Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.], Part 64

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Arkansas > Faulkner County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Garland County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Grant County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Hot Spring County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Jefferson County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Lonoke County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Perry County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Pulaski County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64
USA > Arkansas > Saline County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 64

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Conway's pistol exploded an instant in advance

of his adversary's and the lint flew from the breast of Mr. Crittenden, the ball passing through the lappel of 'his coat without inflicting any injury. This caused Col. Desha to lean forward in great anxiety and ask, 'Mr. Crittenden, are you seri- ously hurt ?' to which he replied in the negative, but said, 'I fear I have killed Mr. Conway,' who reeled and fell the next moment, pierced through the body, from which he died eleven days after- ward. He was a noble specimen of intellectual and physical manhood, and fell a deeply regretted sacrifice to the false teachings of the times in which he lived. He was never married."

The following is the account, in substance, of a fight which took place between Hogan and Scott in 1828, as given by J. R. Homer Scott: " A gen- eral election coming on, Col. Ambrose H. Sevier, a Democrat, announced himself as a candidate for delegate to Congress, with Judge Andrew Scott, a Whig, and one or more opposing candidates. Gen. Edmund Hogan, a Democrat, and others be- came candidates for the Territorial legislature. During the canvass a barbecue was given, which was at the time represented as given by Col. Sevier, or his friends. for the purpose of influencing or buying votes; the report being circulated to injure the prospects of Sevier, created much feeling with his friends. Hogan. a warm personal and political friend of Sevier, being greatly incensed by the re- port, and believing Judge Scott, one of the oppos- ing candidates, to be the author of it, immediately went in search of him, and on May 31, 1828, found him in company with David E. Mckinney and other friends in the store of John McLean, on the west side of Main Street, in Little Rock, and in a very hasty, haughty, imperious and alto- gether menacing manner, demanded of Scott an instant retraction, to which the latter very indig- nantly replied:

". Gen. Hogan, I have on several occasions stated heretofore, that this report so circulated as ema- nating from me, was most positively and infamous- ly false in every particular, and I say to you here, sir, that your manner of approaching and address- ing me on the subject, is very ungentlemanly and insulting.' Whereupon Hogan struck Scott and

403

PULASKI COUNTY.

felled him to the floor, partially upon some sacks of coffee. Scott, upon arising, drew the spear from his cane, and, throwing his left arm around the large and corpulent form of Hogan, with his right hand thrust the spear three or four times into his body. Hogan being a large and muscular man. weighing from 250 to 300 pounds, wrenched the spear from the hand of Scott, who was a small man, weighing only 130 pounds, and made one thrust at him without injury, and then fell to the floor and expired. Scott then surrendered to the marshal, was taken before a judge of the court, where, upon examination and investigation of the matter, he was acquitted upon the ground of self-defense."

This, however, was not a duel, but it deserves mention along with the duels, as characteristic of the bitter animosities that grew out of the politi- cal controversies of that day. It seems, however, that much more honor was then exercised between bitter political enemies than at the present. In the pioneer days they met their antagonists face to face, openly and boldly.

Hallum's History, in giving the biography of the celebrated Chester Ashley, says: "In 1828 a desperado named John Garrett conceived great animosity to Col. Ashley, without just cause or provocation, and publicly announced on the street that he intended to kill him on sight. He took up a position on the street corner overlooking Col. Ashley's residence, and maintained it two or three days awaiting the exit of his intended victim. Col. Ashley, to avoid collision with such a charac- ter, and the inevitable to shed the blood of a fel- low mortal, kept his house until the third day, when, as he supposed, the desperado had retired. Laboring under this impression he crossed over to the Gazette office, but Garrett observed the move- ment and followed in hot pursuit, pistol in hand, unobserved by his intended victim. In the overt act of executing his threat, he forced the door of the Gazette office and entered, but Col. Woodruff observed him in time to grapple him before he could do any great violence. He fired at Col. Ashley and missed him; was himself shot, and died in a few hours, but the question as to who shot him has always been a disputed one."

