The Van Buren press., 1876-07-11

contained nearly or quite five thousand
inhabitants
The Western Cherokees by treaty with
the United States of 9th Of May, 1928,
having ccded to the latter their lands
North of the Arkansas River, included
in the Treaty of 1917, ana Convention of
1919, embraced mostly in the present
counties of Pope, johnson, Franklin and
Crawford. for which the United States
cedcd to the Ghcrokees the country EN-
bracing lovely County, and some other
territory adjacent thereto 1.-THE present
Cherokee Nation.)
The General Assembly, by act of Oct
%, 1928, attached this Indian Country,
thus acquired from the Cherokees to, and
made it part of the County of Crawford.
BY an act of Nov. 2, 1929, the county of
Pope, embracing the present county of
johnson was formed out Of the Eastern
part of Crawford. BY an act of Nov. 5,
1888, tie County of Scott was formed
out of the Southern and South western
part Of Crawford, and by act of Dec. 18,
1887, the county of Franklin was formed
out of the Eastern part of Crawford.
The county of Sebastian embraces all
that part of the county of Crawford
which remained on the South side of the
river, and was erected into separate
county by an act of the General Assem-
bly, of 1851.
Thus it will be seen that the original
County of Crawford has been literally
fused up" constituting at this day the
most Of Yell. all of Logan, portions of
johnson and Franklin, nearly all Of Scott,
q nd the whole nfEaha "n-on.nAy "-a ..
large district of county in the Indian
Territory, embracing important parts of
the Cherokee and Choctaw Nations
While the present County of Crawford
is in fact no part of the territory of the
original county as established in 1920, it
having been Indian Country up to the
treaty of 1928, by which it was retro
ceded to the United States.
The first permanent settlement in the
original County of Crawford, were made
in 1SlS-'19-'2O, in what are now the
counties of Sebastian. Scott, Franklin,
Logan, johnson, and Yell, on Big Greek
and the Arkansas River. by the Billings
lys, Buchanans. Newtons, Joys, Sum-
ners, Robinsons, divers, Williams, How
ards, and Moses, Billiards and McGees
little later, together with many Others
and between Big Creek and Fort Smitf
by the Maxwells, Simpsons, Shannons
Mars, Putnams, Knoxs, Ratcliffs, Saun
ders, Alexanders, Featherstones. Stag
ners. Lar,imores, Woodys and others, ant
on the Upper Petit Jean BY the Cawthra
ses, Tomlinsons, Arringtons, Trenches
Perkins and others, and in McLain's Bot
tom, (now Roseville) by McLains
Titsworths, Forts, Marshals, Scots, Hix
sons and others, and about this time
few settlers were scattered along the riy
err at various points from Fort Smith t.
) the mouth Of Petit Jean, among whor
were the Cravens, Clarks, Stinnott:
Johnsons, Pevys and others.
These early settlers of Crawford Cour
,, ty were mostly, it is believed from til
States of Kentucky and Tennessee, an
were most substantial body of yeoma,
ry--, rs no atslStag geIGenu II 'e,1iiers, u
say, speaking of them as whole, tha
in point of character, worth and intelli
gence, they have not been surpassed b.
any succeeding tide of emigration tina
has set towards Arkansas, from that da
to this Many of their descendants ar
now living in Western Arkansas. Som
in this, and some in adjoining counties.
OF this early emigration, but few ar
now alive. The Rev. John Buchanan an
, Maj. John BilIingsley of Washingto
county both mere striplings at that da
> are among the few survivors. Frol
these most worthy and venerable men
have received interesting particulars {
the first settlements made in this part {
our country. Soon after the prese,
3 county of Crawford was attached TO an
e made part Of the original Crawfor,
r many of the settlers moved across tt
river into the newly annexed territor
/ lying north of the river. and south of IL
r Boston Mountains. The first permane1
settlements made in this annexed territ
e nv were in 1889 in what is now Il
Y counties of Pope, Johnson, Franklin ar
/. Crawford. Crawford embracing the
f all at that time. regret that have O.
: ly data to give few of the names of IL
y early settlers Of Crawford and Fran
9 lin. These were ON White Oak, the Ru