Hopewell Heritage: Growing Up In Rural Arkansas At The End Of An Era

Nancy Reynolds Collins grew up at the end of an era in the small rural community called Hopewell, located just north of the small town of Atkins, Arkansas. She is the descendant of pioneer farmers who came in covered wagons beginning around 1850. They crossed the Mississippi River from the eastern United States after the Native Americans had been driven from the land and before the American Civil War began.When she was born, all of the families residing in the community of Hopewell were descendants of the original settlers. Gathering information and observing first-hand some of the difficulties of small farm life, she writes about the community history, early community activities and values, and the changes that began about 1940 as a new era was about to dawn.The author draws on memories of two previous generations of her family who, like others of the community, lived on small farms. Additional contributors shared pioneer family memories, providing photographs and their own recollections. This is an intimate narrative about growing up in a rural community in the Arkansas River Valley.