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 120
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E. F. Wylie, farmer and stock raiser, Fair- mount, Ark. Of that sturdy and independent class, the farmers and stock men of Arkansas, there are none who possess more genuine merit or stronger character than he whose name stands at the head of this sketch. Mr. Wylie owes his na- tivity to Indiana, where his birth occurred July 8, 1830. His father (A. M. Wylie) was a native of Kentucky, born in 1819, and in that State he received his education. Subsequently he emi- grated to Indiana, and there married Miss Rebecca Farmer, a native of Indiana, and the daughter of Jesse and Rhoda Farmer. The fruits of this union
were ten children: Augusta C., E. F. and Julia O. The remainder died while young. The father was a farmer by occupation, and this pursuit con- tinued the principal part of his life. His wife died in 1849, and he chose for his second wife Miss Elizabeth Young, who bore him three children: Ellen, George and Lillie. Mr. Wylie held the office of sheriff of Tipton County, Ind., for three terms, and was a man who took quite an interest in church and educational matters. He died in 1881, but his wife is still living, and resides in Illinois. He was a member of the Baptist Church, to which his wife also now belongs. E. F. Wylie received his education in Illinois and em- igrated to Missouri in 1853, where he married Miss Sarah J. Richardson, on May 24, of the same year. She was born in Indiana, and by her mar- riage became the mother of six children: Rebec- ca J. (deceased), Emma C. (wife of Fulton Harris), Martha O. (wife of John Vaughn), Augustus M., Norton W., Cora A. (who resides at home) and Charles E. The mother of these children died in 1886. Mr. Wylie emigrated from Missouri to Ar- kansas in 1874, and located in Prairie County, where he now resides. In 1887 he married Miss Emma E. Hollaway, and to this union has been born one child, Henry W. Mr. Wylie has fol- lowed farming and stock raising nearly all his life; is the owner of 400 acres of land, with sixty acres under cultivation, and is one of the progressive and enterprising farmers of the county. He was Master of the Grange for two years, and has held the office of justice of peace for four years. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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PHILLIPS COUNTY.
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® HARTER V. G
PHILLIPS COUNTY-JUDICIAL CENTER-BUILDINGS FOR PUBLIC USE-POLITICAL LIFE-POPULATION- COURTS OF EQUITY-ROLL OF LEGAL PRACTITIONERS-COUNTY SITUATION AND PHYSICAL FEATURES - GEOLOGIC FORMATION-WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE-FARMING
LANDS-LIVE STOCK INTERESTS-SHIPPING FACILITIES-PIONEER SET- TLEMENTS - MILITARY AFFAIRS - SKETCH OF HELENA- OTHER TOWNS, VILLAGES, ETC. - INTERESTS, SCHOLASTIC AND RELIGIOUS- MEMOIRS.
Ye pioneers, it is to you The debt of gratitude is due; Ye builded wiser than ye knew The broad foundation On which our superstructure stands .- Pearre.
HILLIPS COUNTY was organized in accordance with an act of the legisla- ture of Arkansas Territory, approved May 1, 1820. It
then included a large amount of territory lying north of its present limits, which has since been organized into several coun- ties. The county was named in honor of Sylvanus Phillips, a pioneer settler, and one of the original proprietors of the site of the present city of Helena. Soon after the county was organized, the seat of justice thereof was located at this place, and about the year 1821, Nicholas Rightor, an early set- tler and Government surveyor, surveyed and laid out a town on lands belonging to Sylvanus Phil- lips and William Russell, and it was named Helena, in honor of Miss Helena Phillips, a daugh-
ter of Sylvanus Phillips. Russell was not a settler of the county. He lived at St. Louis, Mo., was a great land speculator, and owned a part of the lands on which the city of Little Rock was located, and was one of the company that laid out the capital city. He obtained his lands by locating soldier claims on the best lands he could find, and then buying them of such claimants as did not de- sire to occupy them at very low prices. In this way he accumulated a vast amount of the best lands in Arkansas.
The first county building, which was a two- story log building, with a court room above and the jail below, stood on the ridge a short distance south of the present court house. The next county buildings, consisting of a small two-story frame court house and a one-story log jail, stood on the east of Main or Ohio Street, south of Porter Street. Early in the Civil War period this court house took fire and burned down (supposed to have taken fire accidentally). The county then rented a
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
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building for court purposes and county offices until the present court house was ready for occu- pancy.
