GREENE COUNTY, Ark., lies in the northeastern part of the State, in latitude 36° and 37 ' North, and longitude 91W° west from Greenwich, England. It is bounded on the north by Clay County, east by the St. Francis River, which separates it from Dunklin County, Mo., south by Craighead, and west by Lawrence and Randolph Counties. It has an area of 600 square miles, of which less than one tenth is improved. Its boundary lines are as follows: Commencing where the line between Sections 21 and 28, Township 19, Range 9, intersects the middle of the main channel of the St. Francis River; thence down the middle of the main channel of that river to the line between Townships 15 and 16; thence west on the township line to the Cache River; thence up said river, with its meanderings to the line between Townships 17 and 18; thence west on the township line to the line between Ranges 2 and 3; thence north on the range line to the northwest corner of Section 30, Township 19, Range 3; thence east on the section lines, and on the county line, to the place of beginning.
Crowley's Ridge, from its continuation in Clay County, extends in a rather southwesterly direction through Greene County, with a width varying from five to ten miles, and slopes gently on either side to the level of the bottom lands. This ridge in the southern part of the county is more rolling than elsewhere, and farms have been opened entirely across it, though generally speaking its sum- mit is not much cultivated. The early settlers, for the most part, selected their homes on the foot of the ridge and on ridges between the creeks. The farms now extend from both slopes of the ridge far out into the rich level lands.
From Crowley's Ridge the waters flow through several
small streams in a southeasterly direction and empty into St. Francis River; and
west of the
ridge the waters course through small streams in a southwesterly
direction, emptying into Cache River; thus all that portion of the county lying
between these rivers is drained. That part north west of Cache River is
drained through the streams tributary to Cache and Black Rivers.
The
entire county with the exception of places where the forest has been cleared and
farms opened an is finely timbered with unequaled quality
of white oak, red oak,
hickory, sweet gum. ash, fir, pine, and walnut timber. The Crowley's Ridge summit is timbered
its entire length through
At present lumbering is, and until the timber supply
becomes exhausted will continue to be, one of the leading if not the principal
industry of
the county, and a great source of income. In April of the
current year there were thirty-four steam power saw-mills, six stave factories,
one shin-
gle-mill, and two planing-mills, within the county all engaged in
cutting the timber into lumber, etc. One of these mills that of the J. M. Reed
Lumber Company has capacity for cutting 100,000 feet of lumber per day. The
most profitable source of revenue to the farmers consists in the
raising of
cotton and corn, which yield probably a nearly equal income. Most of the
saw-mills have cotton gins, and some grist-mills attached.
In 1880 there were, according to the United States
census, 1,181 farms, with 80,596 acres of improved lands in the county, and from
these the
vegetable productions were as follows: Indian corn, 347,926
bushels; oats, 29, 110 bushels; wheat, 10,475 bushels; hay, 124 tons; cotton,
3,711 bales;
Irish potatoes, 5,181 bushels ; sweet potatoes, 18,989 bushels;
tobacco, 5,785 pounds. A large acreage has since been cleared, and the vegetable
produc-
tions correspondingly increased.
The numbers of head of live
stock within the county, as indicated by the same census, were as follows:
Horses, 7,694; mules and asses, 760; neat cattle, 8,975; sheep, 1,727; hogs,
16,984. The following show the number of head of live stock in the county as
declared by the assessment rolls for 1888: Horses, 2,826; mules and asses, 991;
neat cattle, 10.125; sheep, 1,685; hogs, 16,481. The comparison of these figures
is interesting. The decrease in the number of sheep is
probably due to the
reduction in the price of wool, while the decrease in the number of hogs is
apparent but not real. The census of 1880 gives the
number raised, sold and
slaughtered during the year, while the assessment rolls show only the number on
hand when listed for taxation; hence
the increase must have been large. As
previously stated, all parts of the county are well supplied with streams, and
an abundance of good well
water can be obtained at a depth of from thirty to
forty feet, without blasting through any rock, and as the lands are well adapted
to the raising of
grains, tame grasses and clover, this country must
eventually after the lumber industry ceases become excellent for diversified
farming, and
especially for the raising of live stock, the climate being
mild, and the shipping facilities to the great commercial centers unusually
superior.
