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 59

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 59

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his present mill, and is now engaged in the saw- mill business in connection with farming, enjoying a large patronage.

I. S. Julian, who holds prominent citizenship among the residents of Brushy Lake Township, is a well-to-do farmer and a native of Tennessee, being the eldest son of John and Sarah (Murphey) Julian, of French and Irish parentage, and also natives of Tennessee. John Julian was engaged in farming in that State until 1858-59, when he removed to Alabama, where he still lives. Him- self and wife were the parents of eight children, five still living: I. S. (our subject), James M., George H., Mary J. (now Mrs. Carter, of Ala- bama) and J. P. ; all reside in Alabama excepting our subject. Mrs. Julian died in 1854, and two years later Mr. Julian married Miss Jane Wilson, who is the mother of one son, Samuel. Mr. and Mrs. Julian are connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, as' was also the first wife. I. S. Julian was reared to farm life, and educated in the common schools of Tennessee, later attending the academy at Harrison, Tenn. At the age of twenty he entered upon a career as farmer, and also worked for a railroad company for two years, and on January 8, 1871, moved to this county, where he bought a farm of 160 acres of unim- proved land; since then he has purchased 330 acres additional, and has 100 acres under cultiva- tion, though having given his children most of his land. In 1863 Julian entered the Confederate service, but remained only a short time as his health failed, at which he furnished a substitute. Mr. Julian was born in 1834, and has been twice married; first, in 1854 to Miss Rebecca J. Hender- son of Georgia, and a daughter of John and Eda (Brooks) Henderson, Mrs. Julian died in June, 1856, leaving one daughter, Georgia A. (now the wife of Phelix House). February 14, 1858, Mr. Julian was married to Miss Rebecca J. Sherrill, of Tennessee origin. They became the parents of eight children, five still living: John M. (a Method- ist minister of Texas), James A. (a resident of this county), Elizabeth (the widow of the late George M. Gailey), Isham, Jr., and William A. Mrs. Julian died September 4, 1889, leaving a

large family and devoted husband to mourn her loss. She was a consistent member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, South, and is much missed by her many friends and acquaintances. Mr. Julian has been a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church (as was also his first wife) for the last sixteen years; he is also connected with the A. F. & A. M.

John W. Killough, an exemplary citizen, a prominent merchant and stock raiser of Vanndale, was born in St. Francis County in 1840, and was the youngest son of John G. and Fannie P. Kill- ough. His parents died within one month of each other when our subject was but a child. His father was a school-teacher and also engaged in stock raising. After the death of his parents Mr. Kill- ough was adopted in the family of Dr. John P. Mardis, of Poinsett County, remaining with him until twenty years of age. He then engaged in farm labor until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the Confederate army, in the Twenty-third Arkansas Infantry, and participated in the battles of Iuka, Mississippi, Corinth, Poca- hontas (Tenn.), and at the siege of Port Hudson, and many skirmishes. After the seizure of Port Hudson he was paroled and returned home, and after his exchange assisted to organize a company, in which he was commissioned second lieutenant, and served principally in Eastern Arkansas. At the close of hostilities Mr. Killough again com- menced farming, following this till 1869, when he engaged in the mercantile business in Poinsett County, remaining here until 1873, then removed to Wittsburg, Cross County, and in 1879 entered into a partnership with a Mr. Erwin, and in 1884 they moved their stock to Vanndale, where they opened a store, retaining the firm name of Killough & Erwin till 1887. Mr. Killough here erected a fine hotel, and a number of residences. He was married in 1861 to Miss Mary E. Rooks, a native of Tennessee. They were the parents of five children, three of whom are still living: Oliver N. (a lawyer of Vanndale), Ida Estella (wife of George P. Gardner, of Mammoth Spring) and John Wes- ley, Jr. (who is clerking at Mammoth Spring). Mr. Killough has served as justice of the peace two

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years; was county judge in 1880, and was sheriff of Cross County three years, filling these offices with satisfaction to the citizens and credit to him- self. Mr. Killough owns 4,000 acres of land, and has about 400 acres under cultivation, one-third of which he cleared himself. He is also engaged in raising fine stock, mules, Poland-China hogs, etc., making a specialty of short-horn cattle. Mr. Kill- ough is a member of the Masonic order, also of the K. of H. and the K. & L. of H., and is one of the leading citizens of Cross County, always fore- most in all work for the improvement of the county, and has made a worthy county official and a good business man.

