FATHERS OF THE RIDGE, Vol. I by George W. Rowland. 

GENEALOGICAL SKETCHES

McDaniel

The history of the McDaniel family in Greene County begins long ago in
the state of Kentucky with six brothers and sisters: Grainger, 1800;
Jalley, 1802; Joseph, 1804; John, 1808; Louisa, 1814; and James D. 1815.
Grainger married Polly Bowen and later took up residence in the state of
Texas.

Jalley McDaniel married Isaiah Hampton, born in North Carolina in 1797, and
by 1840 they had moved to Greene County. Joseph married Margaret Crenshaw
in 1826 and they lived in Shelby County, Tennessee where he died in 1834.
John was married in 1832 to Sarah Margaret Hollingsworth, and by 1840 they
had arrived in Greene County. Louisa married Jesse Payne and by 1840 they
had also arrived in Greene County and had taken up residence in the
vicinity of Old Greensboro. James D. married Sarah Hall in about 1837 and
by 1850 they had moved to Greene County and taken up residence in Union
Township.

In 1850 Jalley McDaniel Hampton and her husband, Isaiah Hampton, were
living in Big Creek Township in Greene County. At this time their children
were: James, 1828; Francis, 1840; John, 1842; Lucy, 1842; Matilda, 1844;
and Nimrod, 1847.

In 1850 John and Margaret McDaniel were living in St. Francis Township of
Greene County. At this time their children were: James, 1833; Jasper, 1835;
Joseph, 1837; Mary, 1836; Louisa J., 1841; Minerva, 1843; Henry T., 1843;
and Matilda, 1846.

In 1850 Louisa McDaniel Payne and Jesse Payne were living in St. Francis
Township of Greene County. At this time their children were: Frances, 1833;
Harriet, 1836; Mary Jane, 1838; Susanna, 1839; Milton, 1842; Eliza, 1843;
John, 1846; James C., 1848; and Emily, 1850. Frances, the oldest child, was
born in Tennessee. Harriet, Mary Jane, Susanna, and Milton were born in
Mississippi. Eliza, John, James C., and Emily were born in Arkansas.
In 1850 James D. and Sarah McDaniel were living in Union Township of
Greene County. At this time their children were: Stacy, 1838; Martha J.,
1844; Sarah, 1845; Minerva, 1846; James, 1848; and Nelly, 1849.

Jasper, son of John and Margaret, married a woman named Mary C., and they
resided in St. Francis Township in 1860. At this time their children were:
John T., 1857; and Sarah J., 1848. A young man named S. F. Lamb[,] born in
Arkansas in 1846, was living in the same household.

By 1860 four more children had been added to the household of James D.
and Sarah McDaniel: Louisa, 1852; Mary A., 1853; Nancy A., 1854; and R. J.
W., 1859.

In 1880 James D. and Sarah McDaniel were still living in St. Francis
Township and their children, Elizabeth, Nancy and Joseph, were still living
at home. Three granddaughters of James D. and Sarah were living in the same
household at this time. They were: L. Nickson, 1873; Joanna Nickson, 1875;
and Luena Nickson, 1877. (It seems possible that the correct spelling of
this name was "Nixon.")

Joseph McDaniel, son of John and Margaret, married a woman whose name is
given in the 1880 census record as "Adalizar." They lived in Poland
Township in 1880 and their children at this time were: Mary A., 1869; James
H., 1872; William J., 1874; Joseph, 1876; Sarah, 1878; and John C. C., born
in April 1880.

By 1880 John McDaniel (born 1808) had lost his first wife and had married
a second time. His wife at this time was named Emily C., born in Alabama in
1835. Their children at home at this time were: John, 1866; Samuel, 1868;
Louisa, 1871; and Grainger, 1873. A step-daughter, Mary J. Roberts, born in
Arkansas in 1862, was also living in the household at this time.

A number of the members of the older generations of the McDaniel family
are buried at the Woods Chapel Cemetery in the south-central part of Greene
County. Jalley McDaniel Hampton, wife of Isaiah Hampton, is buried at the
Mt.  Zion Cemetery. Her marker is one of the oldest in the cemetery and is
barely legible today. It is believed that Isaiah Hampton is also buried
there, but there is no marker for him.

(Much of the information for this sketch was provided by Mr. John
McDaniel of Paragould, Arkansas who has written on book on the McDaniel and
related families of Greene County.)

