My Genealogy Hound

William Pace, if for no other reason, is deserving of prominent mention as one of the oldest settlers of Bridge Creek Township. He was born in Kentucky in 1807, a son of John and Elizabeth (Jones) Pace. The father was born in Wales about 176-, a son of Frederick Pace, who came to this country before the Revolutionary War, when his son (the father of our subject) was but seven years of age. He was a farmer by occupation, and moved to Tennessee in 1805, and in the following year to Kentucky, residing in this State until 1809, when he removed to Alabama, and died in Clark County, that State, in 1821. He and wife were members of the Baptist Church. The mother of the subject of this sketch was a daughter of a Mr. Jones, who was of English descent. She died about 1854, at a ripe old age. They were the parents of fourteen children, three of whom only are living, viz.: The subject of this sketch, the eldest, Richmond, a farmer of Mississippi, and Jesu, a farmer of Mississippi. Mr. Pace, the subject of this sketch, remained at home until he had reached his twenty-fifth year, when he commenced farming in Alabama, continuing there until 1842, when he came to Arkansas, and located in this county on the farm on which he still lives, most of which he entered himself. Mr. Pace has been married three times: First, April 7, 1830, to Miss Sarah Yarbrough, a native of Tennessee, who died November 27, 1857, at the age of forty-six years, leaving ten children, three of whom are still living, viz.: Jesse M. (a graduate of the Medical College of New Orleans, and now practicing his profession in Dallas, Tex.), William W. (a book-keeper, of Camden) and Lawrence J. (a graduate of New Orleans School of Pharmacy, and engaged in merchandising in Alabama). Mr. Pace was next married, in 1858, to Mrs. Pernicia Reed, nee Compton, widow of Christopher Reed, of this county, and daughter of Aaron Compton, a Baptist minister. She died in 1870, leaving no children by her marriage with Mr. Pace. Mr. Pace was married to his third and present wife in 1871, wedding Mrs. Nancy Smith, widow of William O. Smith, of this county, and daughter of Nelson and Elizabeth (Thomas) Harris, natives of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. In 1861 Mr. Pace enlisted in the Confederate service, but did not serve, being discharged on account of his age. He was the third volunteer from this county, and he thinks the third from the State, and was very anxious to take part in the war, and to get a shot at a live Yankee, but his wife persuaded him to remain at home. He had four sons in the war. At, the breaking out of the war he owned 3,560 acres of land and forty-seven slaves, and was the largest planter in Ouachita County, his property (real and personal) being valued at $72,000 (tax valuation), but after the war property was greatly depreciated in value, and, having lost all his slaves, he was obliged to sell a large part of his land to pay taxes. His property was then valued at $4,000. He now owns 920 acres of land, and cultivates about 150 acres of it. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pace are members of the Primitive Baptist Church, as were also his two former wives. In his political views Mr. Pace is a stanch Democrat, and is a man of considerable influence.