In 1824, the United States government granted public land for the establishment of a seat of justice in Hemstead County, Arkansas. By March, 1825, the Hempstead County Court of Common Pleas could report, "It appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that three of the commissioners of the County of Hempstead...have caused a courthouse to be built...for...$250..." This courthouse was located next door to the tavern house built by Elijah Stuart in 1824, located on a sandhill, which became the town of Washington. In a letter dated May 23, 1825, John Clark said to Stephan F. Austin, "...we have a flourishing little village at the place he (Robert Anderson) was endeavoring to get the seat of justice located...called Washington..."
Pioneer Washington was a crossroads for travelers in every direction. The town was situated on the Southwest Trail, the earilest road across Arkansas, which ran from Fulton on the Red River to Washington, and then to the capital city of Little Rock and on into Missouri. Between 1832 and 1839, thousands of Choctaw Indians from Mississippi passed through town on their way to Indian Territory, present day Oklahoma. Many people came through town, including a couple of men who were selling land, John J. and James Bowie.
John and James Bowie were not the only land speculators in southwest Arkansas, but they were perhaps the best known. The Bowie brothers sold many citizens of Arkansas Territory pieces of land in Hempstead and neighboring counties. Unfortunately, their claims were fraudeulent, which ended their land scheme in Arkansas. However, during the time James Bowie was in Arkansas, he visited the blacksmith shop operated by James Black and had a knife made, which may have been the first Bowie knife. Both Davy Crockett and Bowie passed through here on their way to Texas and ultimately to the Alamo.
