Fain Higdon cemetery, Altus, Arkansas   Thanks again to Fran Frame

NOTE: Fran Frame kicked this Fain Higdon Cemetery project off by donating the following transcription for and history of this small cemetery. I further invite all who have addition transcriptions for any cemetery in Franklin County, Arkansas, or site or monument photographs of this or other cemeteries, please submit to Father Kelly. We want to build a cemetery transcription index on this site that is second to none.

Welcome to Fain-Higdon Cemetery.

Fain-Higdon Cemetery

Brannon St, Altus, AR

This cemetery was began by four prominent men of Altus who thought there should be a cemetery within the city limits. These men were Rev. I.L. Burrow, Dr. T.J. Fain, J.P. Higdon, merchant, and W.W. Bailey, merchant.

Dr. T.J. Fain

1839-1896

Dr Fain was born in Bedford County, TN. He moved to this area with his family at about the age of 14 years. His father was W.C. Fain. His sisters are Margarette who married Mr. Morgan, Martha who married U.J. Stokes and Mary E. who married John W. Crockett, postmaster at Altus.

On January 12, 1866 at the age of 26 he married 16-year-old Tennie E. Humphreys. To them were born Florence, Maggie, Elser, John N. (who became a Doctor and married Callie E. Hudgins), Lula B. who married B.C. Cochran, Mattie who married Joe Ford.

William Fain

Aug 9, 1876-1880

Son of Dr. T.J. & Tennie (Humphreys) Fain.

Ada Uellaine

Sept 27, 1889-Aug 14, 1890

Daughter of Dr. T.J. & Tennie Humphreys Fain.

Florence Fain Hunter

Died Nov 26, 1901

Earl Robuck

Jan 1, 1880-Apr 16, 1932

Margaret Earldine Robuck

Dec 11, 1908-June 23, 1909

Effie L. Robuck

Mar 21, 1858-Mar 4, 1894

Wife of L. Robuck. Age 35 yrs, 11 mos, 13 dys.

Callie E. Fain

Wife of J.N. Fain. Died Feb 4, 1901 age 24 years. She married J.N. in Franklin Co Sept 2, 1895.

Ruth E. Bailey

1839-1904

She was the niece of Judge Thompson of Mississippi, and was raised by him. She was born September 27, 1839 in Rutherford, NC. Her maiden name was Sellers. She married William W. Bailey on September 14, 1864, to that union was born Edmund I. Who became a general merchant in Alma, AR, George Sellers, a coalminer and merchant, and John W.T. They were members of the Altus Methodist Church. Ruth and her husband operated the W.W. Bailey General Merchandise store in Altus, AR for many years. There is an unmarked grave next to her. We assume this is her husband.

Capt. W.W. Bailey

Was born June 27, 1834 in Tippa County, MS near Springhill, the son of Edmund I. and Lydia D. (Mullins) Bailey. On March 28, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Co. B, ninth Mississippi Infantry, Confederate States Army and served 12 months. He was then mustered out of the service in April 1862.Was appointed by Col James L Autry as Adjutant General of the post at Vicksburg, June 1862 became adjutant of the Seventh Mississippi Regiment, serving with the and of Captain for two years. Before the close of the war he served as adjutant for several regiments. At the cessation of hostilities he was Captain of company C second Mississippi Calvary, and participated in many battles, among which were Cumberland Gap, the siege of Vicksburg, being the man who took the reply to the Federal Soldiers that “Mississippians never surrender”, Pensacola, Iuka, Corinth, Moscow, TN, Harrisburg, MS and many others. He was never taken prisoner or wounded, but had a horse shot from under him at Salem, MS. After the war he returned to Ripley, MS where he studied law under Judge John W. Thompson and was admitted to the bar in 1866 by Alexander M. Clayton. He formed a partnership with his preceptor and practiced law in Ripley until 1881, when he came to Altus and engaged in merchandising. In 1884 he became chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of Franklin Co. He was president of the joint stock company of the Methodist Episcopal College at Altus. He was a member of the Altus Methodist Church and a stanch democrat.

