Washington County

The lots were sold chiefly at public sale, A. Whinnery being the auctioneer. These sales in the aggregate amounted to 86,339, of which nearly the whole sum was expended in the erection of public buildings. The following is a statement of the sales up to 1837, the names of the purchasers and the price paid: A. B. Anthony 29 8 20.00 A. B. Anthony 29 9 15.00 A. B. Anthony 29 10 10.00 A. B. Anthony 29 11 10.00 A. B. Anthony 29 6 10.00 A. B. Anthony 30   30.00 Matthew Leeper 16 7 82.00 Matthew Leeper 15 7 … Read more

Battery A, First Arkansas Light Artillery Volunteers, known as “Stark’s Battery,” was raised by Denton D. Stark, then adjutant First Arkansas Cavalry. “April 1st the battery was full,” so says the adjutant-general’s report, “but was not mustered into service until August 31, 1863. Meantime and until the 25th of April, of this year, it was stationed at Fayetteville, Arkansas, (though officers and men were absent in Missouri procuring horses when the battle of the 18th of April took place), when, by orders from headquarters of the department of the Missouri, Northwestern Arkansas was evacuated. From May 4th to September 21st, … Read more

The Sixteenth Arkansas Confederate Infantry was organized under Gen. McCullough’s order, at Rogers (then Calahan Springs), about the middle of November, 1861, with the following officers, the list being made most complete when there is Washington County representation: Colonels, J. F. Hill, W. T. Neal, David Province; lieutenant-colonels, W. T. Neal, B F. Pixley, J. M. Pittman; majors —– Farmer, J. M. Pittman. Company A, captains, L. Swagerty, Jesse Adams. Company B, captains, —– Turner, Jesse Cravens. Company C, captains, John Connelly, J. J. Yearwood. Company D, captains, John Smith, E. G. Mitchell, J. Bailey. Company E, captain, W. S. … Read more

The Presbyterian Churches in Washington County are members of the Presbytery of Washbourne, named in honor of the Rev. Cephas Washbourne (or Washburn), who was an early missionary to the Indian nations, and who was probably the first Presbyterian preacher to hold services in Washington County. The presbytery was first ordered by the Synod of Arkansas, convened at Pine Bluff, Ark., in 1883, and met on October 24, 1884, in the Presbyterian Church at Fayetteville. Rev. S. W. Davies, D. D., opened the meeting with a sermon from Numbers XI, 10-17. Those present were Rev. S. W. Davies, W. A. … Read more

From 1829 through 1888, ninety-five post offices were established in Washington County. The following table gives the names of the post offices, their postmasters and appointment dates, and, where recorded, dates of discontinuance, re-establishment, or changes of name.

In January, 1852, James P. Neal, William M. Bowers and A. W. Brownlee were appointed to select and purchase a poor farm. At the April term they reported that they had purchased the farm of Elias Muncie in Township 17, Range 29 west, containing eighty acres. It was then ordered that two log buildings be erected for the accommodation of the paupers, and John R. Glazebrook was appointed poor-house commissioner. Here the poor of the county have since been cared for. The present superintendent is John A. Beckett. Back to: Washington County, Arkansas History Source History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, … Read more

HEADQUARTERS POST FAYETTEVILLE, ARK., April 19, 1863. MAJ. GEN. S. E. CURTIS, Commanding Department of the Missouri: General: The following report of the battle of yesterday, at Fayetteville, is respectfully submitted, in addition to the telegraphic dispatches of last evening. On Friday, 17th inst., a scout under command of Lieut. Robb, First Arkansas Cavalry, returned from the direction of Ozark, and reported no apparent preparations of the enemy to move in this direction. Having no fresh horses I ordered Lieut. Robb to take his command to quarters, expecting to be able to send a small scout again on the next … Read more

On May 19, 1845, Rev. Robert W. Mecklin, having withdrawn from The Far West Seminary, opened a well-attended male seminary about three miles northwest of Fayetteville, and gave it the title “Ozark Institute.” Its reputation spread throughout the region, and its attendance often numbered over a hundred students. To it were attracted as teachers such brainy young men as Rev. Robert Graham, who became the partner of Rev. Mecklin. Under them were assistants A. S. Lockert and Z. Van Hoose. The institution continued until February 17, 1857, and remained inoperative until after the war, when for a time it was … Read more

The Fayetteville Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was organized about 1834 or 1835 at the home of Lodowick Brodie. Among its first members were Mr. Brodie and wife, Martin Frazier, Dr. Adam Clark and wife, David Reise and wife, a Mr. Avard and wife, a Mrs. Anthony, Mr. and Mrs. John Skelton, and a Mr. Cardwell and wife. They held services in Mr. Brodie’s house, and after the completion of the first court-house used that as a place of worship. Their first church, which was afterward burned during the early years of the war, was built in the spring of 1840, … Read more

The Indian occupation of Northwestern Arkansas presents few points of interest. This territory was first claimed by the Osages, and was frequently visited by them in their hunting tours, but it is not probable that they had any established villages in this region. As early as 1806 some of the Cherokees settled above Point Remove, on the Arkansas River, and by a treaty made July 17, 1817, acquired title to all the country west of a line from the mouth of Point Remove, on the Arkansas, to a point on White River, three miles above Batesville, thence up White River … Read more

Mexican War One company of mounted volunteers was raised in Washington County for service in the Mexican War. It consisted of 110 men, and was organized in the spring of 1846, with Stephen B. Enyart as captain, James P. Neal, first lieutenant; Mack O’Brien, second lieutenant; J. F. Rieff, ensign, and Mark Cline, orderly sergeant. The company marched to Washington, Hempstead County, but were too late to be received. They returned to their homes, and held themselves in readiness for the next call for troops. This came about the 1st of March, 1847, and the company marched to Fort Smith, … Read more

