Over the recent month I have added significant enough material on Faulkner County Arkansas genealogy to give it an index page. Included so far are a brief history of the county, biographies of 40 individuals and families, death records, funeral records, and a few college yearbooks. Enjoy!
Faulkner County, named after Sandy Faulkner, the original “Arkansaw Traveler,” was officially established on April 12, 1873, following an act by the State Legislature. This act delineated the county’s boundaries, carved from portions of Conway and Pulaski counties, and appointed commissioners to establish the county seat at Conway Station. Initial administrative functions were carried out by appointed officers until the next general election. The county’s development included the establishment of road districts, the construction of public buildings, and the evolution of its judicial system. Faulkner County’s early years also saw significant agricultural, educational, and infrastructural growth, shaping it into a … Read more
Col. A. R. Witt, a prominent citizen of Faulkner County and leading druggist in Conway, Arkansas, was born in Hamilton County, Tennessee, in 1830. He moved to Alabama in 1836 and later to Van Buren County, Arkansas, in 1842. Educated at Arkansas College in Fayetteville, Witt was elected State land commissioner in 1857. He organized Company A, Tenth Arkansas Infantry, during the Civil War, eventually becoming a colonel. Post-war, he farmed and served in various political roles, including State senator and chancery clerk. In 1877, he moved to Conway, establishing a successful drug business and serving as postmaster. A Democrat and active in several secret societies, Witt married H. C. Miller in 1865, with whom he had six children. He significantly contributed to the development of Faulkner County and was a member of the Baptist Church.
H. Bailey Wilson, born on January 16, 1823, in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, was a prominent farmer and early contributor to the development of his county. He was the sixth child of James and Prudy (Harris) Wilson. After receiving his education in Georgia, he married Louisa E. Strickland of Chattooga County in 1842. They had seven children, with only William M. and Marian A. surviving. Wilson settled in the area in 1859, owning 520 acres of land with sixty acres under cultivation. A respected community member, he was involved in the Agricultural Wheel and was a Democrat. His contributions to the community were honored by naming the township after him.
J. R. Williams, born in Faulkner County in 1853, was a partner in the general merchandise firm Witt & Williams in Conway, Arkansas. The business, established in 1879, underwent several name changes before Williams joined in 1888. The store, facing the public square, was one of the largest in the county. Williams, the youngest of six children, started farming in 1872 and moved to Conway in 1881 to establish a general collecting agency. A prominent business figure, he served in local politics and was active in temperance and community affairs. He married Louisa Hartje in 1872, and they had seven children.
Dr. H. B. Wear, born in 1829 in Blount County, Tennessee, was a prominent physician in East Fork Township, Arkansas. The sixth of twelve children, he studied medicine in Nashville and Atlanta, beginning his practice in Cherokee County, Alabama, in 1857. He moved to East Fork Township in 1858 and served as a surgeon captain in the Seventeenth Arkansas Infantry during the Civil War. Wear married Nancy Ann Townsend in 1857 and, after her death in 1885, married Minerva Sinclair in 1886. He owned 320 acres of land and was a respected Democrat and Mason in Faulkner County.
J. W. Underhill, editor and proprietor of the Log Cabin in Conway, Arkansas, was born in Trigg County, Kentucky, in 1856. He was the eldest of seven children of E. P. and Elizabeth (Miller) Underhill of Tennessee. His father was a distinguished physician in Kentucky. J. W. Underhill began his career teaching in Faulkner County, Arkansas, in 1882. After moving to Conway, he worked for Griffing & Witt and Martin & Harton. In 1885, he acquired part interest in the Log Cabin and became the sole owner in 1887. Underhill, a Democrat, attended the National Press Association in 1889. He married Daisy Embrey in 1886, having one child, Blanche, and previously married Bettie Holland, with two children, Mary and Samuel. He was a member of Green Grove Lodge No. 107, F. & A. M., and Woodland Lodge No. 11, Knights of Pythias, contributing significantly to Faulkner County’s development and education.
Mr. M. R. H. Taylor, proprietor of the popular Taylor House near the Little Rock & Fort Smith depot, was born in West Tennessee in 1852. He was the youngest of nine children of Ryley and Mary Ann (Gooch) Taylor of North Carolina. Following his father’s death in 1853, Taylor and his mother moved to Mississippi before eventually settling in Arkansas. Initially a successful farmer, Taylor later established himself as a respected hotel and liverman in Central Arkansas. Married to A. Powers in Tate County, Mississippi, they had five children, four of whom survived: Ryley, Sallie, Anna, and M. R. H., Jr. Taylor was a Democrat, a member of Woodland Lodge No. 11, K. of P., and a Baptist Church member, actively supporting religious and educational causes.
