History of Northwestern Arkansas BARTLETT History of Benton County OTHER TOWNS AND VILLAGES. The first schools in Evansville were taught by Allen M. Scott, who was succeeded by Mrs. Dr. Bartlett. For four years, from about 1874 to 1878, a graded school was maintained, but it has since been abandoned. History of Benton County [p.270] EDUCATION. In 1872 the board, consisting of Hon. Thomas Smith, and Trustees Bennett, Cohn, Prather, Botef|hr. Bishop. Searle, Young, Clayton, Sarber and Millen, sent a committee to visit the universities of Illinois and Michigan. Among the bids received by them was one from Hon. Liberty Bartlett, of Pulaski County, offering ninety-two acres; one from Batesville, subscribing $50,000; one from Washington County, voting $100,000, with the city of Fayetteville voting $30,000 in addition, and one from A. P. Robinson, of Conway, offering a quarter section of land. Washington County was chosen, and the homestead of Mr. William McIlroy, embracing 160 acres, was bought by the committee on buildings and grounds, A. S. Prather, J. E. Bennett and M. A. Cohn, who paid the sum of $12,000, $1,000 of which was at once raised by citizens of Fayetteville. Large donations of land were offered by Hons. Lafayette Gregg and David Walker. Mr. Van Odell, of Chicago, was the architect chosen, and the contract let to Meyers & Oliver for $130,000. Work began September, 1873, and the following is a description of the results as completed August 10, 1875, and as reported by the board of visitors for 1875 to the governor: History of Benton County COUNTY OFFICERS. Surveyors.William Nooner, 1834-36; Elijah Tabor, 1836-38; John McMillan, 1838-42; T. B. Callen, 1846-48; A. V. Callen, 1848-50; Price Byrne, 1852-58; J. Bartlett, 1858-62; Henry McMillan, 1864-68; Cyrus Maxwell, 1868-72; Thomas Bunch, 1872-76; T. S. Bunch, 1876-78; J. M. Bunch, 1878-82; W. R. Phillips, 1882-86; J. W. Kenner, 1886. History of Benton County CHURCHES. Carrollton.The first religious services in this township were held in the court-house by Rev. Henderson Lafferty. Revs. John F. Seamen,  Cook and Thomas Tanford were preachers prior to 1845, when Dr. A. B. Baker was appointed to this circuit, then comprising all the territory between Crooked Creek and King's River. Rev. W. B. Williams was recently the pastor. Pleasant Valley, Wright's Chapel, Black Jack School-house and Zion Hill Churches form part of Carrollton Circuit. There is an organization of Free-Will Baptists at Big Spring, of which Rev. J. W. Cannt has been pastor many years. Rev. Bartlett is pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church at Carrollton, and Sherwood Pursley at Pursley's School-house. A Cumberland Presbyterian organization at Carrollton was effected in 1839 by Revs. Pearson aud Buchannon, of Cane Hill, Washington County. History of Benton County BOUNDARY, GEOLOGY, NATURAL FEATURES, ETC. Products.The timber embraces gum, cotton-wood, oak, elm, hackberry, walnut, paw-paw and pecan, on the bottom lands; on the uplands, post oak, red oak, white oak, black-jack, black oak, hickory, and some pine and walnut. Cotton: 4,000 to 6,000 bales are shipped annually. Wheat, oats, rye and barley grow finely; corn, forty to 100 bushels to the acre; sorghum does well; Irish and sweet potatoes unsurpassed; entire millet family, timothy, red and white clover, red-top, blue, Bermuda, orchard grass (the favorite); tobacco on the uplands; broom-corn; apples (Peerless, Shannon, Dwight, Ben Davis, Arkansas Queen, Wine Sap and Shockley); pears (Bartlett, Duchess D'Angouleme, Seckel, Virgaliens, Bergamot and Winter Niels); peaches (Hale's Early, Amsden's June, Alexander, Early Beatrice in June, Amelia, Crawford's Early in July, Great Eastern, Lemon Cling in August and Heath's Cling or Eaton's Golden in September); quince, plum, cherry (Morello varieties, Early Richmond, English and Red Morello); grapes (Concord, Ives, Hartford Prolific, Delaware, Herbemont, Clinton and Norton's Virginia, a fine wine grape); fish (black bass, bream, speckled cat, rock bass, sun perch, blue and yellow cat, buffalo, drum, red-horse and suckers).