Biography of L L Mack, Greene Co, AR

***********************************************************
Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
***********************************************************

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 160

Judge L. L. Mack, attorney at law. The firm of Mack & Son is one of the
leading and most influential at the bar in the city of Paragould, and gives strength
to the fraternity. The gentlemen composing it are admirably adapted to the honorable
prosecution of this most exalted of professions, and possess that easy and interested
grace of manner not easily acquired by the majority. Judge L. L. Mack was born in
Maury County, Tenn., on the 18th of December, 1817, and is the son of Lemuel D. and
Mary (Taylor) Mack, natives of Rockingham County, N. C., and of Wake County, N. C.,
respectively. The parents emigrated to Tennessee when single, were there married and
located in Maury County, of that State, where they remained for several years, and
then removed to Wayne County, also in that State. In 1851 they removed to Greene
County, Ark., locating near Gainesville, where they passed the remainder of their
days. They lie buried in the cemetery at Gainesville. They were the parents of eleven
children, of whom our subject is the eldest. He was born a cripple, and on that
account it was thought that he would never amount to anything. He was reared and
educated in Maury County, Tenn., receiving an ordinary education, and after his
school day's work was over he began the study of law, a part of the time with a
preceptor and a portion without any. When in his twenty-first year he was admitted to
the bar in Maury County, although living in Wayne County, and practiced in the last
named county for about twelve years. In the year 1844 he was elected county clerk,
and filled this position with credit for four years. He became very prominently
identified with the whole section of country for many miles. He was a candidate for
the legislature from Wayne County, but was defeated by forty-four votes. In December,
1850, he landed in Greene County, Ark., with his family, and in October of the
following year settled at Gainesville, then the county seat. Here he began the
struggle for life and reputation. Previous to [p.160] this, in 1844, he married Miss
Felicia Cypert, a a sister of Judge Cypert, and became the father of eleven children,
nine now living. They are named as follows: Robert P., an attorney; Allen P., also an
attorney; William N., a physician; Messilla B., wife of P. H. Crenshaw; Emma W., wife
of Judge James E. Riddick; McCall, Thomas C., Idella A. and Sarah J. After locating
in Greene County, Ark., he found his money scarce though a good sized family depended
upon him for support. He had a little library and set to work in earnest in the
practice of his profession, notwithstanding there was very little to be done in those
days. However he held on to what little there was, and in 1855 he was elected
prosecuting attorney from the First district, and on next election was defeated. In
November, 1860, he was elected to the legislature and served during that session, but
later resigned and was a candidate for prosecuting attorney from the Third district.
He was elected and served one term. In the year 1865 he was elected circuit judge of
the same circuit and went off under reconstruction in 1868. In 1874 he was elected
circuit judge of the Second circuit without opposition, and held one term of four
years. He was re-elected in 1878 and served until 1882. Since that time he has turned
his attention to his practice. The most of his life has been spent in serving the
public, and in that capacity he has given entire satisfaction, meriting the respect
and admiration of all by his firmness and advancement. As a lawyer he is a ready and
fluent speaker, and has but few superiors. A singular circumstance of the family is
that there were eleven children in his father's family, of whom the subject of this
sketch is the eldest, and eleven children in the wife's family, she being the
youngest. The Judge is also the father of eleven children. There were twenty-three
grandchildren born, and twenty-two are living at the present time. Judge Mack is a
member of the Masonic fraternity and also the I. O. O. F. He and wife belong to the
Methodist Episcopal Church.