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 89

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 89

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Robert W. Park was born in Lawrence Dis- trict, S. C., in 1824, but since 1861 has been a resident and farmer of Monroe County, Ark. His parents, William and Jane (Word) Park, were born in the same county as himself, and there the father spent his life, his death occurring in 1828 or 1829.

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MONROE COUNTY.

He was a well-to-do farmer, and was in full com- munion with the Presbyterian Church at the time of his demise. His father, Andrew Park, was born in the Emerald Isle, but at an early day came to the United States, and settled in Lawrence Dis- trict, S. C., where he reared a large family of sons and daughters. Thomas Word, the maternal grandfather, spent nearly all his life in the same county, but died near Gunter's Landing, Tenn., having been a carpenter by trade. Robert W. Park came with his mother to Arkansas, and her death occurred on the farm, where he now lives in 1861, she, like her husband, being a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was the youngest of five sons and one daughter, and is the only one now living; his school days were confined to about five years. In March, 1855, he was married to Charlotte, a daughter of Randall and Dorcas Ann Ramsey, who were born in Anderson County, S. C., and spent their declining years in Georgia, and they have reared, during their married life, a family of five sons and five daughters; three chil- dren died in infancy. In this State Mr. Park met his first wife, he and his mother, and her family having removed there in 1836. In 1860, as above stated, he came to Arkansas and purchased a farm of 240 acres, seven miles east of Clarendon, and by his own efforts soon had 130 acres under the plow and covered with waving grain. The country was very wild when he first came to this region, and bear, panthers and deer were very plentiful. He served all through the Civil War, being a mem- ber of Hawthorn's regiment of Arkansas Cavalry, and since that time has been a Democrat, politic- ally. He and wife have been members of the Christian Church for many years.

James Park is one of the foremost and progres- sive farmers of this region and a sketch of his life is essential in this work in giving a history of its prominent men. His birth occurred in Lawrence County, S. C., November 24, 1824, and he is a son of Andrew and Isabella H. (Park) Park, both born in that county in 1797 and 1808, respectively, and were first cousins. They lived in that county until 1844, when they removed to the State of Missis- sippi, and soon after settled in what is now Cal-

houn County, but came to Monroe County, Ark., in 1856. Mr. Park was a practical and scientific planter, and owing to his progressive views and his energy he became quite wealthy. He died in 1868, and his wife in 1880, both having been mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church from early youth. The paternal grandfather, who also bore the name of Andrew, came with his only brother, James, also the grandfather of our subject on his mother's side, to America, and both were private soldiers of the American side throughout the Revolution. They settled in Lawrence County, S. C., and be- came extensive planters of that region, and were well known for their unimpeachable honesty and uprightness of character. They were men of ex- emplary habits in every respect, of religious na- tures, and were leaders in whatever enterprise they took an interest in. They left many descendants, who have followed in their footsteps, and all are upright and honorable citizens, some of whom be- came eminent in South Carolina in different pro- fessions and offices. They did much toward mold- ing the moral and religions sentiment in the county where they lived, and were stanch members of the Presbyterian Church. Their native birthplace was County Tyrone, Ireland. Their grandson, James Park, the subject of this sketch, like the rest of their descendants, has followed their precepts and examples, and has won the respect and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. He was the eldest of six sons and three daughters, three sons and three daughters being now alive. He received excellent educational advantages in his youth, and at the age of twenty-nine years was married at Okolona, Miss., to Catherine, a daugh- ter of Uridge and Sarah (Smith) Whiffen, who were born, reared and married in England. After becoming the parents of two children, previous to 1832, they came to the United States, and after living in different localities in New York, they settled at Utica, where Mr. Whiffen died in 1837, at the untimely age of thirty-six years. His wife's death occurred on her farm near Carmi in the State of Illinois in 1887. Mr. Whiffin was a professor of languages and mathematics, and filled that position in both Buffalo and Utica. His wife

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was a teacher of music and French, and followed this occupation many years after the death of her husband in North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Illinois. Mrs. Park was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1835. Mr. Park came to Monroe County, Ark., in 1856, and settled on a woodland farm, and now owns 320 acres, and has 180 acres under cul- tivation. During 1868-69 he was engaged in merchandising in Clarendon, but since that time he has given his attention to farming. Prior to the late Civil War he was a Whig, but since that time has affiliated with the Democrat party. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and he and wife belong to the Christian Church.

