USA > Arkansas > A pictorial history of Arkansas, from earliest times to the year 1890. A full and complete account, embracing the Indian tribes occupying the country; the early French and Spanish explorers and governors; the colonial period; the Louisiana purchase; the periods of the territory, the state, the civil war, and the subsequent period. Also, an extended history of each county in the order of formation, and of the principal cities and towns; together with biographical notices of distinguished and prominent citizens > Part 57
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817
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, ETC.
In 1877 Opie P. Read became a citizen of Little Rock and remained such until 1887, with the exception of a short inter- val, and at the latter date took up his abode in Chicago. Dur- ing the time of his residence in this city he made his fame and reputation as a humorist, and he is now universally ac- cepted as one of the foremost humorous writers of America. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, December 22d, 1852, the youngest of ten children. His parents removed to Galla- tin, Tennessee, where his mother now resides. They lived at Gallatin until the close of the war, at which time his father purchased a plantation. Read did not take kindly to a plant- er's life, and at an early age he started forth to experience the ups and downs of a wanderer. In 1873 he worked for the Franklin (Kentucky) "Patriot." He attended the Neophogen College and paid his tuition by setting type for the "College Magazine." Afterwards he continued his nomadic life for several years, writing sketches to pay his expenses. He wan- dered into Arkansas, and stopped a while at Carlisle, Prairie county. After a brief sojourn here he came to Little Rock, in 1877, and engaged as Reporter or Local Editor of the "Gazette." Here his humorous sketches soon began to at- tract attention, and give him fame. After a while he went to Cleveland, Ohio, to fill an editorial position with the "Leader" of that city. He held this place for about six months, when, becoming dissatisfied, he returnend to Little Rock, where, in connection with Philo D. Benham, his brother- in-law, he, in 1882, launched the "Arkansaw Traveler" on the newspaper world. His writings in this paper added greatly to his fame, and, a success from the first, it soon took rank as one of the first and best papers in its line. In 1887 Messrs. Read & Benham moved their paper to Chicago, where it is now published.
Judge Burrill B. Battle was a resident of Washington from 1869 to 1880. He was born in Hinds county, Mississippi, 52
818
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
July 24th, 1838, son of Judge Joseph J. Battle, of Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1844 the father came to Arkansas, and settled in Lafayette county, where B. B. Battle grew up, completing his education at the Arkansas College, at Fayette- ville, in 1856. He then attended the law department of the Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1858. He began the practice of his profession at Louisville, Lafayette county. At the breaking out of the war he entered the Confederate Army as a private in artillery, serving under Generals Cheatham and Cleburne, during the entire war. On the restoration of peace, he resumed the prac- tice of law at Louisville, but in 1869 moved to Washington. In 1871 he was elected to the Legislature from Hempstead county. In 1880 he moved to Little Rock, and formed a law partnership with Judge Freeman W. Compton, which contin- ued till 1885, when Judge Battle was elected Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the unexpired term of Judge John R. Eakin. He was re-elected in 1886, and now fills the position.
Hon. Abner W. Files was a resident of Hamburg from 1850 to 1882, when he moved to the capital to enter upon the duties of the office of Auditor, to which he had been elected, and has since remained a resident of Little Rock. He was born in Tuscaloosa county, Alabama, November 26th, 1829, son of Oliver and Nancy Files. He came to Arkansas in December, 1848, and lived at first at Fountain Hill, Ashley county, in 1849 and 1850. Upon the founding of Ham- burg, he moved there, as stated, and lived there till 1882, since which date he has resided at the capital, where he is now engaged in the practice of law and the real estate and brok- rage business. He was Clerk of the Circuit Court of Ashley county from 1848 to 1868, but was turned out by a military order from General Ord. He was a Member of the Legisla- ture of 1874 at the extraordinary session, and elected again in 1880, serving 1880 and 1881. He was elected Auditor of
819
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, ETC.
State in 1882, and again in 1884, serving to January, 1887. He served in the Ordnance Department of the Confederate Army under Colonel Sandford C. Faulkner, and under Major S. F. Arnett, Quartermaster in the Clothing Department of the Trans-Mississippi Department, located at Hamburg. On the 13th of June, 1854, in Drew county, he was married to Miss Sarah T. C. Crook, daughter of Hon. Wiley D. Crook. Of this marriage there are five children now living, four daughters and a son, to-wit: Mrs. J. L. Hawkins, Mrs. J. W. Clingman, Sallie Ruth, Harry N. and Ethel R. Files.
