The Mr. Tom Davis Home Mr. Tom Davis said that his father John D. Davis went to California during the gold rush. After remaining there two years he returned to his home in Crawford county, living here until his death, which occurred Sept. 2, 1855. The next year his widow purchased what is known as the Davis home near the high school from Judge Turner, who had charge of the property. Mr. Davis, a young boy, went with his mother to look at the property before the purchase. This house which was a new one was built by Mr. Calvin Phelps, a brick mason. It is a one-story brick house containing two good size front rooms and two smaller rear ones. A Square porch in front, with a door enter­ing each room. When this house was bought it was considered ­away out, with only a few houses near, now it is surrounded by many. The home was later owned by Mr. Tom Davis, though at the present time (1924) Mrs. Kleeschulte lives in it. Near this home is another old residence, a good size double log house, weather-boarded, which was built some time prior to the war between the states. Whether it was built for Mr. George Davis, a daguerrotypist, who with his family owned and occupied it, the writer does not know, but she remembers of visiting there when quite a small child with her mother, as the families were very special friends. In 1859 or '60 Mr. George Davis removed with his family, the writer thinks, to Texas but is not certain. During the summer of 1861 while the troops were passing through here for the northern part of the state Mr. Davis came through here as leader of a band-they being in a band wagon-and spent the afternoon serenading his friends, and, to the delight of a certain little girl took her with him. How proud she felt sitting up on the seat by the side of Mr. Davis in the band wagon. After the war he sold the place to Mrs. Eliza Howell, who made it her home for a time, later it was sold to Mr. Joe Savage and by him in turn to Mrs. T. A. Baldwin. It was rented for a number of years, then sold to Mr.Frank McKibben, who later sold it to a Mrs. Ross, now built for or by Mrs. A. L. Lemley, who occupied the house later. From the northern part of Van Buren we come to the older part of the city on South Fourth Street, where on the corner of Broad Street we find a one story brick building. Whether this house was built for Mr. Samuel Hays is not known but he and his family were living there previous to the war between the states. The architect is that of the houses built during the forties, consisting of two large front rooms, two narrower bedrooms at the rear of the front rooms and a dining room and kitchen, with a wide hall running the entire length but to reach the dining room and kitchen you went down three steps. Mr. Samuel Hays was a United States marshal. He married a Miss West, of Dover, Arkansas. There were two children, Susan and Samuel. One event that occurred there at this house is remembered by the writer whose parents were boarding there, was a marriage ceremony of two colored people which was performed in the front hall, the bride, who was dressed in white, belonged to the Hays family and the groom to Dr. James Dibrell. After the wedding ceremony a supper was served. The writer does not remember how many were present. This was in the latter part of 1861. When Mr. Hays sold the property to Mr. Andy Austin and moved to his farm in the bottoms near the river is not known. Mr. Hays died in 1875 and Mrs. Hays in 1898. The son, Samuel Hays died at Eufala, Oklahoma. For several years Mrs. A. N. Kellogg has owned the property. Standing on the old road to Alma on top of the hill after you pass the Scott farm and not far from Flat Rock creek is another old home. This is a large log house, the logs being dove-tailed together. There is an open hall between the front rooms, and a smaller room at the rear used as a kitchen. There are two outside rock chimneys. Across the street is an underground rock house, used either to store ice or potatoes. The latter however, was not built until comparatively recently by the late Col. W. G. B. Britt. From information gathered this house was built for or by Sutton F. Cottrell in 1836. Sutton F. Cottrell was sheriff of Crawford County for several years. Later the place was sold to Mr. Nestor Fort, father of Mrs. J. A. Kimbrough, about 1863; in 1874 it was sold at administrator's sale and was bought by Mr. J. A. Kimbrough who occupied it until 1883 when he sold it to Mr. W. G. B. Britt. Later it was the property of Mr. Dudley Bourne. It is now owned by other parties. ********************************************************* The Commercial Hotel The old Commercial hotel which stood on the corner of Main and South Fourth streets, was built about 1840 or for Doctor Jonathan McGee and Mr. Benjamin Moore, his brother-in-law. It was occupied by Dr. McGee as a residence but it is not known whether Mr. Moore lived there or not, Dr. McGee remaining there until some time during the latter part of the forties or early fifties when he moved to the large brick house in the eastern part of Buren which stood on the site of the present Meyer home. After the removal of Dr. McGee and family it was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Watson, parents of Col. Edmund Watson of Bentonville. After their residence there, as far as known, it was used as a store building. Mr. Samuel Collins of Morrilton purchased it about 1881 and opened a hotel. Later he added the frame part and later the brick building on the east end. Mr. Collins and his family resided there for a number of years when others took charge of the hotel. There are very few of the early buildings remaining