James A. Holladay

1855-1943

He was born February 18, 1855 in Mississippi. He married Martha H. (?) in 1874. They came to Altus in 1903. He served as Justice of the Peace almost his entire life in Hogan Township. From the time of his arrival he was a member of the Altus Methodist Church. At the time of his death he left behind two sons; C.J. J.A., three daughters Mrs. Jeannie Hern, Mrs. Martha Brown, and Mrs. D.E. Crutchfield and grandchildren of which eight are in the armed forces. He was a veteran himself.

Martha H. Holladay

1858-1933

Wife of James A. Holladay

John Gilbert Gowing

Feb 1850-Mar 21, 1929

J.R. Raymond Braselton

1853-1929

He was a truck farmer; widely know through out this area. He was born Feb 11, 1853 in Braselton, GA, He came to Arkansas in 1872 settling near Clarksville, then moving to Altus many years before his death. He was a veteran of the Civil War, having served as water boy for the wounded Confederates when the famous “Sherman March” came through the town in which he lived. He married Harriet A.(?). His children included Charles of Altus, AR, Mrs. Gerturde Higdon of Altus, AR, and Mrs. Louis Kerby of Ozark. He had a half brother, Truman Addington and two half sisters; Mrs. Emma Strickland and Mrs. Julia Roberts.

Charles Isaac Braselton

Oct 7, 1886-Dec 22, 1942

He was born in Harmony, Johnson County, and AR October 7, 1886 to Harriet (Kendall) and Raymond Braselton.

Charles was a farmer. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 31 years, 9 months. A private in the Army, he sailed from the U.S. Sep 23, 1918, arriving in France Oct 7, 1918. He left France March arriving back in the U.S. March 24, 1919. Charles was 5 ft. 10 in. tall with gray eyes, light colored hair and fair skin. He married Dela Floy Sandlin of Coal Hill. They were members of the Altus Methodist Church.

Della Floy (Sandlin) Braselton

1912-1959

She was born Sept 26, 1912 lived and attended school in Coal Hill. She married first Charles Braselton, then Harry Henderson and third Bill Russell, who shot her. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison without parole. During her life she worked for the Spectator as a reporter and at the Ozark Packing Company. She had no children.

Ola Beatrice (Higdon) Watts

1912-1932

She lost her parents when she was a small child ending up in the State Orphanage at Morrilton, AR. George and Gertrude Braselton Higdon of Altus, AR adopted her in 1914. She married Coy R. Watts October 1931. She passed away in 1932.

George E. Higdon

1883-1927

George was born in Arkansas to James P. and Emma T. (Yandell) Higdon December 3, 1882. He married Gertrude Braselton Dec 24, 1911. He worked in his father’s store, at Dykes Lumber yard in Altus and was a farmer. He and Gertrude adopted Ola Beatrice from the State Orphanage at Morrilton, AR. He died December 17, 1927. Gertrude then married Roscoe McNabb. Gertrude died in 1960.

Gertie McNabb Higdon

1891-1960

She was the daughter of Raymond Braselton. She first married George Higdon then Roscoe McNabb.

James Polk Higdon

1845-1923

James was born in Rutherford County, TN to Elijah Higdon. He was attending school when the Civil War broke out. He stood it as long as he could then joined General Forrest’s Calvary. He was a boy of just 16 years when he saw the Battle of Murfreesboro, TN and Chickamauga and other small battles. Immediately after the close of the War a Federal Captain connected with the carpetbag government made the mistake of insulting this young Cavalryman. He so thoroughly protected his honor that he found it necessary to come to AR.

He met and married Emma Yandal of Johnson County, AR. There they lived for many years before moving to Altus. Several of their children were born there, seven of those children survived.

Upon moving to Altus they opened the First and Last Chance Store. It was located on what is today the corner of College and Carbon Plant Road. It was called that because it was the first chance to make purchases coming into Altus and the last chance before leaving Altus. He was a member of the Altus Methodist Church.

Their children are; 1873 James Elijah, coalminer who married May Johnson, 1875 Eleanor Rivers (Lena) who married John O. Watts a coalminer. Cornelius Vanderbilt (Carl) 1875-Aug 1895, Minnie Blanch 1878-1879, Edgar Forest 1880, married Grace Butts of Coal Hill, George Everett married Gertrude Braselton, Fannie Pearl 1885 married Clemmie L. Lucas, Emma Josephine 1887 married Calmer Boyd, Sarah Lucrelia 1889-1908, Herbert Theador 1892-1892.

