My Genealogy Hound

Jesse W. Pitts (deceased), one of the leading men of Arkansas, and a representative farmer and citizen of Jefferson County, was born in Davidson County, Tenn., near the city of Nashville, October 12, 1831, where he continued to reside until twenty-one years of age. His education was acquired at the schools of Nashville. His parents were both natives of Tennessee. His father, Jesse B. Pitts, was born in 1796, and died in Nashville, in 1868, and the mother of Mr. Pitts was Nancy Pitts, born in 1803, and died in Nashville in February, 1889. They were members of the Methodist Church, and were eminently and highly respected. Arriving at his majority, Jesse W. Pitts came to Arkansas, and engaged in planting in Jefferson County about five miles down the river from Pine Bluff, where he resided until his death, July 9, 1884. His great success in life proved him to be one of the best farmers and financial managers in this part of the State, and at the time of his death he owned about 1,200 acres of land, of which 800 acres were under cultivation. In 1868 he was united in marriage with Mrs. S. A. Jarvis, formerly Miss Smith, daughter and youngest child of Anderson and Nancy (Adkins) Smith, who came to Arkansas in an early day and settled on a plantation near Pine Bluff. Here her mother died about 1843, and her father in 1873. Mrs. Pitts has three living children, viz.: Floyd A. and Don A. Jarvis, by her first marriage, and Nettie Pitts (now the wife of Leo M. Andrews) by her second marriage. Mr. Pitts was a Presbyterian, a faithful friend and neighbor, a distinguished gentleman, and by his death the county lost one of its best citizens.