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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. Witnesses
testified that Dunn
was not near the scene of the killing and was acquitted.
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.
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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 |
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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. |
Other
land information
|
1859 |
Some
of the property owners were reselling their lots 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. |
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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 Courthouse
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 condemned 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. |
