History of Osceola
By Glynda Thompson
Are you looking for a city with an interesting, varied, fascinating
history? Then look no further than Osceola, Arkansas. Located
on the mighty Mississippi River, right on Highway 61-a historical
highway that follows the river into Louisiana, and just off Interstate
55, it incorporates everything that is interesting to history
buffs, but also caters to the latest in agriculture and technology.
Originally swamps, trees, and Indian tribes, the area began
to draw scouts, hunters and even outlaws. Traveling the Mississippi
River in steamboats, farmers, loggers and settlers began to
the advantages of this area that became Osceola. The steamboat
captains gave the town its original name of ‘Plumb Point’.
According to Mark Twain in his Life on the Mississippi, when
one steamboat would inquire of another where to find wood for
the steamboats, they were told to “go plumb to the point”,
where enterprising settlers had stacked wood to sell. This was
the beginning of Osceola. Loggers soon found that the abundance
of many different kinds of wood was their dream, and soon the
area was covered with fallen trees. Farmers heading down river
for land noticed the rich Delta soil, and stepped off the steamboats
to start a new life farming in land that could grow almost any
crop. They soon found that cotton would produce almost unbelievable
crops, and the combination of soil and warm temperatures soon
made cotton ‘king’. As cotton was raised, it was
not unusual for 500 bales of cotton to be loaded on steamboats
to be sold for local farmers. Some of the earliest scouts were
Carson and Kellems, and some of the earliest settlers included
the Edrington, Driver and Hale families, among others.
While part of Arkansas Territory, a “county” government
was formed in 1833, and the first courthouse was in a local home.
Osceola was incorporated in 1853 and then again in 1875 when
Mississippi County was formed from a portion of Crittenden County.
At that time there were about 250 families in Osceola. There
have been 3 courthouses in Osceola—the one in the Reeves
home, one in ‘old town’ and the beautiful one that
still stands proudly displaying its copper dome on the square
in downtown Osceola. It was built in 1912 and is on the National
Registers of Historic Places. Travel the great River Road and/or
the Cotton Heritage Highway (state highway 61), and when you
get to this courthouse be sure and stop and visit the monuments
on the square that honor our military and a few of the people
who have contributed so much to Osceola.
Osceola has contributed greatly to the military history of the
area. Read about the Battle of Plum Run Bend, one of the largest
battles of the Civil War fought on a river, for example. Visit
the museum and see the photos or WWI, WWII and later military
photos and read about this history. Find out about the German
POW camps in the area.
While on the square, visit Mississippi County Historical and
Genealogical Society, the county museum housed in a 1902 and
1904 mercantile building. Step through the door and step back
into history, as the fixtures are original and the history
of the county is preserved, taught and enjoyed. Find out when
Mississippi River froze, the story of the first cars in Osceola,
why the railroad was started, even when lighting came to Osceola,
or how the drainage was done to make the farming even better.
Take a walking or driving tour of Osceola –there are
brochures available at the museum-and learn about the rich
history of the
area, including music, art, military and politics.
| The “Osceola Times”, a weekly newspaper still published today
is actually older than the last incorporation of Osceola. It was started
in 1870, and the first building in ‘new town’, built around
1899 was for the newspaper, with the editor living in the apartment above
the office. This building still houses the newspaper.
Churches over 100 years old and new churches recently
built dot the landscape. Osceola not only has many beautiful
homes, from Victorian to modern, but
even boats its own ‘mansion.’ Gene Cox, owner of the Cox-Florida
Mansion, has restored the home built on Semmes Street in the late 1940’s,
and based on the mansions and manors of England to its original beauty.
Businesses housed in buildings built in the early 1900’s, and businesses
in new buildings work together to improve Osceola. Plants, such as Osceola
Products and Osceola Foods (now Kagome Creative Foods) have been here for
60-70 years. American Greetings, started in the late 1950’s, boasted
of being the ‘largest one floored building in the United States’ when
it was built, and it is still an active plant today. New plants, such
as Denso and Systex have built in Osceola, and the Plum Point Power Plant
is scheduled to begin production in 2010. History, agriculture, and technology
sit comfortably side by side.
Highway 61 is also considered the ‘blues highway’, and Osceola
has seen some of the best singers and songwriters in the world get their
start here in Osceola—men such as Son Seals and Billy Riley. Kemmons
Wilson, of Holiday Inn fame was born in Osceola. Dale Evans, wife of
Roy Rogers was raised in Osceola. And the list goes on to cover many
fields of endeavor, political, art, authors just to name a few. Sports
have been a big part of the Osceola history. As far back as 1933, a local
team played against the St. Louis Cardinals in baseball, and only lost
by one point! Football has produced some pros from the area, who even
come back each year to encourage the youth of the area.
Agriculture has gone from chopping and picking cotton by hand to a wide
variety of crops with GPS operated equipment, but children are still taught
what it was like when everything was done by hand.
Women have always been encouraged to be part of the growth
of Osceola. In the 1930’s, there was an all-woman
school board-something unheard of for that time. Even
earlier, there was a woman editor of the Osceola
Times. Mrs. Adah Roussan, who had been made an honorary member of the
AR Press Association in 1879, became editor of the paper
in 1906 after the
death of her husband, and held the post until 1918. The editor of the
paper now is also a woman.
One of the most beautiful of the historical buildings in downtown Osceola
is now the City Hall. Originally the Mississippi County Bank and a Real
Estate office, the inside of this building is widely known for its beautiful
wood and marble interior. And on the walls are many photos honoring the
history of Osceola, including all the mayors. Now mayor Dickie Kennemore
continues the tradition of working for the future, while promoting tourism
to honor the wonderful past that Osceola presents.
The Mississippi County Historical & Genealogical
Society, formed in 1993 works tirelessly to present the
history of Osceola and Mississippi
County at the museum, 209 W. Hale, Osceola. Open 9am-4:30pm, Monday through
Friday and by request on nights or weekends, tours are free, with donations
welcome. Phone 870-563-6161.
Come and take a walk through history.