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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jefferson County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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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G. Meyer, one of the leading boot and shoe merchants in Pine Bluff, whose business has been established since 1856, first in partnership with Marks Levy until the war, and since then alone, is a native of Bavaria, Germany, and was born on July 4, 1836. His parents were Henry and Marion (Came) Meyer, also natives of Germany, where both parents resided until their death. In 1851 Mr. Meyer left his native country and sailed from Antwerp for America, landing at New Orleans after a rough voyage of over seventy days. He then proceeded to Ouachita, La., where he remained until 1856, and then came to Pine Bluff, Ark. Seeing the future of this city was likely to be a prosperous one, he remained and established himself in the general merchandise business, also planting to a considerable extent. Mr. Meyer’s accuracy in foretelling the future of Pine Bluff shows him to have been a careful observer and a shrewd man, and today he not only has one of the oldest established houses in that city, but owns several thousand acres of the most valuable land in Jefferson County, upon which he is principally raising cotton. He is a prominent figure, and an influential man in all affairs of the city, and has served several terms as alderman and school director, having been director ever since the creation of the school district of Pine Bluff; as a member of the building committee, he bought the sites upon which all the school-houses are located. In secret societies Mr. Meyer is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the Knights of Pythias. He was married in 1867 to Miss Bertha S. Rubel, of Mississippi, by whom he has had seven children: Florence Ione, Ike Rubel, May B., Corinne, Yoe C., Alice S. and Percy B. Since coming to his adopted country Mr. Meyer has firmly embedded himself in the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, both in a business and social way, his legitimate and square methods of doing business, and his many personal qualities, winning for him a host of friends.

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This family biography is one of 136 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jefferson County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Jefferson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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