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Home My WebLink Aboutpulaski historical review Thomas FletcherCount Casimir PL PULASKI ef)UNTY HISTORIeAL 1?fiviliw Published by the Pulaski County Historical Society VOLUME XXI , N0. 1 TOM DILLARD, Editor MARCH 1973 TABLE OF CONTENTS FER.NDALE - WESTERN PULASKI COUNTY....... Fred 0. Henker 1 FEBRUARY MEETING ...................................... 18 THOMAS FLETCHER, A REMINISCENCE ......... Mary F. Worthen 19 NEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS .............................. 22 BOOK REVIEWS.., ........... 23 THE PULASKI COUNTY HISTORICAL REVIEW Volume XXI March 1973 Number 1 Published by The Pulaski County Historical Society EDITOR Tom W. Dillard ASSOCIATE EDITORS J. H. Atkinson Duane Huddleston Mrs. Margaret H. Letzig Miss Inez Martin C. Fred Williams The Review is published by the Pulaski County Historical Society. The Society supplies the publication to its members. Membership is open to anyone interested in Pulaski County or n�.�� 1 A..1�.. U4 }oma,,.. Av.....• 1 - -%%4 r A,inn o ne �'i nn �. ent al As nsas Lays vvt . A-AMU&i. au cua yr oaa p uKa..s axv #.d vv. Membership applications should be mailed to the Society Treas- urer, P. 0. Boa 653, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203. Single numbers of the Review are available from the Editor. Correspondence concerning contributions, book reviews, and all editorial matters should be sent to the editor, No.9 Rosewood Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72209. Neither the editor nor the Pulaski County Historical Society assumes any responsibility for statements made by contributors. Articles accepted for publication in the Review are subject to editing. However, if major revisions are necess- ary, the editor will consult with the author before final editing. lai'.► j kni @ ground. Joining from the south a mile west of the Walnut Grove Road is Burlingame Road which connects with the Upper Hot Springs Road. EARLY SETTLERS Caucasian settlement of the Ferndale region had begun In the 1830'x= however, records are scant. Thomas Reese Sevier acquired the eventual site of the town of Ferndale in 18389 but there is no further record of him being there. Probably the oldest continuous habitation is•:that of the Crowson family. In 1840 we find Isaac and Frances Crowson, and sons John and William, farming in Maumelle Township. In 1850 John C. and Eliza Crowson, from Tennessee, and their children Eliza Ann, Thomas J., and John W. were living there. By 1860 Elizabeth Crowson was living with her mother, Hanna Richards, and two more children, Anna and Isaac. There were two other Crowson family units a Jonathan and his wife, Polly, who had three Rowland children in addition to younger Crow - sons; and Isaac and Mary Crowson and their children John Thomas, Willie and David. Contemporary Crowsons are Tom and Dub, sons of Winfield Crowson, still living on the old family farm north of Fletcher Creek. One of the most famous residents of the area was Thomas Fletcher, eldest son of Henry Louis Fletcher who had come from Kentucky, via Northeast Arkansas, settling along the Saline Piver north of Benton. After his marriage in 1840 Thomas and his wife, Lucenda, acquired a rather large landholding south of Fletcher Creek, from Little Maumelle Creek eastward to the vicinity of the present Walnut Grove Road, which they farmed with a considerable number of slaves. In 1860 their children were listed asi Lewis, James, Beckum, John, Nancy, Catch, Stephen, Mary and Martha. Thomas was also active in politics, being elected sheriff in 1858. He served until 1862 when he was elected to the state legislature. He again served as sheriff from 1866 to 1868. In 1869 he moved his family to Ninth and Cumberland Streets in Little Rock where he was associated with the law firm of Farr and Fletcher. He made two campaigns for governor, and in 1885 was appoint- ed by President Cleveland to the post of United States Mar- shall for the Eastern District of Arkansas, in which capacity he served until his death in 1900 at age 83. Mrs. D. D. Terry remembers the gala celebration in 1890 of the golden anniversary of her Uncle Tom and Aunt Lucenda at the Terry Mansion. It was for Thomas Fletcher that Flet&her's Hallow, Fletcher Creek and Fletcher Spring were named. [or further information on Fletcher see a related article elsewhere in this issue] During the late 1840's Joseph Hiram and Robert Jordan -3- y THOMAS FLETCHER THOMAS FLETCHER, A REMINISCENCE by Mary F. Worthen My great -great grandparents, Henry Lewis and Mary Lind- sey Fletcher came to Arkansas from Kentucky in 1815, and their second child, Thomas, was born April 8, 1817 in Ran- dolph County, Arkansas. He had a "good common school educa- tion, then taught school himself for a while. He married Lucinda Heavers of Kentucky on September 5, 1841. A Justice of the Peace performed the ceremony. The couple built a log house on Little Maumelle Creek and, like his parents, they had ten children. In 1869 the family moved to 303 East Ninth Street, Little Rock. The cottage has since been torn down. Thomas Fletcher was elected sheriff of Pulaski County in 1858 and served until 1862 when he was elected to the legislature. He fought in the Civil War for two yearsl and was again elected sheriff in 1866. He did not complete his term because he was legislated out of office after twenty months by the Reconstruction Action of Congress. He was lic- enced to practice law and carry on a real estate business in 1868. He accumulated property in Little Rock and below Scott in addition to what he already owned in the Ferndale area. His office was at 5131 Main Street in a building he had ac- quired. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor In 1878. He continued to be a loyal Democrat and worked in Grover Cleveland's first campaign for president. He was rewarded for his efforts by being appointed by the new Pres- ident to the post of U. S. Marshall for the Eastern District of Arkansas. He held that post until 1888. Soon after this he joined the Populist party much to the chagrin of his fam- ily. He became Chairman of the State Populist Central Comm- ittee and served three terms as well as serving; as Populist National Committeeman from Arkansas. While he was most act- ive in the Populist Party his brother John Gould Fletcher ran for governor of the state as a Democrat. The political differences did not seem to affect their relationship, a fact that became evident when the brothers continued to call upon each other every Saturdayy night. (The visits must have resembled Quaker meetings as FIetcher men were men of few words. My father used to tell us not to say anything unless It was very important.) _19_