Left: Dr. William Thomas Swindle; Right: Dr. Swindle's wife, Vandora Hatley Swindle
RANDOLPH COUNTY'S
FAMILY ALBUM
Welcome to Randolph County's family album. The pictures and stories below are a contribution of families and descendants of Randolph Countians. If you'd like to make a contribution to this page, just email Bridgette and she'll give you tips and instructions.
Return to Randolph County Welcome Page
The Dr. William Thomas Swindle family
Dr. William Thomas Swindle came to the Randolph County area to practice Medicine and to raise his family . He settled in the Maynard area and was a fellow practitioner with Dr. J.W. Brown, Dr. C.E. Stuttle, Dr. H.L. Throgmorton, Dr. H.L. Richardson and other fine well know men in the County. Dr. Swindle was born and raised in Benton County, TN in 1854 and was living there when he decided to get a Medical Degree. He was married there to Vandora Hatley, also born in Benton County. They had one child when they came to Arkansas. The Swindle family was blessed with 8 living children,Larken Leonard (died at age 30.) Arcus, Horace, Belle, Nancy, Dovie, Thurman and Tula. All of these children married and lived and raised their family in the Randolph County area except Thurman and Belle. There are many grandchildren and great grandchildren from this family, of which I am one. Nancy Elizabeth married Martin Odom and my Father, Buford, was their second child. Dr. Swindle, his Father, William Anderson Swindle, and his wife, Vandora (Dora), are all buried in Siloam cemetery, near Maynard. W. Anderson Swindle was also born in Benton County, TN. but his parents, Thomas and Miriam Swindle, were born in North Carolina, as were many of our ancestors. They were all members of the Methodist Church. Dr. Swindle was a great country Doctor. He spent 58 years of his life ministering to the sick around Randolph County, AR. and Ripley County, MO. He delivered a large majority of babies born in the area of the time. He, in his younger days, traveled to a sick person, either by walking or by horseback, Medical Bag tied to the saddle. In his later days, he traveled in a buggy to treat the sick. He was always ready to go. He and his son Horace, owned and operated a Pharmacy in Maynard, when Maynard was a very lively Town. There are many descendants of this family, still living in Randolph County and Greene County today. Most everyone here by the name of Swindle is related to Dr. W.T. A book, 'The Swinherders', about this family has been written by Jena F. Hopwood, a granddaughter, @1987, and copies are still available today. Submitted by Dr. Cloyce E. Odom
Left: Dr. William Thomas Swindle; Right: Dr. Swindle's wife,
Vandora Hatley Swindle
Dr. Swindle's children, L to R: ARCUS - HORACE - BELLE - NANCY -
DOVIE - THURMAN - TULA
Younger days of Dr. W.T. and Dora.
Dr. W.T. is in buggy ready to make a house call to a sick person.
This is his transportation. No ambulances, no Mercedes, or even
Fords for the doctor. Automobiles would not get to houses back
then because of roads. This is the house they lived in. Daughter
Tula is standing on porch. Both Dr WT and Dora died in 1924, he
in April, she in December. Both are buried in Siloam Cemetery.
The Swindle family pictures were contributed by Dr. Cloyce E. Odom.
The James Perry Kincade family
James P. Kincade is the son of James and Elizabeth Church Kincade
of Lewis Co, TN. He was born about 1828 in TN. He married
Susannah Runnion on 8 Jun 1850 in Lewis County, and in the early
1850's they left Lewis Co, TN to Arkansas. Along with James
Perry, pioneered his brothers, Samuel B. and Rufus, James' wife,
Susannah with at least one child. James Perry was listed in the
1854 Randolph County Tax List, Roanoke Township, no taxes
assessed for that year. In the 1861 Randolph County Tax List,
Roanoke Township, he was reported with 120 acres, valued at $360,
and four cattle valued at $36. Susannah paid the taxes the
following year and, although there is no death record of James,
she married James W. Collier on 27 Nov 1862 in Randolph County.
There are no tombstones for James and Susannah, but the Sutton
church minutes state that she died 2 Apr 1883. They are probably
both buried in the Sutton Cemetery. Submitted by Bridgette Jansen Cohen
James and Susannah's Children
Above Left: John R. A. Kincade, b. 4 Jan 1859 in Arkansas. Above
Right: George Henry Kin(g)cade, b. abt 1853 in Tennessee.
