Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties named herein, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties., Part 114

Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 836

USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties named herein, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. > Part 114

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Thomas F. Greer, farmer, stock raiser and ginner, Des Arc, Ark. Tennessee has given to Prairie County, Ark., many estimable citizens, but she has contributed none more highly respected or for conscientious discharge of duty in every relation of life, more worthy of respect and esteem than the subject of this sketch. He was born January 14, 1829, in Rhea County, and is the son of William and Tempie (Presley) Greer, both natives of Ten- nessee. The father followed agricultural pursuits in Tennessee a number of years and then removed to Alabama, thence to Arkansas in 1851, and set- tled in Prairie County, where he resided for some time. Later he removed to White County. He

died at the residence of his son, Thomas F., in 1885, and his wife died two years previous to this. Thomas F. Greer's time was divided in early life between assisting on the farm and in attending school in Alabama. He remained with his parents until twenty-one years of age, when he moved with them to Arkansas in 1851, engaging in the livery business at Des Arc, and continuing it until about 1873. He then bought land where he now resides, cleared it, and has since added to the same until he now is the owner of 640 acres of good land, with about 250 acres under cultivation. He has a good gin, ten or twelve tenement houses, and his land lies about two miles from Des Arc. Mr. Greer served about two years in the ordnance de- partment of the Confederate army during the war. He has been twice married, first about 1853 to Miss Sarah Goodwin, a native of Middle Tennes- see, who bore him four children: Isabella (wife of G. W. Blakemore), Floyd (married, and resides at Des Arc, Ark.), Annie (wife of John Thomas) and one died in infancy. Mr. Greer's second marriage occurred about 1875, to Mrs. Ellen (Brown) Beth- ell, a native of Memphis, Tenn., and the daughter of Col. Samuel Brown. To this union have been born two children: Daisy and Birdie. Mr. Greer is a member of the Baptist Church and his wife of the Old School Presbyterian Church. He is now also engaged in the saw-mill business.

J. A. Harr is a real-estate dealer of Fairmount, Ark., and was born in Maryland in 1854, being the fifth child born to Everhard and Martha (Coffman) Harr, the former of whom was born in Philadel- phia, Penn., being one of nine children born to Isaiah Harr, an Englishman. Everhard Harr was a manufacturer of edge tools, and after working in his native city for many years he moved to Mary- land. He was born in 1790, and about 1835 was married, his wife being a native of Philadelphia, and a member of the Coffman family of that city. Their children were: Isaiah (who is married and lives in Phillipsburg, Penn.), J. A., Sanford L. (a resident of Fairmount, Ark.) and James, Mary, Martha and Margaret (deceased). The early days of our subject were spent in Maryland, and his schooling was obtained in the Millersville State

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Normal School of Pennsylvania. After teaching school for a number of years he determined to take Horace Greeley's advice and "Go West," thinking the advantages for a young man of push and enter- prise much better here than there, and in 1877 set- tled in the State of Nebraska, in Colfax County. In 1882, however, he came to Fairmount, Ark., and has since been actively and successfully en- gaged in the real-estate business. He has under his control 240,000 acres of land, and in his deals commands the public confidence in a marked de- gree. He is a director of the Little Rock & Mis- sissippi Railroad, and being public spirited and en- terprising, is deeply interested in the upbuilding of the county, and is a special advocate of schools and churches. He is a Republican in his political views.

John R. Harshaw, merchant, farmer and post- master, Hickory Plains, Ark. A number of years passed in sincere and earnest endeavor to thor- oughly discharge every duty in the different branches of business to which his attention has been directed has contributed very materially to the success that has fallen to Mr. Harshaw's career in life. He came originally from Mississippi, where his birth occurred in Marshall County, on September 4, 1852, and is the son of Daniel Har- shaw, a native of South Carolina. When a young man the father married Miss Mary N. Dowdle, also a native of South Carolina, and they afterward · moved to Mississippi, where they resided for fifteen years. In December, 1852, they moved to Arkan- sas, located at Hickory Plains, Prairie County, and there the father cultivated the soil for a several years. In 1866 he engaged in mercantile pursuits with his son at this place and continued business here up to 1883. He was postmaster from 1865 up to the time of his death and was a man who had the confidence and esteem of all. His wife survives him at this writing and is now seventy years of age. Their family consisted of two sons and five daughters, all of whom grew to mature age. One son, Leroy D., was the second merchant at Hick- ory Plains. He went to California for his health in 1873 and died there soon after. Three of the sisters are living: Mrs. E. S. Davis (a widow),

