Note from SuzyinOK... There are a number of new subscribers on this list (and welcome to you all!) This is a book I have been posting is titled "History of Crawford County, Arkansas." The author is Miss Clara B. Eno and this book was published about 1950, by the Press Argus Courier of Van Buren, Ark. Miss Eno offered free copyright, "This book is not copyrighted. It's contents are for the good of all people who love America and free use of all material, with proper credit, is granted by the author and publisher." This book has a lot of good info concerning Crawford and Sebastian Counties. I am posting it a little at a time. If you are new, and would like to have the first chapters, let me know. Best wishes, Suzy Johnson, Pocola, OK. *********************** CHAPTER VII HISTORIC HOMES OF CRAWFORD COUNTY Some of the Homes the First Press Went Into. 1 .Albert Pike School House. 2. The John Drennen House. 3. The Knox House. 4. The Phelps Home; Later the Bourland Home. 5. The John B. Ogden Home. 6. The Dr. James L. Dibrell Home. 7. The Boat Houses. 8. The Dunham Scott House. 9. The Old Dibrell Home. 10. The Tom Davis Home. 11. The Commercial Hotel. 12. The Harrel House. 13. The Edward Scott Home. 14. Howell House. 15. The Old Love House. 16. The Ward Home. 17. John Austin Home. 18. The Samuel Daugherty House. 19. D.C. Williams Home. 20. The Dickerson House. 21. The Bearden House. 22. The Mooney-Tom Wallace House. 23. The Wilcox Home. 24. The Dr. Pernot Home. 25. The Old Turner Home. 26. The Walden No.1, Walden No.2 Houses. 27. Thayer Home SOME OF THE HOMES INTO WHICH FIRST OF THE PRESS MUST HAVE GONE: Let us suppose that the first issue of the Van Buren delivered by a carrier and that the reader went with him on his rounds. Starting from Mr. Dunham's home was located on the brow of College Hill. The next be that of his brother-in-law, Mr. A. J. Ward, which was a one-story brick house that stood on the site occupied by the D. H. Miller home; passing down the side street and a little to the north the next house will be that occupied by Mr. C. G. Scott and his family, this, standing back from the street, a large one-story frame house. The writer does not know whether anyone was living at the Drennen home or not, as both Mr. and Mrs. Drennen were dead. Farther up the mountain was a large brick house standing near Mr. Morrell's house; this was the home of Major and Mrs. Henry. Coming towards town along the line now covered by the Missouri Pacific tracks or on the right of way stood two brick houses known as the Clemm and Paschal houses. Mr. Clemn may have resided in his but the Pascal house was not occupied by his family. The next home would be that of H. C. Hayman which stood under the hill below the Drennen home, then the Wilhalf house, which occupies the same location as it did then. Passing up Washington Street is a large two story frame building which at that time was the home of Thomas Walden and family. There must have been others on that street but are not remembered. Following this street on to its intersection with Fayetteville Street and going up the street the first house was the George W. Knox home which is still standing. A short distance above but on the opposite side was a large brick hotel known as the Bostick house under the management of Mr. John Bostick. Passing on over to Cane Hill Street and traveling towards the cemetery was the D. C. Williams home, a large frame building now occupied by his descendants. Passing on up the street was a small house that may have been occupied by the Luce family as Mr. Lynch bought it from them in 1861 and added to it and it was known as the Lynch home; farther up the street was the Judge Walker house. Later the property of the late Mrs. D. H. Miller; turning east at the cemetery and continuing for several blocks until you arrived at the one-story brick house known as the Tom Davis home but at that time occupied by his father and mother. A little at the rear of that was a frame house the home of George W. Davis, who would be known now as a photographer, but then took daguerreotypes. Going some distance east the Dr. Thurston home is arrived at. This stood where the King school now stands. Coming back to the foot of Main Street and on the North side, the first dwelling was at the rear of a brick building that stood on the corner of Main and Columbus Street, further up the street was one known as the Adler house, rather a long building with a portico in front both upstairs and down. Just above it was a large brick residence but the occupant is not known. Crossing the street and adjoining the brick store of Henry and Cunningham is a two story frame building still standing and probably occupied at that time by Mr. George Cross' family, continuing up to the next block and on the same location as the Magnolia Oil Station, stood a one-story brick building, the home of Mr. George Austin, there were several other houses on that side of Main Street but the writer does not know by whom they were occupied. On Columbus, or as it is known now, Second Street, south of Main Street between Webster and Main streets was the Henley home, a one-story frame building with a long porch running the entire front of the building, it stood about where the Missouri Pacific freight house stands, it being demolished when the tracks were laid; passing up on to the next block below stood a square one-story brick house occupied by Mr. Charles Heard and his family, the location is now covered by the lawn of the Missouri Pacific station. Crossing Broad Street and continuing down two blocks one came to a large two story weatherboarded log house. This was the home of the family of Mr. L. C. Southmayd, later known as the Ward home. Going south from Main on what is now Fourth Street, one comes to the two-story brick home of Dr. Ernot, occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Matthews, until