David Evander Shapard (Chapter 21) 1923-1927 The Threads that Begin to Unravel

Chapter 21

The Threads that Begin to Unravel

1923-1927

    From the moment David E. Shapard was initiated into the United Commercial Travelers of America in 1909, he had done everything he could to place that organization in the highest possible light. One could easily assert that the Arkansas U. C. T. had no more dedicated and active member than Mr. Shapard. During the seven years that he was elected to the office of Secretary-Treasurer, his local council No. 86 increased in membership size from 202 active members to an impressive 619. Furthermore, during his one-year term as the Grand Counselor of the U. C. T of Arkansas, commencing in May of 1922, the Grand Council had the largest net increase of membership in its entire history. Despite countless hours dedicated to achieving these results, in true character, David Shapard always gave the credit to the members who supported his efforts. He was a leader through and through and recognized the virtue in helping those he could, when he could.

    One of the most generous presentations of this virtue was in David opening up his house to the aging Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Conger, whereby, he sacrificed his own privacy and solace of home for the greater good of those he loved. For him, it was not the act itself, but the principle of what it represented. As his own mother instilled in him, “If we do as near right as we know how, everything will turn out all right.”

    As it came to pass, in April of 1923, Mrs. Conger’s frail condition worsened, and she became bedridden. As the situation became more dire, Elise’s sisters, Lucile and Allie Merle, arrived from Texas to assist and be with their mother. On Friday, May 25, 1923, at 8 o’clock in the evening, Mrs. Conger died at the Shapard house of abdominal sarcomatosis. She was 64 years of age. It was reported that Allie Merle was by her side when the end came.

    Mrs. Tennie Hamilton Conger was one of the best known and most highly respect women in the entire state of Arkansas. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Hamilton, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. She was educated at the College for Young Women at Jackson, Tennessee, specializing in fine arts. She became an art teacher prior to her marriage in 1884, to Mr. J. W. Conger. Mrs. Conger was head of the art department at Ouachita College during its early history, while her husband was president. For many years after her marriage, she had been prominently identified with the religious and educational work of the Baptist denomination in Arkansas and served for several years as a member of the State Executive Board of the Baptist’s Woman’s Missionary Union. Over the years as an educator, she had favorably impacted the lives of innumerable students- whom had also known her as a devoted and loyal friend.

    Her largely attended funeral was held Sunday, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, at the First Baptist Church of Conway. The services were conducted by Rev. E. P. J. Garrett, pastor of the church, as well as, Dr. J. S. Rogers and Dr. L. M. Sipes of Little Rock. The burial was at Oak Grove Cemetery just one mile east of Central Baptist College.

    Few things sting as hard as the death of a parent, and Elise was absolutely devastated by the loss of her beloved mother. The Conger family cherished togetherness and had remained actively, purposefully and deliberately involved in each other’s lives, making her mother’s death all the more emotional. Elise, in particular, suffered tremendously with lingering bouts of depression, as she was still recovering from the loss of her own child, Jack Conger Shapard, and her brother Hamilton.

    Adding to the hardship of the situation, Elise was finishing out the school year for the Blue Bird School. The highly elaborate closing program and reception, that had been previously planned for the students, were cancelled due to the death of Mrs. Conger. However, as a farewell to the children, a picnic was arranged on the kindergarten’s playgrounds on Friday, June 8th, at 6 o’clock in the afternoon. Elise Shapard attended the event along with her assistant teachers, Miss Maxie Covington and Miss Dorothy Shapard, and sixty children. At the close of the picnic the children were taken to their respective homes in a large truck, their little voices enthusiastically singing school songs all along the way.

    After being liberated from the fourth grade Fort Smith public school, David, Jr., spent the early part of the summer of 1923, playing with his friends around the neighborhood. One friend, Buddy Maddox, lived on Greenwood Avenue, which was a wide street, being one of the first streets in town paved with asphalt. On account of the road also being sloped and smooth, it was a perfect place to roller skate. The boys would assemble at Buddy’s house with their buckle-on skates and broom sticks, which they used for balance and to push themselves uphill, and spend hours enjoyably soaring down the road. Once at the bottom, they would wait for the occasional car that would motor to the top. One of the boys would then grab on to the bumper and then extend his broomstick out for the next boy to grab, and so forth. Soon a long chain of boys would be in tow behind the gracious motorist traveling slowly up Greenwood Avenue. Once at the top they would all release, thanking the driver, and skate back down to the bottom.

    One time, after reaching the bottom, David, Jr., was the first to grab the bumper of the car, and the other boys began to link to him. Although he enjoyed skating immensely, David, Jr., was not a particularly good skater, and as a result, he tripped on the road causing all the boys to release early. The driver believing all the kids had skated off, accelerated to normal driving speed. Unfortunately, David continued to hold the bumper, whilst getting dragged behind the car. In a panic, David began to whistle for the driver to stop, to no avail, all the while David’s leather boots were getting burned on the road underneath. Eventually, David let go, and by the grace of God, did not injure himself to any great extent. However, upon his return home, his mother instantly noticed the terrible condition of his new boots. When questioned, David replied, “I do not know what happened, it’s a mystery!” Knowing full-well that if he fessed up to what really occurred, his mother would panic, likely prohibiting him from skating again.

    In mid-June of 1923, the United Commercial Travelers held their “On to Winslow” pledge drive to raise their goal of $12,000 in an ongoing effort to finish paving the road from Van Buren, through Rudy, Mountainburg, Chester, to the Washington County line, three miles shy of Winslow, Arkansas. Known as the ‘U. C. T. Highway’ (present day Arkansas highway 282 and 71), the travelers had a vested interest in this project in order to open up easy access, commerce and trading with all these rural communities. In addition, the residents of Fort Smith would profit greatly from the road, not only in commerce, but also safer travel to the Winslow resort, as well as, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

    Much excitement had been generated about the new highway and the U. C. T. fundraiser was to complete the final 9 miles of road from the new bridge two miles north of Mountainburg to the Washington County line. Earlier in the year, David Shapard had escorted a few newspaper reporters along the unfinished road so they could better understand the scope and progress underway. At that time, many of the bridges over Flat Rock Creek and Frog Bayou had been completed, and were just awaiting the machinery to finish connecting the roads.

    The “On to Winslow” fundraiser officially started in Fort Smith on the morning of June 16th with the blowing of whistles downtown, including the old fire alarm siren. Each of the thirty-three “hustling, rustling, go-get-‘em committees” of the U. C. T. put in a full day of gathering donations for the highway among the Fort Smith businessmen and citizens. Throughout the day, for every $100 raised, a wildcat whistle blared letting the whole community know of the progress. The committeemen of David Shapard, E. O. Simpson, S. Cotton, Walter Hinton and Charles A. Darland, were acting generals, personally coordinating and supervising the entirety of the campaign. Furthermore, these men oversaw the expenditure of the fund, giving their time and energy to ensure that every cent was used on the road and not for miscellaneous overhead expenses. By the end of the day, the travelers had exceeded their financial goal and illustrated to the community the benefit of unity around a common purpose. David clearly had vision for the betterment of Fort Smith, and through the energetic and willing manpower of the United Commercial Travelers, in particular his local council No. 86, those visions were able to solidly manifest.

    Shortly after the fundraiser, David left for Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, June 24th, to attend a three-day session of the Supreme Council of the United Commercial Travelers. Since only past Grand Counselors qualified as representatives for the Supreme Council, he was one of just three representatives from the state of Arkansas to take part in the deliberations of the national governing body of the United Commercial Travelers. David was honored to be recognized, through his untiring efforts, for the success of his local council No. 86, which was one of the most active in all of the United States, in terms of elevated membership and achievements.