The present jail, a large two-story brick struct- ure, was erected in 1860. It stands on a lot east of and adjoining the court house square. The court house is a large and plain two-story brick building, with halls, stairs and office rooms on the first floor and the court room on the second. It was completed in 1871, in "reconstruction" times, and is said to have cost the county much more than it should have cost. It stands in the northwestern part of the city, on a hill so elevated that a commanding view of the city can be ob- tained therefrom. A beautiful grass lawn sur- rounding the house is kept in good order.
The following is a list of names of county officers of Phillips County, from its organization to the present, with dates of terms of service annexed:
Judges: J. H. Mckenzie, 1829-32; J. J. McKeal, 1832-33; I. C. P. Tolleson, 1835-36; W. E. Butts, 1836-38; T. B. Hanley, 1838-40; W. E. Butts, 1840-42; A. G. Underwood, 1842 -44; J. S. Hornor, 1844-46; A. G. Underwood, 1846-56; A. P. Ewarts, 1856-58; A. G. Under- wood, 1858-60; J. B. Shell, 1860-62; A. P. Ewarts, 1864-65; E. G. Cook, 1865-66; George West, 1866-68; Q. K. Underwood, 1868-72; board of supervisors, 1872-74; S. J. Clark, 1874-78; M. T. Sanders, 1878-82; R. W. Nicholls, present in- cumbent, first elected in 1882, re-elected, and has served continuously since.
Clerks: W. B. R. Hornor, 1820-21; S. Phil- lips, 1821-23; S. M. Rutherford, 1823-25; H. L. Bisco, 1825-27; G. W. Fereby, 1827-29; Austin Hendricks, 1829-30; S. C. Mooney, 1830-32; J. R. Sanford, 1832-38; J. S. Hornor, 1838-42; William Kelley, 1842-44; L. D. Maddox, 1844-48; R. H. Yates, 1848-52; E. H. Cowley, 1852-62; J. H. Maxey, 1864-66; E. H. Cowley, 1866-68; S. J. Clark, 1868-74; D. W. Elison, 1874-78; -- Thompson, 1878-82; Whit Jarmin, 1882-88; James C. Rembert, present incumbent, elected in 1880.
Sheriffs: Daniel Mooney, 1820-23; George Seaborn, 1823-25; Daniel Mooney, 1825-27; H.
L. Brisco, 1827-30; F. Hanks, 1830-32; H. L. Brisco, 1832-35; M. Irvin, 1835-44; W. M. Bos- tick, 1844-48; D. Thompson, 1848-52; A. Thomp- son, 1852-58; B. W. Green, 1858-62; B. W. Green, 1864-65; J. Graves, 1865-66; B. Y. Turn- er 1866-68; D. C. Gordon, 1868-72; A. Barrow, 1872-74; H. B. Robinson, 1874-78; B. Y. Turner, 1878-84; E. D. Pillow, present incumbent, first elected in 1884.
Treasurers: J. B. Ford, 1836-52; E. P. Scant- land, 1852-54; J. Locke, 1854-56; W. D. Hornor, 1856-58; William Lonford, 1858-60; E. K. Har- ris, 1860-62; R. A. Yerby, 1864-66; W. H. Craw- ford, 1866-68; S. H. Brooks, 1868-72; N. Straub. 1872-78; S. H. King, 1878-80; E. M. Ford, 1880 -86; N. Straub, present incumbent, first elected in 1886.
Coroners: Peter Edwards, 1823-25; W. H. Cal- vert, 1829-32; Enor Askew, 1832-33; S. S. Smith, 1833-35; P. Pinkston, 1835-36; W. Battis, 1836 -38; J. Skinner, 1838-40; A. Sanders, 1840-42; W. H. Calvert, 1842-50; M. Platt, 1850-54; J. M. Odle, 1854-56; R. Goodwin, 1856-58; W. A. Dickson, 1858-60; W. A. Thorn, 1860-62; T. Wallace, 1864-65; A. Neal, 1865-66; J. J. Mulky, 1866-68; C. Williams, 1872-74; Samuel Hill, 1874-78; T. H. Quarles, 1878-80; John Gren- shaw, 1880-82; T. N. Upshaw, 1882-84; R. W. McKenny, 1884-86; C. H. Hicks, 1886-88; Abe Crawford, present incumbent, elected in 1888.
