My Genealogy Hound

William S. Skelton was born in Tennessee, July 14, 1857, and is now one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Buffalo Island. His parents were John M. and A. C. (Stoddard) Skelton, natives of Alabama. The family came to Arkansas in 1860, locating near Wittsburg, where they remained for about four years and then came to Craighead County, locating first on Cane Island and later on Buffalo Island. Here Mr. Skelton died in 1882, and his wife, since married to G. W. Finch, still resides on the old homestead. William S. Skelton is the second of the family of twelve children, seven of whom are now living, three having died in infancy and the others after reaching maturity. He grew up in Craighead County and began farming on his own responsibility when nineteen years of age, when, July 6, 1876, he married Dora A. Goss, a native of this State, who died the next year, 1877. He farmed on the homestead some time and in 1879 settled on his present farm, then in heavy timber. Now he has under cultivation forty-eight acres of splendid land, and has built him a good home. He also owns one-quarter interest in the Lumsford & Co. cotton-gin. For his second wife he chose Rebecca E. Richardson, and their union has been blessed with four children: Jodella, Jonathan N., James T. and Paul W. Mr. Skelton is progressive and influential, and his wife is a member of the Methodist Church.