Goodspeeds Biographies
for Franklin County AR
FRANKLIN COUNTY, AR BIOGRAPHIES - N - R
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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Judge William N. Nichols was born in East Tennessee, September 8,
1822, and is a son of George N. and Elizabeth (Kilgore) Nichols, also
natives of that State, where they were married. Later the family
removed to Blount County, Ala., where the father died when our subject
was but an infant. The mother then returned to Tennessee, and
afterward married Mr. Lesley, who settled among the Chickasaw Indians
in Mississippi in an early day. William N. thus grew to manhood with
Indian youths and maidens for companions, the white settlements being
widely separated. In 1845 he married Mary Ward, a native [p.1264] of
Tennessee, who was reared in that State and Mississippi. Until 1854
Mr. Nichols was engaged in the tanning business, and he then went to
Arkansas. After traveling over twenty-two counties he returned to
Mississippi, and two years later immigrated to Polk County, Ark.,
where he resided a number of years. He served three consecutive terms
as county and probate judge of that county. In 1868 he purchased his
present place in Franklin County. This contains 100 acres of
cultivated land, near Altus, and is one of the best improved and well
cared for farms in the county. Although Mr. Nichols has not aspired to
political honors since coming to this county, he has always taken an
interest in local affairs, and has served in several minor offices of
trust and honor. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols have nine children: Jackson L.
(married), James A., William P. (married, and in Indian Territory),
Palsa (wife of D. Barnes), Lulie A. (wife of D. G. Dillard), J. D.
(married), George W. and Margaret A. Three of their children are
deceased, viz.: Elizabeth Blaylock (who left a family), Amanda (who
died when three years old) and Rufus D. (who left a family). Judge
Nichols, his wife and almost all his children belong to the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. The Judge is a Master Mason, and for two
years was Master of his lodge. He has also filled other positions in
the lodge, and is a gentleman highly respected by the community.
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Uriah J. Nichols, one of the leading citizens of Altus, Franklin Co.,
Ark., was born in Marion County, Tenn., August 19, 1840, and is the
son of Harvey and Linia (Blansett) Nichols, natives of Kentucky and
Tennessee, respectively, The father was born March 10, 1814, is still
living, and is now residing in Hogan Township, Franklin Co., Ark. The
mother was born in Tennessee November 20, 1820, and died in Franklin
County, Ark., May 20, 1873. After her death Mr. Nichols married Mrs.
Margaret Cargyle, widow of James Cargyle. Harvey Nichols after his
first marriage lived for some time in Tennessee, then moved to
Alabama, and after a residence there of two years, moved to Franklin
County, Ark., in 1850, and located near Ozark. He has been a farmer
all his life, and in connection also followed the carpenter trade. He
has held numerous county offices, as justice of the peace, constable,
deputy sheriff, etc., and was at one time a candidate for sheriff, but
was defeated by two votes. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. To his first marriage were born
seven sons and two daughters, six sons and one daughter now living:
Uriah J., W. F., T. J., K. D., James H., A. J., and Margaret, wife of
John Carr. John L. and Mary E. are the ones deceased. Uriah J.
remained with his father until in the spring of 1861, when he enlisted
in the State troops, Walker's company, and served a short period in
the State troops. He afterward enlisted in Company K, of the Second
Arkansas Cavalry, Federal service, serving three years and two months.
He was at Iron Mountain, and during Price's raid was sent to
Tennessee, but was never in any more general engagements. February 18,
1864, he married Miss Elizabeth Ann Jackman, daughter of Capt. Richard
Jackman, of Barry County, Mo., where his daughter was born July 3,
1842. Mr. Nichols and wife remained in Cassville until the fall of
1866, when they returned to Franklin County, Ark., and have since
lived in the neighborhood of Altus, engaged in farming. He helped lay
off the town of Altus. He was engaged in general merchandising for
several years, and built the Commercial House, of which he was
landlord for five years. This was, and is now, the best hotel in
Altus. Mr. Nichols is a Democrat in politics, and is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Nichols is a member of the Missionary
Baptist Church.
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George W. Nichols, merchant, of Altus, Ark., and native of Franklin
County, was born February 23, 1848, and is a son of Jesse and Julia
Ann (Ransom) Nichols, who were born in Marion County, Tenn., November
22, 1817, and Marshall County, Ala., July 8, 1820, respectively. They
were married in Marshall County, Ala., and there made their home until
1848, when they came to Arkansas and located near Ozark, where they
resided, and where the father was engaged in farming and carpentering
until his death, June 11, 1888. He was a devoted Christian, and a
member of the Masonic fraternity, and at one time represented Grenada
Chapter. Lodge 151, in the Grand Lodge of Arkansas. He was a life-long
Democrat, and during the late war served as a private, first in the
State troops and afterward in Company K, Col. Edmondson's regiment
regular infantry. The following are some of the engagements in which
he participated: Oak Hill, Elkhorn, Prairie Grove, Poison Springs, and
others. He was noted for his liberality and many deeds of kindness,
and his memory will long be [p.1265] cherished by the present
generation. He was of German-Irish descent, and became the father of
nine children, seven of whom are living: Lucinda, wife of L. D. Knox;
George W.; Mary, wife of James Yarber; Elizabeth, wife of William
Taylor, Alice, widow of D. L. Greenwood; A. J., a lawyer of Cooper,
Texas, and Laura, wife of E. Mooma. George W. Nichols received his
education previous to the war, and during the first part of 1864
enlisted in the same company as his father, serving until the close of
the war. He then returned home and began working at the carpenter's
trade with his father, and was also engaged in farming. At the age of
twenty-one years he began farming for himself, and up to January,
1888, was engaged in that occupation. He then embarked in his present
business in partnership with Bailey P. Miller, and has been doing well
financially. On the 22d of October, 1870, he was married to Emily S.
Miller, of Franklin County, by whom he has five children: Minnie A.,
Bathus, Maud, Georgie and Jackson M. The family worship in the
Missionary Baptist Church, and Mr. Nichols is a Mason, and in his
political views is a Democrat. In 1880 he was elected justice of the
peace and served two terms.
