My Genealogy Hound

Hon. H. N. Hutton, representative from Lee County, and who has been engaged in the practice of law in Arkansas for over twenty-nine years, is a graduate of the Lebanon Law School, and a very able attorney. Born in Franklin County, Tenn., in 1835, he is a son of John and Margaret (Davidson) Hutton, of Virginia and North Carolina origin, respectively. He received his literary education at Union University, Murfreesboro, Tenn., in which he took a full classical course, being a thorough scholar in Latin, Greek, and French, and from this institution was graduated on June 13, 1853. He then entered the Lebanon Law School, graduating in June, 1855, with the highest honors of his class. Mr. Hutton commenced practice at Shelbyville, Tenn., and in 1860 came to Arkansas, locating in this county, and practicing at Helena. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving one year as adjutant-general on Gen. D. C. Govan’s staff. He then resigned his commission on account of poor health, and returned home. When the first court was organized at Helena, after the war, he was made prosecuting attorney, and at the expiration of his term of office, resumed regular law practice, in which he was engaged until 1874, when he was appointed to fill the vacancy of judge of the circuit court, caused by the death of the former incumbent, Judge Fox. The office not being in his own district, he declined to accept the position until having first communicated with the members of that circuit to see if his service would prove acceptable. Having received a favorable reply, he was installed in the office, and served until the expiration of the unexpired term. Judge Hutton removed to Arkansas before Lee County was formed, and when the question of the organization of a new county was sufficiently agitated, he was elected to draft the bill for the formation of the same to be presented to the legislature. He first drew up a bill for that purpose, calling the proposed county Coolidge, but it was defeated. He next drew up another, taking for a name Woodford, which was also defeated by the senate. He then revised the bill, substituting the name Lee, which was presented during the latter part of the session, and it passed the lower house in a few moments with great enthusiasm, and being sent to the senate also passed that body. On January 6, 1857, Mr. Hutton was married to Miss Cillie M. Mottley, a native of Tennessee, and a graduate of the Abbie Institute. They are the parents of four children: H. N., Jr., Walter S., J. T. and Herbert. Mr. Hutton, or Judge Hutton, as he is familiarly called, has devoted his time to hard study during life, and has developed a wonderful memory. In his extensive practice he never takes notes of the evidence, relying wholly on that faculty, which never fails him. He is justly considered one of Lee’s substantial and worthy citizens.