The Van Buren press., 1878-06-25
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
4 Brief Description of It's Soil, Timber,
Minerals, ETC.. etc.
Attractions Offered to Immigrants.

| lHe bINlt, bHC SbGt INV 4N't'''
and contains an area OF about 362,ooo
acres, a good portion Of which is fiveI
and creek bottom lands. There is in the
County nearly 10000 acres subject to
| homestead or other entry, and about ~
| 600 acres of Railroad Lands, which are
now in the market, and offered Mt from
| 81 to 500 per acre, according to quail
| ty. Other unimproved lands can be
bought at from 81, 80 to $1,000 per acre ;
aud lands partly improved at from vi to
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-
ihe of cultivation. There are, within its
limits, more aluvial lands than most, if
not all the other western counties. Well
watered, good timber, aud capable Of
supporting a dense population. The
present population is estimated at 1000
Schools aud Churches abound IN all parts
of the county, there being forty. eight
School Districts in the county, in which
free schools tire taught from three to ten
months in the year.
There are in the county eight Steam
Flourne Mills, two Wool ,cardine ma
chimes, and large number of Steam
Cotton Gins, &c,, &c, ms 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 eNcelled
anywhere, and in this connection we may
state. that ut the Arkansas State Fair,
held at Little Rock last Fall, the first and
second premiums were awarded Crawford
County for the best and largest display
of Apples exhibited, the contesting ex-
hbits being large and numerous. In
short, the agricultural products of our
fertile lands will vie in richness and quail
ty with those of the most favored locali-
w 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 navigahle the
greater part of the year, runs along the
entire length of its southern boundary,
t1uS SiNiu8 w bhN tlliLNho VI WV SohiitN
ample shipping facilities, and such as are
not enjoycd by many of her sister coun-
ties
The description of Crawford County
which we publish below, is taken from a
report made from an actual reconnois-
sance by Messrs. j. NJ. Washbourne and
j. Ii. lIanev, to the l.. L. d. +. S. Rail
way, in 1851, Since that time there has
been of course, vast improvements made
in the condition Of the county, in mosl
all respects:
avery little pine Is found in this County
but in the adjoining Cherokee Country. com
meneing nine miles north of westward from
Van Buren. is one of the greatest pnerie
north OF the Arkansas River. 1t will hercut
| ter. be very valuable to your Road. The up
lands in the eastern section T this county
generally, are level and fertile, rich IN grass
es. vines. Crap, and underground. Spring
are common in parts and water obtained Will
readiness by digging. These lands are I'M
derlaid by ierruginons shales and clays. an,
| where anprouuctive, can be made so by ma
| terial existing there or in the hills. One o
| the finest tracts OF bottom land begins in th
city of Van Buren. and runs down the river
past the mouth of Frog Bayou or Clear Cree
to the mouth of Mulberry. The greater par
is high, dry, richly timbered, with luNnran
growth OF vine, shrub and grass; well-wa
tered, aud rs productive rs any land ON th
! Arkansas.
Shalcs are everywhere exposed, even in th
city in several places Coal. or coal indicc
are found all over the county. but the coal, a
"A rule i not as thick as it is In Franklin On
Frog Bayou, a considerable tributary to th
Arkansas, at Phillips bank, 5. Is, I o. Il. 30
coal has been dug for thirtylive years, said
| by smiths, who have worked 1t. to be the bcs
coal in the region; it Is three feet thick. an'
easy to quarry; it extends quite a distance
along this Bayou. aud is part Of the Arkan
sas coal field. This stream has long been IL
med for its line, wide. high and rch lands I
few small praries skirt it with eNcellen
grasses and herbs.
| On Flat Rock, Il stream eastward from Va,
| Buren two miles shalo is exposed, and Goa
| has been found. The uplands, along thi
| stream. are fine for fruits, grapes and berries
This shale runs into Van Buren, and in tn
we'll sunk Tor the steam mill there. coal wa
struck. rs. also, Il very hard, blue. almost i'm
penetrable rock. Along this stream small
! fragments of crystal-as alsO. on Il low ridw
on the land of Il. Scott $. ., L. D. X. 81, an,
along the hillside. near the Van Buren, stcar
| mill--are gathered. Limestone occurs at til
| base of the bluff of ferrugnous 5; ndstont
above Van Buren,; this bluff of sandston
abuts on the river and yields fine building
stone; and ON its height, which is a broa
| table land, are some of the finest building
sites to be found IN its picturesque valley
is tempting to the wealthy immigrant. Thi
bluff fronts. also, on Lees Creek. at its con
uenee with the Arkansas. and runs alongth tina
stream into the adjoining hills; the mouth c
this stream is in >. Is, I. .. K. 30; opposit
the bluff. across the creek, is n high hill, /
which lead was slonnd many years ago-it wa
probably drift. Fine springs gush out alon
the valley OF this stream, and its many aillu
entS; iron oxydes and carbonate are con
mon every where. and the carbonate j. exec,
dinghy heavy; indeed the absence of iron
the exception in this valley. The water i
this ree!an il very good. and the spring
about aud near Van Buren,. are accounte
the best In the country. The water is col
and sweet. These streams will all suppl
mills; and the county grows eXcellei
wheat. The corn. cotton, cereals, grasses. e
peciallv blue-which takes hold ot the sol
and spreads rapidly and close (as it does, il
, deed in other parts of the valley )-coveraf
fruits are all grown here in great perfcctic
, and quantity to the acre Fruits, especial
have been 50 thoroughly tested and cultiva
ed by DR.. Il. Thurston, near Van Buren,. til
: 1t is now demonstrated that the Arkansas W
produce fruit equal to any other valley in Il
o world
The Valley of Lees Creek contains exec
! lent land. both bottom and high lands; the
e last are. for the most part, broken, rough al
s rocky. The Valley of Lees Creek. with
), tributaries Is probably wider than that
I any other tributary running into the Arka
! sas, on the north. within the State bnt gre
u hills and high bluffs of the mllstone- q