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 73
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General N. B. Pearce is a prominent citizen of Benton county, residing at Osage Mills. He was born near Prince- ton, Caldwell county, Kentucky, July 20th, 1828. In 1846 he was a cadet at West Point, and entered the Seventh U. S. Infantry. Shortly before the war he resigned and went to merchandising with his father-in-law, Dr. John Smith, at Osage Mills. When the war broke out he was made a Brig- adier-General of State troops by the State Convention. His brigade took part in the hotly contested battle of Oak Hill, August 10th, 1861. After this, upon the transfer of troops to the Confederate service, the brigade was disbanded. He was then assigned to the Subsistence Department, stationed at San Antonio and Austin, Texas, until the close of the war, since which time he has been engaged in merchandising and farming. On the 25th of January, 1855, he was married, at Osage Mills, to Miss Nannie Kate Smith, daughter of Dr. John Smith. She died at Whitesboro, Texas, October 3d, 1885.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Franklin County, the thirty-eighth county created, was formed by an Act of the Legislature, December 19th, 1837,. out of territory taken from Crawford county, and was named for the printer-philosopher, Benjamin Franklin. The county seat was directed to be at Ozark, where it has since remained.
It is a northwest county, lying on both sides of the Arkan- sas river. The river flows through the county from west to east, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. Its area is about 900 square miles.
It contains mountainous regions in about one-third of the county, but the remainder alluvial lands, with a portion river and creek bottom lands. The usual staples, grain and fruit, are largely grown, but only little cotton. The growth of grapes is a matter of attention with the people, and with good results. There are mineral springs in the county, and mineral indications, also valuable building stone.
The Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad crosses the county from east to west near the center of it, following the line of the river and on its banks.
There are churches of the different denominations, and free common schools in all the principal points in the county. There are 89 school districts.
The chief towns are Ozark, Webb City, Altus, Cravens, Mulberry and Flowery.
Ozark, the county seat, is on the banks of the Arkansas river, in the midst of a mountainous region. It has a popu- lation of about 300; has Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches, good schools, a substantial court-house, a bank- the Arkansas Valley Bank, J. F. Quaile, President ; a canning factory, a brick yard, cotton gin, flouring and planing mills,
1039
1040
THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN THE COUNTY OFFICERS.
DATE.
JUDGE.
CLERK.
SHERIFF.
TREASURER.
CORONER.
SURVEYOR.
ASSESSOR.
1837 to 1838
A. Henderson
Samuel Evans
Geo. Mckinney ...
D. L. Bourland
William Hall
John Epler
1838 to 1840
J. McMurray
J. W. Pendleton, I ..
E. Speegle
D. L. Bourland
James Britton
E. M. Tatum
1840 to 1842
T. Aldridge
J. W. Pendleton.
E. Speegle
D. L. Bourland ..
William Kelly
T. Boothe.
1842 to 1844
T. Aldridge.
J. W. Pendleton ....
E. Speegle
D. L. Bourland ..
J. W. Jester.
T. boothe.
1844 to 1846
T. Aldridge.
E. Speegle
Charles Whitson
Eli Patey.
J. W. Jester.
T. Boothe
1846 to 1848
John Honea ..
E. Speegle.
J. T. Mileham.
Eli Patey
Willlam Gray, 1 ..
J. M. Christian, 2 ..
1848 to 1850
D. W. Fillengem.
S. J. Garganes
R. B. Sagely
D. A. Stewart ..
A. B. Krider
W. B. Crook.
Samuel Evans
1858 to 1860
D. W. Fillengem
A. L.
Berry.
D. A. Stewart
A. B. Krider.
J. Cornwell.
F. M. Nixon.
1860 to 1862
D. W. Fillengem.
A. L.
Berry.
D. A. Stewart.
T. N. Lane
W. C. Crooks ..
F. M. Nixon
1862 to) 1864
D. W. Fillengem
G. H. Ross ..
A. Moffitt
T. N. Lane ..
C. B. R. Smith
J. C. Pettigrew.
1864 to 1866 ..
