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Early Settlers of Sebastian County
Arkansas, Northwestern Counties History, 1889
Fort Smith Military Post. - The authentic date of the first settlement of the territory now composing Sebastian County is that of the establishment
of the military post at Fort Smith, in October or November, 1817. That there were white settlers, farmers and traders here before that time there
is no doubt, but if so their names and history, except that of Capt. John Rogers, the first white settler on the site of Fort Smith, have
not been preserved. He came soon after the battle of New Orleans terminated the War of 1812, and was afterward appointed first sutler to this post.
Some of the soldiers who first came to garrison the post became permanent settlers. Among them was Aaron Barling, the father of
Mrs. Jerry Kannady, now living in Fort Smith. After leaving the garrison, about the year 1828, he settled on the military road
nine miles east of Fort Smith, and there for many years kept a house for the entertainment of travelers. The following letter, addressed to the
committee appointed to collect historical matter for the centennial celebration held at Fort Smith in 1886, and embraced in Co1. Ben T. Duval's
address on that occasion, is of much interest pertaining to the settlement of this part of the country:
Billingsley P.O., Ark., June 26, 1876.
Sir: In answer to your note of June 21, I have this to say: My father, with two other families, moved from Middle Tennessee - Charles Adams and
Samuel Williams, six in each family, making in all eighteen persons. It was in 1814 we came to the post of Arkansas in a fiat-boat.
There we found a small French and Creole village. The Quapaw Indians lived on the south side of the river. There we exchanged our fiat~boat
for a keel-boat with an old Indian trader; there was nothing like stcamboats on the Mississippi River then. We made our way the best we could
until we got to the Cadron, where we found one of my father's brothers, who had moved from Kentucky in an early day. We stayed there one year,
then there was a treaty made with the Cherokees. They then lived on the Illinois and Point Remove Creeks, on the north side of the river.
Some of them lived also on the south side of the river, on Shoal Creek--that is Boal's Village. They moved to Texas, to Cherokee County.
Then we moved to Big Mulberry in 1816. We numbered about eighteen families, and lived there two years, in all the luxuries of life that a
new country could afford, such as buffalo and bear, deer and elk meat, and fish and honey. And we had poundcake every day, for we beat all
the meal that we eat in a mortar; and the first year our corn gave out about six weeks before roasting-ears came in; the substitute for bread
was venison, dried by the fire in a mortar and made in small cakes and fried in bear's oil; that hoap us out until forward Irish potatoes came
in. We had all things in common. We had no doctors nor lawyers in those happy days. The first Legislature was held at the post of Arkansas.
My father was a member. We had no tax to pay but county tax, the General Government paid all the balance. About that time Maj. Bradford
came to Fort Smith and set up that post, and we furnished him with buffalo meat for the soldiers, and then we got some flour from him, which
was a great treat to us. All the way Maj. Bradford got the mail then was by sending a soldier to the post of Arkansas in a canoe,
which took him about three weeks to make the trip. Then the Government made another treaty with the Indians, and we moved to the south side
of the river, and commenced settling all along the river from Fort Smith to the present seat of 'government; first some in McClain's Bottom.
some at Dardenelle, some on Shoal Creek, and so on. And we soon got strict enough to hold camp-meetings, and everybody went and left their
houses for a week at a time, and when they came back everything was all right. We than generally built our chimneys up to the mantel-piece,
and hung our meat outside on the ribs of the house.
If any man had a lock on any of his doors in those days he would have been looked on with suspicion. We, about this time, began to get some
mail contracts, and soon after that some law mixt in. We had some old fashioned brake-downs on a dirt floor, and if any of us lost a toe-nail
we never said anything about it. You must excuse bad writing, etc.
In haste, John Billingsley.
N. B. I have a little more time, and will go a little further. The county of Crawford at that time contained all of Washington and Sebastian,
and the first court that was held in Crawford was at Fort Smith, by Judge Bates, of Batesville. All ofllces were filled by appointment of the
governor. The first clerk that was appointed was George Pickett,and the first sherrif was James Wilson,and the first
esquire was McClane,of McClane's Bottom. Well, the way men dressed themselves in those days was by dressing their deer-skins
and making full suits of the same. There was occasionally a French trader came up the river in large canoes and brought domestics,
calico and checks, and some earthenware and cutlery. We paid them 50 cents per yard for calico, 371/2 cents for domestics, and 40 cents for
checks. I gave $4 for the first set of teacups I ever owned, and very common at that; and $2 for a small dish, such as you get now for 50 cents,
and $4 for a set of knives and forks. and common at that. We paid for all things in beaver, otter, bear and deer-skins and bear's oil and beeswax.
