Andrew B. Adams
Andrew B. Adams, editor and proprietor of the Daily and Weekly Echo, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was born on July 23, 1851. in Randolph County, Illinois. His parents, John R. and Martha J. (Stevenson) Adams, were both natives of Illinois. This family of Adams are descendants of the old Virginia Adams stock. John R. Adams was a farmer by vocation, and was born in Randolph County, Illinois. He was reared and also lived and died in his native county. Andrew B. Adams was reared on his father’s farm, and secured a good education at Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, Illinois. For five or six years he taught school in Illinois and Missouri, and early learned the printer’s trade by working in different offices. On December 4, 1872, he was united in marriage with Jennie McMurdo, also a native of Randolph County, Illinois. Their union has been blessed by the birth of seven children: Thomas B., Pecha G., Emeline Z., Samael S., Julian B., Victor and Jennie G. After his marriage he removed to Centreville, Missouri, and published the Centreville Echo for three years. From there he went to several different places in Missouri but did not locate. In 1879 he came to Eureka Springs, where he has since been engaged in newspaper work. During the interim between the publication of the old Echo and the establishment of the new paper he was engaged in another office. Mr. Adams is Democratic in politics, and his paper is an ardent advocate of the principles of that party. He is a Royal Arch Mason.
Alvin S. Bobo
Alvin S. Bobo, of the firm of Freeman & Bobo, general merchants of Berryville, Arkansas, is a native of Carroll County, born on November 20, 1852. He is one of a family of seven children born to the marriage of Elisha Bobo and Olivia Wilson, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. The parents were reared and married in their native State and came to Arkansas about 1848. They purchased land in Carroll County, and improved a farm, upon which they resided until the death of the father, in September 1869. The mother still survives. Their family consisted of two sons and five daughters, viz.: Laura, now the wife of H. Elers, of Idaho: Eva, wife of J. R. Smith, of Berryville; Sallie, wife of C. B. Langston, of Hot Springs, Ark.; Joseph, who is unmarried and resides in Berryville; Alvin S., Queen and Lulia. Alvin S. grew to mature years at the home of his parents and secured a good education at Clark’s Academy. After leaving school he was engaged in farming near Berryville until 1881, when he engaged in the flouring-mill business, having built the Berryville Mill in 1879. After spending three years in that business, he sold out, and engaged in his present business. Mr. Freeman became a partner in the business in 1885. The firm carry a large and complete stock and have established a good trade. For the past year Mr. Bobo has also been successfully engaged in the sawmill and lumber business.
Joseph A. Bobo
Joseph A. Bobo, one of the enterprising and public-spirited farmers of Carroll County, Arkansas, is a native of the county, and was born on July 4, 1852. He is a son of Elisha and Ollie (Wilson) Bobo. He was reared at the home of his parents and educated at Clark’s Academy. About 1878 he engaged with his brother in the general mercantile business, and continued selling goods at intervals until June 1888, since which time he has been engaged in farming. He owns two farms, comprising 330 acres, of which 150 are improved and under cultivation. His farms include the old home farm, on which are good buildings and other improvements. Since November 1886, Mr. Bobo has served in the capacity of deputy sheriff and has done the greater part of the business of the sheriff’s office. Mr. Bobo is a man of good habits and fine business qualities and is considered one of the successful men of the county.
Alfred Mc. Bradley
Alfred Mc. Bradley is a Tennesseean, who was born in Jefferson County May 13, 1834. His father, Jesse Bradley, was a native of North Carolina, and a son of James Bradley, also a native of the Old North State. Jesse Bradley was reared in his native State and in East Tennessee. In Jefferson County, Tennessee, he married Susan Coffman, a native of the State. He removed his family to Alabama in 1837, locating in Cherokee County, and resided there until his death, about 1872. Alfred Mc. Bradley was reared on his father’s farm in Cherokee County, Alabama. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate army, joining Col. Shaler’s regiment of infantry. After serving one year with that regiment, he joined Col. Wood’s battalion, and served until they were disbanded at Jackson Post, Arkansas, at the close of the war. He participated in the battle of Poison Springs. Mr. Bradley came to Arkansas in 1854 and located in Searcy County. The following year he married Nancy E. Lawrence, a native of Chattooga County, Georgia, where she was also reared. After their marriage they resided in Searcy County until after the war, when they removed to Barry County, Missouri, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. In the spring of 1867, they came to Carroll County, and the following year located on their present farm. He purchased 120 acres of raw land and has since cleared seventy-five acres and made fair improvements. On his farm is an orchard of over 400 bearing trees of a fine variety of apples. About 1870 Mr. Bradley was elected county treasurer and served two years. In 1886 he was elected justice of the peace of his township, and still serves in that capacity. He and wife have seven children living, namely: Melinda (Mrs. Andrew Walker), Matilda, Martha (Mrs. W. J. Ashe), Melissa (Mrs. A. J. Goforth), Susan, Clementine and Barton Ellis, and five dead, one who died in early childhood, three infants, and Walter, who died September 2, 1887, aged seventeen years. Mr. Bradley is industrious, enterprising and well respected.
