Biography of G N Sparks, St Francis County, AR

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Submitted by: Paul V Isbell
        Date: 22 Jan 2009
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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G. N. Sparks, of the firm of Daltroff, Sparks & Oliver, merchants at Wynne, is
one of the most enterprising business men of the place. He owes his nativity to
McMinnville, Tenn., where his birth occurred in 1853, and is the youngest of ten
children born to the union of Thomas and Mary L. (Boothe) Sparks, both natives
of the Old Dominion. The father was a tiller of the soil and followed this
occupation in Tennessee until 1859, when he moved to Arkansas, and settled at
Jonesboro, Craighead County, where he purchased 320 acres of land, only slightly
improved. Mr. Sparks immediately began erecting good buildings, clearing land,
and soon bought other tracts in the the vicinity. He gave all of his children
homes at the time of their majority and was a man whose of shrewd business tact
is remembered by old settlers. He became one of the best-known men in several
counties, and died in 1878. The mother's death occurred two years later, and
both were seventy four years of age. G. N. Sparks early in life became familiar
with the duties of the farm and attended the schools of Craighead County until
fifteen years of age. Later he took a commercial course at Leddin's College at
Memphis, and when seventeen years of age he left the parental roof, went to
Forrest City, where he engaged as clerk in the firm of Sparks & Rollwage, and
continued with this firm until 1874, when he was united in marriage to Miss
Jennie Cobbs, a native of Arkansas, and the daughter of C. H. Cobbs, a pioneer
of St. Francis County. After his marriage Mr. Sparks removed to the old
homestead, where his father had settled on his arrival in Arkansas, and which
was given to G. N. Sparks at that time. Here he was engaged in farming and
teaching school for four years, and in 1880 he engaged as bookkeeper for for
Killough & Erwin at Wittsburg. After five years he changed to a similar position
with Block & Co., who had opened a branch store at Wynne. In January, 1886, that
firm was bought out by Daltroff, Sparks & Oliver, who opened a fine store in
Wynne. Mr. Sparks owns a fine residence in that city, and is the owner of real
estate in Forrest City and 160 acres of good land in Craighead County. He is a
member of the K. & P, Levesque Lodge No. 52, at Wynne, and is also a member of
the Knights and Ladies of Honor, Pearl Lodge. Mrs. Sparks is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. To the union of Mr. & Mrs. Sparks, were born two
children: Lena May and Annie Blanche. Mr. Sparks is a man of cordial and
generous dispostion.

Goodspeed Memoirs and Biograhies-1890