COONROD
Arkansas Tooth -Pick
Charlotte Collins Bond
Coonrod, Norcross and Shiloh. These are the names that identified the same
little community at the crossroads of Jones Chape l- Shiloh road, Hwy. 174 and
the Fort Lamar Road. Today, in 2004, the community is still called Shiloh
because Shiloh Baptist Church is the only landmark still standing at the
crossroad. All vestiges of Coonrod and Norcross are long gone.
Norcross School was closed in 1948 and the building
was leased out. Later, Evangelical Methodist Church replaced the old school
building. You seldom hear the area referred to as Norcross any more. The origin
of the name, I have been told, is due to its location; north of the cross roads.
The name slowly corrupted from North Cross to Norcross
Coonrod was the more popular name back in the 1920s
and ‘30s and old timers still love to call it that. The name always invokes
questions about the origin of the name by new comers. They seldom, if ever, get
an answer. It took nearly 50 years for me to get the answer. I don’t know the
exact year the name originated, but I do know how it came about.
There was a rather large country store on the corner
of present day Hwy 174 and Jones Chapel-Shiloh road, where our Fire Department
now stands. It was owned by John Chapel Tyner and Thomas W. Dean. It operated
prior to the Civil War. They had order forms bearing the name Dean & Tyner. One
of these was carried by a young soldier, probably as writing paper, into battle
and afterwards he wrote a poem on the paper about his fallen comrade and friend.
The store became a gathering place for the whole
community, but especially the men. They sat around, chewed their tobacco, played
checkers, a game of cards and discussed world affairs, i.e., the local gossip.
Most of the men were hunters; fox, rabbit, squirrel, dove, opossum and raccoons.
They were competitive when it came to their dogs. "My dog can tree a coon
quicker than yourn!" The competition spilled over into story telling and the
size of their last catch. The competition ran its gamut though, when they
started keeping a chart at the store for the one who brought in the longest rod
a raccoon.
Now if
you’re shy or easily embarrassed, don’t read the rest of this story. OK, I
warned you!
The "rod’’
of the raccoon was his male appendage. It had a small bone that ranged from 2
and a half to 3 inches long with a curved hook on the end. These were measured
and the results posted on the chart. I imagine the prize for such a feat was the
prestige it brought.
Now, if you think these men were a little strange, just hang on! They had a
specific use for these little "Coon-rods". They used them for toothpicks. You
can let go now and catch your breath! They were called Arkansas tooth-picks. Why
the name? I don’t know. I’m told they made a great tooth-pick because of the
curved end that would reach to the back of the tooth.
Well, all I can say is, truth is stranger than
fiction.
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