4 John Boyle, 5
G. C. Alden.
w. C. Adams
W. W. Collins
1866 to 1868
S. Spangler
G. H. Ross ...
R. W. Steele
T. N. Lane
H. Hudson
W. J. Montague ...
1868 t > 1872
G. W. Sutherland
J. Daugherty, 6
W. C. Adams, 7.
W. W. Collins
R. F. Short ..
H. F. Walters ...
A. J. Abernathy.
1872 to 1874
A. R. Young.
F. M. Elsey
W. W. Collins, 12
R. G. Howell
G. D. Butler, 8
J. Williams.
1874 to 1876
E. D. Turner.
G. H. Ross ...
R. Q. Shores
Stephen Gage ...
Sam Evans
J. J. Mclaughlin .. J. W. Crockett.
1876 to 1878.
E. D. Turner.
G. H. Ross
R. Q. Shores
G. W. C. Nixon ..
W. A. Carter
N. D. Sadler
J. F. Nixon.
1880 to 1882
A. E. Cope.
J. O. Alston ..
R. Q. Shores
O. B. Alston
Thomas Rabon
T. A. Pettigrew .....
1882 10 1884
A. E. Cope
A. J. Nichols
A. H. Sadler
W. T. Bryan, 13.
W. N. Nichols
W. A. Bennett. A. W. McLain, 14.|W. A. Bennett.
1884 to 1886
Henry Paine
A. J. Nichols
J. T. Tolleson
Henry V. Bond ..
Solomon Harris ....
J. F. Nixon.
1886 to 1888
J. H. Wilson
L. R. A. Wallace
W. L. Huggins.
S. B. Ramsey
W. N. Nichols
D. M. McGraw
J. B. Fulks.
1888 to 1890
John H. Wilson.
L. R. A. Wallace
W. L. Huggins.
S. B. Ramsey
W. N. Nichols
D. M. McGraw
J. B. Fulks.
-
1-Failed to give bond, and J. W. Mileham elected, February, 1849. 2-Failed to give bond, and J. M. Nixon elected, March, 1849. 3-Died, and Alfred Coffrey elected to fill vacancy, March, 1853. 4-The record of this term of office incomplete. The above being all on file in this office. 5-S. Spangler from May, 1865. 6-Albert Young from April, 1871. 7-C. C. Berry from March, 1869. 8-J. M. Pettigrew from March, 1881. 9- W. A. Carter from February, 1877. 10-N. D. Sadler from February, 1877. 11-Failed to give bond as collector; J. P. Falconer appointed, January, 1881; failed to give bond at proper time, and F. M. Elsey appointed, January 2, 1882. 12-A. J. Woods from October, 1873. 13-C. S. Mckinney, Treasurer, December, 18, 1882, vice W. T. Bryan, failed to
qualify. 14-D. S. Harris, Surveyor, March 20, 1884, vice A. M. McLain.
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Chas. Foster.
1850 to 1852
D. Fillengem.
S. J. Garganes
S. J. Garganes
John Jones, 3
H. Eichenberger
William Gray
J. M. Nixon.
1854 to 1856.
John Honea ...
A. L. Berry.
S. B. Honea ....
H. Eichenberger
H. Sharp .-
J. M. Nixon ...
1856 to 1858
John Honea ..
A. L.
Berry ..
R. B. Sagely ..
J. T. Mileham ..
T. C. Tomberlin.
1852 to 1854 ..
John Honea ..
...
E. M. Mc Allister, 9|J.J. McLaughlin, 10|J. F. Nixon.
1878 to 1880
A. E. Cope
G. H. Ross
R. Q. Shores
G. W. C. Nixon.
H. Eichenberger ...
T. Carroll
Eli Patey
104I
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
a sash, door and blind factory, and many stores, with a num- ber of brick buildings. It has two weekly papers, the Union Labor Banner and the Democrat; has telegraph and express offices, and daily mails.
