Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1, Part 22

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

USA > Arkansas > Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1 > Part 22

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which he devotes principally to raising corn. In 1863 he enlisted in the Home Guards under Capt. Kirkendall, and in September of the same year, joined the infantry under Capt. Anderson, holding the rank of second lieutenant. In December, 1863, he was honorably discharged, but in 1564 joined the cavalry, and was in the fight at Little Rock. and several other engagements. Since the war he has been engaged in farming. He votes with the Democratic party, but is not active in politics. He has held the office of justice of the peace for about seven years, and being an active .supporter of the cause of education, is now a member of the school board. He also assisted in re-organizing the coun- ty. Socially he is a member of the Agricultural Wheel, and also a member of Paragould Lodge No. 368. F. & A. M. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are active workers for the cause of Christianity. Seven of their nine chil- dren are living: Andrew Nelson (died in 1863. at the age of ten years), Mary Jane (died in 1858, aged two years and six months). Julia Ann- (Mrs. Morgan), Martha T. (Mrs. Gwyn), John W., Lillie C., Eliza C .. Sarah Elizabeth and Will- iam L., all members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Craven can remember when there was only one public road in the county, and when Cape Girar- deau was their nearest market.

J. W. Crawford. Prominent among the many esteemed and respected citizens of Paragould stands the name of the above mentioned gentleman, who was born in Orange County, N. C., June 4, 1854, and who is the son of William and Elizabeth (Howard) Crawford, both natives of North Caro- lina. They are still residents of that State, and the father is a farmer by occupation. Their fam- ily consists of ten living children, five sons and five daughters. J. W. Crawford was reared on the farm, in Orange County, N. C., receiving his education in the common schools, and in 1568 went to Tennessee, locating in Fayette County. He was but a boy at this time, and engaged as clerk in a store, which business he followed most of his time while in Tennessee. In 1877 he came to Arkansas: locating at Gainesville. Greene Coun- ty. and sold liquors for two years. He then em-

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barked in mercantile pursuits, which he carried on until his removal to Paragould, in 1885, and was one of the first business men of the town. Previ- ous to this, in 1880, he married Miss Sadie Glass- cock, daughter of Capt. H. W. Glasscock, and the result of this union is two children: Guy E. and Henry V. Mr. Crawford continued his mercantile business at Paragould until 1888, when he sold out, and has since been practically retired, al- though he turns his attention somewhat to real estate speculations. He owns a half-interest in the Gager Hotel, which is a fine brick building, and a credit to Paragould; and he is also the owner of a good farm adjoining the corporation of Paragould. No man has been more active in im- proving this place than has Mr. Crawford. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Hon. Benjamin H. Crowley is a wealthy farmer and an eminent lawyer of Greene County, Ark., and is State Senator from the First Senatorial District of Arkansas. His birth occurred in 1836, and he is the only child born to the marriage of Samuel Crowley and Sallie Hutchins, who were born respectively in Kentucky and Tennessee. The paternal grandfather was a Georgian. who re- moved to Kentucky at an early day, where he met and married Miss Annie Wylie, a supposed na- tive of that State, and there made his home, being engaged in farming and stock-raising and dealing on a very extensive scale until 1821, when he came with his family, which consisted of his wife and eight children, five boys and three girls, to what is now Greene County (then Lawrence). At that time the country was very sparsely settled, he be- ing the only settler within a radius of many miles. He located on a tract of land consisting of 240 acres, and gave his name to a ridge of land run- ning for more than 200 miles through Arkansas and 100 miles in Missouri. Here he erected a dwelling house, opened about fifty acres of land for cultivation, set out orchards, and became one of the thriftiest farmers and best-known men in Northeastern Arkansas. All his children settled near him, where their descendants are still resid- ing. He died about 1842 at the age of eighty- four years, and his wife's death occurred in 1550.

