Lewisburg

About 1820, Major Wm. Lewis, his son, Stephen D. Lewis and Dr. Nimrod settled near the Arkansas River and Point Remove Creek. Stephen D. Lewis established the first trading post in Conway County in 1825, and called it "Lewisburg".

In 1831, Padford Ellis, Sr. And Thomas Mathers were appointed commissioners to select two acres of ground belonging to Nimrod Menifee upon which to locate a courthouse and jail, and take deed from Menifee for same.  Dr. Menifee donated the ground, and he and Stephen Lewis built a crude log house of small dimensions which served as the courthouse of Conway County till 1850, when the county seat was moved to Springfield.

In 1873, Lewisburg donated $5,000 to erect a courthouse when the            county seat was returned to Lewisburg.  Conway County Court, on October 10, 1873, appointed W. H. Burrow, W. P. Egan, and D. B. Russell commissioners to let the contract, supervise the work and receive the building on completion. This served the county till 1884 when the county seat was moved to Morrilton.  In the meantime, a substantial stone jail was erected in Lewisburg, which cost about $10,000.

Business Establishments

In 1840, the mercantile firm of Mason and Morrill was established. It was conducted till 1844, when Mr. Morrill bought his partner's interest and built up a thriving trade.  He also    kept a hotel, and continued both till all trade was suspended by the Civil War. Dr. Dudley Mason was the first hotel keeper, having opened a hotel about 1840.

The town of Lewisburg was incorporated in 1844. Aldermen and town council members were E. Morrill, Edward I. Morrill, George W. Lemoyne, Henry Hamilton, Benedict Beyer, and Harrison H. Higgins.

By 1850, Lewisburg had grown into a thriving town, and from then until the Civil War, it was one of the best business points in the state. It derived its trade from remote interior settlements and was the shipping and receiving point, via the Arkansas River, for all the produce shipped and supplies received for a large territory, even to the north border of the state.  Some of the people in business here in 1850 were A. Gordon, L. O. Breeden, E. J. Morrill, M. Whistler, W. W. Adams, Levi Mitchell, William Balls, Dudley Mason, Stagman and Ward, Dr. W. W. Adams and Ragsdale. A. C. Well entered business here in 1855.

In 1851, many extensive firms were engaged in business here, all of whom were compelled to close their doors within the next year on account of the war.       Some of these were Thomas Henry, L. O. Breeden, A. C. Wells, J. M. Gordon, Anderson Gordon, Griffey and Alron, Joseph Rodgers, Sayle & Morill. These large stores were closed on the arrival of the federal troops, which made the town a barracks until the close of the war. Some business was conducted by the federal camp settlers. The town experienced several years of excitement of war, but when peace was declared many former citizens returned from war and resumed their previous occupations. The first firms to open for business were Howard & Wells, Burrow, Rankin & Co., James Gordon, Anderson Gordon, and W. P. Egan. Of the later merchants the most extensive were Kaufman & Black, D. W. Mason, Thomas & Russell, Hugh and Wilson Gibson.

Lewisburg continued to grow and prosper until 1875, when a station on the Little Rock & Ft. Smith railroad was instead of building a good road to the station, as is done nowadays, and enlarging the town in that direction, the people simply tore down their homes, business houses, churches, school, etc. And moved them over the hill near the new railroad, and built the new town of Morrilton.  Many of the pioneers of Lewisburg were the pioneers of Morrilton. Before they began moving, Lewisburg had a population of 1800 or about 2000. There were two sawmills, two grist mills, an opera house, where the same programs were given as were given in Little Rock and Ft. Smith. There were two dentists, Rev. Hereford and Dr. R. T. Markham, who also owned a hotel, two druggists - Mr. Drake (1870) and Dr. Wm. Scarborough, Who opened a drug store in Lewisburg in 1872. He moved it to Morrilton in 1880.  There were two livery stables – run by Jim Dillon and George Wilbanks two blacksmiths, Tom Laws and Sam Collins; two saddlery stores, L. O. Breeden and W. L. Wood – moved to Morrilton.  Dick Cobb was drayman.  Some of the merchants at that time were Straughan & McClung, Dan Thomas, Hugh Gibson, Wilson Gibson, W. P. Egan, Major Mason, Tom Hill, Anderson Gordon, Jim Gordon, H. W. Burrow, Gran Burrow, William Howard, Peter Fahy, Conley, Pompt Breeden, D. B. Henry, jack Breeden, and many others - about eighty business establishments in all.

The first ferry at Lewisburg was run by a Mr. McNabb, and was established about 1848. This was an important crossing. Mr. McNabb was followed by John Willis then, Grary and Hines, who sold to Thomas S. Haynes. In 1866, it fell into the possession of A. C. Wells, and John Ward. The Lewisburg ferry was used until 1920, when the bridge across the Arkansas River was built.

Newspapers of Lewisburg

The first newspaper in Conway County of which we have any record was the "Wide Awake", established at Lewisburg in January1872, with Charles E. Isham as editor and H. P. Barry as proprietor, who continued its publication about two years. About the first of May 1872, C. C. Reid commenced the publication of another paper in Lewisburg Called the "Western Empire". Later Sam T. Watson and B. F. Kerney became editor and proprietor for a short time.  On the eighth of April, 1884, the "Weekly State" was ushered into life at Lewisburg by the Rev. W. C. Stout. With the Issue of the third volume, Mr. Stout transferred the paper to Edward H. Feltus as publisher and James J. Stout as Editor. In 1878, Mr. Feltus moved his office to the new town of Morrilton.

Lawyers of Lewisburg

The first resident lawyer of which we have any account was C. W. Lemoyne, a man of considerable ability. A. F. Woodward came from Little Rock about 1870, was elected county judge in 1873. He lived in Lewisburg until his death in 1878. He was considered a good lawyer. C. C. Reid came to Lewisburg about 1869. He was considered a brilliant attorney. He died here about 1879. His son, C. C. Reid, Jr. was later congressman from this district B. C. Coblentz, 1873 to 1884 - Mayor Lewisburg - E. B. Henry, 1875 - earlier a merchant of Lewisburg, later of Morrilton. His father, Thomas F. Henry, was reared near Lewisburg and raised a company for the Confederate Army at the outbreak of the war. His grandfather, James Henry - a cousin of Patrick Henry - settled near Lewisburg in 1826. He died in 1855. P. H. Evans was a later attorney of Lewisburg.

Lodges

Lewisburg Lodge No 105, A. F. And A. M. was organized at Lewisburg November 5, 1857. Dr. E. W. Adams was first master, J. M. Moose, senior warden, and J. F. Porter junior warden.

Medical doctors

Dr. Nimrod Menifee, first physician of Conway County, Came in 1820, before the county or town was founded. Dr. E. W. Adams came in 1844 and practiced medicine until 1859, then retired and entered the mercantile business. His son. Dr. R. J. Adams was born in Lewisburg in 1850. After finishing his education he located in Lewisburg and practiced there, and later in Morrilton, many years. He married Lydia Gordon, a native of Lewisburg, in 1876. Dr. C. M. Green came to Lewisburg in 1861. In 1862, he joined the confederate army. A few years after the war closed, he came back and followed his profession here and in Morrilton for many years. He died in Morrilton in October of 1907. Dr. W. A. C. Sayle came to Lewisburg in 1859 as a young physician, where he practiced until he moved to Morrilton, where the Brannons now live. In 1879, he built the first brick building in Conway County at Morrilton.  Dr. Cowden practiced medicine in Lewisburg from 1874 until he moved to Morrilton about 1879, where he continued his practice. Dr. G. W. Taylor came about 1878 - later went to Morrilton for many years. Dr. Stallings came in 1843, practiced many years in Lewisburg, where he also ran a boarding house. Dr. Pankey practiced medicine here from 1845 until the civil war, then again several years after the war. Dr. Frank Gordon, son of Anderson Gordon, was born in Lewisburg in 1853. After finishing his education, he located in Lewisburg and started in his chosen profession in 1874. He was the last of the pioneers to desert the old town, as he did not move to Morrilton until 1904.

