USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1 > Part 14
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The old State Bank building, in front of the State house, is the only reminder of the institution which promised so much and did so little for the public. The old building is after the style of all such buildings-a low, two-story brick or stone, with huge Corinthian columns in front, having stone steps to ascend to the first floor. Similar structures can be found in Illinois, Missouri and all the Western and Southern States. The one in Little Rock is unsightly and gloomy and does little else but cumber the ground. It is in the way, ow- ing to a difficulty in the title, of such a modern and elegant building as would be in keeping with the rapidly advancing and beautiful "City of Roses."
Roads and highways have always occupied pub- lic consideration. Being so crossed with rivers passing from the west toward the Mississippi River, the early settlers all over the confines of this State passed up the streams and for some time used these as the only needed highways. In the course of time they began to have bridle-paths crossing from settlement to settlement.
The United States military road from Western , Missouri passed through Arkansas and led on to Shreveport, La. This extended through East- ern Arkansas, and Arkansas Post was an import. ant point on the route. It was surveyed and partially cut out early in the nineteenth century. A monthly mail proceeded over the route on horse- back, the mail rider generally being able to carry the mail in his pocket.
A trail at first was the road from the mouth of the White River to Arkansas Post. This portage soon became a highway, as much of the business and travel for the Post was landed at the mouth of White River and transported across to the Red River.
In 1821 Congress authorized the survey and opening of a public highway from Memphis, via
Little Rock, to Fort Smith. The work was com- pleted in 1823. This was the first highway of any importance in the Territory. The other routes mentioned above were nothing more than trails, or bridle-paths. A weekly mail between Little Rock and Memphis was established in 1829.
In 1832 a government road leading on a di- rect line from Little Rock to Batesville was cut out, and the Indians removed from Georgia were brought by water to the capital and taken over this road. At that time it was the best public course as well as the longest in the State, and be- came in time the main traveled road from the northern part of the State to its center.
Arkansas was settled sparsely along the Missis- sippi River some years before Fulton invented the steamboat. The first steamboat ever upon western waters passed down that river in the latter part of 1811-the "Orleans," Capt. Roosevelt.
The Indians had their light cedar bark canoes, and were remarkably expert in handling them. These were so light that the squaws could carry them on their backs, and in their expeditions in ascending the streams frequently saved much time by traveling across the great bends of the river and carrying their conveyances. Of course in going with the current, they kept the stream, skimming over the waters with great speed. At one time the migratory Indians at stated seasons followed the buffalo from the Dakotas to the Gulf, the buffalo remaining near, and the Indians on the streams. The latter could thus out-travel the immense herds and at certain points make forays upon them and so keep an abundant supply of meat. The buffalo had the curious habit of indulging in long stops when they came to a large river in their course, as if dreading to take to the water and swim across. They would gather on the bank of the river at the selected crossing-place, and after having devoured everything near at hand and hunger began to pinch, would collect into a close circle and begin to move, circling round and round, the inside ones ever crowding the out- side ones closer and closer to the water. This continued until some one, crowded into the deep water, had to make the plunge, when all followed.
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These animals when attacked by other animals, or when danger threatened. formed in a compact circle, with the cows and calves on the inside and the bulls on the outer ring. In this battle array there was nothing in the line of beasts that dared molest them.
The white man came and to the canoe he added the skiff, the pirogue, the raft, the keel boat and the flat boat. The raft never made but one trip and that was down stream always, and when its destination was reached it was sold to be converted into lumber. Other water crafts could be hauled back by long tow lines. men walking on the banks and pulling them up stream. There are those now living who can remember when this was the only mode of river navigation. The younger people of this generation can form no adequate idea of the severity of the toil and the suffering necessarily in- volved in the long trips then made by these hardy pioneers. If the people of to-day were compelled to procure the simple commodities of life at such hard sacrifices, by such endurance, they would do without them, and go back to fig leaves and nuts and roots for subsistence.
