The Van Buren press., 1876-07-11

or Southern part ofhatr province wac
erected into the TeritsY of Orleans,
and the Upper and Merit I'm part extend.
ing indefinitely Westgai. was erected
into separate Govelpant by the name
and style of the Distri9 Of Louisiana.
In 1912 the Territory oDrleans was ad-
mitted into the UnionRs the State OF
Louisiana, and the uvpf and Northern
part of the original Llniana embracing
the present State Of Arkansas, was by
act of Congress of Jpe4th, 1872, erect
ed into a separate territorial Govern
ment, styled the Tefltory Of Missouri.
What is now the STAB OF Arkansas while
a part Of the Terriisp oe Missouri was
known as the Distri< of A,kn.as, and
was bv act Of ConsesS "a cf March,
y o1a je-~f.nto i e II .;
Governmeh by the nanliH and style oi
Tue Territory OF AIkatlsiA
At the first session of the Gen.
eral Assembly after the organization OF
our Territorial Government, an aot was
passed, to create and establish the Coun
ty of Crawford. The til le' being can
act to divide the CoantA Of Pulaski !"
by this act, all that part Of the County of
Pulaski, bounded as follows, to wit /:
Beginning at the mouth Of the Petit
Jean Bayou on the Arkansas River,
thence up the said Bayou on the main
branch thereof until it comes to the line
now (lS2o) dividing the Counties of
Clark and Pulaski, but ifit should not
strike the said line before It comes to the
head Of the said main bra ch of the Petit
Jean aforesaid, il shall rula South course
until it does strike the lin now dividing
the said Counties of Clan and Pulaski,
thence along said line the Canadian
river, thence down the Chadian river to
the Arkansas river, thend up the Arkan-
sas river to the mouth 81 the Verdigris
river, thence up the Nerdigris to the
falls, thence in line running Eastward
on such degrees as will ntersect the line
running from the Fire Phiric sixty miles
North Of the said river, hence with said
line to the Arkansas rivr, thence down
the Arkansas river to thdplace of begin
ning," was declared td be separate
County, to be called an known by the
name Of the County Of frawford. This
act beers date, October i, 1920, and may
he found in the Arkansas Gazette Of De.
cembea 2. 1920. now in possession olStils
venerable William E. Woodruff, SEN, OF
Ii tie Rock, who kindly permitted me to
examine the files Of le GazceSe Of an
early date, which be ha preserved with
great care. These files abound in inter.
esting materials for histtty, and the histo-
rian of Arkansas should not ignore their
contents. The County vas called after
William H. Crawford ofGcorgia, then
Secretary of the Treasurs and leading
member Of Mr.. Monroe's Cabinet. The
boundary of the County 9. thus describ
ed, is little indefinite to be South West
and to the North and NFth- West, but
as thus established, the Cpnty of Craw'
ford embraced the create part of Yell
the whole of Logan, part of johnson
and Fraklin, the greater part of Scott
the whole of Sebastian, aid the South
Eastern part Of the Choct:w Nation, an(
the greater part OF the Cherokee Nation
This Territory at that tim, was sparcely
settled. with a population OF not NOR
than Five Thousand soils. In extent O
territory and natural re spurces it surpass
ed some of the smaller States of the Un
ion, and was in fact thd Empire Count.
of the Territory.
| A1 tnao Iiuic tne pfSent County
Crawford formed no pat of the origina
County of that name, il being then, In
dian Territory, occupied and posscsse
by large body Of Cherokees, who a
early as 1909, had settled in the countr
between the Arkansas and White Rivers
and their settlement and claim to til
country was recognized and made &C o
by treaty between the United States an
Cherokee Indians, bearing date July
1917. These Indians being thus locate
under the authorityof The United Stat,
had settled upon and made imnrovcmep
on all the principal streams, betwee
Pont Remove and Lees Creek, and Sout
of the Boston Mountains.
The first seat of Justice of Crawfor
County was located, emporaily. at th
house Of John JOY, onthe North side c
the Arkansas River. half mile abov
the point on the river, now known a
Crawford Old Court House.