Mr. Hallum, in his biography of Charles F. M. Noland, says: "He espoused the Crittenden party, and wrote many gifted and spirited communications to the Advocate, which attracted much attention throughout the Territory at the time. These earlier communications were published under the nom de plume of Devereux. Later in life he wrote under the nom de plume of Pete Whetstone. At the time the Devereux letters appeared, William Fountain Pope, nephew and secretary to Gov. John Pope, lived in Little Rock. He was an impulsive, ardent Democrat, and wrote for the press over his own signature, and with much zeal attacked the doc- trines advanced by Devereux. This led to caustic criticism and the dueling ground. I am informed by contemporaneous authority, which has every appearance of credibility, that young Pope threw down the gauntlet and cut off all resources but the field; and that Noland, contrary to the expectations of his friends, replied in a mild spirit, inviting, or rather leaving the way to conciliation open, but neither retracting nor apologizing for anything which had appeared under the name of Devereux. Young Pope treated the conciliatory spirit of his adversary with an air of hanghty disdain, and denounced Noland in press as a coward. Fatal mistake! Of all the proud spirits that ever ani- mated an age of chivalry, Noland's was the least likely to suffer his manhood thus to be buried under the odium cast at him. This could lead to but one re- sult, the dueling pistol supplanted the pen. Much controversy has been indulged by correspondents in the public press as to who were the seconds of the parties, and as to where the duel was fought. After examining it all, the author is inclined to the opinion that it was fought in the then province of Texas, at a place known as ' Lost Prairie,' on Feb- ruary 5, 1831, and that Maj. Tom Scott was the second of Pope, and that Dr. Nimrod Menifee was the second of Noland. At the command, 'Fire!' the pistols exploded simultaneously. Pope fell mortally wounded; Noland was not touched. Pope was carried from the field to Washington, in Hempstead Connty, under the care of a surgeon, and thence to Little Rock, where he died June 17, 1831."

404

HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

William F. Pope, a relative of William Fount- ain Pope, now living in Little Rock (1889), and from whom Mr. Hallum alleges, that he got the foregoing information, now corrects himself by say- ing that he thinks the duel was fought on what was then neutral ground, near the Texas line, the place being the same, however. Noland was a cit- izen of Batesville.

It will be observed that with the exception of the duel between Pope and Noland, and perhaps the killing of Watkins, all of these difficulties arose and were adjusted according to the customs of the times, prior to 1830, and all before Arkan- sas became a State; also that in every instance one or more of the most prominent and able pioneer settlers, politicians or lawyers, were connected with the transactions, and that all of them took place during the first fifteen years of the existence of Little Rock as a town.

There was another duel, however, which took place much later. This was between Gov. John S. Roane and Gen. Albert Pike. In 1846 Pike raised a company of cavalry which was attached to Col. Yell's regiment in the Mexican War. After the battle of Buena Vista, where Col. Yell fell, Pike published some caustic criticisms on the con- duct of the war, which caused much friction and resulted in the duel here related. The duel was fought in August, 1848, on the sandbar in the Arkansas River, in the Indian Territory, opposite Fort Smith. The ground was stepped off and positions chosen by lot. Pike faced up stream and Roane down. The distance was ten paces; two shots were fired by each party, but all without injury, and Roane, the challenging party, demand- ed a third, when a controversy arose between the seconds which resulted in stopping the proceed- ings. The parties then retired to a banquet held in Fort Smith, and the combatants afterward became firm friends. Happily the day of settling diffi- culties by the barbarous method authorized by the code duello has passed away.

Other towns and villages exist in Pulaski Coun- ty, among which is Argenta, an incorporated place of about 1,500 inhabitants, on the north side of the river, directly opposite Little Rock. It has

grown almost wholly since the Civil War, and con- tains many fine buildings and residences, several manufacturing establishments, a number of hotels, also churches and school-houses, railroad machine shops, stock-yards, lumber-yards and the usual number of stores and other business enterprises in a town of its size. It may be considered a suburb of Little Rock, and when the population of the latter city is estimated Argenta is generally includ- ed. It lies much lower than Little Rock. Many laborers of the latter place reside in Argenta. [For the manufactories of Argenta see under head of "manufactories " in Little Rock. ]

Aside from Little Rock and Argenta there are no towns of considerable size in Pulaski County. Jacksonville is a small village with a few business houses, located on the Iron Mountain Railroad, about thirteen miles northeast of Little Rock, and McAlmont is a station on the same railroad, about seven miles northeast of the city. Sweet Home, Wrightsville, Woodson and Hensley are stations and villages on the Little Rock, Mississippi & Texas Railroad, below Little Rock City. Mabel- vale and Alexander are small towns on the Iron Mountain Railroad, southwest of Little Rock. Warren Station is on the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad, about ten miles northwest of the capitol. Neimeyer and Galloway are stations east of Little Rock, on the Altheimer Branch Railroad. These stations and villages and other points in the county are provided with postoffices. Each have one or more stores, and some have a school-house and one or more churches.

