Biography of Stephen C. McCrary, Randolph Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bridgette Cohen Date: 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company Stephen C. McCrary. The agricultural affairs of Randolph County, Ark., and particularly of Current River Township, are ably represented by Mr. McCrary, who comes of an old established family of this community. Hugh McCrary, his father, a Kentuckian by birth, who was a blacksmith and a farmer by occupation, was one of the early pioneers of Phillips County, Ark., and made the second cotton scraper ever used in Phillips County. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and took an active part in the battle of New Orleans. He died in 1870 at the age of seventy- seven years, and his wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Wilson, also died here. When twelve years of age Stephen C. McCrary began to fight the battle of life for himself and made his home with his relatives until August, 1864, when he enlisted in the Confederate army, and until the close of the war was in several hotly contested engagements. After his return to Phillips County he engaged in farming, continuing until 1867, since which time he has followed the same occupation on Current River, in Randolph County. He improved a small farm, but in 1880 removed to Reyno and built a cotton-gin, grist and saw-mill (the first in the place), which he is still conducting. The capacity of his saw-mill is 8,000 feet per day, and gives employment to twelve hands, and about one-half the town of Reyno is laid out on his land, of which he has 120 acres. In 1866 he was married to Miss Harriet Susan Hite, of Phillips County, and their family comprised seven children, only three of whom are living: Sallie C., widow of J. S. Reynolds, of Reyno; Blanche, wife of James E. Casey, and John, at home. The family was called upon to mourn the death of the mother in 1879. Two years later Mr. McCrary married Elizabeth Goodwin, whose maiden name was Luttrell, and by her he has three children: Mande, Helen and Vistor. Mr. McCrary is a Mason, and his wife belongs to the Eastern Star Lodge.