My Genealogy Hound

John W. Wallace, a prosperous and enterprising merchant, of Newport, Ark., was born in Marshall County, Miss., in the town of Holly Springs, on the 29th of January, 1854, being a son of Wesley W. and Isabella M. (Rutherford) Wallace, the former a native of South Carolina, and the latter of North Carolina. They were married in North Carolina, and at an early day removed to the State of Mississippi, where they purchased a farm and a number of slaves, and conducted their plantation with success for a number of years. About 1862 they removed to the State of Arkansas, and located in Jackson County, and from that time until the father’s death, in 1865, he was engaged in farming a large plantation near Newport. His widow survived him until 1877, when she, too, passed to her long home. Eight of a family of eleven children survive them: Carrie V. (wife of Dr. T. D. Chunn), James E., Amelia (wife of N. B. Wishon), John W., Mamie (wife of I. D. Price), Rina E. (wife of W. C. Wishon), Kate (wife of Dr. G. Hurt), and Robert W. John W. Wallace, the subject of this biography, was only eight years of age at the time of his parents’ location in this county, and here he was reared and educated, and after securing a good common school education he completed his scholastic training in the North Arkansas College. Upon leaving his school days behind him he started out in life for himself as a clerk for Wishon Bros., of Jacksonport, and after remaining with them in this capacity for seven years he was taken into the business as a partner. They only remained thus connected one year, when Mr. Wallace sold to them his interest and embarked in the same enterprise on his own responsibility, establishing himself in Newport, the firm name being John W. Wallace & Co. At the end of one year he purchased his partner’ s interest and has since been alone. He was so unfortunate as to lose his property in the fire of 1883, but he removed to Rogers, Ark., and opened a store; not liking the location, however, he sold his goods and returned to Newport. His stock of goods is well selected and extensive, and Mr. Wallace fully deserves the success which is attending his labors, for he conducts his affairs on strictly honest principles, and is enterprising and industrious. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and he and wife, whose maiden name was Vannie Lynn, and whom he married in 1884, are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was born in the State of Indiana, and by Mr. Wallace is the mother of one child — Ruth.