"Jennie's Colony", Now McCrory, Arkansas, and
the McCrorys, A Pioneer Family Who Settled Here
by Gary Telford
Cyrus G. McCrory was born about 1813 in Chester Co., South Carolina. He was the son of John McCrory and Mary "Mollie" Hamilton of Chester Co., South Carolina. His brothers and sisters were: (1) Mary McCrory born about 1807 and married Wiley Jackson on October 18, 1828; (2) John McCrory born about 1808 who married Eleanor Parker about 1835: (3) Jincy H. McCrory born July 6, 1813 and married Thomas M. Stewart August 25, 1831 in Madison Co., TN.
Cyrus G. McCrory migrated to Mason Grove, Madison Co., TN. There he met and married Mary Ann Hamilton about 1838, daughter of William Newton Hamilton and Mary Jane McCullough. Mary Ann was born about 1813 in Davidson Co., Tennessee.
Cyrus G. and Mary Ann Hamilton McCrory were the parents of the following children; (1) Mary Ann "Mollie" McCrory born December 18, 1839 in Crockett Co.,TN. She married James M. Boykin in Crockett Co., TN. They were the parents of Cyrus W. Boykin and Sarah L. Boykin. She also married Benjamin Seaman. She died May 29, 1908; (2) Sarah Louise McCrory born March 12, 1842 in Tennessee and married Jordan D. James November 2, 1859 in Madison Co., TN. He was born March 25, 1829. Sarah L. died November 26, 1901. Sarah and her husband Jordan D. James died in Independence Co., AR, Cushman Twp. Both are buried in the James Cemetery; (3) Cyrus Wade McCrory was born November 21, 1843 in Mason Grove, Madison Co., TN; (4) William J. McCrory was born 1846 in Tennessee. William owned and farmed property in Woodruff County. He was injured when his wagon broke down while hauling cotton to Augusta to sell and ship to market on the White River. In August of 1870, he died as a result of this injury. After his death, records indicated he had owned 282 acres southwest of McCrory. He was buried in an unmarked grave near the entrance of the Augusta Memorial Park Cemetery.
Cyrus G. McCrory and some of his children were the first of the McCrory family to move to Arkansas. His wife Mary Ann had died in February of 1850 in Tennessee. They arrived here between 1860 and 1861. Records show that he bought the land where the City of McCrory is now, from Thomas Arnold on August 30, 1862. McCrory was formerly known as "Jennie's Colony". The city was born January 30, 1890 when the Woodruff County Court granted the petition that was signed by fifty-five citizens on Christmas Eve. When the town was incorporated , it was named for his family. He was a pioneer who farmed and traded property located in Jackson and Woodruff Counties. At one time he owned as much as 700 acres in North Jackson County, in 1867 he owned as much as 640 acres in Woodruff County. Two city streets have been named for the family---Wade and Seaman Streets. Cyrus G. McCrory died January 6, 1869 in Augusta, Woodruff Co., AR. I have been unable to find where he is buried.
Cyrus Wade McCrory, (3 above), married Mary Lou "Mollie" Dicena Atkinson June 7, 1866, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth "Betty" Atkinson. They were the parents of nine children; five of which survived; (1) Della Leona McCrory born April 4, 1867 in McCrory, AR; (2) Jordan "Jurd" Cyrus McCrory born February 5, 1870 and he married Mrs. Terry Daniel, widow of Jess Daniel, sometime after 1950. She was born 1895 and died 1971. (3) Lula McCrory was born June 19, 1873 near Batesville, Independence Co., AR and died September 9, 1944 in Woodruff Co., AR and was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, south half; (4) Mary Emma McCrory was born February 28, 1879 near Batesville, AR and died June 14, 1916 in McCrory and is buried in Fakes Cemetery. (5) Grover Garland McCrory was born August 3, 1883 in Waco, Texas and married Mathilda Horne Young. She died in 1965.
Della Leona McCrory, daughter of Cyrus Wade and Mary Lou "Mollie" McCrory, married Thomas Anthony Jeffries, Sr. February 16, 1892 in Woodruff Co., AR. He was born February 9, 1865 in Arkansas, the son of Octavius Edward Jeffries, Sr. and Sarah Dupree Ross Jeffries. Della and Thomas Jeffries were the parents of the following children; (1) Octavius Edward Jeffries Jr., was born December 24, 1893; (2) Wade Thomas Jeffries was born January 19, 1895 and married Pearl Lois Crafton. He died February 17, 1974; (3) Walter Nathan "Red" Jeffries was born August 8, 1899 and died September 17, 1953; (4) Della Leona Jeffries was born October 5, 1900 in McCrory and married Jefferson Rukin Jelks January 10, 1923 in McCrory. She died November 7, 1927 and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Thomas A. Jeffries died January 23, 1943 in McCrory and Della died September 1, 1901 in McCrory. Both are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, south half.
