Biography of S. W. Donaghey, White County, Arkansas *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bonnie Palmer Date: Jun 1997 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/white/white.html *********************************************************** From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922. S. W. DONAGHEY S. W. DONAGHEY, conducting a feed & wagon yard in Searcy, was born in Perry Co., AL, Sept. 12, 1871, his parents being E. Salina E. (OSBORN) DONAGHEY, who were likewise natives of that state. The father followed farming in AL, but at the time of the Civil war put aside all business considerations & personal interests & enlisted in the Confederate army, serving throughout the period of hostilities. He participated in the battle of Shiloh & in other engagements. He left his wife & 2 children at home while in the service & all he had of his property possessions when he returned was his residence, for through the exigencies of war the farm had been neglected, there being no one left to till it. With his return Mr. Donaghey at once set to work to retrieve his lost possessions & in 1879 he removed from AL to AR, settling in White Co. He made the trip by boat from Memphis, proceeding up the White & Little Red Rivers to West Point. After reaching his destination he rented land & carried on farming, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, as death called him a little later. His wife died in 1913, at the age of 72 years, while his death occurred at the age of 48 years. They were loyal members of the Baptist church throughout their lives and Mr. DONAGHEY always gave his political support to the democratic party. To him & his wife were born 4 children: Mattie, who is the widow of Aaron TETTLETON, & resides in San Antonio, Texas; Nannie, the wife of J. W. BLEVINS of Pasadena, Cal.; S. W., of this review; & Estelle, living in Searcy. The Donaghey family is of Irish descent, for the grandfather of S. W. DONAGHEY was a native of Ireland & smuggled his way across the ocean to the new world. He then settled in Perryville, AL, & afterward took up the occupation of farming there. In due course of time he became owner of a plantation & a number of slaves & he died in AL prior to the Civil War. The maternal grandfather of S. W. DONAGHEY was William OSBORN, a native of TN, who in early life became a resident of AL, where he, too, owned & cultivated a plantation, while his property interests also included a number of slaves. He died while the Civil war was in progress. S. W. DONAGHEY pursued his education in the public schools of Kensett, AR, attending on the old-time box schools, a crude structure of four walls, with wooden benches & primitive furnishings. He walked 3 miles to school & in this way laid the foundation for his education. Later he took up farming on his own account in Kensett township, White Co., AR, and for a considerable period gave his attention to the work of tilling soil & raising stock. In 1889 he removed to Searcy, where he entered the livery business & for 3 years he also worked in connection with a harness business. He now conducts a feed & wagon yard & is accorded a liberal patronage by reason of his thorough business reliability & his enterprise. Whatever success he has achieved has come to him as the direct reward of his own labors. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party & he has always voted for its candidates, but has never sought nor desired office for himself as a reward for his party loyalty. Much of his life has been spent in this state & he has a wide acquaintance in White Co., where he has become well known through his farming & kindred interests.