During pioneer times in this county there was a small class of individuals, who with propriety might have been called itinerant or traveling school- masters; master being the term then used instead of teacher. One of these individuals would find a settlement where enough children existed within reasonable proximity to constitute a small school. Visiting the parents and guardians he would or- ganize a "subscription school," usually agreeing to teach a term of three months' duration for a stipulated price per pupil. After having obtained enough subscribers to support a small school consist- ing of from fifteen to thirty pupils, this traveling

405

PULASKI COUNTY.

educator would begin his school, board round with the patrons, teach for the time agreed upon, and then pass on and find another settlement, where he would in like manner organize and teach another school, and thus keep himself almost continually employed. An old-surviving pioneer says that though they were all strangers, they were always honest and gave satisfaction as teachers. As they kept constantly on the move, it was seldom that one of these teachers was employed twice in the same place. By the time the settlers could afford a second term of school the first teacher had usually passed out of their reach, and his place would be filled by another stranger. The country had to depend upon subscription schools entirely, until the present free school system was established since the close of the Civil War. A few academies or colleges were established early in the towns and cities.

According to J. R. Homer Scott, Jesse Brown was the first "schoolmaster " who taught in Lit- tle Rock, and the names of his male pupils in his first school were Charles P. Bernard, Robert and Chester Cunningham, William E. Ashley, Gordon M. Peay, George C. Watkins, Nathaniel Dennis, William and Jefferson Smith, Ezekiel Markus, James Scull, Theopolis Pritchard, Robert W. Johnson, Jordan Embree, John C. Peay and the informant, J. R. Homer Scott. None of these are now living except the last two named. Mr. Brown's female pupils were Mrs. William F. Pope (formerly Mary G. Peay), Mrs. Joseph Newton (formerly Arabella Bertrand), Mrs. Sarah Duff (formerly Sarah Cunningham), Mrs. Peter Hanger (formerly Matilda Cunningham), Mrs. Benjamin H. Campbell (formerly Eliza Scott), Mrs. Hen- rietta Savage (formerly Miss Cunningham), Mrs. G. D. Boydston (formerly Mary Clarissa Bates) and Mrs. William E. Woodruff, Sr. (formerly Jane Mills). None of these were living in 1885, when Mr. Scott published the foregoing information, except Mrs. Woodruff and Mrs. Boydston.

No free schools existed until the present public school system was inaugurated since the close of the Civil War. The following statistics taken from the report of the State superintendent of public

instruction, for the year ending June 30, 1888, will serve to show how the schools are progressing in Pulaski County :

Scholastic population: White, males, 3.981: females, 3,742; total, 7, 723; colored, males, 4, 159; females, 4,035; total, 8,194. Total white and colored, 15,917. Number of pupils taught in the public schools: White, males, 2,284; females, 2,237; total, 4,521; colored, males, 2,250; females, 2,300; total, 4,550. Total white and colored, 9,071. Number of districts, 43; number reporting, 39. Number of teachers employed: Males, 84; females, 80; total, 164. Average monthly salaries: First grade, males, $60; females, $45; second grade, males, $40; females, $37.50; third grade, males, $35; females, $30. Amount expended for the sup- port of the schools: For teachers' salaries, $54, - 874.86; for building and repairing, $9, 151.39; for treasurer's commissions, $1,617. 75; total, $65,644.

According to the figures mentioned 583 per cent of the white, and 553 per cent of the colored scholastic population attended the public schools. This is a very low per cent, and tends rather to show that the free school system is not as well patronized as it should be. A large percentage, however, of the children of school age in the city of Little Rock attend the colleges and high or select schools.

The free schools in the city of Little Rock are named and located as follows: Forest Grove, Rec- tor Avenue and Fifth Street; Fort Steele, State, between Twelfth and Fifteenth; Peabody, Gaines, between Fourth and Fifth; Scott Street High School. southeast corner of Scott and Fourteenth; Sherman, on Sherman Street, between Seventh and Eighth. Colored free schools: Arsenal, on Sherman, between Eighth and Ninth; Capital Hill, corner Wolfe and West Eleventh: Union High School, State, between Sixth and Seventh. These 1 schools are all supplied with good buildings, mostly large brick structures, and all necessary appliances.

