My Genealogy Hound

Dr. John M. Creswell is a native of Izard County, and was born on the 20th of May, 1857, being one of nine living members of a family of eleven children born to James C. and Martha (Mann) Creswell, the former a native of Arkansas, born in 1826, and the latter of Tennessee. James received a very limited education in his youth, and afterward followed the occupation of farming; and although he was badly crippled financially during the war, by diligent subsequent labors he was the owner of a good farm of 160 acres at the time of his death, on the 21st of March, 1881. In 1868 he moved to Bell County, Tex., but not liking the country he returned to Arkansas at the end of six months, and settled at Sylamore (now in Stone County), but two years later came to Izard County. He served in the Confederate army from 1863 to 1865, and was captain of his company, being under Gen. Price, and was with him on his raid through Missouri, participating in the battle of Pilot Knob. He surrendered at Jacksonport, Ark., June 5, 1865, and then returned home. He was married in 1854, the following being his children, who are now living: John M., Solon M., Cyrus J., James L., Rufus C., Martha D. (wife of J. D. Denton), William D., Harriet E. and Homer Z. Mr. Creswell was a member in good standing of the A. F. & A. M. at the time of his death, and was a man who took great interest in all worthy public movements and gave his children good educational advantages. His widow survives him. Dr. John M. Creswell was reared on a farm but spent the most of his time in school, being an attendant of the La Crosse Academy from 1871 to 1878, the institution at this time being under Profs. H. C. Tipton and M. Shelby Kennard. In 1880 he entered the St. Louis Homeopathic College and graduated from this institution two years later, delivering the valedictory address at the commencement exercises, and was honorably mentioned in Materia Medica and Surgery. He has been engaged in practicing at his present location ever since, and has won an enviable reputation among the medical fraternity of the county, and is acknowledged by all to be a successful physician. On the 7th of May, 1885, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha C. Peel, of Izard County, and by her became the father of one child, who is deceased. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the I. O. O. F. The paternal grandparents, James L. and Margaret (Laferty) Creswell, were very early settlers of Izard County, and here the grandfather died at the age of fifty-five years; four of his sisters also died when fifty-five years of age. The maternal grandfather, Rev. John H. Mann, was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and came to Izard County from the State of Tennessee in 1830. His death occurred in 1872, aged sixty.