Benton County

On the 29th day of April, 1886, A. Twiggs and others presented to the court a petition for the formation of a new township, to be composed from parts of Ball, Flint and Hico, and bounded as follows, to-wit: “Commencing at section corner between 15 and 16 and 21; thence north one mile and a half to center of sections 9 and 10; thence west on said half mile line to the line of Hico Township; thence north to the line of Flint Township; thence northwest with said line to the center or half-mile corner between Sections 15 and 22, … Read more

A company of soldiers was raised in Benton County, by Capt. Henry L. Smith, for the Mexican War. They went as far as Fort Smith, but the quota having been filled they were not accepted. A portion of them, however, then joined the company of Capt. Wells, a company that was accepted but not yet full. In this company they went forward, and served in that war. On the approach of the late Civil War, when the question of “secession” was being agitated, the people of Benton County, in general, were opposed to that measure, and did not wish to … Read more

On the 1st day of May, 1886, J. C. Hopkins, B. C. Martin, Martin R. Walker and others presented to the court a petition for the formation of a new township within the following boundary lines, to-wit: “Beginning at the southwest corner of Section 22, in Township 18 north, Range 30 west, and running north to the northwest corner of Section 27, in Township 19 north, Range 30 west; thence east to the northeast corner of Section 30, in Township 19 north, Range 29 west; thence south to the Washington County line; thence west to the place of beginning.” The … Read more

This delightful summer resort is beautifully situated in the vale of Butler Creek, on Section 23, Township 21 north, Range 33 west, and on the line of the survey of the Kansas City, Fort Smith & Southern Railroad, now graded to Splitlog, in Missouri. It was surveyed and laid out in December, 1885, by S. B. Robertson, for the proprietors, Hibler & Cox. Lyons’ addition thereto was laid out in May, 1887, and the whole village was re-surveyed in July of that year, by Mr. Robertson, for Charles Hibler and John Black. The group of springs at this place “includes … Read more

This very lively place is situated on Section 22, Township 19 north, Range 28 west, and is worthy of especial mention on account of its being the headquarters of the native lumber industry of Benton and other counties. Peter Vanwinkle erected the first saw-mill known as “Van Winkle’s Mill” at this place in 1858, and ran it until some time during the war, when it was burned, it is said, by Confederate bushwhackers to prevent its being used by the Federal armies. It was rebuilt in 1866 and run until 1882, when it passed into the hands of J. A. … Read more

This little village, consisting of the War Eagle Roller Mills, a large general store, blacksmith shop, and other industries, together with a small number of residences, is located in the beautiful and romantic valley of War Eagle Creek, in the southeast part of Benton County. Sylvanus Blackburn built the first mills at this place, consisting of a saw-mill and grist-mill, in 1848. These mills were used for a number of years, and until a second grist-mill, four stories high, was erected. This mill was burned during the war by order of a Confederate general, as claimed by Mr. Blackburn. The … Read more

This city is situated on Sager’s Creek, in Hico Township, twenty-eight miles southwest from Bentonville, and has a population of about 1,500. It is within two miles of the western and six miles of the southern line of the county. Hico, which may be properly called a residence suburb of Siloam City, is a very old place for this country. Col. D. Gunter settled where he now resides, in Hico, in 1844, before the place had even become a village. About that time, or perhaps a little later, a post-office named Hico was established at a point about two miles … Read more

When the State of Arkansas was organized Congress donated to it the sixteenth section of land in each Congressional township for the support of common schools, providing that these lands should be sold or leased, and that the annual income from the leased lands or from the amount of principal for which such lands were sold should accrue to and belong to the inhabitants of the township in which the lands were located. Afterward the State enacted laws to carry out the provisions of the donation. The county court was authorized to lease these lands, when in its judgment it … Read more

Springtown, a beautiful village is located on Flint Creek, eighteen miles southwest from Bentonville. It derives its name from its famous spring, which flows from the foot of a bank in the valley not more than fifteen feet high. The village lies just west of the spring, at the foot of the southern bluff of Flint Creek Valley. The hills beyond the valley, covered with their native forests, present cheerful scenery. Charles Kincheloe built the first house where Springtown is located, about the year 1841, and Isaac Dial built the next one close by the spring, and it is still … Read more

The original town of Rogers was surveyed and laid out in March, 1881, by John P. Hely, a land surveyor and civil engineer, for Benjamin F. Sikes, the original proprietor. It comprises parts of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 12, Town 19, Range 30, and the west half of the west half of Section 7, Town 19, Range 29. The bearings and courses of the town were surveyed on a magnetic variation of seven degrees east. The plat contains fifteen blocks, with twelve lots each, one tier of blocks being east of the railroad, and two … Read more

The loss of court records prevents the formation and organization of the original municipal townships of Benton County from being satisfactorily ascertained and given. The first change appearing of record was made in January, 1857, when John Roller and sixty-one other citizens filed a petition with the county court asking for the formation of a new township in the northeast corner of the county, within the following boundary lines, to-wit: “Commencing at Henry Moor’s on the line of Walnut Township, and running to Burks’ tanyard; thence with the State road north to the Missouri line, including all the inhabitants on … Read more

