The  Quarterly   is  published  four  times  a  year  by  the  Ouachita   County  Historical  Society,  a   nonprofit  corporation  chartered   in  Camden,  Arkansas,  in  accord   with  the  laws  of  the United States  and  the  State  of  Arkansas.

"From the mid-50's into the late 60's, Camden High School had one of the finest band directors in the country. For many he was a second father...C. Bonner Ruff's passion for making music...was contagious, spreading to all under the wave of his baton, as well as those in his audience.

...Born on July 4th, 1923 to a piano teacher and a scientist who was also a Baptist lay preacher, Bonner Ruff's work ethic and discovery that he had a talent for music led him to seek out the best college music program in the country. World War II intervened...his wife Frankie received a letter saying her husband had been killed in action...Bonner came home...

Having endured Kansas winters, the snows of Germany during the war, and the harsh Michigan winters...he looked for band director work as far south as possible. Lake Village had a job and he took it...three years later he moved to Camden...

His commanding presence drew attention. Maybe it was the way he carried himself...maybe it was his always well-pressed appearance highlighted by a flat top haircut...When speaking, he looked at you. When listening, you had his full attention. You felt he was a teacher who was genuinely pulling for you...You knew he cared...

Believing that being a band director was a young man's game, Mr. Ruff left the sheltering pines of CHS the summer of 1968 for Arkansas State University in Jonesboro...

Excerpts from "The Music Man"

Summer . .2009   Features

Coordinated with the Juneteenth Celebration , held in June 2009, was the "Leake-Ingham Building Dedication". Many of the African American Historical Society members attended this ceremony with opening remarks by Clara Freeland.

"The Hill Brothers (Green, Decatur, Octavius and Andrew) of Yarmouth", Maine secured passage on ships out of Boston, sailed to New Orleans, and boarded steamboats to Ouachita and Union counties where they set up businesses along the banks of the Ouachita River between 1840 and 1845. Teresa Harris shares insights about the lives and accomplishments of the four Hill brothers.

Al Rose took a walk down Memory Lane to write a column for Al's Alfalfa printed in the Camden News which focused on "T. C. Abbott, Superintendent of Camden Schools." His column is submitted by Teresa Harris.

Bob Bechtelheimer submitted from the files of Robert Dodson an old news clip for "Camden High School 1949 Senior Play, The Bat" written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, often called the American Agatha Christie.

The "Class of 1959 Reunion -June 12-14, 2009" was held to celebrate its 50th Class Reunion! Clara Freeland shares the details of the event and includes pictures taken at the reunion which bring back memories from an important phase of their lives.

The younger generation today might wonder what there was to do for entertainment in Camden before TV and computers were available and might be quite surprised to hear about serial daytime radio shows in the 1930's and 1940's "When Radio was the King of Camden Home Entertainment " that were every bit as popular as today's TV soap operas says Ronald E. Bullock.

"Camden's Packet Line -Merchants Purchase Half Interest in Ouachita River Boat" was originally printed in The Prescott Daily News 9-21-1908, reprinted in The Ouachita Herald and was submitted by Jerry McKelvey.

Sue Gregory submitted a reprint from the AHPP on the "Ben Laney Bridge" dedicated April 16, 1947.

"Meet Your Police" a news clip originally printed in the Camden News Saturday, April 10, 1965, highlights Robert N. Martin of Camden.

"The 1850 Greek Revival Leake-Ingham Building was built as a law office for attorney Col. William W. Leake. The building was originally located in downtown Camden on a terrace on the west side of Washington Street near the Fiebleman property, across from the business we know as Expert Tire. After the Civil War the building became an office of the Federal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, a U. S. Land Office, and various other offices before it was sold by Mrs Caleb Stone in 1906 and became Camden's first Library... The library was named for Howard M. Ingham, long time rector of St. John's Episcopal Church... found a permanent home on the McCollum Chidester House Museum grounds."

Excerpt from "A Building of Noble Purpose"