Washington Co., AR - Biographies - William Harrison Eidson *********************************************** 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 *********************************************** William Harrison Eidson, another citizen whose name is synonymous with the farming interests of the county, is a son of William and Martha (Wilson) Eidson. The father was born in North Carolina about 1782, and the mother in Hawkins County, Tenn., being about eight years younger than her husband. When a young man the father immigrated to Tennessee, where he met and married Miss Wilson. They spent their lives on a farm in Hawkins County, Tenn., and both lived to be about seventy years of age. He was an old-time Democrat, and she was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. They were the parents of eleven children, six sons and five daughters. The sixth child, William H. Eidson, was born in Hawkins County, Tenn., April 19, 1823, was reared on the farm and educated to a limited extent in the old subscription schools. At the age of nineteen he married Miss Susan Begley, a native of Hawkins County, Tenn., born November, 1822. Having farmed in that county until 1851 he moved to Washington County, Ark., located in the woods on the place where he now lives, and here first entered forty acres of land. Since then he has added thereto, and now has about 1,200 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Eidson were born ten children: McCoy, John D., Henry, Mary J., Samuel L., William S., Martha E., Ellen C., George P. and Orlena B. The eldest two were killed [p.939] at the battle of Vicksburg, while in service on the Confederate side. As a business man Mr. Eidson has been eminently successful, and is one of the largest land owners in the township. He has been a resident of this county for thirty- seven years, and has lived on his present property all that time. He is Democratic in his political views, was justice of the peace four years, and both he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.