Washington telegraph., 1857-12-09
From the Gazette and Democrat.
Early Times in Arkansas, No. j.
BY y

hariy lines IN ARKANSAS no
1t was in the Falluf 1876, that reach
ed the Town of Batesviile, in the county
of Independence. 1t was Just after the
great September tSNshet of that year.
which had been 50 destructive to the set
tiers ON White river. At that period.
BateSyille Vas the second town in iInnort-
ance in the then Territory of Arkausas.-
1t was the county seat of Independence.
and one of the two Land-Ofiices TO which
the Territory was entitled, was located
there. The Batesyille Land District was
very extensiye-even Little Rock. at which
point the cfIice Of the other District was
lOcgted, belonged to it. The whole of
Town. one North, Range Twelve West.
being in the Batesville district Hartwell
Boswell was Register and Maj. William
NOland Receiver The latter resigned i'm
1877, when John Rcdmon Was appointed
IN his stead. At that time there were no
towns or villages on White River, from
Batesville to its mouth. The points OF
any note, were mouth of Black River.
ChIckasaw Crossings, Niger Hill, aud
Mouth oi Cache.
Moutgomery's Point on the Mississippi
river was the great trading point Tor all
Arkansas, North, AMI for a great portion
South, OF the Arkansas river. Fer many
years, all boats passing ont of either the
Arkansas or White rivers, tuuchrd at
Montgomery's Peint, aud what was re-
Fnarkahle, persons passed down those rivers
into the broad Mississippi, and yet never
passed through the mouth vi either
Arkansas boats Invariably come iuto White
river throu-h the cut off, while chute
OF the Mississippi, just below Moutgom-
ery's Point, enabled them to reach the
father of waters, without passing out at
the mouth of White river.
At that early day, there were shipped
from Batesviile one hundred bales of cot
ton and upwards. Uartwell Boswell was
the great merchant of that region. and
people came hundreds of miles to trside
with him-twU pounds Of coffee for dol
lar l remember when new coJuer ar
rived with keel boat Of goods, aud sold
at ) pounds for a silver dollar There was
great rejoicing among the old women
W hat change since then. Old Uncle
Johnny Walkers wife, that weighed two
AAhAACU ahu la4 - NNANr uoWu hGlG4N,
scUrned to take more than 5 yards of calico
to make her loose wrapper. There were
no criuolines nor hoops in those days.
In 1929 Boswell's business declined,
and John Riuggold aud Charles Kelly.
each did a very heavy business, subse-
quently Mr.. RiuEgu!d associated with him
John Redmon- At that period there was
"a considerable business done in peltries.-
The Delawares and Shawnees, some of
whom lived ON Crooked Creek, now in
Marion county, came annually to Bates
vile with their pelJrles, and white hun
tiers were quite numerous. There were but
two practising lawyers IN the place, Judges
Richard Searcy and Townsend Dickinson;
and Judge Dit kinSon, though having his
office in town, lived on farm in the coun
try. Judge Bates, who was then Judge
.of that Circuit, also lived there. There
were two physicians. DR.. Jonathan Gsom,
good honest man, with but little cduca-
ton, and DIR. Caleb ). Manley, Que of the
and ii requires a great effort not to fin
ish she sentence.
Charles Kelly was Sheriff, John Red
mon, Clerk, Robert Bates was the only
Tailor, Marshal Seddons the only halter,
Eli Sheriff., the only blacksmith. Kelly
kept tavern. No preacher-one school
master, the same, who advertised a ''two
year old yearling.'
Such vas Batesville in 1926. How
changed IN 1887, when last visited it.
OF the early settlers, those that | found
there, how few are now living. Joseph
IL, fSnar' robert Bates and his wife, are
still living there. E. J. Braeken. of Holly
Springs, Wui. Boswell, OF Louisville YIN
Pelham, OF Sante Fe, Jno. Daniels of Lon
isiana, Or. Caleb 5. NIauley. Of Miss
Henry r, Hynson, of Texas. and EIi
Sheriff., Of Jefferson county, are an the
white adults that believe are left. While
your townsman, John Thomas, i. the oplv
adult negro that know Of.
The year 1927 was a memorable one in
the political history OK Arkansas-though
politics had but little to do with parties.
In this year, Henry W Conway, and
Robert C. Odeu ran for Congress. heard
them at Batesyille-being the first politi-
cal speeches had ever heard. | reserve
for future occasion what have to say
of them
The Houston Telegraph estimates the