Lawrence County Historical Quarterly

Fall 1989 - Volume 12 - Number 4

LAWRENCE, MOTHER OF COUNTIES

From The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

This account, "Lawrence, Mother of Counties", taken from the Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, has some names of families, places, rivers, creeks, etc. which we think might not be spell correctly, but we will not change the writer's spelling. which was written in 1899.

A copy of the Act of the Legislature creating the County of Lawrence, and a list of the grand jury first on duty inspired Mr. Charles Lafayette Freeman to write of the history of Lawrence County.

Mr. Freeman collected data from many sources; he has traced the original boundaries of the old county and exhausted the records bearing on this subject to be found at Washington City, and at the Missouri Capital. Mr. Freeman lives at Black Rock, Ark., and this history following was printed in The Telephone during the winter of 1899.

"Having a great desire for relics and living much in the past and rambling in thought among the people, places and things of the long ago, I have been led to search out the matter found in the notes which will follow this notice.

"At first it was only intended to give the original bounds of Lawrence County, as organized in 1815. But being necessitated to write many letters to persons far and near, and wait with patience for answers, I was induced, during these delays, to add other items connected with the county's history, and also to give a few biographical sketches of some of the earlier settlers. And these were given just as they were furnished me by relatives and acquaintances of the characters noted. Should any person whose life was in any way strange, or connected with any important event, be omitted, I will take pleasure in inserting it if furnished in time.

"Lawrence, the second county formed in the State, then Missouri Territory, was created by an Act of the Legislature, approved January 15, 1815, in the city of St. Louis, then the capital, and signed by Governor William Clarke. It was named in honor of Captain Lawrence, who distinguished himself in the war of 1812. In its earlier history, it reached across the country from east to west upon an average of 250 miles and from north to south at least ninety miles. By persistent effort we have succeeded in locating, or approximately so, all of the original boundary lines of the county except on the north side, and from occasional mention made in some old records and documents, dating as far back as 1816, of the appointment of justices of the peace and constables for Currant River, Union and Columbia Townships, which then embraced the section of country lying on Currant, Fourche and Demas Rivers and extending west as far as Mammoth Spring, and the viewing and marking out of public roads for many miles south and west, and none viewed and marked out in a northern direction further than the present State line, it would appear that the north boundary line was near Mammoth Spring, or on the present township line between twenty and twenty-two, which is the present Missouri and Arkansas State line. And as I find no record or history of the county situated north of this line, I shall treat said line as the original north boundary line of Lawrence County.

"The following is a copy of that part of the Act of the Legislature relating to the boundary lines when the county was first formed:

"An act establishing the County of Lawrence.”

"Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Territory of Missouri, that all that part of the County of New Madrid and bounded as follows, to-wit:

"Beginning at the mouth of Little Red River on the line dividing said county from the County of Arkansas, thence with said line to the St. Francis River, thence up the St. Francis River to the dividing line of the Osage Purchase, thence with the last mentioned line to the northern boundary of the County of Arkansas, thence with the last mentioned line to the beginning, is hereby erected into a separate and distinct county, and which shall be called and known by the name of Lawrence County.

"Regarding the western boundary of the Osage Purchase mentioned above as being the western line of the county, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington says: `The treaty with the Osage Indians of November 10, 1808, ratified April 28, 1810 (seven States p. 107), provides for the establishment of the boundaries of the Osage Indian lands as follows: `Art. 6 * * * Beginning at the Clark, otherwise known as Fort Osage, on the Missouri, five miles above the mouth of Fire Prairie, and running thence on a south course to the Arkansas River, and down the same to the Mississippi River.'

"He further adds that no field notes of the survey of said reservation can be found, but that it would appear from the different maps of that section of the county that Fort Clark (generally given on the maps as Fort Osage) is in Township 51, Range 30, on the Missouri River, and apparently about thirty miles below the mouth of the Kansas River. "Now, according to the above statements, the western boundary of Lawrence County was say on the dividing line between ranges 30 and 31, and crossed the present State line near Pea Ridge, and nunning south passed a little west of Bentonville and Fayetteville, and east of Van Buren, striking the Arkansas River about ten miles east of Fort Smith, then down said river to the neighborhood of Dardanelle and about in the line between Townships 6 and 7, which was the northern boundary line of Arkansas County, thence east through what is now the Counties of Pope, Conway, Faulkner and White, to the mouth of Little Red River, the place of beginning. From this point the line extended east through the country now composing Woodruff and Cross Counties to the St. Francis River, a few miles south of Wittsburg, embracing in all what is now about thirty-two counties in north Arkansas, and covers about one-half of the State.