Bradley Bunch
Hon. Bradley Bunch, a farmer of Carroll County, and one of the most prominent citizens of Northwest Arkansas, was born in Overton County, Tenn., on December 9, 1818. He is a son of Capt. Nathaniel Bunch, a Virginian by birth, who was reared in Tennessee, where he married Sally Ray, also a native of Virginia. Capt. Nathaniel Bunch resided in Tennessee till 1841, when he removed to Arkansas and settled in Carroll County. This county was afterward divided, and the part in which he resided was placed in Newton County. There he resided until his death, in 1858. While a resident of Tennessee he served as captain of the State militia. Bradley Bunch grew to manhood in his native State, and when eighteen years of age was married to Jane Baswell, who was also born and reared in Tennessee. After their marriage they resided in Tennessee until 1838, when they came to Arkansas and located in Carroll County, in what is now Newton County. In 1846 they removed to a farm in Carroll County and located on their present farm in the spring of 1851. Here Mr. Bunch has one of the finest and best improved farms of the county. He and wife are the parents of six children living and six dead. Of those dead, two died in early childhood and four after they were grown, one of the latter being married. Those living are Nathaniel C.; Caroline, Mrs. Lafayette Champlin; Lucetta, Mrs. William M. Wood; T. S., now in Arizona; E. C., Larkin B. and Laura A. Mr. Bunch has filled numerous public offices of honor and trust. For three successive terms he served as justice of the peace of his township, and in 1850 was elected and served four years as associate justice of the county court. In 1854 he was elected to represent Carroll County in the State Legislature, and was three times re-elected to the same position, serving, in all, four consecutive terms. In 1862 he was elected State senator, but, owing to military disturbances, did not serve. In 1866 he was again chosen to represent the county in the Legislature, and was elected speaker of the House. He was also elected speaker in 1860, and served a term in that capacity. In 1874 he served as a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention, and at the general election, the following September, was again elected State senator. By that body he was elected presiding officer of its deliberations, and served two years in that capacity. In March, 1888. Mr. Bunch was appointed county and probate judge, to fill a vacancy, and still holds the position. In his long public life he has filled every position with satisfaction to his constituents and with credit to himself. Both the Judge and wife are earnest Christians and communicants of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. For many years he has been a Mason.
Christopher C. Chaney
Christopher C. Chaney, a well-to-do farmer and stock raiser of Osage Township, Carroll Co., Arkansas, was born on November 28, 1842, on the farm where he now resides. He is a son of J. C. and N. D. (Seahorn) Chaney, both natives of Tennessee. The parents removed from Tennessee to Arkansas about 1838, and settled on the place where our subject now resides. While a resident of Tennessee J. C. Chaney served as colonel of a regiment of militia. He died on his farm in Carroll County in 1864. Christopher C. was reared at the home of his parents, and in August 1861, enlisted in the Confederate army. He served in Col. Gunter’s regiment about two months, and in the latter part of 1862 was assigned to Col. Peel’s regiment, with which he served until it was disbanded at Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1865. Besides several skirmishes he participated in the following engagements: Jenkin’s Ferry, Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Returning home in June 1865, Mr. Chaney engaged in farming and stock raising. In January 1869, he was united in marriage with Winifred C. Usrey, a native of Tennessee. She remained in her native State until she was nine years of age, when she came to Carroll County. She is a daughter of Samuel Usrey, deceased. Mr. Chaney settled on his father’s old homestead. The farm contains 200 acres of land, of which 150 are under cultivation, with fair improvements. Besides his farming interests Mr. Chaney owns a threshing machine, which he operates during the threshing season. He and wife have eight children, namely: Alfred B., Albert D., William Thomas, George Walker, Robert E., Henry F., Jesse S. and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Chaney are communicants of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Archimedes Davis
Archimedes Davis, one of the prominent attorneys of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is a native of Abingdon, Washington Co., Virginia. He was born on December 12, 1850, and is a son of Archimedes and Mary V. (Fulkerson) Davis. The father was of English and Welsh extraction, and a native of Virginia. By profession he was a lawyer. He also owned several plantations, which he managed. For twenty years before his death, he was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. In politics he was a stanch Democrat. His death occurred in 1865. His wife was also a native of the “Old Dominion.” Two of her brothers were colonels in the Confederate army, and one of them has been in Congress since the war. She is still living at the old home in Virginia at the age of seventy-five years. Our subject was reared on his father’s farm and secured a good education, which was finished at King College, Bristol, Tennessee. In 1870 he began reading