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Prof. Harvey A. Nickell was born in Monroe County, W. Va., September
27, 1850. He is a descendant of an old Virginia family, his great-
great-grandfather having settled in that State in 1607. His father,
Dr. J. M. Nickell, was reared and received his medical education in
Virginia, and there married Sallie Burdett, a native of Augusta
County, Va. Besides practicing his profession Mr. Nickell manufactured
flour extensively. He was a man of political power in his county,
which he represented several times in the Legislature. His death
occurred in 1886. Our subject passed his early life in Monroe County,
and in 1871 completed a select course from the Roanoke College. He was
fond of books, and from the age of sixteen had taught school in his
immediate neighborhood at different times. Coming West in 1873, he
spent two years in Missouri, teaching in Ralls County, but in 1875
returned to West Virginia, and taught there until 1878. In November of
that year he permanently located in Franklin County, Ark., and has
since devoted the greater part of his time to his profession. In the
spring of 1880 he went to Eureka Springs, and there edited the first
paper of that place, known as the Echo, which he continued to publish
until 1882, when he sold the paper, and returned to Franklin County.
From 1883 until the fall of 1884 he was the editor of the People's
Echo, a farmer's journal, published in Ozark, but since that time has
been farming in connection with teaching. He owns a nicely improved
place, with a fine residence, orchard, etc., which is situated about
two and one-half miles from Ozark. October 10, 1880, Mr. Nickell
married Maggie A. Henderson, daughter of Thomas E. Henderson [see
sketch], and a native of this county, where she has always lived. To
Mr. and Mrs. Nickell two children have been born: Warwick A. and
Willie E. Mr. Nickell is an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, to which his wife also belongs, and he is also a Master Mason
and a member of the Knights of Pythias. He has held the position of
secretary of the County Sunday-school Association, and in July, 1888,
was elected president of the same society. He is a prominent man in
the county, and is the county school examiner, to which position he
was appointed in 1886.
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Joseph F. Nixon, a leading citizen and assessor of Franklin County,
Ark., is a native of Morgan County, Mo., where he was born September
18, 1837. His father, George W. C. Nixon, was of Scotch descent, and
was born in Tennessee December 7, 1817, and died in Scott County,
Ark., on the 19th of April, 1885. He moved to Morgan County, Mo., at
an early day, and was there married to Phoebe M. Burnard, who was a
native of that county, born January 21, 1820, and died in Franklin
County, Ark., March 9, 1858. They located in the latter county in
1844, the father moving to Scott County, Ark., in 1884. After his
wife's death he was married to Mrs. Martha Smith, a daughter of Miles
Williams. Mr. Nixon was a farmer and stock raiser, and held the
offices of justice of the peace, school commissioner and county
treasurer. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Primitive Baptist
Church. At the breaking out of the war he was captain in the State
militia, and during that conflict served from 1864 until the close of
the war. His first union resulted in the birth of eight children, four
of whom are living: Mary E., wife of W. B. Wagoner; Nancy Isabel, wife
of W. R. Duncan; Frankie G., wife of L. G. Huggins, and Joseph F. The
latter is the eldest of the family, and received his rudimentary
education in the district schools near his home. At the age of
nineteen years he left [p.1266] home and was engaged in teaching
school for some time, then returned home and turned his attention to
farming, at which he has been quite successful. He now owns 180 acres
of land. In 1875 he was elected county assessor, holding the position
four years, and was re-elected in 1884. On the 12th of July, 1857, he
was married to Julia A. Wilburn, a native of Marion County, Ark., born
November 8, 1841. Their union was blessed in the birth of eleven
children: Ben F., George G., Lorenzo L., James C., Allen M. and John
M. are living, and the rest of the children are deceased. Mr. Nixon
and wife are members of the Primitive Baptist Church, and he is a
member of the Wheel, the Farmers' Alliance, and in his political views
is a Democrat.
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Francis M. Nixon, of Mulberry Township, Franklin Co., Ark., is a son
of John C. and Nancy E. (Keese) Nixon, and was born in Franklin County
on the 19th of September, 1837. The parents were farmers by
occupation, and were born in 1804 in Kentucky and South Carolina,
respectively. They were members of the Primitive Baptist Church, in
which the father had been a deacon for fifty years, and were married
in Middle Tennessee, and in 1835 came to Franklin County, Ark., where
he purchased 500 acres of some of the best land in the county. The
father died October 18, 1874, and his wife in 1852. The grandfather,
Francis Nixon, was born in the "Palmetto State," and removed to
Kentucky with Daniel Boone, being one of the very earliest settlers of
the country. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, was in a number of
Indian Wars, and died in 1864 at the advanced age of ninety-eight
years. His father was a Continental soldier, and was killed in the
Revolutionary War. Francis M. Nixon remained under the paternal roof
until 1861, when he joined the Confederate cavalry, and for a time
served as lieutenant of Capt. Davidson's company, First Arkansas
Battalion, and also served as musician until the siege of Vicksburg,
when he joined the ranks. He participated in the battles of Oak Hill,
Elk Horn, Corinth, Baldwin, Port Gibson, Baker's Creek, Black River,
Vicksburg, Poison Springs, Jenkins' Ferry, and many other engagements,
and after the close of the war returned home and remained with his
parents until February 28, 1867, when he was married to Eliza, a
daughter of David Mahan. She was born in Alabama and died in Franklin
County, Ark., August 18, 1870, leaving two children: William A., who
was born June 7, 1868, and Ann E., who died when an infant. Mr. Nixon
was again married, his wife's maiden name being Caroline C. Stuart, a
daughter of William and Eliza Stuart. She was born in Mississippi,
April 22, 1851, and is the mother of four living children: Charley,
David A., Myrtie P. and Thomas G. Those deceased are James and Wilford
E. Mr. Nixon is a steward in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, a
member of the Masonic fraternity, and in his political views is a
Democrat. For the past two years he has been justice of the peace, but
is now giving his attention to farming and stock raising.
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William Obar, who is classed among the enterprising and successful
farmers and stock raisers in Section 16, where he has 500 acres of
good land, is a native of Tennessee, born in 1825, and is the son of
Constant and Elizabeth Obar, the former of German and the latter of
Scotch descent. William Obar remained in Middle Tennessee until eleven
years of age, and then moved with his parents to Hamilton County, of
the same State. Here the father died in 1844. The subject of this
sketch came to Arkansas in 1859, and in 1870 was here married to Miss
Frances J. Douglass. She was born in Arkansas, and by her marriage
became the mother of eight children, three now living: John B.,
Elizabeth and Clark. Mr. Obar and his brother, John, have always lived
together, and are representative farmers and stock raisers. Mr. Obar
owns about 500 acres in Sebastian County, and the brother owns 240
acres in Franklin County, all the result of hard work and economy. Mr.
Obar was an old-line Whig in his political views.
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John Obar, another successful farmer and stock raiser, was born in
Warren County, Middle Tenn., in 1828, and is the son of Constant and
Elizabeth Obar, who were of German and Scotch descent, respectively.
