Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Thomas B. Whitehead *********************************************** 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 *********************************************** Thomas B. Whitehead, farmer, was born in Dade County, Ga., November 12, 1839, and is the son of Lewis and Scarbray (Keenam) Whitehead, both natives of Georgia. The father moved to Marion County, Tenn., when T. B. was a child, and followed agricultural pursuits the principal part of his life. He left Tennessee in the year 1859. moved to Sebastian County, Ark., and died at Fort Smith, of that State, in 1863. The mother died in the same place in 1865. They were the parents of six children, and Thomas B. is the only one of this family now living. He grew to manhood on the farm, and learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed at Little Rock until the beginning of the war. During the latter part of that eventful period he served six months in the Federal army, as first lieutenant of Company H, Second Arkansas Infantry. After that he followed farming in Crawford County, Ark., for two years, and then moved to Washington County, and was three years on Middle Fork. Fours years subsequent to this he was in Madison County, and afterward he moved back to Washington County. In 1883 he settled on his present farm, eight miles east of Fayetteville, and which consists of 200 acres of land, 125 under cultivation. He also raises and deals in stock. December 25, 1867, Mrs. Arissa (Simpson) Little became his wife; she was born in North Carolina, and by her union to Mr. Whitehead became the mother of seven children: Minerva, Mary E., James E., Thomas J., Joseph B., Hugh A. and Nellie. Mr. Whitehead was married previous to the war to Miss Mary Ann Roane, who died in 1866, having borne one son, John W. The present Mrs. Whitehead is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, as is also her eldest daughter. Mr. Whitehead is a Republican in polities, and is one of the respected and enterprising citizens of the county.