Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - William M. James

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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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William M. James was born on the farm where he now lives, in Rudy 
Township, Crawford Co., Ark., in May, 1846, and is a son of Robert and 
Elizabeth (Freeman) James, natives of Warren and Cannon Counties, 
Middle Tenn., respectively. In 1842 they immigrated to Crawford 
County, locating at Van Buren, and two years later moved upon the farm 
our subject now owns, which formerly belonged to Mr. James' brother, 
John. Robert and John were both carpenters, and built three of the 
first gins erected in the county. In 1849 Robert went to California, 
and mined for seven years, after which he was never heard of. The 
grandfather, William James, was of English descent, born in Carolina, 
and early settled in Warren County, Tenn., where he died. The mother 
of our subject was married a second time, in 1854, to Moses Ford, and 
died in November, 1885, aged sixty. She belonged to the Methodist 
Church. William M. is the third of five children. One of his brothers, 
Romulus, died in the Little Rock hospital of measles during the war 
while in the Confederate service. William remained at home until 
sixteen, and then began farming on his own account. Two years later he 
joined Company G, of the Sixth Kansas Battery, and a month later went 
to Texas, where he remained until the close of the war. He then 
returned home, and in December, 1866, married Millie, daughter of 
Jonathan and Rachel Fine, who were born in Tennessee, in 1814, and 
Kentucky, in 1819, respectively. They were reared and married in 
Washington County, Ark., and in 1858 came to Crawford County, settling 
at Fine Springs, where the father died in 1875, and the mother still 
lives. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. James was a pioneer of 
Washington County, Ark., where he died, and the maternal grandfather, 
Peter Mankins, was also an early settler of that county. He outlived 
four wives, and died a few years ago at the advanced age of one 
hundred and thirteen. Mrs. James was born in Washington County, Ark., 
and has borne our subject ten children, five sons and five daughters, 
all of whom are living in the neighborhood of their birth-place. Mr. 
James is a self-made man, and has 356 acres of land, 125 being in 
bottom land. He is a successful stock raiser, owns seven fine jacks, 
and spares no pains in the cultivation of his stock. He has a large 
number of Poland China hogs, and is one of the well-to-do men of the 
county. He has always been a Democrat in politics, and cast his first 
presidential vote for Greeley. He has given his children good 
educations, and one son is now attending school at Pea Ridge. Mrs. 
James belongs to the Primitive Baptist Church. 

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