Oliver N. Killough, a rising young lawyer of Vanndale, was born in Poinsett County of this State, on February 18, 1865, being the eldest liv- ing son of J. W. and M. E. Killough. [See sketch. ] He attended the common schools near his home until he was fifteen years of age, then entered the University of Mississippi, at Oxford, from which he graduated as an A. B., in 1885, and soon after returned to Vanndale, where he taught one term of school. He next began clerking for Smith & Kill- ough, at Harrisburg, serving in this capacity for some time, then became deputy sheriff of Cross County under his father. During all this time he had been desirous of studying law, and in 1887 he entered the Law Department of the University of Virginia, and after taking a one year's course he returned to Cross County and was admitted to the bar on December 20, 1888, at Jonesboro. Since that time he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession at Vanndale and was as- sociated with N. W. Norton, but since July, 1889, he has been by himself, and although quite a young man he has become well known throughout the county as a leading member of the legal fraternity. He belongs to Lodge No. 52, K. of P. at Wynne, also Lodge No. 606, K. of H., at Vanndale, and Beta Beta Chapter of Beta Theta Si college fraternity.

W. L. Lancaster, postmaster and merchant, at Wynne, owes his nativity to Giles County, Tenn., where his birth occurred August 15, 1844, the eld- est in a family of eleven children born to the union

of Elisha and Malinda (Kerr) Lancaster, natives also of Tennessee. The grandparents on both sides were early pioneers of Maury County, Tenn., com- ing from Virginia at a very early date. Elisha died in 1880, and his wife many years previous to that. W. L. Lancaster was early taught the duties of farm life, and attended the common schools of that section until about sixteen years of age, when, at the breaking out of the late war, he flung aside the implements of peace and took up the weapons of warfare. He enlisted in the Confederate army, Company F, Forty-eighth Tennessee Infantry, and participated in the battles of Richmond, Perryville, Chickamauga, and was captured June 4, 1863, at Kenesaw Mountain, being retained from that time until the close of the war. After being released he returned home and was for two years engaged in buying cattle. In 1869 he came to Arkansas, set- tled in St. Francis County, where he purchased a farm and followed agricultural pursuits until 1873, but was also for some time engaged in mercantile pursuits in Forrest City, and was jailor of that county. He then came to Wynne and opened a general store, there being at that time but two other stores in the place. He purchased a lot, erected a store building, and had a good business which was rapidly increasing, until September, 1887, when half the town, including his store, was destroyed by fire. In less than two weeks he was again in business, selling from a tent, but in a few months moved into a store. September 1, 1889, he was appointed postmaster at Wynne. He was mar- ried in 1874 to Miss Fannie Speer, a native of Ten- nessee, and the fruits of this union have been two children: Dot and Normer. In 1883 Mrs. Lan- caster was called to her final home. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Lancaster is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Honor, and is also a Knight of Labor.

John W. Lewellen, the subject of this sketch, is recognized among his town's-people as one who has been instrumental in the upbuilding of the town in which he is a resident. He was born three miles south of the present village of Vanndale Jan- uary 13, 1850, his father and mother having moved

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from Northampton County, N. C., to Arkansas in that year. They were farmers, and Mr. Lewellen was one of the representative men of this section. He died in August, 1888, at the age of seventy-four years. John W. Lewellen received in his youth such education as Cross County afforded, and was an attendant of the common schools, until he at- tained his majority. In 1871 he purchased 160 acres of land from his father, on which slight im- provements had been made, and with the energy and perseverance which has ever characterized his ef- forts, he has made much more extended improve- ments, and in addition to farming his own land, farms some rented land. He at one time owned 320 acres, but sold 160, and now has seventy-five acres of his land under cultivation. When the town of Vanndale was located, about one-half of it was laid out on his farm, and he donated five acres to the railroad, and four acres to the county, and on the latter, the court house of Cross County has since been built. In 1873 he built a fine residence in the town, but in 1885 sold it to Mr. R. Block. He has been one of the leading spirits in the school work of Vanndale, serving six years as director, and he has also been interested in the political matters of the county, but has not been an office seeker. He was married in January, 1876, to Miss Annie Stanley, a native of Cross County, and a daughter of Thomas Stanley, an old pioneer and sheriff of this county, and later a merchant of Witts- burg, who died in April, 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewellen six children have been born: Gracie A., John T., William E. (who died when about a year and a half old), James F., Norma E., and Joseph H. Mrs. Lewellen is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

