The Van Buren press., 1878-08-27
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
A Brief Description of It's Soil, Timber.
Minerals, etc., etc.
Attractions Offered TO Immigrants.

acres, a good portion of which is rive
and creek bottom lands There is in thl
, County nearly 10000 acres subject tt
homestead or other entry, and about 70
600 acres of Railroad Lands, which arr
now in the market, and offered NJ from
81 to 500 per acre, according to quail
ty, Other unimproved lands can bt
bought at from $50 to $1,000 per acre
and lands partly improved at from vi te
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
lille of cultivation. There are, within its
/ limits, more allavial lands than most, il
not all the other western counties. We'll
watered, good timber, and capable oi
supporting dense population. The
present population is estimated at tl5,0G0.
Schools and Churches abound in all parts
of the county, there being forty-cight
School Districts in the county, in which
free schools ire taught from three TO ten
months in the year.
There are ia the county eight Steam
Flouring Mills, two Wool cardina ma
chimes, and a 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 cXcelled
3nvwhere, 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-
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 navigahle the
greater part of the year. runs along the
entire length of It's 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 reeonnois-
sance by Messrs. j. NJ. Washbourne and
j, ii. Haney, to the l.. Il. d. +, 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 pinerie.
north of the Arkansas River. 1t will 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. Spring,
are common IN parts and water obtained witt
readiness by digging. These lands are I'M
deraid by ferruginous silales and clays, anG
where unproductive, can be made SO by ma
terlal existing there or In the hills. One o
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 Creel
to the mouth of Mulberry. The greater par
is high, dry, richly timbered, with luXurian
growth of vine, shrab and grass; wel-wa
tered, and as productive as any land on TIN
Arkansas.
Shaes are everywhere exposed, even in TIL
city in several places Coal, or coal indice
are found all over the county, but the coal, a
n rule, is not as thick as 1t is in Franklin o.
Frog Bayou, considerable tributary to tn
Arkansas. at Phillips bank, ). Is, T 8, Il. 30
coal has been dug for thirty five years said
by smiths. who have worked it, to be the bcs
coal in the region; 1t IL three feet thick. am
easy to quarry; ii extends quite n distanc
along this Bayou. and is a part of the Arkan
sas coal field. This stream has long been ia
med for its fine, wide high and rich lands.
few small praires skirt it with eXcellen
grasses and herbs.
On Flat Rock, a stream eastward from Va
| Buren, two miles, shale is exposed and Goa
has been found. The uplantls, along thi
stream. are fine for fruits, grapes and berrie,
This shnle runs into Van Buren,; and in tn
well sunk tor the steam mill there. coal wa
struck, as, also, a very hard, blue. almost i'm
pcnetrable rock. Along this stream smal
fragments of crystal-aS, also, on Il low Iidg
on the land of +. Scott, 5. 0, L, ., Il. 81, an
along the hillside near the Van Buren, steat
mill-are gathered. Limestone occurs at TIA
base of the bluff of ierruginous 81 ndston,
above Van Buren; this blun of sandston
abuts on the river. and Yields fine building
stone; and on its height, which Is d broa
table land, are some OF the finest building
sites to he found in its picturesque yalley--i
Is tempting to the wealthy immigrant. Til
bluff fronts, also on Lees Creek, at its con
uence with the Arkansas. and runs alongthu
stream into the adjoining hills; the mouth c
this stream i in 5. Is, i. ., K. 30, opposit
the hluil, across the creek, is Il higi hill, /
which lead was found many years ago-it wa
probably DRIFT. Fine springs gush out alon
the valley of this stream, and its many ailln
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 il
this region Is very good, and the spring
about and near Van Buren,, are accounte
the best in the country, The water is coli
and sweet. These streams will all supp
mills; and the county grows eNcellen
wheat. The corn, cotton, cereals, grasses, eS
pecallv bue-whieh takes hold ot the sol
and spreads rapidly and close >as it does, I'm
deed in other parts OF the valley clover an
fruits are all grown here in great perfectio
| and quantity to the acre. Fruits. cspecitll,
have been 50 thoroughly tested and cultisat
ed by Dr. Il. Thurston, near Van Buren. tina
it is now demonstrated that the Arkansas wi
produce fruit equal to any other valley in tn
world.
The Valley of Lees Creek contains excel
lent land, both bottom ana high lands; thes
last are, for the most part, broken, rouoh an
rocky, The Valley Of Lees Creek, with ii
: tributaries, Is probably wider than that {
any other tributary running into the Arkan
sas, on the north. within the State. bnt grcu
bills and high blaifs of the millstone- or
A., sandstones everywhere intersect IL; and VI
there are great bodies of fertile bottom an
! uphnds. and thousands OF homes awaitin