The first settler was Capt. Rogers, and he got very rich. So I close at this time.
J. B.
Other Settlers.--In addition to the early settlers mentioned who settled in and around about Fort Smith were the following,
viz.: Clark Landers, H. A. Quesenbury, the father of the eccentric genius, William Quesenbury, William Tichenal, Matthew Moore,
Robert Sinclair, George S. and Charles A. Birnie, Matthew Moss, Gen. Nicks, Robert Gibson, Curry Barnett, James McDavid, Alfred Ray,
Dr. David D. Williams, Stagner and William Duval, father of Col. Ben. T. Duval, who in 1825 came from Virginia, and ascended
the Arkansas River in a keel-boat, and established a trading post on the land afterward owned by his son, Dr. Elias R. Duval.
In 1829 he moved his family from Virginia to Fort Smith, and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1851, fiom an attack of cholera.
In the extreme early days of Fort Smith, William Quesenbury, W. H. Rogers and Ben. T. Duval were the only boys in and about
the place. Maj. Ben. Moore, from Virginia, settled in 1821, at Moore's Rock, on the Arkansas River, about eighteen miles below
Fort Smith, on the farm now occupied by John B. Luce. At his own expense he cut a channel for the passage of vessels through the
bed-rock which extended across the river at his place. He was the first individual who raised cotton and tobacco in this part of the county,
and built the first grist-mill between Fort Smith and Little Rock. John Penn Dillard, a lawyer, came from Lynchburg, Va., in 1822,
and settled at Old Crawford Court-house, and in his log cabin be entertained the lawyers who came there from a distance to attend court.
In 1823 James Griggs settled near Sulphur Springs. Judge James Woodson Bates, brother of the renowned Frederick and
Edward Bates, and who presided at the first court ever held at Fort Smith, settled on a farm near Moore's Rock about the year 1830,
and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1846. He married a daughter of Maj. Ben. Moore, and sister of Mrs. Dillard,
now of Fort Smith. Judge Hugh Knox settled on what is known as the "Knox Farm", on the Arkansas River, about eight miles below Fort Smith.
Gen. Matthew Arbuckle, who, as colonel of the Seventh United States Infantry, was the second commander of the post of Fort Smith, settled
on Arbuckle's Island, on the Arkansas River, twenty-five miles below Fort Smith. William Moore and Ben. Moore, Jr., settled
at Moore's Rock the same time that Maj. Ben. Moore settled that place. Jack Tittsworth settled on the Little Rock road, at
Short Mountain, and kept a house for the entertainment of travelers, his being the first house of entertainment on that road next below
Aaron Barling. Judge Jesse Turner, who now resides at Van: Buren, was an early settler of Old Crawford Court-house, and has
followed the county seat of Crawford County from place to place to its final location.
Among the later early settlers of Fort Smithwere Capt. Nat. Gookin, (He married the Widow Kannady,
mother of Jerry Kennedy and sister of Capt. John Rogers.) who was also one of the first school-teachers in the place;
Jerry R. Kennedy, who for many years was a prominent and much respected citizen, settled here in 1836, where he resided until his death,
which occurred April 25, 1882. His widow survives him, and is still a resident of the place. Dr. Joseph H. Bailey and John Stryker
were also early citizens of Fort Smith. Dr. J. H. T. Main settled here in March, 1838; and He married the Widow Kannady,
mother of Jerry Kennedy and sister of Capt. John Rogers.
The only citizens of the place of that date who now survive with the Doctor are John Stryker, Col. Ben. T. Duval, William H. Rogers and
Mrs. Jerry Kannady, and perhaps one or two other ladies. Michael Manning, a resident of Fort Smith, now over eighty years of age,
and who unfortunately has lost his sight, but still has a bright intellect and a wonderful memory, hired himself to a government agent
in New Orleans to come here and work on the fort. He arrived May 10, 1840, and has resided here ever since. Col. Samuel M. Rutherford,
the first representative in the General Assembly from this county, and afterward judge of the county and probate courts thereof, was also an
early settler. He died April 1, 1867. Maj. Elias Rector was an early settler, and a citizen of the Fort Smith vicinity for over forty years.
