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 72

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 72

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CRITTENDEN COUNTY.

cally, he was an old line Whig before the civil strife, but since then he has voted for the best man. In 1871 he made a general division of his property among his children, and in 1881 presented them with deeds for the same. Hopefield Vance is mar- ried to Bettie Sweeney, a native of Virginia, and is the father of three children: Leslie, Ralph and Hope. Robert Vance is married to Miss Lula Franklin, a native of Tennessee, and has four children: Walter, Robert, Nellie and Lottie.

R. N. Wallace, prominently identified with the mercantile affairs of Bartonville, was born in Weak- ley County, Tenn., in 1840, being the son of James Wallace, originally from Barren County, Ky., who came to Tennessee about 1820 with his parents when eight years of age. He grew to manhood in Weakley County, and engaged in farming there, becoming married to Miss Mary E. Goldsby, a Kentuckian by birth, who went to Tennessee with her parents in 1852 when she was a child. After they were married Mr. and Mrs. Wallace moved back to their native State, and lived there till their death. They were both members of the Baptist Church, and the parents of three sons and three daughters, of whom three sons and one daughter lived to be grown. J. G. Wallace, the youngest of the children, was reared by his grandfather, and is now a practicing lawyer in Russellville, Ark. R. N. Wallace, the oldest son, was left on his own resources at the age of sixteen, his father having died at that time, and he came to Arkansas in 1856, and to Crittenden County in 1859, where he has since lived. During his stay here he has spent two years in Tennessee attending school, and after his return he was occupied in teaching. At the breaking out of the late war he enlisted with the Crittenden County Rangers, Joe Earl's com- pany, and later joined the Second and Third Ar- kansas as a private. He was captured near Dal- ton, Ga., in 1864, and taken to Camp Chase, Ohio, from which he was paroled after being kept for five months. Returning to his command he was again taken prisoner the day before the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston, and was paroled from Chester Court House, S. C., and came back home on horseback. After his arrival he resumed farm-

ing till 1869, when he entered the firm of R. C. Wallace & Co., and opened the first store at Craw- fordsville. A. F. Crawford, a member of the above firm, was the first postmaster at Crawfordsville, in 1870, the first postoffice established west of Mar- ion. Mr. Wallace remained with this company for two years, when they sold to Anderson & Allen. He then carried on farming till the spring of 1887, when he opened and conducted a store for one year at Needmore, and after going out of busi- ness at Needmore, embarked in merchandising at Bartonville, where he continued till October, 1889. Then he sold to H. F. Avery, and has since given his attention to his farm which consists of 300 acres under cultivation, besides small tracts of wild land. Mr. Wallace was married to Mrs. Sarah A. Chambers, nee Graham, daughter of H. Graham, one of the old settlers in this county. Mrs. Gra- ham is still living, and is seventy-nine years of age. Mrs. Wallace died in January, 1888. She was an active and earnest member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and was the mother of one child, John G., who was born August 26, 1874. Mr. Wallace is a Master Mason, and stands high among the prominent citizens of Crittenden County.

Charles A. Walter, a farmer and stock raiser of Fogleman Township, is a native of Germany, born March 19, 1847, and is the fourth child of a fam- ily of seven children born to the union of Freder- ick and Caroline (Wittersburg) Walter, both born in Germany, who died there at a very old age. Charles A. received his education in his native country, and came to the United States in 1868, locating in Wisconsin, where he worked in a brew- ery till coming to this county the first time, in 1871. He now has 240 acres of land, with 110 in a good state of cultivation, and has made this his home since 1880. He has cleared all his land himself, and the past year had seventy-five acres of cotton, which produced a heavy crop. His farm is located one and one half miles from Gilmore Station, west of the railroad, and is splendid for stock purposes, on which are raised a number of cattle, hogs, mules and horses. Mr. Walter is the only one of his family now in this country. He is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first presiden-

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tial vote for Tilden. A good honest citizen, he possesses the chief characteristics of a true son of Germany, which make that people so prosperous as a nation.

