The county reached its largest population of 12,538 in 1900, including two African Americans. The 1900s brought increased population as outsiders moved to the county. Visitors went to Marble Falls and Tom Thumb Spring for the water’s supposed healing power.Įarly Twentieth Century through the Modern Era A legend was born as “Beaver Jim” Villines became known for his trapping ability. Whether for added income or personal use, the production of moonshine made use of the surplus corn. Cotton provided the cash crop for the Buffalo River valley. Potatoes, apples, and peaches supplemented the main crop, corn. Smaller farms were prevalent, while larger farms existed near the rivers. Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Ageįarming changed little in the county after Reconstruction. The number of African Americans in the county decreased to seven by 1870. Produce was shipped to Clarksville (Johnson County), Buffalo Shoals (Marion County), and Springfield, Missouri. They grew corn, wheat, rye, oats, tobacco, and potatoes. Engagements in the county included three separate skirmishes in April 1864: Whiteley’s Mills, Richland Creek, and Limestone Valley.Īfter the war, families returned to their previous way of life. Union soldiers destroyed the Confederate saltpeter works at Boxley, and Jasper was burned. Former sheriff John Cecil led a guerrilla band in the county, operating against Union forces. Some residents lived in caves, while others fled. Guerrilla warfare and skirmishes between Union and Confederate troops caused turmoil. As in other counties, neighbors and families split as loyalties were divided between the Union and the Confederacy. While neighboring Carroll, Boone, Madison, and Searcy counties saw a decrease in population and livestock in the Civil War years, the isolation of Newton County resulted in an increase in both at the start of the war. In 1850, there were fifty-one slaves in the county by 1860, that number had decreased to twenty-four, with 3,369 white residents. The difficulty in farming the rough terrain resulted in farms being located on the softer ground along the river. Hunting and small farms sustained the residents, and livestock grazed the rugged land. The terrain made the area unattractive to land speculators, which was encouraging to people who could not afford land in other parts of the state.Ī school opened at Mount Judea around 1860. John Belleh’s house on Shop Creek was designated the county seat until the designation was given to Jasper in 1843. marshal for Arkansas, Newton was elected to serve in Congress after the resignation of Archibald Yell. After beginning his career as a mail carrier and serving as U.S. The state legislature created Newton County on December 14, 1842, naming it after U.S. Although Jasper appeared on maps in 1840, it was not incorporated until 1896. A block of marble taken from a hillside near present-day Marble Falls was used to help build the Washington Monument. The county was part of Carroll County when it was created in 1833, and white settlers quickly moved in. Until 1808, the Osage claimed the region, and between 18 the land was part of a reservation granted to the Western Cherokee. The area, rich with game and timbe r, was watered by the Big and Little Buffalo rivers. Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood Department of the Interior as a wilderness area. The land, once respected and protected by Native Americans, has come full circle with a large portion being protected by the U.S. Located in the Boston Mountains, Newton County can be described as mountainous, rural, and isolated. Percent of Population below Poverty Line (2019) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Population Characteristics as per the 2020 U.S.
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