Editing Montgomery County, Arkansas (section)

===Civil War era===
When the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] broke out, most of Montgomery County favored the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. Mount Ida settlers John Lavender and John Simpson formed one company to serve in the [[Confederate Army]], and the [[4th Arkansas Infantry]] originated in Mount Ida also, but after the war few from the company organized by Lavender and Simpson returned to Montgomery County. With mostly women left to tend to the farms, soldiers from both the Confederate and the [[Union Army]] raided homes and farms for supplies, leaving settlers with little to eat. After the war, soldiers from both armies settled in the area, building schools and homes. In 1884 Oden built a [[steam saw]], a [[cotton gin]] and a [[gristmill]].