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 28

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 28

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John Odam is of the mercantile firm of McCon- nell & Odam, Paragould. In scanning the sketches of Greene County, Ark., one fact must strike the reader with peculiar force: the high standing at- tained by its business men. It is known to have a thoroughly qualified business population, and Mr. Odam is a leading light among the number.

He was born in Hardin County, Ill., August 5, 1832, and received such educational advantages as the schools of those days afforded. Until thirty- three years of age he assisted his father on the farm, and then went to Crittenden County, Ky.,

John O'Steen, ex-county and probate judge. : and merchant, Paragould. In these days of money-making, when life is a constant struggle between right and wrong. it is a pleasure to lay before an intelligent reader the unsullied record of an honorable man. To the youthful it will be a useful lesson-an incentive to honest industry. John O'Steen was born in Panola County. Miss .. on April 27, 1845, and is the son of Harvey and Elizabeth (True) O'Steen, both of Scotch origin. The parents were married in Alabama, and in 1834 removed to Panola County, Miss .. where the

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mother died in 1852. The father passed his last days in Craighead County, Ark., dying there in 1865. Of the seven children born to this mar- riage, three are now living: Mary, wife of W. G. Starling; John, and Samuel. The father was a blacksmith, and also a gunsmith, which occupation he followed up to the time of his death. John O'Steen was partly reared and educated in Panola County, Miss., but moved with his father to Craig- head County, Ark., in 1859. He went to work in the shop, learning the gunsmith trade of his father, and now has the reputation of being the finest gunsmith in Northeast Arkansas. In 1862, during the late war, he was very anxious to become a sol- dier, but could not obtain the consent of his par- ents. His mind was so wrapped up in it that, notwithstanding all obstacles, he ran away from home, and enlisted in Capt. Adair's company, serving about three years. He was in several hard skirmishes, but, on account of being a cripple, he could not keep up with his command, and in con- sequence was captured by scouts, who kept him in custody about two weeks. In 1870 he chose for his partner in life Miss Bethany A. Jones, a native of Alabama, and the fruits of this union were two children: Mary A. and Nora Inez. The same year of his marriage Judge O'Steen came to Greene County, Ark., and carried on his trade until 1888, when he sold out, and engaged in the mercantile business, which he still continues. He was elected probate and county judge in 1882, and re-elected in 1884 and 1886, thus serving six successive years. Prior to his election he served four years as justice of the peace, and served one term as constable. Judge O'Steen is one of the prominent men of Greene County, and may be counted among the pioneers, having been a resident here for thirty years. He is the owner of 160 acres of land, with about forty acres under cultivation. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the I. O. O. F.

Eugene Parrish, of the law firm of Crowley & Parrish, was born in Dover. Stewart County, Tenn., and is the son of Abraham P. and Mary M. (In- gram) Parrish, natives respectively of Virginia and Tennessee. Abraham P. Parrish emigrated to

Tennessee when quite small, grew to manhood in that State, and there received a liberal education. For many years before the war he ran a furnace at Dover, Tenn., but during that eventful period he was financially crippled and retired to a farm in Humphreys County, on the banks of the Tennessee River, where he is residing at the present time. He is now in his seventy second year. The mother died when Eugene Parrish was quite young. Of the children born to this marriage, two are now living: Charles and Eugene. After the death of his first wife Mr. Parrish, was married again and became the father of three children: Lamar, Walter L. and Daisy. Grandfather Parrish was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and died in Virginia. Eugene Parrish was principally reared in Tennessee, and received his education at West Kentucky College and at the University of Ohio, ob- taining the means to prosecute his studies by teach- ing school between terms until he completed his education. He was admitted to the bar at Jonesboro in 1884, located at Wittsburg, Cross County, and there remained until June, 1885, when he settled at Paragould, Ark. He was associated with J. D. Block, present prosecuting attorney at Wittsburg, and, on coming to Paragould, he formed a partner- ship with B. H. Crowley. the present senator of the First district, and a very noted and prominent man. This law firm has one of the finest libraries in Northeast Arkansas, and both members are men of ability. Mr. Parrish is a self-made. self-edu- cated man, and is well fitted for the profession he has chosen.