    Back home at Fort Smith, Elise’s father Dr. J. W. Conger had been emotionally exhausted since the passing of his wife, and his health had suffered. By the end of June, his physical condition improved to the extent that he ventured to Conway, Arkansas, for a few days, to visit old friends and the grave of his beloved wife. Elise decided, that upon his return to Fort Smith, it would be of great benefit to vacation with him for the summer, as a well needed means of diversion.

   In early July, Elise, David, Jr., and Dr. J. W. Conger traveled by car to Baylor Female College at Belton, Texas, to visit Mrs. Lucile Bailey and Miss Allie Merle Conger, both of whom were faculty members. During their visit, much discussion focused on the future of the Blue Bird School. Apparently, Elise’s assistant teachers Miss Maxie Covington and Miss Dorothy Shapard would not be returning the following year. In a classic display of Conger unity, Allie Merle agreed to join her sister Elise as a teacher for the ensuing school year. As an added benefit, Allie Merle would be able to reside at the Shapard house, allowing her to spend a great amount of time with her aging father. Interestingly, Allie Merle’s best friend, Miss Frances Reynolds, who was a graduate of Baylor College in kindergarten work, was also hired by Elise for the coming year.

 

   After spending a week or two at Baylor College, Elise and her father departed, traveling together out west for the remainder of the summer. David, Jr., remained behind at Belton, Texas, with his aunt Lucile Bailey and cousin Annelise Bailey, where he spent his 10th birthday. In celebration, Lucile took him ten miles out in the country for a big picnic dinner. On July 30, 1923, David, Jr., wrote his father,

    “Dear Papa, I am sending back the gold piece. When you get it put it in the bank. I told Miss Frances and Miss Mabelle you would not forget my birthday. I told them more than likely you would send me a present and Mama would not. And it came true. But that doesn’t make me dislike Mama any. Yesterday I went swimming in a river. The day before Mama left we went swimming in a creek…”

    Lucile followed up with a postscript stating that David, Jr., was having a wonderful time and they were taking good care of him. Furthermore, just after David, Jr., finished writing, he received a long birthday letter from his mother. David returned to Fort Smith, with his mother and grandfather, around mid-August where he spent the last few weeks of summer playing with his neighborhood friends.

   On one occasion, he ventured down in the creek by his house and discovered floating in the water long gelatin strands with thousands and thousands of black dots in the middle. David, Jr., had no clue what they were, but, out of curiosity, he collected them in a bucket and poured them in the small concrete fountain his parents had built the previous year, in the backyard at their house on Little Rock Avenue. His mother originally had gold fish in the fountain, yet they had died over the winter, leaving just murky water. Each day, David would go out to the fountain and observe the strands. He noticed that the black dots were getting larger, and soon grew tails. Before long the whole fountain was swimming with tadpoles. Over the following weeks, David watched them grow and develop legs. One of the most hilarious events to occur that summer was when tens of thousands of matured frogs began swarming all over the backyard at the Shapard house. His mother just could not fathom where they all had come from.

    On Monday, September 17th, 1923, the fall term of the Blue Bird School opened for kindergarten, first grade and second grade. This year, Elise limited the class size to 14 children, for a maximum of 42 total students at the school. Class instruction was held from 9 a. m. to 12 a. m., and from 1 p. m. to 4 p. m., five days a week, with two terms, each running four and one-half months. For the education of the kindergarten students, Elise hired Miss Frances Reynolds as her teaching assistant.

    Twenty year-old Frances “Fanny” Wayne Reynolds (1903 -?), daughter of Charles and Ella Reynolds, was a native of Gainesville, Texas. She came to teach at the Blue Bird School just after receiving her degree in kindergarten studies from Baylor Female College in Belton, Texas. Frances was an exceptional teacher and was one of the few employees that truly grasped and applied Elise’s vision for the school. As a result, they not only developed a harmonious working relationship, they became lifelong friends. Frances remained single until 1946, when she married Mr. Charles Emmet Ford, Jr.

    Elise hired Miss Marian Cutler to assist her in teaching the first and second grades. Miss Cutler was a graduate of the National Kindergarten College of Chicago, as well as, a graduate of the Gunn School of Music and Dramatic Art of Chicago, and came highly recommended by Miss Etta Mount, head of the dancing department. While a student at the Gunn School of Music and Dramatic Art, Miss Cutler appeared at the Studebaker Theatre as a solo dancer in several plays. As a means to expand upon her talent, Elise also allowed Miss Cutler a studio at the Blue Bird School where students or private individuals could sign up for aesthetic or interpretive dancing lessons.

    Elise’s sister, Allie Merle Conger was also given a room for a studio at the Blue Bird School, where she instructed a limited number of pupils in piano. Miss Conger had extensive study under the foremost pianists in America, having studied two years with Carl Beutel at the Indianapolis Conservatory, four years with Alexander Lambert and Earnest Hutcheson in New York, and studied for a summer with Emil Liebling in Chicago. During the last decade, she had been teaching music in some of the largest colleges in the south, as well as, in New York City and St. Mary’s Hall, Burlington, New Jersey, having been head of the piano department at the latter for two years. Allie Merle was truly a brilliant concert artist. She had vast experience on the concert stage both as soloist and accompanist. Sparing no expense, Elise equipped Allie Merle’s new studio at the Blue Bird School with a Milton Grand piano and a Bollinger upright piano from the R. C. Bollinger Music Company.

    In the fourteen years that Mr. Shapard had been a traveling salesman, he had only worked for two companies: Webber-Ayers Hardware, from 1909 to 1910, and Atkinson-Williams Hardware, from 1910 to 1923. For most of the last thirteen years he had traveled weekly from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Paris, Texas, covering his sales territory. However, in October of 1923, thirty six year-old David Evander Shapard made the monumental decision to leave the hardware industry and start a new career in the life insurance business, as an agent for the Equitable Life Assurance Society. In addition to a potential salary increase, David found great security in working for a well-established, highly profitable, publicly respected, international company that sought out only the best salesmen as their agents.

    Founded in 1859, in New York, the Equitable Life Assurance Society established itself selling life insurance policies to the general public. During the Civil War, the budding business blossomed as thousands of soldiers bought policies after enlisting. After the war, sales continued to grow, and the society expanded their territory far beyond the United States. In the early 1900s, the company suffered a public embarrassment due to unethical management practices, especially as it related to their finances. To restore the public trust, there was a total overhaul of the society’s officers, and amendments made to its charter. After the first World War, the company largely abandoned its overseas operations, instead focusing on local sales, reporting billions of dollars in coverage. Throughout the 1920s, the Equitable Society flourished, riding the economic boom that elevated most of the United States until the Great Depression.

    At Fort Smith, the Equitable Life Assurance Society office was located on the eighth floor of the beautiful First National Bank Building downtown on the corner of South Sixth and Garrison. Interestingly, the second job David ever had, was working at the First National Bank Building in 1903. During that time, the bank was only a two-story brick building. In 1909, the old bank was torn down, and, in 1910, the current eight story First National Bank building took its place at the same location. David’s nephew, John Miller Shapard, recalled how as a child he would get to visit David once a month at his office in the First National Bank Building, and that it was always a real treat to get to go. He recalled that David worked on the top floor (eighth floor) and that he had a corner office.

