In 1909, internationally known agricultural expert and future Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden purchased a plantation of 21,000 acres at South Bend in Lincoln County, Arkansas, 7 miles northeast of Gould. This enterprise, actually a number of separate "farms", stretched for more than 20 miles along the Arkansas River in Lincoln and Desha counties. Lowden considered Arkansas agricultural lands to be among the most fertile in the world. His main farm at South Bend included a large Greek revival plantation house of 20 rooms, built before 1857. Although Lowden made yearly visits to Arkansas, he employed a number of different men to oversee plantation operations in his absence. Among them was Phillip Boggs of Gould who was financial agent and bookkeeper at South Bend from 1921 to 1936.
The plantation, which grew cotton exclusively, was divided into a number of separate farms: Clay Place, Lake Place, Langdon, Massey, as well as South Bend. These locations were developed into "model farms with Delco electric lights and deep well water system." It is also noted that Lowden built the largest country store in the South at South Bend.
During the 1927 Arkansas River flood the levee at South Bend broke, inundating the farms and "ruining" the entire area. This caused the white tenants to move elsewhere. Later Bogg rented the South Bend farm and "reclaimed much of the land that the river sand had ruined."
In 1933, Lowden established a charitable trust called the Farm Foundation "to improve conditions of rural life." In 1936 he rented his land to a group from A.M.&N. College in Pine Bluff who planned to establish a cooperative "colon" for black tenants. Plans were drawn to subdivide the large farms into individual plots of 20 to 40 acres each and then sale them to "selected negro families" At the time of his death in 1943, Lowden willed the entire plantation to the Farm Foundation. In 1948 the foundation sold the land to several private investors and the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company of Greenville, Mississippi.
These ledgers begin a year after Lowden's tenure as Governor of Illinois and his failure to achieve the Republican nomination for President.
The Lowden Plantation records finding aid is available in the finding aids section of this site.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1924 March 21-1924 July 16
Ledger labeled "Mar 21st 24 =to= July 12 -14" with column headings [date, description], "Tenants o/c," "Gen Ledger," Cash, ""Mdse o/c" "Plant o/c," "Freight, "Int & DIS," Repair, "1st Natl Bank," and "Far Bank."
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1924 July 16-1924 December 19
Ledger labeled "began July 16th - 24" with column headings: [date, description], Tenants, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Plant, Freight, "Int & Dis," "F.N. Bank," "Far Bank."
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1924 December 19-1925 June 20
Ledger labeled "No. 1" with column headings: [date, description], Tenants, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Plant, Seed, cotton, "F.N. Bank," "Far Bank."
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1926 January 9-1926 July 17
Ledger labeled "No. 4" with column headings: [date, description], Tenants, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Plant, Seeed, Cotton, "F. N. Bank," and "Far Bank." Comments: contains auditor's instructions and comments and plantation manager's comments about the rain.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1926 July 19-1927 August 25
Ledger labeled "No. 5" with column headings: [date, description], Tenants, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Seed and Cotton. Includes comments by the plantation manager about the drought and rain.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1927 October 17-1928 February 22
Ledger labeled "Cotton season 1927" with column headings: date, [description], Cotton, Seed, Cotton, Seed, Gin, "Dr Tenants," Plantation Share, Tenant Share, "F", Weight Cotton, and Wight Seed. Farms mentioned: Clay Place, Lake Place, "Langdon," "Massey," and "So. Bend."
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1922 April 22-1928 March 31
Ledger labeled "Cash book" providing record of daily expense and income, possibly for the plantation's commissary store.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1927 August 23-1928 March 31
Ledger labeled "No. 7" with column headings: [date, description] Tenant, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Rent, Cotton, and Seed.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1926 May 31-1928 April 11
Ledger with column headings: [date, description] Tenant, "Gen Ledger," Cash, "Mdse," Rent, Cotton, and Seed.
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1926 May 31-1928 April 12
Ledger labeled "Cash Book" with column headings: [date, description], "L.F.," "Seeds?," "So B Tenants," "Lg," "Mdse," and [blank].
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Lowden Plantation ledger, 1929 September 26-1930 March 21
Ledger labeled "Journal" with column headings: [date, description], "L.F.," [blank], Tenants, and [blank].