The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1878-03-26
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
A Brief Description Of lis Soil, Timber,
Minerals, ETC., etc.
Attractions offered TO Immigrants.

= the State, adjoining the Cherokee Nation
and contains an area of about 362 ,00
1t acres, "A good portion of which is rive
and creek bottom lands There is in th
u County nearly 10000 acres subject t,
: homestead or other entry, and about 70
900 acres of Railroad Lands, which ar,
now in the market, aud offered at from
Il 81 to 500 per acre, according to quail
ty. Other unimproved lands can b,
bought at from $3.50 To $1,000 per acre
and lands partly improved at from 81 tc
to Sl5,00, per acre.
The Lands of Crawford County are
the larger part of them, exceedingly fer
tile, and the greater part Of them suscept
ible of cultivation. There are, within lis
limits, more alluvial lands than most, il
not all the other western counties. Well
watered, good timber, and capable oil
supporting a dense population. The
. present population is estimated at Is, 600.
, Schools and Churches abound in ali parts
of the county, there being forty eight
4 School Districts in the county, in which
free schools re taught from three to ten
months in the year
AdciG uie III tie SpHutN tigHi 1tNdiH
FIGURING Mills two Wool .carding ma
chimes, and large number of Steam
| Cotton Gins, DC, DC, as well as other
machinery
Cotton, Corn, Wheat, Oats, Tobacco,
Grasses, Grapes, etc all do well, turning
off large crops,
Fruits of all kinds: Apples. Pears,
Peaches, Grapes, etc, are not exeelled
anywhere, and in this connection we may
state, that at the Arkansas State Fair,
held at Little Rock last Fall, the first end
second premiums were awarded Crawford
County for the best and largest display
of Apples exhibited, the contesting cx-
hibits beng large aud numerous. In
short, the agricultural products of our
fertile lands will vie in richness and quail
ty with those of the most favored locali-
ty in the Union.
The Little Rock and Fort Smith Rail
way, runs through the entire breadth of
the county from east to west. And the
Arkansas River, which is navigable the
greater part of the year. runs along the
entire lehgth Of its southern boundary,
thus giving to the citizens of the county
ample shipping facilities, and such as are
not enjoyed by many of her sister coun.
ties
The description of Crawford County,
which we publish below, is taken from
report made from an actual reeonnois.
sance by Messrs j. NJ. Washbourne and
j. II. Haney, to the l.. II. &c f. S Rail
way, in 1851 Since that time there has
been of course, vastimprovements made
in the condition Of the county, in most
all respects:
VERY little pine is found in this County;
nut in the adjoining Cherokee Country, com
menclng nine miles north OF westward from
Van Buren, Is one of the greatest pineries
north OF the Arkansas River. twill hereaf-
ter, be very valuable to your Road. The up
lands in the eastern section this county,
generally, are level and fertile, rich in grass
es, vines. crap and underground. Spiin rs
are common III parts and water obtained with
readiness by digging. These land, are un-
derlaid by lerfuginoas shades and clays. ana
where unproductive can be made SO by ma
tcrial existing there or in the hills One OF
the finest tracts of bottom land begins in the
city Of Van Buren,, and runs down the river
past the mouth of Frog Bayou or Clear Creek
To the mouth of Mulberry. The greater part
is high, dry richly timbered, with luxulint
growth of vine. shrub and grass; well-wa-
tered, and AS productive as any land ON the
Arkansas.
Shales are everywhere exposed, even in the
city IN several places Coal, or coal indices
are found all over the county. but the coal as
a rule, is not as thick rs it is in Franklin On
Frog Bayou, a considerable tributary to the
Arkansas. at Phillips bank. 5. s, I O. II. 30,
coal has been dug for thirtyiive years, said.
by smiths. who have worked it, to be the best
q n 10 ppi Ia hrnn tt iol. a
easy to quarry, 1t extends quite distance
along this Bayou. and is a part of the Arkan-
| sas coal field. This stream has long been la
| med for its fine, wide, high and / ch lands A
few small praires skirt it with excellent
grasses ana herbs.
| On Flat Rock. stream eastward from Van
| Buren, two miles, shale Is exposed and coal
has been found The uplands. along This
| stream, are fine for fruits, grapes and berries
| This shale runs into Van Buren, and In the
well sunk tor the steam mill there. coal was
| struck, as, also. very hard blue. almost i'm
penetrable rock. Along this stream small
| fragments of crystal--as, all o. on a low RIDGE
on the land OF Il. Scott, 5. 8, T. 8, X. 81, and
| along the hillside, near the Van Buren, steam
| mill--are gathered. Limestone occurs at The
| base of the blnil of ierruginous NJ ndstone
above Van Buren; this buif of sandstone
abuts on the river. and yields n fine buildinr |
stone; and on Its height which is a hroad |
table land, are some OF the finest building
sites to he found in Its picturesque yaley-it |
is tempting TO the wealthy immigrant, This |
| BLUM fronts, also, on Lees Greek. at its con |
uence with the Arkansas, and runs along thar
stream into the adjoining hills: the mouth Of |
this stream Is in s. Is L. 8, h. 30: opposite
the bluil. across the creek, Is hiyh hill, in |
which lead was found many years ago-it was |
| probably DRIFT. Fine springs gush out along
the valley of this stream, and Its many atflu-
ruts; iron divides and carhonate arn can,. |