Page 73 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

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1. 186 HISTORY O F ARKANSAS. 1'

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Iwhom the parents take great pride, and arn giving 1 las County, Ark., a charming widow, and daugh.

'them the best education to be obtained. I n secret ter of James S. Gibson. Thia union gave them

societies Mr. Jones is a member of I. 0.0.F., one child: Cali~ta0. Mr. Ledbetter is a member

Knights of Honor. Knights of the Golden Rule, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South, and is

for rester^ and Royal Arcanum. steward of his congregation. I n politics he is a

Arch Ledbetter, a successful planter and well- Democrat, and has given his party con~iderabl6

known citizen of Jefferson County, was born in . aid by using his influence in their behalf. He is

Madiean County, Ala., May 23, 1837, and is a ' a pn)minent figure in d l social affairs of his oom.

son of &a and Elizabeth (Skelton) Ledbetter, of munity, and is much respeded.

Georgia. The father was born in the year 1801 Robert I. Lemon, one of the leading citizens
and the mother in 1790, their marriage occurring of JeffersonCounty and a prominent planter, was
in their native State. Shortly after that event
they moved to Alabama and settled in Madison born in Fayetta County, Tenn , July 15, 1848,

and is a son of Robert and Martha (Danzy)

Connty, but changed their locatiot~again to Mar- Lemon, of Virginia and Tennessee, respectively,
shall County, where they resided until the father's although the mother's parents were natives of the

death in 1855 and the mother's in 1858. Both former State and left i t about the time of their
were members of the Methodist C h u i ~ ha, nd pious, daughter's birth. They resided in Fayette County,

Christian people. The father was a Democrat in Tenn., where Robert Lemon met and won his
politics and a prominent man in Marshall County, wife, and there remained until their removal to

where he followed farming for an occupation. Arkansas in 1860, locating in Jefferson County.
They were the parents of a large family of chil- The following year the mother died, and in 1866

dren, oi whom Arch Ledbetter was the youngest, the father also passed away, both dying believers in
and the only one now living. After his father's the Methodist faith. The father was a snccessfnl
death, which occnrred when Amh was seventeen farmer, and while in Tenneesee held several prom.
years old, the latter oommenced farming for him- inent public officea He came to the State of Ark.

self on rented land Industry was one of the vir- ansas not with the intention of remaining, but to

tues that had been infitilled in the young man by pass through and settle in Texas, but the war

his father, and his teaching bore fruit, as is wit. breaking out at that time prevented him going any

nessed by the son's after career. At Lhe end of further, and finding the soil and climate every

one year he was united in marriage to Mrs. Mar- way suitable he concluded to locate. During the

Igaret I. Ricketts, of Tennessee, who became the ' war his sympathies were with the Union, but he

mother of four children: J. B.,T.L., M. T. and remained neutral as far as possible. He and his
I\'. D., all residing a t home. Mrs. Ledbetter was ' wife were the parents of seven children. of whom
horn in 1824, and died in 1889 a t her husband's Robert I. was the sixth; five are yet living. Rob-
home in Jefferson County, Ark. Mr. Ledbet- ert was educated at Pine Bluff, and after hie
ter continued to reside in Alabama until the year father's death commenced in life for himself. He
1808, when he moved with his family to Jeffer- had learned the carpenter's trade, and went to

son County, Ark., and commenced farming and Washington and Benton Counties, following that

raising stock. I n connection with this he now omupation for three years. At the end of that

operates a cotton gin and grist-mill, and owns one time he returned to Jeffereon County, which has

of the best farms in the county. His success is since been his home. Having in the meantime
assured, and it is certainly deserved, for his buei- given part of his attention to farming, in 1870 he

ness ability and good management have placed found that his success would necessitate his devot.

him in an independent position from a commence- ing his entire time to that calling. He now owns :*
800 acres of fertile land, all made by the sweat of
,d ment with almost nothing. In July, 1889, he his own brow and good management. On June 'I
was married to Mrs. Mollie L. Dickinson, of D a l
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