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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Bradley County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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J. A. Simpson is a blacksmith and wheelwright, of Simpson, Ark., but was born in Jasper County, Miss., in October, 1833, being the second of eleven children born to William and Jane (Moore) Simpson, the father being also a blacksmith, which occupation he followed in Mississippi, until 1860, when he came to Arkansas, settled in Bradley County, and here passed away from life, in 1862. J. A. Simpson learned his trade of his father, but received very limited educational advantages. At the age of twenty years he began working for himself, and after his marriage, which occurred three years later, he continued so to do. In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Port Lock’s Regiment, but was soon detailed for hospital duty, and remained thus engaged until November, 1863, when he was detailed as a mechanic in the shops of Louisville, where he remained until May, 1865, at which time he returned home. He opened a shop here, and since 1867 has been conducting business at his present stand. Upon the establishment of the post-office at this place, in 1882, the place was named in his honor, and he received the appointment of postmaster from President Arthur, and served five years. He has been very successful in his business operations, and his farm, comprising 240 acres, is all around the village of Simpson, that place having been built on his property. He has fifty acres under cultivation, and in 1878 erected his present residence, his house having served as a stopping place for travelers for years. Besides his home estate, he owns about 600 acres of fine timber land. He helped erect the first steam saw-mill and cotton-gin in the community, this mill having sawed the lumber for nearly all the houses in the village. His wife, who was formerly Miss Mary E. Turner, was born in Mississippi, and is a daughter of J. D. Turner, who was a well-known planter of that State, and came to Arkansas in 1859, dying in this State in 1865, his wife’s death occurring in Arkansas County, in 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have had a family of eight children. Wiley G. (married and living on a farm in this vicinity), Richard H. (who is married and a practicing physician of Coryell County, Tex.), and Savilla S. (at present teaching in the public schools of Simpson), are the only ones living. Martha died in infancy, D. Drusey died at the age of four years, Emma F. died when young, and two children died unnamed. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, Patsville Lodge No. 264, and has been master of his lodge for twelve years, at different times.
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This family biography is one of 64 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Bradley County, Arkansas published in 1890. For the complete description, click here: Bradley County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps
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