Washington County

The following section of this website is based upon History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas published in Chicago, Illinois in 1889, and several other manuscripts interspersed throughout. A list of works consulted for this history is located at the bottom of this page. Washington County, next to Benton County on the north, is in the northwest corner of Arkansas, lying against the Indian Territory on the west, and bounded on the east and south by Madison and Crawford Counties, respectively. It embraces twenty-seven townships and an area of 569,600 acres, divided almost equally into … Read more

Eight miles southwest of Prairie Grove is this flourishing community of two or three hundred souls. It is in one of the oldest settled sections of the county, and dates its existence as a village from the “thirties.” The first store was opened by Morris Wright in 1834 or 1835, in a little log cabin, just north of the present village. In 1840 he removed a little further south, and continued in business until the war. At about the same time Levi Richards and White McClellan opened a second store, and John F. Truesdale erected a steam mill just below … Read more

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 17. HEADQUARTERS, TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DISTRICT LITTLE ROCK, ARK., June 17, 1862. Captains will be held responsible for the good couduct and efficiency of their men, and will report to their headquarters from time to time. By command of MAJOR-GENERAL HINDMAN. R. C. NEWTON, A. A. General. Back to: Washington County, Arkansas History Source History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.

Washington County embraces twenty-seven townships and an area of 569,600 acres, divided almost equally into valleys, plateaux and inclined surfaces or terraces. An idea of the general surface may be gained by considering the county to have once been a rolling plateau with for its southern, eastern and western margins the Boston Mountains and their several branches; then allowing Fayetteville’s region to be the highest point, with gentle slopes of the county to the northwest and northeast, you have the White River on the east and the Illinois River on the west, both with a bewildering network of tributaries washing … Read more

The society of a town may in general be gauged by the number and character of its churches and societies. Measured by this standard Fayetteville ranks high, having seven churches and eight lodges, besides several other benevolent and social organizations. Washington Lodge No. 1, A. F. & A. M., as its number indicates, is the oldest Masonic lodge in the State. In 1835 a number of Masons in this part of the State petitioned the Grand Lodge of Tennessee for a lodge at Fayetteville, and on November 5, 1835, a charter, signed by Hugh L. White, Grand Master, was issued … Read more

The most famous Washington County Federal regiment, the one mostly drawn from that county, and most active in it, was the First Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers, who were mustered into service August 7, 1862. Their regimental organization is as follows: Colonel, M. La Rue Harrison; lieutenant-colonel, Albert W. Bishop; lieutenant, Thomas J. Hunt; majors, James J.Johnson, Ezra Fitch, Charles Galloway, John I. Worthington, Richard H. Wimpy, Hugo C. C. Botefuhr, Frank Strong; surgeon, Henry J. Maynard; assistant surgeons, William Hunter, Amos H. Coffee, Jonathan E. Tefft; chaplain, Reuben North; adjutant, Denton D. Stark, Henry M. Kidder; adjutant first battalion, E. B. … Read more

The First Arkansas Infantry Volunteers was recruited at Fayetteville after the battle of Prairie Grove, by Dr. James M. Johnson, of Huntsville, Madison County, and contained Washington County men in various parts of its organization. The following is a brief account of its history, by F. M. Johnson, major, commanding regiment: “At the time of the muster-in of J. M. Johnson as colonel of this regiment it numbered thirty-six commissioned officers and 810 enlisted men, recruited in the previous sixty days in Madison, Washington, Newton, Benton, Searcy and Crawford Counties. It participated in the battle of Fayetteville, under the immediate … Read more

Of the original purchasers of lots in Fayetteville, several were not residents of the town, but all, it is believed, were citizens of Washington County. A. B. Anthony was a merchant, associated in business for several years with L. Brodie. He succeeded in accumulating a large fortune, but subsequently removed to Texas, where he lost it all. Brodie died at his residence near Fayetteville. Mathew Leeper, W. McK. Ball, David Walker and Isaac Murphy were lawyers, and are mentioned elsewhere. W. T. Larremore was a prosperous merchant. He was also a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was in … Read more

