LAWRENCE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
VOLUME 9 NUMBER
4
Fall 1986
A Look At The Earlier
Denton History
By Gussie Davis Cole
Let us not begin
with any history before the eighteen hundreds for the
settlement of this section that
became known as Flat Creek Valley. There is no evidence that the French
or Spanish explorers ever touched the soil any closer than around Black
River on the east.
We have evidential
facts to prove that Indians occupied the local grounds of Denton. Truman
Moore, now living in Walnut Ridge, lived his early days in this Denton
community, where they found arrowheads around their home and other surrounding
places, apparently made and used by the Indians. There were mounds they
called Indian mounds. A large spring very close to Truman's home could
have been an ideal source of water for a group of Indians.
In an adjoining
community, Anchor, on Highway 117, the place homesteaded by the William
H. Judkins family, that has about an eighteen inch circle which has been
hollowed out, apparently for pounding corn to make meal. That appears to
be proof that Indians had made their homes there. It is near an everlasting
spring that would attract a group of Indians looking for a place to make
their homes. Gussie Cole remembers that their family found arrowheads on
the same homestead on Highway 117 while she and her husband, Eslie, owned
the place from 1927 many years.
As far as can be
known, no white settlers saw Indians in the Denton area. Indians had been
removed westward out of this part of the country by treaty with the United
States in 1810. The story of the trail of tears was a sad occurrence.
Before Denton was
a village in the Flat Creek Valley of western Lawrence County, settlements
were being made in the early eighteen hundreds by the white near abundant,
gushing springs that formed the free-flowing Flat Creek. The soil was fertile,
affording ideal locations for homes. The military road, was opened
about 1811, running north and south. A road which had been run between
Powhatan and Smithville crossed
at the very spot that was waiting for this
little village, Denton, which
became a flourishing trading center, and continued on into the years of
the eighteen hundred seventy-five and nineteen hundred thirty space range.
The influx of settlers
into the valley started about 1850 and continued ten years, the greater
number coming from 1850-1854. We will name some of the families and dates
in addition to those mentioned by Farris Herren in his story of the eastern
end of Flatcreek. Some were W.L. Wasson, 1851; A.F. Phillips, 1851;
John Davis, 1854; S.W. Dodson, 1853; Allen Moore, 1851; W.E.
Moore, 1852; W.G. Howard, 1850; Joshua Moore, 1851; S.W. Moore, 1850; Jefferson
Webb, 1851; D.W. Moore, 1850; Jeremiah Brady, 1851; John Wesson, 1851;
W.G. Hammond, 1850; John L. Matthews, 1852; G.B. Richie, 1854; W.J. Matthews,
1852; Thomas J. Guthrie, 1854; Marston Morris,1850; W.G. Morris, 1854;
W.H. Richie; W.M. Moore, 1851.
A few who were
a bit later in the valley were James Davis, Emanuel Goad, Merdoc McLeod,
John W. Wasson. All these played important parts in ways of the development
of the valley - that is we give them honorable reference. A better part
of them were farmers. Most of the food and material for clothing was produced
by farming. We will say, though, the meat that supplied the table was brought
in by the hunters. We are sure wild game, such as deer, turkeys, raccoons,
opossum, and squirrels, was plentiful.
Hiram Darter brought
in a copper-bottom evaporating pan for making sorghum molasses. The sorghum
molasses was an important substitute for sugar in those days. Sugar and
salt were luxury items.
Blacksmiths were
kept busy making carpenter tools for the newcomers. Many of the settlers
who came in built their one room log cabins and also rough furniture with
crude tools. Some others acquired lumber off the boats that were coming
in on Black River and built homes, churches, etc. of greater detail.
While early settlers
were attaching themselves close to the road that led from Powhatan to Smithville,
facts prove that evidently the log church-school building, which was later
called Old Bethel, was erected in the early 1820's and given the name New
Hope. It is stated that in the 1820's on invitation of some devout women
in Lawrence County, Reverend David Orr of Missouri came to the county,
remained, and preached for several years in what is now Lawrence and Randolph
Counties. Facts learned through Walter McLeod's research leads up to proof
that the first church established in the early 1820's in the Bethel area
was first named New Hope. Reverend Charles Lee, then of Imboden, relates
the words of Uncle John Goodwin to Mr. McLeod that he (Uncle John Goodwin)
was converted in a meeting held by Reverend David Orr
at New Hope in 1823 when he
was 17 years old. He stated that Uncle John said the church afterward died
down, and he joined Smithville Church, which also died down.
