Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Hon. David H. Creekmore *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------ SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Hon. David H. Creekmore was born in Abingdon, Va., in 1817, and is the fifth child of three sons and five daughters born to Ballantine and Mary (Brown) Creekmore. They were born in North Carolina and Virginia, respectively, and after their marriage settled in Abingdon, where they lived until 1819, then [p.1138] removing to Whitley County, Ky. After our subject had grown to manhood they crossed the line into Tennessee, settling in Scott County, where the mother died during the war. The father was a shoemaker by trade, and died some time after in Kentucky. The Creekmore family, which is now scattered over the United States, is directly descended from two brothers, Robert and Ballantine, who came to America from Scotland prior to the Revolution, and served throughout that war. After the surrender at Yorktown they went to North Carolina, and afterward removed to Whitley County, Ky. Our subject is a grandson of Robert Creekmore. During his youth he attended school but three months, but having a desire for knowledge, and being of a studious mind, he became a well-informed man, often studying by the light of a blazing pine. In 1843 he was married in Whitley County to Elizabeth, daughter of John Meadors. Mrs. Creekmore died in 1866 in Crawford County, Ark., leaving one daughter and five sons, and the following year Mr. C. married Mrs. Hannah Edwards, daughter of John L. Peters, and a native of Alabama. She accompanied her parents to this county at an early day, and was here married to Silas Edwards, who was killed in the war. By his second wife Mr. Creekmore has had five children, of whom four are living. Upon the commencement of the war Mr. Creekmore was living at Huntsville, Tenn., and he immediately joined Company G, Second Tennessee Infantry, United States Army, in which he served three months and three days. After his discharge in Kentucky he returned to Huntsville, but his patriotic impulse again compelled him to join his old regiment in Kentucky. He next farmed in Parke County, Ind., for three years, and spent the following year (1865) in Allen County, Kas. In 1866 he came to this county, and the next year settled on his present farm, which he afterward purchased. He came to the county a poor man, but now owns 240 acres of good land, 140 of which are finely cultivated. In 1860 he took the census of Scott County, Tenn., in 1870 the census of Crawford County, and in 1880 of Alma and Richland Townships. In 1873 he served as one of the three men who constituted the county court, and in 1874, after the Constitution was changed, was elected county and probate judge, serving two years with great satisfaction. In 1878 he represented the county in the Lower House of the Legislature one term. While in Huntsville, Tenn., he held the office of justice of the peace for five years. Although a self-educated man, he filled the various public positions with great credit, and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. He is an enterprising man and public-spirited citizen, and is an earnest helper of all educational projects. His first presidential vote was cast for Gen. Harrison in 1840, and since the days of the Whig party he has voted the Republican ticket. He is a member of the G. A. R., and himself and wife belong to the Missionary Baptist Church.