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 41

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 41

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WHITE COUNTY.

a very valuable assistant to Prof. Tharp in his school work. For the past six years Prof. Tharp has given his time and energies to Searcy College, which he projected, and, together with Prof. Con- ger, founded in 1883. No institution in the State has more character for thorough work than Searcy College. Prof. Tharp is a man of progressive ideas, and has always taken a deep interest in edu- cational matters. That his work and ability have gained recognition in the State of his adoption is evidenced by the fact that he is at present the president of both the State Teachers' Associations and the Arkansas Summer Normal School. He is also managing editor of the Arkansas Educational Journal, a live and progressive monthly. * To his marriage were born two children: William J. and Kathleen. Prof. Tharp and wife are members of the Baptist Church.

J. C. C. Thomas has been from earliest boyhood familiar with the duties of farm work, and is now also extensively engaged in ginning cotton. He was born in Richmond County, N. C., in 1834, and in 1869 came to Arkansas and settled in Inde- pendence County, and after farming there one year, came to White County. He acquired a good edu- cation in his youth, and after attending the com- mon schools of his native county, he entered Rock- ingham Academy, which he attended three years. After commencing the battle of life for himself, he removed to Louisiana in 1856, locating near Mon- roe, and there bought land. From this State he enlisted in the Confederate army the first year of the war, being a member of Company B, Fourth Louisiana Battalion, and served by re-enlistment until the close of the war, participating in the bat- tles of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and others. After his return home he spent two years in raising crops, then spent one year in Independence County, and has since re- sided in White County. He was married here in March, 1875, to Susan L. Watkins, a native of Alabama, and by her has four children living: Sarah A., Grover C., Carlyle and Clifton B. Al- though Mr. Thomas votes the Democrat ticket, he is not an active politician. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church, and he is a believer in the

doctrine of that denomination. In 1876 he pur- chased a farm comprising 204 acres of land, but now 360, and has 160 acres under cultivation. He also owns one of the oldest cotton-gin stands in the county, and does quite an extensive business in that line. He is one of eight children born to William C. and Sarah A. (Williams) Thomas, the former born in North Carolina, and the latter in Cumberland Island, Ga. Their union took place in the former State, and the father was well known in the community in which he lived, as a success- ful planter. He was also a millwright and erected the first cotton-gin in Richmond County, N. C. He died in North Carolina in 1852, preceded by his wife in 1848. Grandfather Thomas was an En- glishman, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The maternal grandfather was born in Wales and was a Tory during the Revolution.

John A. Thome, M. D., numbered among the rapidly rising practitioners of White County, re- ceived his education in this county, and at Union Academy in Gibson County, Ind., after which he worked on his father's farm until twenty-three years of age. During this period he studied med- icine at home, and in 1877-79 attended lectures at Evansville Medical College from which he grad- uated February 27, 1879. Returning thence to West Point he commenced at once the active prac- tice of his profession, which he has continued with such success as stamps him undoubtedly one of the thorough, capable, professional men of the com- munity. Dr. Thome was born in Gibson County, Ind., November 29, 1854, being the son of Jacob and Isabella (Hayhurst) Thome. The former came originally from Prussia (near Berlin) where his birth occurred on March 26, 1818; he emi- grated to this country by way of New Orleans, in 1848, first locating in Evansville, Ind., but in 1865 removed to Arkansas and settled near West Point, on a farm on which he resided until his death on February 26, 1888. Mrs. Thome was born near Troy, Ohio, on January 8, 1833, and is still living in this county with some of her chil- dren. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom survive: John A. (our subject), David C., Alice (wife of C. W. Davis), Nathallia

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(wife of J. R. Riner) and Naomi (wife of James Thomas). Dr. Thome was united in marriage on June 22, 1882, with Miss Fouzine McCallister, who was born at West Point November 2, 1864. They have two daughters: Evia I. and Vera B. Dr. Thome is a strong Democrat, and as popular socially as he is in professional circles.

