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THE BIOGRAPHY PAGE 1
JUDGE FOSTER O. WHITE
Judge Foster O. WHITE, now occupying the bench of the county court of
White Co. & making his home at Searcy, was born in Bald Knob township,
this county, July 5, 1882. He is the son of H.C. & Cassie (GUTHRIE)
WHITE & a grandson of James WHITE, who was a native of Alabama &
there owned & operated an extensive plantation, having some number of
slaves. He lost everything, however, during the Civil War. He had 2 sons in
the service, Bud & Perry, & the latter died of measles while he was held
captive. Bud was wounded in the leg & body & this rendered him a cripple
for life. James WHITE bought 640 ac. of land near Judsonia, White Co.,
Ark., which he had to clear, as it was then covered with timber. The place
is now known as the Jim WHITE farm & is mostly devoted to the
cultivation of strawberries. He died in 1887 at the age of 65 years. The
maternal grandfather was Samuel GUTHRIE, who was born in White Co.
& became a farmer & prominent stock raiser, devoting his entire time to
that business. One of the great-grandsons of Judge WHITE was Samuel
WHITE, who was born in Georgia & became the first county judge of
White Co., Ark., settling here among the pioneers. He held 4 sessions of
court per year & received a salary of but $50/year. While he held court at
Searcy, he made his home at Clearwater & in addition to serving in public
office he engaged extensively in farming, remaining in White Co. to the
time of his death. The father of Judge WHITE of this review was born in
Alabama, Oct. 7, 1851, and removed from that state to White Co., Ark., in
1871, when a young man of 20 years. He followed farming & also engaged
in construction work on the Iron Mountain RR from Newport to
Texarkana, Ark., assisting in building all of the bridges. He, too, became
actively interested in agricultural pursuits, purchasing land which he had to
clear the timber from. In those days turkey, deer & wild game of other
kinds were plentiful & he has lived to witness many changes wrought by
time & man as the work of development & transformation has been carried
steadily forward. He has devoted his life to general farming & stock raising
and he now lives with his son, Judge WHITE. His wife, who was born in
White Co., died at the comparatively early age of 38 years. They were the
parents of 10 children, 9 of whom are living: William H., of Little Rock,
who is a train conductor on the Iron Mountain RR, having been in the
service since 1900; Foster O., of this review; M. S., a bridge foreman on
the Memphis division of the Iron Mountain RR; K. H., a locomotive
engineer on the Missouri Pacific Road; Eurah, who is the wife of Walter
MCLAUGHLIN, a farmer of Bald Knob township; Samuel, a conductor on
the Iron Mountain RR, serving on the Memphis division; Rose, a
bookkeeper with the Arkansas Electric Appliance Co. of Little Rock;
Dock, a brakeman on the Memphis division of the Iron Mountain RR;
Mamie, the wife of Earn CHOLENDT, a brakeman on the Ark. division of
the Missouri Pacific; and one child who died in infancy. The mother was a
member of the Baptist Church, while Mr. WHITE belongs to the Christian
Church & in politics has always been a democrat. His son, Judge WHITE,
was educated in the public schools of his native county & remained on the
home farm to the age of 18 years, when he, too, began railroading, entering
upon an apprenticeship in the bridge & building department of the Iron &
Mountain RR. He served in this way for 6 years & was connected with
railroading altogether for about 10 years. He then returned to Bald Knob
township, where he began contracting on his own account, carrying on a
general contracting business in White & adjoining counties. He was thus
active until 1918, when he was elected county judge, taking the office in
Jan., 1919. So creditable has been his record on the bench that he was
reelected for a 2nd term without opposition. His decisions are strictly fair
& impartial & his course has been a highly creditable one. Judge WHITE
was married to Miss Elva L. BAKER, who was born in White Co., Ark.,
daughter of Joseph BAKER, who was one of the builders of the Iron
Mountain RR & afterward ran trains over that line until 1892. He then
turned his attention to farming & is now living with Judge & Mrs. WHITE.
This worthy couple have become the parents of 6 children: Lillian, Willie
Maude, Foster O., Lorraine, H. C. & Opal, all at home. The parents are
members of the reorganized church of the Latter-Day-Saints, in which
Judge WHITE has served as elder & as president of the Bald Knob branch,
also filling the office of branch elder. Fraternally he is connected with the
Masonic Lodge, with the independent order of Oddfellows, with the
Ancient Order of United Workmen & also with the RR Bridgemen, being
one of the pioneers in the Brotherhood of RR Car Men. His has been an
active & useful life & the sterling worth of his character has placed him
high in the regard of his fellow townsmen. (From "A Centennial History of
Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of
Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
J. S. LADD
J. S. LADD is now living retired in Judsonia & no history of the town
would be complete without extended reference to him, for through 35
years he was closely associated with its mercantile interests & with
development & progress of the city arising therefrom. His birth occurred
near Franklin, in Williamson county, Tenn., April 9, 1848, his parents being
T. G. & Mary Jane (SMITHSON) LADD, both of whom were natives of
Middle Tenn. & representatives of old families of that state. The
grandfather in the paternal line was Noble LADD, who was born in Tenn.
& belonged to one of the pioneer families of the south. He followed
farming & owned slaves to the time of his death, which occurred during the
Civil War period. The grandfather of J. S. LADD on the distaff side was
Samuel SMITHSON, who was likewise a native of Tenn., where his
ancestors settled during the Revolutionary War period. He spent most of
his life in his native state. T. G. LADD, father of J. S. LADD, was a
school teacher, following the profession for 45 years. A man of liberal
education, he held to high ideals in the work of the schoolroom &
contributed much to the intellectual progress of the community in which he
lived. He afterward engaged in merchandising in Memphis from 1862-1865
& he departed this life at the ripe old age of 74 years, while his wife died in
White Co., Ark., at the age of 79. His political support was originally given
to the Whig party & on the dissolution of that party he joined the ranks of
the Democrats. He was a mason & his wife was connected to the Order of
the Eastern Star, while both held membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church, south. In their family were 8 children, 4 of whom are living,
Minerva Ann, Samuel N., & Mary M., having all departed this life, as has
Martha E. These were the 3 eldest & the 5th member of the family. Those
who survive are: J. S.; Eliza J., living in Louisville, Kentucky; T. G., of
Memphis, Tenn.; and W. F., a resident of Covington, Tenn. J. S. LADD
was educated in western Tenn., where he attended the subscription
schools, being largely under the instruction of his father. The year 1869
witnessed his arrival in White Co., Ark., at which time he purchased
bottom land & engaged in general farming. A little later he removed to
Judsonia, where he established a confectionary store but later developed it
into a general merchandise house, which he conducted under his own
name. He remained an active factor in the mercantile circles of the city for
35 years ere he retired from business in 1915 to enjoy in well earned rest
the fruits of his former toil. On the 8th of May, 1870, Mr. LADD was
married to Miss Mollie VANDAL, a native of Tenn., who died in 1885.
They had a family of 7 children, 2 of whom died in infancy, while Sarah J.
has also departed this life. Lula is the widow of Dr. W. J. MILLER, who
was a practicing physician of Griffithville & she now makes her home at
Little Rock; Pearl is the widow of Eugene WINSOTT, who was a
liveryman of Judsonia; Walker is engaged in the garage business at
Newport & at Judsonia; and the youngest child died in infancy. The mother
was a consistent member of the Baptist Church. For his second wife Mr.
LADD chose Miss Hal KEY, a native of Ark., and to them were born 10
children, 7 of whom are living: Clifton, who is a graduate of the Memphis
Dental College & is now practicing dentistry in Marvell, Phillips Co., Ark.;
Frances, the wife of Carl GARMS, a contractor of Little Rock; Mary, the
wife of Thomas WELLS of Searcy; Catherine, the wife of J. K.
JEMERSON, manager of a garage at Judsonia; Ester, the wife of Irvin
WINN, a banker of Bald Knob; 2 children who died in infancy; Johnnie,
who died at the age of 4 years; and Henry & Elizabeth, at home. The
mother of this family belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, South.
