Ruby's Barber Shop - Owner John W. Powell
Donated by : John Powell
Grandson of John W. Powell
THANK YOU !
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/
Hi
Tina, my Dad’s side of the family is from Greene County and
surrounding area. Many relatives from my great aunt Dorothy
Austin’s family are still around the area. Grandfather (John
W. Powell) was a Barber for many years and at one time had a
barber shop in the old train depot in Paragould. He moved
to this building on
The newspaper article below was picked up by AP and they received letters from around the nation.
I would love to find some old pictures of the train depot, I barely remember the building before it was tore down. Let me know if you find any.
Thanks
a lot
John
Powell
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BARBERSHOP IS ARKANSAS SOCIAL CENTER
PARAGOULD , ARK. -
STROLLING BY RUBY'S BARBERSHOP , ONE MIGHT DISMISS IT AS JUST ANOTHER OF PARAGOULD'S MANY TONSORIAL PARLORS.
BUT AS OWNER JOHN POWELL PUTS IT. "IT'S A PLACE WHERE OLD FRIENDS CAN MEET.
THE CASUAL PEDESTRIAN SHOULD LOOK CLOSELY.
AS LIKELY AS NOT , HE WILL SEE A PAIR OF ELDERLY FELLOWS BENT OVER A CHECKERBOARD BY THE WINDOW. PERHAPS ONE OR TWO MORE WILL BE WATCHING , WAITING FOR A TURN. ANOTHER WILL BE READING A NEWSPAPER OR GAZING OUT THE WINDOW.
CONVERSATION CENTERS ON LOCAL EVENTS , POLITICS , REMINISCENCES.
IT'S THE SORT OF BARBERSHOP THAT MIGHT HAVE PROVIDED THE BACKGROUND FOR A NORMAN ROCKWELL PAINTING 40 OR 50 YEARS AGO . THE ARTIST FROZE SUCH EVERDAY AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS OF THAT ERA , FIRMLY IN TIME.
RUBY'S IS NOT FROZEN IN TIME , THOUGH . LIKE ITS PATRONS , IT IS SHOWING ITS AGE . PAINT PEELS FROM THE WALL HERE AND THERE. BUSINESS CARDS , NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE TELEPHONE REVEAL THEIR AGES BY THEIR SHADE OF YELLOW.
POWELL BOUGHT THE SHOP 10 YEARS AGO . HE AND HIS WIFE BARBERED THERE TOGETHER , AS THEY HAD THROUGH MOST OF THEIR MARRIAGE IN PARAGOULD , DALLAS AND HOUSTON , UNTIL SHE HUNG UP HER CLIPPERS TWO YEARS AGO.
POWELL SAYS HE CONTINUES TO WORK BECAUSE , I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.
THERE'S A LOT OF ANTIQUES AROUND HERE , POWELL SAID LOUDLY TO BE SURE THE BOYS AROUND THE CHECKERBOARD KNEW WHICH ANTIQUES HE MEANT.
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