Biography of Joseph H Willcockson, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 184

Joseph H. Willcockson ranks among the first of the many wealthy farmers of Greene
County, Ark. He was born in Tennessee in 1845, and is the sixth of a family of
fifteen children born to the marriage of Sam Willcockson and Frances Gibson, who were
Tennesseeans, and came to Greene County, Ark., in 1850. They settled on a tract of
land on the west side of Crowley's Ridge, but sold this soon after and purchased 200
acres near by, on which he erected a steam saw and grist-mill in 1853, which was the
first mill of the kind in the county. Mr. Willcockson owned this mill for many years,
and many of the houses and buildings in this section are made of lumber sawed here.
He soon had 100 acres of his land cleared, on which he erected a nice residence. He
became quite wealthy, and continued to add to his original purchase until he was the
owner of about 1,000 acres of land. He was a conspicuous figure in the political
circles of his section, and besides holding many minor offices in the county, he was
elected to the State legislature from Greene County, which position he filled for two
successive terms. He assisted in the organization of the school districts of this
locality, and held the office of school commissioner for many years. In 1870 or 1871
he disposed of his extensive farming interests in the county, and moved to Newton
County, where he purchased a large milling property, consisting of a saw and flouring
mill, and a cotton-gin. Here he did a successful business for many years, and sold
out at a large advance over what he originally paid. He next moved to Brown County,
where he bought a farm, which he managed until his death, in 1886, at the age of
seventy years. His widow still survives him, and resides on the estate left by her
active and enterprising husband. Joseph H. Willcockson, the immediate subject of this
sketch, was reared on his father's extensive farm, and in his youth received limited
educational advantages. At the age of twenty years he rented land and began farming
for himself, and after one year bought a tract of wild land on the St. Francis River,
where he cleared about fifty acres, erected buildings, and made a good and pleasant
home. Subsequently he married Miss Matilda McDaniel, a native of Greene County, and a
daughter of John McDaniel, who belonged to one of the first four or five families who
settled in Greene County. After residing one year in Bethel, Mr. Willcockson bought a
tract of 160 acres of wild land on Crowley's Ridge, and here his wife died, at the
end of two years, leaving two children: John Gibson and Virginia C. (wife of John
Patton), who resides on a farm belonging to Mr. Willcockson. The latter has improved
his property very much, ad has seventy-two acres under cultivation and fence, on
which is a good orchard of assorted fruits. In 1888 he erected a commodious dwelling,
which is fitted up with many conveniences. He carries on general farming, but makes a
specialty of raising corn, and this year (1889) has devoted fifty acres to that
grain. In 1888 be raised 2,000 bushels. Miss Mary Jane Roberds became his wife in
1884. She was born in Arkansas, and by Mr. Willcockson is the mother of two children:
Ovid Clifton and Ota Louisa. Mr. Willcockson is a Democrat politically, but is not an
active politician.