In 1836, when the territory of Arkansas was admitted to
the Union as a state, there were very few Caucasian people
living in what is now Craighead County. This area was pre-
dominantly sloughs and swamps in the St. Fraincis and Cache
River bottoms. The only high ground, not subject to contin-
uous overflow, was a small narrow range of hills, known as
Crowley's Ridge, running through the central part of the
county.
A few hardy pioneers, however, had penetrated these un-
settled wilds and had established homesteads on the high
ground of Crowley's Ridge. One of the first settlers to in-
habit what is now Craighead County was one Joseph Willey, a
native of North Carolina, who in 1835 settled on the bank of
Lost Creek about eleven miles northeast of the present city
of Jonesboro and established a grist mill.
Immediately following statehood, a great migration of
settlers moved into the new state, lured by the promise of
cheap land and a new way of life. Many of these settlers
came to what is now Craighead County and settled near Joe
Willey's grist mill. So great was the influx of settlers on
Lost Creek that by 1837 a small town had sprang up around
Willey's mill and was given the name "Greensboro."
The growth of the town of Greensboro for the next two
decades was somewhat phenomenal. Business and professional
people moved into the town and Greensboro became the first
"metropolis" of northeast Arkansas.
Prior to 1859 Greensboro was in Greene County. This was
perhaps the source of the town's name. The Greene-Poinsett
county line, at that time, was what is now known as the
"Clinton School House Road" west of highway 49 or the "Three
Notch Road" east of the highway, about two miles south of
the present town of Brookland.
In 1858 William A. Jones of St. Francis County, in his
race for state senator, promised that if elected he would
sponsor legislation to create a new county in the Greensboro
area. The residents of northern Poinsett County supported
Mr. Jones in the race and he was successful in his bid for
election. He made good his promise and in the legislative
session of 1859 the County of Craighead was created from
land taken from the counties of Greene, Poinsett and Missis-
sippi. The county was named in honor of Senator Thomas B.
Craighead of Mississippi County. The town of Jonesboro was
laid out for the new County Seat and was named in honor of
Senator Jones.
Greensboro was now in Craighead County and was its lar-
gest town. In 1860 the first federal census to be taken in
Craighead County listed business and professional people of
Greensboro as follows: John McCullough and F. M. Davis,
merchants; William Huggins, H. J. Tennyson and J. W. Asier,
grocery keepers; Milas Brown, shoemaker; Matthew Latta, A.
W. Warren and Harvey Ostien, ironsmiths; Jordon Luckness and
Newton Willey, cabinet makers; James and Hugh Jones, wheel-
wrights; James A. McNeeley, drug store and hotel; John Bran-
don, William Stephenson and John McCoy, carpenters; Joseph
Leeper, jewler; Henry Wisenhunt, basketmaker; William Little
and Thomas Payne, saddle makers; Catherine Young, seam-
stress; Calvin Wall, W. T. Faucit, K. Lambert, J. M. Harris
and E. B. Gibson, physicians; Robert McKay and Ruben Rives,
school teachers and Albert L. Stuart, lawyer.
As the years went by more people moved into the area and
the town of Greensboro continued to prosper and grow. Chur-
ches and a school were organized and a post office was
established. A Masonic Lodge was chartered at Greensboro on
November 28, 1879. It seemed that Greensboro was destined
to become one of the leading towns of northeast Arkansas.
But fate has a habit of changing the plans of men and alter-
ing the course of history.
For many years the Greensboro Road, which ran along the
back bone of Crowley's Ridge from Gainsville in Greene Coun-
ty to Wittsburg in Cross County, had been the virtual "life
line" of northeast Arkansas. Almost one hundred percent of
the supplies for this entire section of the state were brou-
ght in over this trail in wagon trains or ox carts. Most of
the furs, hides and other items produced by the settlers for
sale were taken out of the county in the same manner. The
strategic position of Greensboro on this road was respon-
sible for the towns success and growth. But transportation,
the very ingredient which had contributed so greatly to the
towns early success was to cause its demise and eventually
its death. In the early 1800s an innovation in transpor-
tation was to make its appearence in Craighead County. This
new concept, in the form of steel rails, would revolutionize
transportation to and from the county and make obsolete the
slow and expensive "wagon train" traffic on the Greensboro
Road.