When Fulton and Livingston had successfully navigated their boat from Pittsburg to New Or- leans, they made the claim of a sort of royal patent to the exclusive navigation of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. This claim was put forth in perfect good faith and it was a new question as well as a serious one for the courts, when these claimants arrested Captain Shreve upon his arrival in New Orleans with his boat, and carried him be- fore the court to answer in damages for navi- gating by steam the river that belonged to them as the first steam navigators. This curious inci- dent indicates how little even the inventor of the steamboat appreciated of what vast importance to civilization his noble invention really was. To him and his friend it was but a small personal right or perquisite-a licensed monopoly, out of which they could make a few dollars, and when they passed away probably the invention too would die and be forgotten. How infinitely greater had the noble, immortal originator builded than he knew! The revolving paddles of the steamboat
were but the wheels now whirling so rapidly be- neath the flying railroad trains over the civilized world. From this strange, rude craft, the "Or- leans," have evolved the great steamships, iron-clad war vessels, and the palatial steamboats plying the inland waters wherever man's wants or luxuries are to be supplied. The genius and glory of such men as Fulton belong to no age, much less to themselves-they and theirs are a part of the world, for all time.
In 1812 Jacob Barkman opened up a river trade between Arkadelphia and New Orleans, car- rying his first freights in a pirogue. It took six months to make a round trip. He conveyed to New Orleans bear skins and oil. pelts. and tallow se- cured from wild cattle, of which there were a great many; these animals had originally been brought to the country by the Spaniards and French, and had strayed away, and increased into great herds, being as wild and nearly as fleet as the deer. He brought back sugar, coffee, powder, lead, flints, copperas, camphor, cotton and wool cards, etc., and soon after embarking was able to own his negro crews. He purchased the steamboat " Dime " and became one of the most extensive and enter- prising men in the State. With his boat he ascended rivers, and purchased the cotton, owning his cargo, for a return trip.
In 1819, James Miller, the first governor of the Territory, and a military suite of twenty persons, embarked at Pittsburg in the United States keel- boat, "Arkansas," for Arkansas Post. The trip occupied seventy days, reaching the point of desti- nation January 1, 1820. It was difficult to tell which excited the greatest curiosity among the natives-the new governor or the keel-boat.
The flood-tide of western river navigation reached its highest wave soon after the close of the late war. The Mississippi River and tributaries were crowded with craft. and the wharves of cities and towns along the banks were lined with some of the finest boats ever built. all freighted to the water's edge and crowded with passengers. Build- ers vied with each other in turning out the most magnificent floaters, fitted with every elegance and luxury money could procure. The main point after
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elegance, in which they rivaled most, was the speed of their respective craft. From the close of the war to 1870, steamboating was the overshadowing business on western waters. Of the boats of this era, some will go into history, noted for their fleetness, but unlike the fleet horses of history, they could not leave their strain in immortal de- scendants, rivaling their celebrated feats. Racing between boats that happened to come together on the river was common, and sometimes reckless and dangerous, as well as exciting. Occasionally a couple of "tubs," as the boys called a slow boat, engaged in a race and away they would go, running for hours side by side, the stokers all the time piling in the most inflammable material they could lay hands on, especially pine knots and fat bacon, until the eager flames poured out of the long chimney tops; and it was often told that the captain, rather than fall behind in the race, would seat a darkey on the end of the lever of the safety valve, and at the same time scream at the stokers to pile on the bacon, pine knots. oil, anything to make steam. Roustabouts, officers, crew and passengers were all as wildly excited as the captain, and as utterly regardless of dangers. From such recklessness accidents of course did hap- pen, but it is wonderful there were so few.
Not infrequently commanders would regularly engage beforehand for a race of their boats; fixing the day and time and as regularly preparing their vessels as a jockey trains and grooms his race-horse. The two most noted contests of this kind on the Mississippi River were, first, in the early times, between the "Shotwell" and "Eclipse," from Louisville to New Orleans. The next and greatest of all was just at the time of the commencement of the decline in steamboating, between the steamers "Robert E. Lee" and "Natchez," from New Or- leans to St. Louis. The speed, the handling of these boats, the record they mado, have never been equaled and probably never will be, unless steam- boating is revived by some new invention. The race last mentioned took place in 1868.
