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.
Jacob A. Phillips is among the leading farmers of Caney Township and was born on August 8, 1840, in Fayette County, Tenn. His parents were Alexander and Catherine (Long) Phillips, the former of whom was born in North Carolina in 1804 and died on March 5, 1859, in Prairie County, Ark. In 1832, he moved to Tennessee, where he remained until 1858, then going to Prairie County, Ark. His parents were William S. Phillips and his wife. William’s father was of English descent and a general in the Revolutionary War. The mother of our subject was born in North Carolina in 1798 and died in 1860 in Prairie County, Ark., having borne a family of seven children, only two of whom are living: Andrew (who resides in Shelby County, Tenn.) and Jacob A. The latter, the subject of this sketch, received a very limited education in Tennessee, and when he was twenty years old, he served in the navy under Gen. Farragut.
In 1866, he married Miss Sarah J. Ferguson, who was born in Shelby County in 1845, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Hale) Ferguson, natives of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were the parents of eleven children, five of whom survive: William, James, Robert, Lorenza, and Sarah. Sarah is the mother of eleven children, eight of whom are living: William A., John L., George L., Bettie A. C., Enos T., Mary L., Cala D., and Grover C.
In 1871, Jacob A. Phillips came to Faulkner (formerly Conway) County, bought 120 acres of land, and by hard work and perseverance has acquired one of the best farms in this region. He is a prominent man, holding offices of importance, and is upright in all his dealings, counting his friends by the score. He cast his first vote for president for Seymour, but is now in sympathy with the Union Labor party. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips are members of the Christian Church and are useful and influential in all church affairs, commanding the respect of all who know them.