Scott County ArArchives History - Books .....Traders And Hunters, Chapter 3 1922
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 29, 2009, 9:24 pm

Book Title: History Of Scott County

CHAPTER III.
Traders and Hunters

I. The French
  The French under De Tonti established a settlement at Arkansas Post in 1686,
which not only was the first in the present state of Arkansas but also in the
entire Mississippi valley. The post thrived and had an extensive trade with the
Indians of the surrounding country. These French hunters and traders paddled in
their frail canoes up the Arkansas River and the various smaller streams thereto
to reach their far flung trading posts. One of the most famous of these centers
of trade was Belle Point on the Arkansas, now known as Ft. Smith. It commanded
the trade of the entire country surrounding it. From such points the hunters and
traders penetrated deeply into the forests in every direction. In this manner,
Scott County was visited by these early French. They also came up the Fourche
from the post of Little Rock into the present limits of the county. The same was
true in lesser degree of the Poteau River.

  These Frenchmen roamed all over the country, christening its rivers and
mountains and prairies with French names that endure to this day. Some of these
are Point Sucre, or Sugar Loaf Mountain, Magazine Mountain, Petit Jean River,
Fourche La Fave River and Poteau River.   These were the landmarks that guided
them through the interminable forests. From Belle Point one could see the tall
spire of Point Sucre uprearing itself into the very heavens. Farther east
Magazine Mountain was likewise visible to a large area.   And these mountains
beckoned—
       "Something hid behind the ranges
        Go and find it, go and find it."

  These bold and daring adventurers went and found, but did not permanently
settle the county.

2. Anglo-Saxons
  The frontier of the Anglo-Saxons was constantly being pushed westward. The
hardy class of adventurous hunters was ever penetrating deeper into the forests
to the west in seach of better hunting grounds, or for pure adventure. They were
a rugged type who chafed under the restraints and conventions of civilization,
and found contentment in the wild free life of the frontier. They moved over the
land in covered wagons with very little personal or family effects, and
"squatted" wherever they found conditions suited to their purposes. They usually
followed the retreating habitat of the game, now steadily being pushed westward
by the advancing tide of civilization. When game became scarce, these
irresponsible folk simply moved to a new location where it could be found in
abundance.

  The territory now comprehended in Scott County began to receive some of these
squatters as early as 1820, although it, had doubtless been visited by hunters
from the settlements at Ft. Smith, Dwight, Little Rock, and other points along
the Arkansas River several years before. Some of the squatters were turned back
from their westward course in 1820 by the conclusion of a treaty with the
Choctaw Indians. This treaty provided that in exchange for their lands east of
the Mississippi River, they would be given lands lying south of the Arkansas
River and west of a line drawn from a point on the Arkansas about where
Dardanelle now is, to the Red River near the present site of Texarkana. Scott
County lay within this area. The Indians began to arrive from the east soon
thereafter, and it was not long before trouble arose between them and the few
families of whites resident within the limits of these Indian lands. The
dissatisfaction with this treaty among the whites rapidly assumed state wide
proportions, and representations were made to the national government to have
the Indians given lands farther west instead of the tract in question.
Accordingly, in 1825 the Secretary of War concluded a second treaty, by which
the western boundary of the State was fixed substantially as it is today, the
Inidans being pushed west of the Poteau and Kiamichi rivers where they have
since resided. When the new line was drawn, it was found that about two hundred
families were living west of it, most of whom were near the Red River around Ft.
Towson. Major Bradford, who commanded the garrison at Ft. Smith at this time,
was ordered to remove these settlers. This was done, and they were given lands
farther east. It is thought that perhaps some of these were located in Scott
County, but no records are available to establish the fact. It is very likely,
however. These would be the first permanent white settlers of the county.

3. Nuttall's Expedition
  Thomas Nuttall, scientist of Philadelphia, Pa., in 1819 ascended the Arkansas
River to Ft. Smith, carefully noting the topography and fauna and flora of the
country through which he passed. In his account of the journey, he speaks of the
abundance of game in the Fourche and Petit Jean valleys, and saw only a few
scattered bands of Indians in the whole territory. This is a strange phenomenon.
When De Soto visited the county two hundred and fifty years before, the entire
country was thickly settled by the natives. Whether they emigrated or were
visited by plague is not known; the fact remains that their numbers were greatly
reduced during this period of time.

  Further up the river he saw the peak of Magazine Mountain and made a drawing
of it. Arriving at Ft. Smith, he found it to consist of the fort and barracks
for the garrison of seventy-five men. Major Bradford was in command. There was
only one small log house. Leaving Ft. Smith, he made an overland trip to Ft.
Towson on Red River, over much the same course the old military road
subsequently took. He speaks of seeing deer feeding in daytime on the prairie
four or five miles from Ft. Smith, and when ten miles south of Ft. Smith, he
camped in clear view of Point Sucre, twenty-five miles to the south. Another
day's journey brought his party to the base of the mountain where he camped and
noted the Cavianol Mountains to the northwest. The Indians had a tradition that
the immense pile of stone on the summit of this mountain had been built by their
predecessors as a beacon for the tribes of the whole surrounding country. Moving
on southwest, Nuttall at length crossed the Poteau in the vicinity of Howe or
Heavener, and continued in this direction to his destination.

  About where the Poteau enters Scott County, he saw immense herds of bison,
which would usually stampede at the approach of his party. Wolves, deer, bears
and panthers were numerous, besides all the native lesser animals. He tells the
story of one of his men coming upon the carcass of a fawn lying at the root of a
large tree, and beside it was the dead body of a wolf. Looking up into the tree
the man saw the huge panther that had evidently done the dual killing. It was
presumed that the wolf had attempted to feed upon the dead carcass when he was
set upon and killed by the watching panther.

  This scientist carefully noted the Poteau Mountains and ascertained the fact
that they form the crest of the divide that separates a wide stretch of country
on, either side. There were no settlers in the vicinity of Scott County on the
west.


Additional Comments:

HISTORY of Scott County Arkansas
By Henry Grady McCutchen

Printed in Arkansas
U. S. A.

Copyright, 1922, by H. G. McCutchen


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/scott/history/1922/historyo/tradersa13nms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/arfiles/

File size: 7.8 Kb