Politically Mr. LADD is a democrat and for 2 terms served as Postmaster
to Judsonia under Pres. Cleveland. He was also elected constable, being
chosen to that office at one time when he was the only democrat elected in
the county, a fact indicative of his personal popularity & the confidence
reposed in him. He was opposed by a populist. His had been a useful &
well spent life & the sterling worth of his character is attested by all with
whom he has come into contact. As a merchant he contributed in large
measure to the business development of Judsonia & while he has now
retired from mercantile pursuits he is still interested in a garage, the
company being the authorized Ford agent at Judsonia, heading the Ford
supplies & accessories and also the Fordson tractor. Throughout his career
Mr. LADD has been characterized by a progressive spirit & his determined
purpose has enabled him ultimately to reach his objective. His career,
Moreover, proves that success & an honored name may be won
simultaneously & his example is well worthy of emulation. (From "A
Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director
of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
JOHN R. LINDER
John R. LINDER, attorney at law of Beebee, has spent his life in Ark., his
birth having occurred in White Co., Jan. 6, 1870, his parents being
Jefferson P. & Lucy J. (SHELTON) LINDER. The family has long been
represented on American soil. The paternal grandfather, Abraham
LINDER, was a native of the Spartanburg district of S. Carolina & was a
well educated man, who devoted his life to teaching in his native state for a
number of years and then made an overland trip with ox team & wagon to
Ark., crossing the rivers on ferries. This was in 1858 & after reaching this
state he continued in the teaching profession, being connected largely with
private schools. He married a Miss TEMPLEMAN, a native of South
Carolina, who died about he year 1864, while his death occurred in 1874,
when he was 70 years of age. Their son, Jefferson P. LINDER, came with
his parents to what was then Conway Co., Ark. in 1858. He was there
married to Miss Lucy SHELTON, who was born in Shelby county, Tenn.,
and who went from Memphis to Des Arc, making the boat trip in order to
visit her sister, but owing to the hostilities between the north & the south
she could not return. She became acquainted with Jefferson P. LINDER &
they were married in what is now Faulkner Co. Subsequently, they
removed to White Co. where Mr. LINDER purchased wooded land, which
he cleared & developed, carrying on general farming & stock raising.
During the last 10 years of his life he also preached to a considerable extent
throughout the community, he & his wife being members of the Missionary
Baptist church. His political endorsement was given to the democratic
party. He died July 27, 1903, at the age of 64 years, while his wife departed
this life Aug. 11, 1910, at the age of 63 years. They had a family of 12
children, 5 of whom are still living: Laura, the wife of S. M. TROTTER, a
farmer of Lamar, Ark.; John R.; Charles, who is farming in White Co;
Oscar B., a barber of Calif.; and Albert, also farming in White Co. Those
who have departed this life are: Thomas J., who died in Monroe Co., Ark.,
in 1889, at the age of 21 years; Maggie, who was the wife of J. W. ACREE
& died in 1919, at the age of 47; 2 who died in infancy; Myrtle & Belmer,
who died at the age of 2 years; & Berley, who died when 16 years of age.
John R. LINDER is indebted to the public school system of White Co.,
Ark., for the educational opportunities he enjoyed. He remained at home
until he had attained his majority & began reading law at the age of 18
years. He entered upon practice in the judicial court & in 1901 was
admitted to practice in the district & circuit courts. He opened his law
office in Beebee where he has continued in the general practice of law &
has been connected with much important litigation. He is also numbered
among the lawmakers of the state, having served in the general assembly in
1905, through election on the democratic ticket. He gave thoughtful &
earnest consideration to the vital questions which came up for settlement &
at all times he has been actuated by devotion to the general good in his
attitude toward all public questions. Mr. LINDER was married to Miss
Mattie E. HILL, a native of White Co., Ark., and they have become
parents of 9 children, 6 of whom are living: Harvey, now residing in
Pittsburg, Penn., where he is engaged in vocational training, is a veteran of
the World war. He enlisted in St. Louis in the regular army in 1917, was at
Jefferson Barracks & later was sent to Boston, Mass., where he was in
training. He then went overseas & was connected with the Medical Corps
in France for 6 months. After his return home he again went to France,
where he married a French girl; Pearl, the second of the family, is the wife
of W. E. DAVIS, a farmer of Beebee, Ark.; Bernard, who is bookkeeper
with the Buckeye Cotton Oil Co. of Little Rock, married Marie
WESTBROOK, a native of Ark.; Robert is following the profession of
nursing at Little Rock; Earnie & Mabel are at home. Ruth & Thomas died
at the age of 2 months & 3 years, respectively, while one child died in
infancy. The religious faith of the family is that of the Baptist church & Mr.
LINDER is serving as clerk. He also belongs to the Woodmen of the
World. The greater part of his time and attention is given to his profession
& he has made steady progress in a calling where advancement depends
entirely upon individual merit & ability. He is a close student of the
principles of law & is seldom, if ever, at fault in the application of these
principles to the point in litigation. (From "A Centennial History of
Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of
Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
ELMER WHEAT SMITH
Elmer Wheat SMITH of Searcy, who is filling the position of circuit clerk,
is a native son of White Co., his birth having occurred July 20, 1889. He is
the son of J. F. & Sarah Elizabeth (WALKER) SMITH, who are also
natives of White Co. The paternal grandfather, J. L. SMITH, was a native
of Mississippi & engaged in farming in that state previous to his removal to
Ark. which occurred in 1850, at which time he took up his abode in White
Co. He traveled across the county in a prairie schooner accompanied by 5
brothers & after reaching his destination homesteaded. He also engaged in
freighting during the early days & as opportunity offered gave his attention
to the further development & improvement of his farm. He had to clear his
land, which was covered with timber & he used an ox team to break the
sod & develop the place. There was much big game to be had in this
section of the country in that early day & all of the conditions of pioneer
life were here found. As the years passed his labors resulted in the
development of a good farm property & he continued his residence in
White county to the time of his death, which occurred in 1899 when he was
68 years of age. In young manhood he was married, near Searcy, to Miss
Sarah SKIDMORE & the house in which the marriage was celebrated is
still standing, being one of the old landmarks of this section of the state.
Miss Sarah SMITH passed to the home beyond in 1920 at a notable age,
being in her 90th year. The maternal grandfather of Elmer W. SMITH was
A. G. WALKER, who removed from Tenn. to Ark. but afterward returned
to the former state. Later he again came to Ark., taking up his abode in
White Co. He opened a market in Searcy & engaged in selling meat &
produce for a number of years. He married Saline PAIGE & died at the age
of 60 years, while his wife departed this life at the age of 62. J. F. SMITH,
father of Elmer W. SMITH, was born in White Co. in 1852, and acquired a
common school education, pursuing his studies in one of the old-age log
schoolhouses with its homemade benches & other primitive equipment. He
remained with his parents to the age of 29 years, when he married,
purchased land & began farming himself. As his tract was covered with
timber he had to clear away the trees & brush ere he could break the sod.
