My Genealogy Hound

Thomas M. Jacks, Jr., the efficient surveyor of Phillips County and one of its truly respected citizens, is a native of this county, being a son of Dr. Thomas M. and Freelove (French) Jacks. The former was born in Rutherford County, N. C., and received the rudiments of his literary education at the public schools of Huntsville, Ala., after which he attended medical college at Louisville, Ky., and Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, Penn. Dr. Jack’s father, Rev. David Jacks, was also a native of Rutherford County, N. C. He (Thomas M., Sr.) came to Arkansas in 1849 and settled at Sterling, at the mouth of the St. Francis River, where he engaged in the practice of his profession, and also at Phillips’ Bayou. Subsequently, or in 1852, he came to Helena and was associated with Dr. Silverberg in practice, and also in the drug business. In 1866 he entered into partnership with John P. Moore in the real estate and banking business and in carrying on a drug store. He was a very influential man in the county, and represented his district in Congress in 1863. He was in the sixty-third year of his age at the time of his death in 1883, and was the owner of immense landed estates situated in the counties of Phillips, Lee and Arkansas, and Coahoma County, Miss. The Doctor was married twice. By his first marriage, which occurred at Sterling, Ark., in 1846, he was the father of five children, two sons and three daughters, all of whom are living. Mrs. Jacks dying in 1869, Dr. Jacks was again married in 1872 to Miss Elizabeth Wills, of Helena, by whom he had one daughter and three sons, all living. Thomas M. Jacks, the fourth son of the first marriage, was born in 1855. He received a thorough education at Helena in Prof. Russell’s school, then preparing himself at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., to enter Yale College, which he did in 1875. From this institution he graduated as a civil engineer in 1878. Returning to his home at Helena, Mr. Jacks accepted a position as civil engineer for the Iron Mountain Railroad Company, from Helena to Forrest City, and continued with them from 1879 to 1881. In 1886 he was employed by the Mobile & Birmingham Railroad Company as resident engineer, and is now consulting engineer on the levee board at Helena, also being civil engineer of Helena. He was elected surveyor of Phillips County in 1886 and re-elected in 1888. December 23, 1884, Mr. Jacks was married to Miss Lulu B. Moore, a daughter of William and Lucy Moore, of La Grange, Ark. They are the parents of one child, Claudine, three years of age. Mr. Jacks is a member of the Baptist Church, and politically is a Democrat. At this time he is connected with the Jacks-Fitzpatrick Drug & Real Estate Company of Helena.