Biography of Harvey D Wilkinson, Sebastian Co, AR

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Harvey D. Wilkinson, farmer, was born July 9, 1863, in Polk County, Ark., and
is the son of Benjamin J. and  Sallie A. (Arbuckle) Wilkinson. Benjamin J.
Wilkinson was born in Mississippi, and there lived to be grown,  and was by
profession a lawyer, graduating, both in the academic and law department, at
Lebanon, Tenn., and  establishing himself in the profession at Fort Smith with
Judge Walker as his law partner. He had previously read with Judge Brown, of
Van Buren, and subsequently continued in practice in Fort Smith until the
breaking  out of the war. Then he went to Texas, and remained there until his
death in 1864. Sallie Arbuckle was born and  reared in Sebastian County, on
Arbuckle Island, and was educated by private tutor. Here she grew to
womanhood, and married Mr. Wilkinson, and bore him one child, Harvey D. After
Mr. Wilkinson's death she  was married to John Jacoway. James A. Wilkinson, the
paternal grandfather, was a native of Tennessee, and  was there reared and
married, going thence to Mississippi and Texas, returning finally to Tennessee.
He is now  living in Texas. John D. Arbuckle, the maternal grandfather, was
born near Hopkinsville, Ky., leaving there  when about twenty years of age. He
remained in Missouri some time teaching school, and then came to  Sebastian
County, having married, however, in Missouri, Louisa Jones. On coming to
Arkansas he settled on  Arbuckle Island, which now bears his name. During his
early life he was elected colonel in the State Militia in  Kentucky. He and
wife both died on the farm where our subject now lives, he at the age of sixty-
five, December  8, 1873, and while occupying the senatorial seat from the
Eighth District, having been elected over Col. B. J.  Brown, and in an article
taken from the Fort Smith paper we find the following: “The noble old man, whom
the  people all delighted to honor, passed away from earth to an assembly where
we trust he will wear brighter than  any earthly honors. Arkansas has lost a
valuable representative, the community an estimable citizen, and the  family a
loving husband and father.” Gen. Mathew Arbuckle, of Kentucky, was an uncle,
and a graduate of  West Point, and it was through him that Arbuckle Island was
acquired by a patent from Martin Van Buren in  1839. The first court-house site
of the county is now on land owned by Harvey Wilkinson, he having acquired  the
property through his grandfather, John D. Arbuckle. Harvey D. Wilkinson was
principally reared in this  county, being cared for after the death of his
parents by his grandfather and grandmother, Mr. and Mrs.  Arbuckle. He lived
with them until their deaths, and from 1879 until 1886 attended the
Fayetteville University.  He is the owner of 700 acres of land, 200 of which he
cultivates, the old homestead being included. In connection with his farming he
is engaged in milling and ginning. In politics Mr. Wilkinson is a Democrat, and
he belongs to the Masonic fraternity.