Octavius Edward Jeffries Sr. was born October 4, 1836 in Tennessee, the son of Edward "Ned" and Penelope Simmons Jeffries. He died November 25, 1885 in Woodruff Co., AR. He married Sarah Dupree Ross, April 1, 1858, daughter of Thomas M. and Ann T. Dupree Ross, who was born October 8, 1840 in Tennessee and died May 14, 1910 in Woodruff Co., AR. They owned land about one half mile east of the intersection of Highway 17 from Patterson, AR and north of Highway 64 about one half mile. They are buried in the Jeffries Family Cemetery here, along with a son, Thadeus E. Jeffries who was born February 21, 1859 and died January 24, 1880, and a daughter, Cora J. Jeffries born April 3, 1872 and died March 1, 1912. They also had a daughter, Annie Jeffries who married a Fakes. Another son, Thomas Anthony Jeffries Sr., born February 9, 1865 who married Della Leona McCrory, February 16, 1892, daughter of Cyrus Wade McCrory and Mary Lou "Mollie Atkinson McCrory. Della Leona died September 1, 1901. On January 17, 1904, Thomas A. Jefferies married Augusta "Miss Gussie" Dilliard, daughter of Andrew Clements "Yank" Dilliard and Jeanetta "Jennie" E. Llewellyn Dilliard. She was born February 16, 1877 and died December 13, 1940. She is buried in the Fakes Cemetery.
Jordan "Jurd" Cyrus McCrory the second son of Cyrus Wade and Mary Lou "Mollie" McCrory was a large land owner in Woodruff County, president of Planters Mercantile Company, and a member of the Methodist Church. His wife, Mrs Terry Daniel, born August 9, 1894, was the widow of Jess Daniel. Mrs Terry Daniel and her husband, Jess Daniel, had two sons; (1) Jess Daniel II born January 29, 1915 and died August 16, 1928 and was buried in Fakes Cemetery. (2) Walter Peyton Daniel. No children were born to Mr. "Jurd" and Mrs Terry Daniel McCrory. Jordan "Jurd" Cyrus McCrory died December 21, 1960 and Mrs. Terry McCrory died June 1971. Both are buried in the Fakes Cemetery.
Mary Emma McCrory, the fourth child of Cyrus Wade and Mary Lou Dicena Atkinson McCrory, married Henry Wilson Jernigan March 8, 1905 in the McCrory Methodist Church by Rev. A. C. Cloyes. Henry was a cashier at the Bank of McCrory. He was born October 23, 1872 in Harrison, AR, the son of David Bishop and Virginia Caroline Wilson Jernigan. They were the parents of the following children; (1) Otis McCrory Jernigan was born March 3, 1907 in McCrory and married Miriam Loyd Cummings. (2) Lou Alice Jernigan; (3) Mary Jernigan; (4) Wilson Wade Jernigan was born July 11, 1910 in McCrory and died December 6, 1913 and is buried in the Fakes Cemetery. Mary Emma McCrory Jernigan died June 14, 1916 and Henry married Annie Harrell who was born January 2, 1875 and died August 19, 1949. Henry W. Jernigan and both his wives are buried at Fakes Cemetery.
Grover Garland McCrory, the fifth child of Cyrus Wade and Mary Lou "Mollie" McCrory was educated in the local school and graduated from the University of Arkansas, School of Engineering. Upon returning to McCrory, he taught school at Morton and Pumpkin Bend.
Early in the 1900's, he became a clerk in his father's business, McCrory Mercantile Company, and began acquiring stock in it during World War I. When the company's name was changed to Planter's Mercantile Company, he remained it's principal stockholder and active head until 1972. He was an active member of the McCrory Methodist Church, serving many years as the superintendent of the Sunday School. He was a charter member of the McCrory Rotary Club organized in April 1932, and served as president in 1936 and 1937. He was a stock holder in the Bank of McCrory, a member of the Bayou Deview Drainage District, which he helped to organize, and served as a director of the Cache River Production Association.
His wife, Mathilda Horne Young McCrory, preceded him in death in 1965. He died May 1, 1972 in Woodruff County and was buried in the Fakes Cemetery.
He is survived by two step sons, Dr. William G. Young of Benton and Jan Young of McCrory and three grandchildren.
Octavius Edward Jefferies, child of Thomas Anthony and Della Leona Jefferies, married Pauline Bull. He died December 11, 1953 in McCrory and is buried in the Fakes Cemetery. They were the parents of Franchelle Jefferies, born July 14, 1918 and died July 1984. She married Wellington P. Jackson.
Della Leona Jefferies, fourth child of Thomas Anthony and Della Leona McCrory Jefferies married Jefferson Rukin Jelks on January 10, 1923 in McCrory, AR. He was the son of William and Maggie Simmons Jelks. They were the parents of Jeffries Rukin Jelks born October 21, 1927 in Tucson, Arizona.
Otis McCrory Jernigan, son of Henry Wilson and Mary E. McCrory Jernigan, married (1) Miriam Loyd Cummings on September 9, 1931, daughter of John Hamilton and Ada Lewis Reid Cummings. They were the parents of Elizabeth Ann Jernigan who married Gerald Reeves Sensabaugh, Jr. Miriam Jernigan was born June 8, 1905 and died October 28, 1932 in New Orleans, LA. Otis married (2) Roberta Barcus. She was born December 29, 1909 and died March 6, 1976 in McCrory, AR. She is buried in Fakes Cemetery. Otis died July 10, 1983 in New Orleans, LA.