Seth W. Peebles, one of the many successful agriculturists and stock raisers of Greene County, Ark., and one who has attained wealth by the sweat of his brow, is classed among the prosper- ous men of the county. He was born in North Carolina in 1825, and is the eldest one of the family of six children born to the marriage of Wyatt and Nancy (Biggs) Peebles, who were born in North Carolina and emigrated to Virginia, where they were engaged in husbandry. The mother died in that State, and subsequently the father emigrated to Greene County, Ark., and in 1842 settled near Greensboro, where he became well and

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favorably known, and served as sheriff of the county six years. He died in December, 1876. Seth W. Peebles has been familiar with farm life from earliest youth, and received his education in the schools of Virginia. He began his independent career as a farmer in 1846, in Tennessee, and was married there in December of the following year to Miss Catherine Mingle, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of William and Rebecca (Kagley) Min- gle, who were also Virginians and early emigrants to Tennessee, in which State the father died. His wife's death occurred in Arkansas in 1864. Mr. Peebles became a resident of Greene County, Ark., in 1855, and in 1859 bought a partially improved farm in Union Township, consisting of 160 acres, of which he improved and cleared forty acres. Besides this property he owns the old homestead of 117 acres, sixty of which are under cultivation. He has always been interested in politics and has affiliated with the Democratic party, but is not an office- Arkansas at an early day. [For a history of the Crowley family see sketch of Hon. B. H. Crowley. ] After spending a year on Black River they came to Crowley's Ridge, and made the first settlement in Northeast Arkansas. The paternal grandpar- ents were of Virginia stock, and moved from that State to South Carolina, and thence to Kentucky, of which section they were pioneers, about 1822 coming to Arkansas. The parents of our subject died about 1835, and from that time up to man- hood he made his home with his grandfather, Ben- jamin Crowley. The latter was a very extensive farmer and stock raiser, and Mr. Pevehouse drove stock all the way to St. Louis, and later to Mem- phis and Helena. During his childhood he de- pended on his own resources for a livelihood and hunted and sold his furs and hides, and later farmed in a small way. When about twenty years of age he entered land, subsequently buying small tracts from time to time, and in the spring of 1861 sold out and went to Scott County, where he re- mained about eighteen months, then returning to the Cache bottoms. When some twenty-five years of age he was married to Miss Margaret Capps, a native of Arkansas, whose family were early set- tlers in this section. She died in 1858, leaving two children: Sarah, who married a Mr. Harris. and died soon after, and Cynthia Ann, wife of Dr. McKinzie, now living at Crowley. Mr. Pevehouse took for his second wife Miss Frances Bowman, whom he married in 1860. Her death occurred on the 13th of October, 1870. She and Mr. Peve- house were the parents of the following children: William, who is married and resides in Lawrence County; Lucy Jane, the wife of George Gramling: John P., who died on the 31st of March, ISSS. at Wiley Pevehouse. In giving a sketch of this gentleman it is but fair to say that he is one of the prominent farmers of Greene County, Ark., and that he is a man of sound judgment and unim- peachable honesty. He was born on Crowley's Ridge, in Greene County, on the 2d of July. 1828, being the second child born there, his brother William, whose birth occurred April 7, 1826, hav- ing been first. He was the fourth child of Abraham the age of twenty two years: and Mary Elizabeth. February 16, 1873, Mr. Pevehouse married Mrs. Sarah Ann (Cooper) Allen, a native of Mississippi, who was reared in Tennessee, and came to Arkansas with her first husband. settling in Lawrence County. In 1876 he purchased his present prop. erty of 160 acres, of which about five acres were cleared, and now has ninety-five acres in a tillable condition and well improved with good buildings. and Polly (Crowley) Pevehouse, who came to : orchard, etc. His principal crops are corn and

seeker. He has been a member of the school board several times and assisted in the re-organiza- tion of the townships. In 1872 his wife died, having borne a family of six children: Nancy Jane, Rebecca E., who died in February, 1877, the wife of Joel Dollins; George W., who died in 1886; John M., who died in October, 1878; Sarah Ann, wife of J. P. Walls, who died in 1880; and James L., who also died in 1880. In 1863 Mr. Peebles enlisted in Company K, Seventh Missouri Con- federate cavalry, and was with Price on his raid through Missouri, Kansas, etc. He was wounded in the Mine Creek fight in Kansas, receiving a gun- shot through the right lung. Since the war he has been engaged in farming. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

