Eugene Monroe Bartlett was searching for a way to teach singers to read and perform music with or without musical accompaniment. He selected Sebastian County's Hartford as the location because of the confluence of rail lines that would bring in supplies and students. Thus, in 1918 the Hartford Music Company was formed. Trainings were conducted twice a year and the resulting songs published.
Such gospel classics as "I'll Fly Away" and "Victory in Jesus" are products of Bartlett's efforts.
To learn more about the Hartford Music Company and hear recordings of "shape note singing," visit the exhibit at Greenwood's Old Jail Museum.
