Benton Co., AR - Biographies - Elijah L. Allen

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Elijah L. Allen is one of the successful farmers of Benton County, 
Ark., and is also engaged in grist-milling. He is of French descent, 
and was born in Northern Georgia July 25, 1833. His father, Matthew 
Allen, was born in South Carolina in 1807, and in October, 1852, left 
Georgia and came to Arkansas, where he died October 11, 1862. He was 
married to Lucinda Vaughter, who died in Georgia in 1848, having borne 
nine children: James (deceased); Amanda E., wife of W. E. Smith; 
Elijah L.; Martha J., who became the wife of Rev. Isom Hall and died 
in 1854; William C. (deceased); Lindsay M., who died during the late 
war; Catherine (deceased wife of W. P. Henderson); Hiram S., living in 
Arkansas, and an infant, deceased. Elijah L. Allen came to Arkansas 
when nineteen years of age, and for twenty-seven years was a resident 
of Conway County. Since that time he has resided on his present farm 
of 120 acres. In 1856 he married Louisa Jones, a native of Tennessee, 
who died in May, 1863, leaving five children: Sarah C. (Mrs. Solomon 
Glenn), William A. (deceased), Mary M. (Mrs. J. A. Matthews), Lindsay 
A. and Laura J. (Mrs. James H. Willis). Ellen A. Townsend was married 
to Mr. Allen September 28, 1865, and by him became the mother of seven 
children: Georgia A. (Mrs. F. C. Grimsley), Hiram R., Elijah H., Isom 
(deceased), Fannie (deceased), T. J. (deceased), and Hattie 
(deceased). Mrs. Allen died August 15, 1880, and two years later Mr. 
Allen married Mrs. Amelia C. Willis. In 1862 Mr. Allen enlisted in the 
Union army, and after honorable service was discharged July 9, 1865. 
He was at Prairie Grove, Helena, the evacuation of Little Rock and in 
the Camden raid. He supports the principles of the Republican party, 
and his first presidential vote was cast for Fremont. He is a member 
of the Missionary Baptist Church, and belongs to the Masonic 
fraternity and the G. A. R. His wife belongs to the Methodist Church.