Lum and Abner - Janssen Park - Mena, Arkansas
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 34° 35.000 W 094° 14.326
15S E 386387 N 3827535
This monument hails the comedy team of Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, better known as Lum and Abner.
Waymark Code: WMWV0G
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 10/14/2017
Views: 1
There might not be too many of us out there who remember listening to Lum and Abner, but they were quite a sensation in their time. Beginning in 1931, their 15-minute comedic program on radio was all the rage. Lum and Abner were two hillbillies in the town of Pine Ridge, AR who were constantly stumbling upon moneymaking ideas only to find themselves fleeced by their nemesis Squire Skimp, before finally finding a way to redeem themselves. The scene was in their "Jot 'em Down Store." They aired 5,000 shows over the period from 1931 to 1955, and many of the shows are still available in archives.
This is a white granite monument located in Janssen Park at the corner of 7th Street and Janssen Avenue. At the top is an etching of the two characters. The monument reads:
In 1931, two new voices came across the airways to the American radio audiences. These were the voices of Lum and Abner. These two young men from Mena, Arkansas captured the hearts of young and old alike. Lum and Abner and all of the characters from Pine Ridge and the Jot 'em Down Store delighted these audiences from 1931 until 1955 when they "locked up the old Jot 'em Down Store." They were able to combine their natural talents into one of the most successful acts in American show business, then and now."
This monument is dedicated by the people of Mena, Arkansas and Polk County in appreciation of Mr. Chester Lauck and Mr. Norris Goff."