Washington County

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