The Lester-Claunch Community
By Hershel L. "Plug" Eaton
"Craighead County Historical Quarterly (Unknown Edition)"
Located on the west bank of the St. Francis river about five miles north of Lake City, on the state highway 135, in Section 4, Township 14 North, Range 6 East, the hamlet was first known as "Lester's Landing." The name later evolved into simply "Lester" then to "Claunch" then again to "Lester" as it is known today.
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Both Harry L. Williams, in his "History of Craighead County," and Charles Stuck, in his "Story of Craighead County," state that the village of Lester was named for "Phillip King Lester" who owned a plantation there prior to the Civil War. Although we are hesitant to attempt to disprove an old historic legend, we can find no evidence to indicate that Phillip K. Lester ever lived there. In fact, existing evidence indicates that he did not. We do know however, that his father, brother, and other family members once did.
The Lester family moved to Arkansas from McMinnville, Tennessee in the mod 1830's and settled in present day Greene County where in 1837, John Wilson Lester, father of P. K. Lester, entered a claim on 80 acres of land near the present Lorado community. It is unknown at this time just when the Lesters moved to what is now the eastern District of Craighead County, however, there is ample evidence to indicate that they were living there in the late 1840's. The United States census records for 1850 indicate that they were living near several families whom we know were living in that area at that time.
Prior to 1860, there were very few people living in the St. Francis river bottoms; the land being swampy and subject to almost continuous overflow. Most of it was still owned by the federal government. In 1858, the United States Goverment, by the "Swamp Land Grant Act of 1858," granted to the state of Arkansas all the land now situated in the St. Francis river basin. The state then issued "patents" or deeds to plots of this land to settlers in an attempt to encourage settlement of this sparsely populated area. The few pioneers who were already living in this area were given the right of "preemption" or the first right to file claims on the land on which they lived. On August 5, 1860, a patent was issued to John Wilson Lester for 160 acres of land described as "the northeast quarter section 4, township 14 north, range 6 east." This was the land now embracing the present village of Lester. On September 10, 1860, a patent was issued to Wilson Lester, son of John W. Lester, for other lands in the south half of the same section of land.
We have learned from several sources that a "steamboat landing" was built at that location "prior to the Civil War" and because known as "Lester's Landing."
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Some of the steamboats which operated on the St. Francis in the early days of Lester's Landing history were the "Mary Avery" owned by Isaac Mangrum and Francis Varner of the Mangrum community; the "Aurora" owned by Henry M. Stroud of Lake City, and the "Lake City," owned by Al Stout of Lake City.
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Name Changes
The name "Lester's Landing" was first applied to the community when a steamboat landing was built there by the Lester family, probably in the late 1840's, when river traffic was very vital to commerce in northeast Arkansas. The arrival of the railraods into northeast Arkansas in the 1870's, rendered obsolete the slow, cumbersome, and expensive riverboat traffic. Goods and supplies could now be shipped much faster and more economical. With the demise of the riverboat traffic the "landing" fell into disuse and the word "landing" was gradually dropped from the name identifying the community.
The Claunch family moved into the community in 1872, and soon thereafter donated land for a building site for the community's first school building. When completed, the school was christened the "Claunch School" in honor of the generosity of the family and the entire community gradually became known as "Claunch." In 1938, the Claunch shoold consolidated with the Lake View, Deason Lake, St. Paul, and Maysville shools to create the "Dixie Consolidated School District - 8." The Claunch family had moved from the community several years previously and with the closing of the school, the name of the community changed again to "Lester," as it is known today.
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The Claunch Family
The community secured the services of its first Physician in 1872, when Dr. J. R. Claunch moved there from Poinsett County. James Riley Claunch was born May 30, 1833, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He was the eldest of nine children born to James H. and Charlotte (Bearden) Claunch. J. R. Claunch was reared in his native county and in 1856, decided to seek his fortune in the 20 year old state of Arkansas. He first settled in Poinsett County near Harrisburg where he engaged in farming. Young Claunch soon observed that the practice of medicine was indeed a lucrative field in the rapidly developing state, and he began to study medicine under Dr. Todd W. Beecher of Harrisburg. Dr. Beecher was a graduate of the Ohio Medical College at Cincinatti.
When his apprenticeship was ended, Dr. Claunch first "hung out his shingle" at Harrisburg.
On January 6, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Jane Crook, a native of South Carolina. With the advent of the Civil War, Dr. Claunch enlisted in the Confederate Army. He participated in several battles and was assistant Surgeon with General Sterling Price on his raid through Missouri. With the ending of hostilities he returned to his farm and medical practice.
In 1872, Dr. Claunch moved his young family to the Lester community where he engaged in farming and continued his medical practice. He later donated land land for the community's first and only school building. It was in honor of this pioneer doctor that the name of the community was, for several years, changed from "Lester" to "Claunch."
Dr. and Mrs. Claunch were the parents of 10 children; Thomas, Lottie, Annie, Charles, William, Catherine, John, Albert, Laura, and Harriet. The Claunch family moved to Jonesboro in 1887, where Dr. Claunch continued his medical practice. His son, Charles, built and for many years operated the Claunch Hotel on Main Street in Jonesboro.
Dr. J. R. Claunch died May 3, 1918. His wife Martha, died April 6, 1927. The Doctor and most members of his family are buried at the City Cemetery in Jonesboro.