The next most important event in the educational history of Washington County, and of the State also, was an act of the Legislature, approved March 27, 1871, entitled “An Act for the Location, Organization and Maintenance of the Arkansas Industrial University, with a Normal Department therein.” It begins thus: Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas: SECTION 1. That the treasurer of said State be a financial agent and trustee of said State, immediately after the passage of this act, to apply for and receive of the United States Government all the land scrip to … Read more

To the People of North and West Arkansas: In obedience to special orders from Headquarters Trans-Mississippi District, I this day assume command of all the troops, of whatever kind, in Northwest Arkansas. In doing so, I hope to be able in a short time to rid that section of the State of the presence of an insolent and unscrupulous abolition invader. To do this I must have the hearty co-operation and sympathy of the citizens, and the united and determined effort of the soldier. I bring with me to the task the life-time experience of a soldier, coupled with the … Read more

Washington County, if she could have controlled Arkansas, would, no doubt, have dotted the State with schools and colleges; as it was she was among the first counties to encourage the proper use of the great United States land grants for public institutions of learning. It was not because there were not large grants made to the commonwealth that the public-school movement languished until 1868, for with the “16th section” grant, “the 72 sections seminary land grant,” the 640,000 acres, and “the swamp lands grant” of September 28, 1850, there were from nine to eleven millions of acres of school … Read more

This place and its vicinity had settlers who entered land as early as April 25, 1836. The following entries were made in that region: William Bloyd, October 24, 1840; James Wynn, July 16, 1840; Eli Bloyd, August 19, 1840; Peter Bloyd, November 10, 1840; John Graham, May 7, 1836; George Putmer, April 10, 1837; Robert McPhail, April 25, 1836; Moses Graham, July 9, 1838; Evan Harrer, July 10, 1838; J. F. Tamison, December 12, 1838, and Benjamin Hardin, April 25, 1836. The general settlement went under the name of West Fork, but its village life did not begin until about … Read more

This is now a horticultural and commercial place, although its founding was due to religious purposes. As in many other cases the immediate cause of the settlement was the noble spring near a tree across the road west of Haxton & Co.’s woolen mills, but which, during the war, broke out at a period about 400 feet distant from its first opening, and south of the mills. The following entries of land in this part of the county will show what material there was for a settlement: Township 18 north, Range 30 west, Section 36–John Holcomb, September 1, 1845; S. … Read more

This is the third town in Washington County in population and importance. It is situated in the midst of one of the most beautiful valleys in Northwestern Arkansas, and within a short distance of the geographical center of the county. Its site was first settled by Rev. Andrew Buchanan in 1829, and by his influence a school and a church were established soon after. He died in 1857, leaving his real estate by will to his widow during her life-time. At her death, with the exception of eighty acres, it was to go to Cane Hill College, and in event … Read more

This village was named in honor of Capt. Lewis Evans, who opened a store there about 1830. He was succeeded by Charles McClellan, and about 1838 a flood of merchants came in, bringing large stocks of goods to sell to the immigrant Cherokees, to whom large sums of money were due from the Government. As payment was delayed for fifteen years, many of these merchants failed, and the business interests of the town were seriously impaired. Soon after the town was laid off Leonard Schuler established a tan-yard, the most extensive ever in the county. A horse-mill was built by … Read more

A little village six miles west of Fayetteville is called Farmington. It was laid out about 1870, by W. H. Ingles, and for a number of years grew quite rapidly, but of late it has somewhat deteriorated. The principal business is carried on by C. C. Conner & Co., who have a general store, and also operate a flouring-mill. Reed & Son and Rieff & Macy are the other merchants. A wagon-shop is conducted by J. H. Cato. Dutch Mills, on Section 28, Township 14, Range 33; Greensburg, on Section 16, Township 13, Range 33; Viney Grove, on Section 1, … Read more

This name is derived from probably the largest of Washington County springs, and is a settlement six miles west of Springdale, located among great springs of such power that, not far from their openings, John Ingram, in 1844, found them strong enough to run a water-mill. This was the earliest mill in this part of the county, and was the nucleus of the village. From the entries given in connection with the Springdale land entries, it is seen that Mr. Ingram made the first entry on the site of Elm Springs, in 1840, and that in that region Thomas M. … Read more

Early churches played a pivotal roll in the early development of communities with Washington County, Arkansas. The following are histories of the various churches as known by us: Cumberland Presbyterian Church One of the first religious organizations to enter Washington County was the Cumberland Presbyterian. The first Cumberland Presbyterians to locate in Arkansas were the Pyeatts and Carnahans, who, in 1812, emigrated from Northern Alabama, and located at Crystal Hill, fifteen miles above Little Rock. The party consisted of James and Jacob Pyeatt and James and Samuel Carnahan. The next year the father of the Carnahans, Rev. John Carnahan, removed … Read more

This is one of the best inland towns in the county. It is situated in Section 29, Township 16 north, Range 33 west, and is the center of a rich grain and live stock region. It is within one and a half miles of “the Nation,” and has a good trade from that country. The amount of business transacted in 1887 is estimated as follows: Aggregate, $224,935; merchandise, wagons and agricultural implements, $82,865; grain and grain products, $43,500; cattle, hogs, sheep and mules, $91,750; miscellaneous, $5,000. There are in the town five general merchants, two milliners, one druggist, one wagon … Read more