John W. Furlow

John and Delia Furlow lived in Chester, near the site of the M.E. Church South. They moved to Fort Smith and lived there for a time but Delia believed that a large family of boys belonged in the country. About 1900 they bought the farm south of Chester, which at the time of this article was owned by the family. It continued to be home while she lived. The children were all schooled in Chester and bad classes in the first three schools built in the area of where the rock schoolhouse now stands, which was built in 1941. When Vesta M. was six she started to school at the old log schoolhouse near the mouth of Howard's Fork of Clear Creek. Mr. J.L. Grammer was her first teacher, she recalled.

The Furlow boys were all employed by the Frisco Railroad in different capacities. Mr. Furlow was a track man for many years until he retired at the age of 71 years. The history of this family is the history of Chester as their lives were so closely identified with the town from its beginning.

John and Delia remembered the building of all the older homes after the coming of the Railroad, which was completed in 1884. The Frisco Roundhouse and Repair shop were finished in 1887. After that, the two early churches -- A North M.E. Church west of the track and an M.E Church, South, located East of the Railroad. The Furlow's were members of the South M.E. Group.

Delia and her two older daughters, Geneva Gertrude and Sarah Elizabeth were charter members of the Chester Order of Eastern Star Chapter and Vesta M. joined later.

John Furlow helped to organize the Chester Masonic Lodge # 459 in April 1887.

There was no dwelling houses in Chester except the Wright home which stood at the time of this article, until the Railroad came. The coal engines and the timber yard gave employment to about 100 men. The Furlow knew these people. They knew Dr. T.J. Dement and Mr. McGinnis who put up a Drug Store on land bought of Capt. Wright, and all the early Doctors who doctored the people of Howard's Fork. They knew all the preachers and Frisco employees. They knew Mary Hedrick who built a boarding house in 1888, J.W. Emerson who started the sawmill in 1887 to supply lumber and ties. Also, operating in Chester were White River Lumber Company, and Arkansas Lumber Company. They knew Jacob Yoes who built a store 20 x 50 ft and later the old brick which still stands. it was used as a hotel, Post office, Store and Saloon. J.F. Black had a hardware store in it, and kept the post office there for a time. Garret Butler managed the saloon. The dinning room and kitchen were on the ground floor in the rear. The office were where the post office is now, and the sleeping rooms were upstairs. At the time of this article, Vesta H. Furlow who uses the two larger rooms for her general store and warehouse.