FOUR GUM CORNER

NAME: Four Gum Corner COUNTY: St. Francis ROADS: 2WD GRID: 4 CLIMATE: mild BEST TIME TO VISIT: anytime

COMMENTS: A few scattered residents.Located 9 miles north of Palestine. REMAINS: A few scattered residents.

This community was in the heart of standing hardwood timber. I remember two Church buildings but the business consisted of two stores and they were separated by several miles. The place got it's name from the junction of two roads. One road came out of Wheatley and the other came out of Palestine. At the junction of the roads, four large sweet gum trees stood in the middle of the roads so the place was called Four Gum Corner. Until the late 60's the roads junctioned in a T. Then the road out of Wheatley was extended and Four Gum became a crossroads. One school serviced this area until the late 50's. Zier School was three miles farther in the woods. Only wagon roads and footpaths went to the school. This was a one room building and covered all the grades if one wanted to go. This was my first taste of education and now after a lifetime of teaching math, I believe that it was the best learning environments of my experience. I give credit to Kelsa Brown and Lucille Colvin for helping to develop whatever character and responsibility is me. This community was in the heart of the woods and peopled by beautiful folks. Now the woods are gone. Probably the ones there now know nothing of the rich history of the community. Soybean and rice fields have replaced the woods. Where once one could see only across the woods road, now one can see for miles around. Submitted by: H. H. Colvin

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