Biography of John W Hooker, 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 145

John W. Hooker. A gratifying example of success and ably conducted home
industries is afforded by the large lumbering mill owned by Mr. Hooker, which is
situated on the Iron Mountain Railroad, about eight miles below Knobel. The works are
quite extensive, and have a capacity of 10,000 feet per day, and Mr. Hooker utilizes
in a great measure the timber of his own land, his acreage [p.145] comprising 540,
with about 100 acres under cultivation, all of which is the result of his own labor.
He was born in Scott County, Ind., in 1834, and is a son of Emsley and Eliza
(Hubanks) Hooker, who were born in North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The
father was taken by his parents to Clark County, Ind., when one year old, the country
at that time being a wilderness, and here he attained his majority, being reared on
his father's farm. The grandfather died in that county in 1858, at the age of
seventy-six years. Emsley Hooker was fifty-four years old at the time of his death,
in 1862, in Scott County, Ind. Throughout life he had followed the occupation of
farming. He was a Democrat politically, and was a liberal contributor to and a member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife died in 1839, having borne a family of
four children, two of whom are now living: Lorenzo D., a resident of Indiana, and
John W. The latter is the elder of the two, and was reared to mature years on a farm
in Scott County, and in 1854 commenced working for himself on a farm, at $13 per
month. Three years later he was married, but continued his farm labors until the
latter part of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the Thirty-first Indiana
Volunteers, Company I, under Charles Adamson, of Rockport, Ind., and served twelve
months (the last year), participating in the battles of Franklin, Nashville, and a
number of minor engagements. He was discharged at New Orleans, and mustered out at
Victoria, Tex. He then returned to Indiana, where he was engaged in farming until
1880, coming thence to Greene County, Ark., where he embarked in lumber-milling and
farming, which occupations have received his attention up to the present time. Mr.
Hooker's first marriage was to Miss Hannah J. Reynolds, a native of Indiana, born in
1840, who died in 1862 by drowning. She and another lady were in a canoe on White
River, when they struck a snag, upsetting their boat. Her companion clung to the snag
and was saved. Three children were born to this union: Alvin A., at home; Oldridge,
married and residing at his father's mill, and John W., who died at the age of six
weeks. Mr. Hooker took for his second wife Mrs. Jeanette (Weddell) Heart, who was
born in Jackson County, Ind., and died in 1886, at the age of forty-four years. To
them were born six children: Ross, Nathan, Charles, Austin, Eliza J. and Georgia (who
died in 1879, at the age of two years). To the mother's first union three children
were born: America, Mary A. and Briller Heart. The last two are deceased. Both wives
were members of the church. He belongs to the G. A. R.