Mrs. A. C. Harrison (also a widow) and Mrs. A. S. Reinhardt (of Des Arc). J. B. Harshaw attained his growth and received a good practical education at Hickory Plains Academy. He clerked for his father until twenty-one years of age, when he took an act- ive interest in the store and has had charge of the business since that time. He has a large and com- plete stock of general merchandise, and is doing an immense business of about $30,000 annually, and handles cotton, etc. He is a clear-headed man of business and an excellent manager of all affairs of which he has the control; he has enjoyed an unsul- lied reputation and has materially helped the gen- eral interests and standing of Hickory Plains. He is the owner of several farms in this State and coun- ty, in all about 5,000 acres of land, and is a man whose characteristics of energy, promptness and sobriety will always secure success. He was ap- pointed postmaster here in 1883 and holds this position at the present time. He was married at Hickory Plains on May 18, 1876, to Miss Eva Burks, a native of Kentucky, who was reared and educated near Russellville, Logan County, Ky., and who is the daughter of W. I. Burks, now of Springfield, Mo. To Mr. and Mrs. Harshaw were born five children, who are named as follows: Leroy, Mary V., Marion B., John R. and Lizzie. Mrs. Harshaw is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South. Mr. Harshaw is a man of fine physique, standing six feet one inch, weighs 275 pounds, and is as pleasant and sociable a gen- tleman as one would care to meet.

A. J. Hendricks, a farmer and stock raiser, Hazen, Ark. Mr. Hendricks on starting out in life for himself, chose as his calling the pursuit of farming, and not without substantial results. He takes a native pride in all that he does, for this county has ever been his home, his birth occurring in 1849. His father was a native of South Caro- lina, was born in 1812, and was married in 1834 to Miss Rebecca L. Minton, the daughter of S. B. Minton, a native of South Carolina. Mr. Hen- dricks, Sr., settled in Arkansas, in 1844, entered land, and here reared his family of twelve children, all now deceased, with the exception of Matilda, A. J., B. F., Rebecca and Naomi. William, the

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father, was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church, was magistrate for years, and took an active interest in everything pertaining to the good of the county. He died in 1884. The mother is still living, and is an honored member of the Primitive Baptist Church. A. J. Hendricks com- menced life for himself in 1869 as an agricultur- ist, and chose for his companion in life, Miss Amanda Sparks, daughter of David Sparks. This union resulted in the birth of nine children: Leroy F., Ernest J. and Purna. Those deceased were named: Thomas E., Albert A., Luther F., Ari- zona, Irene and Ursula. Mr. Hendricks now owns a good farm of 150 acres, has sixty-five under cul- tivation, and is one of the progressive agriculturists of the county. He is a member of the school board, and takes a deep interest in all educational matters. He is a Democrat in politics.

James W. Highfill, farmer and stock raiser, Hickory Plains, Ark. Mr. Highfill, like many of the prominent settlers of Prairie County, is a na- tive of North Carolina, his birth occurring in Guilford County, November 27, 1848, and is the son of D. H. Highfill, a native of North Carolina, and Sarah H. (McMichael) Highfill, also a native of the same State. The family moved to Tennes- see in 1851, settled in Henry County, and there resided until 1856, when in the fall of that year, they moved to Missouri. One year later they re- turned to Tennessee, and the parents now reside in Weakley County, where they own a good farm. J. W. Highfill's youthful days were divided be- tween assisting on the home place and in attend- ing school. He remained with his father until twenty-one years of age and was married Decem- ber 24, 1870, to Miss Tennessee L. Ashby, a native of Wilson County, Tenn., and the daughter of James W. Ashby. The fruits of this union have been eight sons: William H., Jesse B., Charles L., Henry H., Edwin James, Walter T., John A. and Robert D. They lost one daughter in October, 1888, at the age of eighteen months. After his marriage he followed farming in Henry County, for two years, and in January, 1872, moved to Arkansas, locating on land adjoining his present property. He has a farm of 160 acres, with ninety acres under cul-

tivation, and has six acres in orchard. Mr. High- fill is serving his second term as president of Ag- ricultural Wheel No. 2, and he is given a recog- nized position among the leading agriculturists of the township. He and Mrs. Highfill are mem- bers of the Missionary Baptist Church, and he is a deacon in the same. As a citizen, Mr. Highfill is respected and esteemed by all acquainted with him.

