From the Newton County Times Newspaper comes an article about the
old school bell.
July 27, 1989
The Log Hall School bell went back home Saturday morning and will soon
ring once again over the Big Creek Valley where it first was hung in the
1800s
It will ring, that is, if residents of this little central Newton County
community and former school mates all over the country can raise enough
money to build a bell tower or a structure on top of the building to hold
it.
The bell was originally hauled to Log Hall in the 1800s on an ox-drawn
wagon. It was one of the biggest school bells in the area, weighing an
estimated 500 pounds.
Young men of the community, older residents recall, would test their
prowness by trying to lift the bell and there were three or four who
could do it.

In the 1950s when Log Hall School consolidated with Mt. Judea, the bell
was, according to the recolletion of some in the area, sold to
Gould Jones for scrap iron, reportedly for a price of $3.00.
The bell ended up in the possession of Gould's sister, the late
Anna Smith, and when her estate was sold last Saturday morning, a
group of former Log Hall students purchased the bell.
They paid considerably more than the last purchaser, a total of
$725.00,
but they had already agreed among themselves that they would pay as much
as $1,000.00 to have their bell back.

The group was formed hurriedly over the telephone last week for the
purpose of purchasing "the bell". Now they hope to form into a Log Hall
Historical Restoration Society and make a place to hang the bell and
provide for other repairs and maintenance of the old school building
They will meet Thursday, July 27,at 7:30 P.M. at the Log Hall School
and everyone interested is welcome. They hope to make the old school
building a center for community meetings and family reunions.
They also would like to hear from former students, teachers and residents
of the area who have any information about the history of Log Hall School

The late Arthur Pierce was working on the history of the building and
the old bell.
Pierce was also the secretary for the new organization and donations
to help with the restoration could be sent to him or can be sent directly
to Newton County Bank. Checks could be made to "The Log Hall Historical
Restoration Society".
The following is Arthur Pierce's research which was first published
in December 1986:
(I have added a few more notes to this article).

"I am involved in mankind and therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," said John Donne.
Go to the website below and read this interesting poem:
Meditation XVII
Meditation XVII by John Donne
In my English Ia Delta College Class, chose to study the life of
this early English poet.

Ernest Hemingway grabbed this as a title for one of his best known novels
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Edgar Allen Poe wrote a poem several years before Hemmingway's time
titled "The Bells" in which he describes many different kinds of bells,
some for different seasons and moods. From his description of the iron
bell, my thoughts began to creep back to the old Log Hall School House,
on top of which was once a large iron bell.
Log Hall got its name from the fact that the original building was made
of logs, was also two stories high and doubled as a school, church,
and Masonic Hall.
Sometime around the beginning of the century, a new building was made
of lumber and the old Log Hall was dismantled.
The new building also had two floors. The upper floor was usually used
for grades five through eight and the first floor had all other grades.
On the East end on top of the tin roof was located a little tower inside
which the iron bell had been hung.
According to the late Hoyle Flood,this bell had been ordered from an
eastern city, shipped to Clarksville by train, and brought to Log Hall
by a team of oxen and an iron-tired wagon.

This particular bell had two clappers, one of which gave the bell a
more subdued tone. This clapper would strike the bell only once with
the pull of the rope. When someone in the community died it was customary
to place the death bell clapper in position and ring as a signal to let
the people know that someone had died and it was time to get a pick and
shovel and head for the cemetery to dig a grave.
There were no funeral homes then. Each family and friends took care
of the departed as best they could, usually within 24 hours or less.
I especially remember when the bell rang for the death of one of our
oldest and last Civil War Veterans, GEORGE W. FLOOD (bell rang
27 January 1935 with burial in Smith Cemetery

I recall the death of JANE BOLIN (Mary Jane Eddings Bolin, wife of
William"Bill" Bolin who died on 27 August 1932 and is buried in
Carver Cemetery.

The building constructed around 1900 was torn down and replaced in
1937-38. For some reason, the iron bell was not put inside or on top
of the new structure, but was left outside on the school yard near the
south end of the building. The bell was rung by tapping on it with a
plow blade to summon the kids back into the classroom, but sometime
near the period when Log Hall became a part of Mt. Judea School, the
bell disappeared.
For years, no trace was found, but now it seems the bell is in Jasper.
It may have been sold as junk iron..only a guess.

Before the days of modern commmunication, the bell was our message
carrier. We were summoned to school, church and funerals. Sometimes
it was a happy bell and at times a sad one.
Some of us would like very much to have the bell back on top of the
Log Hall building for nostalgic and sentimental reasons, then we will
know again "for whom the bell tolls". It would toll for us.

Newton County Times Newspaper 31 May 1990

"Nobody Knows How Happy I am" was the remark that 95-year-old
Anna May Davis said as she pulled the rope for the first ringing of the
old Log Hall School bell at the reunion and dedication of the bell Sunday
afternoon.
Anna May was the oldest alumni of the school present for the ceremony
"I never thought I'd get to ring that bell again," she commented.
The six hundred pound bell was originally brought from Clarksvile by
ox-drawn wagon. After the school closed it was sold for scrap iron,
but this year Log Hall residents were able to raise the money to buy it
back at an auction. They brought the bell home, built a new belfry
on the building and refurbished the old school for a community building.
A large crowd attended the first reunion. Among them was Wanda Ricketts
Harrison, who at four years old was one of the youngest students to
ever attend the school.

The bell was to be rung at 3:00 and 6:00 P.M. and those around the area
who were not attending the reunion, were asked to step outside at that
time and listen for the bell. The reunion committee wanted to know how
far the bell could be heard. Those outside the immediate area of the
old school who heard the bell, were asked to notify someone on the
committee or call the Newton County Times Newspaper.
The old Log Hall school building was restored to be used as a community
center for the Log Hall community. A new belfrey was built atop the
doorway arch to house the old bell. Concrete sidewalks have been poured
and names of contributors of the restoration project have been written
on them. The old well house has been restored and the grounds have been
groomed for all to enjoy.

"The Bell" rests now in the belfrey.
Thanks to the many who took part in this "happening".
See what working together can do for a community.
How proud you must be
Reunions, weddings and church functions are now held in this
remarkable building. More improvements have been
made since this story was written.
Believe a new roof has been added since this photo was taken.
Be sure to visit the Log Hall Community Building on your next trip to
Newton County, Arkansas

Evelyn Flood
Rkinfolks@aol.com