Trout Capital News
Cotter, Arkansas
Good things are happening in Cotter; it's a great time to be here!

Published by the City of Cotter, Arkansas
Trout Capital News Home Page

September 2001

Friday
    1:00 Cotter and the White River, Ken Shirley, Arkansas Game & Fish
    2:00 The History of the Railroad In Baxter County, Jerry Stude, BCHGS
    3:00 The Cherokee Trail of Tears Through Baxter County,
            Bill Woodiel, National Trail of Tears Association

Saturday
    1:00 The Proposed Cotter Historic District, Kara Mills Oosterhous,
            Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
    2:00 Cotter's Boom Town Days, Panel discussion by Cotter oldtimers
            Led by Anne Ramey, Cotter historian
    3:00 Cotter Stories, Mary Anne Messick, Baxter County Historian

     Special features will be plentiful. Boat rides will be offered at the Cotter White River access both days by the Rim Shoals Trout Dock. These will provide a dramatic view of the old railroad bridge and beautiful surrounding scenery. Be sure and bring your camera. A display of river boats from several manufacturers will be presented both days.
     An Antique and Classic Car Show is scheduled from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. on Saturday, between the railroad tracks and the Spring House. Awards will include the Mayor's Trophy, Chamber of Commerce Trophy and the Care Crew Trophy. Distinctive dash plaques will be given to the first 25 cars registered.
     Entertainment will be outstanding. On Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. the Cotter High School band, choir and dance team will perform in concert. Later in the evening Carnes McCormick and friends will play for a street dance.
     On Saturday, the popular gospel group, "The Spokesmen Quartet," will perform at 4:00 p.m. They will be joined by the barbershop group, "Mixed Company." Saint James Place will present "Small Potatoes" on concert at 6 & 8:30 p.m.
     Several blocks of the downtown area will be blocked off from Friday morning at 7 a.m. till Saturday at 8 p.m. Second Street will be barracaded at Combs and also just north of the Firehouse Antiques. McLean will be barracaded from just east of City hall to just west of Second Street.

Training for Historic District

     Kara Mills Oosterhous, National Register Coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is scheduled to visit Cotter October 4 to provide training for researchers who will be involved in the nomination process for Cotter's historic district. If you would like to be a researcher in this project please call Sonny Sharp at 435-6757 or 492-4483.

In the photo from left to right is: Iva Duggins, Janet Latham, Mrs. William Pettit, award recipient, and Bill Jennings.

     Cotter Chamber of Commerce President, Gil Stammer announced Mr. and Mrs. William H. Pettit, 124 Walnut Hill Lane, received the "Hats Off Award" for August. The Chamber sponsored monthly prize is awarded to the Cotter residents judged to have most enhanced the appearance of their property and therefore contributed to the overall appearance of Cotter. In addition to a framed certificate, the Pettits receive a subscription to "Birds and Blooms" magazine.

Care Crew rehabs wreaths, needs old pictures

     Cotter's Christmas wreaths are getting a much needed face lift courtesy of the Cotter Care Crew. Work is being done by a local firm to revamp the bows five at a time.
     At the Care Crew meeting of August 9, 2001, other agenda items included movement of the caboose from the NAYC to Big Spring Park sometime in October. The sale of memorial bricks for the railroad memorial will be completed September 1, 2001.
     Old pictures of Cotter railroad operations and the city of Cotter during its heyday are needed to support a special railroad room at the Baxter County Heritage Museum in Gassville in conjunction with the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society. If you have pictures you could loan, please contact Lynn Stude at 430-5645.

City Council supports school grant, 
denies scenic railroad bid

     At their meeting on August 16, 2001, the Cotter City Council heard a presentation by elementary school principal, Aril Cheek, about needs to renovate the school baseball field. The upgrades would provide a much better field and allow Cotter to be considered for host roles for major tournaments. The council voted unanimously for Cotter Public School Resolution 2001-03 in support of the grant application.
     The council voted to deny a request for assistance by the White River Scenic Railroad for start-up funds of $6000 to help bring the line back to service as a non-profit corporation.

Katharine Pitman featured speaker at Historical Society

     An overflow crowd joined the Historical Society for an evening Tuesday, August 28, 2001, to hear Cotter's first citizen talk about her life in Cotter. She was introduced by local historian Anne Ramey who is doing an oral history of Cotter. You could have heard a pin drop anywhere in the large room at the old Rollins Hospital building as Katharine told of personal humorous goings on in her life over her 92 years. Her famous smile held the large crowd in the palm of her hand as she talked as if she was visiting with them in her own living room.
     Katherine Pitman was born in Cotter in 1908. She is the daughter of Laura Watson Hopkins and Clarence E. Hopkins, whose primary business was the Cotter Lumber company. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 1930 with a degree in journalism.
     She married Herbert Pitman, a native of Canada whose father came to Cotter to work on the railroad. Her daughter Marilyn, an artist, married Jerry Morris of Whiteville, who retired as President of North Texas State University. Her son Larry spent his career with the Agricultural Extension Service after graduating from the University of Arkansas.