Biography: John Robert Long, De Soto Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Trudy M. Marlow Source: The Genealogy Patch - maintained by Trudy M. Marlow ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** John Robert Long John Robert Long was born January 20, 1849 in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. John married Lula T. Lynch in 1877 probably in Louisiana. John and Lula had a son, William Tommus Long, born May 12, 1878. He died shortly afterwards on July 28, 1879. A second son, Samuel Benton Long was born November 20, 1879. By 1880, Thomas and Fernando were living with Lula and John in Louisiana. A daughter, Sarah "Sally" Ann Long was born January 6, 1882. Sometime about 1883, John, Lula and the children moved to Wise County, Texas. Other children were born during the following years: Charlie Right Long born January 5, 1884; Jess Long born August 16, 1885; Hatte E. Long born May 5, 1887; Cassie Long born December 1, 1888. Also born were Roy E. Long, Elmer C. Long, I.R. Long, and possibly a daughter named Mattie Long, birthdates unknown. Census records list John as a farmer and Lula as a housewife. John and Lula probably moved to Wise County, Texas to be near John Long’s family. Lula would often go along with her father-in-law, Dr. John Henry Long, and help him to make his house calls in the area. Typhoid hit the area about 1888, five of John and Lula’s children died in a short period of time. John Robert Long died in 1897 at the age of forty-eight. He is buried in Wise County, Texas. For more information about Lula T. Lynch see the biography of Thomas Jefferson Lynch. Dr. John Henry Long (father of John Robert Long) Dr. John Henry Long was born in North Carolina on August 18, 1818. Dr. J.H. Long was the son of Robert and Sarah Long, who were both born in North Carolina. Mary was also born in North Carolina on July 22, 1829. Both of Mary’s parents were also born in North Carolina. Dr. John Henry Long was said to be tall in stature with very high cheekbones and a high forehead. These facial features are very dominant in the Long descendants. Pictured on the left is Dr. John H. Long taken about 1880-1889. Dr. Long and Stephen were both said to be part Indian, possibly Chickasaw or Cherokee one half or one fourth. Stephen was said to have obtained his medical training by the govt. or Indian agency paying half and his parents paying the other half. Dr. Long could both read and write. He also had musical talents, he would sometimes stop during some work chores and play the violin. He was known to stop work in the field and go to the house if he suddenly remembered a tune. Dr. John Henry Long married Mary S. about 1845, location unknown. While, Dr. Long was large of stature, Mary was rather short and dumpy. Dr. John Henry Long and Mary had eleven known children. In the 1850’s, Dr. Long was already a practicing physician in the Western Division of Chickasaw County, Mississippi. While living in Mississippi, Dr. Long and Mary had four children, William Archibald, John Robert, Sarah J. and Mary. Unfortunately, the two girls Sarah and Mary died at early ages. While living in Mississippi, Dr. Long’s parents, Robert and Sarah, lived next door with Dr. Long’s brothers, James and Stephen. View the federal land patent for the property owned by Robert Long in Chickasaw County. The property was valued at three hundred dollars in the 1850 census. According to census records, Dr. Long and Mary next moved to Louisana for a short period of time. While in Louisiana, they had another daughter Harriet Arene Long on January 21, 1853. However, family members of Harriet’s tell the story that Harriet was born in California and that the family went to Germany for a number of years. Germany is supposedly where Dr. Long received his training to become a surgeon. However, no documentation has been found to confim this story. However, according to land deeds, Dr. Long and his family moved to WASHINGTON County, Arkansas to Mountain Township about June of 1855. View the federal land patent for the property owned by John Henry Long in Washington County. Their land was located about four miles west of West Fork, Arkansas and near the village of Hogeye, which was then called Moffat. Washington County was formed in 1828. Mountain Township was created before 1836, part later went to West Fork in 1839 and part to Cove Creek in 1842. The township later changed names to Valley between 1890-1900. On May 2, 1861 Dr. Long with war and politics on his mind, sold his land in the area. The Civil War was on its way to northwest Arkansas. On May 16, 1861, only 14 days later, Arkansas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. Major battles at Fayetteville and at Pea Ridge were fought near Dr. Long’s property. The Civil War years are still a puzzle from about 1861 to 1868. Dr. Long may have been a surgeon during the war. It is probably safe to assume that Dr. Long was a strong Confederate supporter, because he named one of his son’s, Jeff Davis Long, after the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. Sadly, Jeff Davis along with about four other siblings died at an early age. Nancy, James, Jeff Davis, Manda, and Alferod were not listed on the 1870 census. It is not known where the family lived during the Civil War, but for reasons unknown, Dr. Long and his family moved to the area of Veal Station in Parker County. Many white settlers were attracted to Texas because of the cheap agricultural land. One of the main routes into Texas from Arkansas was crossing the Red River into northern Texas. Dr. Long and Mary’s last known child, Benjamin Issac Long was born in Texas on April 25, 1868. The Texas Poll Tax List for Parker County has Dr. Long listed in 1868. On August 16, 1871, a medical ad for Dr. John Henry Long of Veal Station was ran in the Weatherford Times newspaper. All of Dr. Long’s children is believed to have been living in Parker County in 1870, except for Harriet. Harriet married a man named Walker, a native of Texas, their first child Mary Lucinda Walker was born April 15, 1870. Dr. Long’s brother, Stephen Benjamin Long had already moved to Weatherford, Texas earlier in the 1860’s. Dr. Stephen Long was not only a physician but was the owner of the first drug store in Weatherford, Texas. Sadly though, he was murdered by a man named Spain Fondren, sometime after March of 1871. Tax records show that Dr. Long was still living in Parker County until after the fourth quarter of 1873. Sometime after 1873 and before the 1880 Census was taken he moved his practice to Boonesville in Wise County. He was also listed in the Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory of 1889-1890 as a practicing physician in Boonesville. His home was located just to the north of Balsora in the Andrew C. Caruthers Survey. However, William Archibald did not make the move with the family, he remained in Parker County. Dr. Long and his family knew the Joseph Roth family of Willow Point, Joseph was the local postmaster in Willow Point. Dr. Long practiced country doctoring along Boons Creek by horse and buggy. If Dr. Long was unable to go on rounds his wife, Mary, would sometimes go on rounds for him. Although she had no formal training, could not write, and signed her name with an "X", she was said to have been almost as good a doctor as the doctor himself. Dr. Long died on September 6, 1889, possibly during a typhoid or fever epidemic in this area. He may have contracted the fatal illness from one of his patients. During this same time, several of John Roberts and Lula’s children also died at young ages, possibly of the same illness that took their grandfather, Dr. Long. Their burial places are unknown; however, there are several unmarked graves in the vicinity of Dr. Long’s grave. Possibly grief stricken, 13 days after Dr. Long’s death, Mary sold their land near Balsora to F. M. Barnett of Jack County for one thousand dollars. Mary S. Long signed the deed with her "X", also signing were Benjamin Issac and John Robert and his wife Lula. Harriet, living near by in Wizard Wells, was not present to sign the deed. A few years after Dr. Long’s death, Mary died on January 21, 1892. Her burial place is unknown, although, it is believed that she would be buried at Willow Point Cemetery near Dr. Long. Although, she may be resting in the Wizard Wells Cemetery in Jack County or an unmarked grave in the Cache Creek Cemetery near Bomarton in Baylor County, Texas. Although Dr. Long and Mary had eleven known children, only four are believed to have reached adulthood. The four children that grew to adulthood and raised families of their own are William Archibald, John Robert, Harriet Arene, and Benjamin Issac Long.