law with his uncle, Frank Fulkerson, of Rogersville, Tennessee, and continued for one year. Thence he went to Bristol and finished his law education with York & Fulkerson, the latter being his mother’s youngest brother. He obtained license to practice at Abingdon, Virginia, and came west in 1873. Locating at Marshall, Searcy Co., Arkansas, he practiced law there ten years, after which he came to Eureka Springs, where he has since controlled a large practice. In 1876 he was elected to the State Legislature from Searcy County, and served one term, during which time he was a member of several important committees. For a number of years he served as school examiner of Searcy County. In 1884 he was elected mayor of Eureka Springs, and held the office two terms. which was during the litigation on the town site; and was one of the committee appointed to carry out the decree of the court in that suit. His marriage with Sallie B. Rogers was celebrated in Searcy County, Ark., in 1878, and to them have been born four children, of whom one, Grace, is dead. Those living are Blanch, Sam, Vance and Mary, Mrs. Davis is a consistent Christian and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Davis takes an active interest in political matters, and supports the Democratic party. For the past two years he has served as chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of Carroll County.
B. N. Nicholes
B. N. Nicholes, a dealer in general merchandise at Eureka Springs, Ark., established his business there in 1883. He is a native of Ohio, born in 1843. His early life was spent in Ohio, but when about twelve years of age he removed with his parents to Iowa. Remaining there one year the family removed to Missouri, and settled in St. Clair County, where the father still resides. There the mother died in 1876. B. N. Nicholes remained in Missouri for twelve years, thence removed to Kansas, and remained eighteen years. In 1866 he engaged in farming in Cherokee County, Kansas, and continued very successfully until 1883, when he came to Eureka Springs, and engaged in merchandising, as before stated. He is public spirited and enterprising, and is considered one of the substantial men of the county. On August 26, 1861, he enlisted in the Federal army, joining Company B, Twenty-third Missouri Infantry, and was in the service until October, 1864. In the battle of Shiloh his regiment lost all but ninety men. He spent awhile skirmishing through Missouri with his regiment after bushwackers. Returning to Tennessee, he joined Sherman’s army at Altoona Pass, and went with them to Jonesboro, reaching there September 1, 1864. His wife, to whom he was married in 1860, was Christina Clevenger, a native of Indiana. They are the parents of six children: Orville, of Washington Territory; Olive, Mrs. Charles Robinette, of Eureka Springs; Lora, Luther, Joseph and Cora.
Joseph A. Perry
Capt. Joseph Perry, proprietor of the Perry House, Eureka Springs, was born on August 1, 1841, at Paterson, New Jersey, and is a son of Samuel and Eliza (Conklin) Perry, of English and French extraction, respectively. Samuel Perry was a hotel man of a lifetime experience and lived and died in New Jersey. His wife also lived and died there. Capt. Joseph Perry was reared in the immediate surroundings of the hotel business. He remained with his parents until he was eighteen years of age, when he engaged in the hotel business for himself on the Hudson River. Thence he removed successively to the lakes, to the Mississippi River, and winding his way still westward in the vanguard of civilization, to Junction City. Kansas. Here he erected a hotel, which he operated one year, and moved to Salina, Kansas, and remained eighteen months. His son was the second white child born in that place. From there he removed successively to Hays City, Sheridan and Kit Carson, Kansas. He and William E. Webb were the men who laid out the towns on the Union Pacific Railway. After losing, at Kit Carson, about $50,000 by fire, he removed to St. Louis, and resided there two years. When the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad began operations he again went to the frontier, and built hotels at Dodge City, Kansas, Grenada, Fort Wallace and La Junta, Colorado. He then built hotels on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at La Veta, Wayne Creek, Garland and Alamosa. In 1879 failing health caused him to come to the famous Eureka Springs, while the place was in its infancy. He regained his health, and resolved to permanently reside by the life-giving fountain, and, seeing in the nucleus of the city fair prospects for a large city, he began the construction of the Perry House, which was built at a cost of over $50,000. Since then he has done much for the upbuilding of the city. The outline given of Capt. Perry’s business life is a sufficient guarantee of his qualifications for the hotel business, and further comment will not add to his great reputation throughout the West, especially to the people who have patronized him here. On February 23, 1865, Capt. Perry was married to Elizabeth Lusher, of Missouri. They have one son living, John H., in the stock business. Capt. Perry’s house is situated within 100 feet of the celebrated Basin Spring; has the water in every room in the house, and electric bells, and it is furnished with all the modern improvements, and there will be a passenger elevator put in the house the coming spring, having been contracted for. The terms are very reasonable, the charges being from $7 to $12 per week, according to room and location.
