The Van Buren press., 1878-12-24
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
/ Brief Description of lis Soil, Timber,
Minerals, etc., etc.
iitraciieas Oi.eetcd 10 Iinlhiq Iinlhisqsi ants.

ed on the extreme W eelefn boundary O
the State, adjoining the Cherokee Nation
and contains an area Of about 362, COZ
acres, good portiou-- of which is rivel
and creek bottom lands. There is in tht
County nearly 10000 ncres subject tc
homestead or other entry, and about 20
600 acres of Railroad Lands, which arc
now in the market, snd offered at from
81 to y 100 per acre. according TO quail,
ty. Other unmproved lands can be
bought at from $3.50 to $1,000 per mere
and lands partly improved at from 81 to
to $l5, 90, per acre
The Lands of Crawford County are,
the larger part OF them, exceedingly fer
tile, aud the greater part of them suscept-
ihlc of cultivation. There are, within its
limits, more ailnyial lands than most, if
not all the other western counties. Well
watered, good timber, and capable of
supporting dense population. The
present population is estimated at $4,000.
Schools and 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 comfy eight Steam
FIGURING Mills, two Wool carding ma
chimes, and large number of Steam
Cotton. Gins, &c, &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 at the Arkansas State Fair,
held at Little Rock last Fall. 4the 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 loeali-
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 nayigable 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 rs 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 IN actual reeonnos-
sance by Messrs. j. NJ. Washbournc and
j. III. Haney, to the l.. Il. q 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:
"Nery 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 hcreaf-
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, grape, and undergrowth. Spfih gs
are common in parts and water obtained with
readiness by digging. These lands are un-
derlaid by lerruginous shales and elays, and
where unproductivc, can be made so by ma
terial 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 IHt lnDUiIl Ol mulbtIiN' Iilt GItdltl pal
| is high, dry, richly timbered, with luXnrian'
growth of vine, shrub and grass; wel-wa-
tered, and as productive as any land on tht
Arkansas.
Shales are everywhere exposed, even in tht
city in several places Coal, or coal indice
are found all over the county, hnt the coal, 81
a rule, is not as thick as it is in Franklin. On
Frog Bay on, a considerable tributary to tn,
| Arkansas. at Phillips bank S. Is. I. 8, Il. 30
coal has been dug for thirty five years, said
by smiths, who have worked IT, to be the bes
coal in the region; it Is three feet thick, an'
easy to quarry; it extends quite distane
along this Bayou, and is n part Of the Arkan
sas coal field. This stream has long been ia
med for its fine, wide, high and rich lands.
few small -prairies skirt it with eXceilen
/ grasses and herbs.
On Flat Rock, a stream eastward from Nal
Buren twomiles, shale 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
well sunk Tor the steam mill there. coal wa
struck. as. also, a very hard, blue. almost i'm
penetrable rock. Along this stream smal
fragments of crystal-as also, on low ridg
on the land of Il. Scott, $. 8, L. 9 K. 81. an
along the hillside. near the Van Buren, stea!
mill--are gathered. Limestone occurs at tn
base of the blnif of fcrruginoas 81 ndston,
above Van Buren,; this bluff of sandston
| aDHI5 on Tue ItNti. anu itiuS u Ilit builulHS
, stone; and on It's 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. Th
! bluff fronts, also, on Lees Creek, at its cor
uence with the Arkansas, and runs alongthG
. stream into the adjoining hills; the mouth
this stream is in 5. Is, I. 8, r. 80; opposit
the blutl, across the creek, IL a high hill. i
which lead was found many years ago--it wa
probably drift. Fine springs gush out alon
. the valley of this stream, and its many ailu
cnts; iron oxydes and carbonate are con
mon everywhere, and the carbonate is exoet
dingiy heavy; Indeed the absence of iron
the exception in this valley. The wafer j
this region is very good. aud the spring
about and near Van Buren,, are accounte
the best in the country. The water is col
and sweet. These streams win all suppl
Z mills; and the county grows eXcellel
| wheat. The corn. cotton, cereals, grasses, e.
q peeiallv biue-which takes hold of the sol
and spreads rapidly and close (as ii does, il
deed in other parts Of the valley )--cloyer an
). fruits are all grown here In great perfectio
and quantity TO the acre, Fruits. especial
Y have been 50 thoroughly tested and cnltiya
u ed by Dr. K. Thurstou, near Van Buren, thi
. it is now demonstrated that the Arkansas wi
, fpro5ihce fruit tequai to any other valley in IL
world.
The Valley of Lees Creek contains exec
= lent land, both bottom and high lands; the
II last are, for the mhst part, broken, rough an
d rocky. The Valley of Lees Creek. with /
;. tributaries. is probably wider than that
"A any other tributary running into the Arilar
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