Lands are yet cheap, and immigrants from the over-crowded
Eastern and Northern States can certainly do much better by coming to this
country
than by going west to points beyond the improvements of
civilization. Capital is beiug rapidly invested here, thus insuring employment
to the
laborer. Here an industrious man with but small capital may soon
possess and own a home, where society is good and the climate unexcelled; here
he
may gain, by application and energy, just recognition, and here, too, may
he avoid the financial burdens which characterize other less- favored com-
munities.
The population of Greene County in 1860, including what is
now the Eastern district of Clay County, was 5,654 and 189 of whom were colored.
The population of 1870, comprising the same territory, was 7,417 and 156 of
whom were colored. The population in 1880, embracing only the present
area
of the county, was 7,405, of whom only 75 were colored. Considering the recent
rapid increase by way of immigration, together with the
natural accession,
it is safe to estimate the population of the county at the present writing, at
more than double that of 1880.
The main line of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern Railroad completed about 1872 runs in a southwesterly direction across
the north-
western portion of the county, a distance of nine and
three-fourth miles. The Helena branch of the same road, finished in 1882, runs
through in a
southeasterly and southerly course across the entire county, by
way of Gainesville, Paragould and minor points, a distance of twenty-three
miles.
The St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad, completed in 1882,
passes through the entire county in a southwesterly direction along the eastern
side
of Crowley's Ridge, by way of Paragould and other points, a distance of
twenty- four miles and 2,904 feet. The Kansas City, Fort Scott & Mem-
phis Railroad, constructed in 1883, runs in a southeasterly direction across
the extreme southwestern corner of the county, a distance of only 2,400 feet.
The Paragould & Buffalo Island Narrow Gauge Railroad runs eastward from
Paragould to the St. Francis River, a distance of ten miles. It was
built in
1888, by a local company, for the purpose of shipping out timber and lumber. The
combined length of the through lines of railroad is fifty -seven
miles and
3,984 feet, which added to the ten miles of narrow gauge road, makes over
seventy-seven miles of railway in the county.
The settlement of the territory now
composing Greene County began about the year 1820. Benjamin
Crowley
, grandfather of Hon. Benjamin H.
Crowley, and his family were the
first settlers, and their nearest neighbors were then at Pocahontas, now the
county seat of Randolph County. Crow-
ley's Ridge was named in honor of this
pioneer settler. The Pevehouse
family, Wiley Hutchins, Jerry Gage, Samuel
Willcockson, the Robertsons
and J. W. Gage, were among the first settlers of
the Crowley neighborhood, which is some twelve miles west of Paragould. William
Pevehouse
was the first
child born in the county, and his brother, Wiley, and Hon. Ben. H. Crowley were
first among the next children born. James
McDan-
il and Jesse Payne were early
settlers on Village Creek. Isaiah Hampton and Lewis
Bramlet
settled in 1848, four miles east of Gainesville. John
Mitchell, an early settler near
Gainesville, put up the first cotton gin in the county, and Samuel
Wilcockson
erected the first steam grist mill on
Crowley's Ridge, it being on Poplar Creek in the Crowley
settlement. Parson William Nutt located near Gainesville; and
Aaron Bagwell
, from whom
Bagwell Lake
in the eastern part of the county took its name, and C. G.
Jones
, after
whom Jones Ridge on the western border of the county is called,
were also
early settlers.
Greene County was organized in accordance with an act of
the legislature of Arkansas Territory, approved November 5. 1833, and was made
to embrace the territory it now comprises, excepting that portion lying west
of Cache River, together with the whole of what is now the Eastern
district
of Clay County, and a portion of Craighead County, all formerly belonging to
Lawrence County. When Clay County was formed in 1873,
that portion of Greene
now lying west of the Cache River was attached from Randolph County.