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cotton, and he gives much attention to stock raising of a good grade, and also to the culture of bees. He is public spirited, and has held the offices of deputy sheriff and county clerk. In 1864 he enlisted in the Confederate army, and was with Price on his raid through Missouri, but being in poor health was left at Boonville, where he received good attention, and was soon after paroled and returned home. The close of the war left him destitute, and since that time he has made his present property.

I. H. Pillow, deputy sheriff, farmer and stock raiser of Greene County, Ark., is a native of Giles County, Tenn., where he was born in 1851, being a son of Levi and Elizabeth (Willcockson) Pillow, also natives of that State. They came to Greene County, Ark., in 1851, settling on the farm on which the subject of this sketch is now living. The father made some valuable improvements on his place of 320 acres, and at the time of his death, in 1862, had cleared thirty acres from timber. In 1862 he enlisted in Capt. Clemens' company, Gen. Pillow's brigade, and at the fight at Fort Pillow became overheated, from the effects of which he died seven days later. He was a Democrat polit- ically, a Methodist in religious belief, and was a man always noted for his public spirit and benevo- lence. He left a widow and three children to mourn his loss, the names of the latter being: I. H., Sina M., wife of F. F. Martin, a farmer of Greene County, and Sarah A., wife of N. A. Danley, also a farmer of Greene County. Mrs. Pillow was left to care for her children with but little means, but with the aid of her son, she suc- ceeded in doing well for them. I. H. Pillow re- ceived only a limited education in his youth, but, assisted by his mother, with subsequent applica- tion he has become a practical and intelligent business man. December 28, 1872, he was mar- ried to Miss Martha, a daughter of Absalom and Mary (Cobal) Arnel, Tennesseeans, and by her be- came the father of two children: Mary E. and Annie Elnora. Mrs. Pillow died on the 29th of September, 1875, and November 26, 1876, he wedded Mrs. Martha (Newsom) Wood, a daughter of Henry and Grace A. Newsom, natives of Mis-

sissippi. To this last marriage four children have been born: Ida Lee, Joseph Henry, Thomas A. and Charley. Ninety acres of his 160-acre farm are under cultivation, and well improved and culti- vated. His orchard is large and well selected and his crop is usually extensive. He is interested in stock-breeding, and has a fine Norman and Morgan stallion. His cattle are of the Durham breed, and his hogs are Berkshire and Jersey. During the fall, for the past fifteen years, be has operated a threshing machine. Mr. Pillow, his wife, and two daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is a class leader, and in his political views he is a stanch Democrat, having been elected on that ticket, in 1887, to the office of deputy sheriff, which position he has very accept- ably filled up to the present time.

Robert W. Pruet, a well known and successful farmer of the county, was born in East Tennessee in 1825, and is the third in a family of fifteen children born to Willis and Mary (Williams) Pruet. who were also Tennesseeans, the paternal and maternal grandparents being from North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. Grandfather Pruet was a participant in the Creek war, and was at the battle of Horseshoe Bend. The maternal grand- parents lived to be very old, reaching the age of ninety and one hundred years. Willis Pruet was an extensive land holder in Tennessee, and dealt in stock, being a prominent and influential citizen of his time. He died in August, 1850. Robert W. Pruet was reared to farm labor, attended the com- mon schools, and after attaining his majority en- gaged in stock dealing, and also kept a country store for some time. In 1851 he was married to a Miss Stuart, a native of Illinois, and in 1853, in com- pany with three brothers, came to Northeast Ar- kansas and settled in Greene County, where he entered 120 acres, on which he at once located and began improving. In 1858 he sold his prop- erty with the intention of going to Texas, but in- stead purchased 160 acres of wild land in St. Francis Township. 100 acres of which he now has under excellent cultivation. furnished with good buildings and orchards. He devotes the 'most of his land to general farming, and raises cotton, corn,