In the summer of 1882 the rails of the Texas and St.
Louis Railroad were completed into Craighead County. Much to
the dismay of the Greensboro residents the railroad would
not cross the hills to their town but would instead be built
along the east slope of the ridge, bypassing the town of
Greensboro by about four miles to the east. That same year
the Iron Mountain Railroad also ran its tracks across Craig-
head County. It too would follow the "flat land" route.
While the Greensboro residents were agonizing over their
ill fortune, Archibald T. Brooks, their neighbor some four
miles to the southeast, was busily making plans for the
future. Brooks had settled in what was then the Powell town-
ship of Greene County in 1858. In the early 1880s, when he
had learned that the railroads were coming to Craighead
county, Brooks discovered that both railroads would run
parallel across his farm. Brooks then contacted the railroad
officials and made them a proposition. He informed the comp-
any officials that he was intending to "lay out" a town site
on his farm and offered to donate to the railroad companies
"every other lot" in the forty acre town site if they would
erect a depot there. The railroad officials accepted the
proposal and in the spring of 1882 the town of "Brookland"
was born.
There is evidence to indicate that a community of sorts
did exist at that location for a short time prior to the
founding of the town of Brookland. A U. S. Post Office grid
map showing mail supply to the proposed post office at Bay
indicated that mail would be supplied by the mail route
operating from Jonesboro to Bay to Maumelle to Lake City to
Lester to "Powell" then back to Jonesboro. Powell was enter-
ed on the grid map as being in the exact location as the
later town of Brookland. The name "Powell" was also entered
on the register of post masters but did not have a name on
the register. This indicates that an unsuccessful attempt
had been made prior to 1882 to establish a post office at
that location. Also the predecessor of the present Brookland
school system was organized August 12, 1881. There is also
evidence to indicate that the town site of Brookland had, in
fact, already been laid out when the first train arrived in
the summer of 1882. It is probable that Archibald Brooks
began work on this project when construction first began on
the railroad.
One of the first actions taken by Archibald Brooks, upon
creation of his new town, was to make application for a post
office to be located there. The application was dated March
21, 1882. The postal authorities, upon approval of the
application, entered the name "Brooksvale" but Mr. Brooks
chose a slightly different name, that of "Brookland". It is
not difficult to see, from studying the application, that
Brooks deliberated for some time over the name. It was writ-
ten in two parts like a compound name, and the two parts
were not written with the same pen, or possibly were not
written on the same day.
The application was approved and the Brookland post
office was established on April 18, 1882 with Archibald T.
Brooks as the first post master.
The town of Brookland proved to be an immediate success.
It could best be described as being a "boom town". Because
of its strategic location on both railroads, it quickly
became the center of commerce for the entire north-central
section of Craighead County.
In 1884, two years after its founding, the "Gazeteer and
Business Directory of Craighead County" had this to say
about the new town: "Brookland is a post village on the
Texas and St. Louis, and the Helena branch of the Missouri
Pacific railroads, in Powell Township, nine miles northeast
of `Jonesborough'(sic). Settled in 1882, it contains steam
powered saw grist mills, a church and a public school. The
outgoing shipments consist of cotton, furs, hides and cotton
seed. Population, 160. Mail, daily." The business and pro-
fessional people at Brookland in 1884 were listed as fol-
lows: A. T. Brooks, farmer; J. W. Chisenhall, hotel proprie-
tor; J. T. Dudley, saloon; J. P. Hancock, T. J. Hunt and
Winn and Jinks, general stores; P. Jackson, blacksmith;
J. M. Johnson, express agent and justice of the peace; L. F.
Marbrough, carpenter; James M. Slatton, Saw and grist mills;
J. B. Dillon, E. B. Gibson and R. A. Markham, doctors. Otto
M. Winters was a druggist and post master.
At this writing not much is known about Brookland's
founder, Archibald T. Brooks. According to the 1860 federal
census records he was born in 1827 in the state of North
Carolina. As a young man he migrated to Tennessee where he
married, his wife's name was Louisa. According to the same
records he was the father of five children: Mary B., age 10;
Thomas A., age 8; Sarah, age 6; James W., age 4; all born in
the state of Tennessee and Margaret E., age 12 months, who
was born in Arkansas. A brother, Joseph Brooks, age 22, born
in Tennessee also lived with the Brooks family. Harry L.
Williams, in his "History of Craighead County" states that
the Brooks family settled in what is now Brookland Township
of Craighead County in 1858. At this writing it is not known
when A. T. Brooks died or where he is buried.
Otto M. Winters was born in 1838 at Stuttgart, Germany.
In 1860 or '61 he migrated to the United States, eventually
locating at Jacksonport where he was living in 1867. He
later moved to Jonesboro where he engaged in the real estate
business and operated a saloon. In the late 1870s he moved
to the village of "Old Town" (now Lake City) and engaged in
the mercantile business. On January 19, 1879, he was united
in marriage with Miss Paralee Gatlin. Winters had apparently
been married previously as the 1880 census records indicate
that he had a son "Otto" who was eight years of age. They
also had a daughter "Ottilee" who was born January 4, 1880.
Otto Winters owned considerable property in and near the
town of Lake City. He also served as a "deputy recorder" for
the county and as a notary public. In 1882, when the town of
Brookland was founded, Winters moved there and established a
drug store. On May 8, 1883 he was appointed to succeed
Archibald Brooks as post master at Brookland. He served in
that office until May 1, 1885. Otto M. Winters died March
20, 1887 and is buried in the Methodist Church Cemetery at
Brookland.
J. W. Chisenhall was born February 14, 1827 in the state
of North Carolina. It is not known at this writing, when he
first came to Arkansas. The 1860 census records reveal that
he was a "clerk" in a store at Jonesboro and was boarding
with a David S. McElrath. On July 10, 1860 he was appointed
post master at Jonesboro and served in that office until May
22, 1866. Sometime later Chisenhall moved to Greensboro
where in 1878 he was appointed post master. He served as
post master at Greensboro until 1882. When the town of
Brookland was founded Chisenhall moved there and established
a hotel. On February 16, 1886 he was appointed post master
at Brookland and served until June 17, 1889. In the late
1880s he disposed of his hotel property and purchased an
established drug store. On May 24, 1893 he was again appoin-
ted post master at Brookland and served this time until June
29, 1897. On October 30, 1889 J. W. Chisenhall was united in
marriage with Miss Rebecca Wilson. Three children were born
to this union: Lawrence, born July 6, 1898; Frederick B.,
born August 13, 1896 and Mary R., born in June of 1898. J.
W. Chisenhall passed away on February 4, 1908 and was buried
at the City Cemetery in Jonesboro. On August 9, 1908 his
widow, Rebecca (Wilson) Chisenhall was married to Zachary T.
Hall, long time school teacher, justice of the peace and
deputy court clerk at Lake City. Frederick B. Chisenhall was
until his death on December 28, 1968, a very popular and
well respected citizen of Lake City.
John P. Hancock was born in January of 1848 in the state
of Alabama. In 1868 he came to Arkansas and settled near the
present town of Brookland. He was married to Mary Taylor
Brooks, Sister of Archibald Brooks. Five children were born
to this union: Stanley, John V., Myrtle, Clyde and Grady.
John P. Hancock was one of the first merchants in the town
of Brookland. He later moved to Buffalo Island near the
present town of Monette where he acquired a large farm. John
V. Hancock taught school in the east bottoms for several
years, served as mayor of Monette and as cashier of the bank
of Monette for many years. Grady Hancock was an undertaker
at Monette. John P. Hancock passed away in July 1923 and is
buried at the Pine log Cemetery near Brookland.
Dr. E. B. Gibson was born May 26, 1828 in Allen County,
Kentucky. He came to Arkansas when he was sixteen years of
age and became one of the pioneer doctors in Craighead
County. He first practiced medicine at Buck Snort then later
moved to Greensboro. When the town of Brookland was founded
in 1882 he moved his practice there. He was married four
times and was the father of twelve children. In 1859, when
the county of Craighead was created, Dr. Gibson and two
other men were appointed as commissioners to select a site
for a county seat town. This commission chose the site now
occupied by the city of Jonesboro. Dr. Edward Bryon Gibson
passed away April 11, 1908 and is buried at the Rutherford
Cemetery near Old Greensboro.
During the next sixteen years the business district at
Brookland did not grow a great deal but we can readily
detect the town had establsihed itself permanently. In 1900
the business and professional people at Brookland included:
H. Hall, John Epps, Charles Gibson and Hugh A. Jones,
merchants; James Jinks, stave mill operator; John W. Wilson,
saw mill operator; Thomas Irvin, hotel operator; J. W.
