Biography of Henry H. McCray, Saline Co, AR

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Submitted by: Leon Rowland Moore <moorelrm@swbell.net>
        Date: 5 Nov 2002
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Source: Goodspeed's History of Saline County

Henry H. McCray, one of the pioneer settlers of Saline County, was born here in
1844, being the son of H. N. and Elizabeth (Carroll) McCray, the father a
native of South Carolina, and the mother of Alabama. H.N. McCray was married
when a young man, and removed to what is now Union Township, Saline County,
Ark., in 1837, there entering land and partly improving it, when he sold out
and went to what is now Grant County. He bought a claim and improved it, but
some years after returned to Saline County, and settled in Union Township, the
second time in 1842. Later he bought a farm on Saline River. His remaining days
were spent in Benton, his death occurring March 27, 1886. He was a member of
Benton Lodge No. 34, A. F. & A. M. His wife died in 1865. Henry H. McCray
passed his boy-hood days on the farm, and was educated in the subscription
schools of Saline County. He enlisted at Little Ro0ck, in 1862, in Col.
Crawford's regiment for three years or during the war, and was engaged in
scouting, being transferred to Col. Hawthorn's regiment of infantry, where he
was principally engaged in Texas. He was paroled at Marshall, Tex., in May
1865, when he returned to Saline County, becoming engaged in farming. He
married in November, 1868, Miss A. J. Frances Pelton, a native of Saline
County, and daughter of James and Arrilla (Williams) Pelton, of Illinois. Mr.
Pelton came to the Louisiana Territory when a young man, was married here and
settled in what is now Beaver Township, Saline County, Ark. He settled on a
claim of eighty acres given by the territory to actual settlers, where he made
his home until his death in 1846. His esteemed wife survived until 1876.
Grandfather Berry Williams was a native of North Carolina, was in the War of
1812, and at a very early day came to Arkansas. His death occurred in what is
now Grant County, in 1854. Mr. McCray settled in 1872 upon a farm, where he now
resides, which is one of the oldest settled places in Saline County. He has
also opened up considerable land, and has now about 100 acres under
cultivation, owning besides 475 acres of well-improved land in Saline Township.
Mr. McCray and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and
take an active part in all church work. They have been blessed with six
children: Flora, Clara, Jasper, James, Rosa and Marvin. Mr. McCray has always
taken an active part in everything which would tend to the improvement of the
town and county, both in a material, religious and moral sense.