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and the smaller grains, the land yielding a good average. He is trying to improve his stock and is going to cross his cattle with Jersey. In 1872, in partnersbip with his brother, C. D. Pruet, he opened a general store on his brother's farm, and they carried on an extensive business for many years. In 1862 he and two brothers, with several brothers in-law, enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Ar- kansas Infantry, but he served only seven months. when he was discharged on account of illness, at Georgetown, Ky. In 1870 Mrs. Pruet died, and for several years Mr. Pruet resided with his brother. In 1877 he married Frances Owens, who was born in West Tennessee, though reared in Ar- kansas, to which State she was brought by her father, Dr. Owens, who practiced in this vicinity for a number of years, and died from an accidental fall from his horse. Mr. Pruet is an active worker in church and school matters, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the building in which he worships being on ground donated by himself: this was erected by means contributed mostly by the Pruet brothers. Mr. Pruet is one of the original members of the first church organized in this section in 1858.

was represented by one business house and a clap- board hotel. He located about four miles south of what is now Paragould, on a farm in the forest, put up a little house, built of poles with clapboard roof. and lived in this style for about eighteen months, when his cabin burned down. He then put up a good log house, and lived there until 1869, when he moved to his present location, join- ing the town of Paragould. He bought 271 acres of land along the railroad, and the principal part of the town lies on his land. When he first came to the county he had but $1.50, and neither a cow nor horse; but he was determined to make a start. and by his industry and perseverance has accom- plished his purpose, and is now one of the sub- stantial men of the locality. He has about 600 acres of good land, and is also the owner of con- siderable town property in Paragould. He con- tributes liberally to all worthy enterprises, and has been active in his endeavors to build up the town. In 1851 he married Miss Elizabeth Tucker, a na- tive of Alabama, by whom he has three children living: Julia, Sarah and Theresa. In 1862 Mr. Pruet enlisted in Capt. Pruet's company, and served for three years. He was at the battles of Farmington, Murfreesboro, Richmond, Shiloh and Jackson, Miss., and carried his brother, who was severely wounded. twice from the battle-field. He is a member of the firm of D. D. Hodges & Co .. merchants of Paragould; is also dealing consider- ably in stock, and it may be noted that Mr. Pruet has been, and is, a leading spirit of the place. He and wife are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.

W. S. Pruet. Prominent among the much es- teemed and respected citizens of Paragould stands the name of Mr. Pruet, who was born in Roane County, Tenn., September 27, 1829, and who is the son of Willis and Polly E. (Williams) Pruet, natives also of Roane County, Tenn. Willis Pruet was a very successful man, both as a farmer and speculator. He died in Memphis in 1851, while there on business. The mother died in 1860, in Greene County, Ark. Their family consisted of Capt. Charles D. Pruet (deceased) was one of four brothers who came from Tennessee to Arkan- sas in 1857, and engaged in farming and stock raising, and various other enterprises. He was born in Roane County, Tenn., in 1827, and was married on the 23d of January, 1847, to Miss :Caroline M. Nelson. After coming to Greene County, Ark., he entered a tract of land on which : joined the Confederate forces, being lieutenant of his company, and was soon after advanced to the rank of captain, and was in the army twenty-two fifteen children, nine of whom lived to be grown, but only two now living: Robert and Willis S. The paternal and maternal grandparents were na- tives of Virginia and North Carolina, respectively, and were early settlers of Tennessee. The pater- nal great grandfather was in the Indian wars. Willis S. Pruet, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm in Roane County, Tenn., and in : he located and began improving. In 1862 he that county received his education. In 1857 he came to Greene County, Ark., when there were very few settlers, and when the city of Gainesville

