The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17

TN THE VERY HEART OF the St. Francis valley the garden spot o, the earth,
- >teced from overflow by a complete system of standard lvees under DOM
peent supervision, and level surface is drained by a system Of canals cost
thing something over $5OOON. Besides the river we have excellent railroad
facilities and over 200 miles of hard surfaced roads are under construction, About
sixty per cent Of the land is under cultivation, more than half of this has been
done in the last five years
Mississippi county is the banner agricultural county of the state The soil and
climate ire Incompatible The value of the three staple crops in 1918 amounted to
equal to the market value Of the land. Health is good. The growing season is 24
days and for this reason Mississippi county is called the land of two crops. Seven
yield.
Small fruits and vegetables do exceedingly we'll in this section. Best registered
cattle and hogs are found in the pastures of every plantation. The nofencc law
is effective. More and better grade stock is being marketed every year.
osceola, the county seat of Mississippi county, is m of. the oldest towns in
Eastern Arkansas, and has been an important factor in the forward steps taken
a substantial and thriving business Has a fine graded school system and is add
ing as occasion demands.
osceo1a has two substantial banks, two wholesale houses, four large cotton
mil, two oil distributing stations three automobile sales rooms machine shops, an
ice and cold storage plant, a modern printing plant more than sixty retail business
walks, business district paved. Beautiful homes and churches, and hghcIass, Gull
tued citizenship. Come to the land IF opportunity.
Mississippi county was created by act of the territorial legislature of 1855 and
OsceoEa designated as the county seat
The oldest mhabtant has ne traditional story to tell of the first settler. The
village was delightfully."- situated on the west bank Of the great river which gives
the name to the county, and which brought the commerce Of the world to her door
in the palmy days Of seamboatng. Her citizens have never known the cramped
life and depryatons suffered by the pioneers Of the interior sections The water
front Of the town has never changed by caving, and the same blue mud bank
which attracted the sgpdQus wanderr to pitch his tent at this point serves as a
base for the great leee which now protects the valley from floods
In 1882 the United States government in the interest of a deeper channel dur
caused an island to form and ultimately forced the town away from the river Be
fore the St Francis evee was built protecting the whole valley, a small local hvee
been more than from 8 to z inches over the land at this point
In November, 1875, the town Of Osceoa was incorporated, and an election or
deed, resulting in eectng Leon Rousseau mayor; John {. B1ackwood, recorder;
Alex Goodrich, Berry Henwood, Daniel Matthews, DR. I. N. Petey and B. +.
Jones, aldermen. t
Mississippi county had no public building till 1882, when a twostory frame
courthouse .S Nas ouMt w when was quite Pneentous Tor that time time This was done
sppi county, under the administration of Judge S l. Gadish. '