He still owns the land which he first purchased 2 miles from Searcy & has
devoted his life to general farming & stock raising. He served as deputy
sheriff of White Co. for one term but has never been anxious to hold public
office. He married Sarah Elizabeth WALKER and to them have been born
4 children: Lorena, the wife of A. I. DARNALL, a salesman with the
Neelly & Smith Hardware Co. in Searcy; Elmer W.; Grace, the wife of
Dudley MORRIS, who follows farming near Searcy; & Hettie, the wife of
F. J. DAVENPORT, who is engaged in farming near McRae, White Co..
The parents are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church &
fraternally J. F. SMITH is connected with the Independent order of Odd
Fellows & with the Woodmen of the World. His political endorsement has
always been given to the democratic party. Elmer W. SMITH attended the
country schools of White Co. & afterward the high school at Searcy while
later he pursued a commercial course in the Memphis Business College at
Memphis, Tenn., and thus became well qualified for life's practical &
responsible duties. He stated out in the business world as bookkeeper for
the Sandefur-Julian Wholesale Co. of Little Rock & afterward came to
Searcy to fill the position of deputy circuit clerk in 1914. For 4 years he
occupied that position & in 1918 was elected circuit clerk, entering upon
the duties of the office on the 1st of Jan., 1919. He was reelected at the
close of his first term, so that he is now serving for the second term in
office, devoting his entire time to his duties in this connection. He is
prompt, reliable & systematic & his official record is winning him high
commendation from all who know aught of his work. Mr. SMITH was
married to Miss Martha Irene CHRISP, who was born in White Co., a
daughter of Horace CHRISP. They have become parents of 2 sons: Elmer
Wheat & Edward Forest. Mr. SMITH has always given his loyal support to
the democratic party. He is well known in Masonic circles, belonging to
Searcy Lodge No. 49, A. F. & A. M., while in Albert Pike Consistory of
Little Rock he attained the 32 degree of Scottish Rite in Nov., 1921. He
also belongs to Al-Amin Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He and his wife are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is serving as a
steward, and they take an active & helpful interest in all branches of the
church work & contribute liberally to its support. They are well known
socially in Searcy, where they have many friends & the hospitality of their
home is greatly enjoyed by all who know them. (From "A Centennial
History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the
Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
CHARLES A. FIGLEY
Strong purpose & unfaltering enterprise are factors in the success of
Charles A. FIGLEY & his labors have ever been of a character that has
contributed to public progress & prosperity as well as to individual
advancement. He is today classed with the substantial representatives of
industrial activity in Judsonia, being the secretary and treasurer of the
Enterprise Box Co. The story of his life is the story of steady progression
& his course has at all times been a commendable one, well worthy of
emulation. Mr. FIGLEY was born in Ohio, Aug. 21, 1872, and is a son of
David & Rosana (WEAVER) FIGLEY, both of whom were natives of the
Buckeye state, where the father followed the occupation of farming,
owning land in Columbiana Co. In addition to tilling the soil he engaged in
stock raising. Both he & his wife are now deceased. Mr. FIGLEY gave his
political endorsement to the republican party & always kept well informed
on the questions & issues of the day. His wife was a member of the Baptist
church. Their family numbered 4 children: Viola, the wife of Frank SMITH
of Iowa; J. A., living in Wichita, Kansas; Alice, the wife of J. F. SMITH,
who is process man for a packing co. of Kansas City, Missouri; and
Charles A. The last person named pursued his education in the high school
in Wichita, Kansas, and in the Southwestern Business College of that city,
there pursuing a commercial course which well qualified him for life's
practical & responsible duties. He started out in the business world as an
employee in a lumber office in El Dorado, Ark. occupying the position of
bookkeeper & stenographer with the Daniel Ramsey Lumber Co. He
afterward removed to St. Louis, Missouri, where for 5 years he was
employed in a mill office & for 6 years remained in the St. Louis office of
the same company, which had its mill at Perla, Ark. On the expiration of
that period he came to Judsonia & acquired an interest in the Enterprise
Box Co. in 1910. This was at the time a small factory, but with the passing
years he has greatly developed the business & has remodeled the factory,
installing modern machinery & securing the latest equipment. The business
today employs an average of 75 men throughout the year, & Mr. FIGLEY
is contributing in marked measure to the success of the undertaking as
secretary & treasurer of the firm. He now devotes his entire time to the box
factory, which finds a market for its product throughout the state. The co.
owns its timber land & Mr. FIGLEY is familiar with every phase of the
business from the time when the standing timber is secured until the
finished product is placed upon the market. The company was incorporated
in 1910 with a capital of $6000 & today has a surplus of $20,000. Mr.
FIGLEY was united in marriage to Miss Maude WILSON, a native of
Ark., and they now have 2 children, Charles A. & Dorothy, both at home.
Mr. FIGLEY has always voted with the republican party since reaching
adult age and is a loyal champion of its principles. His religious belief is
that of the Baptist church. He has many admirable traits of character,
displaying marked reliability & energy in business, loyalty &
progressiveness in citizenship & fidelity & trustworthiness in every relation
of life. Thus it is that his friends can be numbered by the score, while public
opinion at all times accords him a place of prominence as a citizen of White
Co. (From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T.
Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
GEORGE O. PATTERSON
Arkansas has always been signally favored with a class of men who have
occupied her public offices & in those who have maintained the legal &
moral status of the state through the protection of life, property & liberty in
the courts. In the latter, George O. PATTERSON is well known, being
today a capable, & successful attorney of Clarksville, who in his practice
holds the highest ethics of the profession He was born in Clinton, Van
Buren Co., Ark., March 6, 1872, & is the son of John R. & Lou J.
(GREESON) PATTERSON, who were natives of Baltimore, Md., & of
Tenn. respectively, their marriage being celebrated, however, in Clinton,
Ark. The father was a son of J. H. PATTERSON, also a native of
Baltimore, Md., whence he removed to Tenn. & eventually became a
pioneer resident of Ark., settling at Patterson Bluff, where he owned &
conducted a large plantation. He likewise taught school at one time in
connection with Albert PIKE. He was a slave owner of the early day &
became a soldier of the Confederate Army at the time of the Civil War.
When home on a furlough he was killed by bushwhackers & he had
previously been wounded in the battle of Prairie Grove. The maternal
grandfather of George O. PATTERSON was Mat H. GREESON, who was
born in Tenn. & became a resident of Van Buren Co., Ark. in 1856. He
engaged in merchandising & also conducted a hotel. He too, joined the
Confederate Army & valiantly defended the cause in which he believed.
John R. PATTERSON came to Ark. about the year 1856 & it was
probably the same year that his future wife became a resident of this state.
He followed merchandising at Clinton & at Heber Springs & in 1897
removed to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. He owned mining interests in New
Mexico & also followed merchandising in Oklahoma, continuing a resident
of that state until his death. He was a self-made man & won a substantial
measure of success through his close application to business, his unfaltering
energy & thoroughly reliable methods. He, too, was numbered among the
Confederate veterans of the Civil War, having enlisted in 1861 & serving
until the close of hostilities. He participated in several important battles,
was slightly wounded on one occasion & was mustered out with the rank
of 2nd lieutenant, having served as a courier during the early part of his
military experience. He ever voted with the democratic party & he served
as sheriff of Cleburne Co., Ark., for a period of 6 years, discharging his
duties without any fear or favor. He was one of the early representatives of
Masonry in this state & took the degrees of the Royal Arch Chapter. Both
he & his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and
were active in the various branches of church work. They had a family of 3
children: Alice, who is the wife of J. K. CONNOR, a merchant of Pauls
Valley, Ok.; George O.; & J. H., who also carries on mercantile pursuits in
Pauls Valley. Liberal educational advantages were accorded George O.
PATTERSON, who was educated at Quitman College, from which he was
graduated in 1890. He came to Clarksville in 1893 & read law under J. E.
CRAVENS & A. S. MCKENNON, being admitted to the bar in 1894. He
then entered upon practice in which he has continued to the present time,
his ability increasing with the passing years, so that his success has been
augmented as time has passed by & he now ranks with the ablest
representatives of the profession in this part of the state. For 10 years he
practiced in connection with his former preceptor, A. S. MCKENNON,
and now for a number of years been a partner of H. H. RAGON. They
have a large clientage of a distinctively representative character & the court
records bear testimony to the many favorable verdicts which they have
won. In his law practice Mr. PATTERSON represents a number of
important corporations & is regarded as a strong advocate & safe
counselor. His corporation practice connects him with 2 banks & various
mining interests & he is also local attorney for the Missouri Pacific RR. He
devotes most of his life to his law practice which is now very extensive &
of a most important character & in addition he has coal interests which are
large & profitable. In 1901 Mr. PATTERSON was united in marriage to
Miss Susie MCCONNELL, a daughter of E. T. MCCONNELL, an early
resident of Clarksville, who has now retired from business & is numbered
among the men of affluence of the community. Mr. & Mrs. PATTERSON
have become the parents of 2 sons: George O., who is attending college in
Clarksville; & Edward Hall, also a college student. Mr. PATTERSON is a
democrat in his political views & served as a member of the constitutional
convention of the state in 1918. While he has always taken an active part in
politics he has never been a candidate for office, but his aid can be counted
upon to further all plans & measures for the public good. He belongs to the
State Bar Assoc. & fraternally he is connected with the Masons, the Elks &
the Knights of Pythias. He & his wife are members of the Presbyterian
church & Mrs. Patterson is particularly active in the work of the church &
its various societies. Wherever they are known-and they have a wide
acquaintance throughout the state-they are held in the highest esteem &
their interests, broad, varied & important, have brought them into
prominent public relations. (From "A Centennial History of Arkansas",
edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives &
History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little
Rock, 1922.)
