William F. Miears, Calhoun County, AR

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SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
Contributed by Carol Smith.
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Calhoun County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas

William F. Miears, a prominent merchant at Summersville, was born in Alabama in 1843, the second in a family of six children born to R. J. and
Harriet E. (Greenwood) Miears, natives of Alabama, where the father followed farming until 1847, when he moved to Union County, Arkansas.
He settled in Franklin Township, where he bought and entered 160 acres of land, and at once began to improve and clear on a very large scale.
He very soon had erected a fine house and cleared 100 acres of land. In 1859 left his farm and came to Calhoun County, where he bought eighty
acres; he lived here but six months, when he died. The mother died in 1858. Our subject was reared on the farm, attending school but at short
intervals until the outbreak of the war, when he enlisted, February 9, 1862, in Company F, Nineteenth Arkansas Infantry Regiment. He was
engaged in the battles of Corinth, Port Gibson, Black River, Jackson, Iuka and the siege of Vicksburg. He was captured in this latter battle, was
paroled and came home. He afterward served in the Trans-Mississippi Department until the close of the war, when he returned to Union County
and engaged in farming. He purchased a farm of 220 acres and lived on this farm about four years, when he sold it and went to El Dorado and
engaged in business, remained there for three years, and then bought a farm of 160 acres. He made all improvements on this farm, erected new
houses and cleared sixty acres of land; he sold this property in 1886. During his life in Union County he took an active interest in politics, and
has held office in that county since he was twenty-one years of age. The first office he held was that of constable, serving in this capacity for
eight years; he was also coroner of the county for six years. He was then marshal of El Dorado County for three years; then served as deputy
sheriff for four years until 1896. He then went to Camden as clerk for three years. September 1, 1888, he opened his present business in
Summersville, and now carries on a general merchandise, plantation supplies, dry goods, boots and shoes, and all furnishing goods. Mr. Miears
has been twice married: First , in 1865 to Miss Louisa Grumbles, daughter of James Grumbles, an old citizen of Union. She died in 1886, leaving
three children, three having died previously, viz: J. R. (living in El Dorado), Effie E. (wife of George W. Clements, residing at Pine Bluff) and
Addie M. (wife of Dr. Fianagan, of Camden). Emma died at the age of three years: William F., Jr., died at the age of seven years, and Kittie died
when but three years of age. Mr. Miears was married again in the fall of 1887 to Miss Emily P. Cole, of Louisiana. To this union has been born
one child, Harriet Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Miears are worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Miears has been a member of
the Masonic fraternity since the age of twenty-one years.