Page 20 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

"X* 4 JEFFERSON COUNTY. -9 A

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ward added a corn mill and planing-mill. Will- of $300,000. The Citizens' Bank was formed

iam Scull had a sash, door, and planing factory February 10, 1887, with a capital of $100.000.

from 1857 until the Federal army took charge of The city has two exoellent street railways-the

it. The next factory was a similar one owned by Citizens' and Wiley Jones-each with respective

the largest contractors in the coiinty-Bell & capitals of $30,000 and $25,000. The latter, as

Bocage, who had mills in various parts of the stated elsewhere, is the only street railway line in

county, and a steam brick factory. At the time the world owned by a colored man.

their works burned (August 23, 1873) they were Telephone and telegraph facilities are excel-

the largest south of St. Louis, and of over 100 j lent, and the Pine Bluff Water & Light Company,

employes about half were skilled mechanics. with a capital stock of $200,000, furnishes elec-

Their loss exceeded $00,000. I n 1871 E. W. Bo- tric light of 1,500 incandescent and 100 arc light

cage built his Pine Bluff Iron nnd Engine Works. capacity, and water with a domestic pressure of

The next were the Pine Blnff Agricultural Works, 8 0 pounds, and 6re pressure of 200 pounds to

erected by a joint.stock company. This was nnder the square inch, and with pipe of size sufficient

the management of W. J. McKiuney. I n 1875 for a city of 200,000. The pumping capacity is

the Emma Oil Company began, and in less than a 3,500,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. The sys-

decade they had six presses of six boxes each. I n tem of sewerage is good and has thirty-inch mains.

1877 the Pine Bluff Oil Company began their The polioe and fire departments are well organized.

works, but were aoon absorbed by the Emma Cam- The city has an i m m e w cotton trade and has

pan?, under the presidency of G). H. Blood. The two compresses. I t s wholeaale, jobbing and retail

foundry and machine shops of J . W. Bocage & houses are numerous and extensive, andincreasing

Go. were erected near the Valley depot in 1879, constantly.

and soon becameone of the largest works of this re- One opera house and two large parks-the

gion. I n 1880 the J e E e m n Iron Works Company Recreation or Citizens' and Wiley Jones'-repre-

were organized by Meaw. Franklin, Preston and sent the amusement side of Pine Bluff, while

Hardin, and began work in the old Baptist Church White Sulphur Springs is the nearest resort.

building on Barraque Street. The works soon fell The incorporation of Pine Bluff as a town oc-

into the hands of Preston & Prigmore. The Star curredon December 12, 1848, when its population

Planing and Shingle Xills were opened in January, was less than 400. This was known as the "Old

1879, by Smith & Riggin, with Mr. O. Morris as Town," and included what ie bomded by Walnut,

foreman. The Bl~iffCity Lumber Company is a Sixth Avenue, and Tennessee Streets and the river.

wood working factory, successor to the 0. D. Peck The first mayor was James De Bond, Jr., and his

1Company. The Ice & Coal Company have a large council wascomposedof W.P. (frace, lawyer; Drew

ice plant, erected in 1884. The machine works of White, landlordand mail contractor; L. L. Mandel,
Billey & Son care for that kind of work. E. L. merchant; Tberon Brownfield, carpenter. I t was
Colburn has a gin and grist mill, and tbe "Cotton the duty of Col. Grace, the clerk to formulate the

Belt" Railway division shops are large works. first ordinances, which he did during about two

Several brick kilns are in operation, while a few months, and it is related that he was allowed $25,

drug firms make patent medioines. Thomas Green provided he would have them printed. As the

has a general cart factory, and Mr. Currie's fac- printing cost him $24.50, his public contract

tory for native wines has headquarters here. proved to be a grand exception to what such con-

The Yerchanta' & Planters' Bank was organ- ! tracta are popularly supposed to be. &y of

ized December 1, 1870, with a capital of $58,000. these ordinances are still in form I n 1860 the

The First National Bank was formed on Septem- place reached a population of about 700 or 800,
ber 2, 1882, with a cash capital of $50,000. An- and was incorporated as a city. The town had

*! i:other hank is in course of formation with a capital ; begun to extend west and south. Additions were
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