History Of The
Gillett Coon Supper

The coon supper has not only provided proceeds for worthwhile events; however, it has provided fun and fellowship to all since the 1930's. Coon hunting was a popular sport at that time. It was also taken seriously by Mr. Harlan Wolfe, Mr. R. C. Wolfe, Mr.Burle D. Muse, Mr. Fred Elrod, and the "tripping a tree man himself", Mr. Preston Mattmiller. These five men, of whom three are surviving members of this team, took good coon dogs hunting on Billy Don Truax's land. At this time, guns were not used to kill the coons. The dogs would tree the coon, and Mr. Mattmiller would trip the tree, otherwise, known as chopping a tree down with an axe.

The event became so popular among local men that it also became a little dangerous. Trees could no longer be chopped down with the growing number of hunters venturing into the woods. Men now had to use guns to kill the coons. From these coon hunts, the suppers came about. The first coon suppers were held in homes, restaurants, and churches of the community with few people in attendance. As word of mouth spread, so did the growing crowd.

In the late 1940's, the coon supper was held in the auditorium of Gillett High School. Everyone participated in making this the first organized program. Home Economics girls served the guests in this event, while Mr. James Carroll Place, nicknamed the "Will Rogers of the Rice Field", was Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Place told jokes, did impersonations, and introduced guest speakers such as, Benny Craig, a sports announcer from Little Rock. From this time until 1990, Mr. James Place had entertained guests with his wonderful charm.

As the coon supper continued to grow in number, more space was required for the guests. It was moved into the gym in the 1950's. During this time, tickets were $2.00 each. There was no reserved seating with these tickets; however, along with the increase in publicity and sellout crowds, tickets had to have an organized seating arrangement. Also, along with the booming number in attendance, serving the guests became a greater task for the Home Economics girls; therefore, the Farmers and Businessmen's Club acquired the responsibility of serving the people.

Along with this responsibility, came the duty of preparing the coon. The club decided to build their own cookware. They built tanks for smoking the coon and got huge kettles for boiling. This two day process for preparing the coon begins at Holzhauer's roundtop. The club members cut the coon up, wash it, and soak it overnight in salt water. The next day, the coon is boiled until tender. From there, it is taken out and placed in tanks for a smoked flavor. All the coon is bought now since the crowds are overwhelming in number. Women of the community still prepare the rice, sweet potatoes, and dessert for the guests. This is a task that has grown every year, but everyone does their share and it is appreciated by all.

As one can see, the coon supper has become an historical event. Reaching back into the past and moving ahead into the future, it has and will always be a community working together for the benefit of all.