Fearful steamboat calamities, from explosions and from fires, like the awful railroad accidents, have marked the era of steam navigation.
The most disastrous in history occurred in 1865, in the loss of the "Sultana," on the Mississippi, a few miles above Memphis, a part of the navigable waters of Arkansas. The boat was on her way up stream from New Orleans laden principally with soldiers, some of them with their families, and several citizens as passengers. There were 2,350 passengers and crew on the vessel. A little after midnight the sudden and awful explosion of the boilers came, literally tearing the boat to pieces, after which the wreck took fire. Over 2,000 peo- ple perished.
The early decline of the steamboat industry kept even pace with the building of railroads over the country. Main lines of railroads were soon built, the streams being used as natural road beds through the rock hills and mountains. In passing over the country in trains one will now often see the flowing river close to the railroad track on one hand, when from the opposite window the high rock mountain wall may almost be touched. Then, too, the large towns were along the navigable riv- ers, lakes and ocean. The sage conclusion of the philosopher when he went out to look at the world. and was impressed with the curious coincidence that the rivers ran so close by the big towns, is a trite one: A great convenience to those who used water.
The first railroad built in Arkansas was the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad. Work was com- menced with the intention of first constructing it from Little Rock to Devall's Bluff, on White River, whence passengers might proceed by boat to Memphis. It was started at both ends of the line and finished in 1859, the next year being extended to St. Francis River, and then in 1860 completed to the river opposite Memphis. When the Federal army took possession of the Mississippi River, and their forces began to possess the north- eastern portion of the State, the Confederates as they retired toward Little Rock destroyed the road and burned the bridges. Indeed, when the war ended in 1865. Arkansas was without a mile of railroad. Soon after the war closed the road was rebuilt and put in operation, and for some time was the only one in the State.
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The next was the old Cairo & Fulton Railroad, now the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Road. It was organized in 1833, and in 1854-55 obtained a large Congressional land grant in aid of the enterprise, and built first from Fulton to Beebe, in 1872; it was completed to Texarkana in 1873, and soon came to be the most important line in the State. The Camden branch, from Gur- don to Camden, was completed in 1882. The Mem- phis branch, from Bald Knob to Memphis, ninety- three miles, was finished and the first passenger train passed over the line May 10, 1888. The branch from Newport to Cushman, a distance of forty-six miles, was built in 1882. The Helena branch, from Noble to Helena, 140 miles, was com- pleted in 1882.
The main line of the St. Louis & Iron Moun- tain Railroad enters the State on the north, at Moark (combination for Missouri and Arkansas), and passes out at Texarkana (combination for Arkansas and Texas). The distance between these two points is 305 miles.
The first section of the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad, from Clarendon to Jonesboro, was built in 1882, and the next year completed to Tex- arkana. It was built as a narrow gauge and made a standard gauge in 1886. Its northern terminus for some time was Cairo, where it made its St. Louis connection over the St. Louis & Cairo Nar- row Gauge Road, now a standard, and a part of the Mobile & Ohio system. The Magnolia branch of this road runs from MeNeal to Magnolia, about twenty miles, and was built in 1885. The Althei- mer branch, from Altheimer to Little Rock, was constructed and commenced operation in ISSS. The main line of this road enters the State from the north in Clay County, on the St. Francis River, penetrating into Texas at Texarkana.
The Little Rock. Mississippi River & Texas Railroad, now in course of construction, is a much needed road from Little Rock to Pine Bluff, on to Warren and Mississippi, and will form an important outlet for Arkansas toward the Gulf. This was built from Arkansas City to Pine Bluff, and then completed to Little Rock in 1850.
The Pine Bluff & Swan Lake Railroad was
built in 1885. It is twenty-six miles long, and runs between the points indicated by its name.
