History of El Paso, (White County) Arkansas United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for El Paso, (White County) Arkansas, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

H. K. Adams, merchant at El Paso, Ark., and one of the leading citizens of that city, was born in Rockingham County, N. C., January 29, 1846, being the son of Samuel and Francis (Reid) Adams. Samuel Adams was a farmer by occupation, and a native of Virginia, but most of his life was passed in North Carolina. He was married in that State (where he had a fine farm), and died there in 1870, at the age of sixty-three years. He was magistrate for a number of years, and an energetic, enterprising citizen, and in whatever place he resided that locality might well consider itself the better for his citizenship. His wife died in 1854. She was a sister of Ex-Gov. Reid, of North Carolina, and her mother was a lady of national fame, who had near relatives on the supreme bench of Florida. H. K. Adams is the fifth in a family of eight children, five of whom are now living: Fanny B. (wife of J. W. Thompson, teacher in the Edinburgh High School, in Cleburne County, Ark.), Henrietta (wife of W. P. Watson, a farmer of Monroe County, Ark.), Reuben (a teacher in Prattsville) and Frank R. (a printer, married, and residing in Texas.) Those deceased are: Samuel F. (who lost his life at the hands of raiders, in 1865), David R. (died in college at Madison, N. C., aged eighteen) and Annie E. (who died in infancy.) H. K. Adams was reared on a farm, receiving a good common-school education at the district schools, and at the age of twenty-one launched his bark and began life for himself. He had nothing with which to cope with the world but a stout heart and his wit, and though it was rather discouraging, he never lost heart, and as a natural result was successful. He began first as a clerk in a country store at Boyd's Mill, N. C. A year later he enlisted in Company E, Forty-fifth North Carolina Regiment, and served until the surrender, in May, 1865, participating in the battle of the Wilderness and numerous other skirmishes, but through his entire career was never wounded. At the battle of Spottsylvania he was taken prisoner and held at Point Lookout and Elmira, in all about six months. He was again captured on the retreat from Petersburg, a few days before the surrender of Gen. Lee, and carried to Point Lookout, and remained in prison six weeks after the close of the war. After this Mr. Adams returned to his native State and engaged in farming until 1869, then coming to Arkansas (St. Francis County) where he resided two years. His next move was to El Paso, and after tilling the soil some two years he was engaged as clerk for W. H. Grisard, a prosperous merchant, for several years. For two years he was with C. P. Warren, and at the end of that time (1884) formed a partnership with J. T. Phelps and J. C. Harkrider, under the firm name of Adams, Phelps & Co. A short time later Mr. Phelps sold his interest to the other gentleman, the firm name becoming Adams & Harkrider. Mr. Adams eventually purchased the entire stock, and after a time formed a partnership with B. A. Neal, whose interest he bought, and then Mr. J. T. Booth purchased an interest, and since that time the firm has been known as Adams & Booth. They are doing a splendid business, and carry a well-assorted stock of general merchandise. Being wide-awake merchants and eminently responsible they command the respect of the entire community. Mr. Adams was united in marriage June 7, 1874, to Miss Florence Harkrider, a native of Alabama and a daughter of W. H. Harkrider, a farmer and mechanic of White County. Their union has been blessed with ten children, six of them now living: Martha F. (born in April, 1875), William S. (born in July, 1876, died in August, 1883), Hugh K., Jr. (born in March, 1878, and died in September, 1879), David C. (born in November, 1879), Dean (born in May, 1881, died in August, 1883), Eva E. (born in November, 1882), Horace E. (born in July, 1884), Sarah Florence (born in November, 1885, died in July, 1886), Myrtle I. (born in January, 1887), and Grace (born in February, 1889). Mr. Adams is giving his children all the advantages of good schools, and is determined that they shall have every opportunity for an education, regardless of expense. Himself and wife are members of the El Paso Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Adams is at present a member of the school board and a notary public. He has served his township as bailiff for a number of years. In addition to his mercantile business he owns a small farm, which is carefully cultivated and yields excellent crops. In his political views he is a Democrat, but not an enthusiast.

