J. F. Hildebrandt, farmer, has been
a resident of Campbell Township for thirty-one years, and was born in Dallas
County, Mo., in 1857. His parents were Thomas and Mary (Potter) Hildebrandt,
who died while he was very young. They moved to Arkansas in the year 1858,
and settled in Randolph County, where the father followed his occupation
of farming until 1861, when he enlisted in the Federal army, and was taken
sick and died. The mother survived him eight years, leaving three boys
at her death, of whom only one is living at present, J. F. Hildebrandt.
Mr. Hildebrandt was reared on a farm, and after his mother's death went
to live with his uncle, William Potter, until the time of his decease,
when he transferred his home to that of Uncle Claiborne Pinnell, an old
settler of Lawrence County. December 5, 1876, he was married to Miss Elizabeth
Hennessee, a daughter of Gideon Hennessee, one of the old residents of
Campbell Township, who presented his daughter with forty acres of land,
as a marriage gift, and upon which Mr. Hildebrandt and his wife are at
present living. He is an energetic and successful young farmer, and will
soon add to his prosperity, from present indications. They are members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Mr. Hildebrandt is also connected
with the Knights and Ladies of Honor, at Walnut Ridge. They have had five
children, two of them deceased. Those living are Nancy Artabell, Mary Alvira
and William Thomas.
P. B. Hill, a well-known farmer of Campbell
Township, was born in Iredell County, N. C., July 8, 1852. His father,
who was Robert H. Hill, was a native of North Carolina, of Scotch and Irish
ancestry, who married Miss Sarah Adeline Hall. The father of Mr. Hill died
in North Carolina, and the mother in Fayette County, Tenn. P. B. Hill received
a liberal education at home, his parents taking pains to provide him with
every facility for learning, and was subsequently at the University of
Mississippi, where he completed the junior and sophomore courses. He then
studied law at Somerville, Tenn., with H. C. Moorman, and attended a course
of law lectures at the Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. He was admitted
to the bar in Tennessee, and later on in the State of Arkansas. He came
to the latter State in 1886, and settled in Lawrence County, and has been
a resident of Campbell Township for about three years. He was married in
June, 1886, to Miss Victoria Lester, a daughter of P. K. Lester, and has
one child, Annie P. Hill.
Dr. A. B. Hogard, a prominent citizen
and a farmer and stock raiser of Marion township, was born in Louisa County,
Va., on the 27th of August, 1827. He is a son of Austin and Sarah (Hamilton)
Hogard, of that State, the father being of Scotch descent, and the mother
a daughter of Capt. Hamilton, of Virginia. The elder Hogard was a physician
and also a preacher, and was noted for his great oratorical powers and
strong delivery at that period. He moved to Missouri in 1833, and settled
in Perry County, where he practiced medicine, and was also occupied in
farming and milling. His death occurred in 1862. During his life he fought
in the War of 1812, and took part in the battle at Norfolk, Va. Dr. A.
B. Hogard remained with his father in Perry County, Mo., until he grew
to manhood, and received a good common school education. He also attended
the Washington Seminary at Cape Girardeau, and afterwards studied medicine
with Dr. Glenn, of Perry County, a widely known physician of that period.
In 1858-59 he took his first course at the St. Louis Medical College, and
afterwards took a graduating course at the Kentucky School of Medicine
at Louisville, in 1860-61, graduating in the spring of 1861. He then returned
to Perry County, and practiced until 1864, when he enlisted in the Federal
army, and served until the end of the war. [p.796] He first entered as
a lieutenant, but was afterwards transferred to the regiment hospital of
which he had full charge, and was promoted to surgeon general. The Doctor
then located at Pinckneyville, Ill., in 1866-67, and was appointed pension
examiner by Gen. Grant. He held the office for two years, and then resigned,
but continued his practice at that place up to the year 1875. In 1878 he
moved to Arkansas, and located at the place upon which he now resides,
and practiced for a number of years. He finally gave up his profession,
and bought a section of land, with some slight improvements on it and commenced
farming, and he now owns about 450 acres of land, with about 240 acres
cleared. The Doctor also built a cotton-gin in 1883, which was at first
worked by horse-power, but is now run by steam, and gins a large portion
of the cotton in that vicinity. In 1850 he was married to Miss Ellen Burgee,
in Perry County, a daughter of Judge Burgee, of that place, but lost his
wife in 1866. He has one daughter by this wife, and two sons and one daughter
by his second wife, who was Mrs. Mary Steel, a widow lady of Illinois.