William Peyton Campbell was a resident of Augusta for 28 years, from 1858 to October, 1886. He was born in Muhlenberg county, Kentucky, August 23d, 1838, son of Alex- ander and Sallie W. Campbell, who was Sallie W. Kin- cheloe. He was educated in the schools which the county afforded, working on a farm and attending school at intervals until 17 years of age, when he entered a country store as clerk and general assistant, at a salary of $75 per annum and board. He came to Arkansas in March, 1857, and located at Powha- tan, Lawrence county, where he resided for a year, and then moved to Augusta in 1858, where he lived until 1882, when being elected Commissioner of State Lands, he lived at the capital in the discharge of his duties until 1884, when he re- turned to Augusta. Being appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court, in June, 1886, he removed to Little Rock, where he now resides. Upon locating in Arkansas, he was engaged in the drug business as clerk, until the fall of 1860, when he com- menced the study of law in the office of Colonel James H. Patterson, now of Boone county, Arkansas, but the early oc- currence of the war prevented the completion of his studies in this profession, and after the war was over, being like the people of the South, impoverished by its results, he was obliged to abandon the intention of becoming a lawyer, and engaged in such pursuits as would produce immediate pecuniary re- sults. On the breaking out of the war he entered the Con-
820
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
federate Army in April, 1861, as Second Lieutenant, in Com- pany "D," the Augusta Guards, in the First Mounted Rifles, commanded by Colonel T. J. Churchill, General D. H. Reynolds becoming the Brigade Commander, and General E. A. Walthall the Division Commander. He was in the battles of Oak Hill, Missouri; Elkhorn, Arkansas; Farmington, Tennessee; Richmond, Kentucky, and Murfreesboro, Tennes- see. In this latter battle he was wounded, losing his leg, and was made a prisoner. He was imprisoned at Fort Delaware, Maryland, but was exchanged in 1863, and rejoined the army in the field February, 1864, and took part in all the engage- ments in the Sherman-Johnston campaign of 1864, from Dalton to Atlanta. He was promoted from Second to First Lieutenant, then to Captain, and, after the battle of Murfrees- boro, to Major. In 1866 he was elected Clerk of Woodruff county, but was removed under the Re-construction proceedings of 1868; was re-elected in 1874, 1876, 1878 and 1880. He was elected Commissioner of State Lands in 1882, and served until March, 1884, when he resigned. He was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court in June, 1886, which position he now fills. On the 23d day of October, 1863, at Augusta, he mar- ried Miss Virginia C. Davies. By this marriage there are nine children : five sons and four daughters.
COUNTY HISTORIES
-: AND :---
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
THE COUNTIES BEING ARRANGED IN THE ORDER OF THEIR FORMATION.
ARKANSAS COUNTY.
Arkansas County was formed by the Legislature of Missouri Territory, December 31st, 1813, with an area embracing two- thirds of the present State of Arkansas. It was the eighth county out of nine established in Missouri, and is the oldest county now remaining of those which were formed while we were a part of Missouri Territory. It extended from the boundary line of the county of New Madrid on the north, to the 33d parallel of latitude, or northern boundary line of the State of Louisiana, on the south ; east to the main channel of the Mississippi river ; west to the boundary line of the Osage purchase, the line due south from Fort Clark, thence to the main source of the Ouachita or Washita river, and from there to the Louisiana line. The seat of justice was directed to be "at the Village of Arkansaw." This is the name that the Post of Arkansas was known by on the early official records, and it was at that date the only town or village, or commence- ment of one, in the entire district. The village called Ar- kansas by name, did not arise until later, to-wit: in the year 1820. In that year William O. Allen laid out a town ad- joining the Post, called "Arkansas," which was designed to be the county seat of Arkansas county, and Robert Critten- den and Elijah Morton donated to the county one square in the town, on condition that the Legislature would establish thereon the permanent seat of justice for the county. In 1825 Hewes Scull, Louis Bogy, Robert Mckay, Harold Stillwell and Isaac McLane, were appointed to select a site in - the village for the public buildings, and Hewes Scull, James Maxwell and Benjamin L. Haller, were appointed to receive donations and subscriptions.
