Biography of William H Cothren, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 129

William H. Cothren. No matter in what business a man may engage, if he is industrious
and fair in his dealings with his fellow men, he is sure sooner or later to win their
confidence, respect and liking, and to become in time well-to-do in worldly goods.
Mr. Cothren possesses these qualities, and as a consequence stands remarkably high in
the estimation of all who know him. He was born in South Carolina in the month of
February, 1842, and at an early day began to fight his own way in the world. When the
Rebellion broke out he left his labors to enlist in the Southern army, joining, June
10, 1861, the Fifth Arkansas Regiment, and was sent east of the Mississippi, taking
part in the battles of Farmington, Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro (where his
shoulder was broken by a minie ball), Chickamauga, and other engagements of that
campaign. He was also at Atlanta, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville, Tupelo, and
Smithville, N. C., after which engagement the army surrendered and Mr. Cothren soon
returned home. He was married a short time afterward to Miss Mary Gregory, a native
of South Carolina, a daughter of William Gregory, who came from South Carolina in
1863 and engaged in farming. In 1869 Mr. Cothren bought a farm of eighty acres,
slightly improved, and on this land he began an extensive scale of improvement,
continuing to add to his original purchase until he became the owner of 240 acres,
with about ninety acres cleared. He has excellent buildings and orchards, and has
taken great pride in beautifying his home besides putting his land in good tillable
condition. He is engaged in general farming and gives his attention to raising
cotton, corn, wheat. oats, grasses, etc. He is a Democrat in politics, a patron of
education, and has served as school director for eight years. He and family attend
the Methodist Church, of which himself and wife are members. They are the parents of
the following children: Nancy E., wife of Harve Spain; Reuben M., Richard V., and
James W. Mr. Cothren is the eldest of seven children born to the marriage of Jackson
Cothren and Sarah Gramling, who were born in South Carolina, and were engaged in
farming in that State until the father's death in 1857, after which the mother came
to Arkansas and resided with her father, Reuben Gramling, who, with his sons, was
among the earliest settlers of the west side of Crowley's Ridge.