Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Alexander Gooding

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Alexander Gooding was born July 4, 1822, in Cocke County, Tenn., near 
Newport, and is a son of James and Elizabeth Gooding, natives of South 
Carolina. Of their five children our subject is the only one living. 
Those deceased are William, Francis, Andrew J. and Martin. Mr. Gooding 
immigrated to [p.1149] Tennessee shortly after his marriage, and there 
died in 1823. The mother died in Crawford County in 1859, advanced in 
years. Alexander, when young, was left to care for his mother, and 
during his youth worked upon a farm, receiving a common school 
education. When twenty-two years old he came to Crawford County, 
landing in Van Buren in 1844 $6 in debt. The first year he worked upon 
a farm, and then rented land for about six years. In 1844 he bought 
land near Dripping Springs, and in 1862 went to Texas. There he did 
frontier duty in the Confederate States army, under Capt. Toddie, for 
a few years, or till the surrender of Victoria Peak, in Texas. He once 
drove a government team as far as San Antonio, but participated in but 
one battle, Brushy Creek, Montague Co., Texas. In 1867 he left Denton 
County, Texas, and located upon his present place in Crawford County. 
He then bought 180 acres of land, to which he has added until he now 
owns 340 acres; 125 he has cultivated and devotes to farming and stock 
raising. January 9, 1851, he married Martha E. Collins, daughter of 
Dr. Dixon P. and Melvina (Cotterel) Collins, and a native of Alabama. 
To them eight children have been born, five of whom are living: James 
F., Alexander, Alice, Albert and Abbie. Those deceased are John D., 
Lee and an infant. Alice is now the wife of Richard J. Miller, of this 
county. Mr. Gooding, with four other citizens, founded a school at 
South Grove, paying the expenses thereof themselves; thus illustrating 
the interest he takes in educational matters. He is a Democrat, and 
has served as justice of the peace. He is a Mason, and himself and 
wife belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 

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