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 55
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Craighead is favored with a usual quota of towns, so essential to any community.
Bay, a small place situated on the Kansas City.
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Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad, ten miles southeast of Jonesboro, contains a postoffice, three or four stores, a saw-mill, two churches, two boarding houses, etc.
Bono, a station and postoffice on the same rail- road, ten miles northwest of Jonesboro, is but a small village.
Brookland, on the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad, eight miles northeast of Jonesboro, contains three general stores, one drug store, two hotels, a church and school-house.
Culberhouse, on the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad, one and a half mile below Bay, has a postoffice, store, boarding-house, and saw- mill.
Dee, a station on the Iron Mountain Railroad eight miles south of Jonesboro, contains two stores, two churches and two saw-mills.
Gilkerson is on the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad, nine miles southeast of Jonesboro. A postoffice, store, and a grist and saw-mill and cotton-gin combined comprise its interests.
Greensboro, a very old village and formerly a place of much business, eleven miles east of north from Jonesboro, has within it a postoffice, two or three stores, two churches and a school- house.
Gubertown is a post hamlet in the northeastern part of the county.
of from 200 to 300. Upon the completion of the railroads through the county in 1882 and 1883, en - terprise was awakened, and now, according to an actual and careful census just taken within the corporate limits, the population numbers 2,240- 1,954 white, and 286 colored. To this number should be added about 300 for those living just outside of the corporation.
On Saturday, April 27, 1889, about forty business houses and residences, including some of the best of both within Jonesboro, were swept away by devouring flames, causing an estimated loss to the property owners of about $175,000. The burnt district lies immediately north and northeast of the public square, on both sides of the street leading to the Union Depot. Before this occurrence the town contained the Bank of Jonesboro, six general stores, ten groceries, eight drug stores, one hardware store, one hardware and grocery store, three dry goods stores, one clothing store, one undertaker's store, twelve hotels, five barber shops, several temperance saloons, several blacksmith and other mechanical shops, two corn- mills, three planing-mills, two saw-mills, one stave factory, three brick yards, three lumber yards, four church edifices, a large and new two-story brick school-house with six rooms, costing $7,000. the Union Depot, round house, two freight depots and other railroad buildings, a number of restaur- ants, boarding houses and business houses not here enumerated. The property burned consisted of stores, warehouses, livery stable, the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church, the Southern Hotel. residences, etc., etc.
Jonesboro, the county seat of Craighead County, was established when its site was selected for the permanent seat of justice. It was named in honor of William A. Jones, State Senator for the counties of St. Francis and Poinsett, for his able support of the act creating the county. Lo- In addition to the foregoing the city contains two weekly newspapers, The Jonesboro Times and The Craighead County Sun, both well edited, and both devoted to the general interests of the county and its people. The Times is published by J. D. C. Cobb & Son, and The Sun by Emmet Rodgers. The Times lost its press and some other property in the late fire, but did not miss its regular publi- cation. cated on a beautiful site at the crossing of the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad and the Kan- sas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad, it is near the center of the territory whose capital it is. William Puryear moved his store from his farm to the town site and became its first merchant. At the beginning of the Civil War the place con- tained about 150 inhabitants. After the close of that struggle it continued to grow, but slowly, so Jonesboro has a lodge and chapter of the Ma- sonic fraternity, a lodge and encampment of Odd that in 1880, it had three or four small stores and : some other business enterprises, and a population . Fellows, a lodge each of the Knights of Honor.
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Knights and Ladies of Honor, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Labor, and other societies; also six physicians and one dentist. The place was incor- porated February 2, 1883, as a city of the second class. Its present officers are N. J. Thompson, mayor; J. W. Mackey, recorder; I. J. Stacey, treasurer, and J. J. Rooney, marshal. Jonesboro is so pleasantly and advantageously located that it is a desirable place of residence. Its residences in the shady forest surrounding the business por- tion of the city are both attractive and comforta- ble. Though individuals have suffered by the late devastating elements the loss will soon be re- covered, proving, perhaps, a substantial blessing, as brick will take the place of wooden buildings.