The
original seat of justice was located about 1835, at a point five miles northeast
of Gainesville, and was named Paris. Here a log court-
house was erected and
one or two stores opened. Afterward the question of re-locating the county seat
was agitated, and of the different points com-
peting for it, the one where
Gainesville is situated gained the location, henco the name Gainesville. To this
place the seat of justice was moved about
the year 1840. A log court-house
and subsequently a log jail were erected. The former was soon abandoned and in
its stead a three-story frame
court house, about thirty feet square, was
constructed. The first floor of this building was occupied with the county
offices, the second with
the court-room, and the third with a Masonic hall.
The building, with a portion of the records, was burned in 1874. A store room
was then rented
for a court- house, and soon thereafter, in the same year,
it was, with all the balance of the records, also burned. These buildings were
sup-
posed to have been set on fire by certain parties, that the records,
noting their rather questionable conduct, might be destroyed. This led to the
shooting and killing of Sheriff Wright, by a citizen whom the people
justified by not prosecuting. Two other persons, supposed to bo implicated in
the crime of burning the buildings, were arrested and placed in jail, from
which they escaped and were not afterward apprehended. One of them,
it is
said, confessed his guilt.
The next court-house was another store room, which, with
all accumulated records, was burned in 1876, presumably by an incendiary resting
un-
der indictments for crime. A one-story frame court-house was then
erected, and continued to be used until 1884, when the county seat was
removed from Gainesville to its present site, at Paragould. In 1884 the one
story frame building now standing east of the court-house square
was erected
for a temporary court-house. In 1888 the present beautiful and well-proportioned
two- story brick building, with the halls and offices on
the first floor and
the court-room on the second, was erected by Contractors Boone and Mcfxinnis, at
a cost of $14,700. The clock in the tower cost
$700 more. In 1877 the same
contractors built the present two-story jail, containing four iron cells or
rooms, and the jailer's residence, at a cost
of $7,000.
Following is
a list of the names of the county officers of Greene County from its
organization to the present, together with the term of service of
each:
Judges: I. Brooktield, 1833-35; W. Hanes, 1835-36; George Daniel,
1836-1838; L. Thompson, 1838-40; J. M. Cooper, 1840-42; H. Powell,
1842-44;
N. Mmphree, 1844-46; J. M. Cooper. 1846-48; C. G. Steele, 1848-50; H. T. Allen,
1850-52; J. Bellinger, 1852-54; H. T. Allen,
1854-60; T. Clark, 1860-64; J.
J. Wood, 1864- 66; H. T. Allen, 1866-68; A. Seagroves, 1868- 72; David Thorn.
1874-76; J. P. Culver. 1876-78;
J. McDauiel, 1878-80; M. C. Gramling,
1880-82; J. O'Steen, 1882-88; W. C. Jones, present incumbent, elected 1888.
Clerks: L. Thompson, 1833-36; G. L. Martin, 1836-38; H. L. Holt, to
November. 1838: J.L. Atchison, 1838-44; H. L. Evans, 1844-46; H.
Powell,
1846-50; M. T. C. Lumpkins, 1850-54; J. W. McFarlaud, 1854-56; L. B. McNeil.
1856- I 858; H. W. Glasscock, 1858-64; R. H. Gardner.
I 1864-68; E. R.
Seeley, 1868-72; D. B. Warren, 1872-82; R. H. Gardner, 1882-88; T. B. Kitchens,
present incumbent, elected in 1888.
Sheritt's: James Brown. 1833-34;
Charles Robertson, 1834-36; J. Stotts, 1836-38; J. Clark, 1838-44; J. R,
Ragsdale, 1844-46; A. F. Puryer.
1846-48: J. Clark. 1S4S-50: William
Pevehouse, 1850-52; W. M. Peebles, IS52-58; F. S. White, 1858-62; A. Eubanks.
1862-64: F. S. White.
1864-68; M. Wright, 1868-72; M. C. Gramling. 1872-74:
J. P. WiUcocU.son. 1874-76: J. A. Owen. 1876-77; F. S. White. 1877-80; T. R,
Willcock -
son, 1880-84; J. M. Hightield, 1884-86; T. H. Willcockson, present
incumbent, first elected in 1886.
