During a recent exchange, subscribers were inquiring about the Edwards Spring on the Wilderness Road. Below is the text of an 1876 petition that gives the site of the spring and the identity of the owner, William B. Edwards, a resident of the Wilson's Creek battlefield until just before the conflict, an owner of the Riverdale Mill and son of John Edwards who came to Greene Co. c. 1840. The Wilderness Road, 1876 transcribed by Linda Myers-Phinney ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- "May the 1st AD 1876 To the Honorable County court of green county. No 11w] we the undersigner and citizens of Christian County no[w] would respectfully petition your honorable body to grant us the right of way or rather change the dutch store and harrison arkansas road to springfield so as to give us all the privilidge of traviling the most pracible [practicable] and direct rout to springfield and further more there is only one fording that we can travil with safety in time of hy waterli.] the road that we want you to open and change has bin open for 20 years untill resently by james Driden for spite he dames that the road damages him on the account of teamsters burning his railes [.] is this alone reason enough for you to shut us out from your town where all of out wheat and produce from this county and all North arkansas travilsil?] if so foretell to the good citizens on this side of the james river[.] mr james driden lives on the North side of the river so he is independent as to the convinents of othersl.] we have non we are shut out entirly and this is the only way we can be heard is threw your Honorable bodyl.] We only ask mr driden to gave us 20 feete on the bank of the river for 200 yards and that is land that is worthless to him for it over flows entirly most every springli.] it dont damage him to the amount of $2.00 dollar ayearll.] this road is travel from one to 75 wagons aday in the coton and produce season and is Not seconlid] to any road threw the state but should be looked to as one of the first class roads threw the statell.] say we turn the trade of North Arkansas the other direction and unless they are most respected than they have bin in the way of roads they will turn Ii.] then your town will then begin to feel the Nead of this and other good roads for the sake of humanity we ask your Honor to give this road and give it ainediatlyl.] Hour reasons for asking this favor of you is 1 because there is but few fording on the james river that we can hold the botoms that your Honorable body knows and this is one of those placesll;] 2 because we save one mile and one half in distance in 411;] 3 because we save climing one amonkest the worst hills in southwest Mo and places the road on good and fare beter land than at the present[;] 4 because the road injers no one atoll;] 5 because eavory body elce from beginning to Ending is willing to gave the people aroad to travil to springfieldli;] 6 because the road in Christian county is located and surveyed out to the green county line on the old traveled rout and there we stand wating for you to let us come threw according to previous primoss and shoke hands on the half way grounds[.] the road we ask you to locate is commencing at the [22] south boundry of the green county line North of II] [] on the east side of the old Archy Payne farm thence North to the fording ofjames river some 15 rod above the mouth of the Wm B Edwards spring Branch (se qtr of sr tow 28 rang 22 section 26) then north up the Edwards spring by way of M C Edwards thence north west [?] so as to intersect the old road at or near the old James McCroskey place south of gery Pates for which we will eaver beg and pray your Honorable body[.]" Signed by: John E. Keltner John M Keltner A. G. Webb John A Keltner William Smith Wm Vaughn T G Coin [illegible] J B McLean David McCauley T Ray Isac Rule W A Wasson N I Nokes T Warm Win Young George Bowlin H W Cornog Joseph Marlyy [illegible] T H McCauley John Soneal Wilson West William Rhea John W McConnell BFHohn William Tennis Milton Brown J G CBreseal W C WelLs P L Keitner John Collins, county surveyor John A Gibson John H Dorr John King H B Surber Kurt Gideon J W McCafferty John Wilhite T L White Stephen Handy Jacob Prewett G H Collins David Tennison Georg W Nokes James W Edwards T C Duncin William Hilton Cyrus Bloomfild E.P Wade [illegible] A A Pendleton W B Mills C M Nokes John Bolin J T Wade H Wisener P Collins John Gooch James Wasson A J Slay S C Warren J M Payne Soliman Bowlin G W McConnell John H Goddard J B Winn David W[ill] William Hurst Milton Estes J W McConnel W B Faught George W Morly William Wilhite William North D M Chesnut T H White G A Wasson Wm Tatoum James Hammons Rufus Tyler James Wilhite William Brumly W B Duncin M P Sanders John D McCrosky J H Handy J M Keltner James Horn Wilson Tennis Samuel T Moses M L Edwards P.H.. Kerr Joseph Inmon J T Nokes T W Handy RA Reese Albert Stifler John R Mills T C Bowlian [ill] Nortin E Wade R Brasel T A Blevins J H Keltner J M Young George [ill] A S Wade P M Keitner William Smith J W Standed T J Cash W T Brown W C McConnell William Jones A J Reese John Cook F M Gideon C W Bylor James Haye J J Gideon, county attorney AM Melton G D Collins James S Jones N P Ginger W G McConnell Thomas T McCauly E Mayabb H C Collins John Collins (marked out but counted) Jackson Hall J Keltner Robert Hedepeth D J Grumley A Hammons AT Stallions L C Faught James g Faught J W Johnson H H Keltner Darby Morley John R Edwards John W Faught G Bowlian E Bowlian J Melton S Brasel G W Blevins Stephen Sink J W Young Ben T Davis R B Bennett S D Goddard Simon Wisner Alfred Pitts G T S Brown Joseph Jones Danel Stephon Thomas Crabtree J S Nornett LAWilhite T P Gideon James Herindon G H Hand James Ray James W Wli Martin Hancock T P Martin Henry Mills J M Ray David Wilhite .John Handy C C Cuan G Keltner James McConnell Neliton Cox D M [ill] W W Gideon County Court Records Bk D-2, p. 474-5. Petition by Greene Co. residents to continue road from Christian Co. on into Greene Co. July 6, 1876, Signed by M. H. Mack & 24 others. Greene County Road Petitions, Folder #53, Greene County Archives. [Names number 178. Transcribed spelling is uncertain on many as original writing is difficult to decipher. Many signatures appear to be by a single individual; if signed by the petition-gatherer for the illiterate this would account for the phonetic spellings 2nd variations of names. Paragraphs are inserted for easier reading. Linda Myers-Phinney.]