W. W. Hipolite, M. D., De Vall's Bluff. Among the people of Prairie County, as well as surround- ing counties, and of the State at large, the name that heads this sketch is by no means an unfamiliar one. For many years he has been actively en- gaged in the practice of his chosen profession, and during this time his career as a practitioner and thorough student of medicine has won for him no less a reputation than has his personal characteris- tics as a citizen and a neighbor. He was born in Hornellsville, Steuben County, N. Y., August 3, 1834, and was the son of Casimir Vincent Hipolite, a native also of New York. The father was the son of Vincent Hipolite, a native of France, and at one time a surgeon in the French army. After leaving the army Vincent Hipolite resided on the Island of Hayti, where he was a large property holder, till the insurrection of 1791, when his pos- sessions were confiscated. Owing to the fact that he was a physician his life was spared, in order that his services might be utilized in the hospital. He succeeded in escaping to New York, in one of his own vessels, accompanied by seven of his slaves, who still adhered to him. It was during the resi- dence of Vincent Hipolite in New York that Cas- imir Vincent Hipolite, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born, September 12, 1796. C. V. Hipolite lost by death two wives and all his chil- dren by them, excepting a son who died some years later. He was married for the third time on June 16, 1833, to Nancy Drake, widow of Francis Drake, and whose maiden name was Nancy Parsons a native also of the same State. To them were born three children, Dr. W. W. Hipolite being the eldest; the next, Maria Antoinette, who became the wife of Dr. F. M. Weller, and died at Evanston, Ill. ; the youngest, Leverett Anson Hipolite, is now

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a resident of Kansas. The occupation of C. V. Hipolite was that of a farmer, which he followed in the State of New York till 1851, when he re- moved to Northville, Mich., and thence, in 1857, to Cook County, Ill., where he continued his occu- pation till 1861. Owing to their advanced age, and the fact that they were alone, the father and mother of Dr. W. W. Hipolite were then induced to make their future home with him, first in Racine County, Wis., and then in De Vall's Bluff, Ark., where they died, the mother on June 24, 1870, and the father in November, 1874. The early life of Dr. W. W. Hipolite was spent on his father's farm, where he regularly attended the public school till the age of fifteen, when he entered the Academy of Fredonia, N. Y., where he remained till the fall of 1851, when he accompanied his father's family to Northville, Mich. While attending Fredonia Academy, he was, on the recommendation of the faculty, appointed to take charge of the meteoro- logical observations at that point, by authority of the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, D. C. After his removal to Northville, Mich., he engaged in teaching school, and while thus employed com- menced the study of medicine under his brother- in-law, Dr. F. M. Weller. In due time he entered the Medical Department of the University of Mich- igan, from which he graduated with honor, March 27, 1857. After graduation he spent some months in the office and drug store of Dr. Weller, who had in the meantime removed to Evanston, Ill. He located in Cook County, Ill., in the spring of 1858, where he built up a good practice, and remained there 'three years, when he removed to Racine County, Wis., and continued to practice his profes- sion. In December, 1862, he entered the army as assistant surgeon of the Eighteenth Regiment Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry, having been commissioned as such by Gov. Yates, of Illinois. Soon after joining his regiment he was placed in charge of the same, the regimental surgeon having been sent on duty elsewhere. He was constantly with his regiment in its various engagements in Tennessee, and later in the Vicksburg campaign. Soon after the surrender of that stronghold he resigned and returned to his home, owing to the fact that he