Their names are Martha, wife of John Mosley; John, Ellen, wife of H. R.
Childers, and Thomas. The Doctor and his wife are members of the Baptist
Church, and he himself is a Master Mason. In the full of 1884 he was elected
justice of Marion Township, and at the expiration of his term was re-elected
in 1888, and is at present filling that office with dignity and wisdom.
John Holmes (deceased), one of the
former citizens of Walnut Ridge, was born in Coshocton, Ohio, April 18,
1858. His parents were A. Jackson and Mary (McDaniel) Holmes, of the same
State, who died when their son was very young. Mr. Holmes was reared on
a farm in Coshocton, Ohio, by his uncle. Felix Butler, and on reaching
his twentieth year, he left him and settled at a point near St. Mary's,
Kas., where he learned the carpenter's trade. He followed this for two
years, and then worked on a farm for one year. In the spring of 1884 he
came to Walnut Ridge, and worked at his trade until his death occurred,
in 1888, aged thirty years. Mr. Holmes was not a member of any society.
He was a Republican in politics, and served one term as marshal of Walnut
Ridge, gaining the reputation of being an efficient officer. He was married
January 1, 1881, to Miss Maggie Van Syckle of New Jersey, whose parents,
A. Jackson and Catherine (Hibler) Van Syckle, were natives of the same
State. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, three of them living:
Ada, Bertha and Otto. Mrs. Holmes was appointed postmistress of Walnut
Ridge, on May 16, 1889, succeeding Capt. James C. Cannon, on June 9, 1889,
and fulfills the duties of her office to the satisfaction of Lawrence County's
citizens.
Henry T. Holt, one of Lawrence County's
leading farmers, and a blacksmith whose reputation extends to all parts
of that county, was born in 1844, in the State of Arkansas. His parents
were Henry and Patsy (Logan) Holt, of Kentucky, who came to this State
and settled near the Missouri line, in 1830. The following year they moved
to Carroll County, Ark., where the father is still living, in his seventieth
year. Mr. Holt's parents had eight children, and seven of them are yet
living, Henry T. being the fourth child born. He was reared in Carroll
County, and lived there until better opportunities seemed to present themselves
in Lawrence County, to which locality he moved. In 1863 he enlisted in
the Confederate army, and was one of Gen. Price's raiders through Missouri.
He was also a member of the Sixth Cavalry, and while with that company
was engaged in several sharp skirmishes. Before raiding through Missouri
he took part in an engagement in this county, and played an active part.
His surrender was made at Buffalo, in Newton County, in 1865. He returned
home in 1866, and came to this county, where he located on Cooper's Creek.
He lived there five years, and then purchased his present home, near Smithville,
and has been there ever since. He was married to Mrs. C. Campbell, nee
Sloan, of Tennessee, and the couple are happy in the possession of three
bright children: URA, Ameba, and Clo. Thomas. Mr. Holt learned the trade
of blacksmith from his father, when a boy, and has followed it up to within
the last few years. He is the largest stock dealer in Smithville [p.797]
Township, and also has 100 acres of land under cultivation, besides some
good farms. In politics, he is a Democrat, and one of Lawrence County's
leading citizens.
