Talkingtonjo
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JOSEPH TALKINGTON was born in
Hempstead county, Arkansas, August 22, 1831, and is probably as well acquainted
with the hardships and trying experiences incident to pioneer life as any
man now living. He lives on a farm three miles southwest of Moscow,
Washington.
Mr. Talkington was the son of Edward P. and
Elizabeth (Bland) Talkington, early pioneers of Arkansas. The father
was born in Kentucky but came to Arkansas ten years prior to that state's
admission to the union, and was a pioneer in Hempstead county and later
in Washington county. He traced his ancestry back to England, and
died at the age of sixty-three in 1870. The mother was born in Pennsylvania,
but was reared in Kentucky. She went in company with her parents
and the parents of her husband to Arkansas, and died in 1872.
Our subject is the eldest of a family of eleven
children, all of whom grew to maturity but only one of them, besides our
subject, being now alive. We refer to a brother, Joel D., of Polk
county, Arkansas.
Until he became twenty-three years of age
Mr. Talkington remained with his parents on a farm. In 1854 he crossed
the plains with an ox team to California, in which state he lived for some
years engaged in freighting with his headquarters principally at Mariposa
and Stockton. In the fall of 1860 he returned to Arkansas by stage
through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. He was forced by conscript
to join the confederate army, but after a few months of service and many
thrilling adventures and narrow escapes from death, he managed to escape
from the army. He was pursued and shot at many times by the rebel
troops, but fortunately was never wounded. After leaving the army
he followed farming.
Mr. Talkington was married February 14, 1861,
to Rebecca A. Kirk, in Sebastian county, Arkansas. His wife was born
in Tennessee but was reared in Missouri, and was the daughter of John and
Lucy (Long) Kirk. To this marriage have been born six children, J.
Albert, married to Miss Seemore McMillan; Thomas E., married to Belle Long;
William E., married to Maggie Moore; Walter L., married to Grace Plumlee;
Anna Belle, wife of G. A. Bumpass; and Lillie May, wife of Eli Goodwin.
The family came to this vicinity in the fall
of 1889, and has succeeded, though poor at the time of coming here, in
accumulating a vast amount of property. Mr. Talkington has three
hundred and twenty acres of choice school land leased, all tilled and improved
according to the most modern methods. His son Walter lives with him,
and he too, is well supplied with land. He has four hundred and eighty
acres, well improved and cultivated. Mr. Talkington's buildings are
modern and convenient, he has an excellent water, system and other improvements
in proportion.
He and his family belong to the Evangelical
church.
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