They were the parents of five children, four now living, and of whom
John Obar is the youngest. At the age of eight years he moved from
Middle to East Tennessee, and here attained his growth. He was married
in Sebastian County, Ark., to Miss Susan A. Wingfield, and to them
were born eleven children, four now living: Sarah A., married; Willie
C., George W. and Mary E. Mrs. Obar died, and he was married the
second time, in Crawford County, Ark., to Miss Susan Robertson,
[p.1267] who was a native of Arkansas. Two children were the result of
this union: Nancy M. and Henrietta. Mr. Obar is a Republican in
politics, and is one of the substantial farmers and stock raisers of
the county. Although starting life with limited means he has been
successful, and is now in comfortable circumstances.
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Prof. M. C. O'Donohoe is one of the leading teachers in the county,
and has followed that vocation since his own education was finished.
He graduated with honors from a university in Ireland when but
nineteen years of age, and in 1867 immigrated to the United States. He
was born July 6, 1848, of Irish parents. His father, Thomas O'Donohoe,
was a farmer and stock raiser in Ireland, and there lived until his
death. After coming to America our subject taught a few months in
Newark, N. J., and then permanently located in Arkansas. He taught the
first free school of Fort Smith in 1869, and in 1871 came to Franklin
County, where he was the first teacher of the White Oak High-school,
and also of the Roseville Academy. September 9, 1875, he was united in
marriage to Miss Mattie V. Humphries, a highly accomplished and
educated lady, and a daughter of Hon. J. P. Humphries, of this county.
After his marriage Prof. O'Donohoe removed to Logan County, and taught
two years in the Roseville Academy, but since that time he has been
actively engaged in his chosen calling in Franklin County, where he
stands at the head of his profession. In connection with teaching Mr.
O'Donohoe is successfully engaged in farming. To himself and wife
three sturdy and intelligent sons have been born: Ernest, Thomas and
Robert. Mr. and Mrs. O'Donohoe are highly respected by the community.
The former belongs to the Catholic Church, and the latter is a
Methodist.
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Col. W. S. O'Kane, one of the leading citizens of Altus, Franklin Co.,
Ark., was born in White County, Ind., March 5, 1832, and is the son of
John and Martha (Ver Brike) O'Kane, natives of Virginia and Ohio,
respectively. The father was born in Rockingham County, and died in
Pike County, Mo., in 1883, at the age of seventy-nine years. The
mother is still living, is a resident of Pike County, Mo., and is
sixty-nine or seventy years of age. They were married in Ohio, moved
from there to Maysville, Ky., then to Indiana, then to Kentucky again,
then back to Marion County, Ind., and in 1858 he moved to Independence
County, Mo. After the war he moved to Pike County, Mo. He was a
Christian minister, and traveled a great deal for the church,
organizing as an evangelist, and as such was very successful. He was
one of the brightest lights of the church, and was frequently with
Alexander Campbell, etc. He was a highly educated gentleman, and was
thoroughly versed in theology. His father had charge of one of the
best schools of learning in Virginia. He at one time was a member of
the I. O. O. F., and during the Jackson campaign made stump speeches
for the General, being a thorough Democrat himself. The O'Kane family
descended from Irish ancestors, and the great-grandfather was an Irish
nobleman. Our subject's grandfather edited an Irish paper at Dublin,
and was obliged to leave Ireland on account of some disloyalty toward
the English. There is a county in Ireland named for this family. The
Ver Brike family were of Dutch descent, and were among the first
settlers of New Jersey. They afterward settled in Ohio, where the
Colonel's mother was born. She has also been a life-long member of the
Christian Church. There were born to their marriage nine children, six
now living: Lavinia, wife of M. W. Miller, principal of the Wesleyan
schools at St. Louis; Martha, wife of Mr. Philkner, of St. Louis;
Lelia, at home in Missouri; Hattie, at home; James, who is captain in
the United States Navy, where he has been for the past thirty years,
and W. S. The last named received a very liberal education in Kentucky
and Indiana, and remained at home until twenty-five years of age,
engaged in clerking. In 1857 he went to the "Golden State," where he
remained until 1859, prospecting and trading in stock, which he
continued until the breaking out of the war. He then organized a
company of infantry, and joined Oakland's regiment, Confederate
battalion. He was mustered out in Missouri, and was detached to serve
on Gen. Parson's staff, of Missouri. He went to Mississippi, and was
afterward on Gen. Shoup's staff, and then on Gen. Marmaduke's staff.
He remained in service until captured and sent to Johnson's Island,
where he remained a prisoner until a short time before the surrender.
He was in the following battles: Coal Camp, Elkhorn, Farmington, first
siege of Vicksburg, Prairie Grove, Helena, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Pine
Bluff, and others. He was taken prisoner early in the battle of
[p.1268] Fayetteville, and sent to Alton, where he remained confined
for three months, and was then sent to Vicksburg, where he was
exchanged. After the battle of Pine Bluff he was again taken prisoner
and sent to Johnson's Island. At Dead Wood he was slightly wounded by
a musket ball, and his horse was killed. After the war Col. O'Kane
located in St. Louis, and traveled for a boot and shoe house for two
years. Later he located at Roseville, Logan Co., Ark., where he
engaged in merchandising. In 1884 he came to Altus. On May 13, 1860,
he married Miss Ada Fittsworth, daughter of John Fittsworth, a native
of Kentucky, but an early settler of Arkansas. She was born in Logan
County, Ark., July 27, 1842, and by her marriage became the mother of
two children, Ollie and Walter S., Jr. Ollie is now attending school
at Lexington, Mo., and Walter is at home. Col. O'Kane is a stanch
Democrat in his political opinions, and he and wife are members of the
Presbyterian Church.
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Rev. John F. O'Neal, a minister and farmer, was born in Fairfield
District, S. C., August 29, 1846, and is a son of Chesley and Sarah
(Magraw) O'Neal, natives also of Fairfield District, S. C. Chesley
O'Neal was born in 1812. His father was a native of Ireland, who came
to America when young, and was a farmer all his life. The mother of
our subject was a daughter of Marshall Magraw, and after the death of
Mr. O'Neal, in 1852, she married Rev. A. S. Jackson, who located in
Hempstead County, Ark., in 1854, and in 1868 settled in Franklin
County on the farm where he now resides. He is a minister in the
Baptist Church. Chesley O'Neal was the father of four children, viz.:
John F., Henry; Mary, now the wife of Dr. Southard, and one deceased.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson five children have been born, of whom four are
living: Laura, wife of William Crossno; Evaline, who married C.