The Arkansas Midland Railroad, from Helena to Clarendon, was built as a narrow gauge and changed to a standard road in 1886.
The Batesville & Brinkley Railroad is laid as far as Jacksonport. It was changed in 1888 to a standard gauge, and is now in course of construc- tion on to Batesville.
The Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Rail- road enters the State at Mammoth Spring, and runs to West Memphis. Its original name was Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis Railroad. It now is a main line from Kansas City to Birming- ham, Ala.
Work was commenced on the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad in 1871 at Little Rock, and built to Ozark; later it was finished to Van Buren, there using a transfer, and was completed to Fort Smith.
The Hot Springs Railroad, from Malvern, on the main line of the Iron Mountain Railroad, to Hot Springs, was built and is owned by "Diamond Joe" Reynolds. Operations were commenced in 1874.
The line of the St. Louis & San Francisco Rail- road passes near the west line of Arkansas adjacent to Fort Smith. There is a branch road of this line from Jensen to Mansfield, sixteen miles long.
It looks a little as though the sponsor for the name of the Ultima Thule, Arkadelphia & Missis- sippi Railroad intended to use the name for a main track through the State. It was built in 1887 for the use of the Arkadelphia Lumber Company. Eureka Springs branch runs from Seligman to Eu- reka Springs. Another branch goes from Rogers to Bentonville. Still another, extending from Fay- etteville to St. Paul, is thirty-five miles in length. The branch from Fayetteville is now in course of building.
The Russellville & Dardanelle Railroad is four miles long, extending from the south bank of the Arkansas River to Russellville.
The Southwestern, Arkansas & Indian Terri- tory Railroad indicates that there is nothing in a name, as this road is but twenty-seven miles long,
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running from Southland to Okolona on the west, and also extending east from the main line.
A line is being surveyed and steps actively taken to build a road from Kansas City to Little Rock, which is to cross the Boston Mountains near the head waters of White River.
Several other important lines are at this time
making preparations to build in the near future. Charters for nearly 100 routes in the State have been secured since 1885. There is not only plenty of room, but a great necessity for yet hundreds of miles of new roads here. They will greatly facili- tate the development of the immense resources of this favored locality.
CHAPTER XI.
THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE-THEIR FORMATION AND CHANGES OF BOUNDARY LINES, ETC .- THEIR COUNTY SEATS AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST CONCERNING THEM-DEFUNCT COUNTIES- NEW COUNTIES -- POPULATION OF ALL THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE AT EVERY GENERAL CENSUS.
Not chaos-like, together crush'd and bruised; But as the world, harmoniously confused: Where order in variety we see, And where, though all things differ, they agree .- Pope.
ERHAPS to many, no more interesting subject in the history of the State can be presented than that refer- ring to the name, organiza- tion. etc., of each county within its limits. Careful research has brought forth the fol- lowing facts presented in a concise, but accurate manner:
Arkansas County was formed December 13. 1813. As the first municipal formation within the boundary of the State. in Lower Mis- souri Territory, it was first a parish under Spanish rule and then under French. October 23, 1821, a part of Phillips County was added to it: the line be- tween Pulaski and Arkansas was changed October 30. 1823; Quapaw Purchase divided between Ar-
kansas and Pulaski October 13, 1827; line between Arkansas and Phillips defined November 21. 1829: boundaries defined November 7, 1836. County seat, De Witt; first county seat, Arkansas-oppo- site Arkansas Post.
Ashley, formed November 30, 1848, named for Hon. Chester Ashley, who died a United States Senator; line between Chicot changed January 19. 1861. County seat, Hamburg.
Baxter, March 24, 1873; line between Izard and Fulton defined October 16, 1875: line between Marion changed March 9, 1881. County seat. Mountain Home.
Benton, September 30, 1836, named in honor of Hon. Thomas H. Benton. County seat. Ben- tonville.
Boone. April 9. 1869 ; named for Daniel Boone: line between Marion defined December 9. 1875. Harrison, county seat.
