Washington Co., AR - Biographies - William T. Woolsey *********************************************** 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 T. Woolsey, one of the earliest settlers and the oldest merchant in Washington County, Ark., was born in the State of Illinois in 1811, and is a son of Samuel and Matilda (Thompson) Woolsey. His paternal grandfather was born in Tennessee, and removed from there to Arkansas at a very early day, and settled in what is now Hempstead County. In the War of 1812, before coming to Arkansas, he scouted after Indians, and on one of his expeditions was shot at nine times, the balls passing through his shirt sleeve without injuring his person. He died in Texas at the ripe old age of eighty-two years. Samuel Woolsey was born in Kentucky, and grew to manhood on a farm. Like his father, he was a noted hunter and scout. In 1808 he married and removed to Illinois, where his days were spent in hunting and trapping, and, after serving from his adopted State in the War of 1812, came in 1814 to what is now Hempstead County, then removed to Washington County in 1829 or 1830, and settled near Farmington, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying at the age of sixty-three years. His wife was born in Kentucky, and died at the age of seventy- seven years. They were the parents of thirteen children, six of whom are living at the present time: William T., James, Henry, Lourania W., Louisa, and Elizabeth, wife of James Davis. William T. Woolsey grew to manhood in Hempstead County, Ark., and was educated in the common and subscription schools, his attendance being confined to the winter terms. In 1835 his marriage with Miss Elvira H. F. Davison took place. She was born near Fort Smith, Ark., in 1815, a daughter of John Davison, and seven children were born to her union with Mr. Woolsey: Mary, wife of O. L. Kearns; Matilda, wife of N. Fellows; Sarah, deceased; Lewis; Caroline, wife of Benjamin Little; John and Martha (twins), the latter being the wife of J. Farmer. The mother of these children died in 1849, and Mr. Woolsey took for his second wife Mrs. Charity Robinson, to whom was born one child, Charity, wife of Jacob Stockberger. Mr. Woolsey located on his present place in 1854, and since the late war has been engaged in merchandising. During that conflict he was a Union man, but did not serve as a soldier, his assistance being confined to freighting a portion of the time, the rest of the time being spent in Missouri. After the cessation of hostilities he returned to his home in Arkansas to find his property destroyed, but immediately set to work on his farm, and so continued four years, and then embarked in mercantile business, soon building up a good trade. He was postmaster at West Fork (now Pitkin) for about twelve years; for three years he has been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; in politics he is a stanch Republican. He was one of the men detailed as a life guard over Barnes and Bailey, the men who were hung at Cane Hill for the murder of William Wright.