My Genealogy Hound

John P. May, druggist, Vanndale, Ark. This successful and enterprising business man is a native Tennesseean, born in Madison County, in the year 1844, and at present is a member of the well-known firm of May & Malone. He is a son of John May, and a grandson of John May, Sr., who was a native of the Old Dominion, but who was one of the pioneers of Eastern Tennessee. He was an extensive planter, and was working about 100 hands at the time of his death, which occurred about 1846. John May, father of our subject, was a native of Tennessee, and also became very extensively engaged in farming in Mississippi, going to that State in 1845. He resided in La Fayette County until 1860, and then came to Arkansas, and settled in what is now Cross County. Here he purchased 2,000 acres of land, on the Memphis & Jacksonport dirt road, on L’Anguille River, known as Shaver’s Bridge, and opened up about 400 acres of land, erected buildings, and made a comfortable home for his family. While on a trip to Memphis, in 1863, he was taken sick, and died at Marion, Crittenden County, Ark., November 23, of that year. His wife (the mother of the subject of this sketch), whose maiden name was Miss Cynthia M. Cook, was born in North Carolina, and after the death of her husband continued to live on the farm until November, 1867, when the place was sold, and she has since made her home with her son, John P. May. The latter attended school at College Hill, Miss., and at Memphis, Tenn., until sixteen years of age, or until 1860. Two years later he enlisted in Company D, Thirtieth Arkansas Regiment Infantry, and was elected corporal of Company D, and in January, 1863, was promoted to orderly-sergeant, and filled that office till 1864, when the Thirtieth regiment was consolidated with the Thirty-second Arkansas. Shortly afterward he was promoted special courier in the Trans-Mississippi Department. He participated in the battles of Greenville, Mo., Prairie Grove, Ark.; was at the evacuation of Little Rock; was at Mansfield, La., Pleasant Hill, La., Camden, Ark., and Jenkins’ Ferry, Ark. He was also in a number of skirmishes on the different campaigns, and was made special courier in October, 1864, for Gen. John S. Roane, serving in that capacity until the close of the war, or until May, 1865. His command was disbanded at Marshall, Tex., and he surrendered at Little Rock. After being paroled at Memphis, June 6, 1865, he returned home, and immediately engaged in farming; left the old homestead in 1867, and farmed on rented land for one year, after which he went to Mississippi, where he remained one year on account of his mother’s health. He then returned to Arkansas, and in November, of 1869, bought a farm about one mile south of Walnut Camp, known as the Mitchell farm. Here he remained until 1879, and during that time he cleared about fifty acres, erected buildings, and made many other improvements. At that date he sold out and bought a farm of 160 acres adjoining the old homestead, on the west side of Crowley’s Ridge, where he remained two years. In 1880 he moved to Wittsburg, and engaged in hauling, which he continued until November 15, 1882, when he came to Vanndale, and erected the first residence at that station. He opened a restaurant and confectionery store in December of that year, it being the third place of business started in Vanndale, and after a short time he converted his business into a drug store, and in 1885 admitted Mr. W. C. Malone as a partner. The latter died November 26, 1885, and his interest succeeded to his wife. This firm now carries a full and complete line of drugs, paints, oils, notions, toilet articles, stationery, school books, tobacco, cigars and confectionery. Mr. May is a member of the K. of H., and K. & L. of H., of the Masonic fraternity, and is also one of the Building & Loan Association, of Vanndale. He was married February 14, 1871, to Miss Sallie E. Applewhite, a daughter of John and Nancy J. Applewhite, who came to Arkansas in 1859, and the father became extensively engaged in farming operations, which he continued up to the time of his death, in 1883. Mrs. Applewhite still resides on the old homestead, about three miles north of Vanndale. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. May were born six children, three of whom are deceased: Lena Burton (died in 1881, at the age of nine years), Fletcher Garland, Harry (died at the age of two years) and an infant daughter, Helen. The eldest child died in infancy, and unnamed. Mr. May is one of the first-class business men of the place, is an exemplary citizen, and was a brave and fearless soldier.