Biography of William Stephen Shores - 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

William Stephen Shores, a prominent planter of Jonesboro Township, was
born in Poinsett County, January 17, 1842. His father, a retired farmer
of the same township, and one of the oldest settlers in what is now
Craighead County, was born in St. Clair County, Ala., March 2, 1815. The
paternal grandparents were William and Mary (Pipes) Shores, natives most
probably of Alabama. William Shores was a soldier under Gen. Jackson, and
fought in the battle of New Orleans, was taken sick in that city and died
in 1815. His widow subsequently removed with the family to Wayne County,
Ill., near the Little Wabash River, where she died about 1825. About 1830
the family came to Arkansas Territory and located in Poinsett (now
Craighead) County. In those early days game was very plentiful, and
Calvin–then about fifteen years of age– worked hard on the farm and had
great sport hunting all kinds of wild game. Memphis, the nearest trading
point, being seventy-five miles, they had to grate corn and beat it in
mortars to get corn-meal, and were subject to the many hardships and
privations incident to pioneer life. When he grew to manhood, he bought
160 acres of land in Poinsett County, where he lived twenty-five years.
Just before the Civil War he moved to his present location, where he
entered eighty acres of land and has since added 200 acres. The ground
was covered with a dense forest, so that he and Sol McDaniel took axes
and cut a road to enable him to move to his home. By energy, economy and
thrift, he has cleared over 150 acres of land and become one of the
foremost farmers of the county. He now owns 160 acres, having given to
his boys the remainder. He has lived in Arkansas about sixty years, but
this last year gave up the cultivation of the farm to his youngest son,
Andrew. He has been married four times, his last marriage being with Mrs.
Emmaline (Suffell) Nelson, a native of Mississippi. Her parents,
Zachariah and Susannah (Cornelius) Suffell, came to Arkansas about
thirty-two years ago, locating two miles southwest of Jonesboro. The
mother died February 6, 1884, and the father July 4, 1871. Mr. Shore has
been the father of sixteen children: William S. (subject of this sketch),
married and living on part of the old homestead; Levi, married to Olie
Hopkins, living near the home stead; Webb, married to Lane Shelton; Mary,
wife of William McGown; Eliza, wife of Lewis Lynch; Alice, wife of Sam
Gridsinger; George married to Edna Nealy; Thomas and Andrew, living. He
has thirty grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (one living). Mrs.
Shore was formerly a a member of the Methodist Church, but is now a
member of the Christian Church, of which her husband has been a member
for about twelve years. William Stephen Shores resided with his father
until his marriage with Aily McGown, who died a few years later. He then
married Fanny H. Duke. To them have been born eight children, five
living: John C., Marshall A., Alivia H., Thomas H. and Landie L. Mrs.
Shores is a member of the Baptist Church, a devout Christian and a
charitable lady. Mr. Shores owns a well-improved farm, is a Republican in
politics, and was a member of Company A, Thirteenth Arkansas Infantry,
serving in Col. Lyle's regiment about seventeen months. Having had but
limited educational advantages themselves, and realizing its great
importance, both he and his wife are striving to give their children a
thorough education.