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Page12 FAYETTEVILLE (ARK.) DEMOCRAT Tuesday, July 3, 1928 |
| Centennial Sidelights By Journalism Students |
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| Picnic Celebrates Arrival
of First Local Train Delayed One Day by Rain ------- By Katherine McGaugh Amid the cheers of approximately five thousand spectators, the Frisco, Fayetteville's first railway train, pulled up beside the wooden platform which then served as a depot, on Sunday, July 4, 1881, piloted by Charles C. Vance, who in his 84th year still lives in Fayetteville. The train was just one day late, having been prevented from arriving on schedule the 3rd by rain. Many of the spectators had never seen a train before. They came from as far as Harrison on the north and Van Buren on the south. Hundreds of campers were lined up along the small streams that ran through what is now Schuler town. The train carried excursion passengers from Springfield, Mo., and points along the line. The engine was number 31, an 8-wheel, four drive locomotive with a wide-mouthed smokestack. Four passenger cars were attached to the engine, which pulled into Fayette-ville about 11:40 a.m. At 3 o'clock that afternoon, after the engine had cooled off and its ends had been changed by a turntable, the train started on its return journey. To celebrate the occasion a public picnic was held, at which prominent men made addresses on the benefits of the railroad, and the future great- ness of the country. It was several months before the road to Fort Smith was completed. For 30 years Mr. Vance made the 133 mile from Monette to Fort Smith, and for the next 49 years was engineer on a line from Fayetteville to Pettigrew. Mr. Vance is now retired and he, his wife and two daughters ride on a "white pass," an honorary card given by the railway company in recognition for many years in its service. "Only two other men in the Central Frisco division have 'white passes," Mr. France said. They are W. P. McNair, Sr., first station agent at Fayetteville, and B. R. Davidson, veteran Frisco attorney. Mr. Vance began his rail-roading career in 1866, as soon as he left the battlefields of the Civil War. Eleven years later he became an engineer and held that position until he retired. Although three engines have turned over with him, his only hurts were slight scalds. |
Fountain-Of-Youth Fluid Sold Cheap Thirty Years Ago ------- By Edith Gregson "What price youth?" Ten cents a gallon, as Purdy sold it thirty years ago in Fayetteville. This ever-flowing mineral Fountain of Youth was located on the old Purdy place two miles south of Fayette-ville and provided rejuvenation for all Fayetteville people who felt that way about it. No doubt Mr. Purdy himself gave hearty testimony to its youth-reviving effects, as he developeded from an invalid into a healthy many from drinking it. Of course, there were those who did without this "tasty" drink, contending that, as the old settler said, "it tasted like water from a hog-wallerin' mud hole." Luckily for the mineral water advocates this dry plank was not included in the Purdy platform. In its prime this well was the exclusive scene of what the well-dressed patient will wear when he tilts the old oaken bucket. Mr. Purdy even went so far as to some-times assume a Mohammet-like character. That is, if the patient didn't come to the well, the well went to the patient--At least a good big jug full. Even this big-hearted act sometimes went unrewarded, for one ungrateful patient went so far as to remark, "I drank one glass and it made me so sick that if I'd finished the jug it would have killed me." But "wells may comes and well may go, but Youth goes on forever." Thus with the Purdy well., It is now overgrown with vines and filled with dead leaves, having found the price of eternal youth too high.
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First
Courthouse In County Built of Logs for $49.75 ------- By Worth Horton Stories of the old days when liquor ran freely, and six-shooters were made to fight with and no law against it, are still vividly remembered by some of the older citizens of Fayetteville. "Hell on the Border" was a reality in this section. For the first few years after the village of Fayetteville had been established, there was little necessity for courts and officers of the law. The people who poineered into what was then known as Lovely County were peaceful citizens and there was very little breaking of the law. In March of 1829, the first session of the court was held in Washington county. The session was presided over by Robert McCarney, and was held in the log cabin home of one John McGarrah. At this term of court it was decided that the newly estab-lished county should have a court house, and contract fro the structure was awarded to Samuel Marrs after an appropriation of $49.75 had been made. The first court house was built of logs and was completed before the next term of court. The first unlawful atmosphere came into the country along with the second band of Cherokee immigrants, about 10 years later. Passing through Fayetteville in 1838, they brought with them the scum of the earth, and des-peradoes from all parts of the world. These men turned the peaceful countryside into a paradise for bad men. Robberies and murders were almost everyday occurences. The western border of Washington county touched the boundary of the Chero-kee Nation. Bandits would commit their deeds and hurry over the border where they were under another juris-diction. In order that these men might not be inconvenienced, grocery stores were built on the boundary line, half in Arkansas and half in the Cherokee Nation. All a man had to do was shoot his enemy and step across the room to safety. These men always made their murders as gruesome as possible in order that the Indians would get the blame. The first jury to be empanneled was selected by Esquire James B.
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Russell as a result of one of these
horrible murders. Realizing that the courts were almost powerless, these
men selected a committee of thirty-six men who were to convene to try
suspects for the good of the people. A hundred men were selected as a
company of light horse to ride in bands of tens, preserving peace and
aiding justice. In 1837, a second court house was built, of brick at a cost of $5000. In 1839, a new jail was construced at a cost of $4460. In 1852, a poor farm was established and another court house was built at a cost of $6,900 in the same year. Later, during the war between the states, the court house which had been erected in 1852 was burned, and with it all the records of the county were destroyed. A soldier in one of the armies set fire to the building. This fellow was men-tally deficient and was know as "Crazy Bill." Climbing up into the cupelo of the building, "Crazy Bill" scattered the county records over the floor and set fire to them and to the court house. In the resulting blaze, he almost lost his life, having for-gotten how to get down out of the cupola. As a result of this fire, Washington county was without a court house for the next three years, a fourth being built in 1855. This was burned during the war. After the shock of the yar had worn off and the county had begun to regain its normalcy, $22,500 was appropriated for building a new court house, which was erected in the center of the city square and was one of the most pretentious buildings in the state. On the lower floor in the south-west corner was a large two-celled iron cage which was used for a time as a jail.. In 1903 the court house was torn down, and the square was donated to the federal government as a place to erect a new federal building. Prior to this time, a jail had been built at the junction of Mountain street and College avenue, and it was deci-ded that the new court house should be only a block from the jail, at the corner of Center street, which was then "Smoky Row" and College avenue. The new court house was erected in 1904 at a cost of$125,000, and during the judgeship term of Millard Berry. A few years later the jail was enlarged and improved. |
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