she never having married again after his death. Samuel Crowley, the father of our subject, was married in 1832 to Miss Sallie Hutchins, whose par- ents came from Tennessee to Arkansas and settled where Paragould is now situated, where the father died in 1837, having been an extensive farmer and stockman. She subsequently married a man by the name of Robert H. Halley. In his youth Ben- jamin H. Crowley attended the common schools and at the age of nineteen years he entered the Wallace Institute, which he attended one year. After spending several years in Greene County he removed to Scott County, where he had previously lived with his mother. On the 10th of May, 1858, he was married to Miss Elizabeth J. Crowley, a cousin, and a daughter of W. Crowley, and when the war broke out he left home and friends and the peaceful pursuit of farming to enlist in the Confederate service. He was in nearly all the bat- tles of importance that were fought in the South- west, and was soon promoted to the rank of lieu- tenant, and later was made captain of Company H, Nineteenth Infantry, and at the close of the war was commanding a company of cavalry. He was captured in Scott County after the fall of Little Rock, and was in confinement at various places for fifteen months. During this time, while at Johnson's Island. Lake Erie, he and a number of other officers formed a class and began the study of Blackstone, and after his return home he contin- ued his legal studies until 1871, when he was ad- mitted to the bar and, in 1874, was admitted to practice in the Federal courts, and in 1888 in the Supreme Courts of Arkansas. Immediately after the war he traveled for some time in Texas, and then returned to Arkansas and settled down to farming in Cache Township, Greene County. In 1868, when Clayton's militia were over running the State, and when they had stationed themselves at Jonesboro and arrested a number of the best citi. zens of the town, Capt. Crowley raised 100 picked men in his county and went to their rescue. There was a fight at Willis' Mills and his company lost one man and had several wounded, while the mili- tia lost several men and were driven back to Jones- boro. Afterward Capt. Crowley succeeded in ef-

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fecting a compromise whereby all prisoners taken by the militia were released, and peace and order were once more restored in that section of the State. To this day Capt. Crowley's efforts in pre- venting strife and restoring order are remembered with pleasure and gratitude by those whose lives and property were endangered. In 1869 he bought the old homestead settled by his grandfather, which had been out of possession of the family for several years, and with this his lands amount to about 4,000 acres in Greene County, 500 of which are in a highly cultivated condition. He is the most extensive farmer in the county and is also largely interested in stock-raising and dealing. He has cleared over 200 acres of land, has erected many buildings, and in 1880 built his present com- modious and substantial residence, it being situated on a natural building site. In 1880 his wife died, leaving a family of six children: Victoria, wife of Dr. J. D. Sibert, of this county; Cynthia H., Nannie P., wife of E. R. Page, residing in Crow- ley Township; Lucian G., Bell and Ben. H. On the 26th of June, 1881, he married his present wife, whose maiden name was Miss R. L. Fielder, a native of Tennessee. They have two children, Thomas Garland, who is deceased, and Sallie Al- ice. Mr. Crowley is an eminent lawyer and has won an enviable reputation among his legal breth- ren in Arkansas. He has always been an active politician, and in 1872 was elected representa- tive to the State legislature. The poll-books were at that time destroyed, but the Captain se- cured his seat and secured a new election for the county officers, who were all elected on the Demo- cratic ticket. He was in the stormy session of 1884, and during this time declined a commission as colonel from Gov. Baxter. In 1876 he was elected to the State Senate from the First District of Arkansas and in 1888 was re-elected by a very large majority. He is one of the most useful members of that body, and is a fluent and forci- ble speaker, sound in his views. In the space al- lotted in this volume it would be impossible to give a detailed account of his public and private career, or to speak at length of his many sterling social and business qualities; suffice it to say that in every

walk in life his career has been above reproach. He was the author of the bill for the organization of Clay County, and was also the author of sev- eral other important measures.

Henry Cupp, one of Greene County's leading farmers, is a native of Georgia, where he was born January 10, 1839. In the same year his father emigrated from that State to Craighead County, Ark., where he remained but one year. when he again moved, this time selecting Greene County. There he was very successful at farming until -his death, February 17, 1871. His wife hardly survived him a year, but died January 18, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Cupp, reared a family of nine children, five of whom are yet living. Henry Cupp was but a child when his parents came to this State, and he was reared to farm life. He had very limited school opportunities, but has all his life been an industrious farmer; and through his practical knowledge of farming, has been suc- cessful. He owns a large well-stocked farm, much of it under cultivation. He has been married four times, and is the father of seven children. two of whom, Sarah Ann (born October IS, 1867) and Emeline (born February 2, 1871) are the only survivors. His first wife was Margaret Dennis, and after her death, he chose Lucy Stevens, who was born December 2, 1841. His third marriage was with Nancy Smith, who died in 1884. Mrs. Cupp, whose maiden name was Emeline Lane, was born November 21. 1862, and is a true wife and benevolent woman. Mr. Cupp is one of the prominent farmers and stock raisers of the county, has decided political views, and is interested in progress and development.