Little Rock University, an institution of decided merit, was incorporated under the laws of Arkansas June 6. 1883, the body corporate consisting of Bishop H. W. Warren, D. D .; Rev. R. S. Rust,

406

HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

LL. D ; Rev. J. C. Hartzell, D. D. : Rev. George - W. Gray, D D .; Revs. T. B. Ford, O. R. Bryant, W. J. Simmons, D. H. Upchurch, R. C. Moter, G E. Cunningham and W. H. W. Rees, and Messrs. F. Carland, William G. Whipple, G. H. Smith, Logan H. Roots and J. H. Barton.

The university is located on Lincoln Avenue near the Union Depot, and has a campus of eight- een acres on the bluff, 100 feet above the Arkansas River. The grounds are spacious and ornamental, aud the buildings commodious and well arranged. The university hall was dedicated February 23, 1884. It is substantially built, and of beautiful proportions. By the generosity of the late Dr. J. H. McLean, of St. Louis, the tower is furnished with a costly clock. A neat cottage for the use of married students has been erected on the grounds. A library containing about 1,000 volumes, and a well-arranged museum is connected with the uni- versity.

Substantial board is furnished to students at $2.50 per week, or by joining a club young men can obtain satisfactory board at $1.50 per week. The faculty, of which Rev. Alfred Noon, A. M., is president. is large and competent. The institu- tion at present offers a collegiate course in liberal arts, leading to the degrees of B. A. and B. S .; a college preparatory course, an English course, a Normal course and two Biblical courses. It is also provided for instruction in instrumental and vocal music, in drawing and painting, and in elo- ention, and has in affiliation lectureships of the Little Rock law class.

In addition to the English, Latin and Greek and the French and German languages are taught. The institution offers great advantages to pupils of both sexes, and no better opportunities for ob- taining an education can be found; besides the lo- cation is both pleasant and healthful.

Arkansas Female College was chartered many years ago for the purpose of enabling parents in Little Rock to educate their daughters without sending them away from home. For a long series of years the college occupied the building known as the Albert Pike property, at 411 East Seventh Street. This property having changed hands re-

cently, the college has been moved to the south- west corner of Fourteenth and Rock Streets, where it is still under the management of Mrs. Myra C. Warner, who has been the able aud effi- cient principal thereof ever since it was estab- lished. This school has been very useful, has been largely patronized, and has accomplished much good in educating the young ladies of the city. It has also had a considerable patronage from the country, and its doors stand open to all persons desiring to avail themselves of its advan- tages.

The Medical Department of the Arkansas Indus- trial University is located at Little Rock. Recogniz- ing the necessity of a medical college in Arkansas, a number of prominent physicians in Little Rock met in 1879 for the purpose of organizing and es- tablishing such a college. After formal organiza- tion they were allowed by the trustees of the Ar- kansas Industrial University (located at Fayette- ville, Washington County) to assume the name heading this article. This action was afterward confirmed by the legislature, with the stipulation that the State should in no way become responsi- ble for any expense in establishing or maintaining the department; hence it follows that the name implying a connection with the university served only to introduce the new enterprise to the public. The first annual announcement and prospectus was sent out in July, 1879, and soon thereafter the present building used by the college was pur- chased. It is a three-story brick structure, with a stone front, and now contains two general lect- ure halls, a very large and well-ventilated dissect- ing room, provided with the proper conveniences for obtaining a thorough knowledge of anatomy. It is located on the south side of Second Street, between Main and Louisiana.

The originators and organizers of this institu- tion had to overcome many obstacles in their way, and for the first five years after it was founded the receipts were not quite sufficient to defray the ex- penses; but since that period the patronage has so increased, and the success become so satisfactory, that the college is now on a solid financial basis. The department auspiciously closed its tenth school

407

PULASKI COUNTY.

year, and at this time the eleventh is in session. The whole number of matriculates for the first five years was 151, and the entire number of graduates for the same time thirty-three. The whole number of matriculates for the next five years was 305, and the whole number of graduates seventy-six; thus making the aggregate of matriculates 456, and graduates 109. The faculty is large and very able, and entirely competent to give the young men of Arkansas and other States 'a thorough medical education, thus obviating the necessity of going abroad to receive such education.

