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BIOGRAPHIES LAWRENCE COUNTY/ARKANSAS GENEALOGY TRAILS Source: Biographical and Historical Memors of Northeast Arkansas, c.1891 Goodspeed Publishing Co., p. 773. Transcribed by Anna Newell-November 2006 Samuel H. Ball, a prominent merchant of Ravenden, Lawrence County, was born in Rutherford County, Tenn., in November 1850, and is a son of William J. Ball, whose adventurous career has been portrayed in the sketch on this page. Mr. Ball remained with his father in his store until he reached his twenty-eighth year. He then established a store for himself in 1879 at Opposition, Ark., and carried on a profitable business up to the year 1882. In 1883 he moved to Ravenden, built a magnificent residence and a large, commodious store, and put in a large stock of merchandise, where he has been holding forth ever since. His store is two stories in height, the upper story being devoted to furniture, undertakers' goods, clothing, etc.; the lower, dry goods, boots and shoes, groceries and general plantation supplies. He handles both cotton and stock to a great extent, and altogether does a business of $35,000 to $40,000 annually. He is also interested in a large cotton gin, and besides owns two large farms, situated on Spring River, one in Lawrence and the other in Randolph County, being a farmer as well as a successful merchant. The third business house opened in Ravenden, after the location of the Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis Railroad, was by Mr. Ball, and he is the leading man of the place. In November 1878 he was married to Mrs. Margaret Williford, of Randolph County, a charming widow. Since then five children have been added to the family: Cleo, Luther, Marvin, Ernest and Lillian. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ball are consistent members of the Christian Church. The former is a Democrat politically, a Mason and a member of Ravenden Lodge No. 451, of which he is Junior Warden. Source: Biographical & Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, c1889. Contributed by Anna Newell-July 2006 William J. Ball, retired
merchant and farmer, was born near Murfreesboro,
Rutherford County, Tenn., September 13, 1825. He is a son
of W. T. Ball, an Englishman, and a native of
Worcestershire, whose histories and adventures would fill
a volume. The elder Ball was a soldier in the English
army, and fought under the famous Wellington. He took
part in seven battles against the great Napoleon, and
fought under Blucher on the memorable field of Waterloo.
He was a member of the British army at the battle of New
Orleans, but the principles of liberty were so strongly
instilled in his mind that he found it impossible to
fight against them, and deserted the ranks to join the
younger nation in its struggle against the mother
country. After the war had ended, he came to the State of
Tennessee and settled in Rutherford County, where he was
married to Miss Jane Jordan, a native of that State,
whose father was one of its pioneers. He resided in
Rutherford County, one mile from Murfreesboro, up to the
year 1835, when he moved to Bradley's Creek, of the same
county, and lived there till 1851, then selling out and
moving to Gibson County, where he lived until 1867. He
then moved back to Rutherford County, where he died in
1873. Source: Biographical and Historical
Memors of Northeast Arkansas, c. 1891 Goodspeed
Publishing Co., Transcribed by Anna Newell-November 2006 Joseph M. Barlow, farmer and stock raiser, came from Illinois to the State of Arkansas in the fall of 1879. His occupation on his arrival was simply farming until the year 1888, when he moved to his present place, known as the Cross Roads farm, which consists of 342 acres of land, with about 140 acres under cultivation, and now has a good frame residence, a cotton-gin, gristmill and blacksmith shop, besides his interests in stock raising. Mr. Barlow also owns a farm nearby which he rents out. This place consists of 120 acres, of which forty acres are under cultivation, and contains a fine orchard of about 100 peach and apple trees, besides a great number of small fruits. There are also a good frame and a log house on the land, which is situated one mile south east of Portia. Mr. Barlow is a son of John and Sinah (Finley) Barlow of Illinois, and was born in Montgomery County, Illinois July 14, 1841. His father died while still a young man, in 1854, and he remained with his mother until his nineteenth year, when he married and commenced farming on his own account. In the spring of 1861 he enlisted in the army and served until expiration of enlistments, and in July 1862 he once more enlisted in the Third Illinois Cavalry, and was discharged shortly afterward on account of general disability contracted in service. In June 1864 he entered the army again for the third time, and served until he was mustered out, October 19, 1865. Mr. Barlow first entered the ranks as a private, but soon afterward was promoted to be a sergeant, and his record through the war is one that can be placed among the best of that period. He took part in the battles at Haines' Bluff, Arkansas Post, and a hot scrimmage at Memphis in 1865. He was also in the campaign against Hood at Nashville and in the fight at that place. Mr. Barlow was married, November 17, 1859 to Miss Catherine Chapman of Montgomery County, IL, who died in that locality in 1868. The children by this wife are: Dora A., wife of John Davenport, and a son, who lived until his seventeenth year. He was again married on February 18, 1869 to Mrs. Nancy L. Klutts, a widow lady, of Montgomery County, and this union has given them two children: Sinah J. and Clara E. Mr. and Mrs. Barlow are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which the former is district steward, and Mr. Barlow is a member of G. A. R., Lawrence Post No. 8, and is adjutant of that post. He is also a Master Mason and senior deacon of his lodge, and belongs to the Knights of Honor. In politics he is a Republican, and was elected justice of the peace for his township, and at the expiration of his term was elected county coroner. At the end of that term he was nominated for county and probate judge by the Wheel, and endorsed by the Republicans, as the latter made no nominations. Mr. Barlow has adopted Arkansas as his future residence and expects to live and die in Lawrence County. Source: Biographical & Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, c1889. Contributed by Anna
Newell-June 2006 John C. McKinney, a leading farmer of Lawrence County, Smithville postoffice, was born in Alabama, February 20, 1839, a son of James and Patsey M. (Holder) McKinney. James was born in North Carolina, April 3, 1819, was reared and married in Alabama, came to Polk County, MO about 1844 and in 1857 moved to Sharp County, where he resided until his death in 1863. His father, Francis McKinney, of Scotch and Welsh descent, was born in South Carolina. He served throughout the Revolutionary War and died in Polk County, MO. Our subject's mother was born in Alabama in 1826; she died about 1867, being the mother of ten children, five of whom are now living: Thomas M., Elizabeth A., William B., Samuel B. and John C., our subject, who came to Polk County, MO at the age of eight years where he received his education. On March 4, 1860, he married Lucinda Daily, who was born in Polk County, MO in 1839 and died in September 1882. She was the mother of six children, all living: Sarah J., wife of William Hollen; Melvina J., wife of Jeff D. Estes; Mary A., Davis L., William G., Dora J. In November 1884 he married Hannah Williams, who was born in Louisiana in 1855. Mr. McKinney has 285 acres of land, about 100 cultivated, located on Strawberry River. He enlisted in Company F, Shaffer's regiment, Seventh Arkansas Infantry Volunteers and served until May 1865. He was a private the first year, corporal the second and afterward captain of a company till the close, when he returned home and resumed farming. He has been a resident of this county since 1875 and has held the office of Justice of the Peace two years. He is a Democrat, having cast his first presidential vote for Breckinridge. He is a member of Masonic Lodge No. 29, at Smithville. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church. 2006 Anna Newell, Arkansas Genealogy Trails |