Volume 3, Number 1 - Winter 1967-68
The Stone County Booklet (1927)
A Guide to Prosperity and Happiness
Published by the Business Firms and Farmers of Stone County
Prepared by A. L. McQuary, State Fair Commissioner of Stone County.
In the early days, the "Old Wilderness Road", 120 miles long, from Springfield, to Berryville, Ark., passed through the "Shepherd of the Hills" country in the southeastern part of Stone County. This road ran on a ridge of crooks and curves almost without a hill, except where it crossed the White River at Kimberling Ford, and was much used during the Civil War by Federal and Confederate Soldiers and Bushwackers who, if now living, could relate many thrilling experiences. But since the construction of Highway No. 43 this old road is abandoned and most of the land is cleared of the timber and brush, and many valuable farms containing blue grass; orchard grass, and clover pastures, and productive fields stocked with thoroughbred cattle, sheep, hogs, and poultry are thriving on the land that was once considered by early settlers, as worthless, brushy, and stony ridges.
Mutual Protection
During the Civil War a band of 120 Arkansas Bushwackers came up the "Old Wilderness Road" into Stone County on a foraging expedition. Here they met Ali Baker, a young law-abiding man, who opposed them and they killed him and rounded up 150 cattle and what plunder they could carry and camped for the night, preparing for an early start for Arkansas in the morning. But while the Bushwackers were rounding up the cattle, the captain of the Stone County Guards was "rounding up" his faithful band at Galena and at midnight surrounded the Bushwackers and killed all but 20 who escaped back to Arkansas. This is related that the readers and homeseekers, far and near may know that most of the citizens of Stone County are, and always have been composed of home-loving and home-protecting descendants of Scotch-Irish, from Kentucky and Tennessee.
Our Court House and Officers.
The Stone County Court House is a large three Story fire-proof building with concrete floors and stairways. It stands in the center of the Galena Public Square, which is carpeted with ever green blue grass, and shaded by large sugar-loaf hard maple trees, with wide concrete walks running through and around the beautiful and well-cared for lawn.
The building contains commodious, well-ventilated court rooms, offices, waiting and jury rooms and jail, well equiped and supplied with heat, lights, water and sewage, all of which the present Mr. Boren, the janitor, keeps neat and clean.
The County officals whose names are given on another page, are all honorable and well qualified MEN, except one. Of course every family perhaps, has a black sheep and some of these officals may be better qualified than another. But the exception, we mentioned above is no MAN at all, but a very worthy, accurate WOMAN, who has proved herself competetent to fill the office of the County Treasurer and her election is convincing evidence to all whom it may concern that Stone County voters favor woman suffrage and a large number of female votes are cast on election day. Our county and circuit judges and all the officials in the court house are Republicans, and we have written in praise of them all, we might have felt like praising them a mite higher if they were all Democrats, "don't cher know"!
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