    On December 15, 1923, David and Elise took a second mortgage to secure more funds for improvements to the Blue Bird School. The Sebastian County Building and Loan Association loaned them $5,000, binding the property, furniture and equipment of the Blue Bird School as collateral. The Shapard’s were required to pay the loan back, at a rate of $67.50 monthly, which they fulfilled in June of 1927.

    Christmas of 1923 was an uplifting event, although the absence of the late Mrs. J. W. Conger was largely felt by the family. The Shapard house, at 3001 Little Rock Avenue, was host to the Christmas festivities, as Mrs. Lucile Bailey and her daughter Annelise arrived from Texas to join Allie Merle Conger, Dr. J. W. Conger, David Shapard, Elise Shapard and David Shapard, Jr. A few days after Christmas, Dr. J. W. Conger left for New Smyrna, Florida, to spend the winter. He was accompanied by his daughter Lucile. They had planned to remain in Florida for the following three months, however, returned to Fort Smith prematurely, due to Dr. Conger’s poor health. In late March, Dr. J. W. Conger became very ill and bed-ridden, and at 3:30 a. m., on Monday morning, April 7, 1924, he passed away at the Shapard house of carcinoma of the stomach.

    The history of Dr. Conger’s life is practically a forty-year history of the advancement of education in the state of Arkansas. Throughout his adult life, he was an active leader in educational work in Arkansas and Tennessee, and was nationally known as the founder of Ouachita College at Arkadelphia. In addition to being connected with a number of colleges during his lifetime, Dr. Conger was highly active within the Baptist denomination, and sought to publicly build up the ideals of unselfish love and devotion to duty, to God, and all that is Holy and beautiful. He strove for a league of tender hearts and a league of polished minds. He was a much beloved leader and friend to the thousands of students whose lives he touched and molded, and at the time of his death was one of the most widely-recognized and revered citizens in the state of Arkansas.

    Dr. Conger loved to teach Psychology, Ethics, Logic and the Bible. He had a mind sown in wisdom and was admired for his insightful sayings. Some of his most well-known adages were; “Have a place for everything, and put it in its place; Honesty is the foundation of moral character; It is not the act itself, but the fundamental principle that underlies it; Use is the secret of possession and enlargement; Be true to self, be true to mother, be true to father, be true to God; Adapt yourself to your work; Take home what you pay for; God never gave a bird wings without giving it atmosphere to fly in – He never gave a fish fins without giving it water to swim in, nor did He ever give innate capacity that he didn’t give opportunity for it to be unfolded.”

    Dr. Conger’s wisdom was founded in biblical truth. Pertaining to his favorite chapters in the Bible, he wrote; “I hope you will read the following from time to time. Do not read fast, read slowly and think over it. Read not much a time but it to keep. The Psalms are always good. Some of the best are chapters 1, 23, 24, 25, 27, 32, 39, 40, 46, 48, 51, 57, 67, 90, 91, 92, 96, 98, 103, 104, 107, 116, 121, 122, 136. Proverbs; 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Ecclesiastes 12. Job 28. Isaiah 55. These are all from the Old Testament. From the New Testament, the following; Mathew 5, 6, 7 (our Lord’s reunion in the mount). John 14. 1st Corinthians 13 (chapter on love and charity). Galatians 6. Philippians 2, 4. Colossians 3. Romans 8, 12, 13. 1st Peter 3. 1st John 3, 4.”

   The 5 foot 10 inch remains of Dr. Conger arrived in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on the evening of April 7th, and were carried to the home of Mrs. J. E. Calloway, sister of the late Mrs. J. W. Conger. The funeral service, attended by hundreds of former students and friends from all over the South, was held on April 8th, at the First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia. Dr. Conger’s remains were then honorably interred in an arched vault that had been specially erected on the main campus of his beloved Ouachita College. Immediately upon the death of Dr. Conger, the bodies of Mrs. Conger and Hamilton Conger were exhumed from the cemetery at Conway, and brought to Arkadelphia, under the care of Newberry & Harris undertakers. Mrs. Conger’s remains were interred in the vault next to her husband, and their son Hamilton Conger was reinterred next to his younger brother “Little Jack,” in Rose Hill Cemetery near the Ouachita College campus.

    Elise was devastated by the loss of her father. Throughout her life, he had been her counselor, her anchor, her inspiration, her safe harbor in times of distress. Especially later in life, she and her father experienced a special connection through her educational work and the founding of a school, just as he had done at Arkadelphia years before. Dr. Conger’s death left a gaping hole in the canopy of love, security and wisdom with which he had so tenderly covered his children throughout their lives, and it is questionable if Elise ever fully recovered from his loss.

    Elise suffered through the final months of teaching at the Blue Bird School, exactly as she had done the year before upon the illness and death of her mother. Her sister Allie Merle Conger had retired from her studio at the Blue Bird School after her father’s passing, and returned to Burlington, New Jersey for a faculty position in the music department of St. Mary’s Hall. As soon as school ended for the summer, Elise, Allie Merle and Lucile all convened for many weeks at Baylor Female College, in Texas, for some desperately needed unity of kinship. Before her departure, Elise enrolled her son, ten year-old David, Jr., for a summer session at the Advance Military Academy, located just outside the corporate limits of Fort Smith on Jenny Lind Road, as a means to keep him occupied.

    The academy, was established in 1920, on the highest plateau of the old fair grounds, and was renowned for its instruction in scholarship, athletics, infantry, cavalry and band. Each day reveille was called at an early hour for the boys to ready themselves for “first call,” after which they breakfasted at 7 a. m. Returning to the barracks, the boys made their beds and enjoyed leisure time until the school commenced at eight. The students marched in formation to the classrooms for tutelage. At ten o’clock, the boys participated in calisthenics and soccer. Class resumed at ten thirty, breaking for lunch at twelve fifteen. The afternoon classes began at one thirty until two thirty, followed by games on the athletic field, hikes, etc. Supper was served at six, then a period of free time until taps sounded at nine, immediately followed by ‘lights out.’ The school’s headmaster, Captain J. R. Williams, ensured the boys remained busy throughout the day and that they learned to avoid misconduct through careful correction and moral training by the faculty. Perhaps more than all, the daily regiment was set to impressed upon the students the fundamentals of future leadership. On May 22, 1924, David, Jr., wrote to his mother, inviting her to come visit him at the “academe on a hill,” and stating that he was working hard and that it was hot, but not hot enough for him!

    Shortly after the death of his father-in-law, David E. Shapard, Sr., retired from the office of Secretary-Treasurer of Fort Smith Council No. 86 of the United Commercial Travelers. This was an office he had held for seven consecutive years. Nevertheless, despite this unexpected departure, David would be re-elected to the same office in 1925. David remained a highly active “lodge man,” attending the bi-monthly meetings of his local U. C. T. council, serving as a committeeman for the Salvation Army, a member of the Civitan Club, a Mason member of Belle Point Lodge No. 20, F. & A. M., and, perhaps most interesting, helped establish a local Fort Smith lodge for the Scottish Rite Masons, of which he became a member.

    During the spring reunion of the Arkansas Consistory held at Little Rock, a delegation of Fort Smith Masons, submitted a Letters Temporary for the establishment of a local lodge to the Supreme Council of the Rite. As it came to pass, in September of 1924, the council approved the Letters Temporary for the establishment of a lodge in Fort Smith, to be known as the ‘Zabud Lodge of Perfection.’ David Shapard, as a member in good standing, was one of the original 33 signatures on the Letters Temporary bringing the first lodge of Scottish Rite Masons to Fort Smith.
 