* History of Benton County POST-OFFICES AND FINANCES. Sand Point: Lewis Keifer, June, 1879; Bartlett Irwin, April, 1880. History of Benton County BENTON COUNTY. Samuel Allen Jeffersonwas born in Washington County, Ark., in 1838, and is a son of George H. and Elizabeth (Moore) Jefferson, who were born in Virginia and Tennessee in 1802 and 1810, respectively. The mother died in 1883. The father was of German-English descent, and was a young man when he became a resident of Trigg County, Ky. He was married in Bedford County, Tenn., and in 1835 located in Washington County, Ark., and in 1841 came to Benton County. He began keeping hotel in Bentonville in 1842, and in conneetion with this kept a cabinet-shop. His death occurred in 1846. His wife was a daughter of Samuel Moore, who was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was with Gen. Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. Samuel Allen Jefferson is one of three surviving members of a family of ten children, and was reared and educated in Benton County. In 1862 he was married to Miss Joan Neal, born in Missouri in 1839, a daughter of Daniel Neal, and by her became the father of eleven children: Bartlett A., Georgette (wife of C. C. Huffman), Mary J., William T., Mahel, Pearl, George (deceased). Charles, Pierce (deceased), Minnie and Edna. Mr. Jefferson has a good farm of 160 acres. He is a Democrat in his political views. May 21, 1861, he enlisted in Company B. First Arkansas Cavalry, State troops, and in August of the same year enlisted in Company G, First Arkansas Cavalry, and was in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Poison Spring. Mansfield and others. At the battle of Oak Hill he was severely wounded in the left thigh, and was obliged to go on crutches for nine months. He served four years. and surrendered at Fort Smith, Ark. History of Benton County WASHINGTON COUNTY. page 974 Augustus Buckner Lewis.Closely connected with the mercantile interests of Washington County, Ark., is the name of Augustus B. Lewis, who was born in Hempstead County, Ark., April 28, 1835, the son of Joseph and Mary Bartlett (Brown) Lewis, grandson of John Lewis, and great-grandson of John or Hugh Lewis, who came over from Ireland at an early date, and settled in North Carolina, but afterward moved to Kentucky, where he remained until 1804. when he moved to Washington County, Mo. Joseph Lewis was born in Livingston County, Ky., in 1802, and in 1822 he went on horseback and alone to Lawrence County, Ark., thence to Independence County, thence to Pulaski, and later to Hempstead County, but finally, in 1831, he and a younger brother, Hugh, made a settlement in Washington County, Ark., where he settled with his [p.974] wife and two sons, Rowland and A. B., in 1836. He died in 1884, and lacked but a few days of being eighty-two years of age. He had been a worthy and consistent member of the Christian Church for over forty years, and died in full communion with the faith of the same. Mrs. Lewis passed away in 1875, and was a little over sixty-six years of age. She was also a devout member of the Christian Church. They reared five sons and one daughter: Rowland M., Henry T. (who now resides in the Indian Nation), A. B., J. C., Mrs. N. J. Rogers and William P., who lost his life at the fall of Atlanta, July 28, 1864, and is now buried in the cemetery there. The five brothers were all in the Confederate army, and rendered active and honorable service. The father of these children went south during the war, and after the storm clouds had passed away he returned to find that he had not only lost $20,000 above all indebtedness, but become heavily involved. He went to work, and with hard work and good managment soon surmounted all his difficulties. Cornelius Brown, father of Mrs. Joseph (Browu) Lewis, was a native of Virginia, and left the home in that State and made a settlement in Miller County, Ark., at what is now known as the Choctaw Nation, adjacent to Dokesville, the capital of that Nation. He died there at a ripe old age. His widow and family then returned to Hempstead County, Ark. Augustus B. Lewis was merchandising on his own account when the war broke out, but had previously received a good education in Arkansas College. He enlisted in the Confederate army, was in service during the entire war, and was a faithful and honorable soldier. After returning home he farmed for four years, and then moved to Fayetteville, Washington Co., Ark., where he clerked from July 20, 1869, until January, 1882. He then engaged in business for himself. December 26, 1869, he wedded Miss Rebecca Sophia Hewitt, daughter of Nelson and Cynthia (Crimm) Hewitt, natives of Tennessee, and pioneers of Washington County. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were born these children: Lucius Lucretius, Lena Leota and Linneaus Lamar. Mr. Lewis was elected treasurer of Washington County for four years, but only served two years on account of the change of the State constitution. Mr. Lewis and family worship at the Christian Churchthe church of his fathers. History of Benton County CRAWFORD COUNTY. page 1210 Dr. T. M. Wardenwas born in Madison County, Ky., January 19, 1809, and is a son of James and Jemima (Thorp) Warden. The father was born in Culpeper County, Va., about 1784, and in 1794 immigrated to Kentucky, traveling from Pittsburgh in a flat-boat and landing where Maysville now stands. He was reared upon a farm, received a common-school education, and died there in October, 1839. The mother was born in Madison County, Ky., in 1793, where she was married to Mr. Warden at the age of fifteen. She died in Missouri, where she went after her husband's death, her death occurring in 1873. She was the mother of eight children, only two of whom are living: Tillett M. and Thomas. Those deceased are Tarlton, Tilson, Tilman, Roxana, Mourning and Nancy. Nathan Warden, the grandfather, was born in England, and with two other brothers served in the Revolution, shortly after going to Culpeper County, Va., and subsequently to Kentucky, where he died. The mother was of Scotch parentage, and died in Kentucky. Thomas Thorp, the maternal grandfather, was born in Virginia, and there married Elinor Jackson, a relative of Gov. Jackson, of Missouri. They moved to Kentucky in an early day, and there passed their lives. Our subject was reared upon his father's [p.1210] farm in Madison County, receiving a good education, and after becoming of age spent three years in travel. He then began to study medicine under Samuel Brown, of Brandenburgh, Ky., and later attended the Louisville Medical Institute for two years, graduating in 1841. After spending some time in Leaven-worth, Ind., he returned to Madison County, and next went to Milliken's Bend, La. After remaining in Vicksburg one year he came to Crawford County in 1846, where he has practiced his profession since, and is actively and successfully engaged, although eighty years of age. February 24, 1840, he married Mrs. Eliza Bartlett, a native of Bristol, England, and daughter of William Amas, a native of the same place. Mrs. Warden has borne seven children, six now living: Marian W., Mortimer, Isabella, Lillie, Clarence N. and Fannie W. Another child, Mortimer, is the one deceased. Mrs. Warden died March 8, 1885, aged seventy. Dr. Warden owns 130 acres of land, twenty-five of which he cultivates, and upon which he lives with his daughter Lillie. In politics he is a Democrat. History of Benton County SEBASTIAN COUNTY. C. M. Barnes,general fire and life insurance agent, of Fort Smith, was born in Livingston County, N. Y., August 25, 1845. His father was a son of Henry Hogan, who was paymaster in the United States army, and was lost at sea during the War of 1812, after which he was adopted by Gideon Barnes, and was known as Henry Hogan Barnes. He was married to Samantha Boyd, a native of Massachusetts, where Mr. Barnes' ancestors had located prior to the Revolution. Mr. Barnes, the father of our subject, was a farmer and merchant by occupation. C. M. Barnes grew to manhood in Calhoun County, Mich., and in 1861 enlisted in Howland's company of Michigan volunteer engineers, in which he served three months. He afterward served in the telegraph corps of the quartermaster's department, and in 1864 was stationed at Little Rock. In 1868 he came to Fort Smith, where he remained two years, after which he lived in Little Rock until 1876. He then located permanently in Fort Smith, where he became one of the leading citizens. From 1876 until 1880, and from 1881 until 1885, he was Chief United States Deputy Marshal of this district, and for four years he has served in the town council. He assisted in the organization of the fire department of Fort Smith, is president of the Empire Lumber Company, of Ashton, Ark., a stockholder of the Barnes Lumber Company, of Little Rock, and is secretary of the Fort Smith (Ark.) Fair Association. He was married, at Little Rock, to Mary E. Bartlett, a native of Massachusetts, and daughter of Judge Liberty Bartlett, who went to Little Rock from Massachusetts, before the war. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have two sons and one daughter, viz.: Cassius, a student in the Racine College at Racine, Wis.; Henry Cooper and Eliza Louise, both of whom attend high-school. Mrs. Barnes is the treasurer of the Ladies' Aid Society of St. John's Episcopal Church, to which she and her husband belong.