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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ashley County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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Dr. John W. Simpson is a practicing physician of Ashley County. Ark., but also follows the occupation of a farmer, and is well known throughout this region in both capacities. He was born in Mobile, Ala., September 13, 1857, being a son of J. A. Simpson, who moved to Arkansas in 1858, purchasing 320 acres of land, but which he left to take care of itself during the war, enlisting in June, 1861, in the First Arkansas Battalion under Fagan, afterward taking part in the battle of Corinth. He served until the spring of 1865, was then disbanded at Vicksburg, Miss., and returned to his home. In 1872 he was elected to the position of tax assessor of Ashley County, he being the first Democrat elected to the position after the war. He held the office for two years, but has given his attention to farming ever since, and now lives with his son, Dr. John W. The latter, after receiving a good practical education, started out for himself as a school teacher in Ashley County, but during this time began studying medicine, as he had decided to make this his calling through life. He entered the Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tenn., in 1880, in which he took two courses of lectures, and since that time has practiced his profession, and also farmed, meeting with the best of success in both enterprises. He is the owner of 260 acres of fine farming land, forty of which are under cultivation, and devoted to cotton and corn, the yield of the former being about two bales to three acres, and the latter from twenty five to thirty bushels to the acre. His estimable wife was formerly Miss Minnie Terry before her marriage, which occurred November 10, 1886, and to them two children have been born: Mary and an infant son. Mrs. Simpson is a daughter of J. W. and Carrie E. (Harrison) Terry, the former of whom was a machinist, and died during the Rebellion. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are liberal supporters of all worthy enterprises.
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This family biography is one of 97 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ashley County, Arkansas published in 1890. For the complete description, click here: Ashley County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps
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