Part 24 (1/2)
Selma is a landing and depot for the lead mine country, 38 miles below St. Louis.
Clarksville, Hannibal, Saverton, and La Grange are commercial sites on the Mississippi, above the mouth of Missouri. Palmyra is a beautiful town, of about 1,000 inhabitants, and the seat of justice for Marion county. Along the Missouri are Portland, Rocheport, Boonville, Lexington, Independence, and many other places of various degrees of importance. Franklin formerly stood on the north bank of Missouri, but most of it has been removed, three miles interior, to the bluffs. Potosi is a central town, in the mineral district. Fulton, Columbia, and Fayette are the seats of justice for Callaway, Boone, and Howard counties, and are pleasant and flouris.h.i.+ng towns.
About the same provision for education has been made in this as in other Western States, and a disposition to encourage schools, academies and colleges is fast increasing.
CHAPTER XIII.
ARKANSAS, AND TERRITORIAL DISTRICTS.
Arkansas, which has recently formed a const.i.tution, lies between 33 and 36 30' N. lat.i.tude, and between 13 30' and 17 45' W. longitude.
Length, 235; medium breadth, 222 miles;--containing about 50,000 square miles, and 32,000,000 acres.
_Civil Divisions._--The following are the counties, with the population, from the census taken in 1835:
Counties. Population.
Arkansas, 2,080 Carroll, 1,357 Chicot, 2,471 Conway, 1,214 Clark, 1,285 Crawford, 3,139 Crittenden, 1,407 Greene, 971 Hempstead, 2,955 Hot-Spring, 6,117 Independence, 2,653 Izard, 1,879 Jackson, 891 Jefferson, 1,474 Johnson, 1,803 La Fayette, 1,446 Lawrence, 3,844 Miller, 1,373 Mississippi, 600 Monroe, 556 Phillips, 1,518 Pike, 449 Pope, 1,318 Pulaski, 3,513 Scott, 100 Sevier, 1,350 St. Francis, 1,896 Union, 878 Van Buren, 855 Was.h.i.+ngton, 6,742 ------ Total, 58,212
Another table we have seen, makes out the population, as officially reported (with the exception of two counties, from which returns had not been made,) to be 51,809;--white males, 22,535; white females, 19,386;--total whites, 41,971: slaves, 9,629;--free persons of color, 209. The population, in 1830, 30,388;--in 1833, 40,660.
The following graphical description of Arkansas, from the pen of a clergyman in that State, is corroborated by testimony in our possession, from various correspondents. It was written in 1835.
_Letter from Rev. Harvey Woods, to the Editor of the Cincinnati Journal._
”Arkansas Territory is a part of that vast country ceded to the United States by France, in 1803. From the time of the purchase, till lately, the tide of emigration hardly reached thus far. In 1800, the population was 1052. Arkansas was erected into a Territory in 1819. At this time it is receiving a share of those who retire beyond the Mississippi.
_Rivers._--The Territory is admirably intersected with navigable rivers.
The Mississippi on the east, the Great Red river on the south. Between these, and running generally from N. W. to S. E. are the St. Francis, White, Arkansas, and Was.h.i.+tau rivers; all fine streams for steamboat navigation.
_Face of the Country._--It is various. No country affords more diversified scenery. The country in the east, for 100 miles, is flat with marshes and swamps; in the middle, broken and hilly; and in the west, hilly and mountainous. There are some prairies, some thickly timbered land, some heavy timbered. The country is generally a timbered country. Some parts are sandy, some rocky, and some flinty.
_Soil._--Should a man travel here, and expect to find all good land, he would be sadly disappointed. The best lands are generally contiguous to the rivers and creeks; and these are exceedingly fertile, not surpa.s.sed by any soil in the United States. Arkansas soil that is rich, has just sand enough to make it lively and elastic. Our best lands are covered with walnut, hackberry, mulberry, oak, ash, grape vines, &c.
_Water._--The hilly and mountainous parts are well supplied with springs, limestone, and freestone. Also good streams for mills. In the flat country, good water is easily obtained by digging.
_Productions._--Cotton and corn are the princ.i.p.al. The Arkansas cottons commanded the best price last season, in the Liverpool market. It is a country of unequalled advantages for raising horses, mules, cattle and hogs.
_Climate._--It is mild, and from its difference in lat.i.tude, say from 32 40' to 36 30' N., and the difference in local situation, we would guess, and correctly too, that there is much difference in the health of different places; the high and northern parts healthy, and the flat and southern subject to agues and bilious fevers. The climate has been considered unhealthy to new settlers; but it is not more so than other new countries.
_Minerals._--There are quant.i.ties of iron, lead, coal, salt, and, it is a.s.serted by some, silver. There are many salt and sulphur springs. On the Arkansas river, beyond the limits of the Territory proper, is a section of country called the salt prairie, which, according to good authority, is covered for many miles, from four to six inches deep, with pure white salt. In the Hot Spring country, are the famous hot springs, much resorted to by persons of chronic and paralytic diseases. The temperature, in dry, hot weather, is at boiling point.
_State of Society._--The general character of the people is brave, hardy, and enterprising--frequently without the polish of literature, yet kind and hospitable. The people are now rapidly improving in morals and intellect. They are as ready to encourage schools, the preaching of the gospel, and the benevolent enterprises of the age, as any people in new countries. The consequences of living here a long time without the opportunity of educating their children, and dest.i.tute of the means of grace, are, among this population, just what they always will be under similar circ.u.mstances. Ministers of all denominations are ”few and far between.” We have no need _here_ to build on other's foundation.
I am living in Jackson county, on White river. This county has a larger quant.i.ty of good land than any one in the Territory. White river is always navigable for steamboats to this place, 350 miles from its mouth.
Well-water is good,--some fine springs. Was.h.i.+ngton county, and some others, that have the reputation of better health, are more populous.