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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence 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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William Childers, a well-known boniface and liveryman of Imboden, was born in this county in the year 1844. His parents came to Arkansas in childhood, and were located in the southwestern part of Lawrence County. He is descended from an old family of Virginians; his grandfather, Isam Childers, moving from that State to Arkansas, with his family, in 1824, where he reared his family of four boys and two girls, Alexander C. Childers, his third son, being the father of William Childers. Isam Childers was a veteran of the War of 1812, and died in 1858 at an advanced age. Alexander C. Childers was born in Virginia, in 1815, and moved to the State of Arkansas, with his father, when in his childhood. When war was declared between this country and Mexico, he was one of the first to follow the lead of Gens. Scott and Taylor in the land of cactus, and distinguished himself on many a battlefield. He died in 1860 while in the very prime of life, and left a shining example behind him for his sons to follow. James Childers, one of his brothers, represented this county in the legislature for several terms, and was one of the prominent men of Arkansas. The mother of Mr. William Childers was a daughter of Jacob Fortenbery; her name was Matilda, and she was born in Virginia in 1819, and died in 1844, when he was an infant. She left four children: Elisabeth, the wife of D. Christian; Nancy, the wife of Lee Holt, now residing in Texas; Absalom F., a Baptist minister in Alabama, and William Childers, of Lawrence County. Mr. Childers commenced to make a career of his own at the age of sixteen years, and entered the army during the war. He was a member of Company E, First Arkansas, and gallantly upheld the reputation of his forefathers as model soldiers. On August 10, 1861, he was dangerously wounded and forced to desist from fighting. He lay idle for three months, but the old fighting instinct compelled him to enter the ranks again, and he joined McCorvess’ regiment, Fourteenth Arkansas, in which he fought until his capture at Port Gibson. He regained his liberty three months later, and after the fall of Vicksburg re-joined the army at Washington, Ark. He was again made prisoner and taken to Little Rock, Ark., and transferred from there to Rock Island, Ill., where he was kept until Lee’s surrender. After his release he went to Leavenworth, Kas., and made a trip across the plains to Denver City, Col., remaining in that place six months before his return home. He has, since, that time, resided in Lawrence County, where he is engaged in farming, stock raising, and as a hotel keeper and liveryman he enjoys a well-deserved reputation. He is one of the most extensive stock dealers in the county, an occupation to which he has given much attention since the war, and his was the first shipment made over the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad. He has devoted himself largely to trading in horses, mules, cattle, hogs and sheep. Mr. Childers is prominent in all political matters, and was twice elected treasurer of Lawrence County by the Democrats. He was also nominated for sheriff, but was beaten by his opponent. His first business venture in this county was with W. Childers & Co., at Smithville, Ark., and the second with a firm composed of W. C. Sloan, Q. C. Jones and himself, dealers in merchandise, of which Mr. Childers was the manager. He sold his interest to W. C. Sloan two years later, and since that time has had charge of the widely-known Delmonico Hotel and a well-equipped livery stable attached. He was married, January 15, 1865, to Miss Clara A. Wells, a lady of Lawrence County, Ark., and daughter of John Wells, of Virginia, who was one of the principal stock dealers in Arkansas, before his death in 1858. Mrs. Childers’ mother was Eliza A. Grayson, of Louisiana, before her marriage. She died in Imboden in the year 1886, aged sixty years. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wells, all of them deceased excepting the wife of William Childers. Mr. Childers and his wife have had eight children, three of whom are dead, namely: Robert E. L., Nancy S. and Doney Belle. Those living are: Charles O., Mollie May, William Sloan, John Crockett and Grover Cleveland. Mrs. Childers is a charming lady and universally beloved for her kindness of heart and gentle disposition. Her husband is a Master Mason and a leader in the affairs of his county. They are generous and liberal in all their undertakings, and respected by everyone.

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This family biography is one of 111 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Lawrence County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Lawrence County, Arkansas family biographies here: Lawrence County, Arkansas Biographies

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