Churches of Lewisburg

It is believed that the Methodist church had itinerants here as early as 1825. J. M. Moose, who came to Lewisburg in 1838, said that there was an organized body of Methodists here before that time, and they held their services in an old log school house. This was the first church of any denomination in Conway County. John J. Simmons was Sunday school superintendent, Lewis Stocton class leader in the church, and rev. John Harris, whose circuit extended from Argenta (now North Little Rock) to Galla rock, preached in Lewisburg once a month. About 1843, this church was moved to Sardis camp grounds, and then located at what is now the north end of St. Joseph Street in Morrilton. The Lewisburg Methodist church south was organized in 1869, with rev. Abel C. Ray as circuit rider. Some of the original members were Mrs. Mary E. Bentley and daughters, Addie l. And Jennie, J. M. Moose and wife, Mrs. Mary T. McClung, Mrs. Mary E. Umphlet. In the same year Rev. L. L. Burrow located in Lewisburg, as teacher in the academy, and in August he held a revival meeting which added forty - five members to the recently organized church. This organization erected a church building costing about $2,500, which was dedicated in 1872. It was removed to Morrilton in 1880. This memorial marker is on the old church grounds. There was a union church in Lewisburg in the early 1850’s which was sold to Dr. Stallings and moved away by him. Some way the Methodist church was built at the same place.

The Missionary Baptist church of Lewisburg was organized in 1860 with about fifteen members by elder W. M. Lee and Rev. B. H. Bearden. Some of the original Members were Dr. W. A. C. Sayle, Jonathan Wells, E. F. Wills, John and Jennis Wills, Fred and Annie Wellborn. They had no pastor prior to the war and became nearly defunct during the war. In about 1868, this society was reorganized by the Rev. M. Bledsoe, who held services for them once a month in the school house. They had about twenty members. This church was removed to Morrilton about 1878.

The Cumberland Presbyterian church was organized in Lewisburg in 1869 by Rev. Talkington, with D. B. Russell, P. O. Breeden, Moses Baker, Mrs. Addie L. Russell, and Mrs. M. J. Breeden as members. They erected a church in 1871 which cost about $ 2,000. In 1879, this edifice was removed to Morrilton.

The primitive Baptists of Lewisburg held their services in the courthouse - later moved to Morrilton, where they built a church.

Schools

The first school house in Conway County was built in Lewisburg prior to 1836, and William Watson taught school here at that time. There were no free schools in the state at that time. Soon after the Civil War the citizens of Lewisburg induced Rev. I. L. Burrow of Tennessee to accept the principal ship of the male and female academy of Lewisburg, which prospered under his direction for four years. After that the school was run by a Mr. Rayburn, Mr. Malone, Mr. Mason, and others until the school was moved To Morrilton.

Farmers

There were many outstanding farmers and planters of Lewisburg who meant much to the up building of Conway County. Some of these were the Bentleys, who settled here Before Arkansas was made a territory, the Henrys, who came about the time the county was formed, the Lewises, W. E. Green and T. H. Hervey, who came together in 1844, G. W. Howard, who came earlier, the Mooses, Col. Burrow, D. B. Russell, the Armstrong brothers, Carroll and Robert, Josh Maratta, who was county surveyor, C. Stout, who bought five thousand acres of land here in 1856, Jesse Gray, Sleeper, the Wells, and the Gays, Stallings, and many Others. Most of them are still represented in the community by their descendants.

Taken from copy of original.  Transcribed on November 16, 2004, by Steve Beavers.