The Ward Home The large house at the corner of Vine and Columbus or Second Street, known as the old Ward Home was built for Mr. Leonard C. Southmayd in 1858 and occupied by him and his family until December 1862 when it was purchased by Mr. A. J. Ward who with his family removed there in that year from his home on what is known as the Scott hill, his home standing on the site of the D. H. Miller home. This home is built of logs with the exception of the east rear room which is frame; the two front rooms, both upstairs and down are eighteen feet square, a hall extends between the two rear rooms; as they were smaller this was latticed in. Three rooms comprise the "L" on Second Street. This house is all weather-boarded, giving it the appearance of a frame house. Mr. Ward owned the entire square and made it his home until his death in January, 1883. It was then occupied by his widow until 1887. It was rented a few years when Mrs. W. T. England became the owner who with her husband and family lived there until 1919. It remained in the possession of the family until 1925 when it was sold to Mr. Culver. After Mrs. Ward's death in 1889 other houses were erected on the block. ********************************************************* The John Austin House This house now owned by Mr. J. E. Powers was built for Mrs. Charles C. Heard the latter part of the forties or the early fifties. The house which stands on the southeast corner of South Fourth and Jefferson streets is a large one story frame with two large rooms and a wide hall between and smaller ones at the rear, one on the southeast and three on the southwest side. The sleepers under the front rooms and hall are large, hand-hewn logs together with wooden pegs. This building was sold by Mr. Heard to Mr. John Austin about 1854, he resided there until his death in 1875. His wife having died several years previous. His daughter, Hannah, with husband, Mr. Wallace Ward and daughter Nellie occupied it until their death. It was rented for several years when it was sold by Mrs. Austin's heirs to Mr. John Powers who with his wife and nephew occupy it as a home. ******************************************************* The Samuel S. Daugherty Home This house which stands on the corner of South Sixth and Jefferson Street was built for Mr. Samuel Daugherty in 1858 and is still occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Laura Johnson. As so many of the buildings were at that time, it is a one story frame with two large front rooms with a wide hall between and an 'L" consisting of three rooms bordering Jefferson Street. Mr. Daugherty removed to this house from one occupied by him on southeast corner of Main and Second Streets. Mr. Daugherty was a cabinet maker and had his shop at the lower part of Main Street. ********************************************************* The D. C. Williams Home What is known now as the D. C. Williams home on Cane Hill Street, was built for Mr. John Symes to be used as a home for himself and family in the early forties. We find that the architecture corresponds to that period, two large front rooms with a smaller one at the rear of each with a very wide hall extending the length of the two rooms. There are two rooms in the basement which have always been used as dining room and kitchen. During the early days there was a square porch at the front which was replaced by the present one. There were several small houses in the yard for the colored people, one of which remains. Mrs. Symes was a member of the Christian church and at this home was organized the first one of that denomination in Van Buren, some time during the latter part of the forties. Mr. and Mrs. Symes were the maternal great grand parents of Miss Mollie Brown, Mrs. Lewis Bryan and Mr. John Brown, of this city, and Mr. W. A. Bostick. After the death of Mrs. Symes in February 1853, Mr. Symes having died several years previously, the place was sold to Mr. Alfred Wallace, who made it his home for a time. At his death in 1856, his wife having died in 1854, he left the home to a Miss Finney, later she sold it to Mr. D. C. Williams, who made some changes as shown in the building as it stands today. Mr. D. C. Williams was a prominent merchant of Van Buren for a number of years. During the latter part of the War between the States, Miss Amanda Buchanan , taught a private school in the basement of the home. At the death of Mr. and Mrs. Williams it became the property of Mrs. Emma Johnson Moore and Mrs. Rosina Lock Wardell and is now the home of Messrs. Johnson and Norman Moore, grandsons. ****************************************************************** The Dickson House This house faces North Fifth Street just off of Main Street and is a one story frame building with four rooms in a row; this house is of a different style of architecture from those built at the same period. A gentleman writing of Van Buren during the early forties speaks of Mr. Davidson building a grocery store on the west side of Main Street not far from the foot of the hill. That building is occupied by Messrs Furry and Matlock for their office. The room adjoining must have been built about the time as was the residence at the rear of these two rooms. This home was occupied by the family until a few years previous to Mrs. Dickson's death, which occurred February, 1916. A few years before her death she removed to a home on Jefferson Street near South Ninth. Mr. Dickson served as county surveyor for a number of years, first being elected by the Whigs in 1846, serving four years. In 1852 he was elected and served two years, in 1856 and served four years, again elected. in 1874 he served until 1888. Mr. Dickson died at the age of 87. There are no descendants of this family living at Van the only descendant living in Oregon. ************************************************************* The Bearden House This house which is situated on the corner of Webster Fifth streets, just one block from the Dickson built during the latter part of the forties or early fifties by a Mr. Isaac Austin as a residence for himself and his wife, she being a sister of the Messrs. Charles and William Heard. The house which faces Webster Street shows the style of the forties, the two large front rooms with wide hall between and the large square porch in