Esley P. Stone, born on October 26, 1824, in Pennsylvania, was a successful farmer and stockman in Arkansas. The son of Elias and Rebecca (Key) Stone, he moved with his family to West Virginia in 1831 and later to Arkansas. In 1850, he married Sarah McKown, with whom he had ten children. Stone enlisted briefly in the Confederate Army in 1863. He bought 160 acres of land from the government in 1853, building a log cabin with a puncheoned floor. Stone was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Green Grove Lodge No. 107 in Conway, Arkansas.
Thomas Springer, born in Alabama in 1839, was a highly respected farmer in Arkansas. Raised and educated in Tennessee, his parents, John and Elizabeth (Gaines) Springer, were Virginians. John Springer died in Mississippi in 1864, and Elizabeth in Tennessee in 1851. Thomas, the fourth of nine children, moved to Arkansas in 1882, acquiring 240 acres of land with 100 under cultivation. He served 18 months in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. A Democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, he married four times and had eleven children.
Mr. Alexander Showalter, born on April 22, 1839, in Butler County, Ohio, was a notable resident of Stone Township, Arkansas, engaged in agriculture and stock raising. His parents, John Showalter from Germany and Elizabeth (Hinkin) Showalter from Ohio, had four children. Alexander served in the Civil War with the 17th Indiana Infantry and later the 128th Indiana Infantry. In 1866, he married Rebecca Kaziah, and they moved to Arkansas in 1879, where he established a successful farm in Stone Township. The couple had seven children, and Mr. Showalter was active in the G.A.R. and the Lutheran Church.
Jacob Sansom, a successful farmer in Faulkner County, Arkansas, was born in DeKalb County, Georgia, in 1826. He is the son of William H. and Nancy (Stinson) Sansom. After moving through several states, the family settled in Tennessee, where both parents passed away by 1843. Jacob, largely self-educated, began his career as a farm laborer in Mississippi. In 1852, he married R. N. Ross, with whom he had six children, two of whom survived. After her death, he married Matilda Bland in 1873, and they had one son. Sansom moved to Arkansas in 1868, establishing a prosperous 240-acre farm. He served in the Confederate Army, was captured at Gettysburg, and later released. A lifelong Democrat, Sansom was initially a Baptist but later joined the Methodist Church.
Hon. Joseph Roden, a leading miller, cotton gin operator, and farmer in Faulkner County, Arkansas, was born in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, in 1839. He was the son of Josiah and Nancy J. (Hawkins) Roden. The family moved to Arkansas shortly after the Civil War began. Joseph Roden served in the Confederate Army and later moved to various locations, including Little Rock and Texas, before settling in Faulkner County in 1871. In 1884, he established a successful farm, mill, and cotton gin operation. A dedicated Democrat, Roden served as justice of the peace and in the Arkansas legislature. He married Lizzie V. Hamlett, with whom he had eight children. Roden was a prominent Mason and long-time member of the Christian Church.
Col. A. P. Robinson, a prominent figure in Central Arkansas, was born in Hartford County, Connecticut, in 1822. The eldest of seven children of Ludyah and Sophia Eliza (Hosmer) Robinson, he was raised in Newburgh, New York. Educated in civil engineering, Robinson worked on the Erie Railroad and later constructed major railways, including the Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad and the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad. Moving to Little Rock in 1869, he helped develop Conway, Arkansas. Robinson served as Conway’s first mayor and was active in real estate and politics. He married twice, first to Lucy Blodgett, with whom he had five children, and later to Mary Louise De St. Louis. He was known for his contributions to education, agriculture, and community development.
P. H. Prince, who served as county and probate judge of Faulkner County, Arkansas, was born in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, in 1846. He was the eighth of thirteen children of William and Sarah P. (Williams) Prince. After graduating from the State University at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1873, Prince moved to Conway, Arkansas, to practice law. A dedicated Democrat, he was also an active member of Green Grove Lodge No. 107, F. & A. M., and Woodland Lodge No. 11, Knights of Pythias. Prince married Martha E. Hoss in 1878, and they had two children, William Henry and Anna. He was a respected community leader and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Jacob A. Phillips, a prominent farmer in Caney Township, was born on August 8, 1840, in Fayette County, Tennessee. He is the son of Alexander and Catherine (Long) Phillips. After moving to Prairie County, Arkansas, in 1858, Phillips served in the navy under General Farragut. He married Sarah J. Ferguson in 1866, and they had eleven children. In 1871, Phillips settled in Faulkner County, where he developed a successful 120-acre farm. A respected community member, Phillips is active in the Christian Church and affiliated with the Union Labor Party.
J. R. Miller, a prosperous merchant and farmer in Faulkner County, was born on January 2, 1856, in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of J. J. and Nancy A. (West) Miller. After moving frequently in his youth, Miller settled in Arkansas in 1876. He established a store in Mayflower in 1884 and has resided there since. Miller married twice, first to Manda E. Jackson, with whom he had three children, and later to Mary S. Surat, with whom he had three more children. An active Democrat, Miller has served as justice of the peace and is a notable community leader.