Lake City, the seat of justice of the Lake City district, was established soon after the Civil War as a boat-landing on the St. Francis River. It contains the court-house, postoffice, two stores, two hotels, a church and school-house.
Macey is a postoffice in the extreme northeast corner of the county.
Nettleton, at the crossing of the railroads three miles southeast of Jonesboro, contains a postoffice, three or four business houses, etc.
Stottsville, in the extreme eastern part of the county, has a postoffice, store, saw and grist-mill and cotton-gin combined, a church and school- house.
Wardsdale, on the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad, thirteen miles southwest of Jonesboro, contains a postoffice and saw-mill.
No adequate educational facilities existed with- in the county prior to the inauguration of the free school system. There were, however, a few sub- scription schools taught here and there in the most thickly settled neighborhoods, the terms being for three months in a year. The following statistics from the report of the State superintendent, for the year ending June 30, 1888, will prove of inter- est to those whose sympathies are with this worthy movement. Scholastic population: White, 3,988; colored, 160-total. 4, 148. Number of pupils taught in the public schools: White, 1,959; colored, 36-total, 1,995. Number of school districts, 56. Number of teachers employed: Males, 32; females,
15-total, 47. Average monthly salaries paid teachers-first grade, males, $50; females, $45.10: second grade, males, $40; females, $37.30; third grade. males, $33.35; females, $32.50. Revenue raised for the support of the common schools, total amount, $20,595.64; amount expended, $9,142.53: balance unexpended, $11,453.11. These figures indicate that less than one-half of the white, and less than one-fourth of the colored scholastic popu- lation were taught in the public schools during the year. However, considering the short time in which the free school system has been in existence, and the distance the children of sparsely settled sections of the county have to travel to attend, it may be considered a fair showing. When the county becomes more thickly settled and more school-houses are erected, a much larger attend- ance will result. The wages paid for teachers of the first grade is sufficient to secure able and com- petent instructors.
Of the Missionary Baptist Church, the pioneer organization of this religious denomination within the territory composing Craighead County is that known as Macedonia, six miles northeast of Jonesboro. It was formed prior to 1846. Next was the Jonesboro Church, organized some ten years later. Other organizations have since been formed from time to time until they now number twelve, and are named as follows: Antioch, Black Oak, Bethabra, Enterprise. Hermon, Jonesboro, Liberty. Macedonia, New Hope, Oak Grove, Philadelphia and Rock Hill, with an aggregate membership of about 800. The pastors of these churches, so far as given in the minutes of the Mount Zion Association, are J. F. Mills, at An- tioch; E. P. Minton, at Black Oak and Liberty; W. G. Stamper, at Bethabra; M. Ball, at Jones- boro; J. T. Arrington, at Macedonia, New Hope and Oak Grove; J. M. Raines, at Philadelphia, and Thomas Williams, at Rock Hill.
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the Jonesboro Station, W. D. Matthews, pastor. has 160 or more members. The Jonesboro Cir- cuit, M. J. Hively. pastor, consists of five organi- zations: Pleasant Grove, Marvin, Bay, Forest Home and Hope, with a membership of 400.
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Lake City Circuit, S. G. Lape, pastor, consists of four organizations, viz. : Hollywood, Forest Chapel, Pleasant Valley and Lake City. Shiloh Circuit, John Edison, pastor, consists of seven or- ganizations, viz. : Trinity, Oak Ridge, New Hope, Colwell's Chapel, Shiloh, New Haven and Union Grove, with an aggregate membership of 432.
Buffalo Island Mission has seven appointments or preaching places: Trinity, Young's Chapel, Hunton's Chapel, Poplar Ridge. Union School House and Black Oak, with an aggregate member- ship of 152. Rev. A. S. Hilburn is pastor. Lake City Circuit was recently established, and a por- tion of its members were taken from the Jonesboro Circuit and Buffalo Island Mission, thus reducing their membership as above given. All the Meth- odist Episcopal Church organizations within the county belong to the Jonesboro District of the White River Conference, of which Rev. M. M. Smith, of Jonesboro, is Presiding Elder.
