Dr. John Robert Gant

(Physicians and Medicine in Crawford and Sebastian Counties, Ark. 1817-1976 by Amelia Martin)
James Robert Gant, born ca 1867, was a graduate of the St. Louis Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri, 1891, and registered his diploma in Sebastian County, Arkansas October 23, 1891. He was a member of the Seastian County Medical Society, which he served as president in 1903; and a medical examiner for A.O.U W., W. of W. and Metropolitan Life Insurance Companies. Dr. Gannt was first listed in the Fort Smith City Directory as a physician 1881 and the last listing for him in the Fort Smith Telephone Directory was in 1920.

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The listings in the Fort Smith directories mentioned above are these: 1907 - 1907 FS city directory Gant, James R. phys 700 1/2 Garrison Av, r 618 N 13th and in 1911 Gant, J. R. phys 217-218 Illinois bldg., r 618 N 13th.

Dr. James Robert Gant was born Dec 10, 1866 according to the Directory of Deceased American Physicians 1804-1929. His parents were Alfred and Martha Milligan Gant. Alfred was born 1820 in Kentucky and Martha was born July 2, 1826 in Randolph County, Illinois. Alfred and Martha married March 19, 1846 in Randolph County, Illinois.

On the 1870 Randolph, Illinois census Alfred is age 50, born 1820 in Kentucky and a farmer. Martha is age 45 and they have 8 children. They had a total of 12 children. Alfred was born July 14, 1928 in Boone County, Kentucky from his cemetery listing. On the 1880 census of Randolph, Illinois they have 2 daughters and 2 sons, 1 being James, still at home. Alfred Gant died March 21, 1882 in Illinois. He is buried in New Palesting Church Cemetery in Randolph Illinois. Martha died May 29, 1893 here and is also buried in the New Palestine Chuch Cemetery. On Alfred's Find a Grave listing he has an extensive biography on his family.

Directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929 lising says he was licensed in Ft. Smith, AR, Feb 9, 1920. Had been licenses AR, 1903, His Medical School was Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis: St. Louis Med. Coll., 1891, (G)EducationNational Normal Univ., Lebanon, OH, 1887

Dr. James Robert Gant was born Dec 10, 1866 in Randolph Illinois to the above mentioned parents. He is in Fort Smith, Sebastian County sometime in the early 1900s, a practising physician. On the 1910 census James Robert is still single and is a lodger with the Evans family on North 13th Street, Fort Smith.

September 1, 1917 at age 50 Dr Gant was married to Isabella Mayne Bailey Black, the daughter of Dr. William Worth and Lillie Bailey. Isabella married her first husband James E Black in New York and he died in 1916 in California and was buried in Fort Smith in Forest Park Cemetery. James Black and Isabella had one son, William, whom she was living with in California when shed died September 2, 1944. She and Dr. Gant apparently had no children.

Dr. Gant died Nov 12, 1921 in Fort Smith, Arkansas and was buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas. His cause of death was described as "a long illness". He left a will and there was no mention of children.