Edward Munroe Merriman, born on June 11, 1843, in Auburn, N.Y., graduated from West Point in 1867 and served in the First Regular Artillery until 1871. Moving to Arkansas in 1871, he became the oldest resident of Conway. Merriman held various positions including postmaster, mayor of Conway, justice of the peace, and county court judge in Faulkner County. He married Matilda Menkus in 1873, and they had one daughter, Mary Adams. Merriman, a direct descendant of President John Quincy Adams, was instrumental in creating Faulkner County and practiced law from 1886. He was a lifelong Democrat.
J. E. Martin, a prominent merchant in Faulkner County, Arkansas, settled in his current location in 1875. Born in January 1840 in White County, Tennessee, Martin was the fourth of nine children of Daniel and Rebecca (English) Martin. His family moved to Arkansas in 1848, settling initially in Van Buren County. Martin began his commercial career in 1871 and moved to Conway in 1875. A Democratic politician, he served as Faulkner County’s first sheriff in 1874 and later in the legislature. Martin married twice and had nine children. He was an active participant in the Civil War and community development until his death.
D. P. Loretz, born June 30, 1842, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, was of Swiss descent and one of five children of Daniel and Eliza (Reinhardt) Loretz. His great-grandfather, Andrew Loretz, was a German Reformed Church minister. D. P. Loretz served as a lieutenant in the Thirty-second North Carolina Regiment during the Civil War, participating in notable battles such as Spotsylvania and Winchester. After the war, he relocated to Conway, Arkansas, and later Mayflower, engaging in farming. In 1867, he married Anna Abernathy of Jacksonville, Alabama. Loretz was active in the community, serving as postmaster and holding several local offices. He preserved historical documents, including his grandfather’s passport from Switzerland and an autograph album from the late 18th century.
A. S. Lind, a prominent farmer in Faulkner County, Arkansas, was born to A. R. Lind in Ohio. Of German descent, Lind’s grandfather moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio around 1800. A. S. Lind enlisted in the Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in 1862, serving in notable Civil War battles, including Altoona Pass and Corinth. Post-war, he worked as a stone mason and later moved to Arkansas in 1870, establishing a successful farm. On December 31, 1878, he married Florence Barley, with whom he had seven children. A Republican, Mason, and member of the G. A. R., Lind has served as justice of the peace for eight years.
Louis C. Lincoln, born May 10, 1850, in Memphis, Tennessee, was a prominent attorney and real estate dealer in Faulkner County, Arkansas. A third cousin of President Abraham Lincoln, Louis moved to Conway in January 1874. He served as a drummer boy in the Confederate army and later as a courier for Gen. Wheeler during the Civil War. After the war, he pursued education, eventually graduating from Cumberland University’s law school in 1872. Lincoln practiced law in Conway, organized a military company, and served as county and probate judge. He was married to Effie Martin in 1881, with whom he had two children. Active in politics and various fraternal organizations, Lincoln significantly contributed to the development of Faulkner County.
Levi N. Lee, born April 23, 1843, in Coosa County, Alabama, was a prominent farmer and lumber manufacturer in Wooster, East Fork Township, Faulkner County, Arkansas. The seventh of eleven children of Isaiah and DeMaris (Donovan) Lee, Levi was educated in Coosa County and Fish Pond Academy. After farming successfully in Alabama, he moved to Faulkner County in 1882, purchasing and cultivating sixty acres of land. He established a mill and cotton gin, becoming a key local figure. A Civil War veteran, Lee was married twice: first to Sarah E. Richardson in 1862, with whom he had nine children, and later to M. J. Simmons in 1889. Active in politics and the Baptist Church, Lee contributed significantly to the community’s development.
Adam F. Kuykendall, born September 22, 1856, in Conway County, Arkansas, was a notable farmer and stock raiser in Tupelo Township, Faulkner County. Son of Amos R. Kuykendall and Hester (Stone) Kuykendall, Adam was raised in a pioneering environment, contributing to early agricultural development. He married Alice Stone on October 2, 1881, and they had three children, two of whom died in infancy. After Alice’s death in 1887, Adam returned to Faulkner County, where he continued farming. Active in local politics and the Methodist Episcopal Church, he supported public enterprises and was involved with the Agricultural Wheel and Farmer’s Alliance.
Dr. J. F. Kincheloe, born December 29, 1836, near Athens, Tennessee, was a prominent physician and druggist in Faulkner County, Arkansas. Son of Enoch and Mary (Grisham) Kincheloe, he served in the Union Army during the Civil War and later graduated from the Medical University of Nashville in 1871. Kincheloe married three times, with his spouses being Annie E. Taylor, Mary Virginia Allison, and Mollie J. Robertson, fathering three children. He was active in local education, several fraternal organizations, and the Church of Christ. He died in Cadron Township, where he had established his medical practice and business ventures.