There are several items in the older newspapers of the region which may be of interest to family history researchers, mostly because of the names included. Here's one: >From the ARKANSAS CITY JOURNAL, Sat., Dec. 23, 1882 "To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Arkansas, Greeting: "Your petitioners, citizens and residents of Desha County, most respectfully ask the passage, by the General Assembly of the State, of a bill granting and donating to the Levee Boards, of Desha County, all the swamp and overflowed lands, lying and being in Desha County, that belong to the State, to be used by said Levee Board, in building, repairing and keeping in repair, the levees to protect the said county from the overflows from the rivers that run through and lie adjacent to said county. Said lands to be used, in and for, the respective levee districts, now formed or that may herefter be formed in the respective districts where said lands lie, and not otherwise. "The reasonableness of this request, because said lands were donated to the State of Arkansas by Act of Congress, September 28th, 1850, for levee purposes only; that said lands are now valueless, overflow to great depths; unfit for settlement; not on the tax books; affording no revenue to the State. Whereas, by this grant or donation asked by your petitioners, they may be able to use them in assisting to protect the said county from overflow and ruin; place the same on the tax books; furnish an additional revenue to the State; and add additional settlements of a thrifty and valuable population in this hitherto desert and waste. And they will ever pray, &c. "Signed, X. J. Pindall, Judge 11th Judicial District, J. P. Jones, Clerk Desha County, B. F. Merritt, Judge County and Probate Court, W. B. Nelms, Justice of the Peace, Jefferson Township, John R. Leach, Justice of the Peace, Silver Lake Township, W. B. Cook, Justice of the Peace, Jefferson Township, B. F. Singleton, Justice of the Peace, Bowie Township, Chas. Vickers, Justice of the Peace, Silver Lake Township, J. M. Whitehill, Director, Levee Board, Isaac Bankston, Sheriff of Desha County, J. S. Ross, Deputy Sheriff of Desha County, D. O. Bowles, Deputy Sheriff of Desha County, J. B. Stovall, Justice of the Peace, Randolph Township, J. H. Jones, Justice of the Peace, Red Fork Township, Jno. S. Surratt, Justice of the Peace, Richmond Township, Glascoe Williams, Justice of the Peace, Silver Lake Township, ?. G. Sappington, President Levee Board, G. S. Dickinson, Director Levee Board, J. W. Robb, Mayor Arkansas City, J. W. Dickinson, James Murphy, Geo. W. Miller, Leland Leatherman, J. C. Crenshaw, C. B. Blackman, S. H. Dunaway, J. M. Williamson, John Pryor, J. W. Dickinson, Jr., L. A. Pindall, Ned Hill, C. P. Smith, A. Holmes, M. B. Simms, Ed C. Williams, L. ?. Watson, J. E. Robey, Isaac Adair, Mark Wilson, Oliver Bond, R. E. Doran, C. P. Bailey, J. W. Bailey, S. M. Dorch, and many others." Louis Reitzammer, Desha County ARGenWeb Coordinator http://www.public.usit.net/reitzamm/