The Russellville Democrat., 1891-07-09

Prairie county was formed, and re-
members directly all Of the first Of
ficers With bis fathers family
there came from Spartsnburg district,
South Carolina, in 1880, the families
OF Samuel, Isaiah and James Duna-
way, Judge w. M. Sanders, Pleas
ant McCrow, who were at the time
nearly all related or afterwards mar
ried into each other. This was in
in 1880. They settled in the neigh
borhood Of Old Austin. Mr.. Dob
bins father settled at first at the old
Bronaugh place, south and 9 little
west Of Capt. Tom Paine's, in Sec
ton %, township north, range
Q west. Steve Sanders, who was an
uncle of Mr.. Dobbins, then
owned the pllce. About where
the town is or was, for the town has
about passed away in late years,
there lived james Erwin, father of
Messrs. Gin. and Am. Erwin, Of
Des Arc, and Joseph Ferguson. They
bought two quarter sections Ct land
together and divided them length
wise. James Dunaway lived at
what is generally known as the Crab
tree Springs, and, except small
cabin owned by man named Stod-
dard, near where Cabot is, these
were the only settlements in the
country. There was then a new i'm
provement OF the old Sam Hill place,
on the old Brownsville and Austin
road. Old Brownsville was not
known then, and the deer and turkey
rosmed free Of molestation on that
spot where since there was incorpor-
ated, fiourished and died enc Of the
prettiest towns in the state. The
first court that was ever held 10 the
county was held in the house of our
Wash Smith, who lived near, per
hsps just east of, the old Kirk
place. Esquire Dobbins voted for
James X. Polk for president the
precinct then being at Hickory Plains.
In those days the pioneer did little
trading, supplying their necessities
with what little they made at home,
but when forced TO buy, they usually
went to Little Rock, then only viii
lage. After this one r. G. Bird, then
reputable business man OF Little
Rock, sent stock OF goods out to
Old Austin, the store standing on the
exact spot now occupied by the
school house at Old Austin, on the
hill Just west Of where the town af-
forwards was. Bird employed Mr..
Ferguson, Esquire Dobbins' cousin,
as manager of this store. They did
little milling in those days, using
graters, mortar and pestle to reduce
the corn to meal. There was mill
at Reeds bridge on Bayou Meto; this
was a toll bridge just south OF jack
sonvile. The mill was owned and
run by Sampson Grsy, of Browns
Vile. Judge Reynolds, Prairie coun-
ty's second judge, after the death of
Sampson Gray, married the widow.
1t is really interesting TO sit and con-
verse with this venerable old man,
who is now far down the western
slope OF life, where he can placidIy,
and without fear, await the sunset
upon an honorable, useful and gener-
ally speaking, happy life. He has
had his trials, who has not, but has
possessed philosophical mind, and
has allowed his troubles to remain
with him as short time as possible.
His happiness is mainly attributable
to the very wise selection he made
away back in young manhood Of a
wife, who has been his steady help
mate and loving companion, aud who
has boen spared to travel down life's
decline with her husband. She was
Miss Sallie Downey, whom the
esquire married near Cooks old mill,
on Bayou Des Arc, in White county,
where this writer has killed many
deer, and caught strings OF fish. Mrs.
Dobbins came on visit to relatives
in Mississippi. and arriving there
found them just ready to start to
Arkansas. One OF them promised her
that il she would come to this terri
tory with the family, he would re-
turn with her to Alabama the follow
ing fall. She consented, and meet
ing here Esquire Dobbins married
him. Instead Of seeing her mother
as was intended when she left home
in few months, it was thirty years
or more ere she saw her fare again.
Such things do sometimes occur in
this strange life we live. Esquire
Dobbins possesses wonderful energy
and vitality for one who has attained
the three score and ten mile post,
and his mind is quite active, and
memory as fresh as school boys;
his memory ia wonderfully bright.
He remembers and can tell incidents |
OF all those noble spirits prominently |
connected with Arkansas as terri
tory and 3 state. Nbe first and last |
time be ever met the gifted and |
erratic Fent Rowland, of Batesville,
Esquire Dob5ins borrowed $25. |
Every body was honest in those days,
and a stranger with any sort OF a
and more often
could borrow money with
out security. f quire Dobbins is
one OF the most prominent Masons
IN the state, being we'll up in the
laws of the order, often being called
upon to settle disputed points. Like