"Since the formation of this county about thirty-one counties have been organized and set up within its original bounds.

"It appears that notwithstanding the Legislature of 1815 had fixed the last line along the St. Francis River, it was not well defined until October 30,1823. The line between Lawrence and Independence was changed December 20, 1840; part taken off and attached to Fulton County July 18,1855; part attached to Randolph County January 18, 1861, mentioned before as `cut off.' Nearly half of the county given off of the west side to make Sharp County in 1868. Its present boundaries are as follows:

"Beginning at the northwest corner of Township 18 North, Range 3 West, thence east to the northeast corner, thence south to the middle of Spring River, then down the middle of Spring River with its meanderings to Black River, thence up the middle of the main channel of Black River to its first crossing from the north dividing line between Townships 17 and 18, thence east on the township line to the middle of Cache River in Range 3 East, thence down the middle of Cache River to the line dividing Townships 14 and 15 North, thence west on township line to the line dividing Ranges 3 and 4 West, thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.

"A part of Township 18 North, Range 1 West, and known as the `cut off between Spring River and Black River, extending as far north as Davidsonville, was cut off of Lawrence County and added to Randolph county in 1861.

`"The Act of the Legislature creating the county also provided that the first county court and circuit court should be held at the house of Solomon Hewett on Spring River, which was about two miles above the mouth of Eleven Points River, at the place now owned and occupied by Mrs. Julia Butler. Just when Hewett settled the place we are not advised, but on October 12,1819, he sold his claim to Benjamin Crowley, and it is stated that the improvements were made by Hewett. This place is situated in southwest quarter of Section 32, Township 18 North, Range 1 West, now Randolph County. The house is now occupied by Mrs. Butler, and the original house still stands near a big spring, about one-half mile north of Spring River. The house is a two-story single room log building. The ground upon which it is located is one of the most beautiful sights on Spring River. Many very large walnut and locust trees stand near the house, and everything about the premises shows great age. How strange to stand there as the writer did a few days ago and view the weatherbeaten seat of justice after the storms of eighty-four winters and the blasts of as many summers, and to be reminded that at these now isolated places people gathered from Van Buren, Fort Smith, Red River, Crowley's Ridge and the north fork of White River to sit as jurors or testify in cases. And from this same spring they drank, and under some of these massive and aged oaks they ate and slept. The men of those old-time days are dead and in their graves, but the landmarks remain unchanged in many places.

"Solomon Hewett kept a ferry at the mouth of Eleven Points River in 1818 or 1819, and paid $2.00 for the privilege.

"Only one court was held at Hewett's house, and in April 1815, the Commissioners reported that the court should be moved `from Soloman Hewett's to the new house of Richard Murphy,' in Spring River Township, and in 1819, Richard Murphy sold to Ezekiel Hudson a preemption claim on Spring River, and tradition informs us that Hudson lived about this time on what is now the Bob McKamy farm west of Imboden. In fact, old Uncle Lee Cravens, who is nearly one hundred years old and lives near Black Rock, was in his early life a slave of Robert Cravens and at the time the court was moved to the new house of Richard Murphy, lived with his master at Marshall place, a little west of the McKamy farm, and remembers very clearly that `Dick' Murphy lived at that place and built a new house, a single room two-story log house, and that the court met there. From April 1815 till January 1816, courts were held at Murphy's. No record of these courts seems to have been preserved. But when court met in January 24,1816, at the town of Lawrence, for the County of Lawrence, in the Territory of Missouri, with Hon. Richard S. Thomas, Judge of the Southem Circuit, present and presiding, a book of remembrance was written, which record is today in a good state of preservation.

"The town of Lawrence, which later on was named Davidson, was first scttled by the Indians long ago, and early in the teens a white man by the name of Davidson located there, and in honor of him the place was named Davidsonville, which will be mentioned later in these notes.

"The town improved in size and importance and rapidly filled up with Americans and Frenchmen, and became the county seat. "At the first court held at Lawrence, Commissioners were appointed to `lay out and mark a road from the town of Lawrence to the mouth of the north fork of White River.' The latter place was the county seat of Izard County in 1825. It was also ordered by the court that a road be opened from Lawrence to Polk Bayou, and one leading from said town of Lawrence to the mouth of Little Red River, also a road from Lawrence to the Arkansas County line in a direction toward the town of Arkansas, which latter place must have been Arkansas Post. These orders were all made in the year 1816.