had become disabled for duty from a severe attack of typho-malarial fever, followed by camp diar- rhœa, and his recovery was despaired of. During several succeeding months his recovery was slow and tedious, and he was unable to engage in busi- ness. After about one year from the time he left the service, his health being sufficiently restored to enable him to again take the field, he re- entered the service by accepting a commission as assistant surgeon of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. From this time till April 9, 1866, when he was finally discharged with his regiment, he saw much active service, and held many responsi- ble positions. At one time he had charge of all the reserve artillery, Department of the Gulf, with headquarters at Kenner, La. In February, 1865, he was ordered to take charge of the hospital prop- erty of his brigade, and convey the same to Fort Gaines, Mobile Bay. In the execution of this order he embarked on board the gulf steamer George Peabody, which had on board in all about 1,000 men and nearly 200 horses and mules. After crossing the bar, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the vessel encountered the most violent storm known there for many years, and all the horses and mules, excepting four, were put overboard, and eight men were lost. It was deemed a marvel that the vessel escaped destruction with all on board. Upon his arrival at Fort Gaines, Dr. Hipolite found waiting him a commission from President Lincoln, pro- moting him to the rank of major of cavalry and surgeon of the Eleventh United States Cavalry Troops. Prior to this he had successfully passed the medical examining board, United States army, at St. Louis, before which he was ordered by the surgeon-general of the army. He joined his new command at Little Rock, Ark., and served with it till April 1, 1865, when the Eleventh, the One Hun- dred and Twelfth and the One Hundred and Thir- teenth Regiments, United States Cavalry Troops, were consolidated into a single organization, to be known as the One Hundred and Thirteenth United States Cavalry Troops, and he was retained as the surgeon of the new regiment, and was commis- sioned as such by President Lincoln. In the fall of 1865 he was made post-surgeon at De Vall's

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PRAIRIE COUNTY.

Bluff, Ark., and took charge of the large hospitals at that post, and continued in charge until his final muster out. He was also surgeon-in-chief of White River District, which embraced a wide extent of territory. Upon leaving the army the Doctor re- sumed his practice in Wisconsin, where he re- mained till the spring of 1870, when he removed from Racine, Wis., to De Vall's Bluff, Ark., where he has continued to practice to the present time. He is regarded as one of the leading physicians of his State, and has held many responsible positions. He is the regularly commissioned surgeon of most of the various life insurance companies doing busi- ness there, and also of the Memphis & Little Rock Railway. He is the president of Prairie County Medical Society, a member of the Arkansas State Medical Society, and, by appointment from that organization, has for several years been a member of the board of visitors to the Medical Department of the Arkansas Industrial University; and was a delegate to the Ninth International Medical Con- gress, which met in Washington, D. C., in 1887. He is a Republican in politics; has been a member of the town council for a number of terms, and is at present president of the school board. While a resident of Cook County, Ill., he was married, in Chicago, to Maria Jane Parker, seven years his junior, a native of Canada, and the daughter of Lott and Roxana Parker, both natives of Massa- chusetts. The parents settled in Canada East,

where the father engaged in farming. In the spring of 1880, being left alone, they left their life-long home in Canada, and removed to De Vall's Bluff, to be with their two daughters, Mrs. A. W. Socy being a sister of Mrs. Dr. Hipolite. The mother died in 1882, and the father still lives at the advanced age of eighty-five years. To Doctor and Mrs. Hipolite have been born five children. The first, Carrie Lorena, died at the age of five years and seven months, at De Vall's Bluff, while he was in charge of the post hospital there, the mother and children having gone there to spend the winter with him. The next, Fred A., is at- tending the Medical College at Little Rock, and expects to graduate in the spring of 1890. The third, Walter H., is a civil engineer and a fine

draughtsman. Both sons attended school at Lit- tle Rock and at the Arkansas Industrial University, located at Fayetteville. Carrie Lorena, the only daughter now living, was named after the first- born, which died as stated. She is now the wife of T. J. Owen, a druggist at De Vall's Bluff. Charles Edward, the youngest, will be nine years of age on the last day of January, 1890. The Doctor owns a fine residence, and has one of the best equipped offices in his State. He still owns the mare "Dixie," now twenty-eight years old, on which he rode during the last year of his service in the army.

H. W. Holmes, druggist, Hazen, Ark. Mr. Holmes established the drug business in Hazen in April, 1889, and his accuracy and skill in this par- ticular branch of industry, have won the confidence of the public, and he already commands a good trade. He came to Prairie County, Ark., in the fall of 1870, from Alabama, and here he has since resided. He owes his nativity to Madison County, Ala., where his birth occurred in 1851, and is the eldest in a family of three children, the fruits of the union of D. K. and Virginia A. (Rutherford) Holmes, natives of Virginia and Alabama, respect- ively. The father was reared in Lexington, Ky., read medicine in Nashville, T'enn., and took a medical course at that place, after which he prac- ticed his profession for over twenty-five years. He has now retired, and resides at Hazen. His excellent wife departed this life in Jackson County, Ala., in 1861. H. W. Holmes remained in Ala- bama until twenty years of age, and received his education in the schools of Jackson County. He came with his father to Arkansas in 1870, and here he commenced clerking in a dry-goods store, at Des Arc, Prairie County, remaining in that city for about seven years. In 1884 he came to Hazen, and was engaged as book-keeper for Curtis & Co., general merchants, following this business for dif- ferent firms, until he engaged in the drug business, in 1889. He was married in Des Arc, in 1882, to Miss Mamie Thompson, a native of Southi Caro- lina, and the daughter of William and Elizabeth A. (West) Thompson, natives, respectively, of North Ireland and South Carolina. Mr. Thomp-