James Wair has been a farmer all of his life and has harvested his fiftieth crop, thirty-one of which have been raised in this county. This experience has given him a wide and thorough knowledge of the affairs of agricultural life. Born in Western Tennessee on December 20, 1814, he was the seventh son of H. and Jane (Ware) Wair. After reaching manhood Mr. Wair was married in June, 1844, to a Miss Bobson, who died in 1858 leaving five children: William, Mary, Martha, Margaret and Tennessee. Following this event he moved to Arkansas in the fall of 1858, and settled in White County, where he bought a quarter sec- tion of land. Mr. Wair's second marriage oc- curred in 1860, Mrs. Elizabeth Low, a widow, and a daughter of Edwin Perergrew, of Georgia, be- coming his wife. She departed this life in 1873, leaving six children: James E., Frank B., Lucy V., Ellen T., George H. and Lawrence V. Mr. Wair and each wife were members of the Presby- terian Church. He is a Democrat in politics and a highly respected citizen.

Capt. Calvin Calkins Waldo is a successful gar- dener and fruit grower, residing in White County, Ark., and like the majority of people who claim New York as the State of their nativity, he is en- terprising, intelligent and thrifty. He was born in Genesee County, January 16, 1829, and is a son of Samuel and Mercy (Calkins) Waldo, the former of French descent and a native of Oneida County, N. Y., where he was born in 1794. The family belong to the ancient and honored Wald- enses family, and first became represented in Amer- ica in 1650. Robert and Benjamin Waldo were private soldiers in a Connecticut regiment during the Revolution, and in the battle of Brandywine Robert was killed by a Hessian ball. The mater- nal ancestors were of Scotch-Irish descent, and were members of the Primitive Baptist Church

and were represented in the Revolutionary War by the maternal great-grandfather of our subject, Joshua Calkins, who served as commissary in Gen. Washington's immediate army from 1775 to 1783. He died in 1838, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. Daniel Calkins, the paternal grandfather, commanded a company in the War of 1812, and served six months, but afterward died of disease contracted while in the service, at the age of fifty- seven years. The parents of our subject were married about 1827, and became the parents of six children: Calvin C., Minerva S. (born March 31, 1831, married Joseph Cooper, of Wyoming County, N. Y.), Permelia (born in 1833, and was married to Moses H. Tyler, of Utica, Ind.), Daniel S. (born in 1835, and married Mrs. Julia Gardner, of Jonesville, Mich.), Lloyd Garrison (born in 1837 and died at the age of four years) and Maria (born in 1839, and married Samuel Cooper, a brother of Joseph Cooper). Capt. Waldo (our sub- ject) received the education and rearing which is accorded the majority of farmers' boys, and after attending the common schools he entered the Perry Center Academy for one year, and at the age of twenty-three years graduated from Middlebury Academy, a normal school of good standing. Dur- ing the winter of 1851-52, previous to graduat- ing, he taught the district school at La Grange, N. Y., and he afterward taught a four-months' term at Leroy. During the winters of 1853-54 and 1854-55 he taught school at Elyria, Ohio, and in 1856 immigrated to Jeffersonville, Ind., and in Feb- ruary of that year was united in marriage to Miss Polly Jane Raymond, a native of Columbia County, N. Y., and a graduate of Mrs. Willard's Female College of Troy, N. Y. In her girlhood she was a pupil of Mrs. Lyons, at Mount Holyoke, Mass., and was a teacher in the Methodist school at Bards- town, Ky., at the time she formed Mr. Waldo's ac- quaintance, having previously taught in a female seminary at Murfreesboro, Tenn. After their mar- riage they engaged in teaching a select subscrip- tion school in Jeffersonville, Ind., continuing two years. Mr. Waldo having for some time spent his leisure moments in the study of law was admitted to the bar of Charleston, Ind., moving the same

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year to Utica of that State, where he again began teaching, holding the position of principal of the schools for the period of one year. In 1859 he opened a female boarding and day school, of which his wife became principal, but deeming the facili- ties for practicing law much better at the county seat, he removed to Charleston, where he followed the practice of law until the spring of 1861. Upon hearing of the bombardment of Fort Sum- ter he and others began immediately to raise a company for the three months' service, and Mr. Waldo was elected orderly-sergeant and reported with his company to Gov. Morton, but in conse- quence of the quota of Indiana being full they were disbanded. Later Mr. Waldo assisted in raising a company for the Twenty-second Indiana Regiment, then assisted Capt. Ferguson in raising a company for the Twenty-third Indiana Regiment. For the money expended and the service rendered in his patriotic and successful efforts to serve his country in her dire need he has never received one cent in compensation, or even a favorable notice. In July, 1861, he, with the assistance of Cyrus T. Nixon, of Charleston, Ind., raised sixty men for Company F, Thirty-eighth Regiment Indiana Infantry, and owing to Mr. Nixon's illness re- ported in person to Adj. - Gen. Noble, of Indian- apolis, who assigned him and his company to camp duty at New Albany, Ind. Here he was elected captain of his company, known as Com- pany, F, Thirty-eighth Regiment Indiana Volun- teer Infantry, commanded by Col. B. F. Scribner, but through the latter's instrumentality he was de- posed and a favorite, Wesley Connor, put in his stead. Owing to the dissatisfaction caused by these proceedings about two-thirds of the com- missioned officers left the regiment, among whom were Judge Gresham, who was at that time lieu- tenant-colonel of the regiment. Many private sol- diers also left the company, the Hon. Lee Clow, now of Hempstead County, Ark., being among the