The board of trustees consists of J. A. Dibrell, Jr., M. D., Little Rock; William M. Lawrence, M. D., Batesville, Independence County, and William Thompson, M. D., Little Rock. The faculty is as follows: P. O. Hooper, M. D., emeritus, practice of medicine; Edwin Bentley, M. D., institutes and practice of surgery; James A. Dibrell, Jr., M. D., general, descriptive and surgical anatomy, and president of faculty; A. L. Breysacher, M. D., obstetrics and diseases of women and children; John J. McAlmont, M. D., materia medica, thera- peutics, hygiene and botany; James H. Southall, M. D., practice of medicine; Roscoe G. Jennings, M. D., clinical surgery and dermatology; W. G. Miller, M. D., medical chemistry and toxicology; L. P. Gibson, M. D., demonstrator of anatomy; T. E. Murrell, M. D., ophthalmology and otology; James H. Lenow, M. D., diseases of genito urinary organs; Claibourne Watkins, M. D., physical diag- nosis and clinical medicine; Louis R. Stark, M. D., gynæcology; John Waters, M. D., institutes of medicine; F. L. French, M. D., prosector of anat- omy; W. U. Simons (United States Signal Service), meteorology.

Little Rock Commercial College was founded in 1874, by Prof. Aaron Bales, who began on a small scale, and with the aid of a strong corps of teachers, including the present president, built up a large and flourishing school. He made wise and liberal provisions for the growth of the college by securing for its use the pleasant and convenient quarters it now occupies, at No. 2032 Main Street, in one of the finest buildings in the State. On January 1, 1886, Mr. M. A. Stone purchased the

property of the college, and was elected president by its board of directors. The school has acquired a good standing all over the Southwest, and has annually prepared a large number of young per- sons for the counting-room. The faculty consists of M. A. Stone, president; J. A. Willis, penman. ship, book-keeping and mathematics; E. C. John- son, commercial law; W. J. Terry, civil govern- ment and political economy; and George M. Hod- ges, telegraphy and electrical sciences.

In 1877, Miss Mary Harrell established a lim- ited select school in Little Rock, and has taught it successfully ever since. It is located at 209 Rock Street. Miss Harrell is a graduate of east- ern colleges, and is competent to give her pupils a thorough education.

St. Edward's Parochial School is located on the northwest corner of Ninth and Ferry Streets.

The colored people of Little Rock have the fol- lowing educational institutions: Arkansas Baptist College, located on Chester near Fourteenth; Philander Smith College, corner Eleventh and Izard; St. Paul Lutheran School. No. 1204 Rock Street. Other schools of Little Rock have been mentioned in connection with certain churches. The city is so well supplied with free schools and collegiate institutions, that no one need to go abroad to fit himself for any occupation or profes- sion in life.

To the Baptists belongs the honor of erecting the first house of worship in Little Rock, it being a log cabin " meeting house " which stood " in the woods," on Third Street, about where the Rossner brick building now stands. This was in a very early day in the history of the city, and the church then organized has long been disbanded. Another organization known as the "Old Eighth Street Baptist Church " had an existence for many years. The present First Baptist Church seems to have originated in September, 1880, by the consolida- tion of the old Eighth Street and the Central Bap- tist Churches, when the membership was only seventy-three. In November, 1883, Dr. S. Corne- lius accepted a call and took charge as pastor. In February, 1884, property was purchased on Ninth and Louisiana Streets, and a chapel erected there-

408

HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

on. On May 31, 1889, the corner stone of the new edifice of the First Baptist Church was laid with appropriate religious ceremonies. It is now in process of erection on the southeast corner of Louisiana and Twelfth Streets, and will probably be completed by the time this work reaches the reader. The structure is of red brick with blue native granite foundation, and trimming of Ala- bama stone. The style is Romanesque. The building has an extreme length of 110 feet and a width of seventy feet. The auditorium will seat 550 in the pews, and the Sunday-school apartment will seat almost as many. The two rooms are separated by sliding doors twenty feet high, so that the speaker can be seen from every part of the building. * * * There are ladies' parlors, pastor's study, young men's reading room and other necessary rooms included in a modern church building. [Extract from Arkansas Baptist. ] Rev. J. K. Pace is pastor of this church, and the mem- bership is about 282. A large Sunday school and the usual societies are connected with the church.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.], Part 64

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 826