The Van Buren press., 1878-09-24
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
4 Bret Description Of It's Soil, Timber,
Minerals. etc.. etc.
AND THE
Attractions offered to Immigrants.

I 'ihNi''d Npu'1l, Stihhi9aos 10 sIbuui
ed on the extreme Western boundary 0
the State, adjoining the Cherokee Nation
aud contains an area of about 3G2 90
acres, a good portion of which is rive
aud creek bottom lands There is in tn
County nearly 10000 acres subject t,
homestead or other entry, and about 70
goo acres of Railroad Lands, which ar,
now in the market, and offered ut from
81 to 800 per acre, according to quail
ty. Other unimproved lands can b,
bought at from 81 80 to $1,000 per acre
and lands partly improved at from 81 Il
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-
ihle of cultivation. There are, within its
limits, more allayial lands than most, il
not all the other western counties Well
watered, good timber, and capable Of
supporting a dense population. The
present population is estimated at Is, GOO.
Schools aud 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
FIGURING Mills, two Woodworking ma
chimes, and large number OF Steam
Cotton, Gins, DC, &c, 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 excelled
anywhere, and in this connection we may
state that Mt 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 eoutesting ex.
hibts 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 navigablc 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 eoun-
ties.
The description of Crawford County,
which we publish below, is taken from a
report made from an actual reconnois-
sanee by Messrs. J. M. Washbourne and
j. II. Haney, to the l.. Il, d +. S. Rail.
way, in 1887. 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
meneing 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 f this county,
generally, are level and fertile, rich in grass
es, vines. Crap, and underground. Sprin rs
are common in parts and water obtained with
By h RaE s he9 ah nra a Vse ala
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 Greek
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 as any land on the
Arkansas.
Shales are everywhere exposed, even in the
city in several places Coal, or coal induces
are found all over the county, but the coal, as
a rule. Is not as thick as it is in Franklin On
Frog Bayou, considerable tributary to the
Arkansas, at Phillips bank. S. is, T 8, II. 30
coal has been dug for thirty-tlve 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 distance
along this Bayou, and is u part of the Arkan-
sas coal Held. This stream has long been Ia
med for its fine, wide, high and rich lands 4
few small praires skirt it with excellent
grasses and herbs
On Flat Rock, stream eastward from Van
Buren, two miles, shale il exposed, and coal
has been found The uplands, along TIL.
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 inn
penetrable rock. Along this stream small
| fragments of crystal--as, also, on low ridge
on the iand of Il. Scott, S. 9, I. ., X. 81, and
along the hillside near the Van Buren, steam
mll--are gathered. Limestone occurs at the
base of the blutf of ferruginous 81 ndstone
above Van Buren,; this bluff of sandstone
| dbhts On tlp llNti' ailh iSiuS me Dulltltl&
stone; and on its height, which Is broad
| table land, are some of the finest bulding-
sites to be found in its picturesque valley-it
is tempting TO the wealthy immigrant Thi.
| bluif fronts, also, ON Lees Creek. ut its con-
| uence with the Arkansas. and runs along tina,
stream into the adjoining hills the mouth OF
this stream is in 5. is, Il. 8, K. 80; opposite
| the bluil, across the creek, is high hill, il
which lead was found many years ago-it wa,
probably drift. Fine springs gush out along
| the valley of this stream, and its many allln-
ents; iron oxydes and carbonate are CON
mon everywhere, and the carbonate Is excee.
| dinghy heavy; indeed the absence of iron i,
the exception in this valley. The water in
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 win all supply
mills; and the county grows excellent
wheat. The corn. cotton, cereals, grasses. eS-
! peeiallv blue--Whieh takes hold OF the soil
and spreads rapidly and close (as it does, in.
deed In other parts of the valley)-clover and
/ fruits are all grown here in great perfection
and quantity To the acre. Fruits, especially
4 have been SO thoroughly tested ana cultiyat.
ed by DR.. Il. Tharston, near Van Buren, thai
it is now demonstrated that the Arkansas vii
| produce fruit equal to any other valley in thu
world.
The Valley of Lees Greek contains excel
| lent land, both bottom aud high lands; these
last are for the most part, broken, rough ant
/ rocky. The Valley of Lees Creek, with ii,
tributaries, is probably wider than that o.
any other tributary running into the Arkan.
sas, on the north. within the State. but grea
hills and high bluffs Of the millstone-gri