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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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.

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Robert L. Davis, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Alabama, September 25, 1832, son of William and Ann (McDonald) Davis, natives of Alabama. Samuel Davis, grandfather of our subject, a native of East Tennessee, came to Alabama between 1815 and 1825, and was the first settler at Huntsville. He located a claim, built a log house and returned to Tennessee for his family. In his absence his claim was jumped by David Hunt, after whom the city of Huntsville was named. Mr. Davis made no effort to substantiate his claim to the land, but located another, which he improved, and on which he resided till his death, at the age of ninety-six years. William Davis died at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife at the age of forty. Robert L. was the fifth of a family of eight: Elizabeth, Samuel, Steele, Jane, James, Anson and William. The subject of our sketch lived at home with his parents till he married Miss Eliza Henderson, May 16, 1857. In 1860 he came to Arkansas, locating a farm on Bower’s Ridge, which he sold in 1863, when he bought 152 acres of wild land in Section 18, Breckinridge Township, which he commenced at once to clear and improve, and now has about 100 acres of that tract under cultivation, and which has since been his home. Mrs. Davis died May 21, 1885. They had three children: Walter S., born March 16, 1858; James H., born April 1, 1868, a telegraph operator in the employ of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad Company, and Georgie Laird, born January 28, 1872. Mr. Davis’ children have been well educated at the private schools of the county, and also at some of the prominent colleges of the State and of Tennessee, Mr. Davis being a friend to education, and taking active interest in all matters of importance to the county and State. At this time he has 432 acres of land, 230 under cultivation.

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This family biography is one of 144 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Jackson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Jackson County, Arkansas family biographies here: Jackson County, Arkansas Biographies

View a map of 1889 Jackson County, Arkansas here: Jackson County, Arkansas Map

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