The oldest Christian church organization here is Christian Valley, seven miles southwest of Jonesboro. It was organized soon after the Civil War. Other Christian churches are Hope, held in a school-house two miles southeast of Jonesboro, one at Jonesboro, one on Buffalo Island, and another in Texas Township. Together they ag- gregate a membership of about 350. Elder J. H. Ferrell preaches at Hope and Christian Valley, and Elder W. Y. M. Wilkerson, at Buffalo Island.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church has but one organization in the county, and that is at Jonesboro. It was organized in 1878, by Rev. J. D. C. Cobb, who has since continued to be its pastor. The membership numbers sixty. In 1887 this church society erected a fine frame edifice at a cost of $2,000. It was consumed in the great fire at Jonesboro April 27, 1889. Until further ar- rangements are made the society will worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church editice. A society of seven or eight members of the Northern branch of the Presbyterian Church have a frame church edifice a few miles southeast of Jonesboro.
The Roman Catholic Church has recently erected a small frame edifice in Jonesboro, the : only one in the county.
Nearly all of these denominations, excepting the latter, have Sunday-schools connected with them. Regular preaching services are held, and all are doing good work in the cause of Christian- ity. The county, though new, and with but a small population, is well supplied with churches.
James C. Anderson, an influential farmer of Craighead County, is a native of Bedford County, Tenn. The paternal grandfather, Isaac Ander- son, was a native of Virginia, and married Eliz- abeth Hunter, from Maryland. They settled in Tennessee, and here Richard Anderson, the father of James C., was born. He grew to manhood in that State, and married Martha Campbell, also born and reared there. There are now four sur- vivors of their family of nine children. Richard Anderson served creditably as a captain in the late war, and was esteemed by all as a good soldier and a worthy citizen. He was an active member of the I. O. O. F. James C. also served in the late war as a lieutenant, and participated in a number of engagements, among them New Madrid and Island No. 10. He has now a large farm of 400 acres, much of which is excellent land, and under cultivation. His farm is well stocked with horses, mules and cat- tle. He was united in marriage with Susan Nance. a native of Tennessee, and after her death was again married, this time selecting Martha Jackson. who was born and reared in Alabama. She came to Arkansas in 1870 with her father, who is a prominent citizen and postmaster at Bono. Eight children have been born to this union. Mr. An- derson is a member of the Masonic order and of the I. O. O. F., and has occupied official chairs in both of these orders. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church.
Edwin G. Barrett. Prominent among the prosperous and intelligent young farmers of Craig- head County, may be mentioned the name of Ed- win G. Barrett, a native of the county, born April 21, 1859. His paternal grandfather was Caswell Barrett, a native of South Carolina, who was reared in that State and all his life followed agricultural pursuits. He was born in 1793 and died in 1830.
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His wife, Nancy (Ferguson) Barrett, also a native of South Carolina, was of Irish descent, and to their union were born two sons and two daughters, the only survivor being Arthur J., who is now a prominent planter of Craighead County. He was born in Greenville District, S. C., August 31, 1821, and was reared on the farm, receiving a very good education. In 1858, to better his fortune, he con- cluded to come to Arkansas, and with his wife and three children and household goods, started in a wagon for this State. After traveling sixty days, he drove up and unhitched his wagon at his pres- ent farm, where he has lived ever since. There are 140 acres in the homestead, about ninety un- der cultivation, and he has also eighty-three acres of very rich land on the edge of "Cache Bottom." He has always been a Democrat in politics. but has never aspired to office. Before the war, he was county surveyor for one term, and during the war was in the Confederate service. He was mar- ried October 11, 1849, to Eunice Barton, a native : of Georgia, whose parents were Willoughby and Sarah (West) Barton, both natives of South Caro- lina. Her mother died in 1844, and her father afterward came to Arkansas and died in White County in 1862. Of Mr. and Mrs. Barrett's ten children, only five are living, viz., William F. : (married to Marzee Watkins), Mary (wife of Pey- ton Watkins), Edwin G. (the immediate subject of this