Chapman; Willie and Leander. John F. O'Neal grew to manhood in
Hempstead County, Ark., from which place he removed to Franklin County
in 1868. During the late war he served in Company C, Monroe's
regiment, Gen. Cabell's brigade, nine months. In 1871 he married Clara
Smith, of Franklin County, daughter of Col. Smith, one of the early
settlers of the State. Mr. and Mrs. O'Neal have eight children, viz.:
Lizzie, Lee, Ethel, Harmon, John (deceased), Leslie, Henry and Daisy.
Mr. O'Neal was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church in 1882,
having been licensed to preach in 1880, and he has been very
successful in his religious work. Mrs. O'Neal is an active worker in
the church, and of great assistance to her husband. Mr. O'Neal owns a
good farm, and has ninety-five acres under cultivation. He belongs to
the A. F. & A. M., and in polities his sympathies are with the
Democratic party.
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Andrew J. Parker, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Morgan County,
Tenn., about 1828, and is a son of Anson and Olivia (Hatfield) Parker,
natives of Alabama, who died when he was but a child. He accompanied a
half-brother to Arkansas when but ten years old, and was reared in
Carroll and Marion Counties. When twenty years old he was married, in
Crawford County, to Eliza Johnson, and then farmed in Crawford County
until the death of his wife, eight years later. His second marriage
occurred in Franklin County, Mrs. Keziah Shepherd, a widow, becoming
his wife. This lady died in August, 1866, and the present wife of Mr.
Parker, whom he married in this county, was Miss Hannah Johnson,
daughter of John Johnson, now deceased, but formerly of Kentucky,
where Mrs. Parker was born. By his first marriage Mr. Parker had four
children: Mary C., wife of James Rankins; William, John, Ollie, wife
of Irving Fugett. By his second marriage he had the following
children: Andrew, James, Frankie A., wife of Frank Vaught; and by his
third: Elizabeth, Samuel, Thomas, Pleasant, Delila, Mahala, Jane and
Elmira. In 1861 Mr. Parker bought his present home place, which was
somewhat improved. He now owns 200 acres of land in two tracts of 160
and forty acres each, and has about seventy acres of his land well
cleared and improved. During the latter part of the war Mr. Parker
served in the Union army, in the Second Arkansas Cavalry, under Col.
Phelps, and participated in a number of skirmishes. He was discharged
at Memphis, and immediately returned home and resumed his farm labors.
Although Mr. Phelps was left an orphan at a tender age, and inherited
no property, he has become one of the well-to-do and substantial
citizens of Morgan Township. Himself and wife belong to the Christian
Church, and he is a member of the Knights of the Horse.
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William J. Parks, a leading stock farmer of Franklin County, was born
in Greene County, Ala., December 3, 1829, and is a son of James R. and
Charity [p.1269] (Lewis) Parks, natives of South Carolina. James R.
Parks, who was born in 1789, was a wheel-wright by trade, and after
his marriage located in Georgia, whence after a few years he removed
to Alabama, where he was an extensive farmer and large slave-holder;
he was a stanch Democrat politically, a member of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, and died in Carroll Parish, La., in 1843, where
he had located some years before. Mrs. Charity Parks was born in
Chester District, S. C., in 1790, and was the mother of five children,
three of whom now live, viz.: Elizabeth S. Edwards, a widow; William
P. and Wyman A. Those deceased are Susan and Robert. After the death
of her husband Mrs. Parks went to Louisiana, and in 1860 went to
Little River County, Ark., where she died the same year, deeply
mourned by those who knew her but to love her. In 1849 William J.
Parks married Miss D. Amanda House, who was born in Alabama January 9,
1830, and is a daughter of Rev. W. J. House, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, who was a prominent preacher, farmer and
stock raiser, and represented the county in the Legislature several
terms. Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Parks, of whom
eight are now living, viz.: Mary E., James D., attorney of Charleston:
Susannah, Louisa, widow of F. M. Carden; Henry W., Melissa, A. Olivia
and Anna. The mother died in October, 1884. In 1860 William P. Parks
and family located on the farm where he has since lived, with the
exception of two years spent in the war. In 1862 he organized a
company of men for the Confederate army, and served under Gen. Fagan,
but ill health compelled him to abandon service, and he returned to
his home; he subsequently recruited and served until the close of the
war, surrendering in Texas. In the spring of 1866 he returned to his
home in Franklin County, where he owns 325 acres, and cultivates 100
acres. He is an enterprising and industrious man, and takes an active
interest in all political and educational matters. He served as
justice of the peace several terms. In politics he is a Democrat, and
in religion he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He also
belongs to the Du Val Chapter of the A. F. & A. M., at Charleston.
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John C. Patrick was born in Floyd County, Ky., April 13, 1838, and is
a son of Jerrie and Sarah (Saliers) Patrick, natives of Kentucky. In
1852 the family came to Arkansas, and located in Madison County, where
the father engaged in farming and the children were reared. During the
latter part of the war Mr. Patrick left home, and in the spring of
1863 he died in Fayetteville. The mother's death occurred in Kentucky
in 1850. John C. grew to manhood in Madison County, and in 1862
enlisted in Col. Brooks' regiment, from Franklin County. He was in the
battle of Helena, and served until nearly the close of the war. He
then returned to Franklin County, where, July 20, 1856, he had married
Sarah Arrington, a native of Washington County, Ark., and daughter of
Thelbert Arrington, of Illinois, now deceased. Soon after the war he
settled upon his present place, which was then uncultivated. He now
owns 240 acres, sixty of which he farms and has cleared. This tract is
improved, with good buildings and orchards, and Mr. Patrick also owns
another tract of 180 acres, 120 of which he cultivates. This consists
of Mulberry bottom land, and is located one and one-half miles from
the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick are the parents of seven
children: Elizabeth (wife of George W. Wells), John W. (married Martha
Woods, daughter of John Woods), Samuel A., James H., Mary L., Robert
L. and George W. Mr. Patrick is a Master Mason, and belongs to the I.
O. O. F. and K. of H.
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Judge Henry Payne, a prominent farmer of Prairie Township, Franklin
County, was born in Lawrence County, Ala., in October, 1835, and is a
son of Enoch and Sarah (England) Payne, natives of Virginia. The
father grew to manhood, received his education and engaged in farming
in his native State, from whence he went to Alabama, and located on a
farm; he married in 1828, and was the father of two children: Henry
and William, the latter new deceased. The father died during the
Rebellion, and his widow in 1850. Henry Payne spent his early life in
Alabama and Tennessee, receiving his education in the latter State. In
1862 he enlisted in the army, under Gen. Forrester; he was present at
the battle of the Wilderness, and was captured at the battle of
Spottsylvania, and taken to Delaware prison, where he was held for one
year, at the end of which time, the war being ended, he returned to
Alabama. In 1868 he married Virginia Thompson, a native of Alabama,
and a daughter of Eggleston Thompson. Mr. and Mrs. Payne have one
child, Viola, now the [p.1270] wife of T. A. Watson. Mr. Payne removed
to Arkansas in 1870, locating on the farm where he has since resided,
and which consists of 260 acres, with ninety acres under cultivation.
