Conway County Organized
It was in 1825 when the Legislature of Arkansas created a new county and called it Conway County in honor of Henry W. Conway, territorial delegate to Congress from Arkansas and a member of the distinguished family which has played such a conspicuous part in the history of Arkansas, especially during the earlier years of its history.
It would require a volume to refer with any comprehensiveness at all to all of Conway County's court house towns because that county has had as many county seats as a cat has lives. In fact no other county in Arkansas has had so many different county seats as has Conway County.
Beginning with Cadron-and it required about five years for the "fathers of Conway County" to decide on that town as their first county seat-it is like calling the role of all the communities of the county to enumerate the county seats.
But, next to Morrilton, the present county seat, old Lewisburg, now dead and gone, was longest and one of the most important county seats of Conway County. It enjoyed the honor twice. First selected as the court house town in 1831 by act of the Legislature, it retained the honor until 1853 when the Legislature removed the court house to Springfield, only again to locate it at Lewisburg in 1873, two years later finally permanently locating the temple of justice of that county at its present location, Morrilton.
Thus we have as county seats of Conway County, first Cadron, then in succession, Marion, Harrisburg, Lewisburg, Springfield, Lewisburg and last Morrilton.
Lewisburg, located advantageously on the north bank of the Arkansas River, in its day was one of the most important towns of Arkansas. As a river port it enjoyed the distinction of being the distributing point for supplies for a vast area of Arkansas. Its street's were filled with bustling activity and men journeyed over the hills for a hundred miles to rceive supplies from the merchants of Lewsisburg.
Not only was Lewisburg an important commercial center, in early Arkansas but I defy any historian to write a complete history of this state without reference to Lewisburg. It was a community of culture. Its citizens were influential. Much of the early history of Arkansas was enacted around it. During Civil War days its story is lofty and during the darker days of reconstruction when Powell CLAYTON was director of Arkansas the drama that was enacted on the streets of old Lewisburg is famiiliar to all students of Arkansas history of that turbulent period.
Readers who are interested and who might wish to follow that story of Lewisburg's part in the drama of reconstruction are advised to read Dr T.S. STAPLES' "Reconstruction in Arkansas", and Powell CLAYTON's "Aftermath of the Civil War in Arkansas" for two interesting but divergent viewpoints.
The Railroad's Coming
So frequently do we encounter in our perusal of the stories of the old communtiies that have passed away the fact that "the railroad did it." When the "bands of steel" were yet novelties in America many people could not appreciate the fact that they ever could replace the steamboats. The old towns that enjoyed steamboat facilities, as, for instance, Jacksonport, as an excellent example, were not particularly concerned with securing the added advantage of a railroad.
Such was the case at Lewisburg, in 1873 when a line of railroad was projected up the north bank of the Arkansas River from Little Rock toward Fort Smith. Lewisburg's people were different. They had palatial steamers landing at their port almost every day in the week. How could a flimsy line of railroad be of any advantage to them? Thus reasoned Lewisburg.
The railroad came. It passed within three short miles of Lewisburg, the county's capital. Little did its fine old citizens dream when the stout hearted men with hammers in their hands waded through the hills and sent the echoes of their hammers and axes over the sequestered hills that surrounded Lewisburg that those echoes were sounding the deathknell of the old town and was destined to usher into Arkansas a new era which would all but destroy river traffic.
Back among the hills only three miles removed from Lewisburg lived a man by the name of Edward J. MORRILL. He owned a farm and when the railroad passed that way granted a right of way for the rails through his farm. The railroad established a station on the farm of Edward J. MORRILL and because he had encouraged the coming of the railroad and had generously donated the right of way that little station, established in 1875 was called Morrilton.
Interesting would be the story if space permitted an elaboration on the history of this fine old family of MORRILL-one of the most prominent in Arkansas in its early period, as the family is still one of prominence in Morrilton of today. An early merchant of Lewisburg, Edward J. MORRILL traced his ancestry back to Sir Hugh MORRILL who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth more than 300 years ago.
Soon after its establishment Morrilton became a rival of the old "mother town" of Lewisburg. The steamers came with less frequency to the historic old town lost in its somnolence over beyond the hills on the bank of the Arkansas, with more frequency to the new town of Morrilton.
Within a few years the courthouse of Conway County was again removed. It was located where it now stands at Morrilton and Lewisburg slowly but surely died. Its merchants moved over the interevening hills and located at Morrilton.
And it was to that Morrilton that I wended my way last week-went over to have lunch with a Rotary Club and found insperation for a Sunday story with the least effort a story has every been assembled since my connection with this newspaper.
Though surrounded by myriad hills that stand as vigilant and eternal guards over its destiny, Morrilton sits, as it were, in a valley. The city itself is comparatively level with occasional elevations where stand many of the beautiful homes of the town.
I made no notes while at Morrilton. It is not necessary to make notes to jog ones memory at that town. Its compelling attractiveness will remain as an indelible mark on the mind of all who see it.
The streets of Morrilton are well paved. The clear an salubrious atmosphere of the Ozarks seem to pervade the environs of that charming city even as the perfume of the roses in springtime float from a garden through an open window.
A City of Culture
It was with Curtis B. HURLEY, local editor, as my host that I visited the Conway County court house at Morrilton. I was interested in that visit-more interested perhaps than my affable host thought I was. I was wondering as we wandered that way if Conway County had indeed built a court house that could not possibly be removed. Knowing their penchant for removing their court house I was just wondering if indeed the court house of Coway County is located permanently at Morrilton.
Indeed it is. In 1927 the old court house burned. The new court house completed in 1930, is one of the most beautiful in all Arkansas. It was built of granite and marble and its courtroom is finished with the most beautiful oak panels I have seen for many a day. The building complete coost the taxpayers of the county $117,000.
Stately in its modest dignity; flanked with impressive columns and many windows; with every modern convenience, included , the Conway County courthouse is no doubt now permanently located. It never could be removed and it is altogether too beautiful and too expensive ever to be abandoned.
I had lunch with the Rotary Club. The lunch was served in the basement of the beautiful Morrilton public library. I enjoyed the elegant lunch and the splendid hospitality so generously extended to me by the Morrilton Rotarians. But I must frankly confess that the finest thing I saw while I was the guest of Morrilton was that public library in which the lunch was served.
My readers are aware of my hobby-that of public libraries. We, have all too few public libraries in the south-too few in Arkansas. But Morrilton never can be included among the Arkansas towns that do not support a public library.
Like so many other Arkansas communities-Helena, for instance, it was the noble and cultured womanhood of Morrilton who conceived the idea of a public library and worked faithfully and indefatigably to "see their dream come true."
I believe those ladies call themselves "the Pathfinder Club." The name is indeed appropriate. Beginning with little else than sturdy souls that would never acknowledge defeat-knew not the meaning of failure-these good women have assembled a fine collection of books, many of them rare. They have domiciled these books in one of the most attractive library buildings in Arkansas. The building is located on a conspicuous corner of two of the principal streets of the city and stands as a monument to Morrilton's noble and indefatigable womanhood.
Harding College, one of the state's outstanding educational institutions, a senior college supported by the Christian Church is located at Morrilton and is doing a fine work. It is regretted that the brevity of this sketch prevents more detailed mention of that worthwile college which is serving a fine purpose in its field out among the beautiful Ozarks.
Handsome churches of all the more important creeds; a beautiful high school building, constructed in the English style of architecture, completed in 1927; attractive homes dotted in the valley and along the hillsides - these are only a few of the attractions of the capital and metropolis of the great county of Conway.
And Morrilton is yet a young city. Three quarters of a century ago it did not exist. Its site was a wild spot among the hills. With its stately mountains standing all around it, its sunshine falling in regal splendor over its immaculate streets and with a friendly, persevering and progressive people as its citizens that city is destined, as the years pass, to continue to grow until one of these days it will rank, among the most important cities of Arkansas.
I am indebted almost wholly to Curtis B. HURLEY, editor of the Morrilton Democrat, for practically all the information contained in this sketch. It was gleaned from a special edition of the Morrilton Democrat issued last year on the occasion of the dedication of the Conway County court house. Its contents are rare and a copy of that issue of the Democrat should be preserved in every public library in Arkansas, for the convenience of research workers on the subject of local Arkansas history.
Source:  Morrilton Democrat newspaper, Feb 19, 1931, pg 2; contributed by Sharon Smith.

