In the early 1960s, founders of the Pony Homecoming Club (PHC) asked Mrs. Nellie C. Adkins about the use of an area East of her home on Broadway Street. They wanted to use it for what has become our traditional Pony Homecoming picnic event, the Pony Park. Mrs. Adkins was delighted to host a site in Pony for the festivities. Nellie and her husband Eli S. Adkins were well known benefactors of the Pony-Harrison community. As proprietor of the Isdell Mercantile Company (I.M. Co.), Eli had helped many through the Great Depression of the 1930s by providing food, clothing, and needed supplies at no cost to local families in need. More than a few of Pony and Harrison’s long-time residents have recalled stories of how Eli gave them their first horse and first pair of boots as teenagers growing up in Pony. In later years, Nellie also donated land for the construction of Harrison High School and its athletic field.
A nice cool spot. Protected from the heat of the day by a stand of trees and a mountain stream flowing nearby. Eli was looking for a perfect location for his horse corral. Horses kept there supported both his ranch and livery services that the I.M. Co. offered for over 50 years. Since the first time that shady spot in the center of town was used as a community gathering place, it has become what we all know now as the Pony Park. For years, Nellie and her descendants have leased over half of the lots bounded by Pony Creek, Broadway Street, Jefferson Street to the Homecoming Club for just $1 per year. Mrs. Adkins and her family also paid taxes on those lots so that in the years before we received nonprofit status, the PHC could use all its revenue for restoration and improvement of our community treasures.
We were extremely pleased to announce that in the tradition that Nellie and Eli started for their family paying forward to a community that has given them so much, their grandson and his wife, Martin “Spike” and Valli Shepherd have donated the lots that they had leased for park use so that PHC now owns all the lots that make up the park. Indeed, the Adkins family and descendants have lived the purpose of the Homecoming Club in helping to promote and encourage community service, spirit, and social exchange among the residents of Pony. They have always worked to help furnish and maintain recreation and social facilities for use and benefit of our community. We are especially appreciative of all that Nellie, Eli and their family has given to Pony.
We worked with Madison County to have the abandoned Center Street incorporated into the adjoining lots and have the entire area dedicated for enjoyment as a park for Pony and our neighboring communities of Harrison and Norris. We hope to see many, many more family reunions and picnics, wedding parties, birthdays, other local events and, of course, Homecoming luncheons held in our treasured Pony Park.