Statements from
other sources are that New Hope, through the efforts of David Orr, was
organized (or reorganized) in 1828. Later, Uncle John reunited with the
church. The church stood as one type of Baptists for a while, but sometime
in the 1830's disagreements, arguments, etc. took place. The missionary
believers drew off and left the anti-missionaries in possession of the
house, which name they changed to Bethel. The group that withdrew
had their meetings in the homes of the members for worship. There was no
fixed place for the meetings. The James Brady home was frequently mentioned
in the reports. There seems to be no connection between the present New
Hope Church and any New Hope Church prior to its organization. It appears
to be an entirely new organization, which was made on Saturday before the
third sunday, the 20th of July, 1844. The organization was conducted
by Elders P.S.G. Watson and James B. Cobb at the home of Carny Straughan,
which was
near the site of the present
church. The following persons became members by presentation of letters
from other churches: C.C. Straughan, John P. Winders, Mary Winders, John
Park, and Nancy Park. George W. Wilkerson and Wm. Oldham were deacons.
At the beginning
of the 1850's, a great influx of immigrants set in. Many of the settlers
were great supporters of the church. A church was built in
1853. It was a frame building about 24 x 30 foot. It soon proved too small
for the growing membership, and in 1859, a large shed was built, where
services were held in suitable weather. Great camp meetings were something
to be remembered. Each year people as far away as 30 miles attended.
For the accommodation of the campers, cabins were built along the path
to the spring, which was two or three hundred yards away. All this time
the church was increasing. In 1873 the church building was enlarged. You
will see the picture of it with a singing school class grouped on the outside.
Let us get back
to the occupation of the ones living in the Denton area at the earliest.
The Moores set up a cotton gin, right? That made it profitable for cotton
farming. Hiram Darter brought in (as we related) the copper-bottom evaporating
pan for making sorghum molasses. Sugar and salt were luxuries, and molasses
was a much needed supplement for sugar.
Some families left
Virginia and Kentucky, where they were raising tobacco, and came and brought
their slaves and continued to raise tobacco. They made plug tobacco and
received profitable sales. Their slaves were very beneficial to the owners.
They helped clear the land, cultivate the crops, and build the barns for
storage of the crops.
Arkansas was one
of the slavery states, as with others, Delaware, Virginia, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas. There was being
much disagreement and disharmony within the nation because of the slavery,
and to announce the conflict, President Lincoln made this decisive
statement, "And whereas our own beloved country is now afflicted with faction
and civil war." Slavery, as we say, was the problem that had been
brewing and had come to a focus in 1861.
The conflict continued
until 1865 with war between the northern and
southern states and was severe.
The men that were of military ability in the southern states were in the
fighting and that left the women, children, and slaves, if there were any,
to do or take what might come. Really, there were no battles in the Denton
area. Federal troops passed through a few times, they say, raiding the
homes. Grandmother Davis tells how they kept their cured meat in the wood
box, hid from the jayhawkers. They were not soldiers, but robbers, that
invaded for valuables, etc.
After the war,
Carpet baggers came through and deprived them of their rights, compelling
them to take oaths of allegiance as citizens. The men from here were
in service east of the Mississippi. We only have the names of four that
were enlisted from this area - Joe Judkins, Robert Lane, John Davis, and
Wm. Moore.
Joe Judkins became
a member of the Twenty-fifth Arkansas Infantry and gave valuable and efficient
service until the close of the war. He was engaged in twentyfive battles.
He entered the confederacy with the rank of Orderly Sergeant and was advanced
to the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. He was twice wounded while leading
his men against a superior force.
Robert Lane, a
young son of Wm. Lane; entered the Army and was never seen or heard of
later.
Wm. Moore entered
the service, took sick, could not keep up, and was discharged.
John Davis enrolled
in the Army at New Hope. Through his service, he was taken as prisoner.
When the conflict ended, he was paroled at Jacksonport in 1865.
During all this
struggle and fighting, no settlers came to the area. Things were on a standstill.
