My Genealogy Hound

Judge Isaac W. Smith, Whelen Springs, Ark. No name is justly entitled to a more enviable place in the history of Clark County than the one that heads this sketch, for it is borne by a man who has been usefully and honorably identified with the interests of this county, and with its advancement in every worthy particular. He was born in Johnson County, Ill., January 13, 1818, a son of Millington and Barbara (Barton) Smith, natives of Edgecombe County, N. C., both dying in Illinois, the former in 1835, in his sixty-fifth year, and the latter in 1833, in her fifty-fourth year. Millington Smith, a successful farmer, was a son of Willis Smith, also a farmer by occupation, and a soldier in the Revolutionary War, who was killed in a battle with the Tories in North Carolina. He was the son of George Smith, a native of Ireland. Millington Smith came to Stewart County, Tenn., when a boy with his mother, there grew to man hood and was married, and in 1817 moved to Illinois, floating down the Cumberland River, being one of the first settlers in that State. Both he and wife were members of the Baptist Church. In his political views he was a Democrat. To his marriage there were born thirteen children—ten sons and three daughters-the subject of this sketch being the tenth in order of birth, five of whom are now living, viz.: Cardwell B. (is a farmer of Polk County, Ark.), Dr. Willis S. (long since retired from the practice of medicine; was graduated from the Memphis Medical Institute; was one of the pioneers of Arkansas, coming to the State after its organization in 1833, and was the first sheriff of Clark County), Isaac W. (the subject of this sketch), Andrew J. (a graduate of Louisville Medical College, is now a book-keeper in the employ of Fletcher & Holts, cotton merchants of Little Rock), Thomas G. (is a graduate of law) and Shurtliff (who was graduated at Alton, Ill, is now teaching in Hunt County, Tex.). Not one of the ten sons were less than six feet tall. The subject of this sketch grew to maturity in Illinois, his education being confined to eight months' schooling, but he has been a great student all his life. In November, 1837, he left his home horseback for Clark County, Ark., riding that distance through a dense wilderness, and arrived in Greenville, then the county seat of Clark County, in December, 1837, since which time he has been a resident, and has held every office in the county except school director and justice of the peace. He was first elected constable, then deputy sheriff under his brother, W. S. Smith, serving until 1844; in 1846 he was elected clerk of the circuit and county court, recorder, etc., remaining in that office until 1856, when he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Arkadelphia, continuing until 1862, doing a general mercantile business under the firm name of Barkman, Kingsbury & Co. In 1862 he was appointed clerk, and in October, 1862, was elected to the Senate from Clark, Pike and Polk Counties, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. In 1858 he was granted a license to practice law, and immediately engaged in the practice of his profession and farming, continuing until 1874, when he was elected county and probate judge, and during his term of office, by his superior statesmanship brought Clark County out of debt, and saved it from paying enormous debts made by unscrupulous adventurers during reconstruction days, and undoubtedly saved the people of Clark County from bankruptcy. He served the people so well that they kept him in that office until 1884. In 1886 he was elected to represent his county in the State Legislature. He was married, August 1, 1839, to Miss Angelina Jeans, daughter of William Jeans, born in Lawrence County, in 1820. She was the mother of eleven children, but two of whom survive, viz.: Missouri A. (wife of W. T. Golden, a farmer of this county) and Thomas M. (a teacher in Blooming Grove). The rest of the children died while quite young. Mrs. Smith died in Arkadelphia January 26, 1863. October 26, 1865, Mary F. Dickens became Mrs. Smith. She was born in Alabama July 8, 1841, a daughter of Dr. Edwin Jenkins, and by her union with Mr. Smith was the mother of three children, but one of whom, Willis, now attending Ouachita Baptist College, survives. She died, January 4, 1883, in Arkadelphia. Judge Smith has been a member of the Missionary Baptist Church for many years. In secret societies he is a Knight Templar and at times has represented his Blue Lodge in the Grand Lodge of the State. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. at Gurdon since 1856, being a charter member of Caddo Lodge, to which he now belongs. He also belongs to the Farmers' Alliance, and was formerly a Granger. He was a Whig while that party lasted, but since the war has been a Democrat. His first vote was cast in 1836 for Gen. Harrison when he was eighteen years of age. He has been a Mason since 1849, being the first to be installed in Arkadelphia Lodge No. 19. He is now living on his farm, consisting of 460 acres, with about 120 under cultivation, located in Beech Creek Township.