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months, participating in the most of the battles in which the Army of the Cumberland was engaged. He was wounded in the engagement at Chicka- mauga, and also at Murfreesboro, so severely in the latter battle that he was compelled to re- turn home. In 1870 he embarked in mercantile pursuits on his farm, in partnership with his brother Robert, and did a thriving business there for ten years. In the fall of 1882 he started a general store in the then new town of Paragould, being one of the first merchants of the place, and was alone in business until 1886, when he formed a partnership with D. D. Hodges, and the firm name was changed to C. D. Pruet & Co., remain- ing as such until Mr. Pruet's death on the 20th of August, 1887. He was a prominent Mason, and was buried by that order. He operated a cotton gin on his farm for many years, and was engaged in stock raising and dealing. He left a fine farm of over 500 acres, the most of which was in a high state of cultivation, and also left behind him a name that will long be remembered, for he was honest, industrious and enterprising, and known to be a stanch supporter of church and educational institutions. He was well-known throughout the country as a man of unimpeachable honesty, and was possessed of exceptionally fine business qualifications, and natural characteristics which won the respect of all. He contributed the most of the means for the erection of a church near his home, and did much to build up the town of Paragould, being one of the best business men of the place. He was followed to his long home by numerous friends and neighbors who had known and loved him in life, and is now sleeping in the cemetery near the scene of his greatest usefulness. He was married in 1875 to Miss Irene McElwee, a native of Tennessee, who came to Arkansas with her mother in 1873. Her father, Samuel McElwee, was an extensive farmer and died in 1865. Mrs. Pruet's mother resides with her on the homestead in Arkansas.

George M. Rosengrant, manufacturer of lum- ber and cooperage. Paragould. Ark. The business interests of this portion of the country are well represented by the subject of this sketch. George

M. Rosengrant, who has been located long enough at this place to become firmly established. He was born in Wyandot County, Ohio, in October, 1855, and is the son of James and Lenora (Con- . nor) Rosengrant, both natives of the Buckeye State. The father was a large stock dealer, and is now deceased. George M. Rosengrant grew to manhood in Guernsey County, of his native State, received his education in the common schools, and subsequently attended the college at Antrim, Ohio. At the age of sixteen he began to learn telegraphy, which he continued for five years for the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company. He then engaged in the lumber business in Wyandot County, Ohio. where he carried on a good trade until 1884, when he came to Greene County, Ark., and located at Paragould. Here he established his present busi- ness and has been occupied in the manufacture of lumber ever since. He added the cooperage de- partment in the winter of 1888. He runs a large mill and employs on an average fifty men. In the year 1883 he chose Miss Kitty Jurenall, a native of Wyandot County, Ohio, for his companion in life. Mr. Rosengrant averages about $75,000 annually from his mill business, and aside from this he is the owner of 5,000 acres of land. all of which has valuable timber thereon. He is a sub- stantial, representative business man, is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and a progressive, en- terprising citizen of the county.

T. T. Ross. Few men have attained greater prominence in Greene County, in a social as well as. business point of view, than has Mr. Ross, who by his pleasant and courteous manner has made many friends and built up a successful trade. He was born in Kentucky, in 1826, and is the son of Caleb and Alifal (Hutchison) Ross, and the grandson of William Ross, who was born in Maryland. and came to Kentucky at an early day. Caleb Ross was also a native of Maryland, and was there married to Miss Hutchison. T. T. Ross left his native State in 1873, emigrating to Greene County. Ark .. and locating on a farm two miles north of where Marmaduke is now standing. This land he opened up and improved eighty acres. erected buildings and remained on the same for about five years, when he

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sold out and moved to the village of Marmaduke. Here he has since been engaged in merchandising, and has built up a good trade. He has a conven- ient, substantial building for that purpose, two stories high, the upper portion of which is used for a dwelling. He was married, in Kentucky, to Miss Martha Coles Otey, who died, leaving two chil- dren: C. H., who resides in Greene County, mar- ried, and the father of two children; and Susan, who married L. C. Harvey, a farmer of Greene County, and has two children. Mr. Ross was married to the sister of his first wife, Miss Eliza- beth Otey, and they are the parents of three chil- dren: Frances Orlena, wife of James Stone, re- sides one and a half miles from Marmaduke and has four children; Margaret A., wife of A. B. Har- vey, is living in Marmaduke and keeps the hotel, also being engaged in farming, and has five chil- dren; and W. A., a merchant of Marmaduke. Mr. Ross is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and Evergreen Lodge of the I. O. O. F. He has been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church since eighteen years of age.

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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 28

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