Even the dwellers could make no progress, but when hostilities seemed to
be cleared, they were up and ready to get going again. This could be a
time of much development. New inventions were rapidly merging in. We need
not have to mention what changes in the way of living were taking place.
Horse drawn carriages and wagons replaced the ox-wagons. Gasoline vehicles
were coming into the area, soon. Manufactured furniture was constantly
replacing handmade house furnishings.
Let us now come
to some facts about the village of Denton. In this
Flat Creek Valley, at the crossroads
of the Powhatan and Smithville and the military road, there were businesses
and homes near. A post office was needed. Ceber Denton, who lived one and
one·-half miles west of the crossroad, circulated a petition in
the community for a post office. David Davis had a store in the village
and was granted a position as postmaster from the Postal Service in Washington,
D.C. The post office was given the name of Denton, in honor of Ceber Denton,
who circulated the petition. That was March 6, 1894 when David took over.
There was a post
office kept at Denton around 60 years. After David Davis, there were five
acting postmasters before the mail was all changed to rural routes in 1954.
They were Berry Field, William Dent, John Bowen, James Turnbow, and Everett
Moore.
We are getting
ahead of things here. Maxine Davis Mize has given us a record of early
facts. Henry Moore and Will Penn were merchants in the late 1800's. David
Davis, as was mentioned before, had this store in the town and kept the
post office there, after he was made postmaster. At an early date, John
Bowers had a business and was postmaster from May 1917 to March 1920.
W.J. Field kept this store going after Mr. Bowers left. Back to an earlier
date than these stores, Allen Moore operated a grist mill south of Flatcreek
bridge. He also put up the first cotton gin. Emanuel Goad had a second
cotton gin, which was run by oxen power. Montie Stairett was the first
blacksmith.
Dr. James and family
came from Tennessee and settled by a large
spring near where Bethel Church
was located. Mrs. Temperance James was reared in Tennessee and was a Wesson
before marriage. Dr. James had acquired his doctorate in St. Louis in 1865,
and after locating here, he practiced medicine in this community many years.
Dr. Morris was
an early doctor here, too, and Doctors T.C. Guthrie and M.C. Richardson
began practice training under him. Henry Guthrie took about a year's training
from Dr. Morris, too.
W.J. Field and
Ores Field were last to run a cotton gin in Denton. We must mention
the large store Con Sullivan built in this Denton community. It could have
easily been called a department store in those days. He kept a variety
of goods. People came from miles around to shop there. Oscar Moore was
the main clerk there, though at some time, he moved away and put in a store
for himself.
Denton had milliner
shops for years. Flora Davis sold hats around the early 1900's. When the
family went back to the farm, Cora Field did sales in her home. Later,
Fannie Guthrie put in a milliner shop in her home and continued sales there
until the family moved to Walnut Ridge, where Fannie had a large sales
there. The Denton ladies went to Black Rock for their hats from the Magness
sisters, after Mrs. Guthrie's leaving. Hats for the ladies were a must
in those days.
The Turnbow family
bought the Sullivam home and store and continued there for years, at least
until around 1937.
Charlie Moore was
blacksmith for years. His wife, Mary, was telephone operator, and when
the Moores left to go to California, the Turnbow family took over
the telephone office. The Turnbow family kept the store and post office,
too.
Arthur Field was
Denton's barber for years. After his death, his daughter, Wilmalien, kept
a line of groceries there in the barber shop building. She and her mother
went to Jonesboro, and later, they and Pauletta and their families landed
around Fayetteville.
A grist mill was
kept in operation around Denton at all times. Bert Jones was miller at
one time. W.J. Field ran a grist mill at a time before he family went to
Leachville. Earl Field clerked in a store, after his family went to Leachville.
Here at Denton,
W.J. and Ores Field ran a sorghum mill in the molasses making season.
Manse McCarroll and his daughter, Othel, ran a sorghum mill for years.
John Cummings had a molasses mill, too.
The use for sorghum
syrup for cooking was handed down through the generations. The Davis children
still like to speak of the delicious molasses cookies and stacked dried
fruit cakes made of the cookie dough and fruit that their mother, Flora,
kept a supply of for their daily school lunches. There was no better dessert
and no better "Mother" who made the goodies.
