So this is a weird one. I was down at the lake last weekend, working my way along one of the trails, and I got to talking with an older fella sitting on a bench. Not gonna name him, he was just a guy enjoying the view. Somehow we got onto how young the town is (1968, which I honestly didn't realize until I moved here) and he says "well, you know about The Group, right?" I did not.
From what I could piece together, around 1971 a communal bunch calling themselves The Group showed up and tried to set up an intentional community right here in Greers Ferry. Basically a commune, I guess. Things got tense with the locals, and by about 1974 they'd packed up and moved to Little Rock. That's about all he had, and he said most of it came from what his folks used to say at the supper table, so who knows how much got polished up over 50 years.
I've got a ton of questions. Where were they even living? Was it a real falling out or more just everybody side-eyeing each other until they left? Was it a handful of people or a big crowd? Town was tiny back then (we're only around 820 now) so a group like that moving in must have been a really big deal.
Two things I'm hoping for:
1. If you grew up here or your parents/grandparents were around then, what did you hear? Even the half-remembered gossipy version, I'm into it.
2. Is any of this actually written down somewhere? Newspaper clippings, a local history binder, anything at the library? I'd happily go dig through a back room if somebody knows where to start. Not sure if the library here would have it or if I'd end up having to go over to Heber.
Feel like I've lived here a couple months and keep finding out the place has more layers than I figured. Curious if the younger crowd knew about this or if it's just me being late to the party.