Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Jesse Lee Blakemore *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** Jesse Lee Blakemore. Prominent among the early settlers and farmers of Washington County, Ark., are the Blakemores, who first became represented in [p.917] this county, in 1831, by Hon. L. C. Blakemore, who was a Tennesseean, born in 1800. He was married to Charlotte Johnson, a native of North Carolina, and on coming to Arkansas first located in Fayetteville, where he was engaged in the hotel business for about two years, and then engaged in farming; was in the Legislature, and was afterward appointed register of lands. He returned to Fayetteville, where he filled the duties of that office for four years. He was afterward chosen to represent Washington County in the State Legislature, and after serving three or four terms retired to his farm in the country, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying in August, 1882, at the age of eighty-two years. He had lived a long, active and useful life, and his death was lamented by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Jesse L. Blakemore was born in Sumner County, Tenn., March 29, 1827, and was reared on a farm, making his home with his father until he attained his twentieth year, when he began fighting the battle of life for himself. He enlisted in an independent company, under Col. S. B. Everett, and served in the Mexican war for about thirteen months, but although he saw some hard service he was in no battles. In July, 1848, he returned home, and, after making his home with his father for nearly two years, was married in 1849 to Eliza Jane Wheeler, and began farming on rented land. In 1852 he bought a farm on White River, which he sold at the end of two years and bought his present home. His farm consists of 216 acres, 150 acres of which are under fence and cultivation, and he has a fine young orchard of 400 apple and peach trees, just beginning to bear. His wife is a daughter of John A. Wheeler, who first settled in Yell County, Ark., in 1841. She was born in Campbell County, Tenn., and is the mother of thirteen children, ten living: Mary (wife of J. J. Pearson), Sally (wife of W. B. Harrison), Charlotte (wife of W. West), Belle (wife of George Lisenby), Lee D., William W., Jesse J., James A., Benjamin I. and Burk F.; those deceased are John T., Anna E. and Lulie A. Mr. and Mrs. Blakemore are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and he is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and the Masonie fraternities.