Welcome to Retracing Our Roots, where Heather Loftis, Sammy Raycraft, and Vincent Anderson rediscover Jacob Wolf, a pioneer who shaped the Ozarks. They explore his legacy and the region’s early history, offering insights into the lives of its first settlers.
First, we received a lot of feedback and a couple of questions from last weekβs show, especially on the Carolina Paroquet. Here in Arkansas, there are even bluffs along the Black River between Newport and Batesville called πππ©π©π‘π πππ§π€π¦πͺππ© π½π‘πͺππ and πππ§π€π¦πͺππ© π½π‘πͺππ, named for the flocks that once nested there. The name outlived the bird.
Early settlers called them βfool birds,β not for their intelligence, but for their loyalty. If one was wounded, the whole flock returned to help, giving farmers a clear shot. Also, for those wondering about the unusual spelling of βParoquet,β it was once a common Americanized way to spell parakeet, reflecting an older, phonetic style in English…