Judge William W. Mansfield is a prominent citizen of Ozark. He was born at Scottsville, Kentucky, January 16th, . 1830, son of George W. and Frances N. Mansfield. He received a common school education, read law, and was admitted to the Bar in Kentucky in 1852. In February, 1853, he came to Arkansas, and in the spring of that year settled at Ozark, where he has since lived, engaged in the prac- tice of his profession. In 1853 or 1854 he was for a short time Justice of the Peace; in 1856 was a Representative in the Legislature; in 1861 he was a Member of the State Convention, and later in the same year was Elector at the election of the President of the Confederate States. He was a Delegate from Franklin county to the Contitutional Con- vention of 1874, and at the first election under that Constitu- tion was elected Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. In 1883 he was appointed by Governor James H. Berry to digest the Statutes of Arkansas, and prepared a digest thereof, published in 1884, generally called "Mansfield's Digest." In 1887 he was appointed Reporter of the decisions of the Supreme Court. In 1859 he was married to Miss Sallie H. Shores, daughter of Alfred M. and Elizabeth Shores, of Franklin county. By this marriage there are six children, to-wit: Mary, George A., John H., William W., Jr .; Sallie Ade- laide and Asher C. Mansfield.
POINSETT COUNTY.
Poinsett County, the thirty-ninth county created, was formed February 28th, 1838, out of territory taken from the counties of Greene and St. Francis, and was named after the
66
1042
THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN THE COUNTY OFFICERS.
DATE.
JUDGE.
CLERK.
SHERIFF.
TREASURER.
CORONER.
SURVEYOR.
ASSESSOR.
1838 to 1840
William Harris ..
Thomas Jones ....... Wiliam Thrower ..
James Staats
Charles Shaver ..
B. McCanen
1842 to 1844
Richard Hall
L. H. Suttin
James Staats
William Smith
B. F. Marcum ..
1844 to 1846
Kollis Perry
L. H. Surfin
R. H. Stone
William smith
T. F. Arledge ..
1846 to 1848
W. H. Harris
L. H. Suttin.
R. H. Stone
Samuel Reed.
Daniel McMillan ...
1848 to 1850
G. W. M. Stacy ..
R. H. Stone
J. Davidson
J. P. Mardis ..
J. M. Broadway ..
1850 to 1852
W. H. Harris ..
R. H Stone.
J. Davidson
J. P. Mardis ...
G. J. Ward
M. Halk
1852 to 1854
W. H. Harris
R. H. Stone.
J. Davidson ....
J. M. Hale
1854 to 1856
S. H. Henton
R. H. Stone.
J. Davidson ..
1856 to 1858
W. H. Harris ..
R. H. Stone.
T. S. Stanley
B. Brown ..
J. M. Cross
M. Halk
1858 to 1860
W. H. Harris
R. H. Stone.
T. S. Stanley
B. Brown
W. H. Smith
M. Halk
1860 to 1862
W. H. Harris ...
M. W. Lewis ..
J. Davidson
B. Brown
W. H. Smith
M. Halk
E. Hindman.
1862 to 1864
W. H. Harris, 1.
O. Y. Neely .. ..
J. Sherrod
A. J. Goodloe ..
B. Brown
M. Halk
E. Hindman.
1864 to 1866
A. B. Scott
W. C. Malone ..
W. B. Stafford.
A. J. Goodloe, 2
J. H. Hall, 3 ..
J. E. Sparks
J. S. Smith.
1866 to 1868
B. Harris.
G. W. Mott, 4.
A. Thorn
James P. Jones.
John Jones
E. A. Owens
V. J. Bradsher.
1872 to 1874
J. H. T. Mayors, 6 .. T. Sparks .
J. S. Smith.
E. Mitchell
F. Walbrink
J. M. Steele
W. Ainsworth.
1874 to 1876
H. A. Hays, 8 ..
T. B. Sparks
J. S. Smith
E. Mitchell
F. Walbrink
B. Harris
A. W. Thornton.
1876 1.0 1878
J. T. Haley
T. H. Jones ..
J. H. Hall ..
E. Mitchell
J. P. Jones
J. M. Steele
W. H. Wade.
1880 to 1882
J. T. Roy.
W. G. Godbey
T. B. Sparks
J. J. smith
W. J. Sligh
H. Scott.
Shelby Bettis.