F. M. Daulton, editor and proprietor of the Greene County Events, is a resident of Gaines- ville, Ark .. but was born in Ralls County, Mo .. in 1832, and after acquiring a common school edu- cation and attaining a suitable age he commenced working on the Quincy Herald, at Quincy, Ill. After serving a five-years' apprenticeship. he re- turned to Shelbyville, Mo .. and established the Spectator in 1853, which he conducted until the breaking out of the war, when he gave up this work to enlist as major in the Twenty- first Mis.

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souri. He served about two years, and was shot through the neck at the battle of Iuka, in Mis- sissippi. After receiving his discharge he went to Ohio, where he spent two or three years, and next located in Indiana, being engaged in publishing papers in both these States. After coming to Greene County, Ark., in 1878, he established the Press, and in 1882 his present paper, which has a circulation of over 500; this is a paper pure in tone and fearless in its attacks upon the popular short-comings of the day. He was first married to Miss M. M. Connor, who died, having borne the following children: Emma (Hindman), living, and Jennie and Frank, deceased, the latter being killed in 1867, while braking on the Iron Moun- tain Railroad. Mr. Daulton took for his second wife Miss Lizzie Lanker, by whom he has five children: William, Charles, Daniel, Delia and Benjamin.

Camden and Saline River. While with Price on his raid through Missouri he was in the engage- ments at Iron Mountain, Independence, Blue Lick, Boonville and Kansas City. He then retreated to Texas and surrendered at Pine Bluff. After his return home he resumed farming successfully, con- tinning until 1887, when he received a stroke of paralysis, and has not been able to do hard labor since. He is now conducting a general mercantile store on his farm, which is netting him a fair in- come. Sixty acres of his place are under cultiva- tion, and he devotes it to raising corn, cotton, etc. He and wife are the parents of the following chil- dren: James, who is married to Miss Nancy Fielder; Eliza Jane, wife of Jeff Adams; Henry. Thomas, Pollie, and Sarah Elizabeth. The family worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Daniel has served as school director and has always taken a deep interest in educational matters, as well as all other worthy enterprises.

R. T. Daniel, a merchant and farmer of Clark Township, Greene County, was born in 1837 in Dr. John M. Davis, druggist, of Paragould, and son of Dr. James S. and Nancy E. (Farmer) Davis. was born in Limestone County, Ala., December 31, 1840. His parents were both natives of Alabama, and removed to Marshall County, Miss., in 1844, going in 1850 to Salem, that State, and thence to Iuka, where the father died. Dr. James S. Davis was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College of Phil- adelphia, and was also a graduate of the Louisville Medical College. He was a very prominent physi- cian and noted surgeon, and people came from a great distance for his treatment. He practiced from 1844 to 1879, a period of about thirty-five years. He was one of the members of the secession con- vention of Mississippi, and signed the declaration of independence for that purpose. He was a sur- geon in the late war and in command of a company a portion of the time. His wife is still living. and is a resident of Iuka, Miss. They were the par- ents of ten children, five now living, of whom Dr. John M. Davis is the eldest. He was principally reared and educated in Mississippi, and at the age of sixteen began the study of medicine with the in- this time the war broke out which prevented him from further pursuing his studies. He shoul- Tennessee, and is the fifth of a family of nine children born to Ephraim and Pennie (Mundson) Daniel, who were Tennesseeans. The father was a sturdy son of the soil, and when our subject was a child removed to Mississippi, where he was engaged in farming until 1855. At that date he came to Greene County, Ark., and settled on the farm on which R. T. Daniel is now residing, which consisted of 200 acres. He improved this farm very much and soon had quite an extensive tract under cultivation and furnished with good build- ings. R. T. Daniel remained with his parents until twenty-five years of age. then marrying Miss Elizabeth Pilmore, who was born in Mississippi and came with her parents to Arkansas at an early day. Soon after he erected a cottage on his father's farm, and began tilling the soil for himself on forty acres of land purchased from his father. Later he bought eighty acres more, and at his father's death, in 1870, inherited the remainder. When the war broke out he enlisted in Capt. Anderson's company, and was with Gen. Shelby on his raid through Missouri, and was in the battle | tention of later following that profession, but about of Cape Girardeau, where he was wounded. He | was also at Helena, Devall's Bluff, Little Rock.

