Biography of W. B. Cleveland - Conway Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Cathy Barnes Date: 21 Jun 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. Goodspeed Publishers, 1891. page 54 W. B. Cleveland, a representative citizen and miller and ginner of Centre Ridge, owes his nativity to Pickens District, South Carolina, and was born in the year 1845. His father, William Cleveland, was also a native of Pickens District, born in 1812, and his mother, Anna Addaholt, was born in Franklin County, Georgia, in 1808. When W. B. Cleveland was an infant they removed to Maury County, Georgia, where Mrs. Cleveland died in 1866, followed the next year by the death of her husband. Both were prominent members of the Missionary Baptist Church many years. W. B. Cleveland is the fourth of seven sons and five daughters, and from his infancy was reared on a farm in Maury County, Georgia, receiving his education at the neighboring schools. In March, 1862, he enlisted as a private soldier in Company A, Third Georgia Battalion, and did gallant service in the battles of Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, in all the campaign to Atlanta, and returned with Gen. Hood to Tennessee, and fought at Franklin and Nashville. At the latter place he was severely wounded by a falling tree, which necessitated his retirement, and he returned to his home, and shortly prior to the close of the war, he was captured at his home, and after an imprisonment of fourteen days, took the oath of allegiance and thus ended his military career. In 1865 Mr. Cleveland wedded Miss Mattie Johnson, a native of Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and is the mother of ten children, seven living. Her parents, Elijah and Casandria Johnson, were natives of South Carolina, but at that time resided in Gordon County, Georgia. In 1870 Mr. Johnson removed to Van Buren County, but is now a resident of Pope County, Arkansas. From 1866 to 1869, Mr. Cleveland lived in Mississippi. He then returned to Georgia, and in 1870 removed to Van Buren County, Arkansas, and soon after to Yell County, and in 1873 came to Conway County, settling in the woods, four miles west of Centre Ridge, where he improved a good farm. In about 1882 he engaged in the saw mill business, which he followed till 1886, when he erected a good gin and corn mill at Centre Ridge, which was destroyed by fire in January, 1887, but he at once rebuilt, and now operates two good Winship gins, with a capacity of about twenty bales per day, ginning an average of about 300 bales per year. Politically Mr. Cleveland is an independent Democrat. He is a prominent member of the Centre Ridge Lodge, No. 475, A. F. and A. M., and he and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Cleveland is a public-spirited and thoroughgoing man, and his business adds much to ward the interest of the town.