Dr. William Park is one of Monroe County's most eminent physicians and surgeons, and was born in Lawrence District, S. C., in 1829, and is a son of Andrew and Isabella H. (Park) Park, who were first cousins. In 1844 they removed to Mis- sissippi, and in 1856 came to Monroe County, Ark., and settled on a woodland farm six miles east of Clarendon, and here the father met with a violent death, being thrown from a buggy and killed, in 1868. His wife's death followed his in twelve years, both having been earnest members of the Presby- terian Church for many years. Andrew Park, the paternal grandfather, and James Park, the ma- ternal grandfather, were brothers, born in Ireland, and came to America during the Revolutionary War and settled in South Carolina, James mar- rying an English lady and Andrew an Irish lady. Both were farmers and died in the State of their adoption. Dr. William Park is the third of six sons and three daughters, and his knowledge of the world up to manhood was only such as could be obtained on the home farm. After acquiring a good education in the common schools he con- cluded to engage in teaching in order to obtain means to carry on his medical education, and after two and a half years of this work, during which time he pursued his medical studies under his brother-in-law, Dr. T. F. Robinson, he entered the Medical Department of the University of Nashville (Tenn.), and at the end of two years, in 1856, graduated therefrom. He came immediately to Monroe County, Ark., whither his parents had just.

moved, and entered upon his practice, and has ac- quired no inferior reputation a's a physician and surgeon, being now the oldest resident practitioner of the county. For five years he has made his home in Clarendon, and in addition to the pleasant home which he now owns in the town, he is the owner of 320 acres of land in different farms, with 130 acres under cultivation. Although formerly a Whig in politics, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. Scott, since the late Civil War he has been a Democrat. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and he and his wife, whom he married in 1866, and whose maiden name was Sarah A. Brown, have long been members of the Old School Pres- byterian Church. Mrs. Park was born in Fayette County, Tenn., and is the mother of two sons and one daughter. Her parents are Thomas J. and Fannie Brown, a sketch of whom appears in an- other part of this work.

J. T. Parker, planter, Cotton Plant, Ark. Mr. Parker is a typical Arkansas citizen, substantial, enterprising and progressive, and such a man as wields no small influence in the community where he makes his home. He came originally from St. Francis County, where his birth occurred in 1838. His parents, Archie and Mary (Adair) Parker, were natives respectively of Alabama and Kentucky and were married in St. Francis County, Ark., in 1835. Of the five children born to this marriage, only two are now living: J. T. and Prudy A., who is one of a pair of twins and who is now the wife of Will- iam Moore, of Kerr County, Texas. Archie Parker came to this State from Alabama with his parents at an early day, and became a very enterprising and substantial farmer. He was justice of the peace for a number of years and was deacon in the Bap- tist Church. He died in St. Francis County in 1843 and his widow afterward married William Dobkins in 1848, by whom she had three children: Samuel L., William A. and Robert P. Mrs. Dob- kins died in St. Francis County in 1861 and had been a member of the Baptist Church for at least thirty years. Mr. Dobkins died in 1863. He was in the Confederate army during the late war. J. T. Parker passed his youthful days in assisting on the farm and in attending the common schools,

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where he received a fair education. He was mar- ried in 1861 to Miss Elizabeth Jones, a native of St. Francis County, born in 1843, and the daughter of Mrs. Richard Jones of Arkansas. Twelve children have been the result of this union, five daughters and seven sons, six of whom are still living: Nellie J., Margaret A., Sarah R., George T., Richard and Benjamin. In 1861 Mr. Parker enlisted in the infantry and served until 1864, when he was released on account of ill health. Politi- cally he is a Democrat. After the war he bought a steam saw and grist mill in Woodruff County, Ark., and this he ran for three years, after which he resumed farming on 160 acres of land which he had purchased. He now owns 800 acres of good land, with 350 acres under cultivation and is one of the most practical and progressive farmers in the county. At the close of the war, Mr. Parker was, like many of his comrades, left without any of this world's goods, and what he has accumulated since is owing to his hard labor and good manage- ment. The parents of Mrs. Parker were natives of Tennessee and immigrated to Arkansas in 1820. Her father, Richard Jones, died in 1853 and her mother in 1884.