T. J. BOWERS
T. J. BOWERS, editor of the Searcy News, was born in Greene Co.,
Tenn., Aug. 19, 1861. He is a representative of one of the oldest families of
Penn., his ancestors coming into the New World during William Penn's
time. The family is noted for longevity. The grandfather, Lewis BOWERS,
was born in the Keystone state & removed to Tenn., where he followed the
occupation of farming. His son & namesake, Lewis BOWERS, was born in
Greene Co., Tenn., and after arriving at adult age, there married a Barbara
A. COBBLE, who was also born in that county. Mr BOWERS was
actively interested in politics prior to the Civil war & was serving as sheriff
of Greene Co. when the war broke out. He enlisted for service with the
Confederate troops while seven of his eight brothers fought against him,
being members of the Union Army. He was under Bragg & participated in
many of the most important battles of the war. On one occasion a bullet
struck a Bible which he carried in his pocket & thus prevented him from
being wounded. He served with the infantry forces and on one occasion
was captured. At another time he saved the life of a Union general by
carrying him off the field. He was court martialed for furnishing arms to the
Confederacy but was paroled. He had become quite wealthy prior to the
war but lost everything during that conflict, having been an extensive
landholder & slave owner. Later he went to Huntsville, Alabama, where he
engaged in farming, leasing a plantation there for 8 years. He shipped his
first crop of cotton but never received anything for it. He then removed to
Saint Francis Co., Ark., settling in Forrest City in 1874, & was there
engaged in farming until he took up his abode in Cushman, Ark., where he
conducted a hotel & also served as Justice of the Peace. He afterward
removed to Wash. D. C., where he died in 1910, at the advanced age of 85
years, while his wife departed this life in 1908 at the age of 81 years. They
were the parents of 10 children, of whom the eldest died in infancy. The
others are: Sarah E., who is the widow of J. A. MCGALL & is living in
Wash. D. C., at the age of 76 years; Rebecca, the wife of J. F. ENGLES of
Wash. D. C.; Mattie, who became the wife of J. F. ESLINGER, but both
are now deceased; Mary E., who is the wife of I. D. W. COBB, living in
Huntsville, Alabama; Andrew J., a machinist, residing at Batesville, Ark.;
T. J., of this review; C. C., a stockman, residing in Comanche, Texas; Fay
I., the wife of F. J. HEADSTREAM, living near Roby, Texas, where he
owns land & is engaged in dairying; & Lillie A., the wife of J. W.
SIMMONS of Wash. D. C. The parents were consistent members of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South, & Mr. BOWERS was a democrat in
his political views & fraternally was connected with the Odd Fellows & the
Masons. The mother was a daughter of William COBBLE, who was a
carpenter & contractor of Tenn. T. J. BOWERS pursued his advanced
education in a college at La Crosse, Ark., under Prof. KENNARD, there
studying in 1883 & 1884, while in 1885 & 1886 he attended the State
Univ. at Fayetteville. He then returned to Independence county & became a
teacher in the rural districts after which he spent 3 years as a teacher in
Cushman, Ark. He next turned his attention to merchandising at that place,
where he remained until 1896, when he came to Searcy & here entered the
grocery business. Later he spent 3 years in Blue Mountain, Ark., but in
1904 he returned to Searcy & for 3 years was on the road as a traveling
salesman. He afterward purchased a general merchandise business in
Searcy, which he conducted for a time & then sold. Subsequently he
concentrated his efforts & attention upon the insurance & real estate
business & at the same time filled the office of justice of the peace. In June,
1918, he purchased the Searcy News & has continued as its manager &
editor. This is a weekly paper of merit, devoted to the dissemination of
general & local news & in addition to printing the paper Mr. BOWERS
does job work of all kinds. He has improved the equipment of the office, so
that excellent work is turned out & he has largely built up the paper, which
today has a circulation of 1000. He devotes his entire time to his
newspaper interests & real estate business & for many years he has figured
prominently in connection with the business development & progress of the
community. In 1894 Mr. BOWERS was married to Miss Quilla CROW,
who was born in Ark., a daughter of Joe CROW. They have many friends
in Searcy & the hospitality of their home is greatly enjoyed by their large
circle of acquaintances. Mr. BOWERS is a democrat in his political views
& he & his wife hold membership in the Missionary Baptist Church, its
teachings constituting the basic principles of all their acts. (From "A
Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director
of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
ROBERT L. BUFFALO
Robert L. BUFFALO, filling the position of cashier of the Bank of England
& a well known resident of the city of England, has so directed his efforts
as to win substantial success in business & to gain the respect & high
regard of those with whom he has been brought into contact through social
as well as business relations. He is a native son of Lonoke Co., born near
England in 1880, his parents being L. L. & Clarkee BUFFALO. The father
was a native of N. Carolina & on leaving that state removed to Mississippi
after the Civil War. About 1868 he came to Lonoke Co., settling ten miles
north of Carlisle. He had served as a private in the Confederate Army
during the war & in days of peace he devoted his attention to agricultural
pursuits. His father was also a native of N. Carolina & removed thence to
Holly Springs, Miss. Robert L. BUFFALO was educated in the local
schools & in Ouachita College. He afterward served for 2 years in the
Philippines, being engaged on scout duty in northern Luzon while in the
service. In 1901 he returned to the US & devoted his attention to farming
in Lonoke Co. until 1905, when he became associated with the firm of
Eagle & Co., merchants of England. Subsequently he obtained a position in
the Planters Bank of England, in which he is now the cashier, proving a
capable & obliging official & one who has gained more popularity with the
general public by reason of his uniform kindliness & consideration to the
patrons of the bank. Mr. BUFFALO, who was united in marriage to Miss
Maggie Harper, a daughter of T. J. HARPER of White Co., Ark., and they
have become parents of 1 child, Marion. In religious faith Mr. & Mrs.
BUFFALO are connected with the Baptist church, contributing generously
to its support & taking an active interest in the various lines of church
work. Fraternally Mr. BUFFALO is a Mason & loyally follows the
teachings & purposes of the craft. During the World war he served as
chairman of the United Work Campaign & did everything in his power to
promote the success of the allied army. His life has been spent in this
section of the state & the fact that many of his staunchest friends are those
who have known him from his boyhood to the present time is proof of the
sterling traits of his character & the upright course in which he has walked.
(From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon,
the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
COLONEL JOSEPH WARREN HOUSE
The name of Colonel Joseph Warren HOUSE, Sr. is known to nearly everyone
throughout the whole of the state of Ark. No man truly or generally beloved
by those who know him well. Indeed, the esteem in which he is universally
held is closely akin to reverence. He has, during the many years of an
eventful life, rounded out a career distinguished by public & private virtues.
His outstanding characteristics are a simple & unpretentious manner, a keen
sense of humor, a kindly, sympathetic interest in all children, marked chivalry
toward women & the highest sense of personal honor. It would seem,
therefore, that he comes a near to summing up in himself all the best virtues
of the old-fashioned, ideal southern gentleman as ever did any individual.
Colonel HOUSE was born June 12, 1847, in Hardeman Co., Tenn., the son
of A. B. & Eliza (WILKES) HOUSE, who in 1858 left Tenn. & became
residents of White Co., Ark., where their remaining days were passed, the
father following the occupation of farming. The son, Joseph Warren
HOUSE, attended such country schools as then existed in White Co. &
was a youth of but 16 years, when in May, 1863, he responded to the call
of the Confederacy & enlisted in Colonel MOSELEY's regiment, with
which, with which he served for 2 years, or until after the cessation of
hostilities. He then returned to his home & soon afterward entered upon
the study of law in the town of West Point, White Co., receiving
instruction from an able representative of the bar at that place until
admitted to practice in May, 1869. He then entered upon the active work
of his profession in Searcy, the county seat of White Co., & in 1885
removed to Little Rock where he has since resided. For 52 years Colonel
HOUSE has been a member of the Ark. bar. Advancement in the law is
proverbially slow, but surely & steadily Colonel HOUSE worked his way
upward, proving his ability by the capable manner in which he handled
involved & intricate legal problems. His clientage steadily grew in volume
& importance & for many years he has occupied a foremost place in the
ranks of the leading lawyers of the commonwealth. Colonel HOUSE has
long left the impress of his individuality & his ability upon the political
history of the state, yet he has never been a seeker for public office. He has
been active in shaping many events which have had to do with political
progress in Ark. from the Civil War period on through the days of
reconstruction, through the Brooks-Baxter war & in later periods molding
the political history of the present decade. In 1871 he was elected to
represent his county in the lower house of the state legislature & gave most
thoughtful & earnest consideration to all vital questions which came up for
settlement while he served in the general assembly. He was elected to the
constitutional convention in 1874, being one of the youngest men elected
to that now historic body. In spite of his youth he took an active & highly
creditable part in framing the fundamental law of Ark., under which the
state has been resurrected from the ashes of reconstruction. He is one of 2
or 3 members of that convention who still survive. In 1874-75 he
represented the 27th senatorial district, composed of White & Faulkner
Counties, in the state senate & during his connection therewith was
chairman of the committee on education & as such had a large share in
shaping the public school system of the state. He served as US district
attorney for the eastern district of ark. during the first & second
administrations of Pres. Cleveland & in 1917 he was elected without
opposition as delegate to the state constitutional convention, which
convened the following year. He delves deep into any question which elicits
his attention, studying the problems of the commonwealth from every angle
& his support of any measure is based upon a firm belief in its value &
efficacy as a factor in good government. The democratic party had long
regarded him as one of its ablest exponents in Ark. & there are few men
who have figured so long in connection with the political history of the
state, while the record of none has been more faultless in honor, fearless in
conduct, or stainless in reputation. With establishment of his home in Little
Rock in 1885, Col. HOUSE entered upon the active practice of his
profession in the capital city, in which he has made a most notable record.
