Biography of Joseph Hammis, Franklin Co, AR

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        Date: 16 Aug 1998
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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed
Publishing Co., 1889.

Joseph Hammis a native of McNairy County, Tenn., born July 20, 1829,
being one of two surviving members of a family of eleven children born
to the marriage of James Hamm and Mary Milton, natives of the
"Palmetto State." After their marriage they moved to McNairy County,
Tenn., and in 1831 located in St. Francis County, Ark., and two years
later located in what is now Franklin County. Here the father died in
1849, and the mother in 1860, being fifty-eight and sixty-three years
of age, respectively. They were members of the Primitive Baptist
Church for many years, and throughout life followed the occupation of
farming. Both were of Welsh-Irish descent, and the father was a
Democrat in his political views. At the age of eighteen years Joseph
Hamm left home and began doing for himself, being engaged in tilling
the soil in Johnson, Searcy and Franklin Counties. In 1852 he started
to make the overland trip to California, and after a journey of six
months reached his destination. He worked in the mines for some time,
making plenty of money, returning home via the Isthmus of Panama, Cuba
and New Orleans. Soon after his return he purchased land and re-
engaged in farming, but during the war all his movable property was
destroyed, and since that time he has been actively engaged in trying
to retrieve his fallen fortunes, at which he has been exceptionally
successful. From 1861 until 1867 he resided in Crawford County, but
since that time he has been residing in Franklin County, where he is
quite extensively engaged in raising corn and cotton, the former
averaging forty bushels to the acre and the latter one-half bale.
August 9, 1857, he was wedded to Cynthia E., a daughter of William J.
Remy. She was born in Kentucky in 1840, and died in Franklin County on
the 1st of May, 1860. She was a member in good standing of the
Primitive Baptist Church, and became the mother of three children:
James W. H., P. H., who died at the age of five years, and E. J., aged
three years at the time of his death. March 10, 1861, Mr. Hamm married
Julia A. P. Turner, who was born in Georgia in 1840. She is still
living, and is the mother of twelve children, ten of whom are living:
J. V.; E. T., who died at the age of two years; M. E.; wife of Dr. J.
T. Crocker; J. W.; Vernctia, wife of A. J. Beard; Julia A. P.; Addison
O., who died when twelve years of age; C. D., H. A., Samantha E.,
Frank and Emmett. Mr. Hamm is a Mason, a Democrat, and he and wife and
two children are members of the Primitive Baptist Church.