Bradley, December 18, 1840: part of Calhoun
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attached October 19, 1862; part restored to Ashley County January 1, 1859. Warren, county seat.
Calhoun, December 6, 1850; named for John C. Calhoun; part added to Union and Bradley November 19, 1862. County seat, Hampton.
Carroll, November 1, 1833; named in honor of the signer of the declaration; boundary defined December 14, 1838; line between Madison defined January, 11, 1843, and again January 20, 1843; line between Marion defined December 18, 1846; line between Madison defined December 29, 185-1, and again January 16, 1857; part of Madison attached April 8, 1869. Berryville, county seat.
Chicot, October 25, 1823; boundary defined November 2, 1835; part attached to Drew Decem- ber 21, 1846; line between Ashley changed January 19, 1861; line between Drew changed November 30, 1875; line changed between Desha February 10, 1879. Lake Village, county seat.
Clark, December 15, 1818, while Lower Mis- souri Territory; named in honor of Gov. Clark, of Missouri; the line between Pulaski and Clark, changed October 30, 1823; divided November 2, 1829; line between Hot Springs and Dallas changed April 3, 1868; line between Pike defined April 22, 1873; line between Montgomery changed April 24, 1873; line between Pike changed March 8, 1887. Arkadelphia, county seat.
Clay, March 24, 1873; named for Henry Clay. This county, formed as Clayton County, was changed to Clay on December 6, 1875. The act of March 24, 1873, changed the boundaries of a large num- ber of counties. Boydsville and Corning, county seats.
Cleburne, formed February 20. 1883; named in honor of Gen. Patrick A. Cleburne. Heber is the county seat.
Cleveland, formed in 1885; named for President Cleveland; was formed as Dorsey County. Toledo, county seat.
Columbia, December 17, 1852; part of Union County added December 21. 1858; line between Nevada defined April 19. 1873. Magnolia, county seat.
Conway, December 7, 1825; named after the noted Conways; the northeast boundary defined
October 27, 1827; line between Pulaski and Con- way defined October 20, 1828; part of Indian pur- chase added October 22, 1828; line between Con- way, Pulaski and Independence detined November 5, 1831; part added to Pope January 6, 1853: part added to White January 11, 1853; act of March, 1873; line between Pope defined May 28, 1874. County seat, Morrillton.
Craighead, formed February 19, 1850. Jones- boro, county seat.
Crawford, October 18, 1820; boundary was changed October 30, 1823; divided and county of Lovely established October 13, 1827; part of the Cherokee Country attached to, October 22, 1828; boundary defined December 18, 1837; line between Scott defined; line between Washington defined November 24, 1846; line between Frank- lin defined March 4, 1875; line changed between Washington March 9, 1881. Van Buren, county seat.
Crittenden, October 22, 1823; named for Rob- ert Crittenden; St. Francis River declared to be the line between St. Francis and Crittenden Coun- ties November, 1831; portion attached to Missis. sippi County January, 1861; act, March, 1873. Marion, county seat.
Cross, November 15, 1862, 1866, 1873. Witts- burg, the county seat.
Dallas, January 1, 18445; line between Hot Springs and Clark changed April 3, 1869. Prince- ton the county seat.
Desha, December 12, 1838; named for Hon. Ben Desha; portion attached to Drew January 21, 1861; part of Chicot attached February 10, 1879; also of Lincoln, March 10, 1879. Arkansas City, county seat.
Drew, November 26, 1846; part Chicot attached December 21, 1846; part of Desha attached Jan- uary 21, 1861; March, 1873; line between Chicot changed November 30, 1875. Monticello, county seat.
Faulkner, April 12, 1873: line detined Deceni- 7, 1875. Conway, county seat.
Franklin, December 19, 1837: line between Johnson defined December 14. 1833; line between Crawford defined March 4, 1875. Ozark. county seat.
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Fulton, December 21, 1842; part attached to Marion County January 18, 1855; part of Law- rence attached January 18, 1855, March, 1873; line between Baxter and Izard defined February 16, 1875. County seat, Salem.
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