The “Hoo-Hoo cat” has been at the head of the Gurdon Times newspaper for years and there are some who wonder about the origins - and the significance - of the cat.
The cat is the symbol of the “Concatenated Order of the Hoo-Hoo,” which is an international organization that was founded in Gurdon more than a century ago. In fact, the Hoo-Hoo was organized just a couple of years prior to the first publication of the Gurdon Times.
In those days, Gurdon was a railroad boom town, as were many of the towns along the railroad that ran through Prescott, Gurdon and on to Arkadelphia. As the story goes, a journalist and a few lumbermen were snowed in at Gurdon in January of 1892 and spent the night in one of the Gurdon hotels while awaiting the arrival of the next train.
According to organization’s official Web site, the men began discussing the concept of an organization that would be charged with promoting the timber and lumber industries. That was the birth of the idea that would become the International Order of Hoo-Hoo.
By the fall of that year, the Hoo-Hoo held an organizational meeting with 167 members present.
But what’s up with that cat?
The cat is always pictured with an arched back and a tail curled into the number “9.” That number is significant in the organization which is overseen by a nine-member board of directors.
A novel by Lewis Carroll apparently played a role in some aspect of the club’s organization. The club’s president is called “The Snark of the Universe.” According to the organization’s Web site, the current Snark is John Yeakel. Yaekel officially addressed the members of the board in Gurdon in March of 2009.
The purpose of the Hoo-Hoo has always been to promote the timber industry. Anyone in a field related to timber or lumber production is eligible to join the club which has now grown to include members from around the globe.
And it all started in Gurdon. The city has always been somewhat proud of the honor as birthplace of the Hoo Hoo, even when some don’t know what the organization really is. When the city had a theater, it was called “The Hoo-Hoo.” The building on Main Street houses a museum dedicated to timber industry in general and the Hoo-Hoo in particular.
And of course, the cat has held a place of honor on the banner of the Gurdon Times for many years.
Wendy Ledbetter is the editor of the Gurdon Times and can be reached at wendylledbetter@yahoo.com