He was elected justice of the peace in 1874, which office he held
until 1880; he was elected county judge in 1884, and again in 1886,
and served his county with credit. He is an active Democratic
politician, and is interested in all educational and public
enterprises. The family are members of the Baptist Church.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
J. M. Pendergrass, a farmer and stock raiser, was born in Alabama,
October 15, 1842, and is the son of Jason and Susan (Carter)
Pendergrass, natives of Virginia. The father died in Alabama in 1842,
but the mother removed to Arkansas with her son J. M. in 1859, living
here until her death in 1863. Their son, J. M. Pendergrass, remained
on the farm and assisted his father with the duties of the same until
coming to Franklin County, when he settled near Ozark, and was married
to Miss A. J. Adams in 1866. She was a native of this county, born in
1850, and the daughter of Columbus and Mary Adams, pioneers of the
State, and much respected in the same. Mr. and Mrs. Pendergrass' union
was blessed by the birth of four children: Sula, born October 16,
1870; Susan M., born October 14, 1873; Willie, born January 18, 1876,
and Lola, born March 10, 1878. Mr. Pendergrass and his faithful
companion through life are both worthy members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and are well respected by all who know them. Mr.
Pendergrass is the owner of about 613 acres of land, 270 of which are
rich bottom land.
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John M. Peters was born in Newton County, Ga., January 17, 1823, and
is a son of Jesse and Rebecca (Burnd) Peters, natives of Georgia, and
of English and German descent, respectively. The father was a soldier
in the War of 1812, and in one of the Indian wars. He lived in Georgia
until his death. John M. lived with his father until December 23,
1847, when he married Martha E. Tinney, also a native of Georgia. He
then farmed until 1864, when he enlisted in the Fourth Georgia
Reserve, serving on detached duty until April, 1865, when he was
discharged. He then continued to farm for three years, but in 1869
immigrated to Arkansas and located in Franklin County. Here he
homesteaded 160 acres of land in 1869, which he has since improved. He
owns 240 acres, ninety of which he has under cultivation, and lives in
a comfortable house. In 1852 Mr. Peters joined the Primitive Baptist
Church, in which he is now a deacon. His wife belongs to the same
church. To them four children have been born: William J., married;
Ellen D., wife of Dr. Johnston; Susanna E., wife of A. Bowles, and
Henry M.
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Hon. John M. Pettigrew, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of
Franklin County, was born in Hempstead County, Ark., December 15,
1827, and is a son of George A. and Sarah (Matthews) Pettigrew. The
father was born in Georgia in 1789, and was the son of George
Pettigrew, who was a native of Charleston, N. C., and was descended
from the Huguenots of France who came to the colonies. George
Pettigrew held a commission in the Revolutionary War under Gen.
Marion. From North Carolina he moved to Georgia, and from there to
Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., where he was engaged in farming until his
death. He had a family of six children, of whom George A. was eighteen
years of age when his parents located in Missouri. In 1817 he settled
on a farm in Hempstead County, Ark., from which place, in 1832, he
went to Washington County and purchased a farm near Cane Hill. He
served one term as a representative in the Legislature in 1840, and
was an active church worker; his death occurred in 1852. Mrs. Sarah
Pettigrew was born in Madison County, Mo., in 1794, and was a daughter
of one of the pioneer settlers of that county; she was the mother of
six children: Elizabeth (deceased), Zebulan, George H. (deceased),
John M., James R. (deceased) and Hugh L. The mother died in 1880. John
M. Pettigrew received his education at the Arkansas College at
Fayetteville, where he graduated July 4, 1854, having been professor
of mathematics in the above college in 1851-52-53. He taught school in
Washington County from 1854 to 1856, when he was engaged to fill a
position as teacher in Franklin County, where he taught continuously
until 1861. At the outbreak of the late war he enlisted in the
Confederate army, and was, actively engaged in service until 1865,
when he surrendered at Marshall, Tex. He then returned to his home and
resumed teaching. In 1870 he was elected representative to the State
Legislature, and the following year was appointed county surveyor; in
1884 he was elected to the State Senate for one term. In 1854 Mr.
Pettigrew married Helen Aldridge, who [p.1271] was born near
Tuscumbia, Ala., in 1833, and who died October 4, 1881, leaving two
children: Thomas A. and Lenora (wife of A. C. Bessy). Mr. Pettigrew
subsequently married Mrs. Kate S. Burt, nee Spencer, by whom he had
four children, viz.: John B., Robert G., George and Nannie B.
(deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew are members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, and he is also a member of the A. F. & A. M. and
R. A. M. of Charleston. Mr. Pettigrew is one of the live and
enterprising men of the county, and 200 acres of his fine farm are
under cultivation, well improved and well stocked. He has probably
done more surveying than any other man in the county.
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Lewis B. Phillips. Prominent among the leading men of Hogan Township,
and among those deserving special recognition for their long residence
in the county, stands the name of Lewis B. Phillips, who was born in
Georgia, in either Henry or Carroll County, January 15, 1823, and is
the son of William and Mary (Spinks) Phillips, natives of North
Carolina and Georgia, respectively. William Phillips came to Arkansas
when Lewis Phillips was a young man, and nothing further was ever
heard of him. He was a farmer by occupation. The mother made her home
with her children, and died in 1880 at the age of eighty-seven years.
She was a member of the Protestant Methodist Church. The Phillips
family came from Georgia to Alabama, and remained there for several
years. When the father came to Arkansas the family remained in
Alabama. Lewis B. Phillips was the fifth of ten children. He received
his education in Alabama, and during the Florida War, in 1836, he
belonged to Capt. J. M. Carter's company, Second Alabama Mounted
Volunteers, and served six months. In 1856 he left Alabama, and came
to Franklin County, Ark., where he has since resided, and where he has
followed agricultural pursuits. He was in the Confederate service a
short time, when he was taken prisoner, and retained at Leavenworth,
Kas., and Camp Douglas, Chicago, in all about one year. February 18,
1844, he married Miss Nancy McDuffe, a daughter of Angus McDuffee, who
was born in North Carolina, and who immigrated to Tennessee, and from
there to Alabama. She was born in Roane County, Tenn., December, 26,
1825, and eight children were the result of her union, five now
living: Mary, widow of William Patton; William C.; Caldonia, wife of
Rev. C. S. Jones; Martha J., wife of T. J. Brown; Virginia, wife of O.
