Harkey Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: MC 1732

Staff Only
Select files to request

Scope and Contents

The collection contains materials related to the Harkey Family of Arkansas, including photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and two audio cassette tapes containing recordings of family members discussing their family history. Some materials relate to businesses owned by family members, including O. N. Harkey's Store (Dardanelle, Ark.); Harkey's, a women's clothing store with multiple locations, including one in Conway, Ark.; and the J. M. Harkey Store in Ola, Ark.

Dates

circa 1870-2000

Creator

Harkey family (Family)

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Conditions Governing Use

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Biographical / Historical

The Harkey family included members in Yell and Faulkner Counties, Arkansas.

Mary Leah Willson (1889-1979) married Opal Noel Harkey (1881-1940) in 1915 in Ola, Yell County, Arkansas. Their children included Virginia Harkey Hilton (1919-2004), a teacher and secretary who served as Charter President of Executive Secretaries' International (later Executive Women International).

James Freed Willson (1895-1961), a World War I veteran, radio station manager, and composer, was the brother of Mary Leah Willson Harkey. Opal Noel Harkey, who owned a store in Dardanelle, Ark., was the son of John Mathias Harkey (1842-1902) and Ella Leigh Harkey (1850-1887). John Mathias Harkey was a Confederate Army captain and a businessman who opened mills, a cotton gin, and a mercantile in Ola, Ark.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet (1 box)

Additional Description

Arrangement

Materials are arranged primarily by family member; other materials are arranged by format or by subject.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Harkey Family Papers were donated to Special Collections by Mary Charlton on January 31, 2005. Charlton is the daughter of Virginia Harkey Hilton.

Processing Information

Preliminary processing, including arrangement and rehousing, completed by Special Collections staff circa 2007. Finding aid created by Katrina Windon in November 2023.