number. After leaving his command Mr. Waldo returned to Charleston, and during the remainder of 1861 and the summer of 1862 he was engaged in the practice of law, but in the latter year was also engaged in assisting the Hon. W. H. Eng-

lish in recruiting a regiment, which afterward be- came the Ninety-fifth Indiana Infantry. He was commissioned first lieutenant, but relinquished his position to one of the aspirants of the regiment for promotion, and then began assisting in raising an- other company, known as Company I, Eighth Regiment Indiana Legion, and was chosen orderly- sergeant. The only important service rendered by this regiment was in repelling Morgan in his raid of 1863, after which it was disbanded and Mr. Waldo removed with his family to his native State (New York). Here, after a short time, he en- listed as a private in Company F, Second New York Veteran Cavalry, was commissioned captain of pro- vost guard, and was on duty at Lockport, N. Y. In November he reported to his company, at Geis- boro Point, D. C., and February 1, 1864, the reg- iment embarked on a steamer for New Orleans, La., where they arrived the same month, being five days over due, on account of a severe storm. He was with Gen. Banks in the disastrous Red River campaign, and was seriously injured while making a cavalry charge by his horse stumbling and falling on him, and as a result, was confined to the hospital at New Orleans for thirty days, after which he again joined his regiment, and in February, of the following year, he embarked with his regiment, at Lake Ponchertrain, for Mo- bile, and while marching overland from Barancas

Island to that city, they met Gen. Clerndon, of

the Confederate service, whom they defeated, wounded and captured. After assisting in the reduction of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort, they routed and captured a Confederate cavalry force, which had annoyed them during the siege of Mo- bile. After the capture of the latter city the reg- iment was ordered to Talladega, Ala., where Capt.

Waldo was detached from his company and sent to Jacksonville, Ala., as quartermaster's clerk, re- maining until September, 1865. He was mus- tered out of service at Talladega, Ala., November

8, 1865, went to Mobile, and there doffed his suit of blue and donned citizen's clothes once more. He returned to Utica, Ind., to which place his family had previously returned. Here his wife suddenly died, as did also a little son, four years

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would permit, but his health grew no better, and and such other occupations as his impaired health the succeeding three years he followed teaching old, leaving his home desolate indeed. During

thinking that a change of climate might prove beneficial, he removed to Jo Daviess County, Ill., in the spring of 1869, where he followed teaching

teaching school. The following year he went to he returned to Illinois, where he again engaged in was successful. In the latter part of the same year bringing to justice county swindlers, in which he & St. Paul Railroad Company, in detecting and ceola, Iowa, and was employed by the Sioux City and prospected for lead. In 1872 he went to Os-

Salem, Iowa, and was there united in marriage to

Miss Elvira Garretson, and in September of that year he removed to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he purchased a farm adjoining the corporation, and

years, with the exception of one year which he occupation received his attention for about six began market gardening and fruit raising. This

spent traveling in the interests of the Howe Truss Company, being present at the Centennial Exhibi- tion in 1876. Three years later he again settled in Salem, and in consequence of ill health, again took up teaching as an occupation, and was also engaged in canvassing for a book. In 1882 he became a resident of Arkansas, visiting the famous Ravenden and Eureka Springs in search of health, but returned to Salem in April, 1882, where he was called upon to mourn the death of his wife, June 3, after an illness of about three weeks. She left two children: Grace (born in June, 1874) and Frank S. (born in February, 1876). Since March, 1884, Mr. Waldo has been a resident of Beebe, Ark., and has confined his attention to market gardening and fruit growing. He has been a member of several secret societies, but through indifference, is not an active member of any at the present time. He is a Republican, and holds a membership in the Missionary Baptist Church.