1882 to 1884
T. H. Jones, 9
W. G. Godbey ....
T. B. Sparks
W. C. Landers
S. G. Stone
H. Scott
D. C. Powell.
1884 to 1886
E. A. Owens
W. G. Godbey
T. B. Sparks
W. C. Landers
Lewis Minton ..
A. W. Scott.
H. H. Houghton.
1886 to 1888
Jasper Wright.
T. A. Stone .. ..
Add Harris
William Amsworth.
James Houston
W. Scott.
Eli Bickley.
1888 to 1890.
J. T. Ray
A. A. Coppage
A. Harris ..
William Ainsworth .. James Aston
Winfield Scott
Paul McLean.
-
1-W. C. Malone from June 8. 1863. 2-J. Z. II. Mayors from March, 1865. 3-W. S. Griffin from July, 1865. 4-J. T. H. Mayors from May, 1870. 5-W. H. Cook from January, 1870. 6 - T. H. Sparks from September 23, 1873. 7-W. S. Wade after Stafford's resignation. 8-D. W. Beeker appointed April, 1876. 9- A. A. Coppage, County Judge, March 6, 1884, vice T. H. Jones left the county.
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
1840 to 1812
Richard Hall
W. G. Arledge
Richard Hall .
J. C. Shavers ..
A. T. Robertson. J. D. Carnes.
H. Scott
H. Scott
E. Robinson
M. Halk
J. M. Hale
J. E. Dukes.
M. Halk
M. S. Goodly, 5.
1868 to 1872
G. W. Sloan ..
W. C. Malone.
W. B. Stafford, 7.
William Ainsworth ..
W. S. Griffin
John Jones
T. B. Smith
A. S. Thorn
H. J. Thorn ..
1878 to 1880
N. J. Willis ...
J. E. Sparks.
1043
POINSETT COUNTY.
new Secretary of War, Joel R. Poinsett, of South Carolina. The temporary seat of justice was established at the house of William Harris. - The county seat was first located at a town called Bolivar, and so remained until the winter of 1856 or 1857, when it was moved to Harrisburg, where it now is.
Poinsett is an interior county, northeast of center, bounded north by Craighead county, east by Mississippi county, south by Cross and Crittenden, and west by Jackson counties. Its present area is about 756 square miles.
Its surface is about one-fourth hilly, the remainder level, and a portion prairie lands. The usual crops, cotton, corn, oats, wheat, fruits and grasses are grown.
The St. Francis and L'Anguille rivers flow through the county and the Tyronza river touches its southeast corner.
Three railroads traverse the county: the Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis runs through the eastern portion of the county, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern through the center, and the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad through the western portion of the county, all running north and south, or nearly so.
There are sixteen public schools in the county, kept open on an average of six months in the year, and a high school at Harrisburg.
There are fourteen church-houses in the county, principally of the Methodist and Baptist denominations.
Harrisburg is near the center of the county, on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad. It was founded Sep- tember 7th, 1856, by Captain Ben. Harris, and was named after him. Shortly after this date it was made the county seat.
A brick court-house was built there in 1859. .
The place contains two church-houses, both frame buildings, a Methodist and a Baptist church.
A newspaper, called Freeman's Express, is published there.
DESHA COUNTY.
Desha County, the fortieth county created, was formed December 12th, 1838, out of territory taken from Arkansas county, and was named after Captain Ben. Desha. The tem- porary seat of justice was directed to be at the house of Wil- liam Sexton, on the Arkansas river. Afterwards it was located at the town of Napoleon, and so remained until Octo- ber 6th, 1874, when it was moved to the town of Watson. It remained at Watson until December 6th, 1880, when it was moved to Arkansas City, where it now is.
Desha county is a southeast county, bounded east by the Mississippi river, north by Phillipsand Arkansas counties, west by Lincoln and Drew and south by Chicot. It embraces 550,- 000 acres of land, all level lands, there being neither hill nor mountain country in it. Itis nearly all alluvial soil. The Arkan- sas and White rivers empty into the Mississippi in the limits of the county. The principal crops are cotton and corn, but fruits produce well, and are extensively grown. The timber is mainly such as flourishes in bottom lands-cypress, water oak and post oak-but red and white oaks, with all the varie- ties of gum woods, are plentiful.