Mary "Ellen" Lucinda Kincade, born 1849 TN, and husband
William David Million. Pictures submitted by Bridgette Jansen Cohen
Odom's Grocery
Pictured are Buford Odom with his cigar
looking at the camera and his wife, Bernice (Davis) Odom, with a
dry goods salesman. Customers and loafers around and farmers in
for a bologna sandwich for lunch, made at the meat counter in the
right rear. Cheese, bologna or meat loaf sandwich on white bread
for $.10 and a coke for a nickel . Buford Odom owned and operated
the largest (at one time) grocery store in REYNO in the 1940's.
It was so BIG that on a Summer Saturday, all the Farmers in the
country came to town to visit and buy groceries, and mingle in
the crowded store while visiting with neighbors. It was so SMALL,
that it would fit in the back corner of today's large Super
Market. At that time, few people had automobiles, so they were
limited to the local Town area. They would walk to town or come
in a wagon. Those who walked were later delivered home in the
grocery store delivery truck. They had a list of the groceries
they needed and would give the list to a clerk who would fill the
list and box it up ready for delivery. NO Supermarket yet.
Farmers needed to be given credit to carry them through the
Summer months until the crops were harvested. In the Spring, they
would borrow money to plant their crops, usually from the Gin
Company or the Bank or from a friend who had money. In any event,
they bought groceries on credit through the Summer. In the Fall
when the crops were gathered, they would pay all debts and set
certain food item aside for the Winter months. (A lot of debts
were never paid.) Some of the items they would set away, would be
100# bag of Beans; a stand or two of Lard (10 gallons); 100 # bag
of potatoes; 50# bag of Onions, assuming they did not raise their
own. Flour came packed at that time in 25# and 50 # bags. The
bags could be used as pillow cases, or other uses around the
house, such as dresses or curtains, as they were mostly flower
prints. Many families would pack away, 6 to 10 big bags for the
Winter. They had Biscuits and Gravy every morning for breakfast,
and baked a lot of Pies and Cakes and home made Bread. Many of
the Farmers made their own Home Brew and would buy cans of Malt
at the store. Canned vegetables were beginning to be used a lot
during these years. People raised smaller vegetables gardens now
and canned less than their parents, so grocery stores grew and
grew. In the 1950's, after the war period, people began to buy
automobiles and travel to Corning and Pocahontas and buy their
groceries there and pay cash for them. No more need for a credit
grocer, so the small town grocery stores began to dry up and go
out of business. At this stage of time, the towns themselves were
drying up. No grocery stores, no stores at all, but a bedroom
community.
Picture and article contributed by Dr. Cloyce E. Odom
Buford and Bernice (Davis) Odom
The Joseph Hardin Davis Family
Joseph's son, Jesse Ransom Davis (1846-1926)
This Davis family was in Randolph County when Arkansas became a
state and Randolph County became a County. The first reference I
can find was in 1820, when Eliphas Davis came here and started
his third family, having lost two other families in other areas.
He beget JOSEPH HARDIN DAVIS in 1822. Joseph Hardin Davis most
probably got his middle name from the Hardin family of his
Mother, Susanna Hardin, of the Hardin family of Col. Joseph
Hardin. He left a farm where his son Jesse lived all of his life
and died and was buried there. His children were Thomas Monroe
Davis, Jacob Franklin Davis and Jesse Ransom Davis (pictured).
Jesse R. Davis had always resided in Randolph County, AR where he
received his early schooling. At the age of 17, he began for
himself, and by good management and industry became the owner of
360 acres of as good a land as there was in Randolph County. He
was noted for his liberality, and owing to his many admirable
traits won the respect and esteem of all. On October 12, 1871, he
married Miss Francis Stump, daughter of George Stump. She was
born in Hardin County, KY on Sept. 25, 1850 and died in Randolph
County, AR August 28, 1872. Jesse then married Melissa (Thomas)
Rider on March 12, 1874. She was born March 31, 1851 in Hardin
County, KY and had the following children: Rufus Arthur
"Rufe" Davis, Vernie Davis, Jacob T. Davis, Harry
Davis, Laura M. Davis, May Davis, Jesse Grover Davis (family
resides in Yuma, AZ), and Mary E. who was born Feb. 6, 1875 and
died March 19, 1880. The1910 Directory of Randolph County listed
him owning 1400 acres, married to Dora McClure and had 6
children. He was age 63 at this time. At his death he owned 1400
acres. There was a Davis School and there still is, a Cemetery,
named after him. They are located East of Stokes in the Maynard
area. The Randolph County Davis family is older than the County
itself and also the State. Jesse was born, raised and died on the
old Davis farm. His son Rufe was my GrandFather. Picture and
article contributed by Dr.
Cloyce E. Odom