Biography of Alfred T Craig, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 130

Alfred T. Craig, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Tennessee, in 1847,
being the second of five children born to Andrew and Jane (Lambath) Craig, the former
a native of Tennessee, and the latter of North Carolina. The maternal grandfather was
born in the "Old North State," and came to Tennessee at a very early day, settling in
the western part of the State, where he was engaged extensively in farming, and died
in 1888, at the age of eighty-three years. His father was a soldier in the
Revolution, and served throughout the entire war. The paternal grandparents were
Virginians. Andrew Craig was also an extensive farmer, and died in 1863. His widow
still survives him and lives on the old homestead in Tennessee. Alfred T. Craig
worked on the home farm in his youth and received but little schooling. At the age of
seventeen he left home and went to North and Middle Tennessee, where he resided for
over a year, then went to Texas and was engaged in the distilling business for one
year, after which he returned to Tennessee, and soon after married Miss Martha Brown,
a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of Hiram Brown, of the same State, a well known
farmer in his section. In 1868 Mr. Craig purchased a farm on which he lived for three
years, and on the 3d of December, 1871, came to Arkansas and settled in Greene
County, where he bought 120 acres of wild land. On this he immediately began making
improvements, and up to the present time has opened up some seventy-five acres, about
all of which is under fence and in a high state of cultivation. He has two acres in
orchard. His stock is of a good grade, his hogs being Jersey Reds and Berkshires, and
his cattle part Jersey. [p.130] Mr. Craig is a Democrat, and has held the office of
school director for eight years. To him and wife were born fourteen children, twelve
of whom are living: Andrew, who died in infancy; Fannie Ella, wife of John Jones;
William Charles, James Alfred, Mary Elizabeth, Lucy, John, who died at the age of
nine months; Rosa Lee, Eli, Van, Winston, Francis Clyne and Frances (twins), and
James Adaline. In 1886 Mr. Craig bought eighty acres of land on Eight Mile Creek,
which is a choice piece of bottom land, and is improved with two good houses. Forty
acres are under cultivation. His son William resides on and tills this farm.