   For the last two weeks in May of 1924, a Shapard sibling reunion occurred in Fort Smith with the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Shapard and Mrs. Lizzie Jaynes. Though they were the guests of their brothers Edwin and David, they likely resided at David’s house for the duration of their trip, since Elise was vacationing in Texas, and David, Jr., was attending the academy. Like his brother David, Sumner had also changed jobs earlier in the year and was now representing the Reliance Shirt Company. As a condition of his new job, Sumner had moved from Baltimore, Maryland, and was now residing at Dallas, Texas. Sumner and his wife would move again, circa 1926, to an apartment in New York City, after he went to work for Godcheaux & Levi, shirtmakers.

    Interestingly, their brother Edwin Shapard would also change jobs later that year. After more than a quarter of a century working the western territory on the Missouri Pacific for the W. J. Echols Grocery Company, Edwin began a new career as a salesman for the Roberts, Johnson & Rand Shoe Company, selling Star brand shoes. Although Edwin’s new company was based out of St. Louis, Missouri, his territory remained in Arkansas and Oklahoma so he continued to domicile in Fort Smith, at 801 South 25th Street, until 1927.

    Their sister, Lizzie Jaynes, lived and worked in Washington D. C., where she assisted her husband as a typist. She was also highly involved at the Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church, where she was Treasurer of the Woman’s Missionary Society, as well as, a much-loved Sunday School teacher. After a wonderful visit to Fort Smith, Sumner returned to Dallas and Lizzie departed for Washington D. C., at the beginning of June, accompanied by Sumner’s wife, Mrs. Benetta Shapard.

    Since his youth, David Shapard, Sr., had recognized the benefit of continuing education when applied to his field of employment. Thus, it was no great surprise when, in July, he traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to attended a three week course related to the business of insurance. Known as ‘insurers school,’ it quickly acclimated David to the fundamentals of his new position at the Equitable Life Assurance Society.

    About this time, David also joined the Traveler’s Protective Association (T. P. A.), being a fraternal organization, founded in 1882, for the benefit of traveling salesmen. Similar to the United Commercial Travelers, the T. P. A. sought to better their membership through collaboration with hotels, railroads and lobbying public officials. They also offered accidental life insurance benefits to its members. By 1925, the organization had chapters throughout the United States, comprised of a national body, state divisions and local “posts” within each state. In true form, David quickly rose through the ranks of the T. P. A., and by 1927, was acting Secretary-Treasurer of his local post.

    When Mr. Shapard returned to Fort Smith, Elise had also returned from Texas, accompanied by her sisters, Lucile and Allie Merle, who remained guests of the Shapard house until school commenced in September. Upon her return home, Elise collected David, Jr., from the Advance Military Academy, where he had spent most of the summer. On August 23, 1924, Mr. and Mrs. David Shapard, David Jr., Allie Merle Conger and Lucile Bailey, with her daughter Annelise Bailey, piled in the Shapard car, for a week’s vacation at Bella Vista, Arkansas. Established as a resort town in 1917, Bella Vista was located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas, in Benton County. The Shapard and Conger families rented a cabin and enjoyed a week’s recreation among the lakes, creeks, forests, and most especially the waterfalls. Upon their return home, an article of luggage, a large black handbag, that had been strapped to the exterior of the car fell off, and David placed a notice for its return in the local papers. In early September, Lucile returned to Belton, Texas, for the commencement of Baylor College, and Allie Merle left for Burlington, New Jersey, where she was head of the music department at St. Mary’s Hall.

    In late September, the Blue Bird School opened for its third year at its new location on Lecta Avenue. Mrs. Shapard hired Miss Adelaide Ranson, of Birmingham, Alabama, and Miss Frances Reynolds, of Sweetwater, Texas, as assistant teachers. She also hired Mrs. Butler as secretary. The school continued to educate children from kindergarten through the second grade. The kindergarten was divided into two classes, one for the younger children, beginning at age three-and-a-half, known as “low kindergarten,” and one class for the four-and-a-half-year-olds, known as “high kindergarten.” Class size was limited, with a maximum of 14 children per class, for a total of 56 possible children. Elise stressed that small class sizes were vital to the ability to properly educate, as a child’s individuality is lost when merged with a large group. Furthermore, the individuality the child’s own experiences and interests became the starting point for knowledge. When gardening, the students began to ask questions about the care of flowers and vegetables. When reading, the students developed an affinity for certain books that would become the foundation for their future libraries. From nature study, the students gained a recognition of aesthetics and beauty. Elise also emphasized that play and activity was the basis of all learning and that the children learned by doing. No time was waisted, educationally, whether in play, prayer, singing, reading, story time, or recess, under the careful guidance of the teachers. The school taught the children patriotism towards their state and towards their country, through songs and learning of the heroes from their past. Prayer time was seamlessly incorporated into their daily routine, asking God to bless their school, their teachers, their parents and their siblings. Elise also operated the school under no prejudice, allowing children of all races to attend, and preserving their innocence by prohibiting the teaching of race hatred within the walls of the institution.

    Elise invested heavily in the Blue Bird School – purchasing land, construction costs, playground equipment, gymnasium equipment, school and office supplies, closets full of consumes for the students, staff salaries, etc. Elise also traveled frequently for school needs, as well as, distantly for school research. Circa 1924, she retired the Dodge Sedan and purchased a Ford Sedan for about $500, to accommodate her travel needs as director of the school. Even at full capacity of 56 pupils, with tuition at $45 per year, the school could only accrue $2,520 annually in an attempt to cover costs and make a profit. Thousands and thousands of dollars were invested, with little hope of a decent return on her investment. Not to mention the long hours she dedicated to the children and the school in general. In truth, it made little difference to Elise, as she valued her work, and it was where she found contentment and peace of mind. Despite her husband’s better than average income, her exorbitant and lackadaisical spending, especially as it related to her kindergarten endeavor, depleted any real savings the family could acquire. Even with double mortgages on the property and equipment of the Blue Bird School, as soon as one mortgage was paid off, a new one was added to keep the school funded. No matter what David brought in each month, Elise found use for it.

    This source of financial contention between David and Elise had been accruing for years and finally reached a critical point. After much heated discussion, in the best interest of the family, Elise agreed to give up teaching, and in March of 1925, she placed the Blue Bird School up for sale. The ad stated, “For Sale – Blue Bird School. No school in the southwest has the building equipment and reputation to equal the Blue Bird School. This wonderful institution which was founded on the high ideals and whose motto is ‘Faith, Hope and Love’ must not be lost to Fort Smith. The solving of our great problems lay in the right training and the high principles instilled in our children. What ever enters into the first of life enters into all of life. The first pictures hung upon memories walls will color all future experiences. Interested parties see Mrs. Shapard at once, 208 Lecta.”

    As a tribute to her beloved enterprise, in true fashion, Elise spared no expense to make the final graduation ceremony of the Blue Bird School a splendorous affair. On May 31, 1925, the students, parents and friends of the Blue Bird School arrived at the New Theater in Fort Smith. The stage was magnificently set with ferns and a formal black drop draping. A giant nest was to one side of the stage, and the second-grade graduates were dressed in white ‘college’ gowns with white mortar board caps brilliantly contrasting against the dark background. As the ceremony commenced, all the non-graduating students, ranging from approximately 3 to 6 years of age, rose up from the nest, in which they had been corralled, all wearing blue bird costumes, with yellow breasts. Clarence Burg, pianist, played the processional and Rev. John P. Lowry of Little Rock offered the invocation. The children sang a few songs and recited poems, etc. Then Rev. Samuel G. Buckner, pastor of the First Christian Church, delivered the commencement address, and made the presentation of diplomas. Exercises closed with the singing of Arkansas and America while Mrs. D.E. Shapard presided at the piano.

    As summer commenced, Elise was terribly distraught. There had been no serious buyer interest in the Blue Bird School, foreshadowing the very real possibility that the school would close permanently, erasing Elise’s legacy upon Fort Smith. She needed to clear her head and get some space to consider things. In June of 1925, Elise informed David that she was taking their son and driving to Coral Gables, Florida, to spend the summer. David did not want her to go, as it was a great distance away, and highly dangerous for a woman and child traveling alone. However, Elise was one of those kinds of hard-headed women that when she made up her mind that she was going to do something, she would do it. As a compromise, she told David that she would take along her assistant teacher, Frances Reynolds. On June 27th, Elise, Frances and David, Jr., packed up the Ford Sedan and got ready to leave. David, Sr., came out to the driveway and begged her not to go. He began crying, which caused David, Jr., to cry. Soon everyone was sobbing, but Elise would not relent, and drove off.

    The first day, the small driving party made it to Louisiana, stopping at a motel for the night. They parked the car on the street and Elise acquired a room. The mosquitos were particularly bad, so Elise and Frances stayed in the room, while David, Jr., explored the facility, soon finding himself on the porch next to two older gentlemen smoking pipes. The men, well into their eighties, greeted their young visitor. David asked them how they managed to keep away the mosquitos. The men replied, that while their long pants, jackets and the pipe smoke helped, the only way to avoid mosquitos was to become immune to their bites. David, Jr., asked how he could become immune. Tongue in cheek, the men replied that he had to let the mosquitos bite him a whole bunch and soon his body would become immune and the mosquitos would not bother him anymore. So, David, Jr., trusting his elders, removed his shoes, raised up his nickers and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Soon his legs, arms and feet were black with mosquitos. About that time Elise came outside looking for her son. Realizing that they were about to incur the wrath of a woman, the two old-timers quickly exited the porch and vanished around the side of the building. Elise was horrified to see her son just sitting there covered in mosquitos! She just could not fathom why he would do such a ridiculous thing. Needless to say, David, Jr., scratched all night and his legs were greatly swollen by morning.

    The following day, the driving party crossed the border into Florida. Along the side of the road there began to appear fruit stands. Back in Fort Smith, grapefruit was 10 cents each, however, to Elise’s great surprise the roadside stands in Florida were selling them for only 3 cents apiece. To save money whilst on their trip, Elise pulled over to take advantage of this wonderful deal. They purchased a whole bunch of grapefruit and stored them in the backseat of the car next to David, Jr. a few hours later as they made it to central Florida, the grapefruit was now selling for only 2 cents! Again, Elise pulled over and filled the entire floor and half of the backseat with grapefruit! There was just grapefruit all over the car. As the driving party approached southern Florida, the price then dropped to one cent! Then at Miami, grapefruit trees were everywhere and the grapefruit were just lying on the ground, free for anyone to pick up!

    When they arrived in Miami, Elise drove them to a new resort location advertised as Coral Gables, Florida. Developed in 1925, by George Merrick, the city of Coral Gables encompassed 10,000 acres of carefully planned architecture, roads and canals. The beautiful homes and villas were regulated to follow a Spanish Mediterranean Revival style of design. At the time when the Shapards arrived, the area was still under development. The homes were being built, roads laid and canal trenches dug yet devoid of water.

    Many of the beautiful new homes were for sale, and Elise and Frances were curious to see the interior layout and design. The realtors who met them at the houses assumed that Elise was wealthy, based on her manner of dress, education and car - of course not realizing that the whole back end was filled with grapefruit to curb their food expenses.

After viewing a few homes, David, Jr., began to fuss, having no interest in architectural design. To remedy the situation for the remainder of the summer, Elise enrolled David, Jr., into the Coral Gables Military Academy, that had just opened its doors in the winter of 1924, yet was still under construction. As it turned out, Elise and David, Jr., had a great familiarity with the school’s founder and president, Captain J. R. Williams, who had been head of the Advance Military Academy at Fort Smith when David, Jr., attended there the previous summer.

    While his wife and son were away for the summer, David, Sr., was kept busy with work, as well as, his lodge obligations. On May 15th and 16th, The United Commercial Travelers of Arkansas held their 15th annual Grand Council meeting at Fayetteville, Arkansas. Over two hundred salesmen and their wives attended the event among the university setting. Guests were entertained with music, tours of the city, a picture show, dancing at the Hotel Washington, a banquet and good food. The meeting was held in tandem with the Fayetteville Strawberry Festival, where fresh strawberries and pure cream were served liberally to all. During the meeting, David was elected as a Representative to the Supreme Council for the following year, and his brother, Edwin R. Shapard, was elected to the Grand Executive Committee. David also attended the State Convention of the Civitan Club held at the end of the summer at Little Rock, Arkansas, to which he had been elected as a delegate.

    Around late August or early September, Elise, Frances and David, Jr., returned from their trip to Florida. Having considered her situation over the summer, Elise rescinded her agreement with her husband to close the Blue Bird School, and doubled-down by allowing her assistant teacher, Miss Frances Reynolds, to permanently board in a spare room at the Shapard house. David, Sr., was terribly frustrated by the entirety of the situation, placing a great strain on their relationship and finances. Whether out of spite, ignorance or indifference, Elise continued in her extravagant ways, often remarking to her husband that she was not going to lay up large sums of money for someone else to spend after she was gone.

    About this time, Elise purchased a Studebaker Special 6 convertible for the inordinate sum of $1,800. She used this car as her ‘social car,’ yet, also kept the $500 Ford Sedan for miscellaneous use. Within the next year or two, Elise would add a third car to her collection, a Pontiac for $975, stating that these three automobiles were all needed in the operation of her business. In addition to David’s work car, the monthly payments and maintenance on these machines were becoming astronomical.

    On September 21, 1925, the Blue Bird School opened for its fourth year at the Lecta Avenue location. Elise assumed teaching the kindergarten and first grade classes, and Miss Frances Reynolds taught the second grade class. This year, Elise hired Miss Anita Ledbetter to head the kindergarten music program. Miss Ledbetter had special training through the Clarence Burg School of Music, and was brought in twice a week to conduct her class using the Dunning System of Improved Music Study for Children. As in past years, approximately fifty students enrolled at the Blue Bird School for the 1925-1926 school term.

    Over the years, as the Blue Bird students graduated and matriculated into the public schools of Fort Smith, their exceptional early education set them apart from the other students. The faculty and administration of the Peabody, DuVal, and Rodgers public schools commended Elise for the quality of education she provided, and they came to fully endorsed the Blue Bird School. Thyra Cordelle, the principal of Rodgers School, stated; “We have a number of Mr. Shapard’s pupils in Rogers School. They are thorough in their work and among the leaders in their classes. Some of these have made a year’s work in a semester. The Kindergarten child is less liable to fail of promotion and is more likely to remain one of a group of accelerated or normal children. I have nothing but words of commendation for Mrs. Shapard’s School.” Although the school had been a hardship on her marriage, even her husband, David, Sr., commended her results, stating that, “each child that went to her received proper attention and received some training that will be worth a good deal to them as long as they live.”

    In November of 1925, David traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, along with 43 members of the new Fort Smith Zabud Lodge of Perfection, Scottish Rite Masons, to attend the fall reunion. The men enjoyed many days of camaraderie and fellowship. During the meeting, a ceremony was held bestowing many of the men with degrees in Scottish Rite Masonry. David being one of them, progressed his Mason’s degree, somewhere between 15th and 32nd. Interestingly, by 1930, he advanced to a 32nd Degree Mason, one of the highest honors bestowed by that organization.