her death. On the opposite side of the street was a long one-story frame building, the entrance being from the sidewalk directly on to a stoop. This was the home of Judge Jesse Turner; across Jefferson Street was the home of John Austin, the home of Mr. J. E. Powers until his death; adjoining it on the corner of Broad Street was a one-story brick house, the home of Mr. Samuel Hays. It is still standing and is the property of Mrs. A. N. Kellogg. On Webster street between Fourth and Fifth stands a low brick house. It is not known who occupied it at the time of the first issue of the Van Buren Press but it is now owned by Mrs. S. L. Henderson. Across the street and opposite the Presbyterian church was a small brick house and the home of Mr. William Heard; It now forms part of Mr. Matt Wallace's home. Continuing on up Webster Street you come to the next corner where stood a story and half frame building known then as the Stewart house; on the next corner which is Seventh and Webster, was a large two-story frame building, the home of Mr. Hinckle and his family. This has been remodeled and is now known as the Webster Hotel. Whether Mr. Daugherty at that time lived in the house on the corner of Jefferson and South Sixth or at the lower part of Main Street is not known to the writer. A large frame building stood a little back from the street on the corner of Fifth and Jefferson and occupied at that time, The writer thinks, by Mr. Levi Chapman, a steamboat captain, and his wife. Coming up Broad Street the first house you came to on the right was that of Dr. James Dibrell, a low brick house which is still standing and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Dunham Scott; continuing to the next block on the corner of which stood a large double frame house which was known then as the Morrill and Marean homes, their wives being sisters. On the same block, but on the other end was Judge John Ogden's home, a large square two-story brick, set in the midst of a large yard. It is now the home of Miss Zula Ribbling. The boat houses were farther out the street but it is not known who occupied them. Neither is it known whether there were any houses on the opposite side of Broad Street in 1859. On the corner of Drennen and Pike, now South Sixth, stood a story and a half frame, part of which occupies the same location. In the same block but on the next street was the William Whitfield home, a large two-story frame. This was burned several years ago. The Judge J. J. Green house stood on the upper opposite corner from the Whitfield home. The building was demolished only a few years ago when Mr. Frank Pape built his bungalow. Then there was the home of Dr. Jonathan McGee which stood where the H. A. Meyer home now stands. On Logtown were the homes of Mr. Henry Wilcox, Rev. John Harrell and others. In the hollow, as it was then known, were the homes of Mrs. Emily Moore, a sister of Mr. D.C. Williams, Mr. W. F. England, Mr. R. C Roberts and others. There were many other homes into which the first issue of the Press must have gone but their location is not known. **************************************************************** ALBERT PIKE SCHOOL HOUSE One of the most historic buildings in Crawford County the little log school house where Albert Pike taught while living at Van Buren. At the time he taught in this historic building, it was located on the Kibler Road just after you leave highway 71, east of Van Buren. The old building is said to have been erected before on a homestead, the patent for which was filed for June 8,1836, by Elizabeth Barnett. The original building, which had been standing 12 years when Albert Pike taught his school, was built of heavy logs, and which today are in a fairly good condition. The original building was of one room with a porch running full length of the room. Many years after this building was abandoned as a school, it was used as a residence. However, a number of years ago the historic building was purchased by Mrs. Allen Henderson, of Fort Smith and moved to the northern part of the county on Highway 71. The building has been restored to its original appearance with two large rooms, a large rock chimney, porch running along one side of the building. The logs have been treated in order to preserve them. In the front room of this building and supposedly at that time the only one, is where Albert Pike, the noted poet and Mason taught school about 1832. It is built of hand hewn logs taken presumably from the surrounding woods. In later years the building was added to and weatherboarded. Judge Turner said the first time he ever saw Albert Pike he was sitting in front of this building reading a newspaper. Articles of merit had been appearing in the Little Rock papers in favor of the Whig party, which aroused the members of that party to learn who was the writer and when it was learned that it was a young man near Van Buren, he was visited by Judge Turner and another prominent Whig. From that meeting a life long friendship was formed between Judge Turner and Albert Pike. It was not known whether he made his home at the building or not but as the country was sparsely settled at that time he probably did, but those who could have told us have long since passed away. The building is now an Albert Pike museum, which houses many Albert Pike relics. People from all over the world visit this museum. Only a few years ago John D. Rockefeller III visited this noted place, while in Arkansas in the interest of the Rockefeller Foundation. Many noted Masons from all over the world have visited this noted building to see the Albert Pike Museum. Albert Pike has been considered the most noted Mason of all times. This little log school building will stand as a monument to this noted man here in Crawford County, for future generations to see.