His prominence is indicated in the fact that he was honored with the
presidency of Ark. State Bar Assoc. for the year 1906-7. For a time he was
assoc. with his nephew, Menefee HOUSE, now deceased, in law practice,
under the style of HOUSE & HOUSE, but for the greater part of his career
he has practiced independently. In 1882 Col. HOUSE was united in
marriage to Miss Ina DOWDY, a native of Memphis, Tenn., and to them
have been born 2 sons, Joseph W. & Archie F., and 3 daughters, Arline,
Mary & Ina. The daughter Arline was married to Alfred M. LUND of the
engineering firm of Lund & Hill in Little Rock; Mary became the wife of
Horace G. MITCHELL, president of the Democrat Printing &
Lithographing Co. of Little Rock; Joseph W., Jr., was married to Julia
CLARKE, daughter of the late US senator James P. CLARKE of Little
Rock. The family has long occupied a most prominent social position, their
residence in Little Rock covering a period of more than a third of a
century. Moreover, Col. HOUSE is a representative of one of the old
southern families, holding to the high traditions & ideals of the south &
ever standing as a splendid example of American manhood & chivalry.
(From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon,
the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
C. H. C. HOWARD
C. H. C. HOWARD, engaged in the insurance business at Beebee, is a
representative of ancestral lines that can be traced back in New England to
the year 1640. It was in that year that Thomas HOWARD landed in this
country & established his home at Norwich, Conn. The line comes on
down through Benjamin & Thomas to William HOWARD, the great great
grandfather, who was a native of Mass. & was killed at the battle of White
Plains, while serving in the Revolutionary War. His son, Abel HOWARD,
was a native of Sturbridge, Mass., and was the father of Dr. Abel
HOWARD (II), who was born in Hartford, Vt., and who wedded Mary E.
HUNT, a native of Conn., and they became the parents of 8 children: Abel
T., Mary E., George A., Julia A., George, Austin, Sophia & Elizabeth. The
last 2 named are still living. The first of this family, Abel T. HOWARD,
was the father of C. H. C. HOWARD. He married Anna H. CUTTS &
both were natives of Vt., the former born in W. Hartford & the latter in N.
Hartford. In the maternal line the ancestry can also be traced back to a
remote period. The grandfather, Hampden CUTTS, was a native of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was a graduate of Harvard Univ. He
exerted a widely felt influence over the history of his state, serving as
probate judge for many years & also as representative in the state
legislature. He was descended from Robert CUTTS, a native of England,
who on crossing the Atlantic in 1640 settled at Kittery, Maine. The line
comes on down to Richard (I) & Richard (II), who was a major in the War
of Lewisburg in 1745. He was the father of Samuel CUTTS, who in turn
was the father of Edward CUTTS, a native of Kittery, Maine. The last
named was the father of Hampton CUTTS, who wedded Mary P. S.
JARVIS, who was also of notable New England parentage, her father,
William JARVIS, serving for 8 years as American consul at Lisbon,
Portugal. It will thus be seen that C. H. C. HOWARD is descended from
distinguished ancestry in both the paternal & maternal lines. His parents
were teachers of liberal education and broad culture. The father was
graduated from Dartmouth Collage, while the mother was a graduate of the
Tilden Ladies' Seminary at Lebanon, New Hampshire. At their marriage
they began teaching, becoming teachers in high schools and later in the
Glenwood Collegiate Institute at Matawan, New Jersey, where they
remained until 1872. They afterward removed to Brooklyn, New York, and
Mr. HOWARD taught in private school for some time. He devoted the last
ten years of his life to envelope manufacturing. He was born in 1830 and
died in 1889, while his wife, departed this life in 1889. They were consisted
members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Howard was also identified
with the Masonic fraternity. To him and his wife were born seven children,
three of them whom died in infancy, the others being: C. H. C. ; Mary, the
wife R. W. KING of Montclair, New Jersey; Charles T. , who is connected
with the city department at Los Angeles, California; and Eliot, an
electrician of Brooklyn, New York. C. H. C. HOWARD was born in
Brattleboro, Vermont, September 5, 1862. Having acquired a public school
education he later attended the Adelphi Academy at Brooklyn, New York,
and for five years was assistant librarian in the Astor Library of his health
and entered newspaper work at Beebe, where for ten years he was editor
and publisher of Current Topics, which was afterward merged into the
White County News and for a year he remained as editor of the
publication. He then sold out and was employed as a bookkeeper in Beebe,
while later he took over the fire insurance business and is now representing
nine different companies. In this connection he has gained a good clientage
and his business is one of large extent. On the 12th of September, 1894,
Mr. HOWARD was married to Miss Effie M. BARTLEY, a native of
Fulton, Missouri, and a daughter of S, N. and Virgina (BERRY)
BARKLEY, who were also native of Fulton. The father became a merchant
of Beebe and also assistant cashier of the bank of Beebe. He was likewise
prominent in public affairs, serving as mayor of the town and as treasurer
and recorder at different times. He died October 1, 1915, at age of
seventy-two years, his birth having occurred in 1843 and he is survived by
his wife, who still makes her home in Beebe. Their daughter, Mrs.
HOWARD. however, departed this life November 1,1915, leaving a son ,
Elwin who is pursuing a scientific course in the Westminster College of
Fulton , Missouri. Mr. HOWARD is a member of the Christian church &
his political belief is that of the democratic party. He served for 4 years as
city recorder of Beebe & is an honorary member of the New Hampshire
Historical Society, also a corresponding member of the Maine & Vermont
Historical Society & the New England Historical & Genealogy Society. He
is likewise thus identified with the Essex Institute of Salem, Mass. He has
recently published a history of the CUTTS family, also of the SPARHAWK
family & a history of the PEPPERELL family. He also wrote the Pepperrell
portraits and a small pamphlet of the life and public service of General John
W. Phelps. His authorship includes a volume entitled Brattleboro in Verse
and Prose and he has in manuscript the history of the Carter family. His life
has been cast in harmony with the records of an honored ancestry. In both
lines he comes of families of strong intellectual force and high ideals and he
has ever proven a worthy scion of his race. (From "A Centennial History of
Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of
Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
JOHN M. MOORE
Fifty years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since John M.
MOORE became a member of the Little Rock bar and throughout that
period he has held to highest professional standards, his course reflecting
credit and honor upon the history one of the Arkansas bar. Moreover, he is
a native of Pulaski county and a representative of one the honored pioneer
families of the state. In the paternal lines line his ancestry is traced back to
Tomas LLOYD, who came from Montgomeryshire, Wales, to America and
settled in Pennsylvania. He was president of the legislative council and
deputy governor of the Colony in 1684, after William Penn returned to
England. A daughter of Tomas LLOYD became a wife of Samuel
PRESTON, and their daughter married Dr. Richard MOORE of Maryland,
from whom John M. MOORE is a descendant in the fifth generation. Israel
M. MOORE, the father of John M. MOORE, was born in Wellsboro,
Pennsylvania, December 3, 1814, and came to the southwest when a young
man of twenty-two years. He was one of the promoters of the Cairo &
Fulton RR, which was organized under acts of legislatures of Missouri &
Ark. for the purpose of building a railroad from Cairo, Ill., to the southern
part of the state. He served on the board of directors & was largely
instrumental in securing land grants from congress to the company until it
passed into the hands of Thomas ALLEN of St. Louis & was reorganized
as a part of the system of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern RR Co.
On the maternal side, his great-grandfather came from the north of Ireland
to America, and served as a member of the patriot army in the
Revolutionary War. John M. MOORE was reared in Searcy, Ark., and
although but a schoolboy at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, he
joined the Third Ark. Calvary & was on active duty under Gen. Forest &
Wheeler. He enlisted as a private but was promoted to lieutenancy & was
in command of his company at the close of hostilities. With his return home
Mr. MOORE resumed his studies under the direction of private tutors, and
a year later began preparation for the bar, being admitted to practice of law
in Searcy. In 1870 he opened a law office in Augusta, Woodruff Co., and
the following year removed to Little Rock, where for half a century he has
engaged in practice. He served for 6 years as reporter of the supreme
court. In 1873 Mr. MOORE wedded Miss Annie C. TURNER, a daughter
of Blakely D. TURNER, who was one of the pioneer members of the Ark.
bar. Mrs. MOORE departed this life Jan. 31, 1901. Their family numbered
4 children: J. MERRICK, assoc. with his father in practice of law, married
Miss Rebecca READ of Fort Smith; Janie, now deceased, was the wife of
A. C. MILLER of Little Rock; Charlotte is the wife of M. K. KASSONY
of New York city; and Blake TURNER died in 1909. In his political views
Mr. MOORE has always been a supporter of democratic principles, and for
8 years he was chairman of the state central committee, contributing much
to the success & growth of the party during that time. He never sought nor
held a political office. His ambition seems to have been centered in his
profession. His high professional standing is indicated in the fact that he
was honored with the presidency of the State Bar Assoc. A contemporary
biographer has said of him: "There are those-and they are legion-who put
at the head of the legal profession in Ark. the name of John M. MOORE. It
is quite certain that no one qualified to form an opinion on the subject but
regards him as one among the very few who are the head & front of the
profession. He is one of those truly great lawyers of whom it is in no sense
flattery to say that he is deeply learned in the law. Indeed, he is,
intellectually, more than a learned lawyer; he is a man of broad scholarship.