    On January 2, 1926, David was a pallbearer for the funeral of Mr. John Golding Miller (1842 – 1925), being the father-in-law of David’s brother, Edwin Shapard. Mr. Miller was born in Dillsboro, Dearborn County, Indiana, on June 5, 1842. During the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in the 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E of the Union Army. With the arrival of peace, he came to Arkansas, near Piney, to assist his father in founding a flour factory. In 1878, he came to Fort Smith, from Clarksville, and for a number of years operated a string of sawmills. After disposing of the mills, he and his son founded the first table factory in the territory. The factory was destroyed by fire in 1891, after which he and his son established an excelsior plant, that they operated until the death of his son in 1907. He was survived by his wife Mrs. Mary Jane (Trester) Miller (1847 – 1928) and two daughters, Daisy Miller (1874 – 1975), who married Mr. Elmo Caruthers (1865 – 1923),

and May G. Miller, who married Edwin R. Shapard. The funeral service was held at the home of Edwin Shapard, 801 South 25th Street, where Mr. Miller passed away, and the burial at Forest Park Cemetery. He was a mason of 50 years at the Belle Point Lodge No. 20, F. & A. M. and a Methodist.

    On April 1, 1926, Elise needed additional funds for the Blue Bird School. David and Elise placed a mortgage on their home at 3001 Rogers Avenue (in 1925 the name changed from Little Rock Avenue), as well as, a second mortgage on the school and equipment at Lecta Avenue. The Shapard’s borrowed the considerable sum of $5,100 from the Peoples Building & Loan Association, with a mortgage payment of $33.25 per month.

    A portion of the new funds were used on April 3rd, when Elise Shapard hosted a banquet, at the Colonial dining room at the Goldman Hotel, in honor of the upcoming graduating class of the Blue Bird School. Alumni of the school were also extended an invitation. In all 24 children were the guest of Mrs. Shapard at the banquet. To the delight of the students, Elise also invited the college singers of the Choral Club, who were visiting from Baylor Female College, to join their table for the event. It was an extravagant, yet memorable event for everyone involved.

    In anticipation of graduation, a significant portion of the funds were set aside for the construction of a large permanent amphitheater in the back of the Blue Bird School. Construction was completed in time for the commencement exercises at the Blue Bird School held on Sunday evening, May 30th, at 6 o’clock. As Elise had done the previous year, the young graduates were recognized on stage, wearing white mortar board caps and white gowns. Off to the side, in a huge nest, the fledgling kindergarteners watched the ceremony, while donning their blue bird costumes. Mr. G. C. Hardin, president of the Fort Smith Public School Board, gave the commencement address, followed by an array of poems, songs and class prophecies presented by a few select students. After the class recited the school creed, Mrs. Shapard delivered their diplomas. The program came to a close with the students singing ‘Arkansas’ and ‘America.’ The following day, a dance program was held on the stage at the new amphitheater.

    As summer of 1926 commenced, twelve year old David, Jr., had finished the seventh grade. In celebration, his parents took him to the Amrita Grotto Country Club, 20 miles north of Fort Smith, for a week. The Grotto was first organized in Hamilton, New York, in 1890, after a small group of Masons convened to discuss “the serious nature of man and to place its importance in contrast with the more profound attributes and virtues of human nature.” Determining that man must enjoy the lighter things of life in a wholesome manner to be in proper balance, the Grotto was formed. By the 1920s, there were 175 Grottoes all over the world, collectively known as the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, governed by the Supreme Council of which the Grand Monarch is the ruling officer.

    The “Amrita Grotto” of Fort Smith was established, in December of 1920, when fifty-five Fort Smith Masons organized to form the club, under a dispensation granted from the supreme governing council. Great strides were taken early on by the organization, making the Grotto one of the most successful in America, priding itself on good-fellowship, for which the organization stands. In only one year, they received their charter and their membership climbed from 55 prophets to 425. By the late 1920s, membership had ascended to over 2,400 prophets, making it one of the strongest fraternal organizations in the state.

    Among their accomplishments, the Grotto established a widows and orphans insurance plan designed to pay $1,000 to a member’s family upon his death. They also worked closely with underprivileged children, by sponsoring a Christmas tree during the holidays, and hosting the children of the Fort Smith Boys Club at the Grotto Country Club each summer. Amrita Grotto also published a monthly Masonic magazine, called the ‘Amritian,” that was distributed at no charge to every member of a Masonic organization within 100 miles of Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Amrita Grotto Band, organized in 1922, was another wonderful addition to the club; and, was comprised of 50 highly talented musicians who not only played at Grotto events, but also competed throughout the United States, and performed goodwill excursions. They had received the recognition as “Arkansas finest band.”

    In 1924, the Amrita Grotto purchased a 40 acre tract of land, off of highway 71, near the town of Alma, in Crawford County, Arkansas, for the purpose of building a country club, becoming the only Grotto in the nation to have its own country club. By the fourth of July, of 1925, an impressive native stone clubhouse, known as ‘Amrita Grotto County Club,’ had

been constructed, for $24,000, on a bluff overlooking Frog Bayou (Clear Creek), with a long staircase descending to the water for swimming access. The inside of the two-story clubhouse was fully equipped with sleeping quarters, dining room, kitchen and an 80 foot by 30 foot dance hall. The rustic stone-walled dance hall was the main room of the club house, and hosted a large fireplace for heat in the winter. The second-story had a large porch, men’s and women’s restrooms, and a grand mezzanine that overlooked the dance hall. Two wells on the property supplied the clubhouse with fresh water for drinking and cooking, however, the toilet water was pumped in from the creek. Interestingly, in July of 1927, additional land across the creek was purchased for a 9-hole golf course that was completed in the spring of 1928. David E. Shapard was highly involved with the Grotto, and was the vice-president of the Country Club in 1927, and on the board of directors in 1928.

    Each time the Shapard family went to the Amrita Grotto Country Club, they had a routine they followed. On the way out of Fort Smith, they would stop at a sorghum molasses farm. The farmer had a small house with a platform on top. An old horse was hooked up to a long pole that was attached to a grinding machine concealed in a hole in the middle of the platform. As the horse when round and round that platform, it turned the wheels of the grinder and anything that was put down it that hole was ground up. To make the sorghum, the farmhands would cut sugar cane out in the field with a large sickle and throw the cut cane into a big pile. The farmer’s children would bring the bundles of cane to the platform, where the farmer would feed it into the hole. Extending out from the grinding machine was a long wooden ramp, where the sorghum molasses would drain. David’s father would place a large can at the end of the ramp to collect the molasses. As the sorghum flowed down the ramp, David, Jr., often dipped in his finger, tasting its sweet deliciousness. Sometimes, the farm kids would cut small pieces of sugar cane and give it to David, Jr., to chew on while they waited.

    As soon as the can was full, David’s father would place it in the car, paying the farmer, and off they went to the Grotto. The Shapard’s would coordinate their stay with about four other families, making it a social event. Once all had arrived, everyone would grab a tote sack and go out into the woods, collecting pecans and black walnuts. When their sacks were filled, they returned to the country club, all convening in the large dance hall around the fireplace. The children would begin cracking the nuts with rocks or hammers, collecting the meat into large bowls, while the men smoked and told stories and the women socialized while preparing supper.

