Mrs. Crane put the following article in her book on William and Elizabeth Henderson McNew.  It was written in the publication of the Faulkner County Historical Society named Faulkner County Its Land and People.

The William Henry McNew Family Source Roland H. McNew

    The McNew Clan, of Scotch-Irish descent, was motivated to move westward from Alabama-Georgia area between 1840-1850 in search of rich land in the new state of Arkansas. This frontier had to be a real challenge for pioneers to pack all of their belongings and travel by ox wagons over the rugged and often unmarked trails. How long it took to make the journey and details of the hazards along the way will be left to the imagination since no records were kept .

    Eyes were focused on rich land with timbers available for building a log hut, and an ever-flowing spring of water, -- all of which were important in selecting a new settlement. Such a spot was found one-fourth mile south and west of what is now the McNew Cemetery by William H. Mc New, the foster great-grandfather of R. H. (Roland) McNew. Here he homesteaded 160 acres of new land in the area south and to the east of what is now Woolly Hollow State Park. Later he was to acquire a great deal more land in this general area.

    This pioneer (who was destined to be the great-grandfather by marriage of R. H. McNew) had a great compassion for orphaned children. He didn't legally adopt them but he took them into his home and reared them as his own. By some strange source he heard of a little twelve year old boy by the name of Will McNew and two step-sisters living in a shack way back in the swamps near Des Arc where there were wild animals. Occasionally an uncle by the name of Bennett checked on them. William H. rode in an ox wagon to the area to check on them. They were of no relation but carried the name McNew. He brought them home with him where they lived as part of the McNew family until grown and could be on their own. In time this Will McNew (orphan) was to marry Arrie Johnson, a granddaughter of one of William Henry McNew's girls who had married Bill Johnson. R. H. McNew is the son of the couple. Arrie Johnson and Will McNew, who was no relation to original McNews but a part of a large family by the same name.  William Henry McNew, the great-grandfather and Elizabeth Henderson McNew had four daughters and one son.  Rebecca married Buck Blythe; Joann married Robe Brown; Emiline married Bill Johnson (grandparents of R. H.); Melessa married Tom Jolly; and Robert McNew.  These were the original families of the pioneer McNew community.  From these the family line has extended to all parts of Arkansas and the United States.

    The great-grandmother, Elizabeth, was a saintly and very pious person of a stately frame.  Her dresses were long and full skirted with huge pockets.  She smoked a clay pipe with a cane stem and used homegrown tobacco.  She insisted on having the children take a live coal from the fireplace for her pipe  -- the fumes from a match were said to be poisonous.  She delighted in pulling pranks and frightening the children.  She kept a walking stick with a curved handle and in a playful mood would catch youngsters by the crook as they came near.

    On one occasion the boys went hunting and found a nest of young screech owls.  Remembering there were a hen on some eggs ready to hatch, they decided to place the baby owls (which seemed to be all eyes and head) in the hen's nest.  When great-grandmother came to check she was frightened by what she discovered in the nest. She demanded that the hen, owls, eggs, etc. be destroyed -- as she exclaimed -- "they are all witched! No good can ever come from them!"  She never knew who played the trick.

    Great-grandfather was gruff-voiced, short-spoken, and very religious.  He was remembered by this singing and shouting at church services.  He was not only compassionate, especially to the unfortunate, but he was generous. He gave the land for the cemetery and for the church.  He rode a horse to Russellville to present the claim for the land for the church and cemetery to the Methodist Assembly, which was in its annual conference.  When he returned he was so pleased he told his family -- "Well, I have done what I wanted done for a long time.  Now we can have a church."

    Oxen were used as work animals.  The cleared land was used for wheat and corn for the table as well as for the animals.  Harvesting of wheat was done with a heavy cradle. It was stacked tightly in the wagon.  Then it was sent on a journey by ox team to Hartwick mill some distance away in the Guy community.  The mill used water flowing over a dam to turn the wheel for grinding wheat into flour.  The road from the McNew community was rugged and rough, over bluffs, up and down steep hills, and fording streams.  Going downhill was easy, but when there was a steep climb over a bluff it was difficult and took ingenuity as well as physical strength.  At certain places the oxen could not move the wagon, Great-grandfather would go to the rear -- get on his "all fours" , lift the axle to his shoulder and hold up the back-end of the wagon -- then cry out tot he oxen.  Little by little they moved until they were up the hill or over a bluff.

    From Roland's mother's line of Johnsons, have come the families of Atkinsons, Belotes, Lawrence, and Johnsons (Bud, Tom Luther, Jim, Clarence and their descendants).

    From the McNew line have come the Blythe, Jolly, Brown, and other families.

    In the early days neighbors married neighbors and soon the community was like a big family.

    R. H. McNew lived in this area all of his life.  He is proud to be the owner of 10 acres of the original tract of land plus other land holdings.  he has been a part of many changes that improved living standards.  His modern native stone home is near the old home place.  Although modern conveniences are enjoyed in this rural atmosphere, they enjoy the drinking water from a deep well nearby.

    The original settlers has large herds of cows and other animals.  Hogs ran wild, feasting on acorns and such until butchering time when they were penned and fattened with corn.  The smoke house was always filled large slabs of home hickory-cured hams and slabs of bacon.  As in all communities farmers and neighbors joined forces to help each other with big tasks, such as building a house or harvesting.

    He attended school in Quitman in what had been a college.  He swept floors, carried wood, and built fires for board and room.  It was in Quitman where he saw his first car.  The Menese family operated a gin and grist mill.  Jess Menese was driving the car near the school.  A friend recognized Jess but had never seen a car.  He called -- "Look the gin is loose!"

    Perhaps the greatest contribution R. H. McNew has made to the county is the encouragement he gave to gospel music through this singing schools. (A related article is elsewhere in this publication.)  He taught approximately 600 singing schools not only in Faulkner County but throughout the U. S. It was at Prescott, in Hempstead County, that he was teaching a singing school and met Stella Avery who was, in time, to be his wife. They proudly speak of their three children and grandchildren who have achieved success in their professions.  Pauline McNew Hines, a retired English and music teacher lives in Texas, Dr. L. D. McNew, retired, lives in Texas, Dr. Bennie Banks McNew was active in banking and taught in a University in Tennessee.

    The McNew family believed in doing an hones day's work and to be supportive in promoting such things as would improve the welfare of a community.

Source: Roland H. McNew