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dered his musket, marched to the front and en- listed in the Tenth Alabama Cavalry Regiment, serving over three years. He was ensign of his regiment, with the rank of first lieutenant, and was in all the principal engagements-Shiloh, Atlanta, Days Gap, etc. His whole service was in the cav- alry. At Pulaski, during Hood's advance on Franklin, Mr. Davis received a severe gun-shot wound, the ball passing through his body at the side of the abdomen. He had the honor of carrying home the captured Federal flag and also his own flag. At the close of the war he returned to Missis- sippi, and engaged in merchandising, which he con- ducted for four years. After this he went to the Lone Star State, resuming the mercantile business at Tyler and Fort Worth, where he remained until 1880, then returning to Mississippi. One year later, he came to Paragould where he embarked in the drug business, which he still continues. He was one of the first business men of Paragould, and is the oldest druggist in point of residence in Greene County. He carries a general line of drugs, etc. He was married, April 3, 1861, to Miss Altie E. Robbins, a native of Alabama. and the fruits of this union were nine children, seven now living: Nan- nie A., wife of P. W. Mass, editor of the Thayer (Mo.) Tribune; William S., Maggie, Russell J., Hattie A., Thomas B. and Sallie B. Dr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is superintendent of the Sunday- school. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the I. O. O. F., and is also a member of the K. of H., being treasurer of that organization. He is city treasurer, and treasurer of the Building and Loan Association.

L. T. Dennis, a successful farmer and justice of the peace of Cache Township, Greene County, Ark., is a native of the county, born in 1843, be- ing the second of ten children born to Robert and Ellen (Tompkins) Dennis, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively, who came to Arkansas with their parents during the early history of this State. On his arrival in Arkansas, in 1837, Robert Dennis entered and purchased land in what is known as St. Francis Township, and on this he lived and made improvements until about 1848.

when he sold out and entered a tract of forty acres on the west side of Crowley's Ridge, on which he lived ten years. This he sold and bought eighty acres in the same locality, clearing nearly the en- tire tract, and making many other improvements. and here resided until his death on the 20th of December, 1867, followed by his widow, February 14, 1881. The maternal grandfather, Lawrence Tompkins, came from Kentucky to Arkansas about 1833, and settled on the east side of Crowley's Ridge, and was one of some six families that were among the first settlers. Here he resided until his death, being an active participant in the develop- ment of the county. L. T. Dennis, whose name heads this sketch, was reared to farm labor, and in his youth received quite meager educational advanta- ges, but by applying himself to his books at home. secured a fair education. He remained with his father until twenty-two years of age, then married Miss Nancy Ann Newsom, a daughter of Sterling Newsom, who was a Tennesseean, and came to Arkansas at an early day. After his marriage Mr. Dennis bought a slightly improved farm of seventy- five acres, and on this tract he located and began making improvements in the way of clearing and building. After about ten years his house caught fire and was consumed, but the same year he pur. chased 325 acres of land, erected a new dwelling and began a fresh start in life. He has opened about seventy-five acres, set out orchards, and otherwise greatly improved his property. In 1885 he erected a new residence on a natural building site, and his surroundings are now most pleasant. On the 16th of December, 1874, Mr. Dennis lost his estimable wife and the following year he married Miss Martha Jane Gramlin, a daughter of Rawlins Gramlin, who came from North Carolina to Arkan- sas in 1857, and settled on the west side of Crow- ley's Ridge. To his first union were born the following children: William Pleasant and Mary Jane living, and Henry Aibert, Robert Sterling and an infant deceased. His second union has resulted in the birth of seven children: Lawrence M., who died at the age of four years: James Edward, Walter Anderson, Leopold Leaton and Gopel Wiley, twins; Lucy Ellen. and Thomas