    When it was time for bed, the men and boys sleep on one side of the second-story porch, and the women and girls would sleep on the other side. In the morning, the women would rise early, to make waffle mix. They would pour the homemade batter into a large cast iron two-handled waffle press, along with a handful of the nuts they had collected the night before, and cook it over the fire. David, Jr., recalled being awakened from a deep slumber by that most fragrant and delightful aroma. All the kids would follow the smell downstairs where they received their plate of hot waffles with nuts. Then the waffle was smothered with a liberal pour of rich sorghum molasses. David, Jr., swore that, “it was the greatest meal you could ever have for breakfast in your life!”

    One source of great excitement at the Grotto was when David, Jr’s., father would take him out on Frog Bayou for a nighttime frog hunt. They would paddle a small boat in the dark towards the sound of croaking frogs. Then David’s father would shine a flashlight on the frog. As long as the light was in the frogs eyes, it wouldn’t move. Then David, Jr., would quietly and carefully slip into the water, from the side of the boat, and get up behind the frog. As long as the light was still on the frog, he could grab the frog across its back with his hands. David would then swim the frog to the boat and put it in a tote sack.

    One evening, a large bullfrog was spotted sitting on the end of a floating branch. As was usual, David’s father held the flashlight on the creature, while David, Jr., slipped into the dark water to get up behind it. David, Jr., swam underneath the branch and was just getting ready to grab the frog when suddenly his father belted in a commanding voice, “David, don’t move. Don’t grab that frog. Just be completely still. Do exactly what I say.” David, Jr., did not know why his dad was concerned, but he did exactly as his dad commanded. His father maneuvered the boat over to where David was submerged in the water, and told him to carefully back away from the frog and get in the boat. David, Jr., obeyed, trusting him completely, knowing that his father had his best interest at heart. Once inside the boat, his father, still shining the light on the bullfrog, said, “Look, David.” Upon careful inspection, David, Jr., suddenly realized that the branch was actually the largest cottonmouth snake he had ever seen! Furthermore, the snake had the back end of the bullfrog in its mouth! For the rest of David, Jr’s., life, he remembered how trusting in his father’s voice, saved him from the most nightmarish outcome imaginable.

    Upon returning to Fort Smith, David Shapard, Sr., invited his son to join him on a trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in late-June of 1926. David, Sr., was the secretary of the Fort Smith Civitan Club, and had been elected, that year, as a delegate to their National Convention. David and his son left a week earlier and traveled to Washington D. C., to visit his sister Lizzie Jaynes. Lizzie’s husband, W. B. Jaynes, had been practicing law in Washington D. C., since his former employer, Senator Joseph Bailey, had retired from Congress in 1913.

    Upon leaving Washington D. C., David and his son traveled to New York City. For a few days they explored the city with David’s brother Sumner and his wife Benetta Shapard. Sumner had moved from Dallas, Texas, to New York circa 1926, after accepting employment with Godcheaux & Levi Co., shirt makers of Baltimore, Maryland. He and Benetta resided in an apartment in downtown New York City. David, Jr., recalled fondly how much he love his uncle Sumner and how he was dearer to him than all the rest.

    After a few days visit, David and his son ventured on to Philadelphia. David attended the convention and afterwards he took David, Jr., all around the city visiting the sites of interest. They returned to Fort Smith in early July, and were invited by the Fort Smith chapter of the Civitan Club to speak of their experiences in Philadelphia at their next meeting held at the Goldman Hotel. David, Sr., enthralled the audience by revealing that 75% of crime committed in the United States was by persons 27 years of age and younger, and how parental negligence was a huge contributing factor. He offered ways the Civitan Club could support children and parents to reduce this statistic. Twelve year old David, Jr., then entertained the club by giving a brief talk on all the fascinating historical sites he visited while in Philadelphia with his father.

    Perhaps one of the sweetest moments shared between father and son, was when David, Jr., turned the age of thirteen years old, on July 29, 1926. No longer a child, his father got him a proper adult haircut professionally styled with pomade, after which, he took him to a gentlemen’s clothier and fitted him for his first three-piece suit. As a ‘coming of age’ status, David, Jr., retired his childhood knickers and received his first pair of long trousers. Before going out to a fancy birthday supper with his parents, David, Jr., and his father received an image together at a local photographic studio, both dressed in their finest suits. Unbeknownst to them, this would be the last photographic image of David and his father together.

    Just before the September opening of the 1926-1927 term of the Blue Bird School, Elise traveled in her car to Memphis, Tennessee. She remained there for one week before motoring back to Fort Smith around September 10th. Miss Frances Reynolds returned to the school as a teacher, for her third year; however, Miss Adelaide Ranson, of Birmingham, Alabama, resigned her position of two years, just before the start of school. In August of 1926, she married Mr. Arthur L. Bairnsfather, the noted New York portrait painter and artist, and they made their home in Birmingham. As in years past there were about 50 children enrolled at the Blue Bird School, from kindergarten to the second grade. Elise not only had to prepare for the start of her own school, but also ready her son David, Jr., for the start of his eight grade year in the Fort Smith public school.

    In mid-November of 1926, the Fort Smith Council No. 86 of the United Commercial Travelers, officially became the largest council in the South, after an extensive membership drive by David Shapard, J. K. Jordan and Homer Norvell added 86 newly initiated salesmen to their ranks. David Shapard as Secretary, along with the other officers, participated in the initiation ceremony of the new class, followed by a banquet and dance that was attended by about 400 people. Fort Smith Council No. 86, swelled to 545 members, surpassing all other councils in the region, and ranking about 25th in the United States and Canada. The council had come a long way from its initial membership, in 1896, of 17 salesmen. Furthermore, the United Commercial Travelers of Fort Smith had provided an enormity of good to the local community, including the U. C. T. highway, providing flag poles and flags at the parks, as well as, contributing heavily to the Rosalie Tilles Children’s Welfare Home, Boy Scouts of America, the Salvation Army, etc.

    In January of 1927, the Fort Smith Council No. 86 of the United Commercial Travelers purchased the Fort Smith Country Club. The first members elected to the Country Club Board included President, M. W. Johnson; Vice President, David E. Shapard; and Secretary-Treasurer, R. E. Gray. Although the clubhouse became reserved exclusively for the U. C. T. membership, the golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool remained open to the public, as a benefit to the community. A charge of 25 cents was assessed to play the nine-hole golf course, of which, all profits were returned to maintain and enhance the property. On January 22, 1927, the ladies auxiliary of the U. C. T. entertained for the first time at the new country club. Over 400 members of the U. C. T. attended the informal reception with their families and friends. Entertainment throughout the evening included band music, dancing, punch and dinner. David and Elise were in attendance and greeted guests as they arrived.

    At the end of 1926, and throughout 1927, the Shapard’s financial situation was dire. Elise had entirely drained the family savings, and David was desperately trying to keep the family afloat on a month-to-month paycheck. The family was completely drowning in debt, having a $5,100 mortgage on their house, and a second mortgage on the Blue Bird School property and equipment. They were still paying off the first mortgage on the Blue Bird School at $67.50 per month, and would do so until fully paid in June of 1927. In addition, Elise had three automobiles, a Pontiac, a Studebaker and a Ford, on which she no longer could make the payments. Furthermore, the Blue Bird School’s property taxes of $120.40 had not been paid for the year 1926, and had accrued a penalty of $12.04 by May of 1927.