W. H. Peterson is the general manager of the Brinkley Argus, having successfully filled this po- sition since December, 1888. He was born in the "Blue Grass" State in 1827, but the most of his early life was spent in the city of Philadelphia, but, notwithstanding the fact that he was in a city of schools," his early advantages for acquiring an education were very limited. At the age of fifteen years he began learning the printer's trade, which work continued to receive his attention until 1852; then, after a short residence in Illinois, he removed to Missouri, and in 1881 came to Beebe, Ark., and, as above stated, came to Brinkley in 1888. He has been in the newspaper business the greater part of his life, following his calling in different towns and cities of Missouri, and during his long career at this work he has acquired a thorough knowledge of journalism. He has always affiliated with the Democratic party, and has shown his ap- proval of secret organizations by becoming a mem- ber of the Knights of Labor. During the Rebellion 1

he served for over three years in the Confederate army, being most of the time under Gen. Marma- duke. He has been married twice; first, in 1850, to Miss Ellen W. Lloyd, of Penn's Grove, N. J., who died in Missouri in 1868. His second union was consummated in 1870, his wife being a Miss Sarah Underwood, who died about 1879, leaving besides her husband two children to mourn her loss. Three children were born to the first union.

Samuel R. Pointer, a planter of Montgomery Township, Monroe County, Ark., is of English de- scent, and traces his ancestry back to his great- grandfather, who came with a brother to the United States, and settled in Virginia, where his son, Sam- uel (the grandfather of our subject), was born, his birth occurring in Halifax County. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Dr. David Pointer (his son), was born and reared in Halifax County, Va., the former event taking place in 1802. After his marriage to Miss Obedience Torian, who was also born in Halifax County, her birth occur- ring in 1807, he removed to North Carolina, and in 1844 emigrated westward, settling in Marshall County, Miss., his death occurring at Como of that State, in 1871. He was a successful physician for a number of years, then turned planter, and in this occupation became wealthy. He was a mem- ber of the A. F. & A. M. The maternal grand- father, Torian, was born, and spent all his life in Halifax County, Va., and was also of English descent. Samuel R. Pointer was born in Caswell County, N. C., in 1828, and was the second in a family of eight children, and received his ed- ucation, or the principal part of it, in the College of La Grange, Ala. In 1849, Eliza, a daughter of James and Esther (Hicks) Mooring, became his wife, she being a native of Marshall County, Miss., her parents coming to that county from their native State of North Carolina, and there dying in 1857 and 1856 respectively, both members of the Methodist Church, and the former a planter by occupation. Mrs. Pointer died at her parent's home in Mississippi, in 1856, having borne one son, who is also deceased. In 1858 Mr. Pointer espoused Susan E., a sister of his first wife, she having also been born in Marshall County, but he was called

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upon to mourn her death in July, 1884. Their family consisted of ten children, one son and five daughters only being alive: Willie (wife of R. D. Mayo), Susan E. (wife of L. Hall), Edwin M., Hallie, Ethel and Pearl. In 1853 Mr. Pointer came to Arkansas, and in 1856 to Monroe County, settling on a woodland farm six miles northeast of Indian Bay. His farm now comprises 800 acres, and he had about 500 acres under cultivation, all of which property he has earned by his own efforts and the help of his worthy wife. Politically he is a Democrat, and socially is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Indian Bay Lodge No. 259. He comes of a long-lived race of people, and although he has reached the age of sixty-one years, he shows but very little the ravages of time. His brothers and sisters are all living, the eldest sixty-four years of age, and the youngest forty-four. He has always been interested in the cause of educa- tion, and he has endeavored to give his children the advantages of a good education, three of whom are now attending an excellent school in Tennessee. During the war he served three years under Capt. Weatherly, who operated in Eastern Arkansas to protect the homes of the citizens, and although he furnished his own horse and ammunition he has never received any compensation.