823
824
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Concerning the origin of Arkansas Post, M. Dumont, in his "Historical Memoirs of Louisiana," translated into French's Historical Collections, part V says: "This Post is properly only a continuation of the establishment formed by the French around the house which Joutel and his compan- ions reached in the month of July, 1687, and where, before arriving, they perceived a cross planted, which consoled them in their pains and hardships. From that time to the present, the nation has always remained in possession of that territory, and when M. Le Blanc sent men to take possession of the grant made him on the Yazoux river,* a hundred and forty leagues from the capital, the little garrison kept till then by the company, at that place retired to the Arcanças Post, then commanded by the Sieur de laBoulaye. There is no fort in the place, only four or five palisade houses, a little guard house, and a cabin which serves as a store house. This French Post was established as a stopping place for those going from the capital to the Illinois."
The place is shown as a Post on general maps of the English, French and Spanish possessions of 1745. It is shown on the old French map of 1700, so often referred to herein, and on Joutel's maps of LaSalle's expedition, published about 1695, there is a French fort shown corresponding in location to the present town.
There is a tradition among the citizens of Arkansas Post and vicinity that the town there was settled in 1764, soon af- ter it first passed out of French possession. The county rec- ords run back to the year 1760.
In St. Andrew's Cathedral, at Little Rock, in charge of Rt. Rev. Edward Fitzgerald, there are records of baptisms, mar- riages and burials of date 1772 and subsequent dates, and the frequent occurrence of French names indicate that the inhabi- tants were of that nationality, thus ante-dating the Spanish occupation. The priest officiating in 1772 and years of about
(*) Which was in the year 1719.
(t) The Company of the West.
825
ARKANSAS COUNTY.
that date, was Father Gige, and of 1796, Father Janvier. Of date July 9th, 1786, is the record of the baptism of Francis Varsier, who died in Jefferson county, January 8th, 1836, and the baptism of Francis Vaugine, of date 1793.
There are also records of interments of those dates, at which, in the absence of any priest, Captain Don Joseph Val- liere officiated. The name of Don Joseph Valliere has come down to our times on account of a large grant of lands in Arkansas made to him by the Baron de Carondelet, which his heirs sued for unsuccessfully, ending in 1848.
The families of William Winter, Elisha Winter and Joseph Stillwell settled there, as we have seen, in 1798, occupying the grant of lands made to them at that place by the Baron de Carondelet in 1797.
The first protestant sermon preached in Arkansas was de- livered there in 1811, by Rev. John P. Carnahan, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. A memorial window to him, reciting this fact, is in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Dr. S. H. Buchanan, at Little Rock.
A post office was established there July Ist, 1817, under the name of Arkansas, Missouri Territory, and Eli J. Lewis was appointed Postmaster. It bore this name until after 1819, when the name was Arkansas, Arkansas Territory, and continued under this name on the department records, until December 27th, 1831, when the name of the post office was changed to Arkansas Post, Arkansas Territory.
Hewes Scull was an early resident of Arkansas county. He was a native of Philadelphia, where he was born about 1783. He emigrated to the county and settled at the Post of Arkan- sas about the year 1802, while the country belonged to France. He filled several important offices in the county while it was a part of Missouri Territory, and on the estab- lishment of the Territory of Arkansas he was the first sheriff of the county, serving two terms, from 1819 to 1823, and from 1830 to 1833 was Clerk of the Circuit Court. He was
826
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
also a merchant of the Post. He died there May 28th, 1833, aged 50 years.
Another early resident was Frederick Notrebe. He came to the Post as early as 1816, and engaged in merchandising there, and also, in 1828 or 1829, had a branch store at Little Rock. In 1830, December 28th, William B. Wait became a citizen of the place, clerking for Mr. Notrebe, and re- mained until 1834, when he went to Little Rock, but returned to the Post and went into business with Charles Notrebe, son of Frederick, under the name of Wait & Notrebe. Charles Notrebe died in 1841, and Mr. Wait moved from the Post to Little Rock again, in September, 1843, where he has since resided.
