The Van Buren press., 1897-09-11
EARLY HISTORY.
Memories Of Half Century Pc
csIisc-Dsys q Pike. Jonn Lin
ton. john Taylor. Jesse
Turner an1 Other

fg1r niles north zzez. from the town q
Mulberry is the Cd s.0bzr Ferry On
TIE Arkansas river. Near this ferry
+ tne three COUNTIES q Franklin. Sebastian
znd Crawford corner. and Just acroes
On the Franklin side stands spot Of
ground near the river bank that :
almost q 'hzlloTed SPOT. and % the
Lovers Of Arkansas ard Arkansas history
should be a. sacred e. the ruins of Kzr-
Tax L 70 Egypt. o. fhe Tomb Of Cyrus
: % Persia. In early days il was
almost to Arkansas what Athens wzs
% Greece.
This SPOT is in corner Of Franklin
county. AM Ia only marked by the ruins
Of an old ! z house and little pile Of
rock that once represented chimney.
TIE place is no1 surrounded BY fine
growing crops. sueh a. only the rich
soi1 Of the Arkansas river bottom can
produce. and the lands and modern
cottages Of the farmers would indicate
3 new country entirely. But this little
pile Of rock and rotten logs almost
covered By rank weeds marks the spot
where once stood the famous old
Crawford court house. more than
half century ago the county seat q
Crawford county. when I, embraced
what il now Crawford. Sebastian.
Madison. Franklin. Logan. q part Of
Washington, Carroll and Benton. and
= Fery large portion # Eha. il nov the
Indian Territory.
The court house consisted Of a small
t7vo. story log structure. and for many
years vas the most noted place in al
north and west Arkansas. At this
place. and in this hoase. many ;
legal battle hzs ben fought and many
a victory won, for il cannot Be denied
that even though > Wild frontier
country our territorial and early state
hood bar were, many q them scholarly
zeutIemen and intellectual giants.
Much Of the early history Of the state
vas made in the old Crawford court
house, and political combines were
formed. 1t Is said that here was the
place that the modern triumvirzts was
formed and plans laid that eventually
fixed the constitution 20 as 70
thwart the plans Of Gov. Archibald
Yell. who was ambitious to Be the first
governor Of the state.
Il was here that such lawyers az Gen.
Albert Pike, David Walker. Gov. Full
ton. Alfred Arlington. John Taylor,
Jno. Linton, Chester Ashley, Jesse
Turner and many others met in royal
combat. The lawyers Of prominence
al over the state attended court here.
a. they all rode the circuit in those
days. and could the old spot re echo
some Of the incidents. the tales Of
woe Of some poor unfortunate, the
fnegide yarns Of these old time giants.
etc. It would be interesting indeed 70 ]
visit. II was here where old John
Taylor and John Linton, noted for a
famous contest at Clarksville, first met
This great contest or word battle
between thsse two old men Is noted in
Arkansas history. The visiting
attorneys, 10 have some fun, worked
up a plan 10 have them 'cut al each
other. and Taylor turned not only Oh
his adversary, but on each lawyer in
the court by turn. and it is said that
the epithets Of Cicero in his phillipics
were but mild and gentle exhOrtatiOns
compared to this eccentric but great
and wonderful man. Gen. Pike, who
heard this contest. il quoted az saying;
1T Is great misfortune Taylor
phillipics are not preserved for liter
ature and posterity.
The old Crawford court house
was conspicuous as the arena for the
intellectual gladiators that helped fight
the battles, blaze the paths Of ciyiliz
alton and form for posterity this state
government Many valuable relics Of
legal lore-and, perhaps, political
intrigue-hover around this historial
but desolated spot Of ground.
It was here that Hon. Jesse Turner.
the grand old Roman, whose memory
every man, woman and child in Craw-
ford county has been taught TO love and
located in 1881 He taught
school and practiced law, and followed
the meanderings Of the county seat.
until 1t was located in Van Buren.
where he practiced law in one Office for
more than half century-an ordinary
lifetime
No part Of early Arkansas history can
be complete without it chronicles inter
esting events that took place at the old
Crawford court house. - The county
then was az large as one third the en-
tire state. Among the earliest settlers
at the Crawford court house were
Jesse Beneux, whose children and
grandchildren are among our best and
most influential citizens. He was the
general merchant Of the place. and
Gen. Jesse Miller. whose farm adjoins
the town Of Mulberry, was the sheriff
Of the big county for several years
Some Of Gen. Miller's children and
grandchildren are still here and among
the best people. II was here that Mr.
J. F Quaile. father in law Of Senator
Berry. received his first lessons in bust