Page 34 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

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JEFFERSON COUNTY.

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(M, A Austin. attorney at law, and an infliien Baldwin, of Virginia and Georgia, respectively.

, tial and esteemedresident of Pine Bluff, in a native The f a t h ~ rmoved from his native State to Georgia

1I of Monroe, N. C., and was born August 12, when a young man, and was there married, and
1866. He was the SOU of R. G. R. and Nannie i resided for a number of years near Greensboro.
(Crowell) Austin, both natives of North Carolina, I He afterward moved to what is now Bartow Donn-

who in 1867 emigrated to Drew County, Ark., I ty, in the same St,ate, and from there to Cher-

Iwhere they located and remained until 1873, then okee County. Ala., some years latar, where he died
:moving to Pine Bluff. The father is still a resi. in 1853. The mother is yet living in Floyd Coun-

:I dent of that placr. He has been a farmer most of ty, Ga., with several of her children, at the age of

1 his life, and has been treasurer of Jefferson Coun. sixtyfive years. Both parents were members of

ty one term. M. A. Austin was reared in Arhan- the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and in

sas, part of his time being spent on the farm and i politics the father was a Democrat, He served

also in the city. He entered St. John's College ' through the Florida WTaragainst the Seminole In-

Iat Little Rock, and in 1874, when the Brooks-Bar- dians, and during the Mexican War he volunteered
/ter war broke out he left, and entered Emery and and went as far as New Orleans for the purpose of

I,Henry College, a t Emery, Va., where he grad- fighting, but the war was over, nnd he was never

uated in 1857. H e then oame home and began mustered out. He was a general mechanic and a

the st,udy of law, under Carlton and McCain, and ' genius at wood carving, being able to take an or-

was admitted to the bar in 1878. Entering at dinary piece of wood and turn out anything from
1 cat,ed in Pine BluR becoming well and favorably size of the wood. He built several fine verels
once upon a snccessfnl practice, he has since lo- a chicken coop to a stearnboat, in proportion to the

,I known as a member of the bar only less than as ! during his-life, and amassed a considerable for-
a citizen. Mr. Austin's first partner was A. W. tune, hut unlnckily he ventured into steamboating

Boyd. Two yearn later thisrelation was dissolved, himself, and his wealth was swept away entirely.

when Mr. Anstin entered into partnership with W. i H e was also interested in farming to some extent.

1E . Hemingway. They afterwardstook in John M. His parents were English people, who settled in

Ulayton, r h o was recently aras.4nated, and Mr. Virginia at an early period. Seven cbildmn were
Hemingway being elected to the bench, Judge born to their marriage, of whom five are now liv-

Williams entered as a partner, which firm now ing: James M. (a well-known farmer in Cherokee

continues under the name of Williums & Austin. Uounty, AIR.), Elizabeth (widowof William Miller,

Mr. Austin was city attorney for twoterma. H e i s residing in Floyd County, Ga.), Julia Ann (wife

also attorney for the Merchants and Plantera Bank; , of Martin Ingram, of the same county), Mary

the Missouri Pacific Railroad; Pine Bluff, Swan / C., and Rebema (wife of Elijah Morris, of Floyd
Lake & Monroe Railroad; and Pine Bluff Build- 1 Connty, Ga.), and Joseph H. The latter was
ing Loan Association. He has had several oppor- : reared and educated in Cherokee County, Ala.,

tunities to hold oEce, but never desired toidentify and left his home in September, 1861, to join the

1himself politically with public position. I n 1882 1 Confederate army. He enlisted in Company I, of

he was married to Miss Mattie Keeler, at Oswego, the Ninteenth Alabama Infant~.ya, nd served until

/Kas., by whom he has had two children, one I May 16, 1864, when be was captured and tuken

now living, named Bettie. Mrs. Austin is amem- prisoner at Resaca, Ga. On April 14 of the
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. i same year, he was released aite.r a cruel confine-
/Joseph H. Baldwin is one of the .most prom- ment, in which he was almost starved, and waa

inent figures in social and business circles in Jef- , forced to enter the Union ranks. Later on, his

ferson County. He was born in what was then company was sent out West, where they were eu- tI
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1 / Gas%County, Ga., on May 25, 1842. and is a gaged in fighting the Indians until November, T
son of Joseph M. and Harriet E (Edmondson) 1866. when be was mustered out at Fort Leaven-
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