My Genealogy Hound

Jesse W. Mahaffey, though a native of Georgia, was brought to Arkansas by his parents when nine years of age, and was reared on a farm in St. Francis County, growing up here when there were but few settlers, with schools and churches few and far between, and no society or companions excepting his family, consequently he had but a limited advantage for receiving an education, starting out in life as a common farm laborer at the age of sixteen. In the fall of 1849 he went into the timber business and has been engaged in getting out timber from the forest and rafting it down the St. Francis River since that time in connection with farming. He owns a fine farm on the river bottoms of 520 acres, well adapted to the growing of corn and cotton, and has ninety acres under cultivation, the remainder being timber. This land lies partly in this county, and in Cross and the balance in Crittenden County. Mr. Mahaffey was born in Georgia on March 15, 1831, being a son of John and Lucinda (Wright) Mahaffey, natives of Eastern Tennessee. John Mahaffey was born near Knoxville in 1804, and was married on January 9, 1825, soon after which he removed to Georgia, and in 1840 came to St. Francis County, Ark., living here until his death in 1859. He was a member of the Christian Church in his latter days and took an active interest in all religious matters, his chief object being to train his children in the fear of God. He was the father of seven children: Jesse Woods (the principal of this article), Elizabeth P., William R., Lutishia, Belinda, Winnie and David R. The subject of this sketch is the only one of the family living. He has been twice married; first to Sarah Duncan, in 1854, a native of Tennessee, who died the following year, leaving one daughter. The latter also died when five years old. He married his second wife on May 19, 1857; she was formerly America E. Dixon, a daughter of Thomas Dixon, and a native of Tennessee. They were the parents of eight children, five of whom are living: James W., Jesse W., Thomas F., Lucinda and Mary E. Mr. Mahaffey is a Democrat in politics, though formerly an old line Whig. He is an upright Christian gentleman and a liberal donator to all charitable objects.