The first newspaper published in Fayetteville was the Fayetteville Witness, in 1840, by C. F. Town. It was short lived, and there was no further attempt at newspaper publication in Washington County until the year 1852. On the 8th of May, 1852, the first number of the Western Pioneer was issued by William E. Smith, who had previously published the Mountaineer, at Huntsville, Ark. This paper was followed two years later by the Southwest Independent, William Quesenbury, editor and publisher. He was a racy and vigorous writer, an accomplished editor, and something of a humorist and poet. He continued the … Read more

The enterprising town of Fayetteville dates its history from the organization of Washington County in 1828. At about that time George McGarroh, the father of James, John and William McGarroh, removed from the neighborhood of Evansville, and located near the spring in what is now known as the Masonic addition to Fayetteville. The next year James Leeper, the father of Mathew W. Leeper, came, and after living for a time in a camp, built a small log house near where the Mountain House now is. Soon after Reuben W. Reynolds and the Sweeneys arrived. One of the Sweeneys built a … Read more

The first regular explorer of this portion of the State was Frank Pierce, who, about 1819, came up White River trapping and hunting. On reaching the mouth of West Fork, he ascended that stream to within two miles of Fayetteville, where he discovered a herd of buffalo. In attempting to kill one of them to get some meat for his supper, he saw a band of Indians. He lowered his gun without firing, dropped under the bank and retired for the night under the friendly shelter of a large elm. The next day he struck the waters of the Illinois, … Read more

The organization of an agricultural and mechanical association early engaged the attention of some of the most progressive citizens of the county. Such a society was organized in 1856, and the first fair was held in that year. The court yard was used as a fair ground, and the agricultural and mechanical productions were exhibited in the court-house. A track was around the outer edge of the yard, and here several races were run. Capt. S. P. Pittman rode the winning horse, which belonged to Maj. W. D. Reagan. This fair was declared a success, and the next Legislature granted … Read more

The subject of railroad communication early engaged the attention of the people of Washington County, and it was almost constantly agitated for more than a quarter of a century before any tangible result was secured. One of the first schemes was for the construction of a grand trans-continental line, on or near the thirty-fifth parallel. This engaged the attention of the whole country, and a survey of the land was made, but nothing resulted from it. Other schemes, however, were not wanting. Early in the fifties the Legislature of Missouri chartered a road to be built from St. Louis to … Read more

The following is a complete list of the officers of Washington County since its organization: Judges Robert McCarny, 1830-32; John Wilson, 1832-33; J. M. Hoge, 1833-35; W. B. Woody, 1835-36; John Cureton, 1836-38; Thomas Wilson, 1838-44; Jonathan Newman, 1844-60; A. A. Crawford, 1860-62; R. W. Mecklin, 1862-64; C. G. Galbreath, 1864-66; L. Tankersley, 1866-68; C. G. Galbreath, 1868-72; Hiram Davis, 1874-79*; Thomas Mullins, 1879-86; H. P. Green, 1886. Associate Justices William Kiser, W. S. Oldham, R. W. Reynolds, David Williams, April to October, 1837; Thomas Wilson, 1837-38; Booker Smith, 1837-39; William Kiser, 1839-40; John Robinson, 1839-40; James Pittman, 1840-41; Noah … Read more

The Civil War dealt harshly with Fayetteville. Her churches and institutions of learning, all of her public buildings, and many others, were destroyed, while her people were scattered all over the South, financially broken and morally disheartened. But an intelligent and enterprising community, possessing the natural advantages that belong to Fayetteville, cannot be permanently “downed.” No sooner had hostilities ceased than the work of restoration began, and the city of to-day is a lasting monument to its extraordinary recuperative powers. The location of the State University here in 1871 marks a long step forward, but the completion of the St. … Read more

