Johnson County, nestled between the Arkansas River and the foothills of the Ozark
Mountains in Northwest Arkansas, is a quiet and sparsely populated region known largely for its scenic vistas and peaches. However, the county has a history of violence and hardship.
Clarksville, the county seat of Johnson County, is a sleepy and peaceful city, best known for the annual Peach Festival. But, in the 1870s the city was known nationally as “Bloody Clarksville” because of the numerous outlaws, gunfights, and hangings. Even tiny Coal Hill once had a reputation as a mean town because of its many drunken brawls, robberies, and murders. Called a
“town too tough to die,” it was the site of the infamous 1915 coal mine strike that was only stopped when federal
…show more content…
Local legend portrays Wallace as something of a Southern hero who sought revenge against the killers of his father and fought valiantly against the carpetbaggers. Wallace reportedly shot and killed several men, including a local constable and a local judge, before he was hanged for his crimes in Clarksville.
During the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, the United States entered into an era when the accumulation of wealth was the driving force. The introduction of the Little Rock and
Fort Smith Railroad into Johnson County and the discovery of large coal deposits finally brought some prosperity to the county. However, the possibility of riches also brought government corruption and exploitation of local labor. Freed slaves and displaced farmers first worked the mines. However, they were soon replaced by the introduction of European immigrants who were willing to work more cheaply. The influx of foreigners was not welcome and was met by renewed Ku Klux Klan activity and animosity from local residents. Eventually, an even cheaper labor force was found in leased convicts from Arkansas prisons. The mix of blacks, poor rural whites, immigrants, and former convicts was a volatile