Early voting begins on May 7th in the County Clerks office. 8:00 to 6:00 Mon-Fri & 10:00 to 4:00 Sat-Last day to early vote is Monday May 21 and the office will close at 5:00
Last day to assess taxes to avoid penalty-May 31, 2012-May be done by phone or in person-870-898-7205
Little River County Road Department is accepting applications for possible employment
History of Little River County
Little River County was organized March 5, 1867, by an act of the State Legislature of Arkansas. Its 546 square miles are as different as its people, for Little River County's terrain is made up of hills and bluffs, marshes, prairies and alluvial bottomland. Little River and Red River join to form the north, east and south boundary, while the Oklahoma State line serves as the west county line. The area of White Cliffs, which is located on the north side of Little River, is included in Little River County. The two rivers form about four-fifths of the length of the boundary line surrounding the county. Little River County's interesting heritage and colorful population make an entertaining study for the native, immigrant or tourist.
Little River County is bounded north by Sevier and Howard Counties, east by Hempstead, south by Hiller County, Arkansas and Bowie County, Texas, and west by Oklahoma State. The county is served by two trade areas; Foreman, located in the western part of the county, and Ashdown, which could be considered the "Hub City" of Little River County.
County Courthouse in Ashdown
The history of Little River County begins with the Indian tribes which inhabited the territory before it was explored by Europeans. The Mound Builders were among the first people to live in this area. These people were called Mound Builders because of their peculiar practice 'of building mounds on which to live. The Mound Builders selected their building sites near a river or stream. Living by the river gave them an abundant water supply along with a convenient place to catch fish and mussels for food. The mounds were used as a place to live and as a burial place.
During the early 1800's Little River County was the "jumping off place" before going into Mexican Territory. Travelers headed for what would become the State of Texas would travel through Washington, in Hempstead county, to Paraclifta, which was located North of Little River. From Paraclifta, the road crossed Little River at Anderson's Ferry going through Willow Springs (later Rocky Comfort and Foreman), then across the border at Laynesport on Red River.
These travelers would tell others about the fertile land along Little River and Red River which resulted in the settlement of farmers in the area. Most of the farmers who came to settle in Little River County were from Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia
The first town laid off in the county was Laynesport on Red River south of Rocky Comfort. It was the last town on the road leading to the Territory of Texas. Before Laynesport was built, the nearest towns were Paraclifta in Sevier County and Washington in Hempstead.
Laynesport was a center of trade for a number of years. Laynesport was plotted in 1839 on land donated by Benjamin Layne, one of the early settlers. The plot of Laynesport was recorded in Sevier County, 1839, and in Little River County in 1897. The plot consisted of eighty lots on land high above the Red River. Laynesport received a post office in 1845, the same year Willow Springs' name was changed to Rocky Comfort. There were several businesses and an Inn in the small town however, by 1860 the importance of Laynesport began to decline, and the town does not exist today.
Originally called Willow Springs, Rocky Comfort was a thriving community by 1850. Mr. P. B. Williams, as a young boy was told by an old Indian chief about the name Rocky Comfort. The Indian chief said the Indians first called the place Rocky Comfort. "There was a spring running through the lime rock, and the spring branch was shaded by many willow trees. The buffalo would come to drink the water and would rest in the shade of the trees. So the Indians called this place Rocky Comfort because it was rocky and the shade gave comfort to the animals.”
The Arkansas and Choctaw Railroad from Ashdown to Arkinda, was built in 1895. The railroad cut through virgin forest one mile north of old Rocky Comfort. Records indicate the sale of right-of-way easements from Carl Schuman, Bettie Bell, Joe Madden and Horace Coontz, in sections 14 and 15 in Township 12 South, Range 32 West.
In 1900, a post office was established and named for Ben Foreman, a well-known Republican in Texarkana. Until recent years every deed or mortgage carried a description in the new town as being situated in New Rocky Comfort (Foreman). The stores in old Rocky Comfort were moved to the new town where the railroad was located.
The county seat was moved from Richmond to Foreman in 1902. Block 30 in the middle of town was set aside for county government. A jail was built, and the county records were housed on the second floor of a large brick building on the main street of town. Before a courthouse could be built, the county seat was moved to Ashdown in 1905.
Fort Towson was the first road cut through the county in 1832. The old Post Road can still be clearly defined at some places. Mail was infrequent and letters were old when received. Finally, a stage. Coach was run on this Post Road from Washington, Arkansas to Clarksville, Texas. James M. Wright kept the stage stand where the horses were changed and the drivers spent the night. A. M. Satterfield drove the stage from Washington, and Mr. Tudor, from Clarksville, Texas. Post offices on this route were Ben Lomond, Peytonville, Richmond and Rocky Comfort.
Bank in Ashdown in 1908
Richmond became the hub of activity for the entire county by the 1870's. It had become the center for drummers and traveling men from allover the territory. Richmond had two drugstores, eight stores, a hotel, two gins, two gristmills, a sawmill, five law officials and two blacksmith shops.