McNeil

James McNeil was born in Tennessee in 1816. His wife, Martha, was born
in North Carolina in 1817.

In 1850 the McNeil family lived in Claiborne County, Tennessee in the 7th
Subdivision of the Eastern District. At this time their children were:
William F., 1837; Serena, 1838; Margaret, 1840; David, 1844; Elizabeth M.,
1845; James L., 1848; and Joseph W., 1849.

In about 1851 the McNeil family moved to Greene County and took up
residence in Concord Township. By 1860 three more children had been added:
Alexander M., 1852; Melaney, 1855; and Julia, 1858. These children were
born after the family arrived in Arkansas.

William F. McNeil married a woman named Mary M. born in Tennessee in
1840. Their first son, F. M. McNeil, was born in Arkansas in 1859.
Alexander McNeil married Elizabeth Harper in Greene County on March 20,
1876.

David McNeil married a woman named Louisa, born in Missouri in 1837.
Their children, as of 1880, were: Lura, 1868; George A., 1870; and Van A.,
1878. Emma and Hardy Newble were living with the family at this time. Emma
was born in Tennessee in 1825 and Hardy was born in Arkansas in 1869.
The nearest neighbors of David McNeil in 1880 were the families of George
F. Johnston, James T. Carroll, Martha J. Penny, and Joseph Riddle.

Mack

The history of the Mack family begins with Littleberry L. Mack, born in
Tennessee in 1818. His wife, Felecia Ann, was born in the same state in
1829.  In 1850 the Mack family was living in Wayne County, Tennessee in
Civil District 4. At this time they had two children: Lemuel C., 1846; and
Robert, 1849.

The Mack family moved to Greene County in about 1852 and took up
residence in Union Township in or near the town of Gainesville.
By 1860 several more children had been added to the family: Allen T.,
1851; William, 1853; Masilla T., 1855; and Emily N., 1858. The last three
children were born after the family arrived in Arkansas.

Allen T. Mack married a woman named Mary E., born in Missouri in 1854,
and by 1880 they had two children: Clyde A., 1876; and Lillian L., 1878.
Clyde later founded Clyde Mack Clothing Company, one of the oldest
mercantile companies still in existence in the city of Paragould. In 1880
Allen Mack's nearest neighbors were the families of James R. Snodgrass,
George H. Lawrence, Frank M. Dalton, and Frank Jackson.

William Mack married Gildora Baker on Jan. 14, 1879. Gildora was born in
Tennessee in 1860. In 1880 they lived in St. Francis Township and their
nearest neighbors were the families of James McDaniel, Thomas Cooper,
Monroe Martin, and William Brown.

After 1860 at least three more children were born to Littleberry and
Felecia Mack: Thomas, 1863; Idella, 1865; and Sarah, 1868. It is believed
that another child was born in about 1861, but the name of this child is
not positively known.

In 1880 Littleberry Mack's occupation was listed in the U. S. Census as
"state judge." Littleberry Mack and his family lived in Union Township at
this time and their neighbors were the families of William Thomason, John
A.  Bonham, Josiah Thorne, and W. S. Ledbetter.

A number of the members of the Mack family are buried at the Gainesville
Cemetery located south of the point where the old town of Gainesville once
stood.

Meadows

The Meadows family begins with David Meadows, born in North Carolina in
1818. His wife, Barbara was born in South Carolina in 1817. By 1845 the
family was living in South Carolina and remained there for at least a
decade.  By 1860 the family had moved to Greene County and settled in Union
Township.  At this time their children were: Bartholomew, 1845; Henderson,
1848; Annie, 1850; Nathaniel, 1854; and Hamilton, 1855. All these children
were born in South Carolina.

David Meadows died in 1861 and was buried at what is now known as the
Meadows Grove Cemetery. His stone shows dates of Feb. 18, 1818 and Nov. 25,
1861.

Nathaniel Meadows, son of David, married Mrs. Ann Eliza Friar in Greene
County on Dec. 19, 1877. Ann was a native of Tennessee, born there in 1848.
Their first child was named William, born in 1879. James Friar, a stepson,
was living with the family at this time.

Henderson Meadows, son of David, married a woman named Malinda, born in
Arkansas in 1851. They resided in Union Township as of 1870.