The Valley Railroad runs through the county in two direc- tions, north and south to Arkansas City, and thence westward across the county.
There are thirty-four free common schools, kept open on an average of six months in a year, and thirty-four church- buildings, principally divided between the Methodists and Baptists. The principal towns are Arkansas City, Laconia, Watson, Red Fork, and Mouth of White River.
A former town of importance was Napoleon, situated on the south bank of the Arkansas river, at its junction with the
1044
1045
THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN THE COUNTY OFFICERS.
DATE.
JUDGE.
CLERK.
SHERIFF.
TREASURER.
CORONER.
SURVEYOR.
ASSESSOR.
1838 to 1840
J. R. Morris.
G. B. Watson .. , Jr ...
A. C. Jamison
William Sexton
Rufus Mixture.
G. Cooper
1840 to 1842
S, V. R. Ryan
G. B. Watson.
H. C. Hinton
William Sexton.
E. Cheatham
L. B. Dickson ..
1842 to 1844
J. Wilkinson
W. F. Berry.
G. Cooper.
William Sexton ..
L. J. Boyd .:
S. V. R. Ryan.
1844 to 1846.
J. Wilkinson.
D. G. W. Leavitt.
G. Cooper.
William Sexton ..
W. Woolley
S. V. R. Ryan.
1846 to 1848
S. H. Davis
D. Ripley.
G. Cooper.
Williamn Sexton ..
W. Hodges
G. W. Stokes
1848 to 1850
R. L. Mayson.
W. A. Doberty ..
G. Cooper
William Sexton.
A. J. Cook
G. W. Stokes
1850 to 1852
R. L. Mayson.
W. A. Doberty
E. Randolph
C. Strowd ..
G. W. Knight ..
G. W. Stokes
1852 to 1854
W. R. Anderson
John Davis.
E. Randolph
C. Strowd.
J. D. Turner.
D. D. Weire.
1854 to 1856
W. R. Anderson
J. P. Clayton ..
G. E. Mayson
J. R. Chilers
William Durr
D. D. Weire.
1856 to 1858.
G. B. Watson ..
J. P. Clayton
G. E. Mayson
J. L. Martin
D. F. Edington.
D. D. Weire
1858 to 1860
W. R. Anderson
J P. Clayton.
J. V. Jacobs
J. L. Martin
J. Sımplins, 10
D. D. Weire
1860 to 1862
G. B. Watson
D. J. Murphy
S. C. Clayton
B. B. Brett
T. McKallister
D. D. Weire
1862 to 1864
E. Randolph
I. M. Murphy ...
S. T. Howell.
S. C. Clayton.
J. Hibbard
William Gardner ..
J. W. McThuston.
1864 to 1866
E. Randolph, 1
James Murphy ..
S. T. Howell
Thomas Scott.
J. Hibbard, 2
J. T. Porter, 3.
1866 to 1868
John Hyde.
James Murphy ..
V. R. Ryan
Thomas Scott.
T. McKallister
W. A. Watkins.
1868 to 1872
John Hyde
James Murphy.
A. A. Eddington.
Thomas Scott.
P. M. Gilroy, 4
A. K. Moore
P. Mitchell, 6.
1874 to 1876.
W. B. Peterson.
J. W. Grason
J. P. Jones
E. Mills, 7
A. Jackson
W. N. Blackwell ...
1. Hunter, 8.
1876 to 1878.
J. P. Clayton
J. P. Jones ..
I. Bankston
E. K. Eddington.
Judge Holt
W. N. Blackwell.
George Wilson
1878 to 1880
W. B. Peterson ..
J. P. Jones
I. Bankston
E. K. Eddington, 9 ..
J. R. Chiles
H. E. Drake
S. Williams. S. Willlams.
1880 to 1882.
W. B. Peterson ..
J. P. Jones.
I. Bankston.
J. R. Chiles.
J. H. Wellington ..
W. B. Dumas.
1882 to 1884.