"At the October 1815 term of court, the Commissioners for the courthouse and jailhouse made their report, locating the county seat on land on Big Black River near the mouth of Spring River.' The land was bought of the different owners and cost $255. The different ones mentioned above were John Fagas, J. Jones, C. Lacombe, Augustus Ruvett, and Jerome Watts. These parties deeded to Lewis DeMunn & Co., October 16, 1815, their claims in the lands mentioned and on December 16, 1816, DeMunn and Co. deeded the same property to the Commission of the courthouse and jail. The town was surveyed and located on the southwest quarter of Section 35, Township 18 North, Range 1 West, on the west bank of Black River. It was laid off into nine squares or blocks, Court Square being the center. The entire town was about 600 feet square, extending from the top of a little ridge down an eastem slope to within about 600 feet of the river. The strip of ground between the river and town was reserved for the public use of the inhabitants of said town, and was known as the `commons.' A public well and blacksmith shop were situated on the commons. The courthouse stood on Public Square and was a two-story brick building 30x35 feet, floored with 8x8 brick, the foundation of stone, and the walls built of the usual size brick, one of which I have in my possession, taken from beneath the roots of a 5-foot cottonwood tree standing in the northwest comer of the old courthouse wall. The brick is as sound and complete as it was when placed in the building fourscore years ago. I also have one of the 8-inch bricks taken from the ground floor of the building.

"The county jail was made of logs built in a rock foundation and stood on either lots 34, 35 or 36 in block F, as those lots were set apart for the jail and prison grounds. They are situated northwest of Court Square.

"The first post office in Arkansas was established at Davidsonville in June 1817. All the mail was carried on horseback, from St. Louis, through Davidsonville, and Arkansas Post, to Monroe, La, and ariived every thirty days. A United States land office was located here in 1820 and John Trimble was made receiver. - Shinn's Arkansas.

`"The graveyard is yet to be seen a few hundred yards south of Court Square. It is overgrown with heavy timber, but many graves are covered with large-sized bricks and stones, but there is no letter, figure, character or representation thereof, legible or sufficiently intelligible to tell the name or give the history of the inhabitants of the silent and unmolested city of the dead. Tradition says that Judge Hardin, mentioned later on in these notes, was buried there.

"In the spring of 1814, which was very early in the history of the town, Colonel John Miller located there and engaged in merchandising with Mr. Robert Smith. Mr. Miller lived in lot 23, situated just across the street and southeast from the courthouse, and on October 23,1822, sold this lot with two others to William Drope for $800. Mr. Miller moved to Independence County and lived to a ripe old age, being nearly one hundred years old when he died. He was the father of Major John Miller, of Imboden.

"Among others who lived at the county seat were John Hardin, Lewis DeMunn, Joseph Hardin, C.T. Stuart, Mr. Maxfield, Davidson, and Key Kendall(Kuykendall??). John Hardin succeeded James Campbell in the office of Sheriff in 1819 and held the office until 1825, and at his death J.M. Kuykendall and another party ran a race to Little Rock for the appointment to the Sheriff's office. Kuykendall, having the fastest horse, arrived at the capital first and got the appointment. He had the office until 1836.

"Joseph Hardin was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the first Legislative Council of the Territory held at Arkansas Post, February 7,1820, and Joab Hardin of Lawrence County was a member of that body, while Edward McDonald of the same county was President of the Council.

"Lewis DeMunn, C.T. Stuart, Mr. Maxfield, and Mr. DeMunn were businessmen of the town and substantial and influential citizens of the county. In point of age, Davidsonville was second in the Territory, the oldest being Arkansas Post on Arkansas River and county seat of Arkansas County. It is once or twice called the town of Arkansas.

"While Davidsonville enjoyed a good trade, had a substantial citizenship, and at that early date second to no town in the county in importance, it had no church or school house, and preaching and schools, when they had them, were held in the courthouse. Alas for the town that has no church or school building! Her glory has departed. The county seat remained here till 1820, when it was removed to Jackson, now in Randolph County.