J. T. Lewellen is a prominent mill man and also operates a cotton-gin at Vanndale. He is a native of the county, born in 1858, and was the fifth of six children born to James A. and Nancy E. (Gardner) Lewellen, who were natives of the "Old North State," and came to Arkansas at an early day, set- tling in what is now Cross County, where they en- tered a tract of land comprising 320 acres. By industry and good management they soon had 150 acres under cultivation, and in time he became one

of the most successful and best-known farmers in the county, and his death, which occurred at his daughter's, three miles from Vanndale, in 1888, was lamented by his many warm personal friends. J. T. Lewellen attended the common schools until 1879, when he rented his father's farm and began energetically to till the soil on his own account. He lived on the old homestead until the winter of 1882 and was then married to Miss Mollie Block, a daughter of David Block, of Wittsburg. [See sketch. ] After his marriage he removed to Vann- dale and erected a grist-mill and cotton-gin, his brother being associated with him in business for two years, then he became sole proprietor, added a saw mill, and is now managing a grist and saw mill and cotton-gin. In 1888 he ginned 852 bales of cotton, and his saw-mill supplies all the local trade besides what he ships to other points. His land now amounts to 420 acres in various tracts, and he has about eighty acres under cultivation. In 1883 he erected a fine residence in Vanndale, and has now one of the pleasantest homes in that village. His marriage has been blessed in the birth of two children: James Adelbert and an in- fant daughter (unnamed). He is a member of the K. & L. of H.

Capt. J. M. Levesque, the worthy and esteemed county clerk of Cross County, enlisted at the out- break of the. Civil War, in Company C of the Thirteenth Arkansas Infantry, the first regiment organized in that part of the State, Cross County, and was immediately elected orderly-sergeant of his company. The regiment was sent to Fort Pillow, and thence to Kentucky, and was also in the battle of Belmont, Mo., November 7, 1861, evacuating at Columbus, Ky., in March, 1862. At the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, Lieut. Joe Hall was wounded, and Mr. Levesque was chosen to fill his place as second lieutenant. Shortly after this the first lieutenant was wounded and dis- charged, and our subject was elected to his posi- tion, and at the reorganization of the regiment at Corinth, in April, 1862, he was elected captain, . and served through the Alabama and Kentucky campaign, also participating in the battles of Rich- mond, Ky., under Kirby Smith, at Perryville,

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Ky., and Murfreesboro, Tenn. At the reorgani- zation of the army, he was sent to the Trans-Mis- sissippi Department, and there engaged in recruit- ing a company of cavalry, mostly from Cross County; was in a number of skirmishes, but not in any important battles, his company going on the Missouri raid under Gen. Price. At the close of the war, he took up farming as an occupation, buying a farm of 336 acres, near Vanndale, but in 1866 he was elected circuit and county clerk of Cross County, which office he held until the re- construction of the county, when he was dis- franchised for having held office at the beginning of the war, and in participating in the Rebellion. He then again engaged in farming, in which he continued until 1874, during which time he im- proved his farm, and adding to it, till in 1878, he was the owner of 2,000 acres of land. In 1874 he was elected sheriff of Cross County, and was re-elected in 1876, and again in 1878. In 1880 he was elected circuit and county clerk, and was also re-elected to that office in 1882, 1884, 1886 and 1888, and is the present incumbent of this office, and that he has given satisfaction is shown by the fact of his having been elected to the same office for four terms in succession. In 1868 he was se- lected as one of the three men on a locating com- mittee, to choose a site for the county seat, which was then changed to Wittsburg, and in 1885 was appointed one of the committee which located the seat of justice in Vanndale. Mr. Levesque was born in Fayette County, Tenn., in 1834, and was the son of James and Elizabeth (Arnett) Levesque, natives of Tennessee and Mississippi, respectively. His father was a farmer by occupation, and died when our subject was five years old. His mother dying when he was the age of thirteen, he then went to live with an uncle, the Rev. William Levesque, of Alabama, remaining with him until he was sixteen years of age, when he then returned to Fayette County, and was employed as a farm overseer until 1854. In this year he was mar- ried to Miss Nannie Willis, of Tennessee origin, and in the fall of that year he removed to Ar- kansas, settling in Cross County, in what was then a part of Poinsett County. Here he was again