Surveyors: N. Rightor, 1823-25; N. Rightor, 1829-30; B. Burress, 1830-32; C. P. Smith, 1832-35; Charles Pearcy, 1835-36; C. P. Smith, 1836-38; H. Turner, 1838-40; J. H. Bonner, 1840-42; S. Weaver, 1842-44; S. Goodman, 1844-46; J. Thomas, 1846-48; S. K. Goodman, 1848-50; E. H. Gilbert, 1850-60; M. D. Norton, 1860-63; E. H. Gilbert, 1864-68; F. Trunkey, 1868-72; M. M. Robinson, 1872-76; W. W. Bail- ey, 1876-78; B. F. Thompson, 1878-82; R. A. Blount, 1882-86; Thomas M. Jacks, present in- cumbent, first elected in 1886.
Assessors: J. C. Watson, 1864-65; H. Camp- bell, 1865-66; J. A. Bush, 1866-68; H. B. Rob- inson, 1868-72; T. Grissom, 1872-74; A. Barrow, 1874-76; M. G. Turner, 1876-78; B. W. Green,
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PHILLIPS COUNTY.
1878-88; M. G. Turner, present incumbent, elect- ed in 1888.
Circuit court clerks: J. P. Clopper, 1878-80; J. F. Humphries, 1880.
Delegates in constitutional conventions: 1836, Henry L. Brisco and George W. Ferebey; 1861, T. B. Hanley and C. W. Adams; 1864, J. A. Butler, T. M. Jacks and Thomas Pearce; 1868, Joseph Brooks, Thomas Smith, William H. Gray and James T. White; 1874, J. J. Hornor, J. T. White and R. Polk.
Representatives in Territorial legislature: Dan- iel Mooney in council and W. B. R. Hornor in house, 1823; J. W. Calvert in council and H. L. Brisco in house, 1825; E. T. Clark in council and John Johnson in house, 1827; F. Hanks in council and E. T. Clark in house, 1829; Charles Caldwell in council and T. Hanks in house, 1831; W. T. Moore in council and M. Hanks in house, 1833.
Representatives in State legislature: J. C. P. Tolleson and J. J. Shell, 1836-38; J. J. Shell and F. Hanks, 1840-42; Elisha Burke and T. B. Hanley, 1842-44; E. Burke and F. B. Culver, 1844-46; E. Burke and Bailey Kendall, 1846-48; John Martin and W. E. Preston, 1848-50; W. E. Preston and J. C. Tappan, 1850-52; G. Geffries and A. Wilkins, 1852-54; R. B. Macon and W. D. Rice, 1854-56; Francis H. Moody, 1856-58; Thomas C. Anderson, 1858-60; J. C. O. Smith and Thomas J. Key, 1860-62; H. P. Slaughter and W. N. Mixon, 1866-67; J. A. Butler, M. Reed, J. C. Tobiast, W. H. Gray, J. J. T. White and J. K. Whitson, Phillips and Monroe, 1868- 69; same counties, G. W. Hollibough, A. Mays, J. M. Peck, Austin Barrow, C. C. Waters and J. M. Alexander, Jr., 1871; same counties, J. W. Williams, Tony Grissom, John W. Fox, W. H. Furbush, G. H. W. Stewart and H. H. Robinson, 1873; same counties, T. M. Jacks, P. McGowan and W. Foreman, 1874; Phillips only, Tony Gris- som, A. H. Miller and Perry Coleman, 1875; Perry Coleman, J. M. Donohoe and T. M. Jacks, 1877; Greenfield Quarles, T. B. Hanley and W. R. Burke, 1879; G. Quarles, A. G. Jarman and J. P. Roberts, 1881; S. H. Brooks, R. B. Macon
and John J. Moore, 1883; J. P. Roberts, W. R. Burke and S. H. King, 1885; R. B. Macon, James P. Clarke and J. M. Donohoe, 1887.
