Lincoln County, Arkansas

Lincoln County Arkansas Arkansas Gazette 1919

Lincoln County Court House costing $37,000
Lincoln County wants you. Her 5,000 square miles are beckoning. They say: "Here is an opportunity for you to blaze new trails and at the same time enjoy the benefits of civilized life that were denied the old-time settler." Those hardy pioneers of 75 years ago, who prairie-schoonered their way along the Oregon and Santa Fe trails in search of the Western El Dorado, were they living to settle down and accumulate wealth and prosperity than in Lincoln County, Arkansas. You who read these lines, picture in your mind's eye a country of fertile lowlands, virgin timbered woods, rolling prairies and fruit growing uplands. With only 18,000 people - less than four to the square mile. You men of spunk and stamina and adventurousness who are ever clamoring for new fields to do your Twentieth century pioneering, list to this knock of opportunity or forevermore cease your squawks. Lincoln is bounded on the north by Jefferson, on the east by Arkansas and Desha, on the south by Drew, and on the west by Cleveland County. Almost equally divided between hill and bottom land, it has the unusual advantage of being watered by two streams, the Arkansas river and Bayou Bartholomew, making the bottom soil doubly rich. The country produces cotton of the kind that just now is selling from 45 to 55 cents per pound. Rice, corn, alfalfa, and other crops indigenous to the South thrive here. The hill land consists of a sandy loam with red clay subsoil. It grows cotton, corn, grain, hay, watermelons, cantaloupes, vegetables, and fruit. The peach crop of Lincoln rivals Georgia's peachiest peach belt. Verily, the man who can't extract a livelihood from this sort of Mother Earl is a sorry specimen indeed. Extensive tracts of timber, mostly hardwood, rear their heads in the eastern portion. Much of it is virgin, offering the lumberman a wide range of opportunity. Cattle and hogs are raised with success throughout the county.
Interior view of the store house, South Bend Plantation
Principal Cities Crowded cities, swarming with poverty and pestilence, do not dot the map of Lincoln County. On the contrary, the towns are exactly the right size to suit families who know that living to the full 100 per cent is only to be had in a small town. Star City Located in almost the geometrical center of the county is Star City, principal city and county seat, with an approximate population of 1,200. All the improvements of a city of 30,000 or more are found here. Some of them are a $30,000 brick school building, a bank capitalized at $25,000, three churches, water, electric light and telephone systems, and a newspaper. A district is now forming to build two miles of concrete sidewalks. The Gould-Southwestern, perhaps the only inter-county railroad, the state can boast of runs from here to Gould. Grady Star City's close rival, Grady is a fast growing, hustling city of about 1,000. A bank capitalized at $25,000, and $18,000 school, and numerous enterprising mercantile establishment are among its assets. Gould This city, of about the same size as Grady, is another place to hang your Stetson. A bank of $15,000 capitalization, and many progressive business firms are found here. Varner Varner is one of the "plantation towns," the home of several large planters and, like all of the cities above named is a good market for cotton and cotton see, the farmer getting best market prices. Schools Grammar and high school courses are taught by an efficient staff of teachers at Star City and Grady. As the standard of education is raised in the larger cities of Arkansas, Lincoln county's standard is raised simultaneously.
South Bend Plantation Store, owned by Governor Lowden of Illinois

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