Legends surround origin of Enola

Enola is a small community located in Faulkner County off Arkansas Highway 107.

As with most small towns, there are legends that exist to explain where the community got its name. Enola is no different.

According to Ernie Deane, who has written Arkansas Place Names, there is a story that a stranger was wondering through the area and got lost. He carved the word "alone" on a large board. He then died or disappeared. Someone found the board, but read it backward, "enola."

Thus that name remained as to the community's name. Another legend has the name being carved into a large trunk of a tree rather than a board and a traveler read it backwards. There is yet another story and more believable that the community was named for a charming little girl by the name of Enola Miller.

This area was not always known as Enola, but by Frederick's Lick, named in reference to a natural salt lick located near Cadron Creek. This area was initially settled by four Wyler brothers who were said to have been fleeing from the Battle of Bunker Hill. These brothers were primarily hunters and large landowners.

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It is a true fact that the town was founded in 1837 by Jonathan Hardin. His farm on the top of a hill, a half mile west of the area known as Frederick's Lick, was a large 3,000-acre tract of land. He is said to have owned a coal mine and a blacksmith shop, also. The Hardin house was a two-story structure which served as an inn and tavern. It was located at the crossroads of Lewisburg-Searcy-DesArc-Springfield, Little Rock and Clinton roads, which was an ideal location to attract travelers. He hired a private teacher to school his children and lived in his house, which was unheard of in those days. Again, legend plays an integral part in his story. Hardin was extremely rich and it is said that he buried his fortune beneath a large tree near his home. A trip to the Hardin Inn was rumored to be a last journey for many, as the travelers that stayed there often mysteriously disappeared.

This inn was frequented by outlaws and cattle rustlers. The atmosphere at the inn was sometimes very hostile, and these were some of the men who disappeared after a night's stay. Legend has these men were often thrown into the well or buried on the land. Some say that the cemented graves can still be seen in Marcus Hill Cemetery, the town's burial grounds. Some of these graves date back to the 1800s. The James brothers and the Youngers, famous outlaws, stayed at the inn on numerous occasions.

Another popular pioneer was Granny Smith. She was said to have stood 6 foot tall, and her claim to fame was that she had hauled cross ties for the railroad and helped build the first railroad in Georgia. She moved to the Enola area with her large family after the death of her husband.

A post office was opened in the town around 1879. Stephen LaMar served as the first postmaster. Lish Bailey, who was a very active member of the Faulkner County Historical Society, was noted as the town historian, as his dedicated efforts uncovered much of the community's early history.

George Washington Dalton was a teacher, an ordained minister and a farmer. He is one of the first to rotate crops, terrace, prune and spray his orchard, and construct concrete cellars for fruit and vegetables. It is said that he only learned to drive at the age of 70. He was said to be a pioneer with new inventions, and was the first in the community to have a radio and an electric icebox.

There are many older homes in the community, one of them was featured in a 1998 public television special. A trip to the area should include Marcus Hill Cemetery to view the names on the tombstones of the early pioneers that called Enola home.