Few men have read more widely. His private library, of works selected
from time to time through a period of many years, is one of the largest &
best in the state. The quality & scope of the collection, in which are missing
few, if any, of the outstanding contributions to knowledge of nearly every
practical sort during the last half a century, afford significant evidence of an
intellectually of ripe & varied culture. He is, Moreover, a shrewd & wise
observer of practical affairs. His personality is one of dignity & reserve. He
has won success in his profession by dint of sheer ability. (From "A
Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director
of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
ROBERT BOOTH MOORE, M. D.
Dr. Robert Booth MOORE, an ear, nose & throat specialist of Little Rock,
of marked capability & with large practice, was born in Searcy, Ark., July
23, 1888. His parents, Dr. Luther E. & Martha (BOOTH) MOORE, still
reside in Searcy, where the mother was born, but the father's birth occurred
in Tenn. in 1851. They were married in Searcy, Feb. 22, 1886, & Dr.
MOORE continues in the active practice of medicine & surgery there. In
politics he is a democrat. To him & his wife have been born 3 sons & 2
daughters, but the latter have departed this life. Dr. MOORE, spending his
youthful days under the parental roof, attended the public & high schools
of his native city until graduated with the class of 1904. He was afterward
for 4 years a student in Hendrix College of Ark. & later went to the
Vanderbilt University, in which he spent 3 years, devoting 2 years of that
time to medical study. He next matriculated in Columbia University of New
York Polyclinic as an interne & subsequently was interne at Bellevue Hosp.
for a year. In Dec., 1917, he came to Little Rock, where he opened an
office & entered upon the active work of the profession. On the 18th of
August of that year, he had been commissioned a first lieutenant of the
Medical Corps and was at Camp Pike, Ark., until Sept. 25, 1918. In Oct.
of the same year he went overseas & was assigned to Base Hospital, No.
65, at Brest, France, there remaining until Feb., 1919, when he was
assigned to Field Hospital, No. 2, at Dernbach, Germany, remaining at that
place until Aug. 20, 1919, when he returned to Little Rock & resumed the
active practice of his profession. He specializes on the ear, nose & throat as
a member of the firm of Scarborough, Ogden, Zell & Judd, one of the best
known & most promising firms of the state. Dr. MOORE belongs to the
Little Rock Country Club & his social qualities have gained for him many
friends. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party and his
religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church, south. He neglects no duty nor obligation of citizenship but
concentrates the greater part of his time & attention upon his professional
interests, which are becoming increasingly more important as the years
pass. (From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T.
Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
BEN ALLEN
Ben ALLEN, sheriff of White Co. & a resident of Searcy, is ever found
prompt & faithful in the discharge of his official duties & his record is one
which reflects credit & honor upon himself & has proven highly
satisfactory to his constituents. A native son of Ark., he was born in
Cleburne Co., Sept 23, 1872, his parents being Thomas & Missouri
(BUTLER) ALLEN. The ALLEN family has been represented in this state
from pioneer times. The grandfather, Eli ALLEN, was a native of Virginia,
born in 1804 & followed farming in that state ere his removal to Ark. in
1818. He first made his way to New Orleans, thence up the Mississippi &
White Rivers to Des Arc, from which point he traveled to Heber Springs,
becoming one of the earliest settlers in that district. He fished, hunted,
trapped & carried the furs to Ark. Post, trading among the Indians. He had
seen hundreds of buffaloes in droves on the western plains & he passed
through all of the experiences & hardships of pioneer life. In the early days
he was a squatter but afterward entered land from the government &
engaged in farming and on his land he reared his family. He departed this
life at the age of 85 years. His son, Thomas ALLEN, was born in what was
then Van Buren Co. & is now Cleburne Co., in 1823, & his life record
covered the intervening years to 1888, when his death occurred. His wife
was born in Missouri & died in 1919 at the age of 65 years. Thomas
ALLEN was educated in the old-time subscription school, the schoolhouse
being a log structure with split log benches & puncheon floor. Reared amid
pioneer surroundings he became familiar with all of the conditions of life on
the frontier & bore his share in the work of early development & progress.
In 1861 he enlisted for service in the Confederate army, joining the Tenth
Ark. Infantry, with which he served the greater part of the time, going to
Miss. under Capt. MILLER. He participated in the battle of Shiloh &
served throughout the period of the Civil War. With his return from
military life he again settled in Van Buren Co., where he followed the
occupation of farming, homesteading land in that locality. The tract which
he secured was covered with timber & he had to clear most of this. At one
time he owned a thousand acres of land, for which he paid only a dollar an
acre. In the early days most of his trading was done at Batesville, at Des
Arc & at Little Rock. He crossed the ice on the Ark. River at Little Rock
in order to get to market. There was much wild game to be had in this
section of the country in those days and the hunter had no difficulty in
securing meat for the table. During the Civil War Mr. ALLEN lost
everything he had accumulated and when he returned home his stock
consisted only of an old mule. With undaunted courage he took up the task
of regaining his lost possessions & for many years engaged in general
farming & stock raising. At a later day he removed to Texas, where he
purchased land & his last years were spent in the Lone Star State. He
always gave his political allegiance to the democratic party & both he & his
wife were consistent members of the Missionary Baptist Church. In their
family were born 9 children, 6 of whom are still living: J. G., a practicing
physician, residing at Commerce, Texas; Ben, of this review; John, living in
Hunt Co., Tex., where he follows farming; Theopholis, a photographer,
also living in Hunt Co., Tex.; Vester, a government mail clerk, living at
Waco, Tex.; and Dora, the wife of Joe TEDFORD of Pueblo, Colorado.
One daughter, Effie, died at the age of 23 years & the 2 children died in
infancy. Ben ALLEN was educated in the common schools of Heber
Springs & remained in Cleburne Co. through the period of his boyhood &
youth. He afterward taught for a few terms in the rural districts of Cleburne
Co. & then took up the occupation of farming. He bought & cleared land,
securing a part of his father's old homestead & devoted his attention to the
task of developing the fields and producing substantial crops. In 1893 he
came to White Co. & entered the employ of the Millen Lumber Co. at St.
Louis, Missouri, occupying the position of general manager for 8 years. He
next purchased 160 acres of land near Beebe & while engaged in farming
there he served as constable & as deputy sheriff for a period of 8 years. He
was afterward elected justice of the peace at Beebe & occupied that
position for four years, while in 1920 he was elected to the office of sheriff,
entering upon the duties of the position on the 1st of Jan., following, and is
serving in an acceptable manner. He still owns his farm of 112 acres, from
which he is deriving a good rental. Mr. ALLEN was married to Miss
Jennie THOMPSON, who was born in White Co., Ark., a daughter of Wes
Thompson, a farmer & stock dealer. They have become parents of six
children: Opal, who is the wife of Albert BEVILL, a farmer of White
county; Homer, farming in the same county; Nellie, the wife of Elbert
WALLS, a barber of Cabot, Arkansas, Elvis, Velda and Oatley, all at
home. Mrs. ALLEN is a member of Presbyterian church. Mr. ALLEN
belongs to the Masonic lodge at Beebe and is also identified with the
Woodmen of the World. His political endorsement is given to the
democratic party and keeps well informed on the vital questions and issues
of the day. In all matters of citizenship he stands with those men who are
seeking to promote progress and uphold high civic standards. (From "A
Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director
of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
JOHN S. PIERCE
John S. PIERCE, actively identified with farming in White county for many
years and now making his home at Russell, was born near Denmark in this
country, November 16, 1859. His parents, Moses and Sallie Ann
(WOMACK) PIERCE, were native of East Tennessee and in that state
were married. There the father followed farming until 1858, when he
started across the country with horse team and wagon, making the river
crossing on ferry and ultimately reaching White county. It was his purpose
to continue the journey to Texas but one of the horses became sick and
they tarried in White county. Being pleased with the country Mr. PIERCE
purchased land, which was then a heavily wooded tract. He cut away the
native timber , cleared off the brush and as soon as possible began to plow
and cultivate the land , which he thus continued to improve until enlisting
for service in the Confederate army at the beginning of the war, being on
duty most of the time west of the Mississippi. He died during the war
period, his death, however, results from a wound which he had sustained
previous to his enlistment. In that early day he had engaged in hunting and
he also followed blacksmithing, making the tools with which he worked
and also tools for his neighbors. He experienced all of the hardships &
privations of frontier life, living in White Co. when it was a pioneer region,
in which bears, deer & turkeys could be secured in large numbers. He was
but 29 years of age at the time of his death, while his wife reached the age
of 60 years. She married agin, becoming the wife of H. P. HERD and by
her 1st marriage she had 3 children, the eldest of whom died in infancy, the
others being: John S. & Stephen S., but the latter died at the age of 21
years. By her 2nd marriage she had 1 child, Belle, who is the widow of W.
