Homecoming 2010 - 50th Annual Watson Fish Fry

Each year on the third Saturday of March, the Chamber of Commerce of Watson, Arkansas has a Fish Fry.
Watson is a small farming community in southeast Arkansas.

Watson was the county seat of Desha County for the period of 1874-1880. The former county seat, Napoleon, at the Arkansas and Mississippi River confluence fell into the river and was destroyed from water undercutting the town. The county seat moved from Watson to Arkansas City in 1880.
The Missouri Pacific Railroad was once a big part of Watson's history. I can still remember the days of steam engines. The ground level water tank once stood about where the crossing gate signal cabinet (just to the right of the power pole) is in the photo below. The depot stood on the opposite side on HWY 1 and on the same side of the tracks as the water tank. (Between the cotton gin and the tracks)
In the photo below, with beautiful Bradford Pears in full bloom along the track, you can see the small shack in the background where the motor car was stored that the section gang used to travel the railroad to road repairs.
Our dad once worked on the section gang. His most memorable job with the railroad was painting the interior of the cofferdam (forms for concrete bridge piers) at the bottom of the Arkansas River for the Arkansas River Bridge crossing for the railroad 5 miles north of Watson.

The MOPAC Eagle passenger train from Monroe, LA to Memphis, TN made a stop in Watson northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoon. I remember the engine as an EMD E8. An example is in the photo below.

Mr Joe Stroud, on the right in the photo below (1952) was the station agent.
Here is the railroad bridge over Redfork Bayou.

Although the track is still there, the railroad is abandoned from about 13 miles south of Watson to West Memphis, AR to the north. The railroad right of way has been turned over to the Arkansas State Park System. It would be great if someday this is converted to a walking - biking trail.

My family grew up on a small cotton farm on Redfork Bayou Road, about 3 1/2 miles southeast of town.

Our 32 acre farm (20 acres in cultivation) was small to support a family with 6 children. As more land was needed, dad rented small farms that were available. We farmed the plot of land shown below for several years. This 9 acre plot was owned by Sue Graves. It was just off the southeast edge of town.

The first Outlaws to settle on Redfork Bayou was about 1840 when Margaret Inez Outlaw married James Howell. She was the aunt of my grandfather, Benjamin Taylor Franklin Outlaw (always known as Ben). My grandfather was born in McKinnon, TN and moved to Watson to live with his aunt Margaret when his mother died.

This was the 50th annual fish fry. The fish fry, which started in 1961, becomes an unofficial homecoming for many former residents of the Watson community and Watson High School graduates. It is a popular venue for graduating classes to hold reunions, especially 25th, 30th, 40, 50th. This year the class of 1960 held it's 50th reunion. My brother, Charlie was a member of that class. His class had a dinner at nearby a Dumas, AR restaurant on Friday night, March 19 then was seated together at the fish fry. The Class of 1961 also gathered this year.

Bonnie Davidson, owner of Bonnie's Cafe was honored at the fish fry for her many years of service to the community.
The proceeds are used for a variety of community activities, such as helping out in major emergencies of community residents (home fires, health issues, etc.), scholarships and other community needs. This is very popular event for Watson, Desha County, and former residents. Also, politicians (either current or running for office) do not pass up this event to touch base with their constituents. Bill Clinton, former Governor of Arkansas (1979-1981, 1983-1992) and President of the United States (1993-2001) always attended when he was governor. Many pictures of his visits are posted in the gym where the event is held. Here is a photo of him at the 1979 Fish Fry, a couple of months after he began his first term as governor.
A reception is usually held at city hall on the afternoon of the fish fry, so that former classes and residents can visit. The fish fry starts at 6:00 PM and everyone lines up early to get in.
The meal consists of catfish, french fries, slaw, hush puppies, pickles, onions, dessert, and iced tea. There is always plenty for seconds for those who want more. I talked to Bonnie Davidson (we always knew of her as Bonnie Humphery in school) proprietor of Bonnie's Cafe and she mentioned that about 1200 were served at this years fish fry. From my experience, that means more that 1000 pounds of catfish had to be prepared.
Fish Fry crowd.
Ed & Ben visiting Tootsie Saeler of Monticello, AR. Tootsie, who is 92 years old, held many jobs in Watson over the years: High School secretary, McGehee Bank teller, and finally, post mistress. Her husband, Ted, was the local blacksmith who repaired farm equipment and tools. He sharpened many plow points for dad.
Besides the meal there is a band to provide entertainment while you eat. There is also an auction of many items that have been donated by local businesses in the county. There are tickets sold for a drawing for a shotgun and rifle.
As I mentioned, the fish fry is a big draw for former residents. Bonnie of Bonnie's Cafe probably has her biggest day of the year for both breakfast and lunch. Many people (local and former residents) gather to visit and reminisce of former days in Watson.