Dr. William H. James, of the firm of James
& Wayland, merchants and lumber dealers, was born in Gibson County,
Tenn., in 1844. He is the son of John W. James, of Virginia, who was born
in 1819, and came to the State of Tennessee in his young days, where he
was graduated from the Nashville Medical College, being in his after career
a successful physician. He was also a minister of the Baptist Church, of
which denomination he died a member in 1863. The mother, Lucinda D. (McWhirter)
James, was born January 4, 1817, in the State of North Carolina, and died
in 1860. They were the parents of five children, three of whom lived to
maturity, but only one, Dr. William H. James, is living at present. Dr.
James came to Arkansas with his parents in 1858, where he remained until
the war commenced. He enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861, and served
until the close of hostilities, when he surrendered at Jackson, Miss. He
was severely wounded at the battle of Bentonville, N. C., while making
a charge upon the enemy, and slightly wounded at Murfreesboro, Tenn. When
the war was over he returned home, and was engaged to oversee a plantation
near Memphis, and afterward accepted a position in a mill near that place.
He commenced the practice of medicine under Dr. Boardman, of the Missouri
Medical College, St. Louis, and entered that college in 1866. He returned
to Arkansas, and commenced practicing at Smithville, and from there came
to Powhatan in 1869. He now resides on Flat Creek, between Smithville and
Powhatan, and enjoys a large practice. The Doctor was first married, in
1869, to Miss Temperance A. Wesson, of Virginia, who died August 1, 1884,
leaving five children to survive her, Ada L., Ella L., Ida L., Ora L.,
and Ula L., of whom the first letter in each name makes the five vowels.
His second wife was Miss Virginia Brady, of this county, who is still living,
and by whom he has had three children –Willie V. (a girl), Yancey V. (a
boy), and Edward, all of them living. The Doctor and his wife are members
of the Missionary Baptist Church, and the Doctor himself of the A. F. &
A. M., in which he is a Chapter member. He entered into mercantile life
in 1879, and one year later formed a partnership with F. M. Wayland, now
the manager of the firm. Dr. James is one of the most successful men in
Lawrence County. He owns a large farm, well under cultivation, besides
several large tracts of timber land, and is engaged in sawmilling to some
extent. He is very popular, both on account of his business and personal
qualifications, and is a man of fine physique.
Wiley C. Jones is a native of Alabama,
and was born in Jackson County, in 1824. His parents both came originally
from Georgia, and settled in Alabama, where they were married, and in 1829
or 1830 moved to the State of Tennessee. In 1834 they settled in Illinois,
locating in the southern portion of that State, and remaining six years,
and in 1840, the prospects of a brighter future presenting itself in the
State of Arkansas, they turned their attention in that direction and settled
on Big Creek, now situated in Sharp County. Farming and milling were their
occupations until 1856, when the father died at the age of fifty-two years,
after a busy and useful life. Four children were born to the parents, Mr.
Jones being the second child. He grew to manhood in this county, and commenced
in business for himself in Sharp County, in 1847, and afterward in Lawrence
County. He followed the business of his father until the first alarm of
war penetrated into his home, and, leaving the old mill and its boyhood
memories behind, rushed to the front like a gallant soldier to fight for
his country. He was enrolled in Coleman's regiment, and after two months'
hot work, was captured in Sharp County, and conveyed to St. Louis, Mo.,
where he was forced to lay six weeks in captivity. From St. Louis he was
taken to Alton, where he was held a prisoner for three months, and thence
to Memphis, Tenn., from which place he daringly made his escape by swimming
the river, with the bullets of his captors singing about his ears. He returned
to his regiment, then at Pocahontas, Randolph County, and obtained his
release. He remained at home for a short time, [p.798] but inactivity was
the bane of his existence, and, in the fall of 1862, he joined Capt. Dye's
regiment, which had been re-organized, and was then called Newton's regiment.
One year later he was sent home on a recruiting expedition, and succeeded
in organizing what was known as Baber's regiment, in honor of Col. Baber,
and remained with them until the surrender at Jacksonport, June 22, 1865.