"On May 22,1837, the Commissioners who had been appointed to select a new site for the county's capital reported that they had located the new seat of justice in Section 33, Township 17 North, Range 3 West, on fifty acres of land donated by James H. Benson for that purpose. A towm was laid off and named Smithville in honor of Colonel Robert Smith, who donated the county a liberal sum of money. Smith lived first at Davidsonville and did business there, then became a merchant at Jackson, but after the seat of justice was moved to Smithville, it appears he went to Batesville, grew wealthy, and died soon after the war of rebellion. Smithville nemained the county seat until 1808 when it was decided it should go to Clover Bend, six miles south of Powhatan. Afterwards the question of moving to Powhatan was submitted to the voters of the county at an election held November 15,1869; 207 votes were cast for removal and only six against, hence Powhatan was declaimed the county seat and remains so until this day.

"At Jackson and Smithville the county built good wooden courthouses. At Powhatan in 1873, a good two-story brick structure was erected at a cost of $16,000, but was destroyed by fire in March 1885. The records, however, were preseived, being in a fireproof vault that had been attached to the building. The present courthouse was built in 1888 and cost about $12,000. The county was divided into two Judicial Districts in 1886 and a good two-story frame courthouse erected at Walnut Ridge for the Eastern District Court.

`"Ihe county court was organized in 1829 and until this time all county and probate business was transacted by the circuit court. Now the Circuit Court for the Western District meets in February and August and for the Eastern District in March and September. The county court is held at Powhatan on the first Mondays in January, April, July and October. The Probate Court for Western District is held at Powhatan on the second Mondays in January, April, July and October, and for the Eastern District at Walnut Ridge on the third Mondays of the same months.

"The first officers of the county were Richard S. Thomas, Judge (of the Southern Circuit); James Campbell, Sheriff; and Lewis DeMunn, Clerk. DeMunn resigned his clerkship December 23, 1816, and R. Searcy was appointed in his stead. Richard Murphy, already mentioned as the person at whose house the second court was held, was a Justice of the Peace, qualified March 18,1815, and appears to have been a leading official in the county. Hon. William B. Marshall is said to have been an early politician, and for twenty years represented the county in the Legislature. He lived on Spring River between Imboden and Ravenden.

"C.T. Stuart was the first Treasurer and was commissioned in 1836- 40. James Campbell was the first County Judge and held from 1829 to 1832. John Rodney was the Surveyor, dating from 1827 to 1830, and G.W. Wright was the first Assessor, holding from 1862 to 1864.

"The political townships in 1817 were Christian, White River, Lebanon, Spring River, Columbia, Current River, and Union. Spring River Township embraced the country round about the county seat.

"The first grand jury impaneled in the county, appearing on record, was composed of Jesse Jeffry, foreman; George Grant, William Compton, Samuel Russel, John H. Bolinger, Thomas Norris, Asa Lausacum, Culbert Hadson, Samuel Wilson, John Walker, John S. Lafferty, Nathaniel Robbins, William Caraway, Robert Cravens, John Astery, William Stubblefield, William Webb, Edward McDonald, and William Hix.

"The first recorded trial in the Circuit was before a jury and was the case of Thomas Graves vs. James Haddock. The following good and lawful men were selected to try the case: Joseph Hardin, Marten Armstrong, Andrew Gullet, William Moore, James Kuykendall, Robert Rollins, William D. Holt, William Cravens, Solomon Carter, Frederick Kal, Richard Murphy and William Robertson. Their verdict was. ‘We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty as charged by the plaintiff and render judgment against the plaintiff for cost and charges.'

"The first recorded deed bears date July 29, 1814, and conveys property on `Spring Creek on the waters of White River', while this was New Madrid County, but the deed was acknowledged May 15,1815, subsequent to the formation of Lawrence County. It transferred a certain mill, hogs, etc. This property was not far from Pineville in Izard County, Ark.

"The first execution in judgment was issued January 21,1822, for a debt of $200, cost $103.90 and the return shows `no property found.'

"The first estray was posted April 8,1822, and the first marriage appearing on record was performed May 19,1821. The first mark for stock was recorded January 17,1822.

"Thc first recorded murder committed in the county was the killing of Mrs. Polly Hillhouse by a negro boy named Jarrett. Mrs. Hillhouse was shot and instantly killed by the slave at her own home, July 13,1831. Her daughters were at the spring nearby washing and, hearing the report of the gun, went to the house and found their mother dead. The murderer fled to Missouri, but was brought back, tried, convicted, sentenced and hung at Old Jackson, Friday, December 23,1831. He sold his body before execution and it is said by some of the oldest citizens now living in the neighborhood that the body was finally burned to ashes in the town of Jackson. Mrs. Hillhouse, at the time of her death, lived on the present Brown White farm, two miles southwest of Smithville.

