Title: Fayetteville (Washington County) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Headings: Fayetteville (Washington County)
Fayetteville (Washington County)
County Seat

Content: August 23, 1870
Historical Population as per the U.S. Census: 1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
–
–
–
425
598
972
955
1,788
2,942
4,061
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
4,471
5,362
7,394
8,212
17,071
20,274
30,729
36,608
42,099
58,047
2 010









73,580









Fayetteville, one of the largest cities in the state, is located in the Ozark Mountains and has been the seat of county government since formation by the state legislature. From the early pioneers to modern-day residents, Fayetteville’s citizens have been dedicated to the enhancement of the cultural, educational, and economic growth of the area and state. Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood
The first settlers in Fayetteville were George McGarrah and his sons James, John, and William. Around 1828, they settled near the spring in an area that was to become the Masonic Addition to Fayetteville, the eastern part of which is at the base of Mount Sequoyah. James Leeper, a Revolutionary War veteran, was the second settler in Fayetteville. His son Matthew was appointed receiver of the Land Office by President Andrew Jackson. The Leepers owned all the land on the south side of Mount Sequoyah to the White River, as well as lots around the Fayetteville square. Matthew was married to Lucy Washington, and David Walker was married to her sister Jane Lewis Washington, representing the linking of two politically influential families in Fayetteville. Washington County was established in 1828 out of Lovely County, which had existed for a year.