Benton Co., AR - Biographies - Thomas K. Blake

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        Date: 20 Jun 1998
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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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Thomas K. Blake, merchant, and one of the old and influential citizens of Bentonville, Ark., is a
native of Roane County, Tenn., born 1813, and the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Owen) Blake.
Thomas Blake was born in Georgia, and was of English origin. He went to North Carolina when a
young man, and from there to Tennessee in 1799. He was a speculator in lands, and did a great
deal of trading. He was the owner of a number of mills, and was a good business man. His wife was
born in Alabama, and died in 1829. She was the mother of seven children, Thomas K. being the only
one now living. He remained at home until after his mother's death, and then went to Alabama,
where he lived among his mother's people a number of years, and worked at machinery in various
kinds of mills. In 1836 he married Miss Clara Chitty, who was born in North Carolina in 1819, and
seven children were born to this union: Jesse C., in Whitesburgh; Tex.: Missouri E., wife of J.
E. Russell; Larkin L., in the Chickasaw Nation: William A., killed in the battle of Pea Ridge;
Paulina J., deceased; Thomas T., an extensive lumber merchant at Bentonville. Ark., John Y. F.,
in New Mexico, a United States officer, and a graduate of West Point with the rank of first
lieutenant, and Clara F., wife of F. W. Derrickson. Thomas K. Blake resided in Alabama until
1841, when he immigrated to Polk County, Mo., and in 1859 he went to Denton County, Tex. In 1868
he became a citizen of Bentonville, Ark. While in Missouri he was the owner of two woolen mills,
and while in the Lone Star State he was engaged in merchandising, dealt in stock and was also
engaged in milling. After coming to Bentonville he and Josiah Claypool erected a flouring-mill,
and they were also the proprietors of two mercantile establishments in Bentonville. Previous
[p.811] to the erection of the grist mill, Mr. Blake erected a woolen-mill, and after ward he and
Mr. Claypool became partners in this mill, and it was attached to the grist-mill. Mr. Blake and
Mr. Claypool were partners for about three years, when they sold the mills; each took a store,
and after this each man did business on his own responsibility. Mr. Blake also erected a lumber
mill in Carroll County, and was the proprietor of it for one year, when he moved it to
Huntsville, Ark., and converted it into a flouring-mill, which he turned over to his sons, Larkin
L. and Thomas T. Mr. Blake followed merchandising in Bentonville for about fifteen years, and was
successful in his business transactions. He erected the Western Hotel, and the large block
occupied by L. J. Laughlin. He has also erected a large number of private dwellings and other
business houses in Bentonville, and has been of much benefit to that city. Although starting with
little or no means, Mr. Blake has, by attending strictly to the business on hand, and by his
honesty, become one of the solid, substantial merchants of Bentonville. For the past five years
he has lived a retired life. He lost his wife in 1859. Mr. Blake is a Democrat in politics, and
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also a member of the I. O. O. F. He was proprietor of
the Western Hotel for six years, and followed merchandising at the same time. While residing in
Texas he had 137 horses stolen from him by the Indians, and he thinks he will yet get pay for
them from the United States Government.