    In an effort to rid themselves of their largest debt, David and Elise were forced to sell their house at 3001 Rogers Avenue (formerly Little Rock Avenue), to Mrs. Sophronia Alexander on December 7, 1926. After the death of her husband, Mr. James H. Alexander (1842-?), Mrs. Alexander (1865-?) moved back to Fort Smith, from New York City, to be near her daughter, Mrs. Leigh Kelley, who lived nearby on Free Ferry Road. The terms of the sale were painful for the Shapards. The house was sold for $1, on the condition that Mrs. Alexander would pay off the $5,100 mortgage on the property, from April 1, 1926, to the Peoples Building & Loan Association. By February of 1927, Mrs. Alexander was in the process of remodeling the house, converting it into a duplex. She used part of it as her residence and rented out the other half.

    It is believed that after losing their home, the Shapard family rented the small single-story residence on North Sixteenth Street. Due to the extreme tension in his marriage and desperate need of money, David poured himself into his work and his clubs, spending less and less time at home. His efforts were tirelessly noble, for in 1927, he became the second highest grossing insurance salesman in the State of Arkansas for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, qualifying him for the “Quarter Million Club.” He also won a trip for leading the state in paid business during a contest held by his company, to Washington D. C., to attend a conference of leading Equitable representatives.

    Over a 14 year period, David’s average annual income was $3,500, however for the year 1927, his income from selling life insurance jumped 9 percent higher than average, to $3,785.24, illustrating the efforts he was making. Unfortunately, everything he earned in 1927 was spent taking care of the indebtedness that his wife was responsible for him having to take care of. David recognized that he had largely contributed to the state of his affairs, since he had allowed Elise practically unsupervised access to his bank account throughout their marriage. In terms of their finances, Elise did as she pleased, rarely consulting David about it. In an effort to recoup from their financial situation during this time, David tried to stop her from spending so much money, by limiting her access to their savings, to which Elise became terribly embittered, taking great exception to her husband. From all accounts, there was a great deal of arguing, each blaming the other for their situation, making life together practically unbearable.

    For peace, David poured himself into his clubs and the comfort, joy, appreciation and camaraderie of his male friends. During this time, David was the Vice-President of the United Commercial Travelers County Club, the acting Secretary-Treasurer of Fort Smith Council No. 86 of the United Commercial Travelers, the Prime Minister of the Bagmen of Bagdad, the Vice-President of the Kiwanis Club, the Secretary of the Civitan Club, the Secretary of the Traveler’s Protective Association, The Vice-President of the Amrita Grotto Country Club, the Treasurer of the Amrita Grotto, a member of Belle Point Masons Chapter No. 20, a member of the Fort Smith Consistory Scottish Rite Masons, as well as, being on the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Church and the Collections Collector for the Methodist Church.

    During the summer of 1927, at a meeting for Fort Smith Council No. 86, of the United Commercial Travelers, David was presented with a beautiful 17 jewel Elgin watch, as his reward for having obtained the most new members in the 1926-1927 contest held by the organization. In all, David had obtained approximately 40 new salesmen to the ranks of the U. C. T. Before the meeting was over, he was presented with $25, for having also won the second prize! Without a doubt, David E. Shapard was a glowing ember to whatever task or organization in which he was involved.

    In May of 1927, David partook in a day of joviality with the men of the Civitan Club, when they challenged the men of the Exchange Club to a baseball game, the proceeds of which would benefit the Rosalie Tilles Children’s Home and the Lewis Tilles Children’s Park. David was able to stoke the flames of his youth, as he once again took to the field as a second-baseman. Despite a thorough thrashing by the Exchange Club, the game was clearly light-hearted and comical. A local newspaper reporter covered the event, capturing the amusement of the day:

    “Like knights of old who fought valiantly but went home picking spears and lances from between their ribs, the Civitans were downed at Andrews Field Friday afternoon by the Exchange Club in a benefit game. The final count was 23 to 11 or thereabouts. Three Exchange pitchers were routed from the box for various reasons, several of them called home to supper, while Jack Carroll stuck it out for the Civitans. It was a great pitching battle… Defense on both sides was as strong as half ply tissue and worked like an eight day clock after ten days without winding. The score keeper was the star of the game, for it is believed that he did not miss the exact count one run either way…”

    Another noteworthy event during this time, that actually became legendary, was David’s marathon golf record. It comes to no surprise that a man troubled with his homelife will often find solace on the peaceful greens of a golf course in the companionship of his pals. David, as Vice-President of the United Commercial Travelers County Club, had come to love the game of golf and the manner in which it brought friends together. On July 8, 1927, David and W. F. Broderick set out to make a record of the most holes played in a single day on the U. C. T. golf course. By the end of the day, the two men had played 73 holes. David’s card shows that he had 362 strokes, and Mr. Broderick’s card recorded 401 strokes.

    The following weekend, both men decided to go at it again, and give an all-out effort to break their previous record. On the fine summer morning of July 13th, David Shapard and W. F. Broderick teed off from the first green at 5:05 a. m., with the avowed determination of playing until dark. The two men, accompanied by caddie Dick Wilson, played two rounds and stopped for breakfast, then struck out again covering four more rounds before taking lunch. Off they went again with visions of a world record. Steadily the holes piled up and by late evening they had 108 holes to their credit, far surpassing their previous weeks record. Instead of stopping for dinner they kept right on playing, and by 7:30 p. m. when they decided to call a halt, both had 117 holes, 13 full rounds, to their credit. David Shapard had 627 strokes for the day, and Mr. Broderick recorded 657 strokes. David won 51 holes, and Mr. Broderick 43, while they tied 23 times. David used the same ball for the first 114 holes until it wore out. His lowest score for nine holes was 39 strokes and his highest was 52 strokes.

    Amazingly, this became the Fort Smith record for number of holes played in a single day. Over the years, many men tried to surpass the record only to fail. As its legendary status grew, it sparked a ‘Marathon Golf Tournament,’ in 1934, held on the same course, open to any Fort Smith golfer who was up to the challenge. Despite a four-day tournament from dusk to dawn, no Fort Smith golfer could surpass the record held by David Shapard and W.F. Broderick from 1927.

    While David was spending most of his time at work and at his clubs, Elise focused on preparing the Blue Bird School for the coming school year. In addition to Frances Reynolds, who was returning to teach the first and second grades, Elise acquired three new teachers: Miss Regina McKinney was hired to teach ‘expression’ and Miss Katheryn Rupert was hire to teach ‘dancing,’ both of whom were from Muskogee, Oklahoma. Miss Lois Wimberly, of Fort Smith, was hired to teach ‘music’ and was highly qualified. She had graduated, in 1923, from the Clarence Burg School of Music of Fort Smith, having studied piano, musical history and Normal Methods. In the years that followed, she becoming a teacher for the institution and joined the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association. When propositioned by Mrs. Shapard, Miss Wimberly resigned her position at the college and taught exclusively from her studio at the Blue Bird School.

    Having drained all her savings, lost her house and placed her husband in a dire financial state, Elise still could not change her ways. Since David had restricted her spending from his bank accounts, she went behind his back to acquire funds. At the end of May of 1927, nearly the day David paid off the first mortgage of $5,000 on the Blue Bird School, dating from December of 1923, Elise secretly took out a new mortgage on the property, in her own name, for $4,000 from the Sebastian County Building & Loan Association, to be paid off at $54 per month. Be it remembered that the Shapard’s had just lost their house in an effort to relieve themselves of the burden of a $5,100 mortgage, only to have Elise place them right back in the same financial situation again. Around late July, it was revealed to David what she had done, and there was no turning back for them. Over the last year, David had put forth untiring efforts for the comfort and financial security of Elise and his son David, Jr., only to have his efforts totally undermined. Heartbroken, trust broken and financially busted, David and Elise decided to halt their relationship, and separated from one another.