All About Searcy County Arkansas: History, Folklore and Random Trivia is a fun book that explores a rural Arkansan county which has a deep history spanning back more than ten thousand years, and a rich culture--and more than a little mystery. Discover the challenges that confronted the earliest European settlers. See how bushwackers left the county in lawless ruin at the close of the Civil War, and how a railroad shaped the destiny of an entire region. Within are tales of an ancient silver mine, lost since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors, of a town that banded together to save its saloon from the might of the flooding Bufallo River, and of a hideous monster said to lurk in caves, haunting the hills and woods of Searcy County for centuries. Not only is this book an entertaining and insightful read, but sales help fund childhood literacy projects in Searcy County, through Terrapin Hollow Educational Foundation.

Arkansas's rich folklore tradition is treated in this collection of eight essays covering the history of folklore research in the state, traditional songs and music, "tall tales," folk architecture, traditional foods and their preparation, superstitions and beliefs, and festivals and celebrations. Includes extensive bibliographies of reference works, and audio and video recordings.

Before there was a death care industry where professional funeral directors offered embalming and other services, residents of the Arkansas Ozarks—and, for that matter, people throughout the South—buried their own dead. Every part of the complicated, labor-intensive process was handled within the deceased’s community. This process included preparation of the body for burial, making a wooden coffin, digging the grave, and overseeing the burial ceremony, as well as observing a wide variety of customs and superstitions. These traditions, especially in rural communities, remained the norm up through the end of World War II, after which a variety of factors, primarily the loss of manpower and the rise of the funeral industry, brought about the end of most customs. Gone to the Grave, a meticulous autopsy of this now vanished way of life and death, documents mourning and practical rituals through interviews, diaries and reminiscences, obituaries, and a wide variety of other sources. Abby Burnett covers attempts to stave off death; passings that, for various reasons, could not be mourned according to tradition; factors contributing to high maternal and infant mortality; and the ways in which loss was expressed though obituaries and epitaphs. A concluding chapter examines early undertaking practices and the many angles funeral industry professionals worked to convince the public of the need for their services.