Towns & Communities
Paraclifta
Paraclifta, the site of the first county seat, was one of the oldest and most important communities in Sevier County. It seems to have been named after Paraclifta, an indian chieftan who befriended many of the county’s white settlers.
In 1828 the territorial legislature temporarily set the County Seat of Justice in the home of Joseph English. Later the Territorial General Assembly passed an act appointing James Holman, Joseph Ladd, George T. Boren, David Clark and Levi Davis as commissioners “to locate the Seat of Justice in and for the County of Sevier”. They selected a place about a mile east of the Cossatot River which was known then as Paraclifta. The 1830 census listed ninety-three heads of households.
In 1831 a special act of the Territorial Legislature permanently fixed the seat of justice at Paraclifta and noted the commissioners had sold lots and built a courthouse. The first temporary jail was a post oak log with chains stapled to it which were then padlocked around each prisoner’s neck.
In January, 1841 a tax was levied to produce funds to build a new courthouse. A long history of disrepair and unstable maintenance problems relating to the early courthouse and the newer one of 1841 are documented. By 1853 the Sheriff gave notice that a county tax would be levied for “erection of a new courthouse.” The justices met and agreed to raise $1500.00. The new building was to be built on the county seat’s public square.
The 1840 census showed that the town of Paraclifta had only twenty-three heads of household. By 1860 the census reflected thirty-one heads of household.
When the city lots of Paraclifta were first marked off, they sold well. However, this did not continue. People began making homes elsewhere. Other settlements, including Brownstown and Bellville, were growing. Paraclifta was not. It is suspected that the disastrous flood of 1842 influenced some people to settle elsewhere. The businesses of Paraclifta did brisk commerce and were in accessible proximity to the courthouse. There was a commodious hotel - National House - with a modern livery stable. The block west of the square was taken up by the residence of L.H. Norwood.
In 1841 a bridge was built across the Cossatot River on the road from Paraclifta to Rocky Comfort and in 1860 the county established a poor house for the area’s paupers.
In 1867 Little River County was created. Paraclifta’s location was poorly situated to serve as the county seat. Consequently, plans were made to move the county seat from Paraclifta to Lockesburg. The Norwood family bought town property from Paraclifta and operated a successful farm in the vicinity for years. The move to Lockesburg tolled the death knell of the little town and today nothing remains of what was once a busy community.
Ben Lomond - Mayor Ronald Smith, Sr. (903)748-0718
Ben Lomond was named by Dr. James H. Willson from Scotland after Ben Lomond Mountain on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. It was a farming community producing alfalfa, corn, cotton and feed crops. At its zenith Ben Lomond’s population was 300 citizens.
De Queen - Billy Ray McKelvy (870) 584-3445
De Queen has its roots in a tent settlement called Hurrah City. When the railroad came through, a Dutch coffee merchant, Jan de Goeijen, in joint effort with railroad magnate Arthur Stilwell, had raised $3,000,000 to finance it. Most of this money came from Holland. Because of this, Stillwell wanted to name a town after Jan de Goeijen. Since no one could pronounce his name, they called Mr. de Goeijen, “Jack De Queen”. de Goeijen chose the Hurrah City site and that is how De Queen got it’s name.
Mena, north in Polk County, was named for de Goeijen’s wife, Mena Janssen de Goeijen.
De Queen was destroyed by fire in 1899. The townspeople rebuilt it, this time using brick manufactured by the De Queen Brick Company.
The county seat was moved from Lockesburg to De Queen in 1905 and a new courthouse was built.
De Queen has a daily newspaper that gives us all the local news. Check out the De Queen Bee site by clicking on their name.
Horatio - Mayor Borden Neel (870) 832-2511
Horatio was given it’s name by Col. Fred Hubbell, general manager of the Texarkana and Ft. Smith Railroad. He named the town after his father, General Horatio Hubbell. A first petition to incorporate Horatio was made on October 4, 1898 and was approved by the county judge on October 8, 1898 but was not sufficient to pass. Another petition was approved on December 19, 1899.
Land for the town was donated to the Texarkana and Ft. Smith Railroad by the Pride and Smith families in 1894.
Lockesburg - Mayor Danny Ruth (870) 289-3261
Three brothers, James F., W.T. and M.W. Locke donated the land on which the town was built. The town was incorporated September 27, 1878 making it the oldest incorporated town in Sevier County. Nine years before it’s incorporation it became the county seat. Paraclifta had served as the county seat from 1830 until 1869 until the formation of Little River County made Paraclifta’s location unlikely for a county seat. Most of the citizens wanted the county seat centrally located, and so Lockesburg bid for and was granted the county seat.
Gillham - Mayor Estalee Branson (870) 386-7136
Gillham is located on much of what was originally the Silver Hill community. Silver Hill prospered during the first of the county’s mining booms about 1874. Even though no silver or other precious minerals were found, the town grew.
In 1897 a new town on the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad was laid out about one and a quarter miles southeast of Silver Hill. It was named for Robert Gillham, chief engineer of the railroad. The town was incorporated in 1902 with an estimated population of four hundred. The timber mill at Silver Hill and the proximity of the Bellah and Antimony Mines provided prosperity for the area until the Great Depression.
