Concludes our series featuring excerpts from the 1868 Report. This survey of county resources, which the original Commissioner of State Lands and Immigration undertook to gather information to attract new residents to the state, has explored the state’s history of agriculture, industry, education and religion.
Today we examine Yell County. It was established in 1840 and was named for Archibald Yell, Arkansas’s first Congressman and second governor. Danville was the first county seat, and Dardanelle was added in 1875 to better serve the far-flung residents in the northeast part of the county. Dardanelle was an important steamboat port and later became a railroad center.
A letter accompanying the survey response said the responses were “not as full & complete as it should be, but … you can make it answer to your purpose for the present. I have been a Citizen of Yell Co for 20 years, There having been no census taken since the War. We have to estimate the population and no of schools & churches.”
Name of County? Yell
Name of County Seat? Danville
Population of same? Suppose about 6000 in Yell Co
Facilities of communicating with State Capital/ Arkansas River
Place of Shipment? Dardanelle
General conformation of Country, kind of Lands, &c.? Two thirds arable/1 half vally although a vast amount of mountainous parts
Different kinds of Timber? Pine oak cotton wood many other/all kinds common except poplar & chesnut
Number of Schools and churches? But few
Name of Navigable Streams? Arkansas River Petit Jean Lafave Fouche
Minerals, Mines, &c.? yes/Coal in abundance/iron Lots
Game and Fish? Bear, Deer, Turkys, squirell – Fish plenty
Range for Stock? Good Summer & upland good winter
Health of same? Good/ I have lived here 35 years & the health is good
Building Materials? Abundant/plenty/fine
Water Power? Plenty/good/tolerable good
Original source can be found here.
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