Treasurers: James Katchford 1S36-38:
H. X. Reynolds, 1840-42; G. W . Hurley. 1842-44: M. Carter, 1844-46; J. W.
Poole, 1846-52; C. G.
Jones, 1852-54; W. Meredith, 1854-56: J. Payne,
1856-58: T. H. Wyse. 1858-62; C. Wall, 1862- 64; M. C. Gramling, 1864-66; Alex.
Wood, 1866-
68; Sam Newberry, 1868-72: R. Jackson. 1872- 76; H. C. Swindle,
1876-78; G. W. Stevenson, 1878-80; R. Jackson, 1880-84: J. N. Johnson,
1884-86; H. S. Trice, present incumbent, first elected in 1886.
Coroners: J. Sutfin, 1833-35; J. Fowler, 1835 -36; John Anderson,
1838-42: P. K. Lester, 1842-44; J. Lawrence, 1844-46; J. Hunt, 1846-
48; W.
H. Mack, 1848-50; R. W. Dorsey, 1850- 54; J. S. Hibbs, 1854-56; M. McDaniel,
1856-58; A. P. Bobo, 1858-60; H. B. Wright, 1860-64: J.
R. Gentry, 1864-66;
H. Jackson, 1866-68: L. Steadman, 1868-72; J. H. Dudley, 1872-74: E. Daniels,
1874-76; J. A. Little, 1876-78: W. M.
McKay, 1878-80; J. W. Hardy, 1880-82:
J. R. Gross, 1882-84; V. Looney, 1884-86; J. M. Hammond, 1886-88; B. Terrell,
present incumbent,
elected in 1888.
Surveyors; G. Hall, 1833-36;
William Hatch, 1838-40; J. J. Johusou; 1840-42; J. B. B. Moore, 1842-44: James
Mitchell, 1844-56; E. M. Allen,
1856-58; W. C. Reyburn, 1858-60; R. G.
McLeskey, 1860-62; J. P. Harris, 1862-64: R. C. Mack, 1864-66; L. M. Wilson,
1866-68: J. See-
ley, 1870-72; R. H. Gardner, IS72-82: O. S. Newsom,
1882-88; Len Merriweather, present incumbent, elected in 1888.
Assessors: R. H. Gardner, 1859-62: T. C. Murphy, 1862-64; H. W.
Glasscock, 1864-66; M. C. Gramling, 1866-68; D. J. Edwards, 1868-
70; P. G.
Straughn, 1870-72; W. F. Clements, 1872-74; W. S. Ledbotter, 1874-76; J.
Huckabay, 1876-78; J. F. Lytle, 1878-80; P. G. Light,
1880-84: J. R.
Thompson, 1884-88; E. L. Babbett, present incumbent, elected in 1888.
Representatives of Greene County in constitutional conventions: G. L.
Martin, January 4 to 13, 1836; J. W. Bush, March 4 to 21, and May 6
to June
3, 1861; Benjamin H. Crowley, July 14, to October 31, 1874. R. Jackson on
resignation of Stevenson.
Representatives in general assembly; Alex.
Tucker was the first representative of the county in the State legislature, and
Hon. A. P. Cos is the
present one. The Senatorial district, composed of
Greene. Clay and Craighead Counties, is represented in the State Senate by Hon.
Ben. H.
Crowley.
To show the political aspect of the county the vote
cast therein for the candidates for governor at the September election in 1888
is here given, it
being as follows: J.P.Eagle, Democrat, 1,378 votes; C. M.
Norwood, combined opposition, 841 votes.
Upon the organization of Greene
County and prior to the location of the original county seat, courts were held
at the house of Mr. Crowley the
first settler, as before mentioned, on
Crowley's Ridge. A portion of the time the sessions were held in the house and.
also, under the adjacent
trees. It is said that the judge of the circuit
court, after charging the grand jury, usually sent them in charge of the sheriff
or bailiff under a certain white
oak tree to make their deliberations. Since
those days the courts have been held in the various court houses elsewhere
described. The regular terms
of the county court commence on the first
Monday in January, April, July and October, and of the probate court on the
third Monday of the same
months in each year. The regular terms of the
circuit court have heretofore commenced on the first Monday of February and
August of each year,
but probably the last legislature has slightly changed
the time. This court has not been overburdened with murder trials, as but few
murders
have been committed within the county. No one has ever been executed
in Greene County for a capital offense except one person who killed an
individual in another county, and was brought here and tried on a change of
venue.
