Benton Co., AR - Biographies - John C. Arthur *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- John C. Arthur, member of the firm of Lincoln & Arthur, dealers in clothing and gents' furnishing goods, of Bentonville, Ark., was born in Macon County, Mo., in 1840, and is the son of Lilburn Q. and Letitia G. (Saunders) Arthur, and grandson of James C. Arthur. Lilburn Q. was born in Bedford County, Va., September 26, 1814, and was a farmer, blacksmith, gunsmith and wheelwright by trade, and, in short, was a natural genius. He moved with his father to Pulaski County, Ky., when seventeen years old, was married here, and in 1839 moved to Macon County, Mo., where he passed the remainder of his life. He died January 1, 1871. The last six years of his life he was engaged in the practice of medicine. Letitia G. (Saunders) Arthur was born in Kentucky. February 24, 1821, and died March 25, 1855, in Jasper County, Mo., she and her husband having moved there in 1853. Mr. Arthur was twice married, and was the father of sixteen children, ten by the first marriage and six by the second. seven living by the first marriage and four by the second. John C. Arthur was the eldest child by the first marriage. He attained his growth on the farm, and his education was sadly neglected; what education he received was by his own efforts and self study. He remained at home until twenty-two years of age, and at the breaking out of the late Civil War he enlisted in the Union army, Company A, Twenty-seventh Missouri Infantry Volunteers, and was in the siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Miss., Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, and was with Gen. Sherman in his march to the sea. He went to Richmond and back to Washington, D. C., in the grand review. He was neither captured nor wounded during the war, and received his discharge at St. Louis. October 8, 1866. he married Miss Mary E. Dodson, who was born in Macon County. Mo., in 1846, and who became the mother of three children: Sallie, wife of W. H. Johnson, William A. and Perry W. After the war Mr. Arthur located near his birthplace and engaged in farming which he continued until 1886, when he came to Bentonville, Ark., and with George T. Lincoln formed a partnership in the present business. Mr. Arthur was the owner of 300 acres of land in Macon County, and was one of the best citizens. The firm of Lincoln & Arthur have the only clothing and gents' furnishing store in Bentonville. and they have a large trade, having won the confidence and esteem of the community by their fair dealing. Mr. Arthur and family are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and he is a Democrat in polities. He was justice of peace while in Macon County, and was also township trustee for eighteen months, resigning that office when coming to Arkansas.