PRAIRIE GROVE -- After 48 years as a barber, Eddie McClelland of Prairie Grove, is hanging up his clippers.
McCelland followed in the footsteps of his father, Jack McClelland, and began cutting hair at the age of 20. His father opened Jack's Barber Shop in 1950 in downtown Prairie Grove and the shop has remained in the same location with the same name for many years. McClelland said from what he understands the space was a barber shop even before his father, going back as early as 1900.
When he first started, downtown was a close business community, McClelland said. Now, he doesn't know half of the people downtown and most business owners who started with him 48 years ago have passed away.
He's stayed with it so long, he said, because "it's given me everything I wanted. My kids were in school here and it's where I wanted to live."
While many of his customers have been coming to him for years and are senior citizens, McClelland said more young men and boys are using barbers, instead of going to a hair stylist. He attributes a lot of this to his colleague, Easton Mathias, who is much younger and has been cutting hair in the shop for about four years. Mathias will take over after McClelland leaves.
The big difference between a barber and a stylist, McClelland said, is about $20. He charges $9 for a haircut. The other difference, he said, is that he doesn't shampoo the hair or use hairspray.
"Some people still want to look like a man. Others want to look like a movie star," McClelland joked.
When he first started, women would come to the barber for a haircut and men came to have their faces shaved. Now, he doesn't see any women and he doesn't shave faces but he does use air vac clippers so that the cut hair is suctioned through a hose.
"A lot of people like it because they don't have to go home and take a shower or change their shirts," McClelland said.
His customers have fun with him.
"Both of us are crazy," said A.D. Burkett. He comes to the shop for good conversation and a good haircut.
Duane Cross of Evansville has been coming for about 13 years. He comes because he likes McClelland.
William Frederick said he believes he's been coming to Jack's Barber Shop for almost 48 years.
"He's the only one who has cut my hair for a long, long time," Frederick said.
Frederick jokes that he's probably had a "bad haircut" over the years.
McClelland graduated from Prairie Grove High School and the day he turned 18 years old, he said he had three professional baseball scouts on his front porch waiting to sign him. He went with the Cardinals organization and played professional baseball for three seasons in Florida.
After three seasons, he decided he wanted to live in Prairie Grove, thinking "I can farm and I can barber." He attended a barber school in Little Rock and then started working with his dad.
Another story he tells about growing up is that he and his wife were next door neighbors and walked to school together as children. They began dating in eighth grade, graduated from high school in August and married in December.
The two will soon celebrate their 50th anniversary.
McClelland doesn't farm anymore but in retirement, plans to fish and hunt a lot and work on some projects around his farm. His last date as a barber was March 28.
General News on 04/09/2014