The following are the resident members of the legal bar of Greene
County: Hon. L. L. Mack, Judge J. E. Reddick. now on the bench; Hon.
Ben. H.
Crowley, J. B. Boykin, A. P. Mack, W. S. Luna, Eugene Parrish, W. W. Bandy, S.
R. Simpson, A. Knox and J. F. Lytle. Mention of
many prominent citizens of
the county is also made in subsequent pages.
At the outbreak of the Civil War of 1801-65, the citizens of Greene County,
being mostly immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the
former
slave-holding States, were found to be almost to a man, in full sympathy with
the Southern cause, and consequently lent their energies to
sustain it. As
might be expected great excitement then prevailed, and in the spring of 1861
Capt. W. G. Bohaning raised a full company of soldiers
mostly in the
territory now composing Greene County, for the First Regiment of Arkansas
Confederate Infantry. Soon thereafter Capt. J. L.
Kuykendall formed another
company in the same territory for the same regiment, and later Capt. D. G. Byers
recruited a company for the Twenty
Fifth Regiment of Arkansas Confederate
Infantry. In 1864 Capts. Park Willcockson, John McHenry and H. W. Glasscock,
each raised a company of
cavalry in Greene County for Maj. J. F. Davies
battalion of Col. Kitchens' regiment. The population being then small, these
were the only or-
ganized bodies of soldiers raised in that part of the
county as it is now composed. Other troops were obtained in that portion since
set off to Clay. No
skirmishes or battles took place in the county during
the war, and it was but little over-run with soldiers, consequently not
suffering the devasta-
tions incident to many other counties in the State.
Only two Federal commands, together with a few small scouting parties,
passed through the county, and as a result the people fortunately es-
caped
the raids of foragers; owing also to their unanimity of sentiment, there was but
very little bushwhacking done. In addition to the com-
panies above
mentioned some individuals went out of the county and enlisted in other
commands. Not withstanding the natural preferences of the
people here in the
war period, they are now bieing with the immigrants from both North and South,
in developing the resources of this section. Uni-
versal peace and harmony
prevail, and all just and upright newcomers are received with a hearty welcome.
The survivors of both armies have organ-
ized an association in Paragould
known as the "Blue and Gray" there being many ex-Federal soldiers among the
recent arrivals in the countv.
and together they meet and
rejoice that the conflict is forever settled, and that while they were enemies
in war they are friends in peace.
Greene is well supplied with villages,
towns, postoffices. etc.. as the following facts indicate:
Bethel is a
postoffice and flag station on the railroad, five miles south of Paragould.
Crowley is a postoffice twelve miles northwest of Paragould.
Finch is a postoffice ten miles southwest of Paragould.
Gainesville, on the Helena branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern Railroad, eight miles north of Paragould, formerly the seat of
justice for Greene County, was established about the year 1840. In 1840 it
contained a log courthouse, two store buildings and five dwelling houses
all
log except one dwelling house, which was a frame, sided up with clapboards. The
town has ever been of slow growth, but situated as it is in a good
community
far from other villages, it is a point of considerable trade, containing four
general stores, one drug store, four family groceries, two black-
smith
shops, one steam grist mill and cotton-gin combined, two hotels, one printing
office, from which is published the Greene County Event, by
F. M. Dalton,
one livery stable, two church edifices Cumberland Presbyterian and Methodist one
public school-house, three physicians, and one
lawyer, the latter being the
Hon. J. E. Reddick, present judge of the circuit court of this judicial circuit.
Halliday, a postoffice and flag station on tlhe "Cotton Belt" Railroad,
is six miles north of Paragould.
Herndon is a postoffice in the
southwest part of the county.