Both Bartholomew and Henderson died in 1871 and were buried at Meadows
Grove Cemetery. The marker for Bartholomew shows dates of April 12, 1845
and Jan. 25, 1871. The stone for Henderson shows dates of Jan. 14, 1848 and
March 3, 1871.

Hamilton Meadows, son of David, died in 1876 and his marker shows dates
of Feb. 28, 1855 and Sept. 26, 1876. Nathaniel died in 1886 and his stone
shows dates of Sept. 21, 1852 and Nov. 16, 1886. Some of the other members
of the Meadows family are also buried at Meadows Grove.

In 1880 the nearest neighbors of Nathan Meadows were the families of Pink
Boyd, Martha Welch, Frank Breckenridge, and Daniel Breckenridge.

Moore

The Moore family of Greene County begins with Arthur Moore, born in 1823
in North Carolina. By 1850 Arthur was a resident of Gibson County,
Tennessee where he had married a woman named Elizabeth, born in Virginia.
Arthur and his family came to Greene County before 1860 and established
their residence in Concord Township.

The known children of Arthur and Elizabeth Moore were: William, 1848;
Benjamin, 1850; Henry, 1851; Elsa, 1852; George, 1854; Martha, 1857; and
Allen, 1860. The six older children were born in Tennessee and Allen was
born in Arkansas.

William J. Moore, Arthur's oldest son, married Martha J. Duffel. Their
known children were: Ella, 1870; Davis S., 1874; William H., 1876; Matilda,
1878; and Arthur M., 1880.

Henry Moore married Mrs. Louisa J. Thomas and their first child was
Virginia C., born in 1879. Louisa J. had three children by a previous
marriage: James, William, and Flavius Thomas, born in 1873, 1876, and 1877
respectively.

The 1860 census for Gibson County, Tennessee shows tha[t] an Eli Moore
lived next to Arthur Moore in Civil District 11. It is believed that Eli
was Arthur's brother although there is no evidence on this point. However,
it is known that at least one son of Eli came to Greene County; this was
Elisha Moore, born in Tennessee in 1835. In 1880 Elisha was living with the
William C. Newberry family in Friendship Township of Greene County.
Benjamin A. Moore, son of Arthur, was married to a woman named Georgia
and their known children were: Alfred, 1872; Rutha J., 1874; John W., 1875;
Martha E., 1877; and Bennet, 1879.

Alfred Moore, son of Benjamin, married Emma A. Barton on Oct. 12, 1893.
Their children were: Lola, Iva, Norma, Euna, Armand, and Verlon.
Rutha J. Moore, daughter of Benjamin Moore, married Joseph M. Ramsey on
Dec. 26, 1890 and they had four sons and five daughters.

Mothershed I

Thomas Mothershed was born in South Carolina in 1790. His wife, Charity,
was born in North Carolina in 1810.

In 1850 the Mothershed family lived in Benton County, Tennessee. At this
time their children were: Mary, 1829; Lavina, 1831; Lucy, 1833; Frances,
1836; William, 1838; Marbry, 1842; Thomas A., 1844; Josephine, 1846; and
Napolean B., 1848.

The Mothersheds moved to Greene County in about 1855. Thomas Mothershed
apparently died during the 1850's and Charity was left a widow. The family
lived in St. Francis Township in 1860.

Thomas C.[A.] Mothershed married a woman named M. Jane, born in Arkansas
in 1839. In 1880, their children were: M. Vickery, 1872; and Lucy, 1877.
Frances and Josephine, sisters of Thomas, were living with the family at
this time. The nearest neighbors were the families of Wilson Wadley, R.
Palmer, Gustavus Yates, and John Turner.

Napolean B. Mothershed married a woman named Martha, born in Tennessee in
1835. Their children in 1880 were: Edwin, 1870; Elizabeth, 1872; Lucy,
1874; William, 1875; and Luiza, 1879. T. J. Bright, a nephew of Napolean,
born in 1853, was living with the family at this time. Their neighbors were
the families of Henry Woodson, J. N. McCullough, A. J. Campbell, R. F.
Campbell, and James Herren.

Mothershed II

John Mothershed was born in Tennessee in 1816. His wife, Mary, was born
in the same state in 1818.

In 1850, John and Mary were living in Benton County, Tennessee. For this
reason it is believed that John was related to Thomas Mothershed
(Mothershed I).

