Champion, defined the Arcadia community boundaries as extending north to Hoyle Johnson’s land, east to Lee Patterson’s, sourth to Earnest Crawford’s and west to Jim Murphy’s.

There was an active Home Demonstration Club in Arcadia and, in May 1957, the record book compiled by Mrs. Ruth Grant placed second in the district. There was also a thriving 4-H Club during the 1950s and , in 1957, one of Arcadia’s club members, Neil Grant, was awarded the prestigious Gold Star Award.

Though there are no business presently in Arcadia, it is still home to the Arcadia Church of Christ, the Powdrill Cemetery (established in 1845) and annual homecoming, the Newbern Masonic Lodge, and a number of happy descendants of the original settlers, Today, Arcadia’s population is approximately fifty-one.