Dr. W. D. Powell, planter and physician, Cot- ton Plant, Ark. Dr. W. D. Powell, the third liv- ing child born to Benjamin and Eliza (Fowler) Powell, owes his nativity to Henry County, Tenn., where his birth occurred in 1833. His father was a native of North Carolina, and was a mechanic and architect by occupation. He left his native State in 1820, journeyed to Tennessee, purchased land and followed farming for about twelve years. In 1831 he married Miss Fowler, who bore him eleven children, four sons and seven daughters, seven of whom are now living: Thomas A., Joseph D., W. D., Helen (now Mrs. John Kibble), Gur- pana (wife of Allen Hill), Mollie (wife of George Bell), and Jennie A. Mrs. Powell was also a na- tive of North Carolina and immigrated to Tennes- see with her father in 1818. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Powell and family moved to Mississippi in 1854, and here he died in

Marshall County of that State, on September 15, 1889. He was a member of the Baptist Church and was a soldier in the Creek War. Dr. W. D. Powell began the practice of medicine in 1856 and the same year was united in marriage to Miss Almoina Sophner, a native of Tennessee, who bore him three children, only one, Georgiana, now liv- ing. Mrs. Powell died in 1869, and Mr. Powell was married the second time in 1881 to Miss Maria A. Hill. The fruits of this union were three children, only one of whom is now living: William Oscar. Dr. Powell was in the late war, enlisting in the cavalry, Monroe Regiment, Par- son's brigade, in 1862. He served until after the surrender at Fort Smith, and then returned home, where he has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He immigrated from Mississippi to Ar- kansas in 1869, purchased 160 acres of land, and has about eighty acres under cultivation. He is progressive in his ideas, and is one of the leading farmers of this section. As above stated he began the practice of medicine in 1856, and this he has since continued in connection with farming. He is a clever, genial gentleman, and in his political views affiliates with the Democratic party.

D. B. Renfro, conceded to be among the pros- perous merchants of Holly Grove, is a Tennesseean by birth, which occurred in 1843, and is a son of T. A. and Tizzie (Harrison) Renfro, natives of Ken- tucky and Tennessee. The senior Renfro was a prominent farmer of his county, and died in 1860, his wife dying within two hours after him. They were the parents of thirteen children, four of whom are still living: John H., T. A., Mary T. (the widow of S. H. Baulch) and D. B. (our subject). D. B. Renfro enlisted in the Confederate army, in 1861, in the Thirty-second Tennessee Infantry, and while in service was captured at Fort Donelson, and car- ried to Indianapolis, Ind., in February, 1862, and held until the following October, when he was ex- changed. After his exchange he was again cap- tured at Atlanta, in July, 1864, and taken to Indi- anapolis, where he was kept until April, 1865. At the close of hostilities he returned to Maury Coun- ty, Tenn., and in 1866 immigrated to Arkansas, locating in Phillips County, where he made farm-

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ing a means of gaining a livelihood. In 1871 he was married to Susan E. Smith, who was born in Monroe County, in 1849. Five children were born to this union: John W., Leroy G., D. B., Laura V. and Lizzie S. In 1872 Mr. Renfro moved to Holly Grove, and engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, and is now doing a large and lucrative trade, and carries a stock of goods which invoices about $2,000. He is the owner of a fine farm of 200 acres, with over 100 under cultivation, and also owns some real estate in the town of Holly Grove. He is numbered as a member of the A. F. & A. M., while he and his wife worship in the Presbyterian Church, to which they belong.

George A. Rich, chief engineer of the Brink- ley, Helena & Indian Bay Railroad, was born in Wayne County, N. Y., in 1843, and like the ma- jority of the native citizens of the "Empire State," he is energetic, intelligent and enterprising. He is the youngest of three sons and three daughters, and was reared on a farm in Hillsdale County, Mich., from the time he was four years old till he reached manhood, but his educational advantages were not of the best. After becoming his own man he remedied this defect by considerable self- application. In 1865 he was married to Caroline Nickerson, a native of Hillsdale County, Mich., and his second marriage was consummated in De- cember, 1885, his wife, Jane Hanna, being a daughter of John and Ann Hanna, natives of Ire- land, where they were reared and married. They afterward moved to Canada, where Mrs. Hanna died, her husband's death occurring in Michigan. Mrs. Rich was born in Canada. In 1874 Mr. Rich came to Brinkley, and was in the employ of Gunn & Black until that company was dissolved, serving them in various capacities, and cut the first ties and laid the first iron on what is now the Brinkley, Batesville Railroad. In 1881-82-83 he was in Mexico in the interests of the Mexican Cen- tral Railroad, and after a short stay in Arkansas he went to the Isthmus of Panama, where he spent one year having charge of a number of employés on the construction of the Panama Canal. Since then he has resided in Brinkley, and is connected with the Brinkley Car Works & Manufacturing