In 1888 the number of votes cast in Phillips County for State and National candidates for office was as follows: For Governor, at the September election, James P. Eagle (Dem.), 1,123; C. M. Norwood (Com. Opp.), 3,278. For President, at the November election, Cleveland (Dem.), 789; Harrison (Rep.), 2,123. This shows the Repub- licans to have a very large majority in the county, but before the September election, 1888, a com- promise county ticket, composed of candidates from both parties, was put into the field, and at the election it was successful, hence the county officers are representatives of both parties, and it is said that this gives general satisfaction.
The population of the county since its inception has been, at the end of each decade, as follows: 1820, 1,197; 1830, 1,152; 1840, 3,547; 1850, 6,935; 1860, 5,931 white and 8,945 colored, mak- a total of 14,876; 1870, 4,871 white and +10,501 colored, total, 15,372; 1880, white 5,444, colored 15,809, total 21,253.
The county court, proper, was organized in 1829, and prior to this time the county busi- ness was transacted in the circuit court. Since 1829 there has always been a county court, but from 1872 to 1874 it consisted of a board of super- visors. The several courts of Phillips County con- vene in regular session at Helena at the following dates: County, on the first Monday of January, April, July and October of each year; common pleas, on the third Monday of the same months; probate, on the third Monday of February, March, August and November; circuit, on the third Monday of May and November.
As far back as 1836, the year that Arkansas became a State, the Helena bar consisted of the following resident attorneys: William K. Sebas- tian and John C. P. Tolleson from Tennessee; William E. Butts from New York; Thomas B. Hanley and William M. McPherson from Kentucky, and John Preston from Virginia. These were mostly young men then, and some of them lived to be- come distinguished throughout the State. The bar
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
of this county has always been noted for its ability, having among its members some of the ablest lawyers and most distinguished generals the State, has produced. The resident attorneys of Phillips County, now composing its legal bar, are Gen. J. C. Tappan, Judges John J. Hornor & Son, E. C. Hornor, Jacob Trieber and M. L. Stephenson, John C. Palmer and R. W. Nicholls, Greenfield Quarles and John I. Moore, James P. Clarke, P. O. Thweatt, Jacob Fink, Samuel I. Clarke, James P. Roberts and M. G. B. Scaife. Gens. Pat. R. Cleburne and Thomas C. Hindman were once members of this bar.
Phillips County, located in East Central Ark- ansas, is bounded north by the base line of the public land surveys which separates it from Lee County, east by the Mississippi River which sep- arates it from the State of Mississippi, south by Desha County, and west by Arkansas and Monroe Counties. The northwest corner of the county is at the initial point where the fifth principal merid- ian crosses the base line, and this meridian forms a portion of the western boundary of the county. The area is about 659 square miles, two-fifths of which is alluvial level land, and only about one- sixth of the county is improved.
Crowley's Ridge which runs through Greene, Craighead, Poinsett, Cross, St. Francis and Lee Counties, forming the divide between St. Francis and Cache Rivers, terminates in Phillips County just below the city of Helena. In the upper coun- ties this ridge has an elevation of only a few feet above the river bottoms, but in Phillips it is very hilly and broken, the hills extending from 100 to 200 feet in height. 'The top of this ridge, through- out its entire length in Arkansas, is composed, for the most part of silicions clay and marl of quarter- nary date, usually resting on a bed of water-worn gravel. Numerous springs of good cool water flow from beneath this gravel bed along the eastern foot of the ridge near Helena. The most noted of these is the "Big Spring," two and a-half miles above Helena, which forms a considerable stream where it flows from under the gravel bed at the base of the ridge.
The following section, showing the position of
the material composing Crowley's Ridge, was taken in1859 or 1860 close to Mr. Rightor's dwelling in the edge of the city of Helena, by the then State geologist, Prof. David Dale Owen: Quartenary: Yellow, silicious clay, six feet; marl, with fossil shells. At this place, the marl was traversed by two vertical cracks one inch in width, and filled with sand from the stratum beneath. Tertiary: Yellow and orange sand and gravel, twenty feet; gravel, six inches; space concealed, reddish clay, nine feet ; plastic clay (potter's) local, six inches; yellow- ish and white sand, with some gravel, five feet; sand and gravel, fifteen feet; space concealed, twelve feet; bed of slough.