Stokeley H. Coulter, J. B. Burk and John O'Regan, tail- ors ; William A. Luckie & Co., tanners; Rufus P. Spaul- ding, S. Dinsmore, Jason Chamberlain, Henry Cassady, James H. Lucas and Perly Wallis, lawyers ; Thomas Terrell, land agent; and Farrelly & Curran, merchants, from Pitts- burgh, were citizens of the Post in the year 1819, as also were A. P. Spencer, Captain William O. Allen, Richmond Peeler, Charles Roberts, Manuel Roderique, John Jordolas, Jacques Gocio, Stephen Vasseau, Nathaniel Vasseau, Pierre Mitchell, William Craig, Attica Nodall, H. Armstrong, Thomas Stephens, John and David Maxwell, A. B. K. Thet- ford, Elijah Morton, James Hamilton and Benjamin L. Hal- ler, either of that year, or about that date.
James Scull had a cotton gin and grist mill there in 1819. William Montgomery, Lewis & Thomas, Horace P. Hyde were merchants there at that date.
William Douglas Simms, of Alexandria, Virginia, was ap- pointed to be Register of the' Land Office there in 1820, and Henry W. Conway, Receiver of Public Moneys at the same place. Col. Conway had been an officer in the United States Army, but resigned and settled at the Post. Charles
827
ARKANSAS COUNTY.
Brearly was appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Arkansas county, residing at the Post in 1820.
Mr. Farrelly, of the firm of Farrelly & Curran, was Ter- ence Farrelly, who afterwards became a prominent man in the affairs of the county, being a member of the Legislature from the county for twelve years; first County Judge of the county, and holding other prominent positions. Mr. Curran, of the firm, was Thomas Curran, the father of James M. Curran, a distinguished lawyer, who died in 1854. Thomas Curran moved to Independence county, where James Curran was born in 1821.
The town of Arkansas Post was incorporated, October 26th, 1836. Arkansas county is situated between the Arkan- sas and White rivers, southeast from the center of the State. White river is its eastern boundary line, and the Arkansas its western. Its present area is about 900 square miles, and its population about 10,000, of which about 3,500 are colored. The surface of the county is generally level, with considerable prairie land, producing quantities of native grasses well adapted to cattle raising. Fruit, grains and grasses, with cotton, are largely grown. There are about twenty churches, and forty-five school districts. The Texas & St. Louis Rail- way runs diagonally through the county. The county is well watered, and well timbered. The towns of the county are Dewitt, the county seat, St. Charles, Arkansas Post, Stutgart, Goldman and Mount Adams.
The population of the county, in the census of 1880, was 8,038, of whom 4,969 were white persons, and 3,069 were colored. The population in various years has been as fol- lows: In 1810, it was 1,062; in 1820, 1,260; in 1830, 1,426; in 1840, 1,346; in 1850, 3,245 ; in 1860, 8,884; in 1870, 8,238, and in 1880, 8,038. Up to 1855 the county seat of the county was at the Post, but in that year it was moved to Dewitt, where it has since remained.
One of the early settlers of the Post of Arkansas was Ter- ence Farrelly. He was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in
828
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
1792; when young he emigrated to America and settled at Meadville, Pennsylvania, afterwards lived in Pittsburg. He came to Arkansas in 1818, and settled near the Post, where he lived for the rest of his life. He conducted merchandising at the Post in 1819 with Thomas Curran, as the firm of Farrelly & Curran. He was a member of the Legislature from Arkansas county for twelve years, to-wit : 1823 to 1825, when he was Speaker of the House, and from 1827 to 1835, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1836. He died at his home in Arkansas county in 1865, aged 73 years. He married Mrs. Mary Moseley. By this marriage there were eight children, of whom two are now living, to-wit : a son, Charles C. Farrelly, and a daughter, Mrs. E. J. E. Langtree, both of whom are residents of Little Rock.
