In Polk’s 1947 Washington County directory no phone numbers or street addresses were provided. The listings below contains the name of the head of household, and when a name is included between ( ) it represents the given name for the wife of the head of household. This listing provides an idea of the size of the town and the amount of commercial activity it had in 1947.
In 1849 the “gold fever” reached the county. and many of the citizens became infected with it. From a letter written in April, 1849, to the Van Buren Intelligencer, the following facts concerning the Washington County company which went to California are gleaned.
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
The number of post-offices established in Washington County from 1829 to 1888 was ninety-five, with names of postmasters and dates of appointments, as follows: Ada: Archibald Borden, July, 1857; Hugh Rogers. July, 1858: discontinued February, 1867. Albia: Jacob Yoos, April, 1871; discontinued July, 1873. Aquilla: Owen D. Slaughter, May, 1884; Jeptha Johnson. May, 1885; John S. Johnson, November, 1885; Robert I. Fink, May, 1886; discontinued November, 1887. Arnett: Luke Arnett, April, 1883. Billingsly: Hiram H. Barrow, March, 1854; Lemuel G. Bassord, February, 1858; discontinued June, 1866; re-established July, 1866. Henry A. Sawyers: William K. Dye, April, 1867; Hiram H. Barrow, … Read more
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