"In the spring of 1849, James Marshall was killed in the town of Old Jackson, and during the summer of the same year, William Berry was shot and killed by an unknown party while at his plow on the place now known as the Joe Watt farm on Jones Creek in Randolph County.

"In the year 1850 two men waylaid a stranger, a Kentuckian who was returning home from a trading tour in Texas, and was supposed to have considerable money. The man stopped in Old Jackson and took some refreshments and passed out. The men then took each a stand for him. The first man's heart failed him, but the second knocked the stranger from his horse with a gun and then dragged him from the road into the woods and left him for dead. His horse and saddlebags, containing some money, were taken and then the assailants attempted to escape. But the wounded man recovered sufficiently to give the alarm. The two robbers were arrested by the neighbors and, a church meeting being in progress in the neighborhood and it being evident that the injured man would not live long, it was agreed that the prisoners should be placed in a crowd of other men and then all caused singly to pass before the dying man for the purpose of identification. The plan was successful, the guilty parties being singled out confessed their guilt and were sentenced at Smithville and hanged at the southeast of the town on Friday, December 6,1850. As public executions on death sentences since the above date are still fresh in the minds of the people, no further mention will here be made of them.

`"The first steamboat that came into the county ascended Black River in 1820, and is said to have been an object of great interest, creating great excitement among the natives. It was called the Laurell, and was seventy five feet long. It made landings at the present sites of Lauratown, Powhatan, Davidsonville and Pocahontas. The first steam whistle ever heard on a boat on the waters of Black River was several years after the first appearance of the boat. It is said by a person who was an eyewitness that there was a butcher at Powhatan who had two hundred head of cattle penned on the Raney farm south of town, and at the sound of the whistle the cattle broke fence and half of them ran away and were never caught. Up till this time dry goods and groceries were shipped to Davidsonville on keel boats on Black River and as far up Spring River as the present town of Imboden. One of these keel boats was sunk near the Tisdale farm and its hull was seen and visited for many years, but it was buried several feet in the sand. The sinking of this boat caused the island to be made at that place, the vessel being tumed crosswise over the river.

"The first railway train entering the county was on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway in 1870.

"James Campbell and wife came from Kentucky and settled on the present John Miller farm on Spring River in 1812. As was noted before he was Lawrence County's first Sheriff and when the county court was created, he was made it’s first Judge for this county. Mrs. Campbell was a sister of Colonel Wilson, once Speaker of the House of Representatives, who killed Colonel J.J. Anthony in the State House at Little Rock.

"Rev. Isaac Brookfield, father of Judge James C. Brookfield, of Jonesboro, through the influence of Bishop Asbury, came from Newark, N.J., in 1819 to this country as a missionary to the whites and Indians. He was appointed to the Spring River Circuit for 1821; in 1822, to Hot Springs Circuit, and in 1823 to Spring River, again. On the l2th of March of this year, he was married to Miss Nancy Campbell, daughter of James Campbell, and located somewhere on Eleven Points River near its mouth. He continued to preach in a local sphere and was a very learned and eloquent preacher. About the year 1825, he engaged in mercantile pursuits at or near the town of Davidsonville. His dry goods were shipped from New York and required six months to reach their destination. Groceries were usually purchased from New Orleans. In 1834 he moved to Poinsett County, six miles east of Hanesburg, where he remained till his death, which was in February 1815. His church was called Spring Valley.

"Mr. Samuel Crowley, grandfather of Hon. Benjamin H. Crowley, of Paragould, came with his wife and eight children from Kentucky in 1821 and settled in the present Greene County. His nearest neighbors were Davidsonville and vicinity. DeMunns built a water power grist mill two miles south of Pocahontas, west of Black River. Campbell, Cravens and others lived on Spring River and Mose Robinson lived on the place now immediately north of Black Rock in the old field now owned by B.F. Matthews. Crowley's Ridge was named in honor of Mr. Crowley.

"Mose Robinson came here in 1792, when a boy, and early in the teens married and settled on land near the present town of Black Rock. In a few years he moved to the present J.H. Rhea place on Spring River. One of Mr. Robinson's neighbors was Samuel Crowley, near Gainesville, Greene County. Robinson often visited Crowley for the purpose of bear hunting, and many a bear fight was engaged in by these two brave pioneer settlers. It is related by persons now living who have a right to know that Mr. Robinson on one occasion was forced to fight a bear fairly and single-handed and finally killed the bear with his fist.

