My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clark 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.

* * * *

John Hardin was born in Pike County, Ark., in 1836, to Abraham K. and Elizabeth (Wilson) Hardin, the former a native Tennesseean and the latter born in Missouri. They were both brought to Arkansas by their parents in an early day, and spent the remainder of their lives in the southwestern portion of the State. When the subject of this sketch was a small boy, they removed from Pike to Clark County, and here the father was called from life in 1844, his wife dying in 1863, both being members of the Presbyterian Church at the time of their death. Mr. Hardin was a successful farmer, and was a son of Hon. Joseph Hardin, one of the early and prominent settlers of Southwestern Arkansas, and for some years a member of the Arkansas Legislature from Clark County, where he died prior to the war, aged about eighty-eight. The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Hon. John Wilson, who came from the State of Missouri thither at a very early day. He was a man of considerable prominence, and for a number of years was a member of the Legislative Assembly from Pike County. It was he who killed Mr. Anthony on the Legislative floor, an act he always afterward deplored, although it was done in self-defense, as the latter had threatened his life. At that time Mr. Wilson was speaker of the House. He made a trip to California, after which he removed to Texas, where he died in 1864, having lived a long life of usefulness. John Hardin, whose name heads this sketch, was the sixth of eight sons and three daughters, and after spending his youthful days on a pioneer farm and in attending the common schools, he started out for himself. He served for about two years in a cavalry company of Arkansas State troops during the Civil War, after which his company was disbanded at Washington, Ark., and he returned to his farm. Miss Etta, a daughter of F. C. Moore, became his wife in 1870, and they now have a family of five sons and five daughters. Since the month of March Mr. Hardin has lived on his present farm of 400 acres, which is situated about two miles southwest of Okolona. Two hundred acres are under cultivation, and in addition to tilling this land, he is quite extensively engaged in stock-raising, and is one of the leading agriculturists of his section. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a Democrat politically, and socially is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Robert Morris Lodge No. 106, of Okolona. Mrs. Hardin's father removed from Tennessee to this State, and is now living in Faulkner County, a farmer and merchant by occupation. He at one time served as clerk of the county. His wife died in Tennessee, when Mrs. Hardin was born.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 99 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clark County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Clark County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Clark County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.