The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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By S. C. Turnbo
Among the numerous accounts of early times in North Arkansas and the town of Yellville we submit the following.
Joseph Upton and Gentie Upton his wife went from the state of Tennessee
to the north east part of Arkansas in the early days and settled on the
pretty water ways of spring river locating at the mouth of a creek which
afterward bore their name. The locality where they made their home is in
what is now the south west part of Lawrence County. 5 children were the
fruits of their marriage - 4 boys and one girl. Here on this beautiful stream
Jim Upton their baby child and the subject of this sketch was born in the
month of October 1830. 6 months later his mother passed over the great beyond,
his father lived until the year 1836 when he too joined the village of the
dead. Their remains repose in the family cemetery on the old home farm on
Spring River. All the children have now passed away. None are left of this
noted family to tell of the early days. Trials and hardships endured in
the new country. The last one to bid adieu to friends and kindred was Jim
or J. M. as he signed his name, who lived a number of years on West Sugar
Loaf Creek where the Lead Hill and Harrison Road corner the creek in Boone
County, Arkansas and finally went to the state of Oregon and located at
the town of Union where later on the death angel visited him and called
the old pioneer of Arkansas into the dark valley of rest where trial of
sorrow on this earth are no more. In the month of March 1902 the author
received an important letter from him which gave an interesting account
of early incidents at Yellville. At the time of writing the letter Mr. Upton
was barely able to sit up and was then nigh unto death and was waiting for
the summons which occurred a short time afterward. Here is what he wrote
during his last days. "I am enjoying the closing scenes of my earthly
life In good hopes of eternal happiness. I have obeyed the gospel and am
trying to live a practical Christian. The bright city and everlasting joy
loom up before me. I also have made preparations for the repose of my mortal
remains. My grave or vault is waiting for me in the Union (Oregon) Cemetery.
It is a structure of heavy stone with fine marble front. The dimension of
which is 4 feet and 4 inches wide and 5 feet high and weighs near 50 ton.
I also purchased for myself and wife a metalic casket each. I bought them
including the vault in St. Louis Mo. in the early part of the year 1879.
Each casket weighs 125 pounds and I have them stored away for the reception
of I and my wife’s bodies as soon as we are called from earth."
In refering to the early days in North Arkansas Mr. Upton wrote in this
same letter, "At the age of 7 years or in 1837 I was in charge of some
of my relatives and the family that had the care of me drifted to Shawnee
Town where Yellville now stands. Though I was quite young yet I distinctly
remember many incidents during my stay there. I well recollect seeing Hamp
Tutt, Dave (not little Dave Tutt) Tutt, Bart Everette, Darity Barrett, Ben
Duvall and Tomps Murphy who lived In the village. Sam Kent, John Roper,
Cage Hogan and Billy Mooney lived near White River between the mouth of
Crooked Creek and Fallen Ark. On Mill Greek which flows into Crooked Creek
just below the village Daniel Wickersham owned a little corn mill and a
still house. Mr. Wickersham seemed to deal honorable with his patrons in
selling them liquor for the settlers could change one bushel of shelled
corn for one gallon of pure corn whiskey which is more than a man can do
these days. In giving a history of the mercantile trade at Yellville in
1837 and a year later on Mr. Upton wrote as follows: "Tomps Murphy
was at that time the only merchant in the village. He bought his goods at
a trading point on Black River called Pokahuntas. Mr. Murphy transported
his merchandise on the back of a large oxen he called Bob. He also had a
big pack saddle and plenty of bear rugs to turn rain. He also had stout
ropes which he made of hickory and paw paw bark which he put in the water
and allowed it to remain 3 or 4 weeks or until it was soft and pliant then
he took it out and manufactured ropes out of the inside bark. When Murphy
got ready to start to Pokahuntas for a new supply of groceries and trinkets
he would bring Bob up off of the range and lash the saddle and other necessary
equipment on the stears back then he would begin to load the animal for
the start by placing on the saddle bear hides and deer pelts and the skins
of coon, otter, beaver fox, mink and other hides that had a ready sale.
Then with the ropes he would lash the entire pile of skins so secure on
the oxens back that he would undergo but small trouble during the days drive.
When all was ready Murphy would stop up the big bell which hung on the stears
neck and start on the long journey. Settlers cabins were far between. Sometimes
he would reach a cabin at night where he would unload Bob and unstop the
bell and turn him out to graze. If he was not able to reach a hut he would
unload the oxen in the wild forest and after turning Bob loose would cook
and eat and lay down on his hides under the bows of a stately tree and dream
of wild scenes until morning when he would wade through the tall grass wet
with dew and drive Bob back to the camp or hut as it might be and reload
the furs and pelts on the oxens back and start on his way again. This was
repeated every evening and morning until he arrived at Pokahuntas when after
taking off the load of hides and camp equipage he would again unstop the
bell and let the faithful ox rest and fill up on cane in the Black River
Bottom until he exchanged the hides for another supply of groceries which
consisted of sugar, coffee, salt and all kinds of trinkets that was kept
in a mercantile house in that day. When the merchant was ready to load the
new supply on Bob’s back which amounted to 3 or 4 hundred pounds he
would go into the bottom and drive Bob back to the trading post and lash
the new bought stuff on his back and pick up his whip and say "Come,
Bob, walk up. We have a long journey before us back home". And the
well trained ox would move off slowly on the dim beaten trail toward Shawnee
town again. The distance traveled on some days was short while others were
long and weary. It was owing to the distance the settlers huts stood apart
or the distance from one regular camping place to the other. Whether it
was a light or hard days travel unloading and reloading was repeated night
and morning until Murphy and his wearied freighter arrived at the village
where Bob was halted at the door of Murphy’s store room and the merchandise
was taken off of the animals back and carried into the house. When White
River was past fording the merchant had to transport his cargo across the
river in a dug out canoe and make the ox swim across. When the smaller streams
were swollen the man was compelled to await on the bank until the water
fell low enough to cross without danger of damaging his stuff.
Murphy’s store house was built of nice cedar logs 14 by 16 feet square
and stood in the midst of the finest cedar grove I ever saw. The building
was covered with long clab boards with logs laid on them to keep the wind
from blowing them off. The door and window shutters and counter top was
made of the same material. There was a small fire place in one corner of
the room. The floor was made of puncheons split out of logs.
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