--Morrilton Democrat newspaper, Apr 25, 1930, pg 27, contributed by Sharon Smith

Mayflower History

The first families who settled in the Mayflower community were JOHNSON and KILGORE in 1865.
The church house was situated on the Cypress Creek, near the Kilgore cemetery, it was made of logs, with a fireplace in one end and split logs were used for the benches.
In 1868 the first school teacher was UPCHURCH, who was also the minister. The nearest store was at Springfield, which was the county seat at that time.
At RAGSDALE ford there was a water mill which was operated by RAGSDALE brothers.  The farmers came from miles around to have their cotton ginned and corn ground.
The next school was built of plank where the school house now stands. It was used for both school and church.
In 1870 the BIRDs immigrated from Alabama. W.T. BIRD built a gin in 1878. He ginned about 6 bales of cotton per day. Later he built a store which burned four years later.  Mr BIRD was a mail carrier for Marshall, Clinton and Plumerville. For nine years he carried it on horseback.  He was first to plant an apple orchard and marketed the apples in Little Rock in a wagon.
About 1912 the church was moved near the middle community and named Pleasant Springs where it now stands. A two story school house was built and was later torn down and the one that now stands was built in its place.
Now, there stands three stores, one blacksmith shop, one garage, and two cotton gins, which show some of the progress that has been made. Most of the people own their own homes which are modern in construction and well equipped with Delco lights, running water and frigidaire.
We are hoping the community will continue to prosper in the future as it has in the past.

--Source:  Morrilton Democrat newspaper, Apr 25, 1930, pg 27; contributed by Sharon Smith.