The children of John and Mary Mothershed in 1850 were: William Moses,
1847; and Catherine, 1849. John's occupation at this time was that of
blacksmith.

John and Mary moved their family to Greene County in about 1859, and they
took up residence in St. Francis Township, not far from Charity Mothershed
and her family. By 1860 John and Mary had four more children: Martha L.,
1851; Thomas, 1853; Mary A., 1855; and John D., 1858. Anna Swindle, born in
North Carolina in 1810, was living with the family at this time.

Nash

The patriarch of the Nash family was John O. "Pappy" Nash born in
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1840. He was the son of Zenas and
Rebecca Nash, both natives of Keystone state. At an early age John began
working for the railroad and continued this work for several years.

In 1859 the Nash family moved to Crawford County, Indiana. At the age of
twenty-three, John married Rachel Blunk, a daughter of Mary Blunk who was a
Pennsylvania native and an earlier settler of Harrison County, Indiana.
John and Rachel had two sons: Thomas, 1865; and John, 1867. Rachel died in
1870 and three years later John married Alta Hughes, daughter of James A.,
and Rachel Hughes, a woman fifteen years younger than himself. They had six
children: Alice, 1874; Hattie E., 1876; Rebecca Annie, 1879; Heber and
Herman (twins), 1882; and Frank, 1887.

In 1880 the John O. Nash family moved a short distance to Dubois County,
Indiana and began farming a plot of ground which adjoined the village of
Birdseye.

In 1886 John's older brother, Samuel Nash, a former Union soldier, died
and was buried in the Birdseye Cemetery. John's son, Thomas, died during
the same year and was buried in the same place.

In 1893 John O. Nash moved his family to Paragould, Arkansas and was
connected with one of the flouring mills of that new and developing city.
His son, Frank, was about six years old at this time and it seems likely
that he had his first schooling in the city, although no records now exist
to show this. Paragould was to become the old home place for most of the
Nash family and today the Linwood Cemetery Mausoleum is the final resting
place of John, Alice Nash Long, Hattie Nash House, and Frank. Carrie Nash,
John's third wife, and Perry House, husband of Hattie are also buried here.
Heber and Herman were buried, many years apart, at the Birdseye Cemetery in
Indiana.

In May of 1896 John Nash moved his family to Jonesboro, Arkansas and they
resided in the Grigsby cottage on Union Street. John took over the
management of the Jonesboro Roller Mill which position he was to hold for
the next several years. In addition to managing the mill, John traveled and
bought grain in Rector, Marmaduke and other places in the Jonesboro market
area.

In 1899 John's wife died. She had been ill for some time and had been
taken back to the old home area in Indiana where relatives cared for her.
She was buried in the Birdseye Cemetery after a service in the Birdseye
Baptist Church conducted by Elder James Bobbitt. Today her tombstone,
having the form of a tree, bearing a rope and anchor, and with a concrete
bench in front may be seen on the west side of the cemetery near the
street.

John Nash continued to manage the Roller Mill for the next few months
until it was destroyed by fire on July 9, 1899. John took a respite at this
time and returned to Indiana to visit friends and relatives in Birdseye,
Marengo, and White Sulphur Wells, Indiana. During this time, the Roller
Mill was being rebuilt. The Mill resumed operations in January of 1900 with
John Nash again in charge. John Nash's career as manager of the Roller Mill
is reflected in the original minutes book of the company. This battered
tome, first used in 1896, give mute testimony of the two fires which it
survived, one in 1899 and another many years later. This book is now in
possession of Mr. J. Hardy Little of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

In December of 1900 John O. Nash resigned his position as manager of the
Jonesboro Roller Mill Company and returned to Indiana for a brief period.
Soon afterward he moved to Oklahoma. In Hobart, Oklahoma he built a hotel
which became widely known in the area as the "Nash." In later years, the
management of this hotel was carried on by John's daughter, Alice, and son-
in-law, John Long, a native of Enfield, Illinois. In his advanced years
John Nash returned to Paragould to live with his daughter, Hattie Nash
House.  John Nash was active even in his advance years. In 1930, at the age
of 89, John was still able to attend a banquet which was later referred to
as "Bud Ryan's Party for the Old Folks." When John Nash died in July of
1931, he was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Perry House; another daughter,
Mrs.  Alice Long; three sons, J. P. Nash of Staunton, Virginia; Heber and
Frank Nash; a brother, Wilson Nash of Dover, Ohio; and four grandchildren:
Mrs.  A. B. Tate of Little Rock, Arkansas, Thomas Nash of Memphis,
Tennessee, J.  O. Nash of Lawton, Oklahoma, and Mrs. W. D. Kamp of
Richmond, Indiana.  Frank, the youngest child of John O. Nash, died in
1933. Of all the Nash children, Hattie was the last to die.

