The Russellville Democrat., 1893-11-09
Mr. washbourne, the Artist.

MRs.c. (. sooTT, EpITREss ARKASsAw TRAv-
 ELER, Arkadelphia- Ark:
 DEAR MADAM Yours of the 10th inst was duly received, requesting from me information in regard to the proper name, birthplace and my knowledge oi Mr. Washbourne, the artist of Arkansas Traveller" fame, to which most respect fully reply as follows;
 In the History of Arkansaw,n by Mir Fay Hampstead. his name is given as "C. P. Wasbourne,n and that of his father as ..Cephras A. Wasbourne," both being incorrect. The name proper of the art ist is Edward Payson Washbourne, and that of his father Rev. Cephas Wash bourne, emitting the letter "A" Ill the name of the father as appears in the his tory, and changing the "Cn to "Ep in the artists name, and as I have written them above correctly.
 The Key. Cephas Washbourne, the father of the artist, came to Pope coun- ty, Arkansaw, in company with Alfred Kinney and few other families in 1920, as missionaries at their own request, sent by the American Board of Missions. and located among the Cherokee Indians on the west bank of Illinois bayou in Pope county, Arkansaw, to which he gave the name of Dwight Mission,r in honor of Dr. Dwight, distinguished divine and friend of missions. On his way to this place he stopped for short time at the Post of Arkansaw, the then seat of goy- ernment of the territory of Arkansaw, where he preached several sermons. From thence he came to Little Rock as a passenger on the first steamboat that oxr Had A t.iv 1lss1xp pt.fxy oh the Post of Arkansaw, and as a matter equally worthy of note, he preached the first sermon ever delivered h Little Rock.
 After locating at Dwight there was born to him daughter on the 27th of March, 1921, she being the first white child born in what now constitutes Pope county, the then Cherokee nation. and who is now living in Russellvile in Pope county, within four miles of her birth- place, and a widow, Mrs. Corinne Thomp- son, sister of Edward Payson Wash bourne, and the only surviving child of the Rev Cephas Washbourne, lady of much intelligence and very greatly es- teemed and respected by all who know her.
 Rev Cephas Washbourne remained at
 
 Indians having ceded or exchanged this section for territory farther west the year previously. and which they now oc- cupy, he, with his family and his other faithful missionary friends, removed and followed the Indians to their new homes, and established and built up another missionary station, to which he gave the name of New Dwight, on the stream nuI a1a pin A a ipaf ones and near the Salison and in the Cherokee nation, their new home Here at this new place and home, New Dwight in the Cherokee Indian nation, Edward Payson Washbourne, the artist of Ark ansaw Traveller Fame was born on the 17th day of November. 1881. In the win ter of lS40 his father left the Indian mission of New Dwight and moved into Benton county ,Arkansaw and engaged in teaching school and preaching until lS45 when he went east as an agent soliciting funds to endow the far west seminary, in which enterprise he unfortunately failed In 1850 he moved from Benton county to Fort Smith, and became pas tor of the Presbyterian church at that place.
 In the winter Of 1851 at Fort Smith, Edward Payson Washbourne first began 10 pant. His first attempt was to copy a portrait of Joseph B. Lynde, in which he succeeded most admirably. The Rev. William Easterbrook, then pastor of the M. |. church at Fort Smith, offered and did sit for his portrait, and the likeness was pronounced most excellent. This was bis first portrait taken from life, and which may possibly yet be seen at or near Fort smith. He, after this, went back to the Cherokee nation and taught a government school but soon gave that ap and returned to Fort smith and open ad up a studio and began painting DOT Iraits in earnest. Being yet in minority, poor. and without means to procure paints and brushes. yet he toiied on, with eneonragements and notices lf hls skill frequently being published n the Fort Smith Herald, edited by Mir. Wheeler, lifelong friend. There are many Of his landscapes aud paintings of owns on the Arkansas river yet to be 'ound in his sisters home in RussellyiIle