Biography of William V Dean, Mississippi Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: Sep 1998
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Bibliography: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas.
Chicago:  Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.

William V. Dean, an extensive farmer of Dean's Island, was born at that
place in 1855, and was the youngest in a family of eleven children. His
parents were James C. and Mariah (Wright) Dean, of Georgia and
Tennessee, respectively. The elder Dean moved to Arkansas with his
father in 1828, and settled on Crowley's Ridge in Craighead County. In
1829 the father came to Mississippi County and located on what is now
the McGavock farm, below Pecan Point. He acquired several hundred acres
of land at that point, which he afterward sold to Jacob McGavock, and
then moved to an island in the Mississippi River, which has since been
named Dean's Island in his memory. He bought 600 acres of land upon his
arrival at the latter place, and soon afterward purchased 500 acres
more, and had succeeded in totally clearing 400 acres up to the time of
his death in 1874, at the age of sixty-three years, the mother dying in
April, 1889, at the age of seventy-seven years. William Dean remained
with his parents during their lifetime, and after his father's death
continued on the farm, while the other sons left home and traveled in
various directions. In 1880 he was married to Miss Tennessee Wigley, of
Alabama, and this estimable wife has given him five children: William
R., James C., Nellie, Elizabeth M. and Lillie Maud. Mr. Dean, Sr., in
his life was noted for his great strength as well as for his prowess in
hunting. He was one of the pioneers of this section, and made a
business of selling wood to the steamboats. He was strong in his
denunciation of slavery, but did not sanction the war, and would
neither enter into the army nor allow his sons to do so. He cleared
most of his farm of 300 acres himself, and was a man of great
popularity on account of his integrity and truth. His youngest son,
William. lives quietly on the old estate, cultivating the land, and has
a pleasant home at the upper end of the island.