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son came to this county in about 1872, and here his death occurred in 1887. Mrs. Thompson is now residing in Des Arc. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes have been born three living children: William T., Daniel K. and Annie Pearl. Henry W. died in February, 1888, at the age of two years and six months. Mr. Holmes is Democratic in his political views, and takes considerable inter- est in politics. He was recorder of Hazen for a number of years, and is also a member of the school board. He is a member of the K. of H., Hazen Lodge No. 3135, and was charter member and Reporter of the same. Mrs. Holmes is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Holmes was the founder of Hazen Free Press, and had charge of it for some time, but recently sold out. He purchased the outfit and moved it to Hazen.

Simeon Horne, retired. The life record of this gentleman will prove of more than usual interest, for his career has been of much benefit and influ- ence among the people with whom he has resided, not only of Prairie County, but throughout the State. He was born in Jones County, Ga., August 8, 1818, and is a son of Simeon and Elizabeth (Bloodworth) Horne, natives of North Carolina, who moved from Bibb County to Georgia at an early day. Here Simeon Horne, Sr., made a farm, near where Gordon Station is now situated, and on this farm reared his family and made his home until his death, in 1819, his wife surviving him a number of years. She moved with her family to Middle Tennessee, about the year 1826, and here died two years later, in Rutherford County. Simeon Horne, our subject, was the youngest of a family of eight children and was reared to the age of four- teen years in Tennessee going, in 1832, to Tipton County, with an older brother, where he attained his majority. He learned the carpenter's and builder's trade in this county and after moving to Memphis, in 1844, worked at his trade there until his removal, in 1856, to Arkansas. He settled on a farm near Des Arc, in White River Township, and up to 1881 was actively engaged in farming and also contracting and building, but at this date gave up farm work and moved to Des Arc, where he has since made his home. His ability and skill

as a mechanic is shown by the buildings which he has erected, among which may be mentioned the county court house, the Presbyterian Church, num- erous stores, county bridges, etc. His labors have been attended with excellent results, and in addi- tion to owning 400 acres of fine farming land, with about 140 acres under cultivation, he owns a good drug store in Hazen and some valuable town prop- erty in Des Arc. He was married in Tipton Coun- ty, Tenn., about 1841, to Maria, a daughter of Arthur F. Wooten, who died in that county, and he was next married in Memphis, to Sarah C., a daughter of Tillman Bettis, their union taking place October 10, 1848. Her death occurred in Prairie County, Ark., in August, 1880, leaving, be- sides her husband, two sons and two daughters to mourn her loss, their names being: E. P. (the widow of A. M. Morrow), Rev. T. J. (a minister of the Presbyterian Church), W. A. (a farmer of this county), and Elizabeth (wife of Dr. W. F. Williams, of Hazen). One son, Samuel B., died in 1883, after reaching mature years. Mr. Horne married his present wife in Des Arc, in 1881, she being Mrs. Mahala (Jackson) McLaren, a native of Tennessee, who came to Arkansas after reach- ing womanhood. Mr. Horne and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder, and he has been a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity since 1839, and is now a Royal Arch Mason. In 1862 he joined Col. Lemoyne's regiment of infantry and served on detached duty as regimental quartermaster, until his regiment was disbanded. Here-enlisted in 1864, becoming a member of Col. Davie's battalion, and was with Price on his memorable raid through Missouri. His company was disbanded at Clarksville, Tex., in 1865.

William A. Horne is a prosperous farmer and stockman of Prairie County, and was born in Mem- phis, Tenn., December 12, 1851, being a son of Simeon Horne, a sketch of whom appears in this work. William A. Horne came to Arkansas with his parents when a child of five years, and his knowledge of the world was only such as could be learned on the home farm until he attained his ma- jority. On December 22, 1874, he was married to

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Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 836

Author: Goodspeed Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; St. Louis [etc.] : The Goodspeed Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 836