Opening ceremonies for Stone County’s Sesquicentennial are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Friday, April 21, on the Courthouse Square in Mountain View.
The celebration commemorates the date in 1873 — 150 years ago — when the Arkansas Legislature created Stone County.
According to a release from the event’s organizers, the Stone County Historical Society, the program, created by society members Robbie Purdom, Brenda Lewis, and County Judge Stacey Avey, will open with the Honor Guard presenting colors and Pam Setser singing the National Anthem. Friday’s program will involve the Mountain View Middle School band, a proclamation read by State Senator Missy Irvin, a presentation of a sesquicentennial quilt by Sharon White of the Crazy Quilters, and Arkansas songs by Charley Sandage.
Avey will lead a history of Stone County that will involve guests representing Izard, Independence, Searcy, and Van Buren counties from which Stone County was formed.
The Riggsville story will be told by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Dan Kemp, while Bradley Breeding will share his great-great-grandfather Adam Brown Brewer’s contribution to the county and the city of Mountain View. Others will participate in the choosing of Mountain View as the county seat as well as a look at the early years of growth and development in the county.
Following the announcements, Pam Setser will conclude the program with a song.
A walking tour of the square, led by Janice Sutton and Kay Thomas, will begin from the front steps of the courthouse about 20 minutes after the program concludes.
At 6 p.m., there will be a tribute to one-room schools by Stone County Historical Society members, and Charley Sandage will provide Arkansas songs pertaining to local history
Saturday, a one-room school driving tour will begin at the Stone County Museum at 12:30 p.m. with a short slideshow in the museum auditorium at 206 School Ave.
There will also be Music on the Square from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with many of those who performed at the March Courthouse Hootenanny participating.
The weekend events will conclude with a Gospel Singing at Big Springs Church in Newnata on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact Robbie Purdom with the Stone County Historical Society at (870) 213-5510.
