Biography of Andrew Jackson Dean - 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. pg 63 Andrew Jackson Dean, a prominent citizen and enterprising merchant of Centre Ridge, was born in Monroe County, Tennessee, in 1832, and was the ninth in a family of ten children. He was reared a farmer boy, with a good common-school education for that time. After reaching manhood he taught school, and was engaged in general trading some years. December 12, 1861, he enlisted in the 36th Tennessee Infantry, and after about seven months' service in the Confederate army in East Tennessee, was discharged on account of ill health, but after his recovery he joined Company G, 4th Georgia Cavalry, as Third Lieutenant, but was afterward promoted to First Lieutenant, in which capacity he served with credit till the cessation of hostilities, practicing in many of the leading battles in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, through the Georgia and Atlanta campaign, back with Gen. Hood to Tennessee and Alabama, and was near Atlanta sick at the time of the general surrender. After the war he taught school a short time, and in 1867 was married to Miss Mary J. Cleveland, a native of South Carolina and a daughter of William and Anna Cleveland, who spent all their lives in South Carolina, Mrs. Cleveland dying in 1865 and Mr. Cleveland in 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Dean are the parents of eleven children, five sons and five daughters living. Mr. Dean resided in Georgia till 1869, when he removed to Conway County, Arkansas and settled in the woods near Centre Ridge, where he improved a good farm on which he made his home till 1886, when he removed to Centre Ridge, where he has since been engaged in the mercantile business, being the third to engage in the business at that place. Mr. Dean began life on the bottom round of the ladder and is now the owner of 350 acres of land and good town property. In 1870 or 1871 he assisted in establishing School District No. 1, known as "Sunny Side," which was the first free school in Conway County. Politically, Mr. Dean is a conservative Democrat; Mrs. Dean is a Methodist. The parents of Mr. Dean were Richard and Amy (Thompson) Dean, who were natives of South Carolina. Mr. Dean was born August 13, 1785, and wife born about 1795. They were married July 5, 1810, and in an early day removed to East Tennessee, where they lived till 1863, and from there to Georgia, where Mr. Dean died March 5, 1872. Mrs. Dean died in June, 1874. Both were members of the Methodist Church for many years. Mr. Dean was a successful farmer and cooper, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. Benjamin Thompson, the maternal grandfather, served seven years in the war for independence; a portion of the time was in prison at Charleston, South Carolina. He died in Tennessee. His wife died in Bradley County, Tennessee, in 1863, at the advanced age of 103 years.