J. T. Walker is a merchant and farmer of Dog Wood Township, and in his relations with the public has won the respect and esteem of all, for he is honest, upright and attends strictly to his business. His birth occurred in Rutherford Coun-

ty, Tenn., and he was the third child born to George and Anna E. (Barkley) Walker, the former a native of Virginia, born in 1807. His early life was spent in his native State, but when still quite

nuptials of his marriage to Miss Rebecca Keilouct young he was taken to Tennessee, and there the

were celebrated. She died after they had been

married only a short time, and in 1842 Mr. Walker

espoused Anna E. Barkley, a daughter of Andrew

J. and Hannah Barkley, who were Virginians.

Hannah C. (Mrs. Allen, living in White County), Mr. Walker: William B., Andrew J., Henry B., lowing are the children born to her union with Mrs. Walker was born in Tennessee, and the fol-

Martha J. (Mrs. Crisp, also residing in White

County), Sallie A. (Mrs. Shoffner, a resident of

the county), George R. and Mary E. (Mrs. Fer- rell, who is now deceased). In 1850 Mr. Walker moved to White County, Ark., and at the time of his death, in 1872, was the owner of about 1,000 acres of land, of which 125 were under cultivation.

He was a Republican, and died in the faith of the Presbyterian Church. His widow survives him, and resides in White County with her children. Up to the age of thirteen years J. T. Walker re- sided in the State of Tennessee, but after coming to Arkansas he acquired a good education in the common schools, and in 1867 started out in life

for himself. He opened up a farm, and in De- cember, 1872, was married to Jennie C. Shoffner, a daughter of Dr. A. C. and Julia A. Shoffner, who removed from Mississippi to White County, Ark., in 1870. Mr. Walker and his wife have five children who are living, and one, Daisy, who died at the age of seventeen months: Evelina, Louella, James D., Lorambla and Maxie are those living. Mr. Walker is a Democrat, and in 1878 was elected to the office of magistrate, and held the position four years. He and wife belong to the Baptist Church, and he is deeply interested in the cause of education, and has held the posi- tion of school director of his district for about twelve years. He owns about 500 acres of land, with 200 acres well improved, and for some time has been engaged in merchandising at Walker's Store, the place taking its name from him. He is

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WHITE COUNTY.

doing well in both enterprises, and fully deserves the success which has attended his efforts. He is a grandson of Bird Walker.

Walker & Ford. This firm comprises one of the prominent and reliable business houses of Beebe, and is composed of Robert C. Walker and J. A. Ford, two of the honorable and upright men of the county., The senior member of the house, Mr. Walker, was born in Marshall County, Miss., March 16, 1850, his parents, Rev. Charles B. and Jane O. (Jelton) Walker, having been born in Vir- ginia and Tennessee, respectively. The father was born May 26, 1811, and moved with his parents to Rutherford County, Tenn., in 1818, where he embraced religion in December, 1829, becoming a member of the Baptist Church the following year. He was ordained a minister of that denomination on November 17, 1839, and on October 4, 1841, was married to Miss Jelton, and with her removed to Arkansas in 1858, locating at Stony Point, where he engaged in general merchandising. Later he followed the same occupation at Beebe, and was here residing at the time of his death, in 1872, his wife's death occurring three years later. The latter was a daughter of Isaac and Anna Jel- ton, of Rutherford County, Tenn., and for three years after her marriage lived in Lamar County of that State, then made her home in Marshall County, Miss., until 1858, after which they removed to White County. They were abundantly blessed with worldly goods, and Mr. Walker showed excel- lent judgment in selecting land, and was very prosperous in his mercantile enterprise. Their son, Robert C. Walker, spent his early life in Missis- sippi, attending school there and in Arkansas, but after becoming thoroughly familiar with the com- mon branches he entered Hickory Plains Institute, attending one year (1868). After teaching a three months' term of school he entered the State Uni- versity of Fayetteville, as a beneficiary for White County, but at the end of nine months was called home by the death of his father, and did not again enter school, but remained at home to care for his mother, which he continued to do until her death. He was married in 1875 to Miss Sallie Percy, a native of Jackson, Tenn., and to them were born

