My Genealogy Hound

Hon. Joseph Roden, one of the leading millers, cotton gin operators and farmers of Faulkner County, was born in Tishomingo County, Miss., in 1839, and is a son of Josiah and Nancy J. (Hawkins) Roden, born in Greenville District, S. C., in 1798, and Overton County, Tenn., in 1808, respectively. The parents were married in the latter place about the year 1833, and sometime after removed to Mississippi. Shortly after the outbreak of war between the North and South, the parents moved to Hot Spring County, Ark. The father was a prosperous farmer before the war, and ranked as one of the best planters in the South; that is, he had a thorough knowledge of soil, crops, and in fact, everything relating to agriculture, but after the war was over, almost all of his lands and every one of his slaves were lost to him. He was a son of Nathaniel Roden, of South Carolina, who was also a prosperous farmer in Tennessee, and died in that State, as did also James Hawkins, the maternal grandfather. Josiah Roden was married twice, his second wife being Miss Maggie Westbrook, by whom he had one child. Joseph was the fourth child of seven sons and two daughters born to the first marriage, and received a limited education in his youth, owing to the poor facilities for schooling. However, he applied himself diligently to the rudiments of education at home, and being of a naturally fine intellect, and having the ability, he acquired by that means a good common English training. During the war he enlisted in Company B, Twenty-sixth Mississippi Infantry, but a few days after entering the army he was afflicted with the measles, and was forced to withdraw. In 1862 he moved with his parents to Arkansas, and there joined Company I, Sixth Arkansas Infantry, operating in Arkansas and Texas, principally, until the close of the war. His service was for most of the time in doing special work, these duties requiring great secrecy, shrewdness and coolness, and the best praise that can be offered to Mr. Boden is the truthful saying that his work was well done. He surrendered to Gen. Canby in the State of Louisiana, and during the same year was married at Shreveport, in that State, to Miss Lizzie V. Hamlett, a daughter of John and Nancy Hamlett, of Tennessee, and Mississippi, respectively. John Hamlett was a prominent merchant of Marshall, Tex., for a great many years, and was also one of the pioneer settlers of Arkansas. His daughter was born in Mississippi, and by her marriage with Mr. Boden became the mother of eight children, of whom six are still living. Shortly after their union, Mr. and Mrs. Boden moved to Little Rock, Ark., where for some time the former was engaged under contract to do the Government teaming. He next entered into the boot and shoe business, but did not remain in it long before he found that the occupation was not conducive to his interests. He then went to Texas and remained a short time, but soon returned to Arkansas, and located in Pulaski County, where he farmed until 1871. Faulkner County became his next location, and in 1884 he moved on his present place, where he now owns eighty-eight acres of very productive land, operates a corn and flour-mill, and a steam cotton-gin. Mr. Boden owes his prosperity to his own individual efforts. He is a man of enterprise, and with that spirit that would never give up under any circumstance. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, and was elected to the office of justice of the peace. After that his party elected him to the legislature, in which he served with distinction. He is also prominent in Masonic circles, and about twenty-five years ago was a member of the I. O. O. F. in Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Boden have both been members of the Christian Church for a great many years. He is a man of genial disposition and character, and for a great many years supported his aged father and mother, who had fallen from affluence to comparative poverty by the ruthless hand of war. In 1887 Hamlett Post-office, in honor of his wife’s maiden name, was established at his place, and he has since then been acting as postmaster.