B. Donaldson. Those deceased were named John, Sarah Ann and Nancy P.
Mr. Phillips is a Republican in politics, was for several years
justice of peace, and one term postmaster at Altus. He was engaged in
mercantile pursuits for two years at Altus. He and wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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David B. Pile was born in Adams County, Ill., in February, 1833. His
parents were Johnson and Delila (Jones) Pile. His great-grandfather,
Conrad Pile, came to America from Germany prior to the Revolutionary
War, in which he took an active part, and at its close married and
located in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. He assisted in
building a turnpike road, and had charge of the toll-gate. He lived to
be one hundred years old, and reared a large family. Jacob Pile,
grandfather of our subject, and the eldest son of Conrad Pile, was the
hunter of the family, and killed most of the meat used by the family
and slaves in the winter. He married and located on White River,
Indiana, where he reared his family, and thence, in 1830, moved to
Adams County, Ill., and located on a farm. He died in 1862 at the age
of sixty-five years. Johnson Pile was born in Tennessee, but was
reared and grew to manhood in Indiana, where he received his
education. He settled on a farm in Adams County, Ill., in 1826, and in
1849 went to Texas; thence, in 1865, to Franklin County, Ark., where
he bought a large farm and remained until his death, in 1882, at the
age of seventy years. He was an active and consistent member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mrs. Delila Pile, who was a native
of Christian County, Ky., died in 1840, the mother of seven children,
of whom six are now living. In 1842 Johnson Pile married Nisbia Brown,
a native of Kentucky, by whom he had seven children, four now living.
His wife died in 1870. David B. Pile was reared in Adams County, Ill.,
and received his education in the common schools. He was a farmer by
occupation, and in 1854 married Margaret Pevehouse, a native of Adams
County, and a daughter of Joseph Pevehouse. Seven children were born
to Mr. and Mrs. Pile, viz.: Oliver, Mary (now the wife of H. R.
Stroud), Sarah and Carrie (twins, the former now Mrs. M. Abernathy),
Walter, Lulu and Webster (triplets, the latter deceased). In 1857 Mr.
Pile went to Texas and located on a farm in Hunt County, and in 1863
he enlisted in Capt. [p.1272] Rutherford's company, serving as body
guard for Gen. McCullough, and was discharged the same year for
disability. He subsequently engaged in coopering one year, and in 1866
settled on a farm in Franklin County, Ark., removing to his present
farm in 1881. His farm consists of 210 acres, and he has 100 acres
under cultivation. M. Pile is a member of the I. O. O. F., and with
his wife belongs to the Church of God.
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William R. Powell, a farmer and stock raiser of Prairie Township, was
born in Grainger County, Tenn., March 4, 1843, and is a son of George
and Jane (Haynes) Powell. Joseph Powell, the head of this branch of
the Powell family, settled in Claiborne County in an early day in the
history of Tennessee, and reared a large family, among whom was
Jonathan Powell, the grandfather of the present subject. George Powell
was born in 1818, and grew to manhood in his native county, receiving
a good education, and taught school, and lived until 1855. Mrs. Jane
Powell was a native of Tennessee, and was the daughter of William
Haynes, who was a prominent, enterprising immigrant from North
Carolina. To Mr. and Mrs. George Powell were born the following
children: William R., Sarah A. (wife of G. W. Hill), Mary and Lucinda,
the latter two living with our subject. William R. Powell was reared
and received a common-school education in his early home, and chose
farming as an occupation. In 1878 he married Sarah C. Hill, daughter
of John Hill, a prominent farmer of Tennessee. To this union were born
three children, viz.: Ollie, Mary V. and Myrtle. Mr. and Mrs. Powell
removed to the State of Arkansas in the year 1883, and the following
year settled on their present farm of 240 acres, which is devoted to
stock and grain raising. They take an active part in the Baptist
Church and Sunday-school. In 1862 Mr. Powell enlisted in the First
Tennessee Cavalry, Confederate army, and served until the surrender,
participating in some prominent battles, among others the battles of
Murfreesboro and Winchester.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
James F. Quaile, retired merchant, and president of the Arkansas
Valley Bank, was born in France October 28, 1818, and is a son of
George and Catherine (Quaile) Quaile, also natives of France, where
the mother died. The father immigrated to the United States about
1824, and until his death lived in Louisville, Ky. James F. was reared
in that city, and in 1833 accompanied Justin Beneaux to Crawford
County, Ark., where he clerked for Mr. Beneaux six years. Returning to
Louisville in 1839, he remained there two years, but in 1841 returned
to Arkansas, and established a grocery business at Ozark when there
were but two or three business houses in the place. After dealing in
groceries two years he added merchandise to his stock, and for over
twenty years enjoyed a large business, handling a great portion of the
cotton trade of Franklin County. During the war his store was burned,
but in 1865 he rebuilt the same, and continued in business thereafter
until 1881, when he retired from commercial life. Upon the
organization of the Arkansas Valley Bank in July, 1887, he became a
stockholder, and was elected president of that organization. Mr.
Quaile is one of the prominent business men of Ozark, and has been of
great assistance in the up-building of Franklin County and the city of
Ozark. October 22, 1845, he married Miss Frank A. Quesenberry, a
native of Tennessee, but reared in this county, and a daughter of
William M. Quesenberry. Mr. Quesenberry was formerly from North
Carolina, and from there went to Tennessee, after which he came to
Arkansas in an early day, and was one of the prominent farmers of
Franklin County. Mr. and Mrs. Quaile have reared a family of eight
children, viz.: Elizabeth, wife of Hon. James H. Berry [see sketch];
Regina, widow of Dr. Blackburn; George Ann, wife of Henry C. Carter,
of Ozark; William, married, and residing at Roseville; John W.,
single; James M., married, and living at Coal Hill, Ark.; Susan W.,
deceased, formerly the wife of C. S. McKinney, and Ada, wife of Dr.
