Biography of Mahlon McNabb, 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 Mahlon McNabb, one of the prominent agriculturists of Warm Springs Township, owes his nativity to Kentucky, having been born in Trigg County, of that State, on the 13th of May, 1825. His parents, Elias and Margaret (Adair) McNabb, were both natives of South Carolina, but were married in East Tennessee. They came to Arkansas in 1840, settled in the southeast portion of Ripley County, and there passed the remainder of their days, the father dying in 1858 and the mother in 1859 or 1860. They reared a family of children: Delila (deceased), wife of Jefferson Jenkins; Acenath (deceased), wife of William Mulholland; Sarah (deceased), wife of William Dunn; Ruth (deceased), wife of Green Goff; Rhoda (deceased), wife of Madison M. Robb; Nancy (Spencer), Mahlon, Mary (deceased), wife of John Bryant; F. A. (deceased), whose family lives with subject; G. M., Enoch (deceased). Elias McNabb was a man well educated for the time and country in which he lived, and took a great interest in politics, being Democratic in his views. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and Mrs. McNabb was a member of the Baptist Church. When twenty-one years of age Mahlon McNabb commenced work for himself by farming in Arkansas, to which State he had emigrated in 1850. Five years later he entered forty acres of land, and from time to time added to this until he had 400 acres in one body. One farm of eighty acres he cultivated, and in 1875 he gave his two youngest sons forty acres each, including the old homestead. He then sold the remaining 320 acres, and purchased his present property of sixty-three acres, with about thirty acres under cultivation. He was married the first time, in 1846, to Miss Harriet Lacy, and by her became the father of seven children, five of whom lived to be grown, and two are now living: Andrew J., a farmer living in this county; Charley (deceased), Isabella (deceased) wife of John P. Bigger; Elias (deceased), and Michael, who lives in Washington [p.414] County, Ark. Mr. McNabb was married, the second time, to Miss Amelia James, in 1870. She was born in De Soto County, Miss., in 1844, and came with her parents to Randolph County, Ark., in 1859. In his boyhood days Mr. McNabb had but a poor chance for an education, but after his first marriage he applied himself, read a great deal, and is now a pretty well informed man. He is an A. F. & A. M., and in politics is a Democrat. He was elected justice of the peace of his township in 1860, and served two years. In 1862 he was elected sheriff of the county, and served until 1865, when at the close of the war he was disfranchised, and could not hold his office. In 1861 he joined the Confederate army, and was discharged at Morrisville, Miss., on the 16th of July, 1862, after which he came home and resumed farming. Since the war he has taken very little interest in politics.