At the January term of the county court, in 1841, a petition signed by more than two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants praying for the incorporation of Section 16, Township 16 north, Range 30 west, was presented and granted. P. V. Rhea was appointed the first alderman, and John W. Johnson, John B. Costa, Richard P. Pulliam, Hosea G. Cardwell and M. W. Thornby, the first councilmen. This organization was maintained until 1859, when a city charter was obtained from the Legislature. The first election under the new charter was held in April of that year, when the following officers were … Read more

The organization of the circuit court in 1829 has already been noticed. Washington County then constituted a part of the Second Judicial Circuit, of which Benjamin Johnson was judge. There was much interchanging of circuits, however, and the court at Fayetteville was presided over successively by Thomas P. Eskridge, Edward Cross and S. S. Hall, and from 1833 to 1837 by Archibald Yell. During that time no very notable or curious cases were tried. At the June term of 1833 Samuel Wackard was called upon to answer the charge of stealing a steer, valued at $12, from one John Musick. … Read more

Washington County has always been strongly Democratic in politics. In its early history the Whig party had some very able leaders, and through their superior ability were frequently able to secure an election to some legislative or judicial office. In 1836, and again in 1838, the Democrats elected solid delegations to the Legislature, but in 1840 David Walker, a Whig leader, was elected to the Senate, and two of the representatives, W. D. Reagan and G. A. Pettigrew, were Whigs. In 1842 the failure of the State Bank still farther strengthened the Whigs, and Mark Bean, another Whig leader, was … Read more

The bar of Fayetteville has always been one of eminent ability, and has numbered among its members some of the most brilliant legal lights in the State. One of the first lawyers to locate here was Judge David Walker, who came to Arkansas in 1830, and, after standing an examination by Judges Cross and Johnson, was admitted to the bar, and located in Fayetteville. He was born in what is now Todd County, Ky., in 1806, and had but meager opportunities for securing an education. He, however, had an indomitable will, that enabled him to rise above adverse circumstances, and … Read more

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 to Arkansas, and, in the house of Jacob Pyeatt, preached the first sermon delivered in what is now Arkansas by a Cumberland Presbyterian. He formed a circuit, and was placed on … Read more

To the People of Washington County: Under existing circumstances, I feel it to be my duty to take your advice upon some important questions which will, in all probability, arise for the consideration and action of the convention, now shortly to be convened. Your delegates were elected under a pledge to co-operate with the border slave States in an effort to settle our difficulties with the Northern States upon honorable and just terms, and under no circumstance to vote for an ordinance of secession, unless the same was referred back to you for your rejection or approval. The majority received … Read more

The position of Washington County on all the questions which led up to the Civil War was similar to that of the State as a whole. She was reliably Democratic, and at the presidential election of 1860 gave Breckenridge a majority of 149 votes; her interests and sympathies were all with the South, but there was a decided feeling against disunion until the war had actually begun. On January 24, 1861, the Legislature passed a bill providing for an election to vote upon the calling of the State Convention, and also to select delegates to the convention, provided it were … Read more

The first court for the county was held in March, 1829. The following is a transcript of the record of the first day’s proceedings: At a circuit court in and for the county of Washington and Territory of Arkansas, on Monday, the 2d day of March, 1829, present: The Hon. James Woodson Bates, circuit judge, Lewis Evans, sheriff, returned into court list of grand jurors to serve as a body for the county at this term of the court, viz.: James Buchanan, foreman; James Billingsley, John Billingsley, John Conner, David Conner, James Simpson, Hugh Shannon, William L. Weddington, John Woody, … Read more

Col. W. H. Brooks was probably the most active representative of the Southern cause for Washington County. Among the first organizations was Brooks’ battalion of cavalry (State troops), which afterward became E. I. Stirman’s battalion, and later on was transferred to the Cis-mississippi Department, where it was known as the Sharpshooters’ battalion. A few of these were Washington County men. Capt. Lafayette Boone’s company, which served at Elkhorn, was officered as follows: First lieutenant, L. P. Beavert; second lieutenant, Sam. H. Smithson, and third lieutenant, John O. Parks. Battle of Prairie Grove The well-known Thirty-fourth Arkansas Infantry then fell to … Read more