My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun 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.

* * * *

Eli Cornish is another prominent and successful farmer of Calhoun County, Summerville post-office, Jackson Township, and was born in Drew County, Ark., on December 26, 1847. He was the fourth child born to Calvin and Elizabeth Cornish, who moved to Arkansas from Alabama, settling in Drew County, where our subject was raised and schooled. As he was growing up in war times, he received a very limited education, and began doing for himself at the age of fourteen years. His principal occupation has been farming, but he is also engaged in the saw-mill and ginning business, both sawing and ginning for the public. He owns a fine farm of 160 acres, with about seventy-five acres under an excellent state of cultivation. He erected his mill and gin in 1888, and has successfully run both since. Mr. Cornish was married in 1872, selecting as his companion for life, Miss Sarah J. Benton, a native of Arkansas, and has six children living, two being dead, viz.: Edward, Joseph, Calvin, Ruthie L., Erner, Eli, Effie and Robert. Joseph and Erner are dead. Mr. Cornish served in the late war, enlisting in the Confederate army in an independent company, under Capt. Robert Kidd, in 1862, and continued to serve as private until the close of the war, engaging in several skirmishes, but in no active battles. Mr. Cornish is a member of the Jackson Wheel (one of Calhoun County’s subordinate wheels. He votes with the Democratic party, but does not take an active interest in politics. He is one of the substantial farmers of this section, and is a liberal subscriber to all worthy public enterprises.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 67 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Calhoun County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Calhoun County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.