F. MAYFIELD, of White Co. Both Mr. & Mrs. PIERCE belonged to the
Baptist church & endeavored at all times closely to follow the teachings,
while politically he gave his support to the democratic party. His father was
a factor in the pioneer development of different localities. He was Stephen
PIERCE, a native of Tenn., who emigrated to Illinois, where he owned
land & carried on farming, removing to that state soon after the Civil War
& spending his remaining days there. The maternal grandfather of John S.
PIERCE was Jacob WOMACK connected with one of the old & honored
pioneer families of this state. John S. PIERCE attended the subscription
schools in his boyhood days. He walked 5 Ç miles to receive instruction in
a little log schoolhouse, seated with split log benches, while the curriculum
consisted of little more that the "3 R's". Moreover, he could pursue his
studies for only about 2 months in the year, as he remained on the home
farm with his mother & assisted her in its development & improvement.
Following her death he went to Tenn., where he was employed at farm
labor for 4 years, on the expiration of which period he returned to White
Co., & here did contract work in making wagon spokes. He also
manufactured staves & sold log timber & piling. Eventually he entered the
livestock business, buying & selling horses & cattle at Russell. He likewise
became a factor in mercantile circles at Russell, where he owned &
conducted a store for 3 different periods. He also owned farm land & at
one time he operated the PIERCE & MOORE ranch, devoted to the raising
of hogs & cattle. He now specializes in strawberries & cotton & the land
which he owns is particularly adaptable to the cultivation of strawberries.
Mr. PIERCE has been married twice & by his 1st marriage had one child,
Earnest F., now living in New Mexico. He afterward wedded Hannah
CUNNINGHAM, a native of Indiana & a daughter of William
CUNNINGHAM, a railroad man & a merchant of Bradford. There have
been 6 children born of the 2nd marriage, 2 of whom died in infancy, the
others being: W. S., a livestock man of Russell; J. W., who follows farming
in White Co.; Mary A. & Lela, both at home. Mr. & Mrs. PIERCE belong
to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in which he is serving as
steward. They take its growth & extend its influence. Mr. PIERCE is a
Blue Lodge Mason & in politics he is a democrat. He has served as school
director & is interested in all that pertains to the material, intellectual,
social & moral progress of his community. His life has been actuated by
high & honorable principles & those who know aught of his career speak
of him in terms of the warmest regard, because he has ever been faithful to
his profession, loyal in citizenship, reliable & progressive in business.
(From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon,
the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
THOMAS E. SANDERS, M. D.
Dr. Thomas E. SANDERS, actively & successfully engaged in the practice
of medicine in Hot Springs, was born in Beebe, Ark. on the 13th of Dec.,
1880. His father, A. F. SANDERS, a native of Alabama, was also a
physician & in 1886 came to Hot Springs, where he continued in the
practice of his profession to the time of his death in 1906. He was a veteran
of the Civil War, having joined the Confederate army when a youth of but
14 years. He belonged to the Knights of Pythias lodge & was highly
esteemed by those with whom he was brought into contact through social
or professional relations. Dr. Thomas E. SANDERS was a lad of but 6
years when brought by his parents to Hot Springs & here he attended the
public schools, while after completing his high school course he became a
student in the Ark. State University, graduating there from with the class of
1901. Whether natural predilection, environment or inherited tendency had
most to do with his chore of a profession it is perhaps impossible to
determine, but at any rate he entered upon the field of labor for which
nature seemed to have aptly adapted him. He determined to follow in the
footsteps of his father & read medicine under his direction for a time, while
later he entered Tulane University at New Orleans, Louisiana, as a medical
student & was graduated therefrom with the class of 1905. He then put his
theoretical knowledge to the practical test by serving as interne in the
Charity Hospital at New Orleans & there gained that broad & valuable
knowledge which hospital practice & experience bring. He afterwards
returned to Hot Springs & became associated with his father in practice,
the partnership continuing until the father's death. Since that time Dr.
SANDERS has practiced independently & has steadily advance by reason
of his merit & skill to a point in the front rank of the able physicians of the
city. His practice is now extensive & of an important character & the
results which he secures well entitle him to the enviable reputation that he
now bears. Dr. SANDERS was married to Miss Ethel HALLMAN, a
daughter of Dr. HALLMAN, and they now have 2 sons: Hallman, who is
12 years of age; and Carl, a lad of 7. The parents are consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal church & along strictly professional lines Dr.
SANDERS is connected with the County, State & American Medical
Associations. He served as city health officer in 1914 & 1915. He is keenly
interested in everything that tends to bring to man the key to the complex
mystery which we call life. His reading & study have covered a wide field
& he at all times keeps in touch with the trend of modern thought,
investigation & progress. (From "A Centennial History of Arkansas",
edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives &
History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little
Rock, 1922.)
W. W. GILL, D. D. S.
Dr. W. W. GILL, engaged in the practice of dentistry in Judsonia, is a
native of White Co., Ark., his birth having occurred near West Point, Aug.
23, 1877, his parents being J. C. & Fannie J. (HANSON) GILL, who were
natives of Tenn. & of Alabama, respectively. The father came to Ark. in
1871, settling in White Co. He was a carpenter & devoted most of his time
to his trade, being among the early carpenters of this state. He also farmed
to some extent. He was married here & afterward took up his abode in
Judsonia, where he continued to make his home until his demise, which
occurred in 1885, when he was 38 years of age. His widow long survived,
departing this life in 1914, at the age of 56 years. They were the parents of
4 children, of whom 3 are living: W. W.; R. H., a resident of Memphis,
Tenn.; and G. G., who is located in Judsonia. One child of the family died
in infancy. The mother was a faithful follower of the teachings of the
Methodist Episcopal church. Politically Mr. GILL was a democrat, giving
unfaltering allegiance to the party. Dr. Gill, having acquired his education
in the public schools of Judsonia, started out in the business world as a
clerk in stores & afterward became identified with the dry goods trade
here, in which he was associated for 12 years with C. E. NEWMAN, the
business being carried on under the firm style of NEWMAN & GILL.
Thinking to find a professional career more congenial, however, he
afterward took up the study of dentistry, entering the dental dept. of the
University of Tenn. at Memphis & there winning his D. D. S. degree as a
graduate of the class of 1915. Returning to Judsonia, he opened an office
& has continued in general practice since that date, devoting his entire time
to his professional interests & duties. He has a well equipped office,
supplied with the latest improved appliances & the countless little delicate
instruments which constitute the equipment of a successful dentist. He
belongs to the Northeastern Ark. Dental Assoc., the Ark. State Dental
Assoc. & the Nat'l. Dental Assoc. Dr. GILL was married to Miss Lela C.
BEST, a native of White Co., Ark., and they have become parents of 3
children, of whom the youngest died in infancy, the others being J. W. & B.
E, both at home. The parents are helpful & consistent members of the
Baptist church, in which Dr. Gill is serving as a deacon, and both he & his
wife are teachers in Sunday school. They manifest a most earnest interest in
all branches of the church work & have done everything in their power to
promote the growth of the church & extend its influence. Fraternally Dr.