Lorado, also but a postoffice, is in the
southwest part of the county.
Marmaduke, a town of about 200 inhabitants
on the " Cotton Belt" Railroad, twelve miles northeast of Paragould, contains
four stores, a black
smith shop, cotton gin and press, church, school house,
a saw-mill and boarding house. From lies a tramway is run a mile out on the St.
Francis
River, where other mills are located. The village was first laid out
in 1882 by the Railroad Company.
Paragould, the county seat of Greene County, situated at the connection
and crossiug of the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas and the St. Louis,
Iron
Mountain & Southern Railroads, was laid out in April, 1882, by the
Southwestern Improvement Company, Willis Pruet and wife and J. A.
Lambert
and wife. It was named after President Paramore of the former and President
Gould of the latter of these routes, the name Gould being
substituted for
the last syllable of Paramore, making it Paragould. The town has grown rapidly,
and in the seven years of its existence has attained a
population of about
2,000. It contains the Greene County Bank, nine general stores, five family
groceries, four drug stores, one hardware, saddlery
and farm implement
store, six saloons, two bakeries, two millinery stores, four hotels and many
boarding houses, two livery stables, two butcher
shops, one shoe, four
blacksmith and one foundry shop, five stave factories, three saw-mills, one
cotton gin, a feed store, photograph galleries, bar-
ber shops, laundry and
many other industries, four church Methodist, Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian
and Christian, a public school-house,
seven physicians, three dentists, a
lodge each of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor, Knights of Pythias and a
Post of the G. A. R. ; also these
newspapers the Paragould Evening Times,
published daily, by W. A. H. McDaniel, editor and proprietor; the Record,
published weekly, by Messrs.
Taylor & Carter, the Press recently being
consolidated with this journal. In politics the entire press of the county is
Democratic, but the papers
are published in the interest of the people, and
are doing their best to promote and increase the prosperity of the county. Near
Paragould on the west
side are situated the grounds and buildings of the
"Greene County Fair Association," which held its second annual exhibition in
October, 1888.
Paragould is incorporated as a city, and has a mayor,
recorder, marshal, and a board of five aldermen.
The present officers are H.
W. Glasscock, mayor: T. P. Cole, recorder; John M. Winder, marshal. A vast
amount of capital is here invested. The
town is beautifully located, and its
growth is rapid and permanent. It is surronded by a good agricultural and
stock-raising country, which insures its
future prosperity. The Bank of
Paragould which was organized on March 19, 1889, is deserving of mention. It was
incorporated with C. Wall,
president, E. S. Bray, cashier, and A. A. Knox as
secretary of the board of directors. The directors are as follows: Dr. C. Wall,
A. Berteg, A. P.
Mack, W. H. Jones, J. W. Crawford, D. D. Hodges and A. A.
Knox. They have a capital stock of $30,000. The new bank building, which
is
a neat two-story structure located on the corner of Pruet and Emerson streets,
was completed and occupied on the 1st of July, 1889.
Stonewall, a post
village on the Iron Mountain Railroad, fourteen miles north of Paragould,
contains a store, saw-mill and shingle factory.
Tilmanville is a
postoffice fifteen miles north of Paragould.
Walcott is a postoffice
twelve miles west of Paragould.
As was common throughout Arkansas in
early days, the pioneer schools of Greene County were "few and far between," and
of the most inferior
nature. A few of the pioneer settlers employed such
teachers as could be obtained for what might be considered ordinary laborers'
wages, and thus
afforded some meager facilities for the education of their
children. Though the State had a school system, there were practically no free
schools
prior to the inauguration of the present school system, which has
taken place since the Civil War.
Owing to the inadequate facilities for
education, many of the citizens of the county reached their manhood without ever
attending school. The
children of this generation have great advantages over
those of their parents. Seven years ago, as shown by reports of the State
superintendent of
public instruction, there were thirty-nine school
districts organized in Greene County, with only seven wood school-houses, to
accommodate a
scholastic population of 2,191. The following statistics,
taken from the superintendent's report for the year ending June 30, 1888, will
show the
improvements since made within the territory:
There were
perhaps others not reported.
