Marion Co TOC

        In the fall of 1836 the related Goodman, Rutherford, and Flippin families of Tennessee and the Goodman family of Indiana counciled together, agreeing to move west to a new state. Jesse Goodman, Wright, Rutherford (2 teachers and members of the Christian Church), and John Rutherford were chosen to travel west to find a place to settle. They went through southeastern Missouri. The area was so sparsely inhabited these men often traveled 10 to 20 miles without seeing a house or cabin until they reached White River in Arkansas.
        White River was a broad shallow stream, clear as crystal, coming down from the Ozark Mountains, with shoals in every bend and running with a velocity that surpasses description. At the time before settlers it was said the water of White River was so clear you could see a Buffalo fish the width of the river, which was about 300 yards.
        Goodman, Rutherford, and Wright returned to Tennessee to prepare for the journey with their families. Jesse Goodman, a keel boat operator on the Forked Deer River, agreed to furnish a keel boat to take the women and children who wished to go by water. The rest of the men would travel overland by wagon. Goodman traveled to Louisville KY and purchased a 30-ton keel boat and a large stock of merchandise that he felt would be necessary for the colony on the long trip. This merchandise included a supply of old peach brandy, Spanish brandy, rye whiskey, cherry and mint cordials.
        The group left Tennessee mid-February 1837. Those who went overland by wagon were on the road for about six weeks. Every stream they came to seemed to rise just before they reached it. Often they would have to wait several days before the water went down. Sometimes the road would be only a bridle path which the men had to get the wagons through. The overland party arrived at its destination in late March, but there had been no word from the keel boat. It had gone down the Mississippi River to the mouth of White River, then up the White for a distance of about 400 miles. When a message finally came through, all the men who could be spared were asked to go down river to help push the keel boat up White River. Goodman also requested the men rig canoes to take supplies of meat and meal. There were only two small dugouts available so the men cut down a large hickory tree. They built a fire to warm the tree so the bark would slip off more easily. With axes the bark was split on one side and gently peel off, thus making a bark canoe. This was loaded with supplies and, with the men in the two dugouts, started down stream.
        The keel boat was met a short distance above Batesville. With the aid of the extra manpower, Jesse Goodman brought the keel boat, loaded with merchandise, women, and children, up White River to Talbert's Ferry landing, which he had purchased on his scouting trip to White River. As they neared their destination people came from miles around to see the big keel boat loaded with dry goods and groceries. This was definitely something to see; there had never before been a boat of this size this far up the White River. Since there was not a store north of Batesville, many people came 30 or 40 miles to buy goods brought in by the keel boat and Jesse Goodman.
        This country was sparsely settled then, mainly on the creeks and rivers. Many thought the uplands and prairies unfit for cultivation. In 1837 there was only one cabin between White River and Crooked Creek; it had been erected by John Tabor. Thomas H. Flippin, Allen Flippin, Thomas Rutherford, and Dr. James Rutherford all settled the Lee's Prairie region, now Flippin Barrens.
        The pioneers who were the first settlers of Shawneetown were a rude, whole-souled, chivalrous, gener-ous class, few of whom wore hats or coats. A handkerchief for a covering for the head, Indian Style, a hunting shirt and moccasins, and frequently deerskin pantaloons sufficed. When the Indians left Shawneetown, there were a number of cedar cabins left. Old Ben Wood, a brother to the first County Judge William "Dancin' Bill" Wood, moved his family into one of these vacant cabins and was forever after known as "Cedar Ben." In those early days folks lived in peace, did not need locks for their homes, corn cribs, or smoke houses. Game was plentiful the year round and folks were glad to share.

        Welcome to all new subscribers to Bramble Bush. We are so very proud to have each of you as a member of HGSMCA. We can only hope you'll enjoy sharing the tangled roots and limbs of Marion County and, possibly, contribute to this newsletter. Stories and legends, genealogies, quips, poems, family Bible pages, queries, reunion notices, books for sale, you name it - all are welcome and all will be of help and interest to others.