Everett M. Moore
and family moved into the little town of Denton with a small population
in the year 1937. The house they bought was one that Leonard Moore built.
Leonard was strictly an expert on this carpenter work. Everett was good
at building and constructed a nice building for a post office and room
for a small store. He kept the post office 17 years. It was at that time
the United States Postal Service discontinued the Denton Post Office service,
mail to Powhatan.
Later the Moores
were the only residents within the circle of the little town that were
left. They must have been lonely, and looking around, they found a nice
house at Imboden they could buy for a home. They also found wonderful neighbors
in Imboden. Loma is still making a nice garden each year, which she enjoys
so much. Her flowers around the home tell you someone cares for their home.
Here you will find
a history of the Denton community from the time Everett and Loma moved
to Denton with their family and a picture of them taken about the time
they (the Moores) moved away to Imboden.
We have not yet
mentioned other current happenings that would be of most interest to all
who will be reading this. Our neighboring communities, Eaton on the south
and Rock Cove on the north, got mail at Denton Post Office for a time after
the post office was established.
The Eaton Post
Office acquired the family name of the Wid Eatons, who settled on Crow
Creek seven miles south of Powhatan in 1872. Rock Cove community never
had a post office. The residents received their mail through rural routes
and are still fortunate to have. Denton and Eaton now have rural mail routes,
making it better for all residents.
Rock Cove had settlers
at an early date. Guthrie Geurin did some research to find how Rock Cove
community took this name, but to no avail. Could it be there was a narrow
gap between rocks somewhere in the area?
I appreciate you
who have come along with me and afforded help for this write-up.
I have had some
falls that injured and hindered me all along through my trying to put together
some facts and memories for this history.
Let us stop short now
and be waiting for someone to bring us "The
Rest of the Story."
Record of Flat Creek (Community
By Farris Herren
There is a stream in the
western district of Lawrence County called Flat Creek. It has its beginning
at various springs just east of Smithville and Bows into Black River, about
three miles south of Powhatan. Early settlers began to come to this valley
about 1815 and during the period 1835-1860 this valley was filled with
settlers. They belonged to good families from Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Georgia. They acquired land and made permanent settlements. A few of them
mentioned in the old records, who settled in the eastern part of the valley,
were Stuart, Guthrie, Matthews, Webb, Davis, Darter, Brazwell, Howard,
Rainwater, Brown, Ivie, Lawson, Mitchell, and Sharp.
They were a progressive
group of people and knew the importance of church and school. Eli Lindsey
is given credit with having organized the Spring River Circuit of the Methodist
Church in 1815. So at an early date, local Methodist preachers held church
services in the homes. In about the middle of the 1840's, the settlers
built a log house to be used as a church and also as a school. It was located
on the Marston Morris farm, which later belonged to the Ivie family and
today belongs to Marlin Strong. The site is about oneself mile down the
creek from the present Herren home, which was then the Matthews home. The
Thomas Guthrie home was about 100 yards north and some years later Ben
Ivie built a two story brick home one fourth mile north. Mr. Ivie made
the bricks at a spring nearby. The Ivie home was on the new road
between Smithville and Powhatan.
My grandmother,
Margaret (Matthews) Herren (1852-1938), drew for me a rough sketch of the
Flat Creek Campground. The building was about 25 x 30 foot and was constructed
of hand-hewn oak logs. The roof was of hand-hewn cypress boards. The building
faced the west and the only door was on that side. There was a stone fireplace
for heat on the south side and openings for windows on each of the north
and east sides. The benches were of split logs with four pegs of legs.
There were no black boards nor writing paper. They used slates. In the
front of the building was a large brush arbor and between the arbor and
creek was a spring. Surrounding the house and arbor were a number of cabins,
where people lived during the camp meetings.
The only schools
were subscription schools. A sort of contract called "Articles" between
the party of the first part, the teacher, and the party of the second part
were parents who signed and agreed to pay for the instruction of their
children One of the teachers was Wm. M. Matthews, who agreed to teach a
three months term at the Flat Creek Campground, beginning on the
l3th day of November 1876. The subscribers agreed to pay $ 1.25 per month
for each student. The parents who signed were John Sharp, A.M. Smith, Parnes
Truman, Mary Langford, Mrs. Kelly, John P. Webb, Hiram Darter, and R.A.