At the close of the war he returned home and resumed his business of farming
and milling, and has devoted a portion of his time to cotton ginning. He
has various interests in Lawrence County, and is one of the influential
men of his section. He was married, in 1848, to Miss Rebecca Lingo, one
of the former belles of Arkansas, and their marriage has been blessed with
two children, who brightened their home until death claimed them. After
the death of his first wife Mr. Jones met Miss Sarah Endeley, an attractive
lady of Tennessee, and after a brief struggle love was once more the victor
over grief, and they were united in 1853. They have had seven children,
of whom four are deceased. Mr. Jones was fates to lose his second wife,
and remained a widower until January 11, 1884, when he succumbed to the
charms of Miss Sarah Snider, his present wife. He is a member of A. F.
& A. M., and was appointed postmaster at Canton in this county before
the war, and has also held several local offices.
William Jones, justice of the peace,
and a wellknown farmer and merchant, was born in Williamson County, Ill.,
November 29, 1849. He is a son of L. A. Jones, of Indiana, who moved to
Illinois in 1841, and was married in that State to Miss Ridley J. Moore,
of Tennessee. After their marriage the couple made Williamson County, Ill.,
their home, where the elder Jones still resides at a very advanced age.
His mother, Mrs. Ridley J. Junes died in March, 1862. William Jones remained
with his parents until his sixteenth year, and with a strong reliance on
his own abilities he commenced in life for himself. He came to the State
of Arkansas in 1867, and located at Clover Bend, in Lawrence County, where
he farmed for a number of years, and then moved to his present residence.
When he first purchased the land it was all new and unimproved, but since
then he has cleared about fifty acres, built some very fair houses upon
it, and cultivated a small but well-selected orchard. He also built a store
in 1888, and put in a good stock of general merchandise, and by his upright
and honest methods of doing business has established a fine trade. He was
married in the spring of 1868 to Miss Mary Stephens, of Tennessee, and
has three children living by this marriage, Nettie Jane, Charley A. and
Arthur W. Allie D. and Willie A. died in early childhood. Mr. Jones was
elected justice of the peace in the fall of 1884, and is now serving his
third term. He is a member of the Agricultural Wheel, and one of the most
substantial citizens of Lawrence County.
Hon. Joseph B. Judkins, a name well
known and respected throughout Lawrence County, was born in what is now
De Kalb County, on March 1, 1837. He is a son of Hon. William H. and Sarah
(Roberts) Judkins, natives of Virginia, where the elder Judkins was a farmer
of considerable magnitude. The father first moved to North Carolina, and
from there to the State of Tennessee, and about the year 1850 he settled
in Lawrence County, Ark., where his son, Joseph B., now resides. He was
elected to the State senate of Arkansas, and was a member of that body
at the time of his death, in 1854, and previous to that event had held
the office of justice of the peace for twelve years. Joseph B. Judkins
came to Arkansas
with his father when fourteen years of age, and remained with
him up to the time of his death. He then lived with his mother until he
had attained his manhood, and bought the land upon which he now resides.
When he first came upon it the land was entirely new, and he immediately
set to work clearing and building upon it, so that now he has some 150
acres cleared and under cultivation, owning altogether about 520 acres.
Mr. Judkins also owns two fine orchards of apples and peaches, upon which
he has spent a large amount of time and care to bring to a state of perfection,
and thus far his labor has been rewarded. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate
service, becoming a member of [p.799] the Twenty fifth Arkansas Infantry,
and gave valuable and efficient aid to the cause until the close of the
war. He was at the battles of Richmond, Ky., Stone River and Chickamauga,
and was also present at the siege and surrender of Atlanta. Altogether
he was engaged in about twenty-five battles, besides several minor skirmishes.
On his first entrance into the army he held the rank of orderly sergeant,
but by his bravery he soon won the ranks of lieutenant and captain, respectively.
He commanded the regiment as senior captain in thirteen engagements, and
was twice wounded, each time while gallantly leading his men before a superior
force. After the war was over, and his surrender at Jacksonport, he returned
to his home and farm, and on July 8, 1856, was married to Miss Susan A.