He died at his residence in 1878. Another old settler was Joseph Armorer, who came here some time in "the thirties." W. H. Mayers
came from Maryland in 1841, settled in Fort Smith, and was for many years engaged with his brother, M. Mayers, in mercantile business.
Eaton Tatum, at whose house Sebastian County was organized, came from Missouri and settled at Jenny Lind in 1843; at that time there were
settlements, in addition to those named, at Greenwood, Hodge's Prairie, Mazzard Prairie and in the Sugar Loaf Valley.
The only settlers then at
Greenwood were Reuben Coker and his two brothers, Henry and John, and Coleman Norris, and Dr. Allen
was the only
one in Sugar Loaf Valley.
On Mazzard Prairie were Jesse Ross and Samuel Caldwell. James J. Baker, now a merchant in Greenwood, settled at Jenny Lind
in 1845. His nearest neighbors were then Maj. Tatum, of that place; John G. Little, who lived less than a mile east thereof;
the widow Welty and her sons, John and Henry, who lived on the Vache Grass, two and a half miles northeast;
W. O. Hunter, who lived one mile east; Donaldson, who lived two and a half miles east; Judge James Clark, who lived the
same distance northeast; Henry Ross, who lived two miles north, and Jesse Ross (already mentioned), who lived four miles north
on Mazzard Prairie; and between the latter and Long Prairie, and on Long Prairie, was a little colony of Germans:
Christopher Groiber, Peter Euper, Casper Euper, Gottlieb Ellichen and Julius Richards. Perhaps these were not all there in 1845,
at the date of Mr. Baker's settlement, but were either there then or came soon thereafter. The first settlers on Mazzard Prairie,
in addition to those already named, were Jesse, Thomas and Seaburn Standifer and Samuel B. Stevens. The early settlers
were very fond of horse-racing, and near the residence of Samuel Caldwell, on the south edge of Mazzard Prairie, they prepared and
maintained a race-track on which they trained their horses for speed.
James Rogers settled one mile east of Greenwood, and Coleman Norris immediately south. Reuben Coker lived where
Judge C. B. Neal now lives, at Greenwood; Henry Coker near by, and John, his brother, a little to the north.
Anderson Tinker settled a short distance southwest of Greenwood, and John Miller two miles due south, and beyond him James Morris
. The latter two were stock raisers. Jordan Smith settled one and a half miles west of Greenwood; James and Mason Fletcher
three miles north; Leonard Spradling six and William McAllister eight miles north. Farther down on the Vache Grass were the
settlements of W. L. Seaman, William Price, William Ward, Grandy Ake and Judge Charles Milor; the latter at the mouth of Vache Grass.
Among the early settlers in the vicinity of the present village of Salem (Witcherville) were Walter T. Woodson, who came from
Virginia
in 1846, and settled one-half mile southeast thereof; Ransom Pilley, who came from North Carolina in 1849, and settled one mile southeast
thereof; George Maynard, a Baptist preacher, who came from Tennessee some time priorto 1850, and settled one and a half miles west of the
site of the village; John Martindale, who came from Missouri, and settled one and a half miles northwest thereof;
Churchill Jones, one mile south: Joel Allison, one mile northeast; John Robins, from Tennessee, two miles west, and
Joseph Evans, from Alabama, between one and two miles west. All of these are dead except, probably, Joel Allison, who moved away.
William J. Witcher came from Virginia in 1850, and settled on the site of Salem, and afterward established the village,
and still resides there, and as a servant of Uncle Sam distributes mail to his subjects. The same year Thomas Powers came from Indiana,
and settled near Witcher's place, and afterward moved to California. Benjamin French and Thomas Sprouse, some time in "the forties,"
came from Alabama, and settled in the same neighborhood, and afterward moved to Texas. Also in "the forties," James T. Gillim came from
Tennessee, and settled where he still lives, one and a half miles west of Salem.
In 1851 Levi Barrett came from Georgia, and settled on Horse Shoe Ridge, one the site of the present town of
Huntington, where he and his aged wife still reside. Eli Shackleford, James Wilson. Charles Burton and Samuel Brown,
all now deceased,
were among the first settlers in this vicinity. Blany Harper, deceased, settled the place south of the ridge where Joseph Martin
now lives. John Nelson, now deceased, came from Tennessee, and settled two miles west of the present town of Huntington.
