News details

Col. James Logan Father of Logan County
150 years / 23 December 2021 / 0 Comment

Father of Logan County

In 1830 the Logan family moved to Arkansas settling on the Arkansas River near Spadra. It was said that the wagon train transporting all the members of the family and their possessions was a mile long. Land was cleared along the river and James Logan farmed the land. A post office was established at the Logan settlement and was called Logan. James Logan was appointed postmaster.

In 1833 the Arkansas River overflowed, flooding farmland and causing great losses of horses and cattle. This disaster was followed by an outbreak of cholera. Deciding that the area along the Arkansas River was not a healthy place to live, James Logan looked for a more desirable location. He chose the hilly land to the south and settled on Sugar Creek near Booneville, which was then in Scott County. There he acquired nearly a thousand acres of land which was cleared for farming. He also established a grist mill on Sugar Creek.

Col. James Logan continued to live on Sugar Creek for the rest of his life, except for a short period when he served as an Indian agent at Fort Gibson in Indian Territory. James Logan died on Dec. 6, 1859, and was buried in the Logan Family Cemetery.

~ taken from “Logan County, Its History and Its People.”

Today, the cemetery is not easily accessible, and it is in need of some restoration and tending. The RattleCat is seeking donations and volunteers to assist with cleaning up the cemetery and restoring Col. Logan’s Headstone. It has become illegible due to time and weather. If you would like to help with this project with money, time, or materials please reach out to The RattleCat or to Officer Joshua Scott with the Sheriff’s department. Thank you for helping to preserve this important part of our County’s history. Donations may be sent to The RattleCat, PO Box 441, Booneville, AR 72927.

0 Comments:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked