| City/Town: • Snowball |
| Location Class: • School |
| Built: • 1938 | Abandoned: • 1970's, 2007 |
| Status: • Demolished |
| Photojournalist: • Michael Schwarz • Eddy Sisson |
Originally named Calf Creek, the town of Snowball, Arkansas was founded in the early 1800s. After the entire downtown area was destroyed by a steam engine explosion in 1879, a newly built Masonic lodge was purchased by the town and named after the County Sheriff Bill Snow. This served not only as a lodge but also as a school and the church.
Several years after the newly named town Snowball, Arkansas was founded, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a brand-new school building for the children of Snowball in 1938. This school served 1st through 12th grade, and the students were transported to and from the school by one bus. The building had a wood interior, with a wooden stove in the back to heat the school during winter. The outside of the building was a stone similar to that the Masonic lodge. In the 1970s enrollment declined to approximately 30 students. This resulted in the consolidation with the Marshall school district; the Snowball school was then left abandoned. Severe weather and yearly floods condemned the school, and shortly after the old school caught fire in the 80s. Luckily the stone facade of the old school remains.
The gym sits right next to the remains of the old school, and was built several years after the school. After the gym’s closing in the late 1970s, the town reopened it as a Civic Center in 1982, where they would host several events a year including haunted houses. The last haunted house was held in the late 2000s. Shortly after the gym closed once again.
The gym now has a warped floor, dusty and empty bleachers, haunted house remains and untold stories.
Gallery Below
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Check your details about the fire that burned most of the town down, it was not the steam engine explosion. I attended school in Snowball in the 1960’s and my grandparents owned and operated the Wells Store from the mid 1940’s through the early 1970’s and the Post Office for several years at the same location.
My Grandfather taught school there in the 40’s maybe 30’s Cecil Guthrie. He was from Dongola.
Does anyone have interior photos of the gym when it was in good condition?…..Perhaps from the 1940’s or 1950’s? My grandpa, Brough Cash, was the superintendent and basketball coach at Snowball.
I’m working on doing a story on the old gym and hopefully info on the sports played there.
Could you contact me at rodneyb@harrisondaily.com
I had an aunt and uncle who owned a farm in the Richland Valley in the 1970s. They had a couple of neighbors with the last name of Cash. I think their names were Woody and Luntz.
My grandpa was born in snowball and raised in the area His name was Harley England
My grandpa was born and raised in snowball. Harley England
Good to know
I know this post was from several years ago, but there is new life being breathed in the the Snowball Gym. If any one is interested in information about it, find us on Facebook, Snowball Civic Club or Snowball, AR Pictures! Thanks all!
great work admin
The Rainbolts (my stepdads family) were from Snowball.
before be kept. My grandmother lived there in 1895.
What is this….???????????
Where would old history of 1895 and before be kept. My grandmother lived there in 1895.
What was Snowball's Mascot
Eagles
Correction- The town Hall was named after Benjamin Franklin Snow,my great grandfather.
( Not Bill)
My name is jimmy brown I'm wanting information about the snow ball gym I'm starting a non profit called chariotsforchildren.com and want to use and fix the gym back to it's glory days. Any info greatly appreciated! I've done some digging around no one seems to know who is in charge.
We have done extensive clean up on the Snowball Gym grounds and have had a few fund raisers. Have several events scheduled to happen this year. Have had a Architect come visit with us to hopefully restore the gym.
It is sad. There are so many places that are just falling apart now, they aren't being used or we don't have the money to fix them.
Arthur Dewey Kimbrell was the teacher at the school for a long time. He may have been the only one there at the time, He never mentioned anybody else. He had a lot of stories about people that were students there. Wish he had recorded them.
Of all the places "Abandoned AR" features, it's the schools that always make me sad. I grew up going to a HUGE school, (about 500 in my graduating class). When i see these small schools, it always makes me wonder what it would've been like to go to a small school, where everyone knew every body. It makes me feel nostalgic for something I've never even experienced.
Thank you for sharing these pics! My father in law went to school there!
Omg!! I would die for one of these!:-) so many memories (referring to the merry-go-round)