Chisenhall, drug store; Russell Roberts, William Baldwin,
William Jinks and Frank Nisbett, doctors; James Price, depot
agent and Anderson Self, cotton gin operator.
When Hugh A. Jones established his mercantile store at
Brookland in 1897, he started what was to become one of the
oldest businesses in the history of Craighead County to
remain in the same family. Hugh Jones operated the store
until the fall of 1916 when he retired and turned management
of the business to his son Ottis J. (Ott) Jones. Ott Jones
operated the business until September of 1971 when he also
retired after 55 years of service. After 74 years of oper-
ation by the same family the Jones Mercantile Company, on
Brookland's main street, closed its doors and ceased to
exist.
Hugh A. Jones was born november 23, 1856 in what is now
Craighead County. He was the son of R. C. and Lucinda
(Robinson) Jones who came from North Carolina and settled
near present day Goobertown in 1844. He was united in
marriage with Miss Dovie Ann Edwards and they were the
parents of nine children: James Robert, Albert Lee, Paralee,
Berton, Hiel, Purvis, Ola May, Ott J., and Charles. Dovie
(Edwards) Jones passed away on May 7, 1915 and Hugh A. Jones
later took a second wife. He was united in marriage with
Mrs. Merle (McCain) Stephens and they were the parents of
two children: Barbara Louise and Dorthy Lane. Hugh A. Jones
passed away on January 10, 1940 and is buried at the Pine
log Cemetery near Brookland.
By 1909 Brookland's business district had grown to
include six general stores and two drug stores. Brookland
businesses in 1909 included H. M. Epps & Company, Levi
Gatlin & Company, Gatlin & McPhearson, J. L. Robinson and H.
A. Jones, general stores. W. C. Baldwin and G. R.Graves,
drugstores; J. E. Robbins, blacksmith; and the Brookland Gin
Company. R. H. Robinson and L. S. Johnson operated general
stores "near by".
While the coming of the railroads had proven to be the
virtual "life blood" of towns like Brookland, Jonesboro,
Nettleton, Paragould and others, it also sounded the death
knell to the old town of Greensboro. In 1909 only one busi-
ness was listed at Greensboro, that of J. W. Johnson General
Store. Some of the Greensboro merchants and professional
people had moved to Paragould, others to Jonesboro, but many
of them had come to Brookland. It might be said that Greens-
boro died that Brookland might live.
By 1911 the town of Brookland had grown to the point
where it was felt that an organized system of government
was needed to insure orderly growth and to better control
activities in the town. On January 7, 1911 a group of the
town's residents held a meeting to consider the matter of
incorporating the town. A. J. Guest was elected chairman of
the group and B. F. Mills was elected secretary. J. A.
Griffin, W. E. Nelms and B. F. Mills were appointed to draw
up and circulate a petition, then present the petition to
the county court for consideration. A petition signed by
thirty leading citizens of the town was later presented to
the county court and on April 15, 1911 at 3:45 p.m., County
Judge W. A. Maywood signed a county court order incorporat-
ing the "town of Brookland."
While it would be impossible to mention everyone who has
had a part in Brookland's history, I would be terribly
remiss if I failed to mention one kindly old gentleman who
for many years was a permanent fixture in the town as well
as the surounding communities. Dr. Frank Nisbett was born
December 22, 1871 at Old Greensboro. He was the son of J. G.
R. and Jane (Heard) Nisbett. J. G. R. Nisbett came with his
parents from South Carolina to what is now Craighead County
in 1853 and was an early Greensboro merchant. Frank Nisbett
attended the one room school at Greensboro and later taught
school for a time in the same community. He later attended
medical school and in 1900 began the practice of medicine
at Brookland. On October 14, 1908, at Nettleton, Arkansas,
he was united in marriage with Miss Ora Echols, daughter of
M. V. and Martha (Bird) Echols. Two daughters were born to
the Nisbetts, Mary Jane, who married Dr. R. C. Shanlever and
now resides in Jonesboro, and Frankie, who lives in Kansas
City.
I might make note of one event that occurred in Dr.
Nisbett's career. On the morning of September 28, 1939, Dr.