front. Mr. Austin removed to Yell County in 1853. He was a man of liberal education, well versed in science, history, etc. He must have held the office of justice of the peace as the writer has found several notices of marriage cere­monies performed by him. When Mr. Bearden purchased the place now is not known as so many of the old deeds were not re-recorded after the courthouse was burned in 1877. The property remained in the Bearden family until a few years ago when it was purchased by Mr. Henry F. Meyer. ******************************************************** The Mooney-Tom Wallace House Across the street from the Bearden house but facing South Fifth Street is a house built by Mr. Mooney sometime between 1855 and 1860 as a residence for himself and family. In this house the rooms are much smaller and the hall narrower showing a change in the style of architecture. When the house was completed Mr. Mooney removed his family from what is now known as the hollow, where many of the earlier citizens of Van Buren located. Mr. Mooney and his family made this house their home until about 1876 when they removed to a house on the southwest corner of Jefferson and South Fifth, a two-story building that Mr. Mooney had built for a new home. After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Mooney it was rented for several years then bought by Mr. Marian Orrick and occupied as a residence until they both passed away. It is now occupied by Mr. Collins as a boarding house. The old home was purchased by Mr. Tom Wallace a number of years ago for a home and it is still occupied by him and his wife. Mr. Mooney was the father of Mrs. Sarah Hawkins. On the same block but on the corner of Jefferson and South Fifth, sometime ago stood a large two-story house. (When it was built or who built it the writer does not know) but she does know that it was standing there in 1861. It was then a boarding house kept by Mrs. Levi Chapman, as the writer's parents and herself as a small child boarded there. There were other boarders, gentlemen. *************************************************************** The Wilcox Home A short distance from the top of Logtown hill stands one of the old homes of Van Buren, now owned by Mr. Segar, but originally owned by Mr. Henry Wilcox, one of the early lawyers of Van Buren. Mr. Wilcox and family came to Van Buren from Palmyra, Missouri, and soon after his arrival purchased the land on which the house stands from a Mr. Van Phule of St. Louis, MO. The part selected for a home was wooded land and before the build­ing could be begun the trees had to be removed. Work on the building was begun in 1845. It is a log house lathed, plastered and weatherboarded consisting of a story with an attic over the main part of the building. The house contained two large front rooms each containing a large fireplace, with a fairly wide hall between, at the rear of this hall and opening into it was a long room used for the dining room; at each end of this room was a bed room. From the dining room you entered a large porch, between that and the kitchen was a wide brick pavement, the kitchen being disconnected from the house and was a brick building consisting of two rooms, one used as the kitchen the other a bed room. At the front of the house was a large square porch, the large posts which upheld it were of cedar made from trees when the land was cleared. The property was enclosed with a small paling fence, the palings all being made by hand. The house did not face the road, as it was Mr. Wilcox's intention to build an addition to face the street, making that already built the ell. Much of the material was on the ground when the War Between the States began, some of which was destroyed and the remainder used for another building. While Mr. Wilcox was having this house built he occupied a small brick one nearer the top of the hill. Mr. Wilcox with his family occupied this home until death which occurred July 15th, 1864. His widow and her son and two married daughters, Mesdames Thompson and Lacy continued to reside there until each built, a home when the house was rented and finally sold to Mr. Segar, who added an upper story and also changed it in some other respects, but the original building is still there but somewhat disguised. The writer as a child and later when grown was a frequent visitor at the old Wilcox home. *********************************************** The Doctor Pernot Home This house situated on the northeast corner of South Fourth and Jefferson streets was erected for Dr. Pernot about 1855, and as so many of the earlier houses were, it was built of brick, brick being easier to procure than lumber, but we find some change in the architecture from those built in the forties. The main part of the building is full two stories. While there is a hall between the two front rooms it is not as wide as those in the earlier houses. This has a three room one-story on Jefferson Street, adjoining the northwest front room and opening into it is a smaller brick one which was used by Dr. Pernot as his office. In those days the physicians had their offices at their homes. Before Van Buren was captured by the Federals during the War Between the States and for a short time after the Federals took possession Dr. Pernot was chief surgeon in charge of all the hospitals here. When Dr. Pernot and his family were ordered south the house had to be abandoned. During a time it was occupied by General Bowen, his wife and her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Thruston, as his headquarters. After a time his regiment left Van Buren and he with it, from then on the house was occupied by refugees until the close of the war. After peace was declared Dr. Pernot with his family returned home and occupied the house once more and did not leave it until he was carried to the City of the Dead on the hillside in January 1881. Mrs. Pernot continued to reside there with her son, H. C. Pernot and daughter and her family until her death in 1904. It is still occupied by the daughter, Mrs. J. A. Matthews, and her daughter and her family. Dr. Henry Pernot was a native of France coming to this country when a young man. He and Mrs. Pernot came to Van Buren in 1852 from St. Genevieve, MO. From small childhood this writer has been a frequent visitor at this home.