Biographies from Johnson, Arkansas

Biographies from Johnson, Washington County, Arkansas

Goodspeed: History of Washington County, Ark.
William Mayes [page 62]
...farmer, stock raiser, and native of Washington County, Ark., was born April 19, 1841, and is a son of Samuel and Lucinda (Miller) Mayes, who were born in Illinois, and came to Arkansas in 1832, where they spent the remainder of their days. The father was a farmer and after coming to Arkansas served as justice of the peace for a number of years. William Mayes is the fourth of their seven children, and received his education in the common schools and the Arkansas College, engaging in agricultural pursuits after leaving the latter institution. Two years later the war broke out, and he was forced to join the Confederate army, but succeeded in making his escape about three months later, at the battle of Prairie Grove, and joined the Union army, and for faithful service was promoted to the post of orderly sergeant of the First Arkansas Battery. At a later period he was promoted to second lieutenant, serving in this capacity until the close of the war, when he was mustered out at Ft. Smith, Ark., and returned home. During eight months just before the close of the war be commanded the First Arkansas Battery, though only lieutanant commanding. He was appointed and commissioned captain of Company A. Washington County State Guards, by Gov. Powell Clayton, 1866-67. He is a stanch Republican in his political views and is commander of the G.A.R., Post 34, Springdale, Ark. He also belongs to the A.F. & A.M. In 1869 he was married to Miss Amanda E. Pierson, who was born in Washington County, Ark., in 1841, and by her became the father of three sons:Charles S. (a student in the State University of Arkansas), Robert C. and Etter M. (deceased when an infant.)

Washington County History Book:

Because of the length of these articles, and the information includes both facts and oral family history and sometimes it is difficult to tell which is which, I am listing the family tree information. If you would like a copy of a family page, you should be able to get a copy from the Genealogy Library in Fayetteville, or the Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society.
John Boswell

Born 22 Dec 1833 Newton Co., Ind. Son of Edward (1796-1866) and Mary Polly Boswell. John married Lodemae Adaline Colclasure 29 Nov 1955 and moved to Washington Co., AR. John served in Co. B., 1st Ark. Cav as a private. John and Lodemae had several children: Edward, Mary, Pearlina, Dona, Garrett, Susan, and Effie. After the Civil War, John moved his family near Springfield, Greene Co., MO, then to rural Barry Co., MO. John died 24 Oct 1912. Lodemae died 29 Jan 1923. Both buried in Osa Cem., Barry Co., MO. --by Shirley Baldwin

Hon. David Bridenthal

Born 7 July 1823 in Johnstown, PA, son of John Anthony and Elizabeth (Hoevel) Bridenthal. He married Catherine Lucella Ashford of Oakland Plantation, Courtland, Ala. on 3 Aug 1849. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862. He then came to Washington Co., Ark. where he established the Clear Creek Academy and operated it until the 1870s. David and Catherine had 5 children: Ada J. (1850-1881) married John S. Bookout; Thomas John (1851-1927) who married Laura T. Rader; Elizabeth Hoevel (1854-1897) who married Thomas William White; David Augustus (1855-1893) who married Artelia M. Couch; and Maud Elgin (1860-1930) who married Alexander Bird Henson. David and Catherine are buried at Gehring Cem., Fayetteville, Ark. David Augustus, died suddenly at age 33 on 27 Sept 1893. He left his wife and 5 small children: David Ernest (1885-1922) who married Grace Brogdon; Homer "Gus" Augustus (1887-1950) who married Julia Morton; Ewell Alfred (1888-1966) who married Caroline Courtney; Virgil (1890-1902) and Harry Lee (1894-1963) who married 1-Sarah Lillie Carl and 2-Lucille Comer. David Augustus Bridenthal was buried at Gehring Cemtery as was his son, Virgil, who died at age 12. David Ernest is buried in Evergreen Cem. in Fayetteville, and the other sons, Homer Augustus, Ewell Alfred and Harry Lee are all buried at Fairview Cem, along with their mother Artelia.--by Mary B. Clark