Emma T. Higdon

1849-1923

Wife of James P. Higdon.

Mary Tyrus Cain

Dec 21,1841-Aug 16, 1881

She was born in Tuscumbia, AL Dec 21, 1841. She married Mr. Tyrus and had two children; Robert S. and daughter M. Mozella, both born in AR. She then married James Cain, they had one son; James A. Cain. When she died she left her estate to I.L. Burrow to pay the tuition of her children at Central Institute College of Altus.

Isham Lafayette Burrow

1833-1913

Son of Hiram and Lydia Burrow born Dec 7, 1833 in Carroll County, TN. He married Elizabeth Rebecca Burrow March 14, 1858; to them were born Banks, Elizabeth Ann, Luke Hiram, Green Hill, Lydia, Reuben Harris and Mary Hinton.

He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church South at age 17. Began his education at Bethel College at McLemoresville, TN. He studied at Andrew College at Trenton, TN. He taught a short time at a female seminary in Dyersburg, TN. All the rest of his training and teaching effort was in coeducational schools. He joined the Memphis conference of the MECS in 1860; He served several pastorates in that conference. In 1864 he was elected President of Andrew College, served there for two years. He was ordained a deacon in the M.E. Church in 1857 and 1865. In 1869 he had been transferred to the Arkansas Conference, both as preacher and teacher. He taught and preached at Lewisburg for a year or two then he moved to Clarksville, serving there for two years.

From Clarksville he searched for a site to build his dream, a College. When the Little Rock Fort Smith Railroad came through, he began his search in earnest. He liked the hill to the south of the railroad in Altus. The hill rose high above the surrounding bottomland. Clearing the underbrush, he built his home and the school near the site of a large spring on the side of the hill.

A modest frame building was built in time to open the first school in the late summer of 1876. Patronage increased from the beginning for Central Collegiate Institute until it became necessary to build a three-story brick main building was built by 1882. A large frame annex, a boy’s boarding house known as the Brinks House, and a girl’s boarding house completed the initial physical facilities. Here teachers, preachers, professional men and intelligent lay leaders were to receive their fundamental education, leading to the development of a highly cultured way of life in this raw wilderness inhabited in part by an unlettered population. He poured into this enterprise, small though it was, sweat, toil, faith and prayer. It was a great undertaking.

Quite a town sprang up at Altus. People built homes and others came and built boarding houses for the students, some of which still stand.

Within the college was the first trade school. “Western Union Telegraph College and Station Agents Institute. The object of this institution is to give every young man or lady who desires to learn the art of telegraphy and railroad agents business, the opportunity to learn at a small expense and qualify them in the shortest time to perform the duties of an operator. Stating that over 40,000,00 messages are annually sent by the Western Union Co. alone, with over 3,000 operators now on duty and the demand is greater than the supply.

In June of 1887 I.L. Burrow resigned as president, Rev. A.C. Miller was elected after two years. He decided that the name should be changed and a new constitution be adopted. The name was changed to Hendrix College. It was moved to Conway shortly there after.

I. L. Burrow was in Oklahoma on April 17, 1889 (only two days before the land run) He went there to organize Methodist Churches in the new territory. He organized churches in at least nine towns, including Guthrie, Purcell, Norman, and Oklahoma City. He named Altus, Oklahoma for Altus, AR, as the area was so similar.

Upon returning to AR he set up Hiram and Lydia College named for his parents. Many young preacher and preachers’ child received gratuitous tuition. He conducted this school for many years. He was a bold, original thinker, a strong preacher, and a fluent speaker, dignified and courteous. He died at Altus, AR June 20, 1913. His wife Elizabeth Burrow was born 1837 and died in 1931. She is buried at Highland Cemetery at Ozark along with many of their children. The Burrow family has been a large part of the history of Altus and its early beginning.

There are several field stones here with no name on them…

This was part of a quarterly newsletter for the Altus Historical Society, keepers of the Altus Heritage Museum. P.O. Box 197, Altus, AR 72821. Hours: Tue., Wed., Fri, and Sat. 10-2