B. F. Merritt.
J. P. Jones
I. Bankston, 11.
J. R. Chiles
R. Dedman ....
Ben McGehee ..
Acklin Patterson.
1884 to 1886.
W. B. Peterson ..
J. P. Jones.
M. W. Quilling.
R. W. Smith
J. C. Crenshaw ..
W. B. Dumas.
Ed. C. William son
1886 to 1888.
W. B. Peterson ..
H. Thane.
John G. Warfield ..
R. W. Smith
J. B. Auburn.
C. C. Clayton ..
1888 to 1890.
W. B. Peterson.
H. Thane
J. G. Warfield ...
J. S. Johnson.
J. B. Auburn ..
C. C. Clayton.
G. W. Gramwear. Ed. Gardner.
1872 to 1874.
R. E. Doran
A. A. Eddington, 5 .. D. McGrath
D. Alexander, Jr ..
W. B. Dumas
William Gardner .. William Gardner ..
D. J. Murphy.
DESHA COUNTY.
1-Robert C. Mayson from January, 1865. 2-Thomas McKallister from January, 1866. 3-Alex Rudd from January, 1866. 4-D. Alexander from March, 1866. 5-W. W. Granger from May, 1873. 6-Declined, and A. H. McNeill elected. 7-J. R. Chiles elected July 10, 1875. 8-Failed to qualify; R. Dedman, elected September, 1875. 9-J. R. Chiles from August, 1879. 10-Died. 11-Jacob S. Ross, Sheritt, January 11, 1884, vice Isaac Bankston removed; S. W. Low- man, Sheritt, elected February 11, 1884.
1046
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Mississippi river. It was settled about 1833, while it was Arkansas county, and in its time was of considerable shipping importance from wharf boats and store houses kept there, but owing to the caving in of the river banks at each season of high water, on account of the light friable soil of which they are composed, the town has been entirely washed into the river and has ceased to exist. The town was located and named in 1833 by Stephen VanRansellear Ryan, of the firm of Mapes, Ryan & Co., who lived at Montgomery's Point, or Mouth of White River, as it later became known. In 1860 the population of the town was about 800 residents, but the transient occupants made it number as high as 5,000 in a year. Captain Kendig, now a resident of Memphis, had a wharf boat there from an early date, and Mr. Roberts also. Major John C. Peay, as a member of the firm of Johnson & Peay, had a wharf boat there from January, 1857, to August, 1860. There were two Johnsons of the firm, William Mon- roe Johnson, now an engineer at Dallas, Texas, and William Warren Johnson, who died in Chicot county, in February, 1888, and is buried beside his father, Judge Euclid John- son, in Little Rock. Gabe Meyer, now a prosperous planter of Jefferson county, was a citizen of the place. The town was the county seat of Desha county up to 1860, and a neat, substantial frame court-house was built there. The United States Government erected at the place a splendid marine hospital, a large and commodious brick structure, at a cost of $55,000. Wat Cheatham also had a large business house of brick. These were the only two brick buildings in the place. During a season of high water, the Mississippi river made such a deep cut into the banks, that both of these brick structures tumbled into the river. Other buildings followed in time, until at this date there is nothing whatever left of the town.
Arkansas City, the county seat, is on the Mississippi river, in the southeast corner of the county. It was organized as a
1047
DESHA COUNTY.
town September 12th, 1873, At that date a petition was presented to the County Court, Judge John A. Williams, Special Judge, presiding, signed by O. Bowles, John Pryor, W. W. Bowles, J. M. Whitehill, Marion W. Lewis, J. H. Demay, and others, praying for its incorporation, which was granted.
Its present population is estimated at 2,000 persons. ៛
It contains a church of the Methodist Episcopal, South, and a Catholic church.
Of hotels, it contains the Parker House, the Eureka Hotel, Brandus House and the Boston Hotel.
The Arkansas City Journal, a weekly newspaper, is pub- lished there by Gates & Thane, editors and proprietors.
A fine cotton seed oil mill at the place was burned in 1884, and has not since been rebuilt.
. The Desha Land and Planting Company has a large hard- wood mill in operation at the place, with a capacity of 100,000 feet per day, the largest mill of the kind probably in the country.
