Does anyone know when the log cabin in the park was built?

Here's a post card saying it was built in 1851.

http://www.cardcow.com/27287/log-cabin-jan...-arkansas-mena/

Gracias Shopdaddy!

Da Nada, Two Dogs. Here's a little more history about the cabin:

This is no ordinary community park! This brilliant 10 acre park is host to an 1851 log cabin rumored to have been used as a hideout by the notorious Jesse James, besides being used as a hospital, post office, and city hall during its lifetime. Surviving a devastating 1993 tornado, the cabin remains untouched by the progress surrounding it.

"rumored to have been used as...."

The only thing I know for sure it being used for was for city council meetings since there was no City Hall until the 1970's. The mayor's position was part time, held mostly by merchants who served out of civic duty and took care of city business when they got around to it from their own business office. I think the pay was 25 dollars a month.

Hmmm The james; Did they rob anything in this area? Usually if they were in a area they robbed some place?

Stories that can't be verified were told about the James bunch in the Dallas area (before there was a Mena). One account even had them burning the courthouse down. Probably just stories told to children at bed time.

I was just wondering, I've read up on them some and never read about them doing any crimes in this area. But everything doesn't always get wrote down in the history books.

They robbed a stagecoach between here and Hot Springs in 1871....supposedly buried money somewhere in between and it has never been found to my knowledge....might have been some of the KGC stuff....dont know for sure...they were all over this area in late 1870's-1880's....never know... :scratch:

Thanks i didn't know if they were in this area or not, i'll have to do a little research on this.

January 15, 1874 - Jesse James and "party" rob their first known stagecoach holdup of between $1000-$8,000 of cash and jewels near Hot Springs, Arkansas. (After his death a gold watch from one of the passengers was found among his effects.)



Jesse

To elaborate on what Dred wrote about the Hot Springs stagecoach robbery by the James Gang; According to an article written by Larry D. Rhodes for the Quachita Life, a posse of 20 men was organized and lead by Sheriff John J. Sumpter. Sumpter enlisted the help of an old indian fighter,"California Jack" gillis, in order to find the trail of the outlaws. The posse chased the outlaws westward through the Quachita Mountains. The James gang first headed down the Caddo Gap road in the direction of Murfreesboro, then took the road to Amity. The next day, after fresh horses and a wagon load of provisions for the posse were delivered, the chase resumed. The trail was picked up on Cossatot Mountain, about 15 minutes south of old Dallas. The article states that Polk County Sheriff Ike Jones joined the posse and was instrumental in wounded one of the gang with a lucky shot. Eventually, the members of the posse became discourage with the chase and started to drop out. Sheriff Sumpter Stubbornly kept up the pursuit for several days until the outlaws rode out of Arkansas and into the safety of Indian Nations.

I believe Jones may have been a deputy, because according to the records, the Sheriff's of Polk County in 1874 were G.R. Miller 1872-1874. and J.R. Lane 1874-80.

A couple of interesting facts that happened in Polk County in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

We have had two U.S. Deputy Marshal's killed in the County, one was Thomas L Martin, killed June 4, 1894. Martin was ambushed and shot to death on his front porch by moonshiners he had been investigating, he was survived by his wife and seven children. Martin worked as a Polk County Deputy, as soon as he took the fedral position, Martin was fired by the sheriff.

The second Deputy Marshal was James H. Bush killed June 27,1906, by Martin Miller. Bush went to the Miller home at Camp Wilder, nine miles east of Hatfield, to serve a warrant on Miller for illegally cutting timber on government land.

sac, just wondering if anyone knows how many lawmen have been killed since we became a county in 1844.

[sac, just wondering if anyone knows how many lawmen have been killed since we became a county in 1844.]

Good question Dred, I'll work on the answer. There are three that I know of. sac

I may know the same three you do. The number of legal executions in our county is one (Columbus Moffit). He was hanged at the county seat (Dallas) for the murder of a couple near the Okla. line on Highway 8 west. A couple of others were lynched/murdered: Tom Harmon, a mule team driver who left his CSA unit and came back to Old Dallas during the War and they lynched him and Peter Berryman, a black man lynched in Mena in 1901. There may be a couple of more. Don't recall off hand.

Dred, what year was Columbus Moffitt hanged? I wonder if a transcript of the trial is still available?? That would be an interesting read! I believe the court house has gone up in smoke a couple of times, and a lot of recorded history with it.

It was in the 1880s. I remember reading an eyewitness account of a woman who attended the public hanging as a young woman and it sickened her. The couple he murdered was named Wehunt, I believe. I don't know if any records are still around or not because of courthouse fire about that time.

Not to discourage the history lesson as it is very interesting and intriguing but as for the cabin...I wish they made houses like that now days. You know if the builder of that cabin were still around he would be in high demand. It sure has withstood a lot!!!