two children: James (born August 29, 1877) and Ollie (born October 12, 1879), the mother's death following the birth of the latter, October 24. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a faithful wife, mother and friend, and her death was deeply lamented by all. In January, 1881, Mr. Walker espoused Miss Mattie L. Scott, of Arkansas, whose father, John Scott, was a farmer of Missis- sippi and later of Arkansas, but died at Selma, Ala., in 1862. This union resulted in the birth of four children: Sallie (born February 11, 1885), Minnie and Winnie (twins, born July 28, 1886, and died August 2, 1886), and Viola (born October 7, 1887). The first experience Mr. Walker had was in set- tling his father's estate, he being one of the execu- tors. He was afterward associated in business with Mr. Westbrooks, continuing with him until 1875, following farming from that time till February, 1888. At that date he and Mr. Ford purchased their present stock of goods, and, owing to their genial dispositions and excellent business qualifica- tions, their union has prospered. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Ford, the junior member of the firm, was born in Georgia, December 4, 1851, his native county being Whit- field. His parents, Joseph R. and Palmyra (Cowan) Ford, were also natives of Georgia, and until the war the father was a wealthy merchant of Dalton, and wielded a wide influence in the politics of the State. He was for a long time collector of his county, and represented the same one term in the legislature. He served as orderly-sergeant in the Confederate army during the war, and upon being taken captive was imprisoned for fifteen months at Camp Chase, Ohio. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are residing at Bellevue, Tex. J. A. Ford is the second of their eight chil- dren, the other members of the family being as follows: George (who is circuit and county clerk of Clay County, Tex.), Marion (who is a conductor on the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad), Edward (a salesman at Poplar Bluff, Mo.), Joseph (a ranch- man near Bellevue, Tex. ), and Robert L. and Law- rence (who reside with their parents in Texas), Ava (the only sister, is the wife of Robert Miller, a stockman at Gainesville, Tex.). J. A. Ford received

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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.

his education at Dalton, Ga., and Flint Springs, Tenn. At the age of nineteen years he began life for himself, and after teaching school for several years he clerked one year, embarking in business on his own account in 1873, doing a general busi- ness. Owing to failing health, he was compelled to give up this work for awhile, and accordingly sold his goods and returned to Georgia, where he was engaged in farming until 1876, at which time he came to Arkansas. After farming three years in Conway County, he came to Judsonia, agricult- ure receiving his attention here also, and in the fall of 1883 bought a farm near Beebe. In 1886 he became associated with Mr. Campbell in the mercantile business, and until February, 1888, the firm was L. Campbell & Co., since which time it has been Walker & Ford. January 31, 1879, Mr. Ford was married to Miss Lane, a native of Geor- gia. She was reared in Missouri, and is a daugh- ter of John F. Lane, a prominent attorney at law of Poplar Bluff, Mo. He and wife have four chil- dren: George L. (born December 4, 1870), Samuel E. (born September 14, 1881), Joseph Lee (born November 8, 1883) and Palmyra (born August 16, 1887). Mr. and Mrs. Ford are members of the Baptist Church, and he belongs to Beebe Lodge No. 145, A. F. & A. M., and has been a member of the I. O. G. T. He has the interest of the county at heart, and supports all movements tending to pro- mote the public good.

W. T. Wallis has been a resident of White County since 1856, acquiring during this time an enviable reputation as a citizen of energy and en- terprise, and a man honest and conscientious in his walk and transactions. A native of Tennessee, he is a son of John and Mary (Bird) Wallis, origin- ally from North Carolina, who had a family of eleven children: John B., Mary, Elizabeth, Myas, Rebecca, Josiah, Nancy, Doctern, Catharine, W. T. (the principal of this sketch) and three whose names are not given, and who were older than W. T. The father of our subject died when he was only two years old, the mother following six months later. W. T. Wallis was born in 1829, and spent his early days in Tennessee, starting out for himself, in 1851, first as a carriage-maker and

then as farmer, to which occupation he has since given his attention. Removing to Mississippi, he was married there, in 1852, to Leamia E. Bromson, and in 1856 came to this county, where he entered 200 acres of land. At the beginning of the war Mr. Wallis enlisted in Col. Monroe's regiment, and served until the close of hostilities, participating in twenty-seven battles and skirmishes. His career as a soldier was honorable and effective. Mr. and Mrs. Wallis are the parents of eight children: John S., William H., Mary E., Martha A., Thomas, Patrick L., Annie E. and Lucinda V., all married and living in Arkansas, and most of them in this county. Mr. Wallis and wife belong to the Missionary Baptist Church, the former owns 1,000 acres of land, and has about 150 acres under culti- vation, his stock numbering some two or three hun- dred head of cattle.

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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