At the wharf or steamboat landing is an immense ware- house and ice-house, owned and run by J. M. Whitehill, and another used as a wholesale feed and grain establishment by R. W. Smith.
Colonel Lebbeus A. Pindall became a citizen of Desha county in 1866. He was born in Monongalia county, West Virginia, January 14th, 1834, son of General Evan S. Pin- dall, and brother of Judge X. J. Pindall. His father moved to Missouri with the family in 1853, he at the time attending Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pennsylvania. He next studied law with his uncle, Gustavus Cresap, and in 1856 and 1857 he was a student of Brokenborough's law school, which has since become the law department of the Washing- ton & Lee University, at Lexington, Virginia. He was admitted to the Bar in 1857, and began the practice of his profession at Paris, Monroe county, Missouri. On the break-
1048
HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
ing out of the war he entered the Confederace Army under General Sterling Price, and commanded a battalion, under General Parsons, in Missouri and Arkansas. After the war, not being permitted to practice law in Missouri, under the provisions of the "Draconian Code," as it was called, Drake's State Constitution, which disfranchised all who had taken the Southern side, he and his brother, X. J. Pindall, came to Arkansas, and settled first at Napoleon. L. A. Pindall after- wards moved to Arkansas City and then to Watson. He was a Member of the Legislature of 1878 and 1880, and was several times Special Judge of the Supreme Court. In 1868 he married, in Monroe county, Missouri, Miss Nora Snell, daughter of John A. Snell, of a Kentucky family. By this marriage there are two sons, Lebbeus Ashby and Xeno- phon Overton. He died at Mexico, Missouri, July 5th, 1885, in the 52d year of his age.
Judge Xenophon J. Pindall, Judge of the Eleventh Judi- cial Circuit, has been a citizen of Watson since 1875. He was born in Monongalia county, West Virginia, August 13th, 1835. In 1853 his father, General Evan Shelby Pin- dall, moved to Monroe county, Missouri, where X. J. Pin- dal studied law. He was admitted to the Bar in Mexico, Missouri, in 1858, and practiced law in Missouri till 1861, when he joined the Confederate Army, under General Ster- ling Price, and served till the close of the war. Not being allowed to practice law in Missouri after the war, on account of having been in the Confederate Army, he came to Arkan- sas, and settled at Napoleon in 1866, and practiced there till the county seat was moved to Watson, in 1875, when he moved to Watson and practiced there till 1878, when he was elected Circuit Judge, which position he held till 1882. In 1872 he was elected to the Legislature, and in 1874 to the State Senate. On the 30th of August, 1868, he married, at Natchez, Mississippi, Miss S. A. Hootsell, daughter of John Hootsell, a planter, below Natchez. By this mar- riage there are four children, two sons and two daughters.
SEARCY COUNTY.
Searcy County, the forty-first county created, was formed December 13th, 1838, out of territory taken from Marion county, and was named in honor of Richard Searcy. The temporary seat of justice was directed to be at the house of James Eagan. Commissioners, appointed for the purpose, located the county seat at Lebanon, five miles west of Mar- shall; but in 1856 it was moved to Marshall, where it has since remained.
Searcy county is an interior county, north or northwest of center, about thirty miles below the Missouri line. Its area is about 600 square miles. In surface it is somewhat broken, but about one-half the lands are level, and the soil of good character. All the usual crops are grown. The county is well watered by small streams, such as the Buffalo Fork of White river, Richland, Calf and Bear creeks, Red river and Big Creek, but as yet has no railroad. Minerals are known to exist in the county. Gold, silver, copper and lead have been discovered, but not developed, and fine marble and stone are abundant.
There are sixty-four free, common schools kept open from three to six months in the year, and churches in all the prom- inent points.
Marshall, the county seat, was located in 1856, by Jack Marshall, Littleton Baker and J. W. Gray, Commissioners, and was made the county seat in that year. It was first named Burrowville, after N. B. Burrow, but the name was afterwards changed to Marshall, in honor of Chief Justice Marshall. The present population is about 250. The Baptists and Methodists have each an organized congregation, but hav-
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