The Van Buren press., 1879-10-25
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
4 Brief Description Of Its Soil, Timber
minerals, ETC., etc.
Attractions offered to Immigrants.

"
Crawford County, Arkansas, is stuat
ed on the extreme Western boundary Of
the State, adjoining the Cherokee Nation
and contains an area OF about 3o2,
acres, good portion OF which Is river
and creek bottom lands. There is in the
County nearly 10000 acres subject to
homestead or other entry, and about 10
900 acres of Railroad Lands, which are
now in the market, snd offered at from
81 to $500 per acre, according to quail.
ty. Other unimprOved lands can be
bought at from $3.50 to 1890 per acre
and lands partly improved at from $4 to
to $500, 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 alluyial lands than most, il
not all the other western counties. We'll
watered, good timber, and capable ol
supporting a dense population. The
present population is estimated at 49, 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
FIGURING Mills, two Wool carding 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 excelleG
anywhere, and in this connection we may
state, that at the Arkansas State Fair
held at Little Rock last Fall, the first ant
second premiums were awarded Crawford
County for the best and largest display
of Apples exhibited; the contesting eX
hibits being large and numerous Ii
short, the agricultural products of ou
fertile lands will vie in richness and quail
ty with those of the most favored locali
ty,, he Union
Ihe Little Rock and Fort Smith Rail
way, runs through the entire breadth O
the county from east to west. And th'
Arkansas River, which IS navigable Tia,
greater part of the year, runs along th'
entire length of it's southern boundary
thus giving to the citizens of the count,
ample shipping facilities, and such as ar,
not enjoyed by many of
ties.
The description of Crawford County
which we publish below, is taken from .
report made from an actual reconnois
NJ Wosbban,,a
j. H. Haney to the l.. r. d f. S. Rail
way, in 1857. Since that time there ha:
been Of course, vast improvements made
in the cor dition of the county, in mos
all respects:
"Very little pine is found in this County
| but in til adjoining Cherokee Country. com
mencing nine miles north of westward from
Van Burcn, Is one of the greatest pineries
north of the Arkansas River. twill hereaf
ter. be very valuable to your Road The up
. lands in the eastern section If this county
generally, are level and fertile. rich in grass
, es, vines. grape, and nndergrowth. Sprin Is
/ are common in parts and water obtained With
readiness by digging. These lands are un-
derlaid by ferruginous shales and clays, and
, where unproductye, can be made so by ma
teriai 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.
: ! city In several places Coal, or coal indice:
are found all over the county, but the coal, IA.
a rule. is not as thick as it is in Franklin. Or
Frog Bayou, a considerable tributary to tn.
! Arkansas. at Phillips bank, s. IS, T ., II. 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, an1
} easy to quarry; it extends quite 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. A
few small praires skirt it with excellen
grasses and herbs
On Flat Rock,a stream eastward from Van
Buren two miles. 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
penetrabe rock. Along this stream smal
fragments of crystal-as, also, on low rid .
on the land of +. Scott, $. 8. II. 8, r. 81. an
along the hillside. near the Van Buren, stear
mill-are gathered. Limestone occurs at til
base of the bluff of ferruginous 81 ndston,
! ! above Van Buren; this bluff of sandston
! abuts on the river, and yields a fine buildins
stone; and on its height, which is a broa
table land, are some of the finest building
i sites to be found in its picturesque valley
is tempting to the wealthy immigrant. Th
. bluff fronts, also, on Lees Creek. at its col
, uence with the Arkansas, and runs along tn;
= stream into the adjoining hills; 1be mouth
!. this stream Is in s. Is, I. 8, X. 80, oppos
the bluff across the creek, is a high hill.
which lead was found many years ago--it WI
probably drift. Fine springs gush out alor
y the valley of this stream, and its many atil
c ents; iron oxydes and carbonate are col
: mon everywhere, and the carbonate is exec
4 dinghy heavy; indeed the absence of iron
9 the exception in this valley. The water
this region Is very good, and the sprin
about and near Van Buren,, are accounts
;, the best in the country. The water is co
Ie and sweet. These streams will all supp
e mills; and the county grows eXcelle
:, wheat. The corn, cotton, cereals, grasses. c
" peciallv blue--which takes hold OF the so
n and spreads rapidly and close (as it does, /
l. deed In other parts of the valley )--clovera
lae fruits are all grown here In great perfecti
e. and quantity to the acre. Fruits, especial
~ have been so thoroughly tested and cutiya
ed by DIR. II. Thnrston, near Van Buren, til
1t is now demonstrated that the Arkansas "
produce fruit equal to any other valley in t
world.
The Valley of Lees Creek contains exc,
y lent land both bottom and high lands the
x last are. for the most part. broken, rough al
40 rocky. The Valley of Lees Creek with
W tributaries, is probably wider than that