Washington Co., AR - Biographies - James Dodson *********************************************** 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 *********************************************** James Dodson, senior member of the mercantile firm of Dodson & Co., of Springdale, Ark., was born in Tennessee in 1836, and at the age of fifteen years came to Arkansas with his parents. He farmed for a short period, and for about five years was one of the popular local educators of Northwest Arkansas. In the fall of 1866 he entered mercantile life in Randolph County, where he resided until 1883, when he took up his abode in Imboden, and followed the same occupation until February, 1887. Since that time he has resided in Springdale, and is doing a thriving business. He has some valuable town property, besides his spacious store building, and is considered one of the progressive and prosperous citizens of the county. Miss Julia D. Henderson became his wife and the mother of his three children: Fannie S., wife of J. L. Davis; John S. and Nettie M. Mr. Dodson and family worship in the Primitive Baptist Church, and he is a Democrat in his political views. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army, and served four years. He was in eighteen different battles, but was never wounded. His parents, Sampson and Celia (Rogers) Dodson, who were born in Tennessee in 1809 and 1814, respectively, were reared and married in their native State, and in 1851 immigrated to Arkansas. They were the parents of four children, James being the second in the family, and their deaths occurred in 1877 and 1874, father and mother, respectively.