Poinsett County, Arkansas

Biography

A. C. Shaver

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, Poinsett County; 1889 The Goodspeed Publishing Co.

A. C. Shaver, justice of the peace, postmaster and farmer, Bay Village, Ark. Born in Poinsett County (now Cross County) on the eighth of October, 1844, Mr. Shaver has ever since resided here, and is accounted one of the representative men of the county. He is the son of W. A. and Matilda (Stone) Shaver. natives, respectively, of Missouri and Tennessee. The parents were early settlers of this section, coming here about 1826, and the father held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. He was Democratic in his political principles, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They reared to maturity seven children: A. C.; C. R., a farmer living in Cross County, Ark.; Fanny [p.607] died in 1880, and was the wife of J. B. Henshaw, a mechanic; Josephine died in 1883, and was the wife of Henry McAden, a farmer of Poinsett County; Jerline, wife of James Copeland, a farmer of Cross County, Ark.; T. J. engaged in general mechanics in Bay Village, and Rebecca, wife of Rev. J. I. Maynord. The father of these children died on the 19th of April, 1875, and the mother in September, 1869. A. C. Shaver. like most of the youths of the vicinity, passed his boyhood days in assisting on the farm and in attending the common schools, although he received the principal part of his education by his own individual efforts, and in 1862 enlisted in Col. McGee's regiment, Arkansas Cavalry. He was wounded at Helena on the 4th of July, 1864, and was never able to enter service after that. He left with the rank of orderly sergeant. At the age of twenty-five he started out for himself by marrying, in 1869, a Miss Georgia Brooks, and by her became the father of five interesting children: Willie W., Sallie A., M. G., Myrtie, and Olive W., all living. Since his marriage Mr. Shaver has followed agricultural pursuits, cotton-ginning, merchandising, etc., and in all has been successful. He has three times been elected to the office of justice of the peace, twice in Cross County and once in Poinsett County, and is now holding that position and discharging the duties of the same in a very able and efficient manner. He was appointed postmaster in 1883, and is still holding that position. He is the owner of 175 acres of land, 120 in Poinsett County and fifty-five acres in Cross County, with fifty acres under cultivation. He lives on the old homestead, just over the line in Cross County, and is one of the stirring, industrious farmers of the County. He and his wife and two oldest children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he contributes liberally, as he does to all public enterprises. In politics he votes with the Democratic party.