My Genealogy Hound

Pleasant Tate, one of the most prominent colored men in Jefferson County, Ark., as well as one of the most successful, was born in Rutherford County, Tenn., about the year 1814. He remained in his native county until he had reached his seventeenth year, and then moved to Brownsville, West Tenn., where he resided twelve years. At the end of that time he located in Alabama and remained four years, and next lived in Mississippi until the year 1869, when he came to Arkansas and located in Phillips County. The following year he came to where he now resides, and by his wonderful spirit of energy and industry has become a man of high standing and prosperity. Mr. Tate was owned by a dozen different masters during the days of slavery, his last proprietor being a man named Abner Tate, who was also the owner of Rachel, Pleasant Tate's wife. Mr. and Mrs. Tate were the parents of six children: Clayton (who is successfully farming in Jefferson County), Martha (wife of Nelson Woodford, a farmer in the same county), Henderson (who resides with his father), Amanda (wife of Perry Palm), Moses and Pleasant (who reside with their father). When the elder Tate first came to Arkansas he was supplied with a little money that he had saved in Mississippi. His first thought then was to increase his capital and make an independent position for himself in the world. How well he has succeeded is shown by his present condition in life, as he is the owner of about 537 acres of land, which has no superior in the county, and is worth altogether $40,000. Such a man is entitled to the highest respect in his community, as he has proven by his career while a resident of Jefferson County that his citizenship is valuable.