My Genealogy Hound

John S. M. McKamey, who has a stock of general merchandise, cotton, hay, etc. at Huntington, valued at about $9,000, was born in Roane County, E. Tenn., in 1849, and is the third of a family of three children born to Capt. John C. and Zerelda (Tunnell) McKamey, natives of East Tennessee, born in 1809 and 1811, respectively. The father served as captain in 1838 in one of the Indian wars, but was a farmer by occupation. He removed to Anderson County, Tenn., when our subject was an infant, and in 1852 went with his brother, Harvey McKamey, on a prospecting tour to Arkansas. He died near Little Rock, and his wife died in 1875 in Sebastian County, Ark. The paternal grandfather, John McKamey, was born in Virginia, and was of Scotch descent. The maternal grandfather, Col. William Tunnell, was also a Virginian by birth, and was of English descent. He served as colonel in the War of 1812, the epaulets and plumes of his uniform now being in the possession of our subject. He represented Anderson County in the Lower House and in the Senate several terms, and died in that county in 1861. John S. M. McKamey came with his mother to Sebastian County in 1867, and November 20, 1873, married Sarah R., daughter of A. T. Bonham, who removed here with her parents from Anderson County, Tenn., in 1870. Mr. Bonham was married twice, his first wife dying in 1881. He commenced business February 19, 1883, under the firm name of McKamey & Davenport. In August of that year Mr. Davenport retired, and the business was continued by J. S. M. McKamey until November 15 of the same year, when Mr. S. E. Smith took an interest, and the firm was McKamey & Smith. Since January, 1885, Mr. McKamey has carried on business alone. He landed here November 22, 1867, with only $4.75, first taught school in the Choctaw Nation, beginning January 5, 1868, and continuing until June of the same year, making in that time over $300. The following fall he went to Cane Hill College, remained till May, 1869, and then taught school, and final bought and settled a farm January 1, 1870. February 19, 1883, he went into the mercantile business. December 1, 1888, he bought an interest in the Kansas & Texas Coal Co., of Huntington, Ark., the sales of which will average $20,000 per month. He was also elected president of the bank of Huntington. He is a successful man, and has nearly 500 acres of land in different tracts near Huntington, some of which contains coal deposits. Although he began life in humble circumstances, he is now one of the active and enterprising business men of the county. He is an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which his wife is a member. They have a family of six children. Mr. McKamey is a Democrat in politics and for twelve years has been a member of Pulliam Masonic Lodge No. 133, in which he has served as Master. His oldest brother, William T., served four years in the Confederate army, first in the Nineteenth Tennessee Infantry, and afterward in Thomason’s legion of sharpshooters, in the Virginia army. He was wounded at Shenandoah, and died in Sebastian County in 1871.