Phillips, a daughter of Alfred and Ann Phillips; she had captured the gallant
soldier's heart, and found for him a haven of peace after his stormy career
through the war. Seven children were born to this happy union: Alfred L.,
William H., Josie W. (wife of George A. Dungan), all of them married, and
Charles F., Augustus H. G., Horace H. and David W., single. Mr. Judkins
is an Odd Fellow, and in politics is a strong believer of Democratic principles,
supporting his party on every occasion where his valuable aid was needed.
He was elected sheriff of his county in 1869, and on the expiration of
his term was re-elected and served four consecutive years. Two years succeeding
he was elected and served as assessor, and then represented his county
in the legislature. In 1876 he was elected to the State senate, and after
serving in that body four years, was re-elected as a member of the Arkansas
legislature, and for ten years comprised one of that body. He retired from
political life in 1886, but still takes an active part in the affairs of
his county. His record in the political field is one of brilliancy and
honor, and few men have ever served the interests of their party to a better
advantage than did Mr. Judkins.
John W. Kelley is the son of Marvel and
Sally Kelley, of Georgia, in which State he was born in the year of 1830.
He is the youngest of eight children, and lost his father when only two
years old. His mother was afterward married to Ed. Kitchens, and removed
to Arkansas in 1857, locating in Newton County. They remained there several
years and then settled in Texas, where they lived until the time of their
decease. Mr. Kelley reached his manhood in the State of Alabama, having
gone there when quite young. At twenty-three years of age he went to Dent
County, Mo., and finding the locality satisfactory, remained there until
1854, when he returned to Alabama, and lived there three years. He then
moved back to Dent County, Mo., and in 1863, when the first alarm of war
was sounded, he joined Col. Mitchell's regiment in the Confederate army,
and served until the fall of 1864. They were disbanded when near the Indian
Nation on account of the ravages of small-pox in that territory. He fall
a victim to this dread disease, and remained in Ozark County, Ark., until
his recovery. In the spring of 1865, he came to Lawrence County, Ark.,
and settled at a point near Powhatan, where he remained six years. From
there he moved to his present home and commenced farming and improving
the land. Mr. Kelley was first married to a young lady of Alabama, Miss
Nancy Lawson, who died in 1866. By this marriage he had seven children
(four of them dying since): Rebecca J., the wife of Thomas Hederick; Marvel
Jackson, and Mary Ann, the wife of James C. Smith living; and those who
have died are: Sarah, who was the wife of William McLaughlin, leaving three
children, and Nancy, William and Cassandra, the latter dying in childhood
from the small-pox. Mr. Kelley was married the second time to Mrs. Mary
Woodson, nee Lawson, a sister of his first wife. They had one child by
this union, Andrew, who died August 22, 1887. This lady died in 1882, and
Mr. Kelley's third wife was Mrs. Cynthia Cravens, nee Johnson. He has had
one child by this wife. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. They have three children by her first husband,
whose names are Maggie Cravens, Thomas G. and Martha E. Their father died
in March, 1882. Mr. Kelley's son, Marvel Jackson, is married and teaching
school near the home of his father.
Jarrett W. Kendall, a widely-known
farmer of [p.800] Strawberry Township, was born in Henry County, Tenn.,
in 1834. He is a son of Jephtha A. and Elizabeth J. (Harvey) Kendall, of
Tennessee, whose parents settled in Tennessee in the year 1800. Mr. Kendall's
grandfather fought in the War of 1812, and was also a soldier in the old
Revolutionary War. He lived to a very advanced age, as did also his wife,
Rachel, who was one hundred and twelve years old at the time of her death.
They were the parents of a very large family, the father of J. W. Kendall
being their youngest child, who was born in Tennessee, in 1806, where he
grew to maturity and married. His wife, the mother of J. W. Kendall, was
born in Tennessee, in the year 1812, and both parents were of English descent.
