The Rogers History Club met on Sept. 16, 2021, at the Rogers Historical Museum for a program jointly sponsored by the museum and the Friends of the Rogers Historical Museum. The program, "School Days in Rogers," consisted of speakers Bob Ross, Bonnie Deason, Mayor Greg Hines and Sue Fleming. The participants related their fond memories of school days in Rogers from the 1950s through the 1970s. The large audience was welcomed by Friends Board President, Sandy Chalmers, who taught school in Rogers for several decades until she retired. The introduction was by Karen Russell Burks, who attended and graduated from Rogers High School. Her family were prominent business leaders who owned Russell s Five & Dime, the Hillcrest Motel, and other ventures.
For many years, local citizens met at Gary Townzen's barber shop in Rogers to talk about a variety of topics, including history as they remembered it and some even came in for a haircut. So, of course, I did much of my research there when working on my first book about Rogers. In late 2009, Gary and I decided that these memories from senior citizens needed to be recorded and preserved for future generations. We worked with the Rogers Historical Museum and organized a club, whose purpose was to have a speaker or speakers present a program once a month on any subject, as long as it was about Rogers history. It was recommended that the program last from 30 minutes to an hour, and it could be a talk and/or have pictures, slides, artifacts or any other enhancements that the speaker desired.
For many years, local citizens met at Gary Townzen's barber shop in Rogers to talk about a variety of topics, including history as they remembered it and some even came in for a haircut. So, of course, I did much of my research there when working on my first book about Rogers. In late 2009, Gary and I decided that these memories from senior citizens needed to be recorded and preserved for future generations. We worked with the Rogers Historical Museum and organized a club, whose purpose was to have a speaker or speakers present a program once a month on any subject, as long as it was about Rogers history. It was recommended that the program last from 30 minutes to an hour, and it could be a talk and/or have pictures, slides, artifacts or any other enhancements that the speaker desired.