George L. Lochridge, deceased, who was an honored resident of Arkansas, connected with commercial pursuits at Kingsland and at Orlando, was born in Princeton, Dallas county, this state, October 13, 1859, and was of the fifth generation of the family resident in America. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish people, who came to the new world in the early colonial period in the history of the country. James Lochridge, whose parents were the progenitors of the family in the new world, was reared and married in Georgia. He was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and in the year 1800 he removed to Maury county, Tennessee, where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in the ‘30s. The grandparents of George L. Lochridge in the paternal line were Thomas M. and Deborah (Wright) Lochridge, the former a native of Maury county and the latter of Bedford county, Tennessee, born in the years 1801 and 1804, respectively. They removed to Marshall county, Mississippi, and in 1849 became residents of Dallas county, Arkansas, settling in the midst of the forest near Princeton, where Mr. Lochridge cleared land and cultivated the soil. He died in 1861, while his wife survived until 1875. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years and took active part in the moral progress as well as the pioneer development of southern Arkansas.

The son, George W. Lochridge, was born in Maury county, Tennessee, in 1831 and accompanied his parents to Arkansas in 1849, after which he assisted his father in clearing the old home place. He acquired a fair education in the common schools and also pursued a course of study in the Princeton (Ark.) Academy. When twenty-one years of age he started out independently and became a clerk in a store. He was married in 1854 to Miss Indiana Russell, daughter of Jesse and Mary Russell, who were natives of Tennessee, where they remained until 1836, and then became residents of Dallas county, Arkansas, when that was a frontier district. There they spent the remainder of their days, the father departing this life in 1841, while the mother survived until 1874. Mr. Russell was a farmer by occupation and served with the rank of lieutenant in the War of 1812, being on duty under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. His daughter, Mrs. Lochridge, was born in Tennessee and by her marriage became the mother of ten children. George W. Lochridge resided in Princeton and there engaged in the grocery business until the Civil War, whence he removed to a farm nearby and in 1867 took up his abode in what is now Cleveland county. He resided in Saline township until 1887 and then established his home in Kingsland, where he had a good farm of thirty-six acres. He was a man of marked honesty and integrity and was classed among the representative residents of his section of the state. He served for some time as justice of the peace in Cleveland County and also filled the position of deputy sheriff while a resident of Dallas county. In 1861 he joined Company I of the Twelfth Arkansas Infantry and was engaged in military operations in Kentucky and Tennessee until captured at Island No. 10. Soon afterward, however, he made his escape and joined his command at Memphis. A few months later he was granted a furlough and paid a visit to his home, after which he rejoined his regiment, which was then operating in Texas.  He received his discharge near Marshall, that state, in April, 1865. Politically he was a democrat, casting his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce in 1852. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity for many years, and he and his wife were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Their son, George L. Lochridge, whose name introduces this review, was early trained to every phase of farm work and while assisting in the labors of the fields he acquired a common school education in his home locality. Later he had the benefit of five months’ training in the Little Rock Commercial College and then started out in mercantile business on his own account at Kingsland with a stock of goods worth three hundred and eighteen dollars. Through capable business management and close application he developed his interests and became one of the leading merchants of his county, increasing his stock to meet the growing demands of his trade, which steadily expanded until his large patronage had brought to him a most gratifying competence. He engaged in business at Kingsland, Arkansas, for a number of years and then removed to Van Alstyne, Texas, where he continued in merchandising for seven years.

In October, 1899, Mr. Lochridge came to Mena, Arkansas, where he established a mercantile store under the name of the Lochridge Dry Goods Company, conducting the store until January 1, 1917, when on account of failing health he sold his interest. He died six months later. He was also president of the First National Bank of Mena for a number of years but disposed of his stock and retired from the bank in 1916. He had very little capital when came to Mena, as his business had not prospered to any great extent in the previous years. Success, however, rewarded his labors in Mena and his store became one of the leading mercantile establishments in Polk county, bringing him a most desirable measure of success, so that he was able to leave his wife in comfortable financial circumstances. She received from him valuable business as well as resident property and a most attractive home in Mena.

In 1887 Mr. Lochridge was married to Miss Ida Lee Acruman, a daughter of E.A. and Mary Acruman, representatives of one of the prominent families in Fordyce. Mr. Acruman came from Alabama to Arkansas in early manhood and won a place among the prosperous businessmen in the southern part of the state. Mrs. Lochridge was born in Chambersville, Arkansas, and by her marriage became the mother of one child, a daughter, Anna Elizabeth, who became the wife of Edwin B. Cox, one of the leading businessmen of Mena and now associated in business with his brother, Eugene Cox, mentioned elsewhere in this work. They have a little son, Edwin Lochridge Cox, in his first year.

Mr. Lochridge supported the democratic party from the time when he cast his first presidential vote for W.S. Hancock in 1880. He loyally espoused the cause of Masonry and took the degrees of both lodge and chapter. His widow is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Such in brief is the history of George L. Lochridge, a man who to know was to esteem and to honor, by reason of what he accomplished and the sterling qualities which he manifested throughout his entire career. He held to high principles of manhood and citizenship, and wherever he was known he enjoyed the confidence and respect of all. His wife and daughter are very active and prominent members in the Methodist Episcopal church, South, taking a helpful part in the work of the various church societies. His death occurred on the 1^st of June, 1917, when he was fifty-eight years of age.