Squire Frazier came from North Carolina, and settled where he now resides, about three miles from Huntington. Abe West, now deceased,
came from Tennessee, and settled between the present towns of Huntington and Mansfield. The early settlers of the
extreme southern part of
Sebastian County, in the valley between the Sugar Loaf and Poteau Mountains, known as the Sugar Loaf Valley, who settled there in
"the forties,"
were James, Jack and Ned Tucker, who came from Mississippi; Earley Bales, Glenn, Fleming, Bloodworth, Squire Stafford,
Dr. Allen, Daniel Dees, Rev. Snedley, Nicholson, Casey, Gist, Hart, O'Neal, Mayes and Norton. All of these. who settled there
prior to 1846, are now dead. Dr. Walker, who lives in the same valley, but in the edge of Scott County, and who now practices law at
Mansfield, settled there in 1846, and is the only surviving settler who resided there at that date. Later early settlers in
the vicinity of the town of Hartford were C. E. Goddard, who came from Washington County in 1858; William Barnes,
John Patton,
Thomas Chronnister, William Woodson and Dr. J. D. Williams.
The early settlers of the vicinity of Hackett City and of the west central portion of the county were as follows:
In 1839 William Tichenal settled at the place now called Jensen, and subsequently about a mile south of the present town
of Hackett, where he lived until 1851, and then went to California, where he is believed to be still living. About the year
1830 William H. McMurtry came from Missouri and settled near the line of the Indian Territory, and two miles west of the site of
Hackett City, and near the same time William Fleming settled on the James Fork, two miles south of the
latter place.
Fleming moved away, and about the year 1851 his place was occupied by Matthew Moore. About the year 1839 Jacob Bender,
formerly a soldier in the United States Army, settled one mile west of the site of Hackett City. James Green settled on
the place where Mr. McMurtry, son of William H. McMurtry, now lives, at Hackett City. Thomas Patton,
a blacksmith, settled on the site of this town, on the west side of the branch, some time prior to 1845. About the year 1843 a Mr. Pulliam
settled a mile and a quarter southeast of the site of Hackett City, and Thomas Patton, the blacksmith, moved onto
the same place about the year 1847, and lived there until he was killed in a cyclone a few years ago. Carbon Howell settled a little
farther east. Samuel Sorrolls and Lewis Brewer settled on Sorrells' Prairie over fifty years ago.
Jeremiah Hackett came from Ohio in 1841, and settled on the place where he now lives, one mile southwest of Hackett City.
In 1851 J. M. Hicks settled on the line five miles south of Jenson, and established a trading place for the Indians,
the article mostly purchased by them being whisky. The Weltys and Reasoners and Ned Moore settled at the base of the
Sugar Loaf Mountain, on the north side. In 1840 Harmon Mickell settled about seven miles south of Fort Smith, and about
the same time John McMurtrey settled six miles north of Hackett City. Elzie Hano settled two miles. northeast of
the latter place, and P. Evans about a mile farther east. The latter was a soldier under Gen. Jackson in the battle of the
Horseshoe, and during the late Civil War he was killed by a Confederate soldier after he had been captured.
By reference to dates it will be observed that the settlement of the territory of Sebastian County began at Fort Smith in 1817, and then
followed down the river; that the portion bordering on the river was first settled, and that the central and southern portion of the county
was not settled to any considerable extent until after the year 1840. Prior to 1850 the country was settled very slowly, after that more rapidly.
Referring to the early settlers of the county Col. Duval, in his historical address of 1876, said:
"In those days there was a close sympathy and brotherhood among the people. Persons living fifty miles apart were neighbors in all the term
implies. A camp-meeting, a funeral or a dance would bring them together. The ladies, young and old, would often travel over a great distance,
on a visit or to a danceThey had to travel on horseback, for even in my day a buggy or carriage was unknown. The young ladies would pack
their party finery in a satchel or saddle-bags, mount their steeds and joyfully ride fifty miles to a dance. There are some here today of
both sexes who have attended parties under these circumstances, and they will tell you, with the sparkle of other days in their eyes, that
those dances, often prolonged till "broad daylight," and repeated for several nights, on the rude puncheons, by the light of a tallow dip
or pine knot, to the music of the fiddle and tambourine, were merrier and afiorded more genuine pleasure than you can enjoy with the
luxurious surroundings of a full band of music in a splendid hall."
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Last Updated: Saturday, 25-Jan-2020 17:50:29 MST
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