Bourland, of Van Buren. Mr. and Mrs. Quaile are active members of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. Quaile is an elder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Albert Quesenbury, a prominent and successful merchant of Mulberry,
Ark., is a native of Arkansas, born in 1848, and is a son of Richard
and Eliza J. (Maxey) Quesenbury. His father is a native of Franklin
County, Tenn. His mother is a native of Kentucky, and of Scotch-Irish
descent. The father is one of the pioneers of Franklin County, Ark.,
and is an honored and much respected citizen of the same. He is still
living, and a resident of the county. He was reared on a farm, and
followed agricultural pursuits all his life. His son, Albert
Quesenbury, grew to manhood on his father's farm, and followed the
[p.1273] occupation of farming until twenty-two years of age, when he
went to work as a salesman in Ozark, Ark., for Quaile & Moore,
merchants, remaining with them three years, then went in business for
himself; remained two years in Ozark merchandising, then moved to
Pleasant Hill, Ark., and remained there two years; moved to Mulberry,
Ark., in 1876, and has remained there ever since engaged in
merchandising. Mr. Quesenbury was married in 1872 to Miss C. J.
Alston, of Ozark, Ark., and married again in 1880 to Miss Sallie
Beneux, of Mulberry, Ark. He is father of four children, two by his
first wife, Sadie and Reynolds, and two by his second wife, Bonnie
Dean and Paul Beneux. Mr. Quesenbury is a partner in the large drug
house of Quesenbury & Counts, of Mulberry, Ark. He owns a good bottom
farm near Mulberry. He is a wideawake, thorough-going business man. He
is a Democrat in polities, and a good citizen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Samuel Randolph, merchant and proprietor of the hotel at Watalula
Springs, is one of the substantial men of the township, and is a
native of Wayne County, Ohio. His father, Samuel Randolph, was born in
Pennsylvania, but reared in Virginia, whither his parents moved when
he was a child. He was there wedded to Margeret Lowe, and subsequently
moved to Ohio, where they both lived until their respective deaths.
Our subject passed his early life upon a farm in his native county,
and after becoming grown learned the miller's trade. He then
immigrated to Illinois, and there worked at his trade in various
places until 1870, when he immigrated to Monroe County, Ark. After
being engaged in the lumber business there for twelve years he came to
Franklin County in 1881, of which he has since been a resident. He is
one of the active and enterprising men of the county, and is always
interested and ready to lend a helping hand to all projects of a
laudable character for the growth and development of the county. Soon
after coming here he purchased his present property, and engaged in
the mercantile business. He has a good line of merchandise, and enjoys
a well-established trade. Mr. Randolph also successfully runs a good
hotel here, which is conveniently located across the street from the
Watalula Springs, of whose medicinal and curative properties many
speak highly. In 1887 Mr. Randolph was made postmaster, and he is now
discharging the duties of that position. April 10, 1887, he became the
husband of Ruth B. Gregg, a native of Illinois, and daughter of Nelson
Selby, now deceased. Mrs. Randolph received her education in Illinois,
and is an estimable lady.
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Capt. Andrew J. Ransom was born in Marshall County, Ala., August 6,
1835. His father, George Ransom, was born in Chester District, S. C.,
where he married Margeret Robins, also a native of South Carolina. In
an early day the family removed to Tennessee, and several years later
went to Marshall County, Ala., when the Indians still inhabited that
country. In 1842 Mr. Ransom moved to Arkansas, and after spending
eighteen months in Helena moved to Franklin County in 1844. Here he
entered land, which he afterward bought and cultivated, and became the
owner of several other farms also. He enlisted in the Mexican War, but
was discharged owing to the quota being filled. He served in the
Confederate army one year, and died in Franklin County August 22,
1882. Mrs. Ransom survived him until July, 1888. Of their family of
seven daughters and one son all save two sisters reside in Franklin
County. One sister lives in Sebastian County and one in Texas. Andrew
J. Ransom accompanied his parents to Arkansas when seven years old. He
lived with his father upon the farm until of age, and located upon his
present farm in 1858. He has cleared and made valuable improvements
upon the place since then, and now owns 220 acres, about 125 being
cleared and cultivated. He has a new residence, good out-buildings and
fine apple and peach orchards. In 1861 he enlisted in the State
service, and participated in the battle at Oak Hill. After his
regiment was disbanded he joined the regular Confederate army and
served until taken prisoner in May, 1863, after which time he was held
a prisoner until the close of the war. He entered service as first
lieutenant, but was afterward made captain, and served as such until
captured. He was in the fights at Farmington, Iuka, two days' fight at
Corinth, and at Fort Gibson was wounded in the hand. He returned home
in August, 1865, and July 10, 1866, married Margeret Tweedy, who was
born at Jacksonport, Ark., and is a daughter of Robert Tweedy, now
deceased, but formerly of Illinois. Mr. Ransom has a family of nine
children: J. R., William E., Laura E., Ella G., Eula F., George R.,
Jack P., Maggie L., Albert L.; and one son, Thomas, died in 1882, aged
eight. Mr. Ransom is a [p.1274] member of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and his eldest daughter belongs to the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
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T. B. Remy, farmer and stock raiser, is one of the prominent residents
of Maxey Township, where he has 160 acres of land, with about eighty
acres under cultivation. He was born in Washington County, Ark., and
came with his parents to this county when about six years of age. They
remained in this county until 1884, and here the father died. The
parents were both natives of Kentucky, and in their family were ten
children, seven now living. The mother is still living, and is a
resident of California. Their son, T. B. Remy, is the third child in
order of birth, and like his father is a tiller of the soil. About the
time he was ready for school his father was crippled, and he was
obliged to assist in making a living, consequently his educational
advantages were limited. He was married in Franklin County, in 1869,
to Miss Betsey A. Wagner, daughter of Mark H. and Mary A. Wagner, and
a native of Crawford County, Tenn., born in 1843. This union resulted
in the birth of four children: Jesse, Cyrus, Thomas and Richard. Mr.