From: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, GoodSpeed Publishing Co., 1890

Thomas Smith Anderson, a prosperous merchant and cotton dealer, of El Paso, Ark., was born in Madison County, Tenn., August 2, 1832, and is a son of Samuel Lindsay Anderson, who is of Scotch-Irish descent and was born in the "Palmetto State." His ancestors, as well as his wife's (Eliza Braden), came to this country while it was still subject to the British crown and fought in the Revolutionary War. The paternal grandparents were married in Newberry District, S. C., and removed to Tennessee between 1800 and 1812, their son, Samuel L., being born in 1800, and died May 22, 1884, his wife dying in Tennessee in 1847. A great uncle, Joshua Anderson, was under the jurisdiction of Gen. Jackson during the War of 1812, and took part in the battle of New Orleans. In 1858 our subject came to Arkansas and located in Puiaski County (now Faulkner), where, in company with his brother, James A. Anderson, he purchased 420 acres of land, and at the time of his brother's death, in June, 1885, had cleared about 100 acres. In July, 1861, Thomas S. Anderson enlisted in Company B, Tenth Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States army, and served as second sergeant until the fall of 1862, when he was promoted to brevet second lieutenant, remaining such until the summer of 1865. He was at the battle of Shiloh in charge of the commissary department of his regiment. He was captured at Port Hudson, La., and was a prisoner of war for twenty-one months, being confined at Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, Point Lookout (Md.), and then transferred to Fort Delaware, about forty miles from Philadelphia. He was exchanged at Richmond, Va., and started to rejoin his command at Marshall, Tex., but in his attempt to regain his regiment he was compelled to endure many hardships, and, owing to exposure, he contracted rheumatism, but finally managed to reach Shreveport, that garrison being under command of Gen. Kirby Smith, and with him surrendered. He arrived at home the middle of June, and again, in company with his brother, who had also been in the Confederate army, took up farming. On May 12, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Ann Laws, of Haywood County, Tenn, origin, and a daughter of J. P. and Minerva (Leathers) Laws, who were born in North Carolina. In 1878 Mr. Anderson purchased a stock of general merchandise and opened a store at El Paso, where he has successfully conducted business ever since, and, in connection with this, keeps a line of such furniture as is demanded in his community. He is also an extensive dealer in cotton, and his annual sales for this commodity amount to $10,000 to $12,000. Mr. Anderson votes with the Democratic party, and while a resident of Faulkner County, and since the war, he has served as justice of the peace. He is a Mason, having been initiated into that society in 1859; was secretary of El Paso Lodge for several years, but has been demitted to Velonia Lodge, being its Master one year. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

From: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, GoodSpeed Publishing Co., 1890

M. Love Booth, retired farmer and merchant, was born in Middle Tennessee, Bedford County, in 1819, but owing to his father's early removal to Haywood County, he was reared there. The parents, James and Mary (Lofton) Booth, were both Virginians, and after residing in Tennessee for many years they removed to White County, Ark., and died at the home of their son in 1861. He was a member of the Baptist Church, a Mason, a lifelong Democrat, and was for years sheriff of Bedford County. After his wife's death, which occurred in 1851, he married again and came to Arkansas. M. Love Booth is the third of their six children, four now living: John (deceased, who was a farmer in Tennessee), William (a farmer of West Tennessee), Samira (deceased), M. Love, Susan (the wife of Henry Bacon, of Mississippi) and Louisa (who is the wife of a Tennessee farmer). Our subject has been familiar with farm work from his earliest boyhood, but his early advantages for acquiring an education were not so good. At the age of twenty he was a farm hand, later a trader and stock breeder, and after his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Budrell he became an overseer, and successfully followed that-occupation for forty years. He then gave up that work and built a livery stable in Brownsville, his establishment there being the largest of the kind in the State. In 1858 he came to Arkansas and purchased 320 acres of land near El Paso, seventy acres of which he cleared the first year. He was signally successful until the war broke out, when all his personal property was lost. He did not espouse either cause, and was not molested during those turbulent times. When he came to El Paso there were only two farms open here, but now the greater part of the land is in a high state of cultivation. After the war he, with Thomas Warren, built a large mill, which was destroyed by fire, when he returned to his farm, which he again began to till. He became the possessor of 1,000 acres, and has cleared over 300 acres, and since giving each of his children a farm he still holds 310 acres. His wife died October 1, 1887, and since that time he has made his home with his children, and is at present living with J. T. Phelps, his son-in-law, in El Paso, where he has an interest in the store of M. L. Phelps & Co. Mr. Booth was the first man to build a store in El Paso after the war, and is now managing a livery stable in that place, and, although he has attained the age of seventy years, he is an excellent business manager and is very active. Although quiet in his habits of life, he has always been interested in the public affairs of the county, and has done his full share in making the county what it is. He joined the Masons while in Tennessee, and he as well as his children are members of the Baptist Church. His children's names are here given: Nancy (is the wife of Monroe Oakley, a prosperous farmer of White County), Rebecca (is the wife of John C. Harkness, a farmer of El Paso), Elizabeth L. (is the wife of Thomas K. Noland, a farmer of the county), Narcissus (is the wife of John Russ, a farmer and president of the State Wheel), Martha A. (is the wife of J. T. Phelps, a merchant of El Paso), Mosella B. (deceased) and three infants, deceased.

From: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, GoodSpeed Publishing Co., 1890