Biography of Otto B Donaldson, Sebastian Co, AR

**********************************************************
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgenwebarchives.org
**********************************************************

----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The first of these articles are on persons from other counties that
have Sebastian County ties.   Later, you will find only Sebastian 
County families.

History of Franklin County

page 1235

Otto B. Donaldson, of the general mercantile firm of Donaldson & Jackman, at
Altus, Ark., was born at Fort  Smith, Ark., June 4, 1842, and is a son of
Thomas T. and Elizabeth Donaldson, who were born in Maryland,  and at an early
day removed to Ohio, thence to Fort Smith, Ark., where they built the first
trading establishment  in the town. They died when Otto B. was very young, and
but little is known of the early history of the family.  The father died about
1846 and the mother about 1853. They were quite wealthy, and at the time of
their deaths  owned considerable property, but their papers became lost or
destroyed and their children were obliged to suffer  the consequences. The
mother was married a second time, and became the mother of one son, R. B.
Morrow,  who is a wealthy merchant of Greenwood, Ark. Her first union [p.1235]
was blessed in the birth of five  children, two of whom are living: Otto B. and
Cornelia, wife of R. R. Lewis, of Sebastian County, Ark. At the  death of his
parents Otto B. Donaldson was left to fight the battle of life as best he
could, and for a number of  years had many hard battles with adversity. What
money he could obtain was spent in acquiring an education,  and when the war
broke out he left his studies and work and enlisted in Company A, Sixteenth
Arkansas  Infantry, Confederate States Army, and for three years served as
third lieutenant, coming out at the close of the  war as adjutant major, with
the rank of first lieutenant. He was in the battles of Elkhorn and Corinth, and
also participated in many skirmishes. He was at one time discharged for
disability, but after some time regained his  health and rejoined his command.
He took up his abode near Clarksville, Ark., after the close of the war, and
while there engaged in book-keeping for H. Hodges, with whom he remained two
years. He then rented a large  farm for four years, but this enterprise was
unfortunate, and what property he had acquired was sunk in the  venture. He
then came to Altus and began working as salesman, book-keeper and depot agent
for J. M.  Williamson, with whom he remained four years. He then formed a
partnership with his employer, which  connection lasted four years, and the
three following years were occupied in the family grocery business. For  the
last two years he and Mr. Jackman have been running a mercantile establishment,
and are doing an  extensive and steadily increasing business. In 1874 he was
elected justice of the peace, and has held the office  up to present time, and
for two years was postmaster of Altus. His union with Sarah J. Bateman was
consummated in 1867, but she died four years later, leaving no issue. In 1874
Parthenia Hampton, a daughter of  Taylor Hampton, of Cole Hill, Ark., became
his wife. Her death occurred in 1880, at the age of twenty-four  years. June
17, 1883, Mr. Donaldson married his third wife, Virginia, daughter of Lewis B.
Phillips. She was  born in Franklin County, Ark., November 14, 1861, and is a
member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Having no children of his own
Mr. Donaldson has reared five orphan children, the last one being still under
his roof. He is one of the enterprising citizens of the town, and in his
political views is a Democrat.