Crittenden Co, AR - Petitions to the Postmaster General ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Jerry Morrison Email: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Files may be printed or copied for Personal use only. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the books "Territorial Papers - Arkansas Territory 1829-36" pages 174-175 PETITION TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL BY INHABITANTS OF CRITTENDEN COUNTY [NA:HF, 21 Cong., 1 sess.:DS] [Referred January 18,1830] TO THE HONARABLE WILLIAM T. BARRY Post Master General Washington City District Of Columbia We the undersigned petitioners of Crittenden County in the Territory of Arkansas, beg leave to your honor that we reside near the northern boundary ofCrittenden County distant from fifty to ninty miles from the Greenock post office, and that in Consequence of the frequent inundation of the West bank ofthe Mississippi river there is no practicable rout by land to Greenock thecounty seat, which renders the channel of communication to and from the postoffice very difficult, consequently we labour to a great disadvantage on account of thus being precluded the convenience of receiving and mailing letters at that post office. Your petitioners would further represent that the section ofCountry in which we reside is contiguous to Dyer County in the State ofTennessee, and that there is now in use practicable rout from Barfields Warehouse on the Canadian Reach on the west Bank of the Mississippi river to Dyersburgh Tennessee, not exceeding thirty miles in distance. Your petitioners would further beg leave to represent that Barfields warehouse is the principal point of deposit for all prodduce that descends the Forkeddeer river on board of Keel Boats and other crafts which is reshipped at the above point on board of Steam Boats for New-Orleans. Your petitioners would further represent that was there a post office established at the above point the merchants and numerous farmors of the Counties of Maddison, Gibson, and Dyer and a part of Haywood and Obion in the State of Tennessee would commicate with their respective agents in New Orleans by and through that channel as they could be made with much more facillity than they are now forwarded. Your petitioners would therefore earnestly request and recommend to your honor the establishment of a post office at the above mentioned point to be known and called by the name of the Canadian Reach post office Crittenden County Arkansas Tery together with a weekly mail from Dyersburgh Tenn to that place, also appointment of George C. Barfield Esquire post master a man who is in every respect qualified to fill the office and perform the duties therof with fidelity and ability. Feeling an honest conviction that not only your petitioners, but that a number of the citizens of the State of Tennessee would be bennefitted by the establishment of a post office as above,we are emboldened in asking, and confidently hope that your honor will bestow that attention on the subject that its merrits demand, and Your petitioners will ever pray. & & P. H. Swain John Sellers Robert Rowland Peter Scoonover Philip E. Sheppard Isham W. Smith William A. Bell John O. McLain Alex Patterson James Young John McKinzey N. G. Baldock Isaac Snodgrass P. P. Hickson Robert Ross George W. Ager Charles Eddy William Clark John H. Walker Burges Bishopp George Hayward John C. Bowen John Watson William Hudgdins John Hathaway [Addressed] Honarable William T. Barry Postmaster General Washington City D. C. pr. Hon A. H. Sevier [Endorsed] Arkansas Inhabitants Crittenden County Post Jan. 18, 1830 Referred to Comm Post Office &c Sevier 130. Post ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the books "Territorial Papers - Arkansas Territory 1829-36" pages 442-443 PETITION TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL BY INHABITANTS OF CRITTENDEN COUNTY [NA:HF, 22 Cong., 1 sess.:DS] [December 24, 1831] To the honorable William T. Barry Postmaster General of the United States of America We your petitioners humbly beg leave to represent to your honor that we reside in the county of Crittenden in the Territory of Arkansas near her northern boundary immediately on the margin of the Mississippi River from forty to eighty miles distant from the Greenock post office which is the only post office in said County, and that the only channel of communication with said office is that of the Mississippi by water, her banks and the adjacent country being frequently inundated by the overflowing of the River, consequently your petitioners labour to a great disadvantage on account of being thus deprived of the convenience of a post office, your petitioners therefore earnestly pray that your honor establish a post office at Barfields point on the Canadian Reach in the County above mentioned and appoint Geo. C. Barfield post master therof a man who is in every respect quallified to fill the office, in establishing the office in question the rout would have to be extended from Dyersburg Tennessee to the above point a distance of not more than thirty miles by land and fifty miles by water by way of the Forked deer River, the land rout could be performed easily in one day for at least two thirds of the year, the remaining part of the season it could be performed by water in a canooe or skiff in a day and a half-the establishment of the office as prayed for, would not only be a matter of great convinience to your petitioners of the Territory of Arkansas but also to the citizens of the counties of Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, and a part of the counties of Madison and Obion in the Western district of the state of Tennessee as many of them would communicate with their respective commission merchants and agents in New Orleans through this channel, from the foregoing considerations and an honest conviction of the Justice of the prayer your petitioners confidently hope that your honor will give the subject that consideration which its merrits demand and your petitioners will ever pray & & Canadian Reach Arks Terr Decr. 25th 1831 George Ager N. Armitage Zachariah Bailey Burgess Bishopp John C. Bowen A. McNeil Burke Daniel Carey S. A. Cerbay Thomas Clark William Clark John Conley Thomas Conway Thomas Cook Josiah Denton Bennett C. Dukes Thomas H. Edwards Owen Evans John Forester Claborn Foster Nathaniel Foster William Gibson Hannibal Good Dan Harris Xenophin M. Harris Charles Hill Ransom Hill Payton S. Hixon Jesse Hucheson Henry Hudgens John Hudgeons Jacob Hunter Coleman Hutchin James Hutchin C. E. Jackson S. E. Jackson Richard L. Jones Wiley Jones Harmon Kelliams John Lane W. O. Lindsey Henry Lovit John Lyles John Meek T. I. Mills John Nickals Thomas Pelhims John Ray Peter G. Reeves Uriah Russell Peter D. Scoonover Philip E. Sheppard Isham W. Smith John Squire P. H. Swain Foster Vansant Hugh Vansant John H. Walker John Wilcoxson Jeams Williams James Young William Young Note: This petition was transmitted by the Postmaster General to the House of Representatives. See resolution of the House instructing the Committee on Post Offic and Post Roads to inquire into the expediency of establishing the route in question (House Journal, 22 Cong., 1 sess., p. 390).