Arkansas Democrat Dec. 25, 1960Holly Grove at Christmas By: Ruth Malone
Holly groves on the outskirts of the little Arkansas city Of Holly Grove provided a Christmas-sounding name As well as a holiday atmosphere for the community.
A grove of bright evergreen trees with red berries at both entrances of the village gave the little Arkansas Christmas town its name of “Holly Grove” many years ago. Two little girls, now grandmothers, who were born in the town, have a lot of happy remembrances of the holiday season in this little yuletide town in Monroe County, about 10 miles southeast of Clarendon. The holly grove was a cool, shady place to play in the summer, and in the winter the loveliest Christmas trees in the world were always to be found there. The thicket of trees with their shiny green leaves and bright red berries has always had a part in the social life of the town, according to these sisters, Bessie Branch Moore and Addie Branch Smith, whose grandfather was among the first settlers there. Strangers entering town caught a glimpse of the sparkling green leaves and as they left the friendly place with the Christmas-sounding name, they took with them a pleasant picture as they passed acres and acres of holly trees that were planted by nature and that existed for years. Bessie, the oldest sister, said, “Drummers that came to Papa’s store often told him that the town gave them a happy, contented feeling even if they didn’t sell an order.” Remembrances of the store, with it dazzling candy case, filled with peppermint cushions, horehound drops, and mouth-watering stick candy, evoked many recollections of childhood from the Branch sisters. Addie, the younger of the Branch sisters, said, “We didn’t have fruits and nuts often, so Christmastime with its extra treats was eagerly awaited.” The older sister added, “I remember when Papa asked my Uncle Andrew, who was then a young boy in his teens, what he’d like best for Christmas and he said a sack of apples, as big apples were not in the stores all year around.” William F. Branch, their father, went to Helena on the little Midland train, the only train Holly Grove ever had, to get fruit, mixed nuts, apples, bananas, oranges – “and a nice thick steak for Mama to broil.” Somehow those Helena steaks brought back fond recollections to both girls. The little Branch sisters lived in a one-story colonial house with a porch across the front and chimneys at each end. There was no wondering how Santa could come for his visit, as he had a choice of chimneys to come down. The family always went to the holly grove for the greenery to decorate the mantel and the windows. The sparkling berries gave a festive look to their home. Bessie and Addie hung their ribbed black stockings over the mantel each Christmas Eve. They said, “We always put Papa’s bootjack close by so Santa could take off his boots to warm his feet, while he ate the lunch Mama helped us fix. Even if we had been a little bit bad we felt this might help.” After supper on Christmas Eve the whole Branch family would walk down the boardwalk to the big two-story town hall in the center of Holly Grove. Bessie and Addie usually watched the men bring in the big holly tree on the morning before Christmas, and they enjoyed telling their parents about the tree that reached the ceiling in the hall. “They even had to cut off the top a little so it would stand straight.” Addie said. Each year at the holiday season some men took a wagon and team to one of the big holly groves and found a huge tree for the place of honor in the hall for everyone to enjoy. “It was always the prettiest tree imaginable,” Bessie said. It was already decorated with its own bright red berries, so when gifts were placed on the low limbs it needed no ornaments. “Many candles twinkled bright and strings of popcorn and cranberries were hung on it, to delight grownups as well as the children of Holly Grove,” she said. Boughs of holly were placed on the windows and doorways and when carols were sung in the hall on Christmas Eve, everyone felt the true spirit of Christmas. It was fitting that the holly tree was once called the Holy tree. No one in Holly Grove put up individual trees at home because gifts for relatives, friends, and sweethearts were placed on the big community tree. The sisters recalled that one year every lady in town received a fascinator. They were the style then and busy fingers had been crocheting the scarves all summer for this night of giving. One gift each remembered well was the one a man gave a young widow who was visiting in the town. It was a vanity set in a box that opened like a square piano. It was ordered from a catalog in a city and no one had ever seen anything quite so lovely before. Santa Claus came later at home after the tree celebration. “Christmas morning we would find an orange, raisins, and some nuts that we saw only at Christmastime straight from Santa’s pack,” they said. Their stockings always had small gifts in the toe while dolls and little stoves and books were found close by on a chair placed there for the purpose. Addie said, “Santa always left an ear of corn in our stockings to feed the chickens as no one in the Branch household was overlooked.” The family went to Grandma Branch’s house in the country past the holly thicket for Christmas dinner. “Children had to wait for the second table, so many were there but no one minded,” Bessie said, “though Cousin Jimmie did get his head caught in a crack in the window when he tried to look and see how near through the grown folks were.” Both of the sisters agreed, the most wonderful thing that ever happened in the holly grove was when Papa found Old Rio there.” Some hunters from the north had lost their dog, a beautiful Irish Setter and had gone home without him. Other hunters often saw the dog in the woods near Maddox Bay but no one could get near him. The dog was partly deaf. “Papa got some friends to go with him and they caught the dog,” Addie said. “They had to tie him at first – he was so wild, but Papa was so kind, Old Rio became friendly and was our favorite pet.” “He would follow Papa everywhere, when he walked or rode horseback and he sat near papa when he rode in the buggy,” Bessie added. “Papa always felt we were safe when Old Rio was with us.” The holly groves were pleasant places for groups to enjoy outings. Among the trees were hollow logs that were excellent places for hiding Easter eggs, and each spring an egg hunt was held for all the children. The shady area was a favorite place for picnics and young folk enjoyed walking in the grove on Sunday afternoons. Those who had buggies found an inviting spot for their horses to graze while they visited with friends. The Woodmen of the World held their annual picnic in the grove each summer and a merry-go-round was provided for the enjoyment of everyone. An important event took place in Holly Grove just two days after Christmas at the turn of the century. Many persons were busy decorating the Presbyterian Church in long green boughs from the holly grove. Decorations were complete with an arch and a bell in the center, for Bessie Branch was being married to a young lawyer from Clarendon, 10 miles away. Since Bessie played the organ for services in all of the churches almost everyone knew Burton Moore, the young man who had accompanied her to church so many Sundays. Burton admitted years later, that he was so weary from attending two services on a Sunday that he would sleep on the way home to Clarendon. His horse knew the way well, past the holly grove. After the wedding and a full-course turkey dinner for all of the guests, complete with the first brick ice cream ever seen in Holly Grove, the newlyweds and wedding party took the train for Clarendon. No wonder now in Bessie’s yard in Clarendon, there is a big holly tree, a reminder of the many happy events of life in Holly Grove, Arkansas’ little Christmas town.