East.
A receipt given
to Wm. J. Matthews and signed by Dr. J.A. Basye shows that he, Dr. Basye,
taught a subscription school at Flat Creek in 1864. He was paid 7 I/2 cents
per day for each student. Another receipt dated 6/8/1868 shows
that F.M. Wayland had taught a subscription school at Flat Creek and was
paid 71/2 cents per day for primary branches and 10 cents per day for higher
grades.
A contract was
given to Willis B. Matthews on 11/6/1878 to teach a three months
term of school at Flat Creek, beginning on December 18, 1878. He was to
be paid $33.50 per month. The directors who signed the contract were Henry
M. Lawson and E.M. Moffit.
To be located nearer
the center of the district, in 1884 a new site was selected. This new site
was about one mile east of the first location and was on the Powhatan-Smithville
road. Of necessity it was again near a good spring. The following is copied
from an old record.
Lawrence County Arkansas
August 15,1884
To the school directors
of District No. 7 and the building committee of the M.E. Church South,
I, W.F. Babb, agree to the said building committee to build
said school and church house for the sum of $ 100.00 and $97.50 according
to specifications or as near as materials and ability will permit.
Yours,
W.F. Babb
Then a receipt dated
and signed by W.F. Babb on October 7, 1884 stated that he had been paid
in full and the house was free from any lien for work done.
This second and
last building, which was 30 x 50 foot, was a box type house. It was built
of first class pine and cypress lumber and was placed on massive stone
pillars. It was furnished with black boards, factory made seats and desks
with ink wells, and a wood burning stove for heat.
When I started
to school there, I remember the pump organ and swinging oil lamps with
decorated glass shades. 'These were used by the church. Some of the early
preachers were Jonathan Wayland (1816-1885), Isaac Brokfield, Andrew Boyd,
John M. Steele, and Hugh Rainwater. Hugh Rainwater was licensed to preach
by the Flat Creek Church, October 25,1857. Hugh Rainwater (1814-1874) and
his wife, Sarah (West) Rainwater (1819-1875) are buried in the yard of
their old home place, which is about one mile down the creek from the first
site of the church. Two of the last preachers to serve as pastors of the
church were Bro. Baker and Bro. Black.
In about 1923 the
church group removed to Denton, leaving the building in possession of the
school. Soon after this, the school put a new metal roof on the building
and during the W.P.A. days in the early 1930's a new floor was put in with
a stage in the back. The building was lowered about 18 inches and new stone
steps were added in front. Also, a new retaining stone wall was put cross
the front near the highway and the playground was leveled.
For entertainment,
the school produced amateur plays, had literary programs, kangaroo court,
baseball, basketball on an outside court, spelling matches, and other athletic
events, often competing with other rural schools or communities.
Following is a
list of other teachers who taught at Flat Creek: J.W. Mitchell, W.B. Mitchell,
John Roe, Will Judkins, O.T. Massey, R.C. Waldron, Virgil Erwin, Luke Johnston,
Dexter Davis, Ada Davis Kelly, Jim Porter, Coye Moore, Una Davis Haley,
Charlie Smith, Madge Laird, Virgie Cravens, Flora Cole, Ernest Winchester,
Agnes Rainwater, Jean Mae Johnston, Vella Justus, Ferrell Justus, Leslie
Lovelace, Billie Clinton, Amy Bratcher Goff, Julian Smith, Russell McLyea,
Fred Ward, Octavia Hudson, Mae Miller, Ruth Price, Armal Crabtree, Floyd
Pickett, Elbridge Cole, Hazel Matthews, Maxine Davis, Julia Hall, Lillian
Smith, and Farris Herren.
By 1947 the number
of students dropped to approximately 15. Many teachers had gone to factories
to work, where they could get more pay. By petition the patrons of Flat
Creek asked to be annexed to the Black Rock School District and Black Rock
accepted. The old building and decay was rapid. It soon collapsed and then
burned. Today Willie Ray Croom has a brick residence there.
As for the first
site of Flat Creek, the only evidence left today is a small mound of dirt
and rocks where the fireplace was and some stones used for foundation.
I was there in 1930 with some Methodist ministers and each of us got a
small piece of the decaying logs for souvenirs.
