My Genealogy Hound

Col. George Haycock, capitalist, one of the best known men in Central Arkansas, whose genius of enterprise has made him one of the bulwarks of the financial world, is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, born in October, 1828, and is a son of Hamilton and Eunice (Bales) Haycock. The father was of Irish origin and the mother of American parentage, they being married in New York State. From there they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, at an early day, where the father was engaged in contracting along the banks of the Miama River. In 1835, while inspecting some work in the Miama Canal locks, he was drowned; the mother died some time before in Cincinnati. They had but one son, the principal of this sketch. He was reared in that city, and educated in mathematics under Dr. Ray, the compiler of Ray's arithmetic. After leaving this instructor he attended Woodard College, obtaining his entire schooling from his sense of knowing the necessity and advantage of it, and not from being prompted to it, as his parents both died when he was little more than a child. In 1852 he went overland to the State of California, the trip occupying several weeks, and upon reaching there located in Iowa Hill, Placer County, where he commenced mining. He also operated a stage line in connection with the California Stage Company, and spent fourteen years of his life in that section. Leland Stanford, now United States Senator and about forty times a millionaire, was in those days an intimate friend of Col. Haycock's as were also many others of the pioneers of 1849, who are now the money kings of the Pacific Coast. Col. Haycock was a member of the convention that nominated Mr. A. A. Sergeant for Congress, and also a member of the second Republican Convention that nominated Hon. Leland Stanford for Governor. He served four years in the army during the Civil War, and was stationed at Los Angeles and San Diego, as also at La Paz, Ariz. In 1865 he returned to Cincinnati and became engaged in the brokerage business, which he carried on until 1870, when he came to Pine Bluff, Ark. The Colonel resumed his brokerage business here, and also became largely interested in planting. Some of the largest financial projects in the county have been engineered by him and brought to a successful termination. In 1874 he was elected to the State Senate, and in 1876 re-elected, but the following year was appointed postmaster at Pine Bluff and resigned his seat in the Senate to accept the post office. He held that position for five years, and was also an alderman of Pine Bluff fourteen years ago. He is a member of the board of aldermen at the present time, having been elected by a majority of 562. Col. Haycock is a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and one of the most brilliant politicians in Jefferson County. He is one of the leaders of his party, and on his election to the State Senate was the only Republican at that time in the Senate. He has hundreds of friends on both sides, and is one of the most popular men in that section. The Colonel is very original in his ideas, and is always devising something new, and at present has placed about twenty acres of land in tobacco as an experiment, his intention being, if successful, to establish a tobacco manufactory. He was married in 1846 to Miss Ann Knowlden, of Cincinnati, by whom he has had five children, Charles being the only one living.