James W. Gray, Calhoun County, AR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Contributed by Carol Smith. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calhoun County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas James W. Gray, a substantial farmer of Moro Township, Chambersville post-office, was born in Dallas County, Arkansas, March 9, 1845. His father, Henry Gray, came from Alabama to Dallas County, Arkansas, at an early day, and engaged in farming. Here he was married to Miss Eliza E. Taylo, a native of Dallas County, by whom he had nine children - four boys and five girls - five of whom - there boys and two girls - are living. Mrs. Gray died about 1853 in Dallas County, and Mr. Gray was again married, having four children by this later marriage. Mr. Gray died in the county in 1884. The subject of this sketch is the third child by the first marriage, and was raised in Calhoun County, in which county he received his limited education. He lived with this father until he reached his majority, and in 1865 he was married to Miss Martha Mitchell, a native of Ouachita County, Arkansas, born in 1848, a daughter of J. M. and Mary (Neel) Mitchell. Her father died in 1864 from the effects of a wound received in the battle of Jenkins' Ferry. The result of this marriage was the following children, viz: Mary F. (wife of Henry Brandon), Henry E., James M., Joseph N. (deceased), Samuel F., Benjamin W., George C., Julius S., Eura C., and Esther. Mr. Gray has been a resident of the county since 1875, and has resided on the farm he now owns and occupies, consisting of 260 acres of land, about fifty acres of which are under cultivation since 1884. His farm is located sixteen miles north of the county seat, and six miles from Fordyce. Mr. Gray served in the Confederate army about nine months in Company K, Thompson's regiment Infantry. Politically he belongs to the Democratic party, and cast his first presidential vote for Seymour. Both he and wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are highly respected by all in the community in which they live.