Nathan Virgil Hanks

Nathan D. Hanks, Sr. born April 11, 1811 Lincoln Co., NC. Married Martha B. Baker born 3 Dec 1815, on 17 Sept 1833. Migrated in 1834 to Boonesboro, AR (later called Cane Hill). Was a wagon maker. Parents of 8 children. One son, Sam Hanks, a Confederate soldier, killed and buried at Vicksburg. Nathan Hanks Jr. became a Presbyterian Minister. Son John Hanks moved to Higginsville, MO. Daughter Roseata went to Ill. to teach and later married Willis Cooper. Another daughter married a Holland, and they had a daughter, Mattie Holland, who went to live with her grandparents after her parents died. She married David Ross. Daughter Medeline Hanks never married. A nephew came from Ill, Nathan Virgil Hanks, son of Green Pinkney Hanks, another son of Nathan D. Hanks Sr. Nathan Sr. died June 11, 1892; Martha B. Hanks died Sept 15, 1894. Both buried Cane Hill Cem. Green Pinkney Hanks was born at Cane Hill, Ark. 8 June 1837. Attended Cane Hill College. Served in Company A, 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, suffering a hip injury. Ordinated a minister 1869. Married Cynthia Carriger November 1856, parenting one son, Thomas W. Hanks, born 28 Aug 1858. Cynthia died 2 years later. January 1861, G.P. married Nancy A. Breeding, parenting 5 children: Marvin born Jan 1862; Wilbur G. born 28 June 1867; Melvin born Feb 1869; Nathan Virgil born 14 Oct 1871; and Annie born 10 March 1875. In 1855, G.P. returned to Arkansas. He married Mrs. Frances (Fannie) Gault in 1888. She was born Bedford Co., TN. Fannie Fears Hanks died 12 Mar 1920 and G.P. Hanks died 8 June 1929, both buried in Shady Grove Cemetery. Nathan Virgil Hanks married Maud E. Mason on 4 November 1897. Maud was born at Spring Creek, Benton Co., AR, 7 May 1877, d/o John E. Mason and Bettie Ruth Cox. Nathan V. and Maude E. had one son and four daughters: Burl Miller Hanks born 15 April 1909. He was killed in a train wreck in Barstow, CA 28 Dec 1941, buried in Stuckey Cem. Daughter Elizabeth Medeline born 12 November 1899 married Thomas William Farish. Daughter Marion Blache Hanks was born 17 November 1901, married Lester I. Elliott. Daughter Bernice Virgil Hanks was born 13 December 1904 at Johnson, marrying Edmond I. Bailey 27 Sept 1930. Bonnie Maydell Hanks, the youngest daughter, still lives in Springdale. Maud E. Hanks died 21 Nov 1971; buried at Stuckey Cem.--by Bonnie Hanks

Burtice Dayne Johnson

Born on the B.F. Johnson homestead farm on the Middle Fork of White River between Fayetteville and Elkins on June 29, 1902, he was one of the three children born to B.B. Johnson and Josie Lichlyter Johnson. When four-years old, the family moved to the Johnson Farm at Johnson to live with B.B.'s parents. Age 24, he married Mamie Wilson, on 10 Nov 1926. Their children were, Ina Mae, Doris Jean, Charles, David Lee, Marion Leroy. Dayne Johnson suffered a heart-attack in Springdale on 6 July 1979; buried Stuckey Cem.--by Ina Newberry

R.M. Lichlyter

In 1840 the families of R.M. Woods and David T. Lichlyter floated their families from Lookout Mountains of eastern Tennessee. The Lichlyter family included father, mother and 11 children: John, Aaron, Anderson, Gideon, George, William, Rufus, Julia, Jane, Phine, and Harrison. They finally settled near Cove Creek, in Washington Co., Ark. Mintie Woods married John Lichlyter, and Mary Woods married Joe Reed; Kizzie Woods married Jonse Reed. David Lichlyter and his son John moved later to Springdale, Ark. A genealogy of the Lichlyter family from 1741 is available in the Springdale Library. --by R.M. Lichlyter

Samuel Mayes

Born in Georgia on 7 Aug 1808. He married Lucinda Miller, daughter of Joseph and Jane (Duff) Miller on 22 Sept 1833. He moved to Washington County, Ark., settling south of Fayetteville. He worked in Miller's tannery at Fayetteville. Samuel and Lucinda has six known children: Joseph M. Mayes married 1- Sarah P. Collins, 2-Rhoda (Sutton) Collins; Emily Mayes married John W. Wilson; Robert H. Mayes married Charlotte Wilson; William E. Mayes married Amanda Peerson; Samuel Jr. Mayes married 1-Jane Webb and 2-Rebecca Ford; and James Franklin Mayes married Germania Belle Shreve. After the Civil War, Samuel Mayes Sr. and son William E. Mayes joined with Jacob Q. Johnson to restore the old Hewitt Mill at Johnson. It had been destroyed through depredation of the Civil War. Samuel Mayes Sr. died 3 Feb 1879. William Mayes sold his interest in the mill to the Johnson family. William had served in the Union Army during the Civil War, as Lieutenant in Battery A, First Arkansas Artillery. --by C. Vale Mayes

William E. Mayes

Son of Samuel, born 1808 in Georgia, who came to Northwest Arkansas in 1830, settling near the present-day Greenland. Samuel married Lucinda Miller. William E. Mayes joined the Confederate army as a private in Company A, 2ne Regiment, Arkansas Infantry. After the war, William E. married Amanda E. Peerson and built a home at Johnson.--by Vale Mayes.
William Penn Reed

Born at Elm Springs on January 20, 1852, William Penn Reed was the son of Lewis Reed whose ancestors are traced to a North Carolina Revolutionary War soldier. He married Dora Greathouse, who was born in 1852. Penn and Dora had seven children, as well as raising her son by an earlier marriage. They included Margaret (1886-1982), Lewis (1888-1945), Alex (1889-1898), Kate (1892-1973), Fred Penn (1896-1930), Joseph Summers (1899-1920), and Lelia (1901-1957). Penn was stricken with a kidney ailment and died within a week on May 20, 1906 at the age of fifty-four. At the death of Penn Reed, Dora Greathouse was left with six children ranging from ninteen to five years of age. A more complete 105-page history of the Reed Family is available through Tammi Reed Ledbetter (1030 Eva, Fayetteville, Arkansas.)[Note: this address was correct at the time of publishing in the 1980s.

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