employed as a farm overseer, until 1860, when he was elected constable of Mitchell Township, and which office he held till the breaking out of the Rebellion, and the call for men for the Confederate service, to which he responded so readily. He has been a delegate to the Democratic State Conven- tion every year since 1876, and has the unbounded confidence of his party, which he has never be- trayed, and is so wholly depended upon that he goes uninstructed and uses his own judgment in the convention. The results of this marriage are five children, three of whom are still living: Eliz- abeth (wife of Thomas B. Smith, of Cold Water Township), Fannie (wife of Isaac Block, of Wynne), Willie T. (married and resides in Cold Water Town- ship), James Cheatham (deceased) and John Phil- lip (deceased). Capt. Levesque owns considerable property in different places throughout the county, and owns some 2,000 acres of land, of which there are 800 under cultivation. His farm, on which his son resides, is a field of 500 acres, which is as level as a floor, and on which are good buildings, mills, gins, barns, etc., in fact everything needed to carry on a well-equipped farm. When the Bald Knob Railroad was built through Cross County, the company named a station in honor of our sub- ject, and Levesque Lodge No. 52, K. of P., is also named after him. Capt. Levesque has been connected with the Masonic fraternity since 1861, and a member of the Chapter since 1872, and be- came a Knight Templar in 1889. He also belongs to the K. of P., K. of H. and the K. & L. of H., and I. O. O. F. The Captain is one of the most influential politicians of the county, and a highly respected man, and one of the county's self-made men, having come to it as a laborer, and is now a wealthy man, all due to his own efforts and honest industry.

W. T. Levesque, one of the prominent young farmers of Cold Water Township, is a worthy son of J. M. and Nannie (Willis) Levesque [a sketch of whose lives immediately precedes this]. Born in Cross County in 1860, he was reared on a farm, and at the age of seventeen was appointed deputy sheriff of the county, his father being sheriff at that time, serving under him for four years; he was also

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called upon to act in a similar capacity the next two years under Sheriff Legg. At the age of twenty-three Mr. Levesque commenced farming on his father's land, in which occupation he is still interested, also operating a saw-mill and cotton- gin. He was married in 1884 to Miss Effie Hamil- ton, of this county, a daughter of J. G. and Per- mesia (Shaver) Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton are the parents of ten children (seven living in this county): Hester C. (wife of R. Block), W. B., O. A., D. H., C. M., J. B., P., B. F., Effie and Edward, Mr. Levesque is a member of the K. of H., and of the K. & L. of H. He is enjoying a large business in his mill and gin and is justly recognized as among the county's leading young men.

Philip B. Littlefield, a farmer of no mean ability, and one highly respected, is originally from Mississippi, but attained his manhood in St. Francis County, where he lived until 1879; then going into Cross County occupied himself with farming. In 1872 his marriage to Miss Ann McDonnell (also of this State), was solemnized, and who died in 1876, the mother of two children, now deceased. He was again married to Mrs. Ollie Rose (nee John- son) of Tennessee nativity, and a daughter of Thomas Johnson, who came to Arkansas in 1864 from Missouri. By his second wife he became the father of one child, deceased. Philip B. Littlefield (our subject) was born in Panola County, Miss., in 1852, and is a son of Andrew J. and Elizabeth (Beliew) Littlefield, of Alabama and Tennessee origin, respectively. Andrew J. Littlefield came to Panola County, Miss., where he remained until 1858, then coming to Arkansas he settled in St. Francis County and entered a tract of land which he has converted into a good farm, and on which he made his home until his death in 1880. He and wife were members of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Lit- tlefield is still living, and is the mother of ten children, four of whom are deceased: Flemming M. (a soldier during the Rebellion was killed at Cum- berland Gap), Shelton (who served in the Confed- erate army and died in 1877), John S. (also in the late war, died in 1887), and an infant now deceased. Those living are: Zachariah, George W., Mattie C.,

Sarah E., Jennie and Philip B. Philip B. Little- field is numbered among the Knights of Honor and is a strong Democrat politically, He owns valu- able property and has about 125 acres under culti- vation. Mrs. Littlefield is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