Bonnie's Cafe interior is decorated with antique kitchen utensils and farm equipment.
This photo shows an 11 foot cotton sack, used in the early days of cotton picking by hand which I remember to well.

The person the far left with his back to the camera and talking to my brother Ed (WHS Class of 1953) is Sonny Thompson (WHS Class of 1957), a 2nd cousin.

In this photo (left to right) is Ed Outlaw (WHS Class of 1953), Ben Outlaw (WHS Class of 1958), Sonny Thompson (WHS Class of 1957, back to camera), Ben's wife Pat, and Ed's Wife Kathy. I think the person to Sonny's left is his sister, Ruby (WHS Class of 1959). I don't know who is to Sonny's right.

In the photo below, the person (dark shirt) on the far left with his back to the camera is Larry Hundley (WHS Class of 1962) who has served as the Desha County Coroner for the past 30 years and is not running for reelection this year. The person to the right of him (white shirt, back view) is Jody Wilkins (WHS Class of 1960), a 2010 candidate for Desha County Coroner.
In this photo Larry Hundley (far right) is talking to my brother Charlie Outlaw (center with hat) and my brother Ed Outlaw.

Ben talking to a former classmate, Ivy Humphery Marlar (WHS Class of 1958), and sister of the owner of Bonnie's Cafe. Betty Outlaw Gatlin (WHS Class of 1964) is in the background.
Ed visiting with Thurmon Gilbreath of Alma, AR. Thurmon, a brother-in-law of our Uncle Lewis Outlaw, once farmed on Redfork Bayou Road. Thurmon is a regular attendee of the annual fish fry.
When we lived in this community, Watson was a busy place on Saturday's. There were seven grocery stores on Front Street: Hundley's, Rice's, Preddy's, Elliot's, Taylor's, and Graves, and another of which I can't remember the owner (it was vacant most of the time I lived there). Another, Craig's, was on Clay Street one block to the east. Craig's later became Shorty's Grocery (Floyd "Shorty" Odell WHS Class of 1959). All those grocery stores are gone.

In this photo three of the stores are shown: Bonnie's occupies the one on the far right, The Highway One Stop (left of Bonnie's and which is vacant) occupies one of the former stores. To the left of the Highway One Stop is a another vacant store front. To the left of the Highway One Stop is a vacant lot.
Then further left would be this vacant store which was Jeff Graves Grocery
In the fall, when cotton was being picked, Watson was also a busy place around the gin, shown below just across the railroad from the stores.
When I lived in Watson, there was a small cafe known as Borland's. Notice the Pop Kola sign. Pop Kola was a popular cola in Watson when I was growing up.

Just south of that cafe was a bank and the post office. There is a modern post office on the opposite end (south) of Front Street (on the site of a former grocery store. Below is the current post office. The post office occupies the right part of the building. At one time a branch of McGehee Bank occupied the small section on the left. This building is located where the grocery store stood that was vacant most of the time I lived there. That old building once had a church using it.
A liquor store, McKinnon's Gin office, a movie theatre (later skating rink and now torn down), a service station was on HWY 1 on the west side of the railroad from Front Street. There was another service station on HWY 1 two blocks east of front Street. The water mark of the 1927 flood can be seen on the McKinnon's Gin office in the photo below.
The ruins of the city jail still stands across the railroad from the stores.
There are no grocery stores or service stations in Watson now. The closest service station is in Back Gate, about 9 miles away. The closest grocery stores are in Dumas, about 18 miles away.

Here is a photo of a water color painting of the Watson High School by Ethel Lee Martin (WHS Class of 1951) that hangs in the community room of the Watson City Hall. We have a framed copy of this painting hanging in our home.
Seven of our family came to the fish fry this year. Me (Ben Outlaw) and my wife Pat; my older brother Ed and his wife Kathy; Ed's oldest son Billy; my younger brother Charlie; and my sister Betty Gatlin and her husband Bob. We came from across the country. Ed & Kathy from Olathe, KS; Billy from Little Rock, AR; Charlie from Colon, MI; Betty & Bob from Benton, AR and Pat & I from St. Peters, MO. Pat & I came by the way of Texas for this trip as we were on our way home from visiting friends and colleagues from when we lived in Rosenberg, TX.