Remy commenced life a poor man, but by industry, and with the
assistance of his admirable wife, has overcome all difficulties, and
is now one of the prosperous farmers of the county. He is a Democrat
in his political opinions, and an excellent citizen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Suddith D. Remy, another prominent farmer and stock raiser of the
county, and now a resident of Section 23, Maxey Township, where he has
ninety acres of well-improved land, is a native of Washington County,
Ark., born June 27, 1847, and is a son of W. J. and Elizabeth (Turner)
Remy. He came with his parents to Franklin County, Ark., when four
years of age, and settled where he has since resided. He was married
in Crawford County, Ark., in 1870, to Miss Sophronia Heard, daughter
of James and Martha Heard, and a native of Crawford County, Ark., born
in 1850. Five children were the fruits of this union: Mary, Earle,
Dick, Emma and Grover. Mr. Remy is a self-made man, as he started with
very little, if any, money after the late war, but now has a good
home, and is in comfortable circumstances. Mr. Remy is a stirring,
wide-awake farmer, and is well respected by all who know him. He is a
Democrat in his political views, and he and Mrs. Remy are members of
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which his eldest daughter,
Mary, is also a member.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Capt. William D. Rodman, a leading merchant of Franklin County, Ark.,
was born in Chester District, S. C., September 29, 1841, and is a son
of John and Sarah (Kell) Rodman, both of whom were born in the
"Palmetto State." The father died in his native district in 1841 at
the age of fifty years, having been a farmer and merchant throughout
life, and a Democrat in politics. His wife's death occurred in 1881,
at the age of eighty years, in Marshall County, Miss., whither she had
moved in 1849. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and became
the mother of four sons, William B. being the youngest of the family
and the only one now living. Thomas died in 1867, when about thirty-
eight years of age; Alexander died at the age of thirty-four years
while serving in the Confederate army, being counted among the missing
at the battle of Chickamauga, and John died in 1856. William D.
received a liberal education at the Erskine Presbyterian College,
South Carolina, and in 1861 left his school days behind him to engage
in the war which was then pending. He enlisted in Company A, of the
First Mississippi Infantry, but surrendered at Fort Donelson in
February, 1861, and was taken to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, where he
was kept eight months and then exchanged. He was again captured at
Port Hudson, and after his release rejoined his command at Jackson,
Miss. He was never wounded, but made many narrow escapes. At the close
of the war he surrendered as captain of Company C, Twenty-second
Mississippi. Subsequently he located at Memphis, Tenn., where he was
salesman in a wholesale grocery house for three years, then went to
Collierville, Tenn., and engaged in general merchandising, having
formed a partnership with Eugene Brooks for three years. At the end of
that time he engaged in the drug business with J. A. Matthews,
continuing one year, then began farming in Marshall County, Miss. In
1886 he came to Altus, where he has since been successfully engaged in
the general merchandise business. While residing in Marshall County he
held the office of justice of the peace, and in 1882 was elected to
represent the county in the State Legislature, serving two years. Mr.
Rodman has been highly successful in his business enterprises, and all
his property has been acquired through self-exertion and good
management. October 5, 1871, he was [p.1275] married to Miss Nannie
Compton, a daughter of Perry Compton, of Marshall County, Miss. They
have three living children: Emmet L., Evan S. and Bertha. Those
deceased are Willie, Dovie and Ewell. Mr. Rodman and wife are members
of the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, respectively, and he is a
Mason and a Democrat.
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Nathaniel J. Rice, farmer and stock raiser, of Franklin County, was
born in Wood County, W. Va., January 2, 1834, and is a son of
Nathaniel and Mary (McPherson) Rice, the former a native of Virginia,
his father being Bailey Rice. The father of Bailey Rice served under
Gen. Washington in Gen. Braddock's army, and lost his life in
Braddock's defeat. After the War of Independence Bailey Rice married
Elizabeth Morehead, and before the War of 1812 moved to Wood County,
W. Va., where he lived to be nearly one hundred years of age.
Nathaniel Rice, father of our subject, took part in the War of 1812,
and assisted in the building of Fort Meigs, Ohio, under Gen. Harrison.
He was in the battle of the Thames, and at the close of the war
returned to his home in Virginia, where he remained until his death,
in 1850. Nathaniel J. Rice received his education in his native
county. August 25, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, Sixth West Virginia
Infantry, and during his three years of service for his country was
promoted several times. He participated in the battles of Bulltown and
New Creek, but was on detached duty most of the time. When his term of
enlistment expired he was in poor health, and returned to his home,
where he resumed farming. In 1867 he went to Carthage, Mo., and in
1872 located in Franklin County, Ark., on the farm where he now
resides. In 1855 he married Jane Atkinson, a native of Monroe County,
Ohio, and a daughter of Mitchell Atkinson. Mrs. Rice died October 9,
1858, the mother of two children: Mary J., wife of B. F. Hughes, of
Sebastian County, and Margaret, deceased. Mr. Rice subsequently
married Elizabeth Smith, of Wood County, Va., and the two children
born to this union are both deceased. He is a member of Green Post No.
21, G. A. R., of which he is adjutant, and of which he served two
terms as commander. Politically he is a Republican.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
William H. Russell, one of the leading citizens of White Oak Township,
Franklin Co., Ark., was born in McNairy County, Tenn., October 22,
1830, and is a son of George and Annie (Hamm) Russell, both natives of
Tennessee, the former born in Dickson County February 7, 1807, and
died in Franklin County, Ark., August 1, 1860. The mother's birth
occurred March 12, 1812, and her death, in Franklin County, April 2,
1861. They were married in Perry County, Tenn., in 1827, and three
years later immigrated westward to look them up a home. They came in
ox wagons, and settled in Franklin County, Ark., and in 1832 erected
the first house in the now thriving town of Mulberry. Here they
resided until their respective deaths. The father was a son of Lewis
and grandson of George Russell, who was of English birth, and was
killed in Kentucky by the Indians, while on an exploring expedition
with Daniel Boone. Nearly all the male members of the Russell family
have been farmers, and became quite wealthy in pursuing that
avocation. Lewis Russell was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was at
the battle of Horse Shoe Bend. To George and Annie Russell were born
six children: William H. was the second born, and is the only one now
living; his brother, James M., was a Confederate soldier, and died in
Mississippi, while the battle of Corinth was being fought; John died
in 1854, at the age of twenty-eight years; Mary J. was the wife of J.
R. McElroy, and died in 1875. The rest of the children died in
infancy. At the age of twenty-four years William H. Russell began
merchandising at Huntsville, Madison Co., Ark., but at the end of a
few years returned home, and assisted his father until the latter's
death. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company B, Col. Gordon's
regiment, Confederate service, and was in active service until the
close of the war. He then returned to the peaceful pursuit of farming.
November 11, 1859, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
McElroy, who was born in Stewart County, Tenn., November 29, 1842, a
daughter of Robert McElroy; she died February 17, 1880, having become
the mother of six children: Mary V., wife of J. A. McLane; Maggie,
wife of Jesse H. Hobbs; Willie Bell, Fannie, Ida and Dora. Mr. Russell
is a Democrat in his political views, and has held the office of
justice of the peace for many years. His wife was a member of the
Methodist Church.
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