Biography of David Wylds, St Francis County, AR

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Submitted by: Paul V Isbell
        Date: 19 Nov 2008
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David Wylds originally settled this property, a veteran of the War of 1812, came
to Arkansas from Georgia to hunt bear and liked the land so much he decided to
stay. We believe he came about 1819 when St Francis County was still a part of
Phillips County. He married his wife Mary Creely Wylds on January 1, 1823. St
Francis became a county in 1827. David purchased 40 acres of the property in
1835, 97 acres in 1838 and 40 more acres in 1839. Also this property surrounded
where the cemetery now sits and it and many other acres that he apparently owned
were split up between his wife and children at the time of this death. His wife,
children, and grandchildren inherited 859 acres at the time of his death.
David's son Dan Wylds inherited 254 acres in 1868 upon his father's death and an
additional 295 acres at the time of his mother's death in 1874. The family had
started a cemetery on the homestead in approximately 1839 at the death of David
and Mary's daughter Maria. When Daniel inherited the land he allowed people to
be buried on his property because it was the highest point in that area. He
wished for it to become a public cemetery and allowed many of the counties poor
sharecroppers to be buried there as well. Unfortunately none of this was put in
writing and for many years it has been used as a cow pasture and many of the
stones have been destroyed. It is also quite possible there are some markers
still there but they are heavily buried under layers of dirt and plants. But,
many were placed in unmarked graves. It has been unkempt for many years maybe
even as early as 1930. This cemetery is listed on the endangered cemetery list
and is almost completely destroyed


SOURCE:
HISTORY of ST. FRANCIS COUNTY, ARKANSAS, 1954 - Robert W. Chowning

Copyright, with Permission: Weston McCollum Lewey, Publisher
-Times Herald Publishing-Forrest City, Arkansas