GRAVETTE — A brief dedication ceremony was held Thursday, May 4, for the Nebo historical marker on Highway 72 about a mile east of downtown Gravette. The monument and a stone bench nearby were constructed by stone mason Mike Ohl, of Rogers. Ohl, who owns Mason 4 Hire LLC, said it took him about 80 hours to finish the project.
The idea for the monument has been considered for several months, and the idea came to fruition only recently when state representative Kim Hendren helped the city with funds from a state General Improvement Fund grant. Patrick Hall, the city's business director, designed the monument and Ohl constructed it. Granite plaques near the top of the marker were laser cut by Gravette resident Jack Houpe, with a history of the Nebo community and the Chalk Valley where it sits.
The granite plaques feature pictures of E.T. Gravett, owner of the Chalk Valley Distillery which stood in the valley, a plat of Nebo from a 1903 atlas with a "You Are Here" notation showing the location of the Nebo marker, an ad for the Chalk Valley Distillery and a picture of the Bethel Masonic Lodge on Main Street in Nebo about 1890.
The wording etched on the plaques reads: "The original name of the first European settlement at this location was Nebo.
"Nebo, a small trading settlement in the valley east of Gravette, now referred to as 'Old Town,' was established in the 1870s, located on the line between section N. 12 and 13 of Township 20, Range 32, West. The land was owned by Joseph P. Covey who platted the town of Nebo before moving to Southwest City, Missouri, in 1881.
"Application for Nebo Post Office was dated February 4, 1878, signed by Abraham Watson, who was the first postmaster. It consisted of a post office, a few businesses, a blacksmith, a church used by all denominations, Dr. W.D. Foster, a post of G.A.R. #62, organized August 29, 1888; Bethel Masonic Lodge #232 moved to Nebo in 1882.
"This valley was called Chalk Valley and is where E.T. Gravett started the Chalk Valley Distillery and owned a general merchandise store. The distillery was later owned by R.W. Covey and E.M. Gravett. They made a pure sour mash whiskey called 'Old Chalk.' Ed M. Gravett became sole owner of this distillery and warehouse in 1894."
ad: "The Chalk Valley Distillery Is the place to cure Rattle-snake Bites. E.M. GRAVETT, Proprietor, And Wholesale Liquor Dealer. All Goods Re-gauged and Outage Guaranteed now to exceed the Carlisle Bill. Mail orders promptly attended to.
"Ellis Tillman Gravett, wife Nannie and son Edwin Moore, and his brother James Nelson Gravett, his wife and son Ben, came west from Kentucky in 1873. Nannie and Edwin returned to Kentucky where she died a few years later. E.T.M. married Laura Bullock in 1878. Edwin came back to Nebo in 1890 and bought his father's interest in the Chalk Valley Distillery. He married Ida Johnson. Their children, Eva, Dove, Ellis Trent and Veta, were all raised in Gravett.
"J.W. McAllister and family came from Kansas to Nebo about 1889 where he then operated a general store and small hotel.
"The Roller Flouring Mill, erected by R.W. Covey and Milton Witty, then owned by Covey and son, operated in Chalk Valley until moving to Southwest City, Missouri in 1910.
"The Nebo I.O.O.F. #118 was chartered in Nebo February 1893, before moving to the new town of Gravett, also the Chalk Valley Daughters of Rebekah #47 and Nebo Chapter #195 Order of Eastern Star.
"It was in 1893 while George Bates, a drug store owner, was postmaster, that Nebo Post Office moved to the new town and the name was changed to Gravett on August 15, 1894.
"Other businessmen in the valley were J.A. Ragsdale, Charles E. Thomas, John Patton, Dan Thomas, D.M. Edwards. Most of them moved to the new town, some of them moving buildings as well as merchandise.
"In 1898, R.W. Covey built another distillery & bonded warehouse in Nebo."
Copy in a box below this history reads, "This historical marker was made possible through the efforts of State Representative Kim D. Hendren and in cooperation with the State of Arkansas and City of Gravette, Dedicated on May 4, 2017."
Mike Ohl was present for the ceremony, along with Mayor Maddox, Patrick Hall, Gravette fire chief Rob Douthit, Gravette police chief Chuck Skaggs, council member Margo Thomas and several members of the Greater Gravette Chamber of Commerce.
The Nebo historical marker sits on city property just north of the lift station in Chalk Valley. Mayor Maddox said plans are being made to improve the entrance to the property, add a few picnic tables and make the area into a small park.
General News on 05/10/2017