And, speaking of queries - - Bramble Bush is running a special on QUERIES for the October and January issues. All queries will be FREE to members and non-members alike as far as space permits. Get those queries in folks. This is a great opportunity to ask your questions of Marion County kith and kin at no cost. Just send them to the address on the cover and we'll take care of the rest.

Marion County folks have some great books for sale, and a new one coming out this year. Keep your eye out for the notice of Marion County Families 1811-1900 and its publication.

I'll leave you for this quarter with a reminder that the 52nd Annual Turkey Trot will be 11 and 12 October on the courthouse square. It's time to start making plans to be here for all the fun. There are several new places to stay right here in Marion County - the Yellville Chamber (501-449-4676) can help and so can we.
        Vicki Roberts, Editor
       Bramble Bush

        One of the aims of the Historic Genealogical Society of Marion County AR is to help others - individuals and organizations - in their projects whenever they involve genealogical and/or historical preservation and/or research. This project strikes us as one that meets our criteria. If you have information concern-ing Confederate grave sites, please take the time to fill in this form and return it to these ladies. This Society does a truly good job and deserves any data our members can supply.

Please complete, leaving unknown information blank.

VETERAN INFORMATION

RETURN TO: Dee Burr, Grave Location and Registration Project, RT 8 Box 367, Harrison AR 72601

THE
HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF MARION COUNTY ARKANSAS
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF
M A R I O N
C O U N T Y
F A M I L I E S
1811 - 1900

Includes over 400 families with birth dates and places, marriage dates and places, death dates and places, burial places, date of emigration, where they came from, where they went, where they settled.
Hard Smythe-sewn binding, 8.5 x 11, 680 pages, 93-page cross-reference index, sources for each family, bibliography, contributors with their addresses. $60 including shipping and handling.
        Order from HGSMCA, PO Box 554, Yellville AR 72687.

        Permission was granted August 1994 by Earl Berry for the Society to revise, correct, expand, update, and publish the genealogical data found in his book History of Marion County published in 1976. Vicki A. Roberts was appointed Project Editor and Mysty McPherson, co-Editor. Nineteen months of intensive research have resulted in the discovery of about 420 families, each of which will be presented in this book. Designed as a genealogical record and research aid rather than as an historical saga, very few stories about members of these families will be included. There will be no pictures. Included for each person will be the full name and nickname, birth date and place, marriage date and place, death date and place, burial date and place. Where possible, families will be extended to dates and places before emigration to Marion County. Also where possible, the state to which they went will be included for those family members who moved away from Marion County. Fully indexed and computerized, with sources of data for each family, cross-references to spouses' families, pertinent maps, a bibliography, names and addresses of contributors, this book will be the consummate genealogical story for at least a century of thousands of Marion County residents.

       1 LUDOVIC GRANT. A Scottish trader who settled at Tellico on the Tennessee River in 1720 and was a trader among the Cherokee before 1735. He married a full-blood Cherokee woman of the Long Hair clan. Recorded on page 301 of the Charlestown SC "Probate Court Book of 1754-1758" is a sworn statement dated 12 Jan 1756 in which Ludovic says, "It is about 30 years since I went into the Cherokee Country where I have resided ever since . . I speak their language."

       Crooked Creek crosses Highway 14 just south of Yellville. It flows most of the year and dries up to a trickle only during extremely dry weather. It crosses Highway 101 near Rea Valley where it is reduced to a few pools except after a heavy rain. It's not been known for many years what happens to all the water in Crooked Creek between Yellville and Rea Valley. Recently a fault was discovered through which a large portion of the water passing through Yellville goes under ground. Hydrologists suspected this water probably found its way to White River, but where? In order to answer this question, dye was dumped into the creek above the fault. And this dyed water appeared in White River at a place called "Cotter Spring."
        My Daddy's younger brother Charley was home from the army after World War II, single, and still living at home in Rea Valley. My cousin Cecil and I were at Grandpaw and Grandmaw's one very hot summer day when Uncle Charley asked, "How'd you boys like to go swimming?" He didn't have to ask twice - we were in the car before he finished the question! We were at Crooked Creek Bridge, a couple of miles from Grandpaw's, in a matter of minutes.
        Uncle Charley parked his car off the road below the bridge. We walked downstream to a swimming hole that was out of sight of the road 'cuz we didn't have any swimming trunks. I was about 11 or 12, Cecil a couple years older, and Uncle Charley in his early 20's. We were busy trying to dunk Uncle Charlie and getting dunked ourselves and didn't notice the black clouds of a typical hot summer day thunderstorm until they were right over us. No sooner had Uncle Charley said, "We'd better get out of the water and head for the car" than a bolt of lightening hit very close to us. The lightening must not have hit the water or the only place this event would have been noted in print would have been the obit page of "The Mountain Echo", but it sure was close. Anyone who has never been close to a lightening strike cannot realize how loud the noise is nor how bright the light is. And I can still feel the tingle that surged through my body when it hit.
        When that lightening struck, we all three came out of that water faster than you can imagine, grabbed our clothes, and streaked for the car - naked as the day we were born. I can still remember how cold I was and all three of us trying to dress in the seat of that old Model A coupe.
        Since then I've been in temperatures as low as -25o with a wind chill of -100o, but I don't remember ever being as cold as I was that hot summer day. And a few years back lightening hit the roof of my house about ten feet above the foot of my bed. It blew a hole in the ceiling big enough to crawl through as well as shaking the entire house and producing a flash as bright as 10,000 flashbulbs, but it didn't leave an impression on me like the one that hit at the swimming hole on Crooked Creek over fifty years ago.

OLD CHEROKEE FAMILIES; NOTES OF DR. EMMET STARR. Vol 1: Letter Books A-F. Edited and annotated by Jack D. Baker and David Keith Hampton. 294 pp. 1988.

OLD CHEROKEE FAMILIES; NOTES OF DR. EMMET STARR. Vol II; Letter Books G-L. Edited and annotated by Jack D. Baker and David Keith Hampton. 276 pp inc. index. 1988.

NEWTON CO. AR 1850 US CENSUS. Transcribed by C. L. and Lina Boyd. 41 pp inc. index. 1992.

NEWTON CO. AR 1860 US CENSUS and WILL BOOKS B AND C 1910 TO PRESENT. Compiled by Lina Boyd. 96 pp inc. index. 1993.

MARION CO. AR PLEASANT RIDGE CEMETERY. Compiled by Max Parnell. Indexed. 1996.

DESCENDANTS OF JAMES DICKSON and HARRISON L. STANLEY. Compiled by Dale Lee. 1996.

       The 1850 Federal Census for Marion County lists 495 farmers, 16 blacksmiths, 4 carpenters, 4 mill-wrights, 3 preachers, 3 teachers, 3 merchants, 2 tanners, 2 physicians, 2 attorneys, 2 turners, 2 wagon makers, 1 miller, 1 gunsmith, 1 miner, 1 cabinet maker, 1 saddler, 1 cooper, 1 sheriff.

       Queries is published in Bramble Bush as a service to researchers who may wish to exchange information of mutual historic and/or genealogical interests. The charge per query is $3 for 50 words or less, plus 10 cents for each additional word. Please count dates (1 Jan 1996=one word) and abbreviations, but not your name and address. Queries from both members and non-members are accepted, and are published in order of receipt, as space permits. If you respond to a query, kindly send a copy of your answer to Bramble Bush. Responsibility for accuracy of data in queries rests with the submitter.

COKER/HOGAN/NAVE/FOSTER/MARLOW/SIGMAN. Seek parents, siblings, births, deaths, spouses, descendants JOHN COKER m ANNIE HOGAN; GEORGE COKER b 1814 d MCAR 1854 bu Lead Hill Cemetery m ___ NAVE; RANDOLPH COKER m MINERVA FOSTER; JOSEPH "Cherokee Joe" COKER b AR 1824 d MCAR 1853 bu Lead Hill Cemetery m MARY ___; DEMPSEY FIELDS COKER b AR 1825 m/1 ELIZABETH MARLOW m/2 ELIZABETH SIGMAN. Mysty McPherson, HCR 66 Box 159, Yellville AR 72687.

DAVIS/HODGE. Need info, parents, siblings of CLARENCE DAVIS b KY 1875 m Marion Co. 1901 MARY HODGE. Ethel Davis Withers, 4141 Stevenson Blvd. # 326, Fremont CA 94538.

DOZIER/MAXEY/PRITCHARD. Seek descendants of PETER DOZIER b PA 1765, Rev. War vet, m ALLY PRITCHETT/PRITCHARD b TN 1765/70 d MCAR Oct 1859 bu where? Known children: NANCY, MARGARET, DANIEL, HENRY. NANCY b Knox Co. TN ca 1793 m Knox Co. TN 8 March 1809 WALTER MAXEY. Nancy is a widow in AR 1856. Anne M. Robertson, 1726 Washington Ave., Knoxville TN 37917.

McCUBBIN/COWDREY. Wish to contact descendants of DR. WILLIAM P. McCUBBIN d AR 1829 and his wife NANCY (possibly ADAMS or BEST). In Izard Co. by 1818. Daughter AGNESS McCUBBIN m Dr. JAMES COWDREY; they lived in MCAR. Related surnames: WALKER, HUTCHERSON, GROUNDS, DIAL, SEGRAVES found in Marion, Izard, Fulton, Logan Cos. AR. Norma Kay Walker Peterson, 813 Mann, Artesia NM 88210.

MORELAND/DOBBS. Seeking info ELIZABETH MORELAND b Carter Co. TN 6 Oct 1832 d TX ca 1833 m possibly MCAR 24 Feb 1854 RUBERRY DOBBS b 13 Feb 1821 d TX ca 1875. Lived various times Marion and Franklin Cos. AR, Red River and Lamar Cos. TX. Her brother was WILLIAM LAFAYETTE MORELAND b Carter Co. TN Sep 1841 d MCAR 1919. Ruberry apparently related to MCAR DOBBS family. Eldon Edgin, 14908 Woodbriar Dr., Dallas TX 75248-5441.

SNOW/FORREST. Seek cemetary location for PHILANDER L. SNOW b 13 June 1828. Mother FREELOVE; stepfather JAMES FORREST. Married JULIE ___. Children ROBERT, JOHN, ABRAM, MARY, NATHAN, COMMODORE, WILLIAM, ELLEN, JAMES. Last address was Oak Grove AR. Beverly Anderson, 10100 Quince St. NW, Coon Rapids MN 55433.

STANLEY. Descendants of James Dickson "J. D." and Harrison L. STANLEY, brothers, with family history, charts, pictures, etc. has been placed in Marion Co. Library. Three of "J.D.'s" children (ALBERT L. STANLEY, JOSEPH HARRISON STANLEY, MARY ELLEN [STANLEY] DAVIS) and several of Harrison's children could not be traced. All raised near Eros and Pyatt, Marion Co. Desire to work and share information with others. Dale Lee, 936 Baer St., Mountain Home AR 72653.

WILCHER. Seek info ISAAC BARTON WILCHER d Yellville ca 1897. Church of Christ "Camelite" preacher. Which church? Did he own land? Is there a death certificate? Records pertaining to guardianship of his children? Deborah C. Newton, RT 1 Box 71, Maramec OK 74045.

       Families & Fairs is designed to announce dates and places of reunions, ancestor fairs, and historical commemorations wherever they may be held. The information must reach us no later than March 15, June 15, September 15, and/or December 15 to be included in the next issue of Bramble Bush. The name and address of a contact person must be included. This feature is free of charge.

The 1st Annual BALDRIDGE FAMILY REUNION will be held at Church of Christ, 100 W. Dawes, Bixby OK (just south of Tulsa) 31 August 1996. Reservations deadline 1 August. Contact Terri Moore, 36 N Louisville, Tulsa OK 74115 (918) 832-8768.

MARION COUNTY FAIR, with emphasis on local Civil War history and legends, will be held at the Fairgrounds, Summit AR 23 and 24 August. Contact

The 1st Annual OZARK CULTURAL CELEBRATION will be held at the Ozark Mountain Cultural Center, Mountain View AR 13 and 14 September 1996. Contact Bill McNeil, PO Box 500, Mountain View AR 72560 (501)-269-3851.

PHILLIPS FAMILIES GENEALOGICAL SWAP MEET will be held at Best Western Inn, 2101 S. 4th St, Chickasha OK 15, 16, and 17 August 1996. Contact Dale F. Phillips, 1927 S 7th Street, Chickasha OK 73018 (405)-224-6927.

52nd ANNUAL TURKET TROT will be held on the Courthouse Square, Yellville AR, 11 and 12 October 1996. Contact Janeel Callahan (501) 449-4676 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm weekdays.

        SERVICE DIRECTORY is published in Bramble Bush as a service to those who may wish to advertise some of the many books, products, and services available that relate to historic and/or genealogical research. The charge per ad per year is $12 for 30 words or less, plus 10 cents for each additional word. Please count prices and abbreviations; name and address count as 3 words, phone number as 1 word. Ads from both members and non-members are accepted. The name and address of a contact person must accompany each ad.

Marion Co. AR and surrounding areas. Experienced researcher. $10 per hour plus copy costs and postage. Vicki Roberts, HCR 66 Box 399, Yellville AR 72687; (501)-449-6195 aft 6:00 pm CST.

Marion Co. AR area. $10 per hour plus copy costs and postage. Experienced researcher. Mysty McPherson, HCR 66 Box 159, Yellville AR 72687; (501)-449-5223.

"EARLY DAYS OF MARION COUNTY" Lester & Marion Burnes, $25. Marion S. Burnes, PO Box 365, Yellville AR 72687.

"MARION COUNTY CEMETERIES" Marion S. Burnes. $20. Marion S. Burnes, PO Box 365, Yellville AR 72687.

"MARION COUNTY MARRIAGES 1888-1896" Marion S. Burnes & Vicki A. Roberts $12. Marion S. Burnes, PO Box 365, Yellville AR 72687.

"MARION COUNTY 1890 CENSUS." Reconstructed from 1880 & 1900 census; land, tax records, etc. Hardbound. $40. Helen McMindes, 626 West South Avenue, Harrison AR 72601.

Please add my name to your membership list so that I may continue to receive Bramble Bush.

Enclosed is my check for $12 payable to HGSMCA for 1996.

SEND TO HGSMCA, PO BOX 554, YELLVILLE AR 72687

Bramble Bush is published quarterly by the Historic Genealogical Society of Marion County Arkansas, PO Box 554, Yellville AR 72687. Subscription is $12 per year. EDITORIAL STAFF: Editor, Vicki Roberts; Design/Production, Mysty McPherson; Art Work, Bonnie Sanders; Queries, Mary Birrer; Subscriptions, Barbara Holland; Printing, ABC Printing Co., 721 Hwy 5 N, Mountain Home AR 72653; Contributing writers, Mary Birrer, F. Gene Garr, Ramona Lee. HGSMCA OFFICERS: Chair, L. Don Ott; Vice-Chair, Vicki Roberts; Secretary, Mary Birrer; Treasurer, Barbara Holland; Grants/Purchasing, Mysty McPherson.