D. F. Powell
D. F. Powell, assistant cashier of the Citizens Bank, of Eureka Springs, was born in Pennsylvania, February 11, 1865, and is a son of William and Mary Powell. William Powell, who is a farmer, removed to Illinois when our subject was young, but for the past five years he and family have resided in Kansas. He is now president of a State bank at Cherryvale, Kansas. D. F. Powell remained with his parents until February 1887, and worked in the bank at Cherryvale. In February 1887, he came to Eureka Springs, and was employed in the bank here. In March 1888, he became assistant cashier. Politically he is a firm Republican and is highly respected by all who know him.
Daniel F. Ray, M. D.
Daniel F. Ray, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Green Forest, Arkansas, was born in Giles County, Tennessee, on October 30, 1856. He is a son of David N. and Martha A. (Riggs) Ray, both natives of Alabama. After their marriage in their native State the parents removed to Tennessee and remained there engaged in farming for a number of years, when they returned to Alabama. Thence they removed to Texas, and now reside in Parker County, that State. When six years of age Dr. Ray went with his parents to Alabama, where he spent the most of his youth. He secured a good literary education, which was completed at the State Normal School. Upon leaving school he taught for ten months, and read medicine in the meantime with his uncle, H. L. Ray, M. D., a leading physician of Rogersville, Alabama. He read with his uncle for three years, and took his first course of lectures at Louisville, Kentucky, in the winter of 1887-88. The following spring, he returned to Alabama and entered upon the practice of his profession with his uncle. The next winter he went to Nashville and took a course of lectures at the medical department of Vanderbilt University, from which he graduated. He then came to Arkansas, and locating at Green Forest began practicing his profession, which he has continued with great success. On December 23, 1880, he was united in marriage with Kate, a daughter of Dr. Harbert, and a native of the county. She was reared and educated also in the county. To them have been born two daughters, Gracie and Georgie. Since 1882 Dr. Ray has been engaged in the drug business, in partnership with his father-in-law. During the winter of 1887-88 he took a supplementary course of lectures at Nashville. Formerly he was a member of the Carroll County Medical Society. Mrs. Ray is a consistent Christian and a member of the Baptist Church. The Doctor is a Master Mason.
William A. Reese, M. D.
William A. Reese, M. D. was born in Kentucky November 27, 1838, and is a son of G. C. and Mary Reese. G. C. Reese is of Welsh-Irish descent and is a son of a Revolutionary hero. He is a farmer and surveyor, and is now residing at Knob Noster, Missouri, at an advanced age. His wife is also living. William A. Reese was reared on a farm in his native State and came to Missouri when seventeen years of age. The next year he began the study of medicine, and when twenty-two years of age graduated from the Missouri Medical College, of St. Louis. Soon after he began practicing his profession in Pettis County, Missouri, remaining there until 1868, when he removed to Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. After about three years he removed to Tahlequah, and remained until February 1880, when he came to Eureka Springs. He at once engaged in practicing his profession and has continued very successfully. He is president of the County Medical Society, and a member of the State Association. In 1863 he was united in marriage with Lucy Pemberton, and to them were born two children, of whom one, Mary, is living. This wife died in 1872, and ten years later Dr. Reese married Mary Smith, a native of Virginia, who was reared in Arkansas. Two children have been born to this union, Bess and Grover. The Doctor was formerly an old-line Whig, but since the dissolution of that party has been a Democrat. For many years he was county examiner of Carroll County, and also held the same office in the Cherokee Nation. He takes an active interest in all public affairs, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the K. of P.
Source: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, And Sebastian Counties, Arkansas: From the Earliest Time to the Present, Including a Department Devoted to the Preservation of Sundry Personal, Business, Professional and Private Records ; Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Etc., Etc. Salem Mass.: Chicago : Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1889.