J. W. Logan, one of the early and prominent settlers of this county, is a Kentuckian by birth and a son of J. R. and Emeline (Wright) Logan, also natives of the Blue Grass State. The paternal grandfather, J. R. Logan, Sr., was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, during which he was captured by the Indians, and for two weeks had his thumbs tied together with sinews of deer, at night being suspended to a branch of a tree. At the end of three weeks, while under the care of one Indian, he managed to escape. J. R. Logan, Jr., the father of the subject of this sketch, served a short time in the Mexican War. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and were the parents of seven children, three of whom are still living: J. W., Mattie C. (wife of J. Pryor, of Henry County, Ky.), and Mary F. (the widow of J. A. Patterson, and resides in Louisville, Ky.). J. W. Logan was born in Henry County, Ky., in 1840, and at the age of twenty-one commenced farming for himself on rented land in Kentucky, continuing until 1860, going thence to Canada, remained some five or six years and during that time traveled over a large part of British America, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Eastern and Western Canada. He returned in 1865 to Kentucky, but a year later started out again, and traveled over the Eastern and Northern States, and back to Canada. In 1874, Mr. Logan was married to Miss Florence M. Garr, of Jefferson County, Ky., after which he settled down to farming near Louisville, also . carrying on the dairy business until January, 1880; removing to Arkansas he settled within two miles of his present farm, bought 260 acres of land and in 1887 purchased his present farm on which he lives, now owning altogether 1,531 acres, with 300 acres under cultivation. Mr. Logan has con- siderable stock and raises hay, corn, etc., being , considered one of the most prosperous farmers

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in the county. Himself and wife were the parents of six children (two of whom are deceased, the others are at home): James E., Mamie, Virgie, George, Willie (deceased) and Jessie (also de- ceased). Mr. and Mrs. Logan are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

J. L. Lyon is the son of W. D. and Lydia (Arnold) Lyon, and was one of a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are still living: Elizabeth (wife of J. L. Robinson), P. L. (a resident of St. Francis County), Mattie (wife of G. W. Dallas), Nannie (wife of G. W. Timuel), Catharine, J. F., J. L. and B. A. J. L. Lyon was born in Missis- sippi in 1863, and at the age of twenty came to Arkansas with his father. For three years previ- ous to this he had been clerking in a store in Mem- phis, Tenn. Subsequently he took charge of his father's business for eight years, and in June, 1889, bought the livery stable of J. B. Hamilton, which he has until recently owned and conducted. Mr. Lyon has enjoyed a large and lucrative business, and is one of the representative men of Wynne. W. D. Lyon was a native of Alabama, and upon moving to Mississippi settled in Chickasaw County, where he engaged in farming, there remaining until 1864. During this time he served as sheriff of the county for several years, and later was ap- pointed county clerk to fill an unexpired term. In 1864 Mr. Lyon moved to Shelby County, Tenn., where he was occupied in farming for nineteen years, and in 1883 came to Arkansas, locating in St. Francis County. In 1886 he became a resi- dent of Cross County and rented a farm in Searcy Township, where he died in June of the same year, at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Lyon belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. He served in the war with Mexico, and was a member of the A. F. & A. M., and of the I. O. O. F. During the last eight years of his life he was afflicted with blindness. Mrs. Lyon is connected with the Old School Presbyterian Church.

J. C. McElroy, the subject of this sketch and prominent in the affairs of his county and known to all as a law-abiding citizen, was born in the State of Georgia in 1827, as the son of John and M. S. (Belk) McElroy. Mr. McElroy was reared on

a farm, and removed with his father, John McEl- roy, to Arkansas in the year 1848, and the follow- ing year married Miss Sara C. Lantroupe. Then settling an adjoining farm to his father, he has since lived there. Mr. McElroy was put on de- tached duty by the Confederate Government dur- ing the war, and had charge of the Government tanyards; also served in the postal service during that conflict. He was justice of the peace for sev- eral years, and also acted as county judge from 1868 till 1874, since which time he has taken no active part in politics. Mr. and Mrs. McElroy are the parents of nine children, three of whom are still living: John W., Sallie (wife of James A. Sadler) and Emmet L. (all residents of this coun- ty). Mr. and Mrs. McElroy are strict members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The former is also a member of the A. F. & A. M. He is one of the prominent farmers of Bedford Township and a highly respected citizen. John W. McElroy, the oldest son, has been county surveyor of Cross County for six years.

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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