sketch), and Sarah and Eliza at home. Those deceased are: Albert, Gilford. Luther, John and Nancy. Nancy was the wife of S. A. Neal, and left three little children, Arthur, Marvin and Ida Myrtle. Mr. and Mrs. Barrett and their entire family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and those deceased were members. Ed- win G. was reared on his father's farm, receiving a very fair education. He has been principally engaged in farming, but was for a while a clerk in the mercantile trade. He has a nice farm of seventy five acres, forty of which are splendidly improved. January 20, 1885, he married Julia Dodds, a daughter of Allen and Julia (Saye) Dodds, residents of this county. This union has been blessed by two children: Alva and Margaret. Mr. Barrett is a man of strong political convictions,
and is a Democrat. Both he and his wife are de- vout Christians, the former a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church, and the latter of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
J. R. Blalack, was born in Monroe County, Miss., October 2, 1849. He is the son of Josiah and Elizabeth (Hendrix) Blalack, both natives of Mississippi. They twice came to Arkansas, but returned each time to their native home, where they both died-the father in 1865 and the mother : in the winter of 1885-86. They were the parents of eleven children, six of whom are now living, and four in this county: John, George, Willis and James R., all farmers. J. R. Blalack was reared in his native State and obtained but a moderate education. When yet a young man he came with his father's family to Arkansas and located in Craighead County. In the spring of 1869 he was united in marriage with Sophia Miranda Herrin, " a native of Georgia. After his marriage he farmed for awhile, then went to Prairie County, Ark., re- maining two years. Then he moved to Bourbon County, Kas., and after eleven months returned to Arkansas. He was on St. Francis River two months, operated a cotton-gin on Big Bay for one year, then he came to his present farm, where he rented forty five acres and a gin-ginning 300 bales of cotton that year. He then purchased thirty acres of land, added to it for two years, and for two years more ran a saw-mill. After another year of farming he bought ten acres of land, moved to his present location, and in connection with James M. Herrin erected a combined cotton- gin and corn-mill, which they operate together. By economy and earnest endeavor he has been generally successful. One of his farms contains 100 acres and the other forty, with two acres for a home place. He is a Mason, holding membership in Jonesboro Lodge No. 129, and is a Democrat. He never sought office, but was always content to bear the brunt of the burden in the field or mills. He is the father of seven children: Aden C .. Philip C., Pervison W., Dell D .. Modena, Taylor and Zenobia.
John Boren (deceased) was a successful farmer and greatly respected citizen of Maumelle Town-
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ship. He was born in Washington County, Tenn., but was mostly reared in Macon County, N. C., his parents having gone there when he was a small child. He remained there until 1859, when he came to Arkansas, locating on a place near Big Bay. With the beginning of the war he entered the Confederate service. and remained through the entire conflict, making a very creditable military record. He was in several engagements and had many narrow escapes; he had been promoted to the office of first lieutenant when he was captured near Mount Vernon. He was then taken to Johnson's Island, where he was retained as prisoner for eight months. His comrades all remember him as a brave and gallant soldier. He died August 29, 1869. His widow, whose maiden name was Char- lotte Gouldman, was born in Richmond County, Va., in 1832, and is a daughter of Robert and Nancy (Parker) Gouldman, natives of the "Old Dominion." Her father, who was a farmer by occupation, was born about 1803, and died in No- vember of 1838; the mother was born in July, 1805, and survived her husband until 1842. About a year previous to her death she had moved with her family first to Tennessee and later to Alabama. Of the eight children born to this union, four are still living. Mrs. Boren was the fourth child and grew to womanhood in Alabama, where she was first married to Benjamin C. Viek, a native of Limestone County, Ala., born in 1827, and died July 29, 1860. Mr. and Mrs. Vick came to Ar- kansas in 1857, locating on the place where he soon afterward died, and where his widow still re- sides. He was a charitable and enterprising citizen and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were the parents of six children, three of whom are living. William J. is a promising and substantial farmer and school teacher, educated at the Bethel Institute, Tenn., who has taught school for eight years, and served as justice of the peace for ten. He married C. E. Tabor, a native of Kentucky, September 29, 1878, and they are the parents of three children: Mary, Benjamin and Willis. Frances M. and Benjamin C. are the two other children of Mrs. Boren by her first husband. Those deceased were Joseph, Preston and an in-