The geologist further said in his report: "In Phillips County there are many remains of old for- tifications or aboriginal towns to be seen, monuments of a bygone race, of whose history no tradition known to the white man has been preserved by the occupants of the country. One of these ancient works of art, four miles west of Helena, at the terminus of Crowley's Ridge, was visited. The embankments now nearly destroyed by the washing of the rains, and the cultivation of a part of the land, were built of sun-dried clay, mixed with stems and leaves of the cane. The vegetable structure of the cane is still well preserved in the clay matrix, and I could in no instance, find any evidence of the cane's having been charred by fire, hence the conclusion that it received no greater heat than that given it by the sun. Nor is there any appearance of fashioned brick, of which it is said this wall was built. The clay and stems of cane appear to have been mixed together and molded into a wall, somewhat after the manner of a pise. The northern boundary of this enclosure is formed by the hills, and within the interior there are a number of small mounds."
Agriculturally speaking, Phillips County ranks equal to any in the State. The broad Mississippi in the southern part, interspersed with small, old lakes and bayous, is remarkably fertile. In the western part, watered by Big Creek, there is a large body of level land formed by the gradual flat- tening out of the Crowley's Ridge; hence, it has received the name of table lands.
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PHILLIPS COUNTY.
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A considerable district of land a few miles be- low Helena, is known as "Sugar-tree Ridge," so called, because of the large amount of trees of that name grown thereon. This ridge is elevated a few feet above the overflow of the Mississippi. Aside from the sugar trees, the timber growth consisted of black walnut, red oak, persimmon, white and red elm, sweet gum, mulberry and large sassafras. Here traces of old fortifications and mounds have been found, and in plowing over the latter, human bones, implements of pottery, arrow-heads and stone axes have been found. The low bottom lands of the lakes and sloughs are from ten to fif- teen feet lower than the ridge land, and have a bluish black, stiff, plastic soil when wet, but when dry it becomes mellow, and easily pulverizes un- der cultivation. The alluvial land adjoining the Mississippi is a sandy loam, easily cultivated, and is very productive. The hill land soil is derived from the silicious, marly, quartenary clay above the gravel. It is also very fertile. The timber growth on Crowley's Ridge originally was large poplar, beech, red and white oak, spanish oak, hickory, sweet gum, black walnut, butternut, sugar tree, honey locust and cane. The only poplar trees in Arkansas grow on Crowley's Ridge. The table lands have for the most part, a deep yellow, or mulatto soil, which is also very fertile. The principal growth is sweet gum, but on the most elevated portions are the same timbers as are found on Crowley's Ridge.
The St. Francis River empties into the Missis- sippi a short distance south of the northeast corner of Phillips County. Big Creek enters the county from the north about nine miles east of its north- west corner, and flows southeasterly, southerly and southwesterly, and leaves the county a little north of the center of its western boundary. Beaver Bayou heads a little east of the center of the county and flowing thence southwesterly it empties into White River. Another stream rises near the cen- ter of the county and flowing in the same direction as the latter also empties into White River. These streams, with the Mississippi on the east, and their tributaries, furnish the drainage of the county. Water is abundant for all purposes, but for do-
mestic use spring water and cistern water are mostly used.
Improved lands can be bought at from $10 to $20, and unimproved at from $1 to $5 per acre. The yield of crops per acre is said to be as fol- lows: Cotton, on hill lands, 600 pounds; on bottom lands, 1,000 pounds; Indian corn, on uplands, average crop, seventeen bushels; oats, twenty bushels; Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, 100 bushels each; turnips, 200 bushels; field peas, fifty bushels per acre. Of the tame grasses, timothy, red top and orchard grass are said to yield two tons each, and clover and millet, three tons each. The yields of grain and vegetables are given accord- ing to the present system of farming, and are far below what they could be under a scientific process of farming. But very little tame grass of any kind has been cultivated in the county. The attention of the farmers is mostly devoted to the raising of cot- ton, and the live stock get their living by grazing the native wild grasses on the commons or ranges. In 1880, according to the United States census, there were in Phillips County, 1,311 farms and 85,379 acres of improved lands. The aggregate yield of products for 1879 were given as follows: Cotton, 29,070 bales; Indian corn, 332,585 bush- els; oats, 13,410 bushels; wheat, 367 bushels; orchard products, $3,512; hay, 1,401 tons; Irish potatoes, 6,261 bushels; sweet potatoes, 21,956 bushels; tobacco, 11,172 pounds. The entire value of all the farm products raised in the county in 1879 were calculated at $1,548,538. Assuming that there has not been much change since 1880, except the increase of quantities, the above figures show conclusively what kinds of products are mostly cultivated. Cotton stands pre-eminently at the head, Indian corn next, all the other prod- ucts, except sweet potatoes, being very limited.
