Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - J. W. Simpson *********************************************** 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- J. W. Simpson was born in Washington County, Ark., in 1844, and is a son of Hugh W. and Harriet T. (Hunter) Simpson [see sketch of J. M. Kerens]. The former was born in Kentucky, and was murdered in the Indian Territory. His wife was also a Kentuckian. The grandfather, James Simpson, was born in Kentucky, and served in the War of 1812, and his wife, Margret, accompanied her son to Arkansas. The maternal grandparents were natives of Tennessee, where they were reared. They immigrated to Washington County, Ark., in an early day, and afterward went to Texas, where Mrs. Hunter was killed by Indians. She was born in Tennessee, and moved to Arkansas after her marriage in Kentucky. Her husband, Dr. William Hunter, a Virginian by birth, went to Kentucky and lived there after his marriage until moving to Arkansas, [p.1193] going thence to Texas, where he practiced medicine. He served as a physician in the Mexican War, and participated in the battle of Baneras Pass. Three of his sons, John, Joseph and William, also served in that war. Our subject was attending school when the peace of the country was disturbed by the war, and consequently his studies were interrupted. In 1868 he began life for himself as a farmer, and in 1870 married, in August, Miss Margaret Graham, who was born in Crawford County in 1852, and is a daughter of Alexander and Isalima (Cross) Graham. Mr. Graham was born in Scotland, and was by trade a stone mason. After traveling all over the United States he finally located in Crawford County in 1844. Mrs. Graham was of English descent, and was born in Kentucky. After living some time in Indiana she came to Arkansas, where she was married at Bentonville. To Mr. and Mrs. Graham three children have been born: James J. (deceased), Daniel S., of this county, and Mrs. Margaret Simpson. To the latter seven children have been born, three boys and four girls. Mr. Simpson moved to Crawford County in 1879, and in 1881 bought his present farm of 160 acres, of which he has fifty under cultivation. In politics he is a Democrat, and his first presidential vote was cast for Greeley in 1872. ----------------------------------------------------------------------