fant. To Mr. and Mrs. Boren were born three children: Mary T., James C., and Martha L. (de- ceased). Mrs. Boren has a splendid farm, and. displays much executive ability in its management. 1
Simon M. Bowman. Prominent among the prosperous and enterprising citizens of Lake City Township may be mentioned the subject of this sketch, who is a leading farmer and stock raiser, and also proprietor of a cotton-gin and saw-mill. He was born in Henderson County, Tenn., in 1847, and is a son of Joshua and Sally (Easley) Bowman, natives of Tennessee. They were reared and married in the "Old Volunteer State," where the father died in 1856. One year later the moth- er moved with her family to Arkansas, and located on the Maumelle Prairie in this county, where she remained until 1862, when she removed to Crow- ley's Ridge, returning but shortly afterward to the Prairie. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowman were born eight children, two of whom are now living: Simon M. and Mrs. Margaret Butcher. Mrs. Bowman was again married to Moses W. Lewis (now de- ceased). by whom she was the mother of one child. Perry E. Lewis. She married the third time, and after a life of charitable usefulness, died about 1871. Simon M. Bowman attained his majority in this county, and in 1869 moved to the place where he has since resided. He now has about 400 acres of land, with 110 under cultivation, over sixty of which he has cleared and cultivated him- self. He has a good residence, tenant house, or- chard, etc. In 1888 he built a cotton-gin and saw- mill in partnership with his half brother, Perry E. Lewis, and that year they ginned 127 bales of cotton. Mr. Bowman was first married in 1868. to Miss Sarah Harris, a native of the State, who died in June, 1873, leaving two children, Melinda. and Perry, both now deceased. For his second wife, he married his first wife's sister. Alice Har- ris, the fruits of which union have been nine chil- dren. There are seven living: Mary, Oscar, John, Rosa, Amos, Willie and Ada. Those deceased are Sally and Jimmie. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman are members of the Methodist Church.
Jesse C. Broadaway was born in Lincoln Coun- ty, Tenn., October 27, 1829, and is the son of
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Yancy and Elizabeth (Hodges) Broadaway, the for- mer born in North Carolina in 1801, the latter a native of Lincoln County, Tennesse. When the father was yet a boy, his parents moved to Tennes- see, where he was reared and educated in his wife's native county. Mr. and Mrs. Broadaway were the parents of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, six of whom are still living, all in this county. Mr. Broadaway all his life engaged in farming and stock raising, and in Tennessee was very successful in that occupation, and was also elected to some local offices. He came to Arkansas in the fall of 1841, and here engaged in farming and reared his family. He was elected justice of the peace, and held that office for eighteen years; also served one term as county and probate judge. He and wife were devoted Christians, and zealous members of the Missionary Baptist Church. After a long life of usefulness, he died April 14. 1885, aged eighty-four years. His wife still survives him, and makes her home with one of her sons. The family is of English descent. Jesse C. Broad- away, the immediate subject of this sketch, is one of the thrifty and successful farmers of the county. He owns about 250 acres of good land, and of this has about seventy-five acres in a flourishing state of cultivation. November 15, 1855, he was married to Nancy Jane Harris, a native of Craig- head County, Ark., born November 18, 1837, and died March 29, 18$5. Their union was blessed by eleven children, five of whom are yet living: William R., Y. E. W., Robert J., Leila L. and Lula L.
Jane (Willhite) Barnett, natives of Middle Tennes- see, who came to Arkansas in 1864. Mr. Broad- away enlisted, in 1862, in the support of the Con- federate cause, and served until the surrender. He has a large, nicely improved farm, and devotes much time and care to stock raising. He is a thorough Democrat, and in the support of progress and enterprise, one of the foremost men of the county. Mrs. Broadaway is a member of the Baptist denomination, which church the family attend.
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