Nisbett had probably just arrived in his office when a tall,
slender young farmer hurridly walked in and asked the doctor
to accompany him to his home. Upon arrival at the modest
farm home, about one mile south of Goobertown, Dr. Nisbett
found the wife of the young farmer in the advanced stages of
child birth. The doctor quickly went about his professional
duties and at 10:00 a.m. that morning, delivered to the
young couple a nine pound baby boy. That baby boy grew up to
be yours truly. Just one of the several hundred or perhaps
thousands of babies delivered by Dr. Nisbett in the Brook-
land community.
Dr. Frank Nisbett passed away January 11, 1947 and was
buried at the Pine Log Cemetery near the place of his birth.
On his tomb stone is inscribed the words "I hope that I have
done some good some time." A fitting thought of a man who
has done so much good for so many people in his community.
In the 1930s Brookland, like all other towns in the
county, experienced some tragic times that was to leave a
lasting imprint upon the town. For over a decade, following
the stock market crash in 1929, the entire nation was vir-
tually paralized by what became known as the "great depres-
sion". Fortunes were lost, unemployment reached an all time
high and people literally starved to death. Brookland was no
exception to the rule. Businesses were forced to close their
doors because people had no money with which to purchase
their goods. A bank had been organized at Brookland and it
was forced out of business. People began to leave the town
in search of employment. With the advent of World War II, in
December of 1941, the economy began to improve somewhat. But
the war also created an aditional out migration of people
from the town of Brookland. People began to leave this area
seeking employment in the many defense plants scattered
across the nation.
Improved highways and changing life styles, brought
about by the post war prosperity of the late 1940s also took
its toll at Brookland. People began to travel to Jonesboro,
Paragould and other larger towns for supplies and entertain-
ment. Brookland settled down to the routine of a typical
rural delta town.
Today, one hundred years after its founding, the town of
Brookland is still alive and well. Women still buy their
groceries at the general store and men still drink coffee
and spin tall tales at the Brookland Cafe. People still
collect their mail at the post office and pause to visit in
the post office lobby. The young people still "hang out" at
the drive inn and wash their "wheels" at the car wash. On
Sunday they all go to one of several fine churches of dif-
ferent denominations located in or near the town.
I am firmly convinced that if we could foresee one hun-
dred years into the future that Brookland would still be
going strong. As long as there are men like Archibald
Brooks, J. W. Chisenhall, Frank Nisbett and Ott Jones, there
will always be a Brookland, Arkansas.
Hershel L. (Plug) Eaton, 1981 Filed 06/14/91 by glm
Appendix A
PERSONS WHO HAVE SERVED AS POST MASTER AT BROOKLAND AND
THEIR DATES OF APPOINTMENT.
Archibald T. Brooks....................April 18, 1882
Otto Winters...........................May 8, 1883
Thomas J. Elder........................May 1, 1885
Andrew J. Nelson.......................May 29, 1885
Joseph W. Chisenhall...................February 16, 1886
John R. Leach..........................June 17, 1889
Joseph W. Chisenhall...................May 24, 1893
James N. Price.........................June 29, 1897
Cora J. Sneed..........................May 4, 1914
Manila C. Mills........................May 27, 1916
Hattie A. Price........................December 7, 1922
Teddy M. Price.........................March 8, 1923
Tom Nall...............................August 6, 1942
Robert H. Bridger......................March 23, 1943
John P. Lamb...........................June 22, 1962
Thomas Edward Nelms....................April 17, 1964
Ms. Annie M. Bridger...................June 30, 1971
Doris Yvonne Nelms.....................November 9, 1974
APPENDIX B
PERSONS WHO SIGNED THE PETITION FOR INCOROPRATION OF THE
TOWN OF BROOKLAND.
B. F. Mills W. E. Nelms J. W. Price
J. C. Martin I. S. Winters J. L. Epps
G. R. Graves H. T. Griffin Earl Shockley
J. A. Griffin L. C. Weaver A. J. Guest
R. R. Roberts H. J. Whittington J. R. McCormick
S. M. Wilkerson R. D. Hay N. H. Eason
Ed Johnson Frank Nisbett W. R. Herrod
J. A. Nelms W. J. Altman E. B. Barrett
W. R. Roberts W. T. Murphy M. C. Collins
N. E. Nelms Joe Moore W. D. Martin
