My Genealogy Hound

Fountain T. Shepherd, a prominent citizen of Nashville, Ark., owes his nativity to Christian County, Ky., where he was born in 1847, being the youngest in a family of seven children born to Charles A. and Susan (Hopson) Shepherd, born in Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. The paternal ancestors were Scotch, and in colonial times came to America and settled at Orange Court House, Va., at which place the great-grandfather died. The grandfather was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, and became a very wealthy and prominent citizen of that State. Charles A. Shepherd was fourteen years of age on his arrival in Kentucky, and in connection with his father, his early life was devoted to farming and stock-raising. The State of Arkansas became his home in 1861, a settlement being made on Red River, and here he resided for four years, when he made a trip west for the benefit of his health, and passed from life in Nevada in 1880. Fountain T. Shepherd remained in Kentucky, attending the common schools until he attained the age of fourteen years, then came with his parents to Arkansas, and settled in what was then Sevier County, which continued to be his home until 1867, when he opened a distillery at Mineral Springs. At the end of two years he gave up this business and came to Nashville, and in 1879 began merchandising, the name of the firm being Yowell, Rector & Shepherd. This connection lasted two years, after which Mr. Shepherd turned his attention to farming, and in 1871 purchased a farm of 200 acres at the edge of the town, a portion of which is now within the corporation, and is one of the most valuable ones in the vicinity. There being no hotel in the place when he first came here, Mr. Shepherd accommodated travelers throughout this section and entertained the first drummer that ever came to the place, which was about the year 1874. From that time until 1884 his house was the headquarters and a home for the traveling public, but at that time he erected a large livery barn, the first one put up in the town. In 1883 he secured the contract to carry the mail from Washington to Centre Point, and he immediately put on a large omnibus and carried many passengers. His residence which he caused to be erected in 1888 is beautifully situated on a natural building site, and is one of the pleasantest and most hospitable homes in Nashville. He has an excellent orchard of all kinds of fruit common to this region, and of his farm has sixty acres under cultivation, a considerable portion of the rest being devoted to city lots. His marriage, which occurred in October, 1869, was to Miss Martha E. Rector, a daughter of William Rector, one of the earliest settlers of this region. She is a cultured and refined lady, and her children have inherited many of her, as well as their father's, worthy characteristics. Maggie S., their eldest child, is an intelligent and graceful young lady, and possesses a rare gift for music, a taste which has been developed to the utmost by education and practice. Mary Y. is their next child, and Willie is their youngest. Mrs. Shepherd and her daughters are members of the Christian Church.