The Van Buren press., 1878-04-23
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
4 Brief Description of its Soil, Timber,
Minerals, ETC., etc.
Attractions offered to Immigrants.

Crawford County, Arkansas, is situat
ell on the extreme Western boundary o
the State, adjoining the Cherokee Nation
and contains an area OF about 3B2, 0Qt
acres, a good portion of which is rive
and creek bottom lands. There is in tho
County nearly 10000 acres subject te
homestead or other entry, and about 10
600 acres of Railroad Lands, which are
now in the market, and offered at from
s. to $500 per acre, according to quail
ty. Other unimproved lands can be
bought at from $3.50 to $1,000 per acre
and lands partly improved at from 81 to
to $1,000, 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 its
limits, more alluvial lands than most, il
not all the other western counties. Well
watered, good timber, and capable OF
supporting n dense population. The
present population is estimated at l5, 600.
Schools and Churches abound in all parts
of the county, there being forty eight
School Districts in the county, in which
free schools ire taught from three to ten
months in the year,
There are in the county eight Steam
Flouring Mills, two Wool carding ma
chimes, and large number Of Steam
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 excelled
anywhere, and in this connection we may
state, that at 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-
hibits 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-
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 length 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 a
report made from an actual reconnois-
sance by Mcssrs. j. NJ. Washbourne and
II, Haney, to the l.. II. & f. s. Rail.
way, in 1857, Since that time there has
been of course, vast improvements made
in the condition of the county, in most
all respects:
VERY little pine is found in this County !;
but in the adjoining Cherokee Country. COM
mencing nine miles north of westward from
Van Buren,, is one of the greatest pineries
north of the Arkansas River. 1t will hereaf-
ter, be very valuable to your Road. The up
lands In the eastern section Of this county,
generally, are Level and fertile, rich in grass
es, vines. CRAP, and underground. Springs
are common in parts and water obtained with
readiness by digging. These lands are UNI
derlaid by ferruginous shales and clays, and
where unproauctlve, can be made so 10y ma
teral 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 luxuriant
growth of vine, shrub and grass; well-wa-
tered, and as productive rs any land on the
Arkansas.
Shales are everywhere exposed, even in the
city in several places Coal, or coal indces
are found all over the county, but the coal, as
a rule, is not as thick rs it is in Franklin. On
III l. No, Al.
Arkansas. at Phillips bank, ;. Is, L Q, Il. 80,
coal has been dug for thirty-five years, said.
by smiths, who have worked it, to be the best
coal in the region; it is three feet thick. and
easy to quarry; it extends quite Il distance
along this Bayou, aud is a part of the Arkan-
sas coal field. This stream has long been ia
med for its fine, wide, high and rich lands. A
few small prairies skirt it with excellent
grasses and herbs.
On Flat Rock, a 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, a very hard. blue, almost inn
penetrable rock. Along this stream small
Fragments of crystal-as, also, on a low ridge
on the land of h. Scott, S. ., L. 8, Il. 81. and
along the hillside, near the Van Buren, steam
mill-are gathered. Limestone occurs at the
base of the bluff Of ferruginous ST ndstone
above Van Buren,; this bluff of sandstone
abuts on the river and yields fine building
stone; and on its height, which is broad
table land, are some OF the finest building
sites to be found in its picturesque valley--it
is tempting to the wealthy immigrant. This
bluff fronts, also, on Lees Creek at its con-
uence with the Arkansas, and runs along thai
stream into the adjoining hills; the mouth OF
this stream is in 5. Is, L. 8, Il, 80; opposite
the bluff, across the creek, is a high hill, II
which lead was found many years ago---it wa,
probably drift. Fine springs gush out along
the valley of this stream, and its many alllu,
ents; iron oXydes and carbonate are con-
mon everywhere, and the carbonate is excee.
dinghy heavy; indeed the absence of iron /.
the exception in this valley. The water III
this region is very good, and the springs
about and near Van Buren,, are accounted
the best in the country. The water is cold
and sweet. These streams will all supply
mills; and the county grows excellent
wheat. The corn, cotton, cereals, grasses, es-
peeialv blue--which takes hold OF the soil
and spreads rapidly and close Gas it does, in.
deed in other parts of the valley)-cloyeran
fruits are all grown here in great perfection
aud quantity To the acre. Fruits, especially
| have been 50 thoroughly tested and cultvat-
| ed by DIR. r. Thurston, near Van Buren, that
| it is now demonstrated that The Arkansas will
produce fruit equal to any other valley in the
| world.
The Valley of Lees Creek contains excel.
lent land, both bottom and high lands; these
last are, for the most part, broken, rough and
rocky. The Valley of Lees Creek, with it.
tributaries. is probably wider than that OF