History
of Arkansas Co., Arkansas
Arkansas:
French interpretation of a Sioux word "acansa," meaning "downstream place."
CREATED:
December
31, 1813 the county of Arkansas was created by act of the legislature.
Boundaries:
North by the south line of the county of New Madrid, east by the main channel
of the Mississippi, south by the thirty-third degree of north latitude
or north boundary of the state of Louisiana, west by the western boundary
line of the Osage purchase, thence in direct line to the main source of
the Ouachita River, thence south to the northern boundary line of the state
of Louisiana.
In
1814, the population was 827, and as entitled to one member in the legislature
in the Missouri assembly. Col. Alexander Walker represented
the county.
FIRST
JUDICIAL PROCEEDING
June
20, 1814, the will of Louis Gocio was filed for probate before
Patrick Cassady, probate Judge
FIRST
MAIL ROUTE
June
1817, First post office established in the limits of the territory of Arkansas
was at Davidsonville, Lawrence Co.
July
1817 the second post office was established at Arkansas Post.
The
route was from St. Louis, through Davidsonville and Arkansas Post to Monroe,
Louisiana and delivered every 30 days
FIRST
MURDER CASE
March
1, 1838, Constable Elizah Cheatham arrested William
Dunn, accused of the murder of William Cordel. Winesses
testified that Dunn was not near the scene of the killing and was acquited.
DeWitt:
Dec
10, 1852 the general assembly passed an act requiring Arkansas County to
hold an election and elect 3 commissioners to locate the county seat of
Arkansas Co. On Feb. 19, 1853 the election was held resulting in
Charles W. Belknap, Leroy Montgomery, and John
A Moorman as the elected commissioners.
The
above named then selected the northeast quarter of section 4, township
5, south of Range 3 west, the same being vacant and 1/2 belonging to the
state with the other 1/2 belonging to the government.
Early
1854 Adam McCool, county surveyor, directed the layout of
the new county seat.
During
the survey there were 2 commissioners present, Charles W. Belknap
and Leroy Montgomery, could not come to an agreement on which
to name the new county seat. McCool
was called in to take
the place of Montgomery. The 3 then decided to write their choices of names
on 3 separate pieces of paper and then one would be drawn from a hat and
that would be the name of the new county seat.
McCool
admired DeWitt Clinton, but knowing there was another county seat by the
name of Clinton he wrote DeWitt on the paper.
Thus
became the name of DeWitt.
| Town Lot Sales | Purchasers |
| July
4, 1854
86 lots were sold Highest amount paid $37.50 lowest amount paid $3.25 |
C P Halley, Alex Andrews, John A Moorman, J T Allen, V A Marquis, J W Hall, Rolly Hughes, F Montgomery, A M Dyer, H Ruppell, L Montgomery, A M Dyer, H Ruppell, L M Montgomery, J N Halley, J E McGraw, C W Belknap, G W Stahl, H Bolster, William McGraw, James J Dugan, William Duncan, Henry C Stahl, Lewis Swarts, I L Davis, E H Willis, Peyton Roach, C J Miller, J H Halley, and James Elliot |
| May 4, 1857 | R Bunfil, C J Miller, J Bringle Jr, H K Stephen, W D Rogers, H Stahl, J J McGraw, G C Taylor, H Ruppell, and J W Lowe |
| October 22,1859 | J J Gillcoatt, Henry C Stahl, B B Raymer, E Inman, William T Morris, A J Jackson, W E Christian, James M Barker, Charles King, J H Powell, J H Maxwell, Enoch Jones, Jacob Hagler, Jim Bringle, H K Stephen, James H Merritt, W F Gibson, with deed made to assignee J T Gibson, William R Hagler, Abraham Stephens, William H Grey and D B Quertermous. |
| July 1, 1867 | Exekeel Irelan, Robert C Martin, James C Whaling, R J Wolverton, James A Gibson, J G Quertermous and Exekeel Ireland with deed to William H Frost |
| 1868 | R A Garner, John J Nablock, C C Godden, Exekiel Ireland, W W Drummond, J B Kennedy, Wiliam S Quertermous, J G Robinson, F K Lyman, J G Robinson, M B Brem, M S Allen, John Walker, Jesse Hornbeck, Merritt Kennedy, Michael McCarty, George W Pearman, James Merritt and J H Merritt. R A Garner paid $111 for two lots, F K Lyman $161 for two lots, and C C Godden $106 for a couple of lots. |
| May 16, 1872 | First Baptist Church made its first recorded purchase. Buying lots 10, 11 and 12 of Block 24 for $1.50. |
| 1859 | Some of the prpoerty owners were reselling their lits for a good profit. |
| 1870's | Lots
were going for 5 to 10 cents.
Stephens and Merritt bought Lot 1 of Block 17 for 5 cents and lots 5 and 6, block 26 for 10 cents. |
| Among the other early property purchasers in the town were B B Smith, Henry Holeman, E R Wiley, S J Farrer, J W Blankenship, W S Davidson, Bery Burk, Richard Pearson, Reed Jones Jr, B N Wood, Freeman and Puyear, Mary A Morrison, M A Billingley, John McLauchlun, E G Abbott, George Keulhofer, A B Beeler, W W Halliburton, J McLaughlin, R L Freez, A B Bates, Mrs Mary Bringle, J B Garrisser, M B Brem and Sam McCarty |
FIRST COURT HOUSE
In
1855 3 log buildings were erected. In July it was ordered that the clerk
move all records of the county to the new county seat before Sept. 1, 1855
and that all courts of the county in the future he held in DeWitt. This
was the last term of Court held in Arkansas Post, which adjourned July
17th, 1855. John G. Quartermous, clerk, was ordered to remove
the records.
The
first term of court in the new court house was held on Oct. 15, 1855
THIRD COURTHOUSE
Under
the direction of of the Quorom Court in 1891, Judge R. C. Chaney
obtained plans for a new courthouse.
J. F. Swanson and A.
H. Soakland out of Memphis won the bids for construction. John
W. Miller and W. S. DeBerry were to haul the sand
and W. J. Royal was the brick maker.
A
clock was placed in the tower a few years later by Judge Shannon.
In
1933 yet another courthouse was built in DeWitt after the 3rd courthouse
was condemmed for it's dangerous foundation.
HISTORY OF PAYERSVILLE, ARKANSAS CO., AR, A TOWN NO LONGER
Payer, A village on the T. & S.t L. Railway, in McFall township, Arkansas County, 24 miles from DeWitt, the county seat. Pine Bluff is the nearest banking point. Settled in 1880, it contains a church and a district school. Live stock is shipped. Mail runs daily.
Application
for Post Office at Payersville
HISTORY
OF STUTTGART
Comming
soon!
The
information above came from the research of Cindy Lee Gettle,
sources
include:
Arkansas
Rice Carnival, Stuttgart , October 21, 22, and 23, 1936. Some stories from
the "book" came from people that were still living in 1936.
Old
news paper articles
and
personal family history