Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Rev. William A. Douthit *********************************************** 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 *********************************************** Rev. William A. Douthit, merchant at Salem Springs, Washington Co., Ark., and a successful farmer, is the son of Thomas and Sarah Douthit, both natives of North Carolina. When young they moved with their parents to this county, were married April 10, A. D. 1842, and here in this county they have resided ever since. The father is a tiller of the soil, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He is sixty-nine years of age, and is of Irish and English descent. His grandparents came from Ireland. The mother's maiden name was Alburty; she is sixty-five years of age, and is of German descent. Her grandparents came to America with the first settlers of New York. William A. Douthit was born November 5, 1848, and was one of eight children born to his parents, six sons and two daughters. He was reared to farm life, and had very poor educational advantages in early life, the Civil War [p.937] depriving him of such educational advantages. After reaching manhood he educated himself in an academy at Evansville, and afterward taught for about six months He then turned his attention to farming, which occupation he still carries on, and is now the owner of eighty acres of good land. In 1872 he married Miss Belle Bowden, a native of Pope County, Ark. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Bowden, who came from Maury County, Tenn., in an early day. John S. Bowden was elected to the Legislature in the year 1856, was re-elected in 1858 and 1860, and was in the State Legislature when the State seceded, and was re-elected when the north part was admitted to the Union. He was killed by the rebel guerrillas in April, 1865. The mother still survives, and lives on the old homestead. To William A. and Belle Douthit were born six children, three sons and three daughters. Both he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. October, 1887, Mr. Douthit built a store- house in Salem Springs, and soon after engaged in merchandising at that place. With the exception of about ten years Mr. Douthit has made this county his home all his life. He is a Republican in politics, and was elected justice of the peace in the fall of 1884, which he faithfully filled. In 1881 he was licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and preached the second sermon at Salem Springs in a brush arbor in July of that same year.