C. T. and I. O. West, brothers, and jointly as- sociated in farming and stock raising, stand among the most prominent in their line in Wappanocca Township. C. T. West was born in Virginia in 1856, and his brother in this county in 1861. They are sons of Levi and Lucy C. (Barnard) West, both Virginians by birth. The father was a farmer and moved to this county in 1858, renting a farm in this township till 1879, when he pur- chased an unimproved bottom farm of eighty acres, of which he cleared some fifteen acres and built a comfortable residence. The father and mother of our subjects were the parents of three children: C. T., I. O. and Ida, wife of W. J. Mann, who is now living with her brothers. The father had pre- viously been married to Mary Barnard, sister of his last wife, who was the mother of seven chil- dren, all now deceased. C. T. West was reared on a farm in this county and received a fair educa- tion at Miller and Caruther's graded school, in Shelby County, Tenn. At the age of twenty-two years he rented a farm and has since followed his chosen vocation with the greatest success. Like his brother, I. O. West was brought up to a knowledge of agricultural pursuits, and received his education in the public schools of Shelby County, Tenn. When he reached the age of nine- teen he commenced business for himself on his father's farm, on which he has since lived and tended to its cultivation. Ida also attended school in Shelby County, Tenn., where her father had moved at the close of the war to educate his chil- dren. She was married to W. J. Mann, and to their union have been given five children. The three now living are: Willie, James T., and an in- fant unnamed. Mr. Mann, who came to this county in 1878, is the only son of William and Martha (Wilson, nee Bracy) Mann, the latter of whom died in 1859, after which he was married to Cherry Futrell, and Dallas M. (deceased) was the only child born to this union. Mr. Mann's first wife was a Miss Outland, and they were the parents

of five children, two now living: James H. (in this county) and Martha T. (wife of James Fennett), residing in North Hamilton County, N. C. The three gentlemen mentioned in this sketch, are all public spirited and progressive, and extend a wel- come to all thrifty white emigrants, from whatever country they may come. They live together on the old farm cultivated by their father till his death in 1880, and by their spirit of enterprise and their careful business attention have developed, from the Mississippi wilderness, one of the most beautiful and productive farms that adorn Crittenden County.

John C. Williams, like many other prominent citizens of Lucas Township, is worthily occupied as a planter. He was born in Hardeman County Tenn., March 7, 1827, as the son of Nathan Will- iams, a native of Rockingham County, N. C., born in 1788. He was married in North Carolina, and immigrated to Alabama about 1822, and after re- siding there for about four years, moved to West- ern Tennessee, where he remained till 1834, the time of his location in Northern Mississippi: he was the first white man to take his family into that part of the State, and at the time the red man was frequently seen. He remained there till his death, in October, 1850, on the farm that he opened-the first in that section of the country. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, and the son of John Will- iams, who is supposed to have been born in Ire- land. His wife was Miss Nancy L. Carr, of North Carolina origin, born in 1800, who died while visit- ing her son, John C., in Austin, Miss., in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Williams were the parents of nine children, only two of whom are alive: John C. and a brother, Dr. W. G. (living in 'Texas). The sub- ject of this sketch, the fifth child, was raised in Mississippi after he was seven years of age, receiv- ing his education in the common schools of Benton County. In 1849 he was married in Mississippi to Miss Nancy Terry, who was born in South Car- olina, in 1827, and died in Benton County, Miss., in 1856, being the mother of two children: Emma (deceased, the wife of Mr. Knight) and Louisa C. (wife of William Phillips, who lives on a farm in this county). Mr. Williams was married a second

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time in 1859, his wife being Sarah C. Jarrett, then the widow of a Mr. Knight. She was born in Petersburg, Va., in 1827, and had two sons by Mr. Knight; none were born of the last union. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have reared several chil- dren, among whom are her two children and his by his first wife, Sally and Lillie Redus (daughters of his deceased sister), Lycurgus War (a relative of his present wife), two children, by the names of Jennie and Edward Rupe (children of his sister) and two grandchildren, Mary and Henry Knight, are now with him. All but three of the children that he has brought up are now married and doing well. Mr. Williams immigrated from De Soto County, Miss., in 1885, to where he now lives, having 1,600 acres of land, with 200 in cultivation. on which he raises from 100 to 150 bales of cotton annually. He enlisted in the Confederate army with the scout, Thomas Henderson, and served in this capacity from Mississippi to New Orleans, un- til he was paroled, June 19, 1865. Politically he has been a stanch Democrat, since casting his first vote, which was for James K. Polk. Mrs. Will- iams is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and her husband is a believer in Universalism. Mr. Williams is a good, moral man, and is not addicted to playing cards or any other gambling devices, and has not taken any intoxi- cating drinks for twelve years. He first went to Memphis in 1838, when that city was a village, and it has been his home market ever since.

