Washington telegraph., 1926-07-02
HISTORIC WASHINGTON.

history, the little village of Wash
ington stands as a guide post to riches
of past events.
1t is is the most interesting repres-
entative, perhaps, of that coterie OF
historic towns and cities which had
their share in the building of Ark
ansas, later to dwindle in size and
Importance until the rush of a succeed
ing century hurled them, a little
breathless, out of its path.
To Washington, now Il home 10
some 500 souls, such scubtful mod
ern interests have come as sensatl-
onal bank robbery, a tornado, disart-
Gus fires-so that it has never sunk
entirely from the front of the days
news. The Washington Telegraph,
Oldest newspaper in the state except
the Gazette of Little Rock. This was
the only Arkansas publication credit
ed with continuous service during the
Civil War.
In the past, however, it enjoyed
such fame as boasting one of the larg-
est populations in the state, 5000; OF
being the seat of culture for all Ark
ansas; of produring some of its cele-
brities; of originating the famous
"Bowie Knife; of housing the state
capital at one time during the war;
of providing the mobilization site for
Arkansas troups at the start Of the
Mexican War; of being one of the
oldest towns in the state.
There is an oul cemetary at WISH
ington, overgrown with weeds and un-
,derbrush, where headstones present
.he names of some of the most illus
trious of Arkansas pioneer citizens.
Names are found engraved which
means more to state history than
they do to Washington at present, for
the descendants, in nearly every inst
ance, have long since scattered to
the cardinal points.
Washington was the home OF the
earliest of the emigrating South At
lantians, scions in many cases Of pro-
minent families in Virginia, N. Car
olina, South Carolina, Georgia, and
other state of the seaboard. 1t attract
ed the better classes of people from
the thousnds of immigrants who pour
ed into new territory or crossed it te
lands beyond.
Another relic of the past also
stands in the ond courthouse, a two
story frame building which the state
legislature used temporarily in 1868
when Little Rock appeared to be a
the mercy of federal invaders. Man!
old houses and historic landmark
are still to be seen.
Elijah Stuart, the first man to set
tie in what is now Washington, bull
n log house in the eastern part of tn
town, and opened the first tavern,
later became the temporary part o
the county court.
The county of Hampstead was OF
ganized in 1919. 1t originally EN-
braced a much larger area than
does now. lying south and west of tn
Little Misouria River and westwar
to the line of the Indian Territory.
The first term of the county coui
was held at the house of John Ems
lish, about eight miles from wher
Washington now lies. In 1924 tn
court was moved to Stuart's home
Washington by a board of commiss
oners who designated the site as tn
permanent seat of justice.
Washington was at the junctio
of two famous roads, the milltar
road from Little Rock to Fort Towso
in the Indian Territory, and anothe
road from Fort Jessup in louisiana.
The roads Joined at Washington an
turned west to the terminus.
The Choctaw Indians were move
over the road in 1882 to their ne
home in the territory. They were SUI
fering from an epidemic of choler
and their passage created some e'
citement.
Many stories have been told oil u
origination of the Bowie knife, an
accounts have differed as to wheth6
il was James Bowie on another Bow
who placed the historic order for Il
manufacture with James Black, Wsi
ineton blacksmith and silversmith VIII
is said to have possessed the "secr'
of Damascus" in the tempering
steel. Black made the knife bp pa
tern. and Bowie killed his man in
subsequent duel with such despatc
that others clamored from weapon
of identical make. 1t was said thf