The number of domestic animals in the county, according to the census of 1880, were as follows: Horses, 1, 783; mules and asses, 2,850; neat cattle, 8,998; sheep, 2,230; hogs, 14,217. The number of these animals as shown by the assessor's returns for 1889, are as follows: Horses, 2,402; mules and asses, 3,403; neat cattle, 8,060; sheep, 1,953; hogs, 7,362. These figures show an increase in the
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
number of horses and mules, but a decrease in the number of all the others.
Fruits of all kinds, common to this latitude, can be grown as well here as in any of the other val- ley counties of the State. Small fruits, especially for the Northern market, could be grown here with profit. But this industry has not been developed to any considerable extent. Cotton-growing seems to be the all-absorbing industry.
The Helena branch of the Iron Mountain Rail- road connects Helena with the main line at Knobel, in Clay County. This gives Phillips County a direct outlet to the North and at the several roads crossing it, to all points east or west. It enters the county from the north and traverses it about fifteen miles to its southern terminus at Helena. The Arkansas Midland Railway connects Helena with the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railway at Clarendon. It traverses across the entire county, a distance of about twenty-seven miles. A trans- fer across the Mississippi River, connects Helena with the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railroad on the east side of the river, and thus gives an outlet directly by rail to the Crescent City, and to all points east of the river. These railroads and the Mississippi River, which traverses the entire eastern border of the county, constitute its ship- ping facilities.
The United States census of 1880 shows that the real estate of the county was then assessed at $776, - 080, and the personal property at $440.640, mak- ing a total of the taxable wealth of $1,216, 720. The assessor's returns for 1889, indicates the real estate to have been assessed at $2,408, 495, and the per- sonal property at $977,990, a total of $3,386, 485. This shows a wonderful increase in the value of the property of the county since 1880. To get a fair estimate of the real value, the whole amount re- turned by the assessor should be thribbled. Prop- erty is generally assessed for taxation at only about one-third of its real value.
The county has recently issued $100,000 thirty- year funding bonds, with interest at six per cent, payable July 1, each year. A few years ago the county owed $200,000 in railroad bonds, and $60,000 in refunded script. This has been reduced
so that according to the last financial report, dated July 7, 1889, the total indebtedness was $104,400.
The French and Spaniards may have made tem- porary settlements in the territory now composing Phillips County, long before the beginning of the nineteenth century, but if any such were made no detailed account thereof has been preserved. But that there were permanent settlers here when the century began is evident from the fact that in the year 1800, one John Patterson was born at a place about five miles above, or rather north of the site of the present city of Helena. In 1836 Judge John S. Hornor, who is now living in Helena, and who was eighty-three years of age in August, 1889, came to Helena from Virginia in 1836. His uncle, William B. R. Hornor, had settled here many years prior to that date. Other early settlers of Helena and vicin- ity, all of whom were here in 1836, were James H. Mckenzie, from North Carolina, John J. Bowie, from Louisiana, Fleetwood Hanks, from Kentucky, who lived where his son, Judge Hanks, now resides, B. A. Porter, from Massachusetts, Dr. B. F. Odle, from New York, Henry L. Briscoe, from Virginia, who was register of the United States land office here in 1836, Boyd Bailey, from Kentucky, F. H. Cosset, George W. Fereby, from Virginia, Nicholas Rightor, Sylvanus Phillips, after whom the coun- ty was named, Judge Thomas J. Lacy, from Ken- tucky, and others. Lacy was then one of asso- ciate justices of the first supreme court of Arkan- sas. The other lawyers in Helena, in 1836, are mentioned under the head of legal bar. In 1835 John T. Jones, now known as Judge Jones, a farmer living in the county, came from Virginia, and settled first in Helena. In the summer of 1889 he and his loving wife returned on a visit to "Old Virginia," and there on August 13, at the house of their son-in-law, Maj. Morton, in Charlotte County, they celebrated their golden wedding, hav- ing lived together as husband and wife half a cen- tury.
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