My Genealogy Hound

Edward F. Woolard, planter, Portland, Ark. Mr. Woolard owes his nativity to North Carolina, where his birth occurred on April 15, 1840, and is now following a calling which has received the attention of many worthy individuals years without number. His parents, Henry and Nellie (Langley) Woolard, were natives of Philadelphia, Penn., and Carolina, respectively. The father had been a sailor, but came to Carolina, married and settled on a farm. They reared a family of seven children—four sons and three daughters—of whom Edward F. is the youngest. Three of these children are living—two sons and a daughter. The father died about 1857, but the mother had died previous to this, in 1842. Edward F. Woolard, the only one of the children residing in Arkansas, passed his youthful days on the old homestead, and when the war broke out he was overseeing for J. G. B. Miles. Through the brother of Mr. Miles, our subject was appointed to detached service, and all through the war was employed in supplying the commissary department. After the war he rented land, made one crop and then in 1867 came to Arkansas, Chicot County, locating at Grand Lake. Before coming to Arkansas he had learned the photographer’s art and opened a gallery at Grand Lake. But business not coming up to his expectations, he remained there but two months and then went to Gum Ridge and landed at Portland, Ashley County. Here he remained but a short time and then went to Hamburg, and resided there two months. From there he went to Mason Hill, farmed for one year, and in 1868 returned to Gum Ridge, where he has remained ever since. In 1876 he bought 160 acres of land, three miles southeast of Portland, and is at present living on that place. He has been a successful farmer, and now owns 320 acres of land and has about two acres open land. Cotton is his main crop, and he rents his land for part of the crop which pays about $7 per acre. His average cotton and corn crop is about 1,200 pounds and twenty-five bushels of corn to the acre. Mr. Woolard was married in 1872, to Miss Georgiana Barringer of Ashley County, and they became the parents of five interesting children: Martha (died March 13, 1873), Effie E., Henry, Edgar P. (died August 9, 1882), and Mamie A. The mother of these children died on December 29, 1883, and after her death Mr. Woolard sent his children to his people in North Carolina, where they are attending school. He is a member of the Christian Church, is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and K. of H., and in politics is Democratic.