In 1880 the people of Richmond built a house consisting of four office rooms below and a court room above, and decided to deed it to the county to be used as a courthouse. A petition was circulated for an election. The election "Was held, and Richmond was declared the county seat. When the records were moved from Rocky Comfort a few months, later, the courthouse property there reverted to Mr. Reed, the donor of the land.
The first building at Richmond was burned in 1882. Many of the records, especially marriage licenses, were destroyed and had to be reproduced from the records in Sevier County or by affidavits of various citizens. For several years vacant stores, buildings and the school house were used for offices and sessions of court. Talk of removal caused the citizens of Richmond to get busy.
One night a few men met to discuss way and means to retain possession of the county seat. They decided the only way was to build another courthouse immediately. They raised over a thousand dollars that night. Judge Bates donated lumber. In a few days the necessary balance was subscribed. Men donated their labor and the use of teams to haul the lumber from Judge Bates mill at Ogden. Carpenters donated labor, and in less than a month, the building was finished without one dollar's expense to the county.
This settled the question of removal for a time, but Richmond was not permitted to retain the prize long in peace. The new town of Ashdown was interested in becoming the county seat. Several elections were held and it seemed that the county seat would be moved; but each time the case was carried to the Supreme Court by citizens of Richmond through their attorney, Captain John C. Head. On April 29, 1902, the Arkansas Gazette carried the following note on the struggle for the county seat:
Texarkana, April 28.-The celebrated Little River County seat contest case was called for trial here today before Judge Smith of Camden, sitting as special judge. The testimony, which is mostly in the shape of depositions, is very voluminous, and the trial will in all probability occupy several days. The fight is between Rocky Comfort and Ashdown, both of which are represented by a great array of the best legal talent in the state. Each wants to be the county seat.
In 1902 another election was held, and Rocky Comfort, now Foreman, was declared the county seat. Acting on a rumor that an attempt was being made to get the Circuit Judge to issue a restraining order pending another election, men from Rocky Comfort came one night with wagons and took the records to Rocky Comfort.
But the question was not settled, for in the contest which followed, Ashdown was declared the winner, and Judge T. B. Arnett, who was then the County Judge, ordered the records to be moved to Ashdown in 1906. The records were placed in a vacant store building west of the Kansas City Railroad. It was then known as the Mizell Building and was later owned by F. M. Locke. This served as a courthouse until the present one was built in 1907.
Ashdown, first known as Keller, developed at the site where the Peytonville-Richmond Road crossed the Texarkana-Fort Smith (K.C.S.) Railroad. This area had been known to the county residents as "Turkey Flats." Land speculators were quick to realize that this road and rail junction would develop rapidly into a town.
Judge Lawrence Alexander Byrne, a railroad lawyer and land speculator, bought eighty acres from the William Waddell family. Judge Byrne developed this acreage into the town of Keller. Judge Byrne had an interest in several of the sawmills located along the track from Hudson to Rankin. One of these mills near Keller burned in 1890. When Judge Byrne came to Keller to view the damaged property; he said, “The mill has burned down and is in ashes, but I am going to build a town here and call it Ashdown.”
Little River County has a population of approximately twelve thousand people. About half of the people live in the rural areas of the county, with the remainder in Ashdown, Foreman, Ogden, Wilton and Winthrop.
In 1870 there were only six persons per square mile in the county. By 1880 this figure had increased to thirteen persons, and by 1960 the density of the county was eighteen persons per square mile. In 1970 the county's density had increased to twenty-three persons per square mile.
Some of the old towns have decayed or remained practically stationary in population while others have disappeared completely. Rocky Comfort, originally located just south of Foreman, has all but disappeared as a community along with Peytonville and Millwood in the eastern section of the county. Richmond, which was the county seat during the late 1800's, has decreased sharply in population along with most of the smaller towns.
The natural resources of Little River County are so great and of so many kinds that the county could be considered to have the greatest potential of any area in the state. The most important natural resource is an unlimited supply of clear, fresh water provided by Millwood Dam on Little River. Water from this river, which rises in the higher elevations to the north and west of the county, is a premium resource.
Millwood Dam
Other natural resources of the area are: limestone, gravel, sand and timber. The limestone deposits are located in the west central and northeast corner of the county. The principal sand and gravel deposits of the county are located along Little River. The forests of the area contain a wide variety of hardwoods and an excellent growth of pine.
Millwood Dam is located on Little River in Southwest Arkansas about two miles northeast of Millwood, Arkansas, and about eight miles east of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Designed by the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project was built by contractors under the Corps I supervision. Construction of the project was started in September, 1961, and completed August, 1966, at a cost of approximately $44,000,000. It was dedicated December 8, 1966.
Millwood Dam and Reservoir was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946 and modified by the 1958 Flood Control Act. A unit in the general flood plan for the Red River below Denison Dam, the reservoir will operate in conjunction with Denison, Boswell, and Hugo Reservoirs and the six upstream reservoirs in the Little River Basin. In addition to flood control, it serves the purposes of water supply, and recreation.
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