We met for lunch on Saturday, March 20 at Bonnie's Cafe then drove to the site of the home place on Redfork Bayou Road.
(Right to Left) Charlie, Ed, Kathy (back to camera)
Kathy & Bob

Billy (left) & Charlie
The only landmark at the home place is the telephone pedestal that provided the telephone connection for our home. In the bare spot in front of the pedestal once stood a huge pecan tree. The trunk measured about 3-4 ft in diameter at the base. There were many pecan trees on the house side of the road and the bayou side also.

I picked up a hand full of pecans that were along the road side. These would have fallen from the few trees that still stand on the bayou side of the road. When we all lived there, we were able to gather more than 100 pounds each season. Selling these pecans supplied our Christmas money.
(Left to Right) Ben, Ed, Betty, Charlie. We are standing in what was once the front yard of our house. Either cotton or soy beans is grown here now. The land is now owned and farmed by H. D. Spainhower (WHS Class of 1961)
Charlie discussing with Betty as to whether he should place the family dinner bell (which currently stands in Charlie's yard in Michigan) in the Watson Museum. This bell once belonged to our grandfather Ben Outlaw. But we understand that it was passed down to him from his Aunt Margaret Inez Outlaw Howell. When our grandfather died it was then passed down to our father, then Charlie. I have an anvil that once belonged to dad that was passed down to him by his dad.
The bell as it currently stands in Charlie's front yard.
Ed is gathering a sample of soil from the farm site. This is a rich sandy soil.
This is Redfork Bayou that was just across the road (a very sandy unpaved road when we lived there, now it is paved) from our house. When I was a young boy, I remember that we catch catfish and crayfish (also known as craw dads or mud puppies) out of this bayou. It had much more water it those days.
From there we went to the Howell Cemetery just across the bayou from the home place.
This is the cemetery where our grandparents, Ben & Theresa Boggins Outlaw are buried. Our older sister, Elizabeth Ann, is also buried there. She was born in 1938. She had no esophagus and lived less than two days. I am sure that with today's modern medical technology that defect could have been treated. My grandfather Ben's aunt Margaret is also buried in the Howell Cemetery.
(Left to Right) Ed, Ben and Charlie standing in the area that we think our grandparents and our sister were buried (no markers).

Then we went to Porter Cemetery north of Watson. Two of my dad's sisters are buried here. They died in 1907, a year before dad was born. I think they died from Bright's Disease. I remember for many years that their plain concrete type tombstones laid in the back of our house. For some reason the stones were never placed on the graves. As the years passed it was not possible to locate the graves as the cemetery had few landmarks left that the family could remember. My parents moved from our home in 1985 and the tombstones were left there. The house was later torn down and the space was converted to farm land by the current owner. A neighbor moved the stones to the Porter Cemetery as he knew that was where the girls were buried. I was in Watson for the fish fry in 1996 and went to the cemetery and found them placed against a tree.
Two years ago I was there and could not find them. I thought that they had been discarded as it was evident that the cemetery had been cleaned up a lot since I was there last. But when we visited Porter Cemetery this year we found them laying together on the ground.
Annie Myrtle Outlaw
Mary Alice Outlaw
Next we visited Watson Cemetery where our parents are buried.

Pat & and I along with Betty & Bob and Charlie stayed over Saturday night in Dumas and attended church at our home church, Watson United Methodist Church, on Sunday morning. This was a well attended church when we were growing up. The Outlaw family were great Methodist people, pillars of this church since the 1860's. My grandfather's aunt Margaret Inez Outlaw Howell rode horseback around the community to collect money to build the original Methodist Church building around 1880. My grandfather probably served on the administrative board from about 1900 until he relinquished his seat to dad in the early 1930's. Dad served on the board until he moved from Watson to Benton, AR in November of 1985. My brother Ed was a Methodist pastor from 1954 to 1968 before becoming a Navy Chaplain (active duty) and later an Army Reserve Chaplain (Retired Colonel) . After his active duty he became a hospital chaplain and pastoral education supervisor for training pastors. He currently serves as a Hospice chaplain. The attendance at this church is very small now. On this day, Sunday March 21, 1010 our family made up about 1/3 of t he congregation. I don't know how much longer it can survive.

This bell was not at the church when I attended there.

We had a good visit at Watson. We visited with many former farm neighbors, classmates, school teachers and cousins while there. My nephew, Billy, gets credit for many of these photos.