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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski 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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Mr. P. Hanger, a resident of Arkