The topic Amy has given us this week is "The Courthouse". I have been to many county couthouses, especially before the computer age, when you had to actually "go there" and look for actual books and papers! I have found some amazing things in courthouses, but one stands out above all the rest! The Powhatan Courthouse in Powhatan, Arkansas has to be one of my favorite memories of a courthouse visit!
Several years ago, my wife and son and I were driving from a family reunion in Ohio to a vacation spot in northern Arkansas and chose a route that included an historic courthouse. We understood that this courthouse held records from the time when Arkansas was just a Territory. I had learned that my 5th great grandfather, James Ferguson, who was a Revolutionary War soldier, had lived for a few years and died in northeast Arkansas. So, I believed that we might find some records there concerning him. I have written before about James Ferguson and you can read more at https://regnirpsstories.blogspot.com/2018/07/james-ferguson-revolutionary-war-soldier.html.
The road to this very small, old town were very crooked and hilly. We drove for a long time and were not sure we would ever arrive. But, then, as we rounded a turn, up on the hill, we saw this stately red brick building. It was the old courthouse and it was delightful. It is actually part of a state park and has other buildings on the grounds. You can see the old jail, a cabin and other items at
https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/powhatan-historic-state-park, or here http://www.exploretheozarksonline.com/activities/parksnature/stateparks/arkansas/powhatan/index.html. My son and wife explored the jail, cabin and other areas while I went into the courthouse and found records I never expected to see!
In the previous article I posted photos of some of the military records I had found online. But, here I was able to not only see the Probate documents from James's Estate, I was able to go into the vault while they pulled the file and then was able to actually touch, feel and read these preserved documents from 1834! It was amazing! Here is a photo of 2 documents dated 1828 and 1832 from James Ferguson promising to pay certain amounts:
Apparently, James was not able to read or write, so he signed with an "X". The thrill of actually holding a document "signed" by my 5th great grandfather in 1828 was overwhelming!
I will likely be in more courthouses in the future, but I doubt I will ever find one where I will have this sort of experience, again!
'Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
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