THE STREETMANS
"...Places They
Called Home"
GRAND LAKE - BAYOU MASON -
LAKE VILLAGE
I have found in several historical
records that names such as
GRAND LAKE, Lake Village, Masona,
Bayou Mason, Little River,
Ditch Bayou,Sunnyside Landing,
Parkers Landing were all
used as if synonymous.
William Geter and his family were
forced to homestead land in Chicot
County, Arkansas when the
boat they were traveling on sank
at GRAND LAKE, a landing on
the Mississippi around 1869.
Lake Village courthouse is where
we have found valuable family
information.
Founded in 1823, Chicot
County named Vilemont as its first county seat. Vilemont was located near
the mouth of Little Boggy Bayou. Southern boundry lines of the newly established
county seat were determined by the banks of the Mississippi River. Many
pioneers, traveling by pole rafts on the river, made the wild, wet and
swampy wetlands of extreme southern Arkansas their new home.
Mail, supplies and merchandise
came by way of river packet boats to Vilemont. People came from as far
away as 60 miles in to town to pick up items needed. Vilemont was the center
of activity for Chicot County, but not all the activity was of a good nature.
Vilemont was a rough and tumble
town. River boatmen, gamblers, thieves and evenmurderers were among the
nearly 500 people who made up the population in the early 1840's.
Pencil drawing noted "Vilemont habitation on Point Chicot" cr. 1800
The only two county officials, Sheriff William B. Patton and County Coroner
Richard
Latting, were kept busy due to the violent and often deadly crimes that
occurred in Chicot
County. Crime was so bad that before any othe county buildings were constructed,
the
county jail was built.
As if in judgement of the corruption in the town of Vilemont, the Mighty
Mississippi began
to eat away at the banks of the county seat. In 1847, all that remained
of Chicot County's
first seat of government, crumbled and fell into the powerful rushing waters
of the
Mississippi. Vilemont was no more.
In that same year, Columbia was named as the new county seat.
Drawing reads "Cotton plantations in Arkansas about
30 miles from Vicksburg looking North" This would be about in the Columbia
Area
Things went well for several years,
until once again the Mississippi River again claimed its second county
seat.
In 1885, the county courthouse fell
into the Mississippi River.
County officials were a little nervous now and decided to move the new
county seat
inland about 15 miles to a place called Masona. Masona sat on the Bayou
Mason.
Although the threat of losing the town to the river was no longer a problem,
things didn't
fare well in Masona. It was too far away from the river activity. It was
then decided to
make Lake Village the official and permanent seat of Chicot County.
Lake Village was one of the oldest towns in Chicot County. It was located
on the banks of
beautiful Lake Chicot. Lake Chicot was formed about 1350 when the Mississippi
river had
changed its course. It was and still is the largest, natural oxbow
lake in the nation. The
lake was discoverd by the French exporer LaSalle in 1686 and was given
the name "Isle
de Chicot" which means island of stumps. He gave it this name because of
the many
cypress knees he mistakenly thought were stumps.
Lake Street 1900
Because
of its seclusion and the beauty of the lake, the town was a popular place
for the river boatmen and other travelers to stop for a few days rest and
relaxation. The swampy wetlands offered great hunting opportunities for
hunters and trappers. One could find everything from bear to bobcats. By
1890 there were two large general stores, several lawyers, dentist, doctors,
two hotels, a drug store, two livery stables, a newspaper office, a hardware
store and at least seven saloons. Some 11 years later, the first mayor
of Lake Village was elected. H.S. Wynne entered Into office in July of
1901.
WE FIND
GRANDPA ON THE 1900 CENSUS OF THIS AREA SO HE AND HIS FAMILY LIVED IN AND
WAS A PART OF OR FAMILIAR WITH ALL THAT WAS GOING ON AT THIS TIME.
Main Street 1940
There is a wonderful narrative on the internet with a few pencil drawings
of the area
that will enlighten you as to just how important the river was to the
people of this time
where Grandpa Streetman's people settled.
Title : Passage To The West
HOME