In the early days
most of the settlers were farmers. They grew most of their food, raised
cotton, and sheep for wool. They spun the cotton and wool into thread and
then knitted articles of clothing. Today, we who are left here have found
other ways of making a living. Some produce beef cattle. Others work in
factories, clerical work, etc. Thanks to modern inventions, we have better
means of communication and travel.
After the church
and school, the next two great things to happen to the Flat Creek Valley
was getting electricity in 1947 and a black top highway (No.117) in 1966.
Flat Creek has
lost its identity as a community, but we are looking forward to greater
things.
School Teachers
These are some of the
ones who taught at the Bethel Church building. There was no complete record
kept of the teachers who taught in the log building, which we have learned
was first named New Hope when David Orr came. Some of them were George
Thornburg, Elvira West Raney, Mollie McBryde, Maggie McLeod Peacock, J.C.
Eaton, Maggie Davis McLeod, Jasper N. Hillhouse (taught 1875), and Willis
Benton Matthews (taught 1879). Augustus (Gus) Moore, it is thought, was
there in the 1870's. The picture of Mr. Moore with a group is apparently
the only photograph of the Bethel Church that is kept. It appears there
were visitors there in the picture.
The Denton School House
This building was
erected in the year of 1881. It is a sought out fact that Willis Mitchell
was first to teach in the new building. We have the picture of Mr. Mitchell
with 46 students. The smaller door is not seen in this picture. It is an
entrance for the stairway to the upper story. Records show us that an upper
room (or hall) was constructed for meetings of fraternity groups. It was
used by the Odd Fellows and Masons. The school house took on the name of
"The Hall" and was called that by some as long as it stood, 1923.
We will give the
names of the teachers from 1881 to 1923, as we have
said - Willis Mitchell, Jim
Jaggers, Henry Cole, Leora Smith, Lawrence McLeod, Lois Warnick, Clarence
Smith, Mary Simpson, Luke Johnston, Marcus Heath, Jim Alexander, Jim Porter,
Clarence Taylor, Coye Moore, Taylor Davis, Lawrence Osburn, Gertrude Sullivan,
Gussie Cole, Lawrence McLeod; from 1923 until the school consolidated with
Lynn. Leora Smith, Ella Childress (who still has her 1927-'28 teacher's
license - 60 years of keeping is not bad), Ernest Winchester, Hubert Coke,
Dot Cavenar, Floyd Pickett, Armal Crabtree, Ruth Andrews, Frank Andrews,
Kenneth Cole, Joe Dent, Bennie Hardin, Pauline Penn Clements, Imogene Dailey
Davis, and Denton Penn.
Pastors of New Hope Church
(From its organization in 1844
to present.)
J.J. Cobb
D.C. Mays
R.S.G. Watson
Roe Caldwell
C.B. Borah
J.R. Barnett
J. W. Miller
L.F. Baine
J. Howard
L. DeVore
R. Ross
C.C. Sledd
R.S. Eaton
W.L. Yeldell
W.I. Cornett
C.G. Davis
D. Wagster
F.H. North
B.F. Holford
1844 -1944
G.B. Borah
F.H. North
John Judkins
E.O. Martindale
S.A. Armstrong
V.E. Temple
S.D. Bowers
A. Teel
D.T. Hunt
W.L. Peppers
J.B. Butler
Kenneth Threet
R.B. Bellamy
J.l. Cossey
Abernathy
Maurice Jones
J.T. Winchester
Marvin Boswell
T.C. James
Woodrow Behannon
J.N. Weaver
Fred Savage
C.C. Marshall
Harold Russell
T.M. Carter
Gerald Nash
W.H. Meridith
Alvin A. Harms
J. Piper (interim)
Truett Murphy
H.B. Wilson
Gerald Nash
C.P. Walters
Denton's Postmasters and Mail Carriers
POSTMASTERS
DATE APPOINTED
David
Davis
03/06/1894
Berry
W. Field
12/22/1904
Wilham
P. Dent
08/22/1910
Berry
W. Field
02/224/1911
John
B. Bowers
05/31/1917
James
T. Turnbow
03/18/1920
Discontinued October 31,1927;
mail to Imboden.
Re-established September 29,1934