Biography of Stephen Shelton - Craighead Co, AR

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Submitted by: Unknown < >
        Date: 26 Sep 1998
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SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas.
Goodspeed Publishers, 1889.

page 355

Stephen Shelton, an enterprising farmer and influential citizen
of Craighead County. Ark., was born in Jackson County, Miss., September
22, 1826. His parents. Stephen and Matilda (Martin) Shelton, both natives
of the “Old Dominion.” were of Welsh and German descent. Stephen Shelton.
Sr., a physician by profession, in 1828 moved his family to Arkansas, and
located in St. Francis County, but being displeased with the locality,
removed to Mississippi. Later he came again to Arkansas, this time
selecting a situation at the mouth of Big Bay, near the site of
Wittsburg. After practicing his profession there for a year, he moved
fifty miles, near where Harrisburg is now located, twenty years later to
near the southern line of this county, where after two years he died. He
was one of the earliest and most noted physicians of Arkansas, then a
Territory, and patients from hundreds of miles around were brought to him
for medical and surgical aid. He is the father of seven children, but
only one is now living, one having died before and five after the
father's coming to Arkansas. After the husband's death, the mother
brought her family to Craighead County, and here resided until 1863, when
trouble over the Civil War caused her death. She was about seventy years
old. Stephen Shelton was mostly reared in the Territory and State of
Arkansas, his widowed mother giving him the best education the country
afforded. He had no taste for medicine or surgery, but was reared on a
farm and has been engaged in farming all his life. He now owns 197 acres
of land five miles south of Jonesboro, about ninety acres of which are
under cultivation. While this section was a portion of Poinsett County,
Mr. Shelton was deputy internal improvement commissioner, [p.355] was
also deputy sheriff and constable, and for four years a preacher of the
Christian denomination. He was once offered license, but not deeming
himself sufficiently qualified, he thought heat to decline. Mr. Shelton
is and has always been a Republican in politics, and has once been
constable of Jonesboro Township. He married Mabalia McCracken, daughter
of Aquilla and Nancy (Lane) McCracken, and to them have been born the
following named children: Matilda J., wife of L. T. McDanield, of
Gilkerson; Eliza P., wife of G. Edgar, residing near Jonesboro; Mary A.,
wife of Prof. Walter E. Dean, educator, of Smith County, Tex.; Thomas B.,
Nancy J., George W., Louisa, Belle, Stephen A., Francis M. N. and William
D. Mr. Shelton was quite a noted and successful hunter of early times. He
is a member of the I. O. O. F., a practical and self-made man, and one of
the county's earliest and most worthy citizens.