Judge John H. Williams, a farmer and stock raiser of prominence, of Wappanocca Township, "was born in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1841, and is the twelfth child of Robert and Elizabeth (Beas- ley) Williams. The parents of the Judge were of Middle Tennessee nativity, who moved to Shelby County, Tenn., in 1840. Here the father bought a farm, living on it till his death in 1885. He was elected sheriff of Shelby County, Tenn., before the war. By his first wife, who died in 1858, he was the father of twelve children: Mary (wife of Ben Wilson), Martha (wife of John Mathews), Jones (deceased), Peter (of Jerico), Charles (of Shelby County, Tenn.), Benjamin (of Crawfordsville), J. H. (our subject) and Willie (deceased). In 1860

Robert Williams was married to Octavious Will- iams, and to this union was born one child, Nettie (wife of James Hall). Mr. Williams was closely allied to the A. F. & A. M., and was respected by all who knew him, as an honest and honorable citizen. J. H. Williams was reared to farm life, receiving his education in Shelby County, Tenn., and when at the age of twenty, during the outbreak of the Rebellion he joined Company B, Thirteenth Ten- nessee Infantry, and fought in the battles of Mur- freesboro, Belmont and Shiloh, where he was struck twice by a spent ball. At Murfreesboro he was captured and sent to Camp Morton, Ind., being kept here for three months, when he was exchanged and went home. Abandoning the army for all time he commenced farming in Shelby County, Tenn., remaining here till 1869, when he moved to this county in February of that year. He then rented land in this county till 1872, when he purchased land that he cultivated till 1880, when he exchanged it for another farm. He now has 150 acres in his homestead, and is the owner of 160 acres, with ninety acres improved, in another section of the county. When Mr. Williams came to the county in 1869 he was in very poor circum- stances, but by close economy and strict attention to business, backed by a superior business ability, he has in a few years accumulated considerable property. In 1869 he was married to Miss Fannie Wallace, and to them have been given six children: Iola (deceased), E. R. (at home), Vesta E., R. B. (deceased), Ethel H. (deceased) and Hubert A. Mrs. Williams is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and Mr. Williams is an A. F. & A. M., belonging to the Lone Star Lodge No. 375, and to the K. of H., No. 3110. He served as justice of the peace from 1874 to 1880, and in 1882 was elected county and probate judge, which office he filled, with satisfaction to all, for a term of two years.

Edwin J. Williams, prominent as one of the younger farmers of Jasper Township, was born in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1854, to the union of Jesse and Mary (Watson) Williams, natives, re- spectively, of Kentucky and Georgia. When an infant the father went to Tennessee with his par-

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ents and located in Maury County. Here he at- tained his majority and was educated for the Method- ist ministry, which he followed for a profession. He preached in Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky and was a faithful worker in the church till his death, in 1877, when he was seventy years of age. He located in Shelby County on a farm when about thirty-five years of age, and lived there till called to a home above. He was a member of the Masonic lodge. The mother is still living in the same neighborhood, and is above seventy years of age, active and hearty; she is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a devoted and active Christian, doing much to advance the interests of her chosen denomination. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are the parents of eight children, seven now living. Eugene O., the youngest child, is deceased. Edwin J., who is the fifth of the family, was reared in Shelby County, Tenn., and received his education in the common schools of that vicinity. Coming to Arkansas in 1879 he re- mained for three years, when he moved to Fayette County, Tenn., and after spending four years there returned to this county and located on Rose- brough Island, where he is still living, engaged in farming. In connection with James T. Barton, un- der the firm name of Barton & Williams, he is also occupied in buying cotton seed at Gavin. Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lena Finch, who was born in Macon, Tenn., the daughter of Al- phonso and Sally Finch, natives of Tennessee. He is a Democrat in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. They have two children: Valcour F. and Annie V. Mr. Williams is of a philanthropic dis- position and is always eager to take hold of and push anything that will advance the interests of the public.