"William Stuart, father of Colonel Terry Stuart, came from Kentucky and settled at Mt. Olive on White River in 1814 and in 1816 came to Flat Creek and settled the C.A. Stuart farm where he died at an advanced age. At his house, Rev. Isaac Brookfeld, the missionary mentioned elsewhere, used to preach. This and the Cravens place, now Tom Robinson's, were the chief religious centers of this section. The north half of the present State of Arkansas was then known as Spring River Circuit.

"Colonel Terry Stuart, father of Captain C.A., Frank and Terry Stuart, used to live at Davidsonville and owned and operated a cotton gin with Mr. Robert Smith. When the county seat was moved to Jackson, Mr. Stuart moved his business also, and subsequently moved to Powhatan, where he died several years ago, full of years and with a ripe experience.

"Rev. John M. Steel, Methodist, long known as one of the pioneers of the church in this country, held a camp meeting at the spring north of Powhatan in August or September 1841. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was taken on Sunday and old Uncle Pete Stuart (colored) was sent to Smithville for wine for the occasion. Uncle Pete can now relate every incident connected with the meeting and neighborhood. Powhatan only had one house and it sat upon the hill near the ferry landing. Brother Steel became related by marriage to the Campbells and Brookfelds, having married the daughter of Rev. Isaac Brookfield. He was in his day one of the most eloquent and effective preachers in the state.

"William Taylor came from east Tennessee and located on Strawberry River and built what is now known as the Beverage mill some time in the thirties. At first this process of converting corn into meal was very slow. Mr. Taylor would put a bushel and a half of corn into the hopper and then go and work all day while the grain was grinding at the mill. Joe Taylor, the present County Treasurer, is a grandson of this pioneer settler.

"William Fortenberry was a Virginian and moved to Arkansas in 1816, with Mr. Taylor, both being young men at the time. Mr. Fortenberry settled on a piece of ground south of Shady Grove Church, near Reed's Creek, and lived to a ripe old age, died and was buried in thc same neighborhood. A great many of his descendants are yet living in the county.

"Drew Richardson, father of Jack Richardson, made his appearance in this section of the country in 1811 and settled on Strawberry River, two miles west of Smithville.

"Shadrach Nettle came in 1824 and settled on what is now the Arkansas and Missouri State line, then Lawrence County, and when Randolph County was formed the homestead was cut off into that county. Then when the State line was surveyed, the house was found to be in Oregon County, Mo., having been in three counties and two states and never moved.

"William Oneal was born in 1812 and died in 1865. He was born , raised, married and died in the same house, which was situated on Missouri State line, and was first New Madrid County, Missouri Territory, later formed into Lawrence County and subsequently cut off into Randolph County. But a change of the State line showed the house to be in Oregon County, Mo., hence he lived in two states and four counties and never moved.

"W.A. Shaver arrived in Lawrence in 1826 and settled at the present site of Bay Village, Cross County. He raised a large family and lived to a good old age and was gathered to his people in the neighborhood where he had lived. He was the grandfather of Mrs. J.J.I. Maynard, wife of Rev. Maynard, of the Newport District.

"Dr. John P. Mardis arrived and settled about the same time as Mr. Shaver. He was a very learned physician. He settled five miles south of Hanesburg and now sleeps in the same cemetery with the kindred of the writer, at Old Farm Hill.

"Hon. William H. Harris, Captain Ben, and Esq. John Harris came in 1829 and from that family Harrisburg took its name. Many of the descendants yet live in that vicinity.

"Nathaniel McCarroll came from Kentucky in 1810 and settled on a place now owned by Colonel J.N. Hillhouse about one and a quarter miles south of Smithville. He was the grandfather of Uncle Tom. McCarroll is now the oldest man living in Lawrence County who was born here, being about seventy-four years of age.

"Samuel Raney settled on Cooper Creek in 1816 on what is now the Turnbow place two miles south of Smithville."

This article was taken from the Spring Edition of the Lawrence County Historical Society Quarterly, Fall 1989, Volume 12, Number 4. The information on this page may be used for historical and genealogical purposes and not for financial gain. Any use must be accompanied by written permission of the page owner and this copyright must appear with the article. Jeri Helm Fultz