Newberry

The patriarchs of the Newberry family in Greene County were John and Sam
Newberry. John was born in North Carolina in 1820 and Sam was born in the
same state in 1823. Both men came to Arkansas during the late 1850's.
John Newberry married a woman named Nancy, born in South Carolina in
1818. Their known children were: James, 1843; Martha E., 1845; William,
1850; John, 1853; Lawrence L., 1855; and Thomas, 1857. The five older
children were born in Alabama and Thomas was born after the family arrived
in Arkansas.

Sam Newberry also married a woman named Nancy (Nancy W.), born in
Tennessee in 1824. Their known children were: John W., 1849; William A.,
1851; Robert, 1854; Ephraim, 1855; and Levi, 1859. The four older children
were born in Tennessee and Levi was born in Arkansas.

James F., son of John, had five known children: Martha, 1866; Sarah,
1868; Robert, 1870; John E., 1872; and Isabella J., 1866. All these
children were born in Arkansas.

Lawrence, son of John, married Sarah J. O'Dell on Aug. 3, 1876 in Greene
County, Arkansas. Their first child, Viola, was born in 1879.
Thomas, son of John, married Elizabeth Dennison on Aug. 31, 1876. Their
first two children were: Donna, 1877; and William, 1880.

John, son of John, married a woman named Martha, born in Alabama in 1851.
Their first child was Ada E., born in 1873.

William C., son of Sam, married Mary H. Hartsoe on Oct. 18, 1877 in
Greene County.

Levi B., son of Sam, married Alice L. Wood on Dec. 24, 1881.
Ephraim H., son of Sam, married Anna M. McElvee on May 2, 1877.

Owen

The head of the Owen family in Greene County was James Owen, born in
Virginia in 1810. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in North Carolina in 1815.

The family moved to Missouri in about 1830 and remained there for a number
of years. By 1845, they had moved to Greene County and settled in St.
Francis Township. Their children as of 1850 were: Alfred, 1831; James,
1833; William, 1837; Willis, 1839; David, 1840; John, 1842; Hiram, 1845;
and William (no. 2), 1848. The six older children were born in Missouri
while the two younger ones were born after the family arrived in Arkansas.
James'occupation at this time was that of wagonmaker.

James Owen's wife, Elizabeth, died sometime after 1860 and he married
Tabitha Nelson on April 8, 1876 in Greene County. Tabitha was born in
Georgia in 1832. There is no record of any children born of this union. In
1880 James and Tabitha were living in Cache Township.
Alfred, son of James, married a woman named Elizabeth, born in Tennessee
in 1844.

Willis, son of James, married a woman named Martha, born in Arkansas in
1842. Their children in 1880 were: James, 1866; William, 1868; Joseph,
1871; Charles, 1876; and Ezra, 1879. All these children were born in
Arkansas.  John, son of James, married a woman named North Carolina, born
in Tennessee in 1847. Their known children were: Daniel Jeff, 1867; David
W., 1870; Lucinda, 1872; Catherine E., 1873; John, 1877; Amos W., 1878; and
Caruthie, 1880.

Some of the Owen family are buried at the Owen's Chapel Cemetery which is
located eight miles west of Paragould in Greene County. Joseph Owen's
tombstone shows dates of Aug. 24, 1871 and May 25, 1945. The stone for his
wife, Nancy Alice, shows dates of Feb. 1, 1878 and Feb. 14, 1945. Their
son, Alonzo, is also buried here. The marker for Willis Owen shows dates of
Dec.  14, 1839 and Jan. 16, 1918. The marker for his wife shows dates of
May 13, 1842 and Jan. 11, 1914. The marker for their son, Charles, shows
dates of Aug. 18, 1875 and Oct. 19, 1952. It is believed that other members
of the Owen family are buried here for whom there are no markers.