SCOTT COUNTY ARKANSAS BIOGRAPHIES
Contributed by Mary Rollins
Email: MLRollins@aol.com

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Centennial History of Arkansas, Vol. III, pub The S. J. Clarke Publishing
Company; 1922, pp 940-941

THOMAS N. SANFORD

	Thomas N. Sanford, attorney at law of Waldron and county judge of 
Scott county, was born in Sebastian county, Arkansas, December 29, 1854, 
his parents being Muse and Nancy M. (Hughes) Sanford. The latter was a 
daughter of Allen Hughes, who came to Arkansas in an early day, settling 
in Benton county, where he devoted the remainder of his life to the 
occupation of farming. His daughter, Mrs. Sanford, was born in Benton 
county. It was at Jenny Lind, Arkansas, that she became the wife of Muse 
Sanford, whose birth occurred near Carlisle, Kentucky, and who in the 
year 1833 came to Arkansas. He always devoted his time and energies to 
farming and was quite successful in the conduct of his affairs. He died 
in Scott county, while his wife departed this life in Huntington, 
Arkansas. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
South, and in politics he was a democrat. They had a family of six 
children three of whom are living: A. A., who is a physician, practicing 
at Duran, New Mexico; Thomas N.; and Lee, a farmer in Scott county.

	Thomas N. Sanford is indebted to the public school system of 
Sebastian county for the educational privileges which he enjoyed and 
which qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. He was 
reared to farm work and continued to devote his attention to the task of 
tilling the soil and caring for the crops until he reached the age of 
twenty years, when he took up the study of law and was admitted to the 
bar in April, 1875. He began practice in Booneville, Arkansas, where he 
remained for two years and then removed to Paris, this state, where he 
also practiced for two years. He afterwards spent a similar period as an 
attorney at Fort Smith and on the 1st of June, 1880, came to Waldron, 
Scott county, where he has since lived. Throughout the intervening period 
he has been identified with the bench and bar of this county and has long 
occupied a position of distinction as an able lawyer and jurist. In 1901 
he was elected prosecuting attorney and removed to Fort Smith, occupying 
the position for twelve years, making his home in this city during that 
period. Following his retirement from office he returned to Waldron in 
1902 and resumed private practice. In January, 1920, he was elected 
county judge and has since occupied the bench of the court of Scott 
county. He also engages to some extent in the private practice of law 
and has made a splendid record both as an advocate and as a judge. He 
holds to high professional standards and as an attorney his devotion to 
his clients' interests is proverbial, while upon the bench his rulings 
are strictly fair and impartial.

	On the 23d of September, 1883, Mr. Sanford was married to Miss 
Allie E. Haley, who was born in Texas, a daughter of Allen Haley, a 
farmer of Scott county for a number of years. They had a family of seven
children: Ray, who is an engineer on the Kansas City Southern Railroad 
and resides at Heavener, Oklahoma; Clay, who is a railroad fireman and 
makes his home at Muskogee, Oklahoma; Mae, the wife of H. Huddelston, 
who is a brakeman on the railroad, living at Heavener; Hazel, at home; 
Dixie, the wife of Gerald Reeves, a wholesale produce merchant at Topeka, 
Kansas; Thomas, a fireman on the railroad, living at Fort Smith, and 
Lela, who is a teacher in the schools of Oklahoma.

	Judge Sanford has membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South, of which his wife was also a member. Fraternally he is a Mason, 
loyal to the teachings and principles of the craft. In politics he is 
a democrat and has always been one of the active party workers. He has 
never but once been a defeated candidate for office, although his name 
has appeared many times on the party ticket.

	In 1918 Judge Sanford was called upon to mourn the loss of his
wife, who died in the month of June. He resides in Waldron and owns a 
farm in this county. His attention, however, is largely given to his 
law practice and his judicial duties and in both connections his 
reputation places him among the prominent members of the Scott county 
bar.