To request a copy of this photo for your own personal use, please contact our state coordinator. If you are not a family member or the original photographer — please refrain from copying or distributing this photo to other websites.
Thank you for visiting the Arkansas Gravestone Photo Project. On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arkansas, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 11/27/08 • Approved: 12/27/19 • Last Updated: 12/30/19 • R112065-G0-S3
Melbourne Times August 5, 1932 (1)
Melbourne Times August 19, 1932 (2)
POLK RIPLEY - Polk Mountain is located just south of Highway 9 on County Road 182 (three miles east of Sylamore). Sylamore is an unincorporated community in Izard County, Arkansas. Sylamore is located on the White River and Arkansas Highway 9 in southern Izard County, 5.1 miles (8.2 km) north of Mountain View.
Lat 36.96035 Lng 92.06821
It was originally called Summer Grape Mountain and later the name was changed to honor Polk Ripley. Polk Ripley was a slave owned by the Perrin family of Mt. Olive. He was 21 years old when the Civil War ended and he was freed.
In 1932, the Grape Mountain Farmer's Association voted to change the name of the mountain to "Sutterfield" in honor of C.B. (Berry) Sutterfield who homesteaded on the mountain about 1912 (1). After the notice of the proposed name change appeared in the Melbourne Times many people wrote to the editor protesting the change. A.S. Jeffery wrote the following: "I grew to manhood under the shadow of this noble landmark. I knew when Polk Ripley braved the wilds as no one else would do to carve out a home on this mountain. I knew Polk from my earliest recollection. And though he was black of skin, he was honest, industrious and faithful and his name was give to this mountain "by right of conquest." (2)
Contributed on 11/27/08
Suggest a Correction
Record #: 112065