Log cabins were the domiciles of the pioneer settlers, and the building of one was a notable event. The first two or three settlers had to erect their own, with the assistance of their families. Later, the pioneer, upon arrival into the country intended for his future operations, would stop and camp at the house of some former settler, and leaving his family there would, under the guidance of the former settler, set out and hunt and select a place to his liking, usually at a spring or some creek, and then return and move his family thereto. The next … Read more

In April, 1859, John B. Putnam, with fifty other citizens of Sugar Creek, White River and Big Spring Townships, filed with the county court a petition for the formation of a new township taken from the above townships and bounded as follows, to wit: “Commencing at Henry Moor’s; thence to the mouth of Prairie Creek; thence up White River to William Graham’s farm; thence to George Callahan’s on the State road; thence to and with Osage Township line to Sugar Creek; and thence up Sugar Creek, making the bed of said creek the line up to Blankenship’s farm, and thence … Read more

In April, 1857, the county court, finding it necessary and expedient to establish a poor-house in the county of Benton, ordered that Samuel Woods, James Jackson and Dysert Woods be appointed to act as commissioners to select a proper site for such building. At the following October term of the court two of these commissioners, James Jackson and Samuel Woods, reported that they had not been able, as yet, to select such a place as in their judgment would be suitable for such purpose, and asked for further time, which was granted until the next regular term. The court then … Read more

Benton County was organized in accordance with an act of the General Assembly passed or approved September 30, 1836. In accordance with the act the first term of the county court, Judge George P. Wallace, presiding, was held in April, 1837, at the residence of said Wallace, one and a half miles east of the present site of Bentonville, when and where the organization of the county was completed. The first county officers were as follows: George P. Wallace, judge of the county court; John B. Dickson, county clerk; Gideon G. Pace, sheriff; Henry C. Hastings, treasurer; Henry Ford, coroner, … Read more

This institution of learning was established in 1874 by Prof. J. R. Roberts. Its first session was opened in Buttram’s Chapel, two and one-half miles east of the present academy buildings, and there the school was continued five years. Then, after a cessation of one year, the school was reopened at its present location, where the first academy building was erected in 1880. This building was 24×40 feet in size and two stories in height, with a school room and cloak room in each story. The school was chartered as an academy with a full course of instruction in 1884. … Read more

At the beginning of the settlement of the territory now embraced in this county, it was occupied by roving bands of the Osage and Delaware tribes of Indians, though it was not then and had not been the permanent location of these tribes. While the tribes were at enmity with each other, they were at peace with the whites, and friendly to the early settlers. Removal of Cherokee Indians The Indians were not numerous here, and did not remain long after the settlement by the whites began. In 1837 the removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia to the Indian … Read more

Nebo is a small village, containing two or three business houses, located on the line between Sections 12 and 13, in Township 20 north, Rang e 33 west. A post of the G. A. R., No. 62, was organized at this place August 29, 1888, with Robert Green as commander, and M. J. Anderson, adjutant. Back to: Benton County, Arkansas History Source: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.    

The first jail for Benton County, which was erected immediately after its organization, stood on the north side of the east and west street, about sixty yards east of the northeast corner of the public square, in Bentonville. It was a small building, consisting of a double wall of squared logs, with a cavity of several inches space between the walls. In this cavity poles were stood upon end, thus making what might be called a third or interior wall. In April, 1860, the county court made the following entry upon the record of its proceedings, to-wit: This being the … Read more

About 1848 William Wells, from Washington County, Arkansas, settled one mile south of Sulphur Springs. In 1851 G. W. Mitchell, from Tennessee, settled on the site of the present village of Bloomfield, and H. T. Gillespie, from North Carolina, settled where he now lives on the Line Road, two miles south of Cherokee City. About the year 1855 James Ingle settled two and a half miles northeast of Bloomfield. In 1855 Jesse Benton settled where he now lives on Honey Creek, eight miles west of Sulphur Springs. He came from Georgia. Prior to 1853 the following persons settled in the … Read more

Lowell is a station on the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, located six miles south of Rogers. It was laid out in 1881 by J. R. McClure. J. W. Main built the first house in the place, and opened the first business – a grocery. Next, M. B. Hathaway erected the building now occupied by J. W. Williams, and opened a general store therein. The business at this writing (1889) consists of two general stores, kept respectively by J. W. Williams and F. H. Rizer; a drug and grocery store, by Green Bros.; a grocery, by R. H. Odell; … Read more

The village of Maysville, one of the oldest in the county, is situated on the Arkansas State and Indian Territory line, twenty-one miles west and one and a-half miles north of Bentonville. An Englishman by the name of Tigret opened the first store in Maysville, in 1839. His most profitable trade was selling whisky to the Indians. He continued in business about ten years, and then returned to his native country, where he died. The second merchant in the place was a Jew, who did business about three years. Early in the forties Maysville contained six or seven stores, all … Read more