Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Dennis Maddox

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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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Dennis Maddox (colored) was born in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., in 1839, 
and being the property of William Maddox was, upon the death of the 
latter, willed to his son, Benjamin Maddox. He accompanied his new 
master to Fayette County, Ala., and after having received his freedom 
by the general emancipation edict, remained with Mr. Maddox until 
1869, when he came to Crawford County, Ark. He then rented land of, 
William J. Neal for six years, when he purchased 160 acres of his 
present place, which now contains 280 acres. While with Mr. Maddox he 
was married, in 1865, to Maria Richards, a native of Tuscaloosa 
County, Ala., and owned by Robert Jamison, a wealthy man of that 
county. When he first came to this county Dennis Maddox was $25 in 
debt and had a sick wife and a small family of children. He made the 
journey to Crawford County in an old wagon drawn by an ox team, and 
despite the fact that he had many hardships to endure never lost his 
courage, and from a poor man grew to be one of the best farmers of the 
neighborhood in which he lived. In 1887 he and James Patton built a 
gin near Mr. Maddox's home, which they conducted one season, since 
which time Mr. Maddox has been the sole proprietor. Mr. Maddox is an 
enterprising man, and spares no pains to keep his farm and stock in 
good condition. There are five families living upon his place, all of 
whom he has assisted when times were hard. He never attended school 
himself, but has given his children the benefits of a good education, 
besides rearing and educating three orphans. Himself and wife belong 
to the Missionary Baptist Church, in which he has been a deacon for 
eighteen years. In politics he is a Republican, and he is a member of 
the I. O. O. F., belonging to Silver Rod Lodge No. 2,041, at Van 
Buren. 

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