James H. Lucas was County Judge from 1833 to 1835. He afterwards moved to St. Louis, and became one of the wealthiest and most enterprising, as well as most liberal and generous men of that city. He is spoken of by Bernard Kernan, who was his confidential clerk in St. Louis for twelve years, as follows: "Mr. Lucas was a very unique and interesting character. He was a classically-educated gen- tleman, of fine mind and extensive attainments. He had been a successful lawyer, was well read, had traveled much, and, as a conversationalist, was without an equal. He loved to talk about old Arkansas times, where he spent his young days, and won many laurels at the bar and on the stump. I have listened to him spellbound for hours, as he dilated with some friend over the good old days.
"Mr. Lucas was a remarkable man every way. He be- longed to an historic, noble and talented family. He was of strong, broad physique, of massive head, bold and leonine countenance. He had magnificent, big, black lustrous eyes, and on the cheekbones underneath each was a tuft of black hair which remained so until his death. When those eyes were leveled on you, you felt you were being looked through
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829
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ALL WHO HAVE BEEN OFFICERS OF THE COUNTY SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TERRITORY.
DATE.
JUDGE.
CLERK.
SHERIFF.
TREASURER.
CORONER.
SURVEYOR.
ASSESSOR.
1819 to 1821
Eli J. Lewis
Hewes Scull
O. IT. Thomas
1821 to 1823
Eli J. Lewis
Hewes Scull
Terence Farrelly.
1823 to 1825
Eli J. Lewis
James Hamilton
Lewis Bogy ..
1825 to 1827
Eli J. Lewis
A. B. K. Thetford.
Lewis Bogy.
1827 to 1829
Eli J. Lewis
A. B. K. Thetford
(Vacant)
1829 to 1830
A. B. K. Thetford.
Robert Fulton
1830 to 1832 Terence Farrelly*
Hewes Scull
A. B. K. Thetford.
William Rainey ..
James Maxwell
1832 to 1833
Hewes Scull ..
A. B. K. Thetford.
William Rainey ..
James Maxwell
1833 to 1835 James H. Lucas ...
John Maxwell.
A. B. K. Thetford ..
W. B. Summers
James Maxwell.
1835 to 1836 Benjamin L. Haller John Maxwell.
William Price.
W. B. Summers
James Maxwell
1836 to 1838 Benjamin L. Haller D. G. W. Leavitt
Henry Mckenzie
John Taylor
W. B. Summers ..
Lewis Dixon ..
1840 to 1842| David Maxwell ...
George W. Stokes ..
John L. Jones.
John Taylor ..
R. D. Armstrong ...
John M. Shultz.
1842 to 1844 Benjamin L. Haller G. W. S. Cross
John L. Jones.
John Taylor.
John C. Walton
John M. Shultz.
1846 to 1848 Thomas Halliburton G. W. S. Cross
John L. Jones.
B. L. Haller
Lot L. Haines.
Adam MoCool ..
1850 to 1852 John T. Hamilton ..
W. H. Halliburton.
John L. Jones
B. L. Haller
John Larkey ..
Thos. Halliburton.
1852 to 1854 T. T. Morrison.
William Redfield.
J. T. Hamilton
B. L. Haller
Edward Syncoe.
Adam McCool
1854 to 1856 T. T. Morrison
Zera S. Altom
P. S. Cross
B. L. Haller
J. E. McGraws
James Kirkpatrick ..
1856 to 1858 T. T. Morrison
J. G. Quartermouse
G. W. S. Cross
John W. Lowe
Jeremiah Haines .. Melton D. Norton ..
1858 to 1860 T. T. Morrison
John P. Taylor
Joseph H. Maxwell John W. Lowe.
H. McGaughey ...
J. T. Clark.
1860 to 1862 Felix G. Allen.
Joseph H. Maxwell H. K. Stephens ..
John W. Lowe
John P. Taylor .. J. D. Strother.
A. H. Stillwell
A. J. Almond Ward Davis
1866 to 1868 A. H. Almond
P. G. Tyler.
J. W. McKenen.
A. G. Withers.
J. P. Hubbard
1870 to 1872
t Alex. C. Wiley
Joseph H. Maxwell Michael Holt
Ed. P. G. Tackett
J. W. Johnson
1872 to 1874
Ed. P. G. Tackett.
E. R. Wiley ..
Samuel McCarthy L. S. Fields.
J. Webster ..
J. W. Johnson
1874 to 1876 Richard Gamble
B. F. Quartermouse| William Stillwell ..
A. B. Crawford.
Dixon Adams.