on Main Street. The brick building on the corner of Main and North Fifth occupied by Messrs. Furry and Matlock and the room adjoining and the brick Lynch building, corner of Main and North Sixth which was built several years previous to the War Between the States. Some of the buildings in the south part of the block between South Third and South Second are old buildings having been built during the forties. **************************************** The Harrell Home The Harrell place which is one mile northwest of the court house occupies a position above the town in a suburb known as Logtown, or as it is called now City Heights. This house was built for Mr. George W. Clark, at one time editor of the Arkansas Intelligencer who occupied it for several years. It was then purchased by the Reverend John Harrell and occupied by his family which consisted of his wife, three daughters and one son. For a number of years Mr. Harrell was a missionary among the Cherokee Indians. Sometime during the eighties Mr. Harrell and his family removed to Muskogee where I think he and his wife died. The place was later purchased by Dr. Burson who resided there until his death and by his family for several years later, it is owned by a daughter, Mrs. Marvin Davenport. This house stands a few hundred yards from the road, and is a frame building plastered and originally contained six rooms, the front ones larger than the rear ones and connected with heavy folding doors with large fireplaces in the front rooms; between the dining room and the kitchen was a wide porch as was found in so many of the old time southern houses. At the front was a large square porch and there were two large brick chimneys. The house was plastered and contained large beams which were very likely hand hewn. As was the custom in those days everything was very substantially built as shown by the old homes still standing. The modern ones will never last as long. ************************************************************ The Morrill and Morean House This house which stands on the south side of Broad Street being on the southwest half block between what is now known as South Sixth and South Seventh streets, is a large frame, double house. It was built for Messrs. Morrill and Marean, their wives being sisters, about 1846. Each side contains a basement in which were the dining room and kitchen, with a narrow hall adjoining the partition. From this hall stairs led to the first floor and into a hall, into which doors opened from two large rooms and back of the second room is a smaller one opening into it. From this hall stairs led to a half story consisting of two rooms. Until a comparatively few years ago wide steps extended from the ground to the porch in front. During the occupancy of the home by the families of Messrs. Morrill and Marean the steps were divided by a banister extending the entire length of them. The porch was also divided by a lattice work and remaining so until during the seventies. The only method of communication was by means of a high step placed on the top step on each side by means of which one could step over the banisters, the only other way was to go out one front door down the steps and through the gate and into the other gate and up the steps to the front door. The back yard was also divided by a fence. The two families owned the land to Drennen Street. It was occupied by the two families until some time during the war between the states and was later purchased by Mr. A. N. Callahan who made the Marean part his home until his death when the house was rented for a few years and then purchased by Mr. W. L. Taylor. At the death of him and Mrs. Taylor it was sold to Mrs. J. R. Bell who in turn sold it to Mr. Hathaway and at the present time it is known as the Hathaway Apartment. ************************************************************ The Edward Scott House The one story brick house adjoining the Women's Literary Club library on Webster Street was built for Mr. William Heard about 1851 or '53 to be used as the Presbyterian manse, afterwards it may have been occupied by Mr. William Heard. It is thought that Mr. Calvin Phelps did the brick work. Mr. Heard sold it to Mr. John Austin and he to Mr. Edward Scott some time during the early part of the War Between the States. It was built on the same plan that most of the houses of that day were. It consists of four rooms with a fairly wide hall between. At the present time it is occupied by Mr. Scott's daughter Augusta and son James. Mr. Edward Scott was a brother of Mrs. Charles Scott, and for a number of years held the position of county clerk. ********************************************** The Old Love House The house across the street from the Edward Scott house and now occupied by Mr. Matt Wallace, or rather the part bordering on South Sixth Street which is of brick, was built for Mr. William Heard during the early part of 1853. Unlike most of the houses of that day it did not have a hall with a room on the other side, but the three rooms were built at the rear of each other. The first occupant was Mr. J. A. Eno, a druggist, who on his return from Connecticut with his bride occupied the house for nearly two years. Mr. William Heard and his family then occupied it until near the close of the War Between the States when he removed to Texas. Whether Mr. R. H. Love pur­chased it from Mr. Heard is not known by the writer but he and his family were occupying it in the fall of 1873. Mr. Tom Wallace bought it from the Love heirs and sold it to his son Matthew W. Wallace who with his family occupy the house. *******************************************************************