J. F. Williamson, one of Crittenden County's prosperous young planters, has reached a promi- nence and popularity that would do credit to many of more advanced years and wider experience. He owes his nativity to Mississippi, his birth occurring in De Soto County, in 1863, he being the third in order of birth in a family of nine children born to F. H. and Mary E. (McGraw) Williamson, of whom

only six are now living: Mary E. (wife of Dr. W. P. Conner, residing in Mississippi), J. F., Arti- natia T., Robert M., Ellen and Hal. F. H. Will- iamson went to Memphis, Tenn., from Virginia, in 1840, and engaged in merchandising, the firm name being Franseoli & Williamson, dealers in queens- ware. After successfully conducting that business for twenty years, he moved to De Soto County, and there carried on farming, but in 1886 he returned to Memphis, and has retired from active business life. He served as captain of a company in the late war (on the Confederate side) from 1861 to 1865, and participated in a number of important battles, among them being that of Shiloh. While in Mississippi he received a severe wound in the shoulder, and was taken prisoner at Memphis, but only retained a short time. Though Mr. William- son is in his seventy-first year he enjoys excellent health and takes an active interest in the progres- sive ideas of the day. Mrs. Williamson is fifty- two years of age, and a member of the Baptist Church. J. F. was reared and educated in De Soto County, Miss., and when twenty-five years old ac- cepted the position as manager in the mercantile house of Conner Bros., at Scanlan's Landing. At the expiration of one year he was made a member of that firm. In 1888 Mr. Williamson led to the hymeneal altar Miss Louisia Earle, daughter of J. F. and L. R. (Richards) Earle, natives of Arkan- sas. After his marriage he assumed the manage- ment of his mother-in-law's plantation, which con- sists of 600 acres. He raises about 400 bales of cotton, and does all his own ginning, having a steam- gin on his farm. He is one of the most successful farmers of this county, and takes great interest in and lends his support to all public improvements for the good and benefit of the county and its resi- dents. Mrs. Williamson's father, J. F. Earle, came to this portion of the county with his parents

when about fourteen years old. They were from England, and the paternal great-grandfather was lost at sea. The grandfather was a sea captain, and controlled an interest in a line of steamships. Mr. Earle suffered considerable loss through disas- ters at sea, having owned at one time a large estate in this county. He was a soldier in the War with

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CRITTENDEN COUNTY.

Mexico, and a major in the Confederate States service, serving through the entire war, and later, held with distinction the offices of circuit and coun- ty clerk. Subsequent to the war he served as county and circuit clerk of this county, and was one of its progressive and influential citizens. When Mr. Earle came here he had very little on which to build a fortune, but at the date of his de- mise, was the owner of 1,600 acres of valuable land, with 600 acres under cultivation, which, as before stated, is now under the efficient manage- ment of Mr. Williamson. Mrs. Earle's father (Mr. Richards) was one of the first settlers of Crit- tenden County, and his brother was city register for about thirty years of the city of Memphis, Tenn., holding and discharging the duties of that office with entire satisfaction to all concerned.

Solomon P. Williford, of Crittenden County, was born December 31, 1848, in Shelby County, Tenn., and is the sixth in a family of nine children, which blessed the union of Solomon F. and Susan A. (Andrews) Williford, natives of North Carolina. Solomon Williford came to Tennessee, in 1830, and settled in Shelby County, where he purchased a large tract of land, making farming his special delectation. Here he reared and educated his children, and previous to the war owned a number of slaves. The children were as follows: B. F. (resides in Tennessee), Agnes T. (wife of A. C. Douglass, deceased, and with her family resides in Tennessee), Joseph H. (killed in the battle of Franklin), R. A. (passed through the war under Gen. Forrest), James M. (deceased, and left a family who reside in Tennessee), Piney (deceased), Annie L. (deceased, wife of A. M. Bledsoe, of Tennessee), Bernie (deceased, wife of R. W. Bledsoe, of Tennessee) and S. P. (subject of this sketch). Mr. Williford was killed in 1862, by United States troops, at Bartlett, Tenn. Mrs. Williford died in 1875 or 1876, a member of the Baptist Church, as was also her husband. Solo- mon P. Williford attended the common schools of Shelby County, and also took a course in a promi- nent college of Madison County, Tenn. At the age of twenty he started out to make his fortune, and began farming, having purchased a fine tract

