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Davenport, William T.
The following data is extracted from Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region, pub. Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers, Chicago 1894.
WILLIAM T. DAVENPORT. Among the worthy residents of Searcy County, Arkansas, it is just to say that Mr. Davenport occupies a conspicuous and honor-able place, for he has always been honest, industrious and enterprising, and as a result has met with more than ordinary success. He is a man well known in agricultural circles, and is recognized as a careful, energetic farmer, who by his advanced ideas and progressive methods has done much to improve the farming interests of his section. He was born in Alabama, October 13, 1822, a son of George W. and Mary (Weemes) Davenport, the former of whom was born in Lawrence District, S. C., and the latter in Greenville District, S. C. At an early day they moved from the Palmetto State to Alabama, and settled in the vicinity of Birmingham, where Mr. Davenport was called from life in 1864, but his widow passed from life in 1872. The paternal grandfather was born in England, and after coming to this country settled in Virginia, and took part in the Revolutionary War. He died in South Carolina. The maternal grand-father, William Weemes, was a South Carolinian, settled in Alabama in 1815, and made his home in Birmingham until his death, which occurred in 1822. To George W. and Mary Davenport six sons and six daughters were given, William T. being the eldest of the family. He received his education in the schools of Alabama, and in 1842 started out to make his own way in the world, locating in Noxubee County, Miss., where he made his home one year. He then took up his abode in Chickasaw County, Miss., and in 1860 became a resident of Marion County, his home being six miles from Yellville for about twenty years, and in 1883 he came to the farm where he now lives, his estate comprising 160 acres of fine farming land about fifteen miles from Yellville. He was married in Alabama in 1849 to Miss Mary C. Cauthorn, a daughter of Tilman G. and Elizabeth Cauthorn, who were natives, respectively, of Vir-ginia and Kentucky. Mrs. Davenport was born in the last mentioned State April 29, 1829, and she and husband have become the parents of the following children: George P., who is married and living in Marion County on a farm; Frank L., who is married and resides on a farm in Searcy County; John H., who is a farmer of Marion County and a man of family; Thomas N. is a man of family and a farmer of Texas; Lawrence H., who is married and a farmer of Marion County; Louise J., wife of John McLean, of Stone County, Arkansas; Julia and Robert L. Two children died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport are connected with the Christian Church, in which he is an elder, and he is a member of Yellville Lodge of the A. F. & A. M. Soon after coming to Arkansas Mr. Davenport enlisted in Company A, Fourteenth Arkansas Infantry, with which he served from the commencement until the close of the conflict, participating in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, in the engage-ments of Gen. Price's raid, and Corinth and luka. He was wounded in the Price raid, also in Mississippi, both gunshot wounds, and at the close of the war he held the rank of orderly sergeant, although he could have held a much higher position had he so desired. He was a faithful and efficient soldier, and saw some hard service while in the war. He is a thrifty farmer, a wide-awake man of affairs, and one of the substantial citizens of the county. HON. J. S. OWENS. Among the most esteemed and respected citizens of Marion County, Arkansas, there is not one who is a more pleasant, or agreeable member of society, a more thorough or sagacious man of business, or a more public-spirited and capable official than J. S. Owens, who is the present repre-sentative of Marion County, Arkansas, in the State Legislature. He was born in Alabama, February 19, 1851, a son of Thomas and Margaret (De Priest) Owens, who were natives of the Old North State. The Owens family came to this country from Ireland in an early day, the first member of the family here being the paternal great-grandfather, who was a participant in the Revolutionary War and afterward took up his home in North Carolina. The grand-father, Raymond Owens, became a resident of Carroll County, Ala., a wealthy planter, and is supposed to have been a soldier of the War of 1812. Thomas Owens was a young man when his father moved to Alabama. He married there and from that State enlisted in the Confederate service during the latter part of the war. In 1872 he moved to Marion County, Arkansas, and settled in Flippin Barrens, where he made his home until his death in 1887. He was a Whig before the war. His wife, who was a daughter of John De Priest, was of French descent and died when the subject of this sketch was a child. Their family consisted of seven children: John, who died during the war; Nancy J., who is the wife of J. M. Barnett, of Indian Territory; Joseph, a resident of Oklahoma; J. S.; Margaret, who is the wife of T. P. Flippin; William, who is living in Flippin Barrens, and Sally, the wife of Jesse Lovelady. The school days of J. S. Owens were spent in Alabama, where he obtained a good, prac-tical education, sufficient to fit him for the practical duties of life. He came to Marion County, Arkansas, with his father, and when twenty-two years of age started to do for himself as a tiller of the soil on Flippin Barrens, and two years later was united in marriage with Mary Flippin, a daughter of Perry Flippin and a niece of Judge Flippin. Mrs. Owens was born in this county in 1853, and after bearing her husband one son-Elmer O.-died in 1878. For his second wife Mr. Owens wedded Miss Caroline Duren, daughter of Carroll Duren, of this county. She was born in Fulton County, Arkansas, in 1860, but her parents were from Tennessee and became residents of Marion County, Arkansas, in 1868, locating on the farm on which Judge Owens is now living, where the father died in 1879. He was married to Margaret Baker, who still survives him and resides in this county. To them the following children were born: L. M., Louisa (McCarty), Margaret (Woods), Ann (Bryant), Linnie (Watts), James (who is dead) and Caroline (Owens). Mr. and Mrs. Owens have six children: Darthula, Grover T. Arkie L., Frank D., Tennesseeie L. and an infant. Mr. Owens was elected to the office of justice of the peace in 1882, a position he held for six years in White River Township, and in 1888 was elected to the office of county judge, holding that office four years, being reelected in 1890. In 1892 he was chosen as a suitable person to represent Marion County in the State Legislature, and as he discharged his duties with marked ability and to the general satisfaction of all concerned and is a candi-date for reflection, he will undoubtedly again be a member of the Legislative body. He has always been a Democrat, has taken an active part in the affairs of the county, and the cause of education has always found in him a liberal patron and supporter. He and his family are attendants of the Christian Church and are living about six miles from Yellville, on Cowan Barrens. He is a member of Union Lodge of the A. F. & A. M.
Source: Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region, pub. Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers, Chicago 1894
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