E. J. Connelly.
Jesse Bass
1876 to 1878|R. K. Gamble
B. F. Quartermouse
William Stillwell ..... Benjamin N. Word ...
Benjamin N. Word ... Robert Scanland ...
James Wolf.
C. F. Moore.
Charles L. Jansen
1882 to 1884 James H. Merritt.
J. J. McEvoy ..
L. C. Smith ..
Robert Scanland ..
J. H. Freeman.
C. F. Moore.
John H. Bell
1884 to 1886 James H. Merritt
Ben N. Word
L. C. Smith
Robert Scanland ...
L. J. Haywood ..
C. F. Moore.
C. L. Jansen
1886 to 1888 James H. Merritt.
Ben N. Word.
L. C. Smith.
J. P. Poynter.
W. R. Hagler
J. G. Johnson
1888 to 1890 James H. Merritt ..
A. D. Matthews
Phin. M. Black.
J. P. Poynter.
J. B. Rosevelt
J. G. Johnson
(*) There was no County Judge up to this time. The office was filled by a Board of three Commissioners. (t) Office abolished in 1873.
ARKANSAS COUNTY.
1838 to 1840 Benjamin L. Haller George W. Stokes ...
John W. Pullen
John Taylor ..
Hugh C. Henton ...
John M. Shultz.
1844 to 1846 John M. Schultz . .... G. W. S. Cross ..
John L. Jones.
Lewis Redfield
Charles C. Young Thos. Halliburton ..
1848 to 1850 John T. Hamilton.
G. W. S. Cross
John L. Jones.
H. G. Ramsour ..
P. G. Tyler.
M. Kennedy
W. Quartermouse ..
J. M. Price
1868 to 1870|B. C. Hubbard
E. R. Wiley.
Joseph H. Maxwell Michael Holt.
I. F. Chesher.
William R. Lear.
E. J. Connelly ..
Charles L. Jansen
1878 to 1880 A. S. Hinson
A. D. Matthews ..
Charles A.Johnson James Henderson Ed. P. G. Tackett.
Charles L. Jansen
1880 to 1882 James H. Merritt.
J. J. McEvoy.
A. B. Crawford
John F. Brice
James S. Cowan
1862 to 1864|A. H. Almond ..
Joseph H. Maxwell D. S. Morris.
1864 to 1866 R. K. Gamble
Joseph H. Maxwell R. C. Martin
w. F. Gibson ...
R. C. Martin
Lewis Redfield
John M. Shultz.
1
1
830
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
and through. I never learned to be quite at ease in Mr. Lucas' presence, and must have often appeared very awk- ward when I most desired to cut a good figure. However this may be, I had no occasion to complain of lack of success. Mr. Lucas was the most generous of men. The first and last salary I ever earned was received from him. He paid me $400 per year to start with, and $5,000 per year to finish with. I merely cite this to show his generosity, which in this case far exceeded my merits."
Sylvanus Phillips was the first Representative of the county in the Senate, and W. B. R. Homer and William O. Allen in the House of Representatives, of the Legislature of 1820; and Bushrod W. Lee represented it in the Constitutional Convention of 1836. The first Circuit Judge was James Woodson Bates, in 1819, and next Major S. B. Archer, a former officer of the United States Army, who, in 1820, was appointed Judge of the First Circuit, composed of the coun- ties of Arkansas and Lawrence.
Dewitt, the county seat, is in the interior of the county, near the center, and near the La Grue river. It dates from 1854-55.
On the 19th of February, 1853, under an order of the County Court, Leroy Montgomery, John A. Moorman and Charles W. Belknap were elected Commissioners to select a site, locate and lay off a town, as the seat of justice of the county. In July of that year they furnished W. H. Halli- Burton the description of the present site of the town of Dewitt, with means to purchase the same, it being at that time vacant land. The town was laid off, and lots sold in 1854. A temporary court house and clerk's office were built in 1855, and in September of that year the records were removed from Arkansas Post to the place. In October, 1855 the first court was held, being the County Court. At that time there were four or five families living there. Among whom were Dr. Henry K. Stephon, John G. Quartermoues,
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