Company, Some years prior to coming West he was engaged in civil engineering in Michigan, and is a thorough master of that science. He is a con- servative Republican in his political views, and is a member of the A. F. & A. M., K. of H., K. & L. of H., K. of P., and the I. O. O. F. His parents, Butler J. and Clarissa (Redfield) Rich, were born in Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively, but their marriage took place in the State of New York. In 1847 they moved to Michigan, and here the father was engaged in farming until his death in 1865, his wife's death occurring in 1880. The paternal grandfather came from England to Amer- ica with four brothers, and all were active partici- pants in the Revolutionary War, taking part with the colonists. He died in the State of New York.

J. P. Ridout, whose prosperity and enterprise as a planter of Monroe County is well known, is a native of Tennessee, and a son of John and Lucy (Williams) Ridout, who came originally from Vir- ginia and Tennessee, respectively. They removed to Arkansas in 1858, settling in Monroe County, Mr. Ridout being the owner, at the time of his death, in 1866, of 640 acres of land. He was a member of the A. F. & A. M. Of a family of eight children, four are still living: J. P., Martha G., Eliza (now Mrs. Hambrick) and Amanda (the wife of W. A. Roads). J. P. Ridout, the subject of this sketch, began farming for himself in 1866, after his father's demise, on rented land. In 1880 he moved to this county, and bought 240 acres of land, with seventy-five acres under cultivation. He was married in 1869 to Miss Sena Williams, whose birth occurred in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1852. They became the parents of eight children, four of whom are still living: Jennie, Luther, Joel R. and James P. Mr. and Mrs. Ridout are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He is a member of the Knights of Honor, and is a prom- inent factor in the Democracy of Cache Township. He owes his nativity to Fayette County, Tenn., where he was born in 1852.

James P. Roberts is a member of that well- known legal firm of Roberts & Manning, they being also abstractors and dealers in real estate. They command a large practice, and in the management

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of their cases show great ability and sagacity. Mr. Roberts, the senior member of the firm, is a native of Hamilton County, Tenn., born in 1851, and is a son of John and Louisa (Vaughn) Roberts, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Ten- nessee. They were married in the latter State and in 1866 came to Phillips County, the father's death occurring here in 1869 and the mother's in 1870. They were prosperous tillers of the soil and Mr. Roberts was collecting officer of Hamilton County for a number of years, and during the war served as Government agent for the Confederate States. His father, James Roberts, was of English descent, born in Virginia. The maternal grandfather was Jesse Vaughn. James P. Roberts is the first of four sons and four daughters, and was reared to a farm life, receiving the advantages of the common schools, which he improved to the utmost, also making the most of his advantages while an at- tendant at the Savannah (Tenn.) Academy. He farmed in Phillips County, Ark., until 1875, then began the practice of law, and the same progress which marked his advancement at school has at- tended him in his professional career. He is a close student, well versed in law, and possesses in more than an ordinary degree the natural attri- butes essential to a successful career at the bar and in public. His worth and ability received a just recognition, and in 1880 he was elected to repre- sent Phillips County in the State legislature, and was re-elected in 1884. He has been a member of several important committees, especially those per- taining to courts, and has always taken a deep in- terest in the political affairs of his county and State. Although his first presidential vote was cast for Grant, in 1872, he is now a Democrat in his political views. He is a member of the K. of H., the K. & L. of H., the K. of P. at Clarendon and the American Legion of Honor. His wife, whose maiden name was Lulu Boardman and whom he married in September, 1872, was born in the State of Kentucky, and is a daughter of Edward T. and Elizabeth Boardman, natives, respectively, of New York and Kentucky. They were married in Henderson, Ky., and after living some years in Indiana, came, in 1869, to Phillips County, Ark.,

where Mr. Boardman died, in 1886. His wife is living, a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are the parents of four children, one son and three daughters.

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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