The white schoolchildren number 4,387;
colored, 14; total, 4,401. The majority taught in the public schools is: White,
2,219; colored, none; number of school districts, 59; number of teachers
employed, males, 37; females, 14; total, 51; average monthly wages paid teachers
of the first
grade, males, $42.50; females, $37.50; second grade, males,$40;
females. $85; third grade, males, $32.50; females, $30; frame and log
school-houses reported, 28, valued at $4,338. 75; revenue raised for the support
of common schools, $18,957.09; amount expended, $9,690.58; amount unexpended,
$9,260.51. These figures show a great increase over those of seven years
ago. The schools are increasing in number and quality the wages paid being
sufficient to secure teachers of good ability.
The figures show also that of
the scholastic population of the county only a little over one-half were taught
in the public schools, which is conclusive that the people do not as yet fully
sustain and patronize the free school system. However, the outlook for popular
education is encouraging. A. Knox is the present county examiner.
Religious meetings were held, and preaching was had in Greene County
soon after it was organized, and from the best information obtainable societies
of the Methodist and Baptist denominations were probably formed during the 40'
s. The Methodist Episcopal Church. South, has now at
least seventeen
organizations within the county. The Paragould circuit consists of the
following:
Mount Carmel, Pleasant Grove, New Bethel, Wood's Chapel, a
congregation four miles west of Paragould, and Greensboro and Pine Log, in
Craighead County, with Rev. W. W. Anderson, pastor in charge. Lorado circuit
consists of Pleasant Hill, Shady Grove, Warren's and Owen's
Chapels, Old
Bethel and Salem, with Rev. T. B. Williamson, pastor in charge. Gainesville
circuit includes Friendship, Hurricane, Harvey's Chapel, Starne's Chapol.
Scatter Creek, Beech Grove and Strong's Chapel, with Rev. N. W. Farrar. pastor
in charge. Another congregation in the eastern
part of the county, belongs
to an outside circuit. Rev. W. W. Watson is pastor of the charge composed of
Gainesville and Oak Grove, and Rev. J. C. Ritter is pastor of the charge at
Paragould.
The Baptist Church has at least fourteen organizations within
the county, one of which is the colored church at Paragould. The others are
named New Providence, Friendship. Liberty. Epsaby, Fairview, Unity, New Hope,
Rock Hill, Pleasant Grove, Cedar Hill, Mount Zion, Paragould, and another, name
not learned. New Providence, Friendship, Fairview, New Hope, and perhaps others,
were organized long before the Civil War. All of these organizations have an
average membership of about fifty, and the Methodist denomination is about
equal in strength.
Elders David Thorn, Lively, W. C. Jackson, Faulkner, J.
T. Edmonds, and Halcomb are the ministers now officiating at these several
churches, all of which are designated as Missionary Baptists.
The
several organizations of the Christian Church within the county are known as
Paragould, Pine Knot, Sugar Creek, Gainesville and Liberty, with a combined
membership of nearly 400. Pine Knot was organized in a very early day long
before the Civil War. and has had a very large
membership. Liberty, which
was organized in 1879, was composed mostly from the membership of Pine Knot. The
Christian Church in Paragould was organized in 1885.
The organizations
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church within Greene County are known as
Gainesville, Friendship and Paragould, the latter having been organized in 1884.
The one at or near Gainesville was organized early in the 80' s. In point of
numbers this is probably the weakest
denomination in the county. There are
no Roman Catholic organizations here, but this sect is preparing to build a
church office in Paragould.
Nearly all of the church organizations named
have houses of their own in which to worship, and all, except a few not supplied
with pastors, have regular preaching, and are doing good work. In the summer
season Sunday-schools are connected with them, but only a few in the more
populous
districts continue throughout the year.
The people of
Greene County are almost without exception moral, law abiding, kind, generous
and hospitable, and welcome and protect all deserving immigrants that come among
them. Here the opportunities for securing a home in a comparatively new country,
where the climate is mild,
the railroad facilities good, churches and
schools numerous, all without the inconveniences of frontier lite, are
unexcelled.