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Jefferson. In 1862 Mr. Dennis enlisted in Jeffer- son Thompson's artillery company and was sent to the division of the Missouri, and was on the Arkan- sas Ram when she ran the blockade past Mem- phis; he was also on the same vessel when she ran the blockade at the mouth of the Yazoo River. He was then transferred to the infantry, and in the fall was in the battle of Corinth, and was also at Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Baker's Creek, and in Vicksburg during the siege of forty-nine days, after which he was paroled and returned home, but again enlisted in July, 1864, joining a cav- alry company, and during the remainder of that year was in and around Little Rock. While there he met with an accident and was compelled to re- turn home, and took no further part in the war. He is now engaged in general farm work and de- votes about seventy-five acres of his farm to the culture of corn, forty acres to cotton and ten acres : each to wheat, oats and clover. He is quite an active politician, votes with the Democratic party, and has served as justice of the peace ten years, ... . and as school director six years. He belongs to the Baptist Church and his wife to the Methodist.

L. G. Dillman, manufacturer of plain lumber and building material at Paragould, was born in Stark County, Ohio, April 15, 1830, and is the son of Jacob Dillman, a native of Pennsylvania, and Maria (Crocker) Dillman, of Vermont nativity. The parents were married in Ohio, and here the father followed the cabinet-maker's trade, al- though his principal occupation was farming. He was one of the pioneers of Williams County, Ohio, and when first settling there his nearest neighbor was fifteen miles distant. He died in Ohio in 1869. The mother died in 1842. They were the parents of six children, only two now living: Lemuel G., and Susan, wife of Dwight Stoddard. A brother, Sylvester Dillman, was killed at the battle of Win- chester, Va., and his widow has been postmistress at Toledo, Iowa, for several years. L. G. Dill- man remained on the farm in Ohio until twenty- one years of age, and in 1851 went to St. Jo- seph County, Ind., where he was engaged in the lumber business for several years. In 1864 he en- listed in Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-fifth

Indiana Volunteers, and served until cessation of hostilities. He remained in St. Joseph County, Ind., being engaged principally in the lumber bus- iness, until coming to Arkansas. In 1876 he went to Nashville, Tenn., and put up a machinery plant for the Indiana Lumbering Company. In 1881 he came to Arkansas, located at Bradford, on the Iron Mountain Railroad and put up a saw-mill, but sold out in a short time and put up a foundry and ma- chine shop at Newport, which he ran for about one year. He then sold out and came to Greene Coun- ty, and has since made Paragould his headquarters. He has had several saw-mills in this and Craighead Counties. He was married in 1853 to Miss Mar- garet Vanderhoof, a native of Rochester, N. Y., by whom he has two children, Frank, and Arl. who is at school at Cape Girardeau. Mr. and Mrs. Dillman are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of the G. A. R.

A. L. Dover, proprietor of a saw and grist-mill and cotton-gin, situated near the Fair Ground in Clark Township, was born in Blount County, Ala .. in 1848, and was the third in a family of nine chil- dren born to B. A. and Patsy (Fielding) Dover, the former a native of North Carolina and the lat- ter of Georgia. They settled in Alabama in 1847, where the father opened up a farm and resided several years, and in 1868 moved to Poinsett Coun- ty, Ark., where he settled and improved another farm. Since 1874 he has lived in Greene County. His wife died in 1884. A. L. Dover received his early education in Alabama, and after coming to Poinsett County began farming for himself, and like his father has resided in Greene County since 1874. The year following his location here he purchased a tract of land containing 128 acres. which was heavily covered with timber, and com- menced immediately to clear it. He now has sixty acres under cultivation, which are well improved with good buildings and orchard. In 1876 he was married to Miss Tennessee V. Yates, a daughter of Henderson and Martha Yates, who were born in Tennessee and Virginia, respectively; the father came to Greene County, Ark., in 1875, his wife having died in Tennessee the year before. Mr. Yates is now residing in Paragould. Mr. Dover votes with

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Biographical and historical memoirs of northeast Arkansas : comprising a condensed history of the state biographies of distinguished citizens a brief descriptive history of the counties, and numerous biographical sketches of the prominent citizens of such counties. V. 1, Part 22

Author: Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis : The Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1026