The Van Buren press., 1876-04-25
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
4 Brief Description Of its Soil
Timber, Minerals. etc., and the
Attraction offered to
Immigrants.
Immigrants

joining the Cherokee Nation, and con
tsins an area of about 3Go, 900 ACRES,
good portion of which is river and creeI
bottom lands There is in the count
about 100000 acres subject to homestea,
or other entry, and about 100000 acre
Of railroad lands, which are now ia tn,
market, and offered at from 81 90 tC
81 per acre according TO quality. 0the
unimproved lands can be bought at from
$3.50 TO $1,000 per acre; and lands part
~ Improved at from $500 TO Sl5 90 pei
acre.
The lands of Crawford county are, tht
larger part of them exceedingly fertile
and the greater part of them susceptible
of cultivation, there are. within its lin
its, more alluval lands than n.ost, if no,
all the other western counties; well wa.
tered, good timber, and capable of sup
plying dense population, the present
population is estimated at $4,000
Schools and churches abound in all parts
of the county, there being thirty three
school-distrlcts in the county. in which
free schools are taught from three to ten
months in the year.
There are, in the county, six steam
Touring mills, two wool carding ma
chimes, and large number of steam cot.
ton gins, etc, as well as other machi-
merry.
Cotton, corn, wheat, oats and grapes
all do well, turning off large crops.
Fruit Of all kinds-apples. pears, pea.
ches, grapes, etc,-are not excelled any
where; in short, the agricultural prod
ucts of our fertile lands will vie in rich
ness and quality with those Of the most
favored locality in the union.
The Little Rock and Fort Smith Rail
way (Which will be completed in three
months runs through the entire breadth
of the county, from east to west; and
the Arkansas river, which is navgable
the great part Of the year, runs along the
entire length Of its southern boundary,
thus giving to the citizens Of the coun.
ty ample shipping facilities, and such as
are not enjoyed by many of her sister
counties.
The description of Crawford county,
which wepublish below, is taken from a
report made from an actual reconnoi-
ssance by Messrs NJ Washbourne and
j. II. Haney, to the l.. r. a. F. S. r. r.
Company, iu 1857, Since that time theto
have been. of course, vastimprovemcnts
made in the condition of the county, in
almost all respects:
Very little pine is found in this coun-
.ri bue in tho aoijvfnfug Gnerokee coun-
try, commencing nine miles north Of
westward from Van Buren,, is one of the
greatest pineries north of the Arkansas
II will. hereafter, be very valuable to your
Road. The uplanas in the eastern sec,
ton Of this county, generally, are leve
and fertile, rich in grasses, vines, grape
and underground. Springs are common
in parts, and water obtained with read
ness by digging These lands are, e,uuder
laid by ferruginous shales and clays, ant
where uuproductive. can be made so b,
material existing there or in the hills
One of the finest tracts of bottom lane
begins in the city of Van Buren,, and ran
down the river, past the; mouth OF Fla
Rock, past tue mouth Of Frog Bayou o
Clear Creek to the mouth Of Mulberry
The greater part is high, dry, richly tim
hered, with luxuriant growth of vine
shrub and grass, well watered, and IL
productive as any land on the Arkansas.
Shales are everywhere exposed, cyel
i'll the city in several places. Coal, o
coal indices are found all over the coun
ty, but the coal, as a rule, is not as thicl
us it is in Franklin. On Frog Bayou,
considerable tributary of the Arkansas
at Philips bank. S. Is. + 8, II. 30, Goa
has been dug for thirty five years said
by smiths who have worked it, to be til
best coal in the region; it is three fee
thick and easy TO quarry; itextends quit
Il distance along this. Bayou, and is par
VI tuc al halfouo Sbdi-uGi MS StTptI
has long been famed for. its fine, wide
high, and rich lands. A few small prai
ries skirt it, with excellent grasses an,
herbs - Tel
On Flat. Rock, stream eastward iron
Van Buren, two miles, shale is exposed
and coal has been found The upland
along this stream are fine for fruits
grape and berries This shale runs int,
Van Buren,; and in the well sunk for tn,
steam mill in Van Buren, coal was strucl
AS, also, very hard, blue. almost impen
etrable rock. Along this stream small
fragments Of crystal-as, also, on q 10,
ridge on the land of 4. Scott, S. ., T.
r. 81, and along the hill side, near tn
Van Buren steam mill--are gathered
Limestone occurs at the base Of the blu
II ferruginous sandstone, above Va
Buren,; this bluff of sandstone abuts O
the river, and yields fine building stone
and on its height, which is S broad tabl
land, are some Of the finest building site
to be found in his picturesque valley
it is tempting to the wealthy immigrant
This bluff fronts, also, on Lees Creek, g
its confluence with the Arkansas, an
runs along that stream into the adjoinin
hills; the mouth of this stream il 10 S
is. T. 8, r. 80; opposite the bluff, acros
the creek. is a high hill in which lead wa
ound many years ago--it was probasl