GILL is a mason, belonging to Anchor Lodge No. 384, A. F. & A. M., of
Judsonia. He has always voted with the democratic party and has served as
recorder of his town for 13 consecutive years. He likewise filled the
position of secretary of the school board of Judsonia for 12 years & the
cause of education has found in him a most worthy champion. His labors
are a forceful element in public progress & the worth of his work is widely
acknowledged. At the same time he is making steady progress & winning
substantial success in his profession by reason of the thoroughness with
which he does his work & the employment of the most modern scientific
methods in the care of the teeth. (From "A Centennial History of
Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of
Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
W. H. L. WOODYARD, M. D.
Dr. W. H. L. WOODYARD, devoting his attention to the practice of
medicine & surgery in Judsonia, while his labors have proven his capability
to cope with many intricate & involved professional problems, was born in
N. Carolina, Jan. 28, 1866, & comes of English ancestry. His grandfather,
Stanford WOODYARD, was a native of England & on crossing the
Atlantic settled in N. Carolina, where he spent his remaining days. His son,
Stanford WOODYARD, was born in that state and after reaching adult age
wedded Nancy MONTGOMERY, who was likewise born in that state
while her father was a native of Scotland. He took up his abode in the Old
North state when he came to the new world & there his remaining days
were passed. Stanford WOODYARD, the Doctor's father, conducted a
shoe & harness shop at Greensboro, N. Carolina, for a considerable period,
employing several negroes in his shop, for he was a slave owner of that
period. He acquired his education in the common schools & afterward
learned the trades of making shoes & harness & also became a millwright,
constructing a number of mills in his native state. At the beginning of the
Civil War he enlisted in the Confederate army & served throughout the
entire period of the war. While he was at the front he lost almost
everything that he had previously acquired, but at the close of hostilities he
returned home & resumed work at his trade, remaining in N. Carolina until
1873, when he removed to Independence Co., Ark., making the trip
overland with wagon, horses & mules. It required several weeks to make
the trip and he crossed the Mississippi river on a ferry below St. Louis.
After reaching his destination Mr. WOODYARD entered the milling
business, following his trade in Independence. He built water mills in
Independence co. & operated these on his own account. Subsequently he
removed to Ravenden Springs, in Randolph Co., where he erected a water
power mill, which he operated until he bought land in Randolph Co. and
began the task of clearing & cultivating a farm. He died in 1893, at the age
of 66 years, while his wife departed this life in 1889 at the age of 54 years.
In their family were 13 children, of whom 6 are still living: Ella, now the
wife of W. F. GRAY, a truck farmer at Cushman, Ark.; Hattie, who is the
widow of W. D. HORN of Brownwood, Tex.; Charles, a farmer of Portia,
Ark.; P. W., a merchant of Hoxie, Ark.; W. H. L., of this review; and Allie,
of the state of Washington. Those who have departed this life are: Cyrus,
who was engaged in the milling business with his father & died at the age
of 35; B. R., a physician who was engaged in the practice of medicine in
Little Rock at the time of his death, which occurred when he was 49 years
of age; Gib, who was also graduated from the Memphis Hospital Medical
College, and practiced his profession in Independence Co., Ark. , to the
time of his death at the age of 27 years; Margie, who was the wife of W. D.
HANKIN whose death occurred at the age of 46 years, in Birmingham; and
3 who died in infancy. The parents were consistent members of the
Presbyterian church & Mr. WOODYARD was also identified with the
Masonic lodge. He gave political endorsement to the democratic party. Dr.
WOODYARD was educated in the La Crosse Academy at La Crosse,
Ark., and attended high school at Westplains, Missouri. He afterward
entered the Missouri College of St. Louis & following the completion of
his course of study there practiced at Ravenden Springs, Ark., where he
maintained an office until 1892. He then removed to Pleasant Plains, where
he lived until 1893, when he entered the Memphis Hospital Medical
College & won his M. D. degree in 1894. In that year he returned to
Pleasant Plains, where he continued until 1903 & in the meantime did
post-graduate work in Chicago Clinical School. He afterward removed to
Judsonia, where he opened an office & through the intervening period has
continued in general medical practice. He is now associated with W. R.
FELTS, of whom he had been a partner since 1913, and he has long
accorded a prominent position in the ranks of the medical fraternity in his
section of the state. He has membership in the White Co. Medical Society,
the Ark. State Medical Society, the Southern Medical Assoc. & the Amer.
Medical Assoc. & devotes the major part of his time & attention to his
practice, which is not only extensive but of a most important character.
Dr. WOODYARD was married to Miss Aurelia WOOD, a native of Ark.,
and they have become the parents of 4 children: Jessie, at home; Gladys,
the wife of J. H. GRAVES, station agent at Judsonia; Gypsy, at home; and
Billie, who is attending the Tenn. Military Institute at Sweetwater, Tenn.
Mrs. WOODYARD belongs to the Baptist church. Dr. WOODYARD is a
Mason, having membership in Anchor Lodge No. 384, A. F. & A. M., and
also in Albert Pike Consistory, in which he has attained the 32nd degree of
the Scottish Rite, being identified therewith since 1905. He has passed
through all the chairs in the blue lodge & is a worthy follower & exemplar
of the teachings of the craft. He likewise has membership in the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political views are in accord with
the teachings & purposes of the democratic party, but he has never sought
office. He has interests, however, outside the strict path of his profession,
for which he has since been vice president, and he also has farming & stock
raising interests, deriving a considerable revenue from his rented farm land.
(From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon,
the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)
JOHN E. MILLER
John E. MILLER of Searcy & prosecuting attorney of his judicial circuit
comprising five counties, was born in Aid, Missouri, May 15, 1888, and is
a son of John A. and Mary K. (HARPER) MILLER, who are natives of
Stoddard county, Missouri. The father, cattle and hogs. He has carried on
an extensive business and has met with substantial success in his
agricultural and stock raising interests, which he began following his
service in the Civil war, in which he was with the Confederate army,
spending much of his time at Cape Girardeau and Bloomfeild, Missouri. He
participated in several skirmishes and was on active duty until the close of
hostilities, whence he turned his attention to the work of developing his
land and raising stock. He has now reached the age of seventy- three years
, while his wife is sixty- nine years of age. Both are members of the Baptist
church. In their family were eight children, five of whom are living: E.
E.,who makes his home near Puxico, Missouri, where he follows farming;
Eunice May, who is a graduate of the Cape Girardeau Normal School and
now a teaching at Caruthersville, Missouri; Iva Beatrice, also a graduate of
the Cape Girardeau Normal School and now a teacher in the high school at
Bloomfield; Oden Ray, who is pursuing a pharmaceutical course in the
Washington University at St. Louis, Missouri; and John E. Two of the
children died in infancy, while one daughter, Edith Victoria, became the
wife of T. J. MCDOWELL & died in 1899 at the age of 25 years, leaving 2
sons: Alfred L. & Samuel H. The former is with her parents & the latter is
now employed in the transportation dept. of the Chicago & Eastern Ill. RR
at Danville, Ill. John E. MILLER pursued his education in the rural
schools of Stoddard Co., Missouri, in the high school at Bloomfield & in
the State Normal at Cape Girardeau, while later he took a law preparatory
course at Valparaiso Univ. He did not study continuously but at intervals
taught in 6 different rural schools of Stoddard Co., Missouri, and thus
earned the money which enabled him to continue his education. At the age
of 18 years he was elected principle of his home school. He never
abandoned his plan of becoming a member of the bar, however, and was
graduated from the Kentucky St. Univ. of Law on the 6th of June, 1912,
with the B. L. degree. On the 13th of June he became a resident of Searcy,
where he opened an office, entering into partnership with J. N.
RACHEALS, with whom he was connected until 1915. He then formed a
partnership with C. E. YINGLING and is still associated with him in
general law practice. He served as assistant attorney for the Missouri &
North Arkansas Railroad for two years and he has always enjoyed a good
private practice. He likewise filled the office of city attorney for three years
and on the 1st of January, 1919, became prosecuting attorney of the
judicial circuit, comprising White, Woodruff, St. Francis, Lee and Phillips
counties. He handled the prosecution in connection with the Elaine race
riot in 1919 and has tried many other important cases. For the past to years
he has been attorney for the Arkansas Hydro Electric Company, of which
he is also one of the directors. Aside from his professional interests he has
investments in farm lands. On the 21st of October, 1914, Mr. MILLER
was married to Miss Ethel Lucile LINDSEY, a native of Lee county,
Arkansas, and a daughter of R. H. LINDSEY. They have one child, Mary
Louise, now two years of age. The parents are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, South, and Mr. MILLER is serving on the board of
stewards. He is a Chapter Mason, belonging to Searcy Lodge No. 49, A. F.
& A. M., and Tillman Chapter, No.52, R. A. M., in which he has filled all
of the chairs. He is likewise identified with the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and
aside from serving as city attorney he was a member of that body which
framed the organic law of the state. His ability is widely recognized and has
brought him to a point of leadership in connection with public interests in
his section of the state. (From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited
by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History,
published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922.)