of land in Shelby County, and after a residence of several years on that farm, or until 1881, he disposed of his property and came to Arkansas, following his adopted occupation of farming, on what is now called the McConnoll Place. This place is situated at the head of Cat Island, and embraces 180 acres. Mr. Williford also cultivates 500 acres, on which he raises a great deal of stock, such as cattle, hogs, etc., having discovered that they can be handled with comparatively little ex- pense, and yield excellent returns. In 1877 Mr. Williford was united in holy matrimony with Miss Bettie Massey, a daughter of Crawford and Sarah P. (Bledsoe) Massey. Mr. and Mrs. Mas- sey were the parents of six children, five of whom are now living: Bettie E. (Mrs. Williford), Mary (now Mrs. Oglesbey), Charles J., Sallie A. (the wife of Mr. Walker) and Katie (at home). Mrs. Massey died July 6, 1875. Mr. Massey is a pros- perous farmer, and a member of the Farmers' Al- liance. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Willi- ford served with great distinction in the War for Independence. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Williford five children have been born: Ethel G., Joseph C. (deceased), Lith P., Emmet P. and Daisy M. Mr. Williford is one of the most suc- cessful farmers in this portion of the county, and owes his prosperity to no one but himself, all being secured by hard labor and constant application. He takes an active part in political affairs, and is an ardent admirer of the principles of the Demo- cratic party. A member of the K. of P., K. of H. and I. O. O. F., he is a man of whom the citi- zens of Crittenden County have just cause to be proud.

William H. Williford, an auspicious planter of Jasper Township, was born in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1856, and is the son of Henry and Celia (Taylor) Williford, who were reared and married in North Carolina. The father located in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1851, and followed farming for an occupation. He furnished a substitute during the late war, who was killed at the battle of Frank- lin, Tenn. Mr. and Mrs. Williford were mem- bers of the Baptist Church. The former died in 1880, and his wife in 1868. They were the par-

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ents of eleven children, of whom four lived to be grown, and of these William H. was the fifth child, and is now the only survivor. The father was married the second time in December, 1869, to Miss Pain. They have two boys, living in Mem- phis at present. William H. was reared and edu- cated in the common schools of Shelby County, where he assisted his father on the farm and at- tained his majority. He commenced life for him- self in 1878 by coming to Arkansas, and settled on a farm that was owned by his father and near the Lyon place, on which he lives at the present time. Mr. Williford was married to Miss Katie E. Lyons, who was born in this county in 1859, and is the daughter of Dr. T. B. and Elizabeth (Ferguson) Lyon. Dr. Lyon is a native of Ohio, having graduated there at a medical college, and upon coming to this State located in Mississippi County, but later moved to Crittenden County. Here he was married and followed his profession, which greatly injured his health, and from the effects of which he died in 1886, at the age of six- ty-three. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was well liked by all who knew him. His widow lives on the old home place with Mr. and Mrs. Williford. She is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Lyon were born three children, of whom one died when quite small; Katie E. and Hattie J. still survive. . Mr. and Mrs. Williford are the parents of four children, as follows: Myrtle, Thomas H. and Willie Lee living, and one died in infancy. Mr. Williford is a member of the Baptist Church, and his wife of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Democrat in politics, and is a worthy and

enterprising citizen. He has an elegant farm of 130 acres in cultivation and 190 acres still unim- proved.

William R. Young, like others mentioned in the present volume, an energetic planter of Lucas Township, was born in Crenshaw County, Ala., May 10, 1856, and is a son of Richard W. Young, who dates his existence from 1842, in South Caro- lina. He now resides in Mississippi. Richard W. Young was married to Miss Susan Clyburn, who was reared in South Carolina, where she was also born about 1845; she is living at Huntsville, Ala. They are the parents of twelve children, of whom ten survive, and of these William R. is the second child. When the latter was but eleven years old his parents moved from South Carolina to Huntsville, Ala., where he received his educa- tion. He commenced life for himself at about seventeen years of age, working for wages in a store and on a farm, and was married December 7, 1886, to Miss Willie Holloway, born in Madison County, Miss., October 15, 1866, and brought up in De Soto County. She is a daughter of J. L. Holloway. [See sketch. ] Mr. and Mrs. Young have one child. They moved from De Soto Coun- ty to where they now live in 1885. Mr. Young cultivates 450 acres of land, on which he usually raises from 200 to 250 bales of cotton annually, requiring eighteen mules to do the work. His wife is an active member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Young has been a Democrat since casting his first vote for Tilden; he is an enterpris- ing and energetic business man, and deserves much praise for his untiring efforts to make things com- fortable for himself and his neighbors.

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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