Early Settlers Personal History

1. Laura Jane Daughtery Johnson

2. 121 South 6^th Street Van Buren, Arkansas

3. Housekeeping

4. Running a house

5. June 30^th 1859

6. 121 So. 6^th St., Van Buren. Mrs. Johnsons says she remembers when there were only four or five houses in Van Buren. These constituted the old Dibrell home on Broadway, the Morrell and Marine home both on Broadway. The Morrell and Marine homes was owned by two sisters and it was divided into two separate apartments even to the porch was divided by lattice wall. A wall of lattice runs through the backyard dividing the back yard. There was no opening between the two apartments. This was the peculiar part. The old Ogden home, now the home of Miss Zula Ribling home on Broadway was formerly the old Ogden home. A few other smaller houses were later built on Broadway; they were built of old boat lumber and were called "the boat houses." There were a few houses close to the river also she did not describe this particularly. Mrs. Johnson's home in which, she now lives is the original house her father built before the Civil war. The same lumber is in the house with the exception of the ends which were first made of rough lumber as planed lumber in those days were rare to get and her father later put planed weather boarding on the end of the house. There was an old log room which was used for a kitchen for several  years but was torn down and a frame room put in place of the log room. The front of the house just like it was first built.

7. Married to Henry Carter Johnson of Illinois (Dr. Johnson) in the year of 1886 June First.

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9. All her life - since 1859

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12. Mrs. Johnson says most of the houses were built of wood and log. A few were built of brick. She remembers a log house on 6^th St. which was built of logs, a double log house with a hall and a long front porch. This house was the old Lasater home.

13. Candles which were made at home. She remembers the first oil lamp which was very small lamp. Mrs. Johnson was a very small girl when this lamp was bought. She remembers well her mother molding candles.

14. Does not remember the year but remembers when electricity was first used.

15. Wood was the only fuel used for many years.

16. Everybody raised their own chickens, hogs and cattle for beef. There was plenty of wild game and fish. She relates that Mr. Merrill had the first butcher shop in Van Buren. It was on Main Street in the second block going down Main St., she relates that the farmers did a lot of street peddling. Most people raised their own meat. She remembers her father smoking their meat in an old smoke house in the back yard. Her father owned half a block.

17. Mrs. Johnson relates that her people bought most of the material such as Calico. Some cloth was homespun. There was silks and velvets brought to Van Buren and sold for $2.50 per yard. She relates about her grandmother having material of black silk brocade. That her children decided this material was too loud for her. Mrs. Johnson's mother traded her grandmother a plain silk for the brocade and later in year Mrs. Johnson wore a dress made of this brocade silk and now has some of the material which seems perfectly good.

18. Chavaries [sic] (charivaris more commonly referred to as shivarees) were frequent in those days especially in the rural sections.

19. Sugar, meat and such was bought in barrels. Her father worked in a Government Office in Little Rock and her father shipped barrels of Flour, sugar, meat and such to Mrs. Johnson's mother in Van Buren. She relates that her grandfather was a rebel and that he was arrested one day and that there was a Lieutenant by the name of Daughtery that Mrs. Johnson's mother went to the Lieutenant and that her grandfather was released  right away. Mrs. Johnson's mother's name was also Daughtery and it was thought they were related. Mrs. Daughtery's father's name was William Miller.

20. Does not remember.

21. Mrs. Johnson remembers when the tomatoes were called Love Apples. When she was a youngster going to school they would go to the garden with salt in their hands and eat tomatoes which were very small. She says she was grown before the large tomatoes were grown.

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24. Mrs. Johnson remembers Polk Salad [sic] (poke salit), Sassafras, and Red Oak Bark were used. Red Oak Bark was used as medicine and dye too. Sassafras used as tea and Polk was eaten on the table.

25. Mrs. Johnson relates that one time a school mate had tetter on her head and that this girl had a new comb and that she had to try wearing this comb and that she got this tetter.  Her mother used red oak tea to cure this. She also relates that her father brought some Indians home with him and that her mother was scared of Indians. That she was told to go out and get the axe and that one of the Indians had his axe and that she could not talk to the Indian and started to take the axe out of his hand and he started to hit her with the axe and this started quite an excitement.

26. Used water from wells in those days as there was no fire works or the people would carry a bucket and form a line to the river and each one would dip up a bucket of water and go to the burning building and throw it on the building.

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28. The old Brodie Hotel was the first hotel she remembers. That it stood down on the River bank. The old Bostic hotel was also an old building which stood at the foot of what is now Fayetteville Street, Van Buren. She remembers the boat-landing at the foot of Main Street. This was the only way of conveyance to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

29. Her first school days was in the Methodist church building after the War and before it was used again for a church. A Mrs. Allezander was a teacher at that time. Mrs. Johnson said she went to school and decided her teacher could not teach her and she quit and went home. Her next school was in the old Bostic hotel.

30. She went to the Young Ladies Seminary Building which was later called Broadway School. She remembers her brother going to school in old Presbyterian Church Building right after the war.

31, Mrs. Barber and Mr. Allexander 

32. Subscription was the method used in this time. Parents paid so much for each child.

33. McGuffies [sic] (McGuffey's) Books were used. The old Blue Back speller. Used copy books made by the teacher usually. Her brother would very often set a copy for her as he had gone to school to Mr. Henry Shibley and he was a fine teacher.

34. Godeys Ligabeth [sic] (Godey's Lady's Book) was first Woman's Magazine she remembers. The Waverly magazine came on next.

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37. Mr. M. Lamey owned the first automobile in Van Buren. It was the old type car, very large and Mrs. Johnson relates that she remembered Mr. Lamey would come down to the corner on which they lived and would have quite a time turning around. She does not remember what year that was.

38. Mrs. Johnson saw her first train on the track in the Missouri Pacific yards. It was then called Fort Smith and Little Rock. She relates that they crossed the river by Ferry Boat up until the railroad was put through. Mrs. Johnson relates a trip she, when a young woman and a lady friend with Mr. Charley Pape took to Fort Smith in a buggy. On returning home they drove up to take the ferry boat and just as they arrived the boat started off and they were left on the bank. Mr. Pape went  back and had the horse and buggie put up and the young ladies and Mr. Pape crossed in a skiff as that was the only way they had crossing that night. She relates that this very often happened.

39. Mrs. Johnson saw her first Aeroplane [sic] in Ft. Smith, they had no air port but it landed in an open space somewhere close to 6^th street.

40-46 not answered

47. Mrs. Johnson remembers when they hung people in Van Buren. She remembers when a negro was hung, that he rode on his coffin to the place of hanging which was just above the cemetery.

48. Mrs. Johnson remembers soldiers being camped across the street from their home and they would come over and talk with the family. They would gives them pennies. They were first pennies they had ever seen down South.

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52. Mrs. Johnson is a charter member of the Daughters of the Revolution.

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55. Mrs. Johnson speaks about a pyramid at Montiney [sic] (Monte Ne) in Washington County Arkansas

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Transcribed by Alisha Carey, GHS Class of 2007