They remained in Tennessee until the death of the father, in 1838, when
the mother came west and located in Independence County, Ark., where they
lived until 1865, when they removed to a point in Jackson County, near
Jacksonport. In 1869 they came to this county, where Mr. J. W. Kendall
has since lived. He enlisted in Capt. Gibb's company, First Arkansas Regiment,
and served four years. During that time he fought at Wilson's Creek, and
Elkhorn, Mo., also at the battle of Corinth, Miss. He took part in several
small engagements, but the next battles of note in which he was present
were at Murfreesboro (Tenn.) and Chickamauga (Ga.), and was with Sherman
on his famous march to the sea. Some of his hottest fighting was at Franklin,
Tenn., and at Nashville, where he was disabled by a ball through the left
hip, and was also shot through the bowels and kidneys. He was taken to
the hospital at Franklin, where he was captured, and taken to Nashville.
He was held in the hospital for thirty days, and taken to Columbus, Ohio,
where he was kept a prisoner until his exchange, just before the war was
ended. He then went to Rock Hill, N. C., where he was taken care of by
a citizen of the town until the surrender, when he returned home and resumed
his farm work. Mr. Kendall must certainly have received as many wounds
as any survivor of the war. For two years afterward he could pick small
pieces of bone out of his body, especially in his back, where he was struck
by a bursting shell at Murfreesboro; and at Dock Hill, Mo., his legs were
riddled with small shot. His war record is an honorable one, and the country
he served certainly had no braver man. One of the saddest episodes of his
career was during the battle at Franklin, Tenn. He saw his brother John
shot down before his eyes, but was unable to reach him until the smoke
and thunder of that terrible slaughter had cleared away, and left the battlefield
to the dead. He returned at the earliest opportunity, and found him lying
among the slain, and, far away from home and kindred, he buried him in
a secluded spot near where he fell, with the vast field of battle as a
monument to his bravery. At the close of the war Mr. Kendall was left without
a cent in the world, but by exerting himself he received $30 from the A.
F. & A. M., with which to make a new start in life. He now owns 446
acres of land, and has 150 under cultivation, with a substantial building
upon it. He was first married, in 1866, to Miss Mary G. Box, of Tennessee,
who died in 1880, leaving two children: Felix Susan and George A., the
latter dying in December, 1888. His second wife was Miss Harriet I. Reed,
of Arkansas, who has borne him two children: John W. and William S. Mr.
and Mrs. Kendall are members of the Missionary Baptist Church; the former
also of the A. F. & A. M., in which he is Past Master. He takes an
active interest in politics, and is a Democrat, having held the office
of justice of the
peace.
Daniel Ketner, farmer and stock-raiser,
is a son of David Ketner, of North Carolina, whose father was one of the
soldiers of the Revolution. David Ketner married Miss Mary Izehom, their
son, Daniel, being born November 25, 1825. The latter remained with his
father until he reached the age of twenty-four years, and in the spring
of 1849 moved west, and settled in the State of Illinois. He labored on
a farm in Union County for eighteen months, and then, thinking the prospects
brighter for him in Tennessee, he moved to that State, where he was shortly
afterward married to Miss Catherine Bour, of North Carolina. After his
marriage, he settled on a farm in Weakley County, Tenn., where he remained
three years, [p.801] and at the expiration of that time, moved to Union
County, Ill., residing there until the fall of 1858. He then came to Arkansas
and bought eighty acres of new land, which he cleared and put under cultivation,
and, meeting with success in his new home, he bought more land on different
occasions, until, at the present time, he owns considerable. His home place
consists of 160 acres, with about eighty acres cleared and a comfortable
house upon it; an adjoining farm of eighty acres, with fifty-five acres
cleared; one of 160 acres, with about thirty-five acres cleared, and another
of seventy-three acres, with thirty-five acres ready for cultivation. Mr.
Ketner can feel proud of his possessions, as he has made it all by his
own exertions and good management since the war. He is one of Lawrence
County's representative farmers, and a man much thought of and respected
in his community. In 1863 he enlisted in the Confederate army, and served
until the final surrender, when he was paroled at Shreveport, La., in June,
1865. His record through the war is one of the best, and he was always
in the thick of battle at Pilot Knob, Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Independence
and Price's raids through Missouri. Mr. Ketner returned to his home after
the war had ended, and was there married to his present wife, a widow lady,
of Tennessee, formerly Mrs. Mary Lawson. He is the father of seven children
by his first marriage: George H., J. Daniel, Mahala, wife of Clay Holden;
Jesse A., Jane, wife of George Caspar; Margaret, wife of James Nunley;
Amanda, wife of Elihu Davis; and there is also one child by the last marriage,
Nettie, a miss of five years. Mr. Ketner is a member of the Old School
Presbyterian Church, and also of the Agricultural Wheel, while Mrs. Ketner
attends the Baptist Church.
Henry L. Lady, farmer and stock raiser,
is a son of Henry and Irene (Fried) Lady, of Tennessee and Germany, respectively.
After their marriage the parents moved to Lyon County, Ky., where their
son, Henry L., was born, December 26, 1848. The elder Lady has resided
in that county ever since, with his wife, both having reached an advanced
age, and is one of the most prominent men in that section. He held the
office of coroner for sixteen consecutive years, and at the present time
he is still a vigorous, active old gentleman. Henry L. Lady remained with
his parents until he had reached his twenty-fourth year, having, in the
meantime, all the advantages of a good common school education, and also
attending the Eddyville Academy. He left his native place in 1874, and
came to Arkansas, where he remained the first year with an uncle, and then
located on the place upon which he now resides. On March 29, 1876, he was
married in Lawrence County to Miss Alice A. Cunningham, of South Carolina,
and settled on a farm with his bride, who died on November 23, 1879. He
was married a second time, his next wife being Miss Emeline Kenion, of
Lawrence County, who owned the place upon which Mr. Lady resided on his
arrival with the first wife. They have 100 acres of fine land under cultivation,
and since his arrival, Mr. Lady has greatly improved and built up the place.
He also has 200 acres of other land under cultivation and six tenement
houses, besides his own residence. Mr. and Mrs. Lady have no children of
their own, but have adopted two orphans, one of them thirteen years of
age and the other three years, and are giving them a comfortable home and
all the advantages that can be had. They are generous, kind-hearted people,
and much respected by their neighbors. Mr. Lady is a member of the Knights
of Honor, and also an active man in all enterprises working for the welfare
of his community.
Isaac Less, of Walnut Ridge, farmer
and real estate dealer, was born in Germany in the year 1849. He was thoroughly
instructed in mercantile branches in early life, and when in his seventeenth
year, he left his native country for America, where he entered into partnership
with Marcus Berger (now of Jonesboro), at Greenville, Ill. In 1875 he came
to Walnut Ridge with Mr. Berger, and established a general store under
the firm name of Berger & Less, at a time when that town had a population
of about 200. They continued under that name until 1880, when the stock
and trade were purchased by Mr. Less, who remained in the business for
eight years, when fire burned him out; fortunately, however, it was covered
by a [p.802] fair amount of insurance. He owns between 9,000 and 10,000
acres of land, and is quite an extensive dealer in that commodity, and
out of this amount has about 1,200 acres under cultivation. Mr. Less was
married, in 1880, to Miss Augusta Isaacs, of St. Louis. Mo., and four children
have been born to them. For natural ability, fair dealing in all commercial
transactions and activity in business life, Mr. Less takes rank with the
foremost. He is one of the largest landholders in the eastern part of the
county, and has acquired it all by his own labor. The names of his children
are Mary, Alex, Alexander, Morris and Jacob.
Philip K. Lester (deceased) was a
resident of Greene and Lawrence Counties for a period of fifty years or
more. He was a native of Middle Tennessee, born in the year 1819. His parents
were John and Nancy (King) Lester, the former a Virginian and a farmer
by occupation. who came to the State of Arkansas in 1831 or thereabouts.
The elder Lester was one of a party who camped on Manmelle Prairie, Mo.,
the night of a great celestial phenomenon, when multitudes of stars were
seen to fall from the heavens; a sight so grand and inspiring that he had
occasion to remember it for a lifetime. He settled on Crowley's Ridge (now
the site of Lorano, in Greene County, where P. K. Lester was reared. When
the latter reached his eighteenth year he attended school. and employed
the greater part of his nights in studying. He was an apt pupil and a diligent
student, and mastered his task with such success that eventually he taught
school himself. While still a young man, he went into the real estate business
and followed that until the war broke out. He enlisted, but served only
six weeks, and in the winter of 1861, he came to Lawrence County, where
he resided until his death occurred. He bought and sold stock quite extensively
after the war was over, and was very successful in business. owning at
the time of his death about 7,000 acres of land. He was a hearty, active
man, but was stricken down with pneumonia and died January 28, 1877, at
the age of fifty-eight years. His grave is on the old home, stead farm,
where it was his desire to be buried He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and also of the Powhatan Lodge of Masons, In 1855 he was married
to Miss Mary Ann Rogers, of Shelby County, Tenn, whose parents were Magilbra
and Nancy (Stations) Rogers, of North Carolina, who had, besides this daughter,
six other children, three of them still living, John M., Nancy V., the
wife of P. B. Hill, and Robert L., of Little Rock, Ark. Mrs. Lester resides
with one of her daughters, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Col. John A. Lindsay, farmer and stock raiser is a native of Kentucky, and was born in what is now Carroll County, on the 7th of July, 1820. His parents were Gen. Jesse Lindsay and Priscilla (Ficklin) Lindsay, of Kentucky, who lived in that State, and were married there in its earlier days. They settled in Carroll County as soon as the Indians were moved from that section, and commenced farming and stock raising. The elder Lindsay served through the War of 1812, and was afterward militia general for a large district in Kentucky. He also filled the office of sheriff of both Gallatin and Carroll Counties, and at one time was elected magistrate; and by virtue of being the oldest magistrate in the county, held the first term as sheriff, in accordance with the laws of the State. Gen, Lindsay. in his day, was one of the best known men in that locality, and as an official was fearless in the discharge of his duty. As sheriff, he was held in the highest respect by the entire district he covered, and his name was a check of the strongest kind on the law breakers of that community; as a magistrate, his fame was widespread. He died March 6, 1875. greatly mourned by all who knew him. Col. John A. Lindsay remained in Carroll County until he had attained his eighteenth year, and then moved to the State of Arkansas, in 1838. locating in Lawrence County. As Washington was called the father of his country, so might Col. Lindsay be called the father of Powhatan, as he laid out that town, and established the ferry across Black River. Upon his arrival in Lawrence County he cleared the land, and commenced farming where Powhatan now stands, and at one time owned some 10,000 acres of land in this county. He now possesses [p.803] about 2,000 acres, and six valuable farms, and is one of the wealthy men of Ashland Township. In 1861 the Colonel received the captain's commission of an independent company, who were armed, mounted and equipped at their own expense, and requested to report to the nearest command for home protection on special duty. This company afterward entered the Confederate army, and performed good service for the Southern cause, their captain being promoted to colonel. In 1864 he joined Gen. Price, but more in the capacity of guide than for actual battle, as he was thoroughly acquainted with the country in which they were traveling. The war was an occasion of heavy losses to Mr. Lindsay. on account of his having credited an immense amount of goods previous to its advent, and then not being able to collect. He was married at Powhatan, in 1840, to Miss Martha A. Ficklin, of Missouri, a daughter of Asa P. Ficklin, who died in 1878, after a faithful and happy married life of almost forty years. One son was born to them, who lived until his thirty-seventh year, and died in 1879, Asa T. Lindsay. The Colonel is a member of the Masonic order, being a Royal Arch Mason and Knight Templar, belonging to Powhatan Lodge No. 72, besides being a member of Hugh DePayne Commandery, at Little Rock.