Zebulon B. Edmiston
SOURCE: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889
Contributed by Michael Brown
18 Oct 1998
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WASHINGTON COUNTY
page 938
Zebulon B. Edmiston, retired merchant, of Boonsboro, Ark., is a native of Clark
County, Ark., born April 17, 1830. His father, David Edmiston, was born in
Tennessee, and came to Arkansas when a lad of thirteen, with his father (who
also bore the name of David), and located in what is now Clark County. Here
David C. Edmiston grew to manhood, and was afterward married to Rebecca
Thornton, a native of Illinois, moving to Washington County, Ark., in 1835,
where he was engaged in farming until his death. in April, 1884. His wife died
in August, 1882. Zebulon B. spent his youthful days on his father's farm, and
received a fair common- school education. On December 16, 1852, he was married
to Miss Eunice Jane Gray, a daughter of Sanford F. Gray, who bore him three
sons: James P., David N. and John S. Mr. Edmiston farmed until 1872, when he
moved to Boonsboro to give his children the advantages of the schools of that
place. and four years later engaged in merchandising, which occupation he
successfully carried on until 1884, when he retired from active business life
and left his store to the management of his sons. When the Boonsboro Canning
and Evaporating Factory was organized, in 1888, Mr. Edmiston became one of the
stockholders and did all in his power to further the enterprise. John S.
Edmiston, son of Zebulon B. Edmiston, was educated in the Cane Hill College,
and graduated from that institution in the summer of 1876, and in the fall of
the same year began teaching in the primary department of the same
institution. He then taught in Sebastian County, Ark., for some time, and
afterward went to Texas, where he followed the same calling, returning to
Arkansas in December, 1878. In February, of the following year, he engaged
[p.938] in merchandising in Boonsboro, and has been actively engaged in that
business ever since. He became a director and president of the Cane Hill
Canning and Evaporating Company, of which B. J. Wade was made vice-president:
S. T. Cole, treasurer; Dr. W. H. Moore, secretary, and the following are the
other directors: F. R. Earl. W. S. Moore, J. H. Marler and William M. Lewis.
May 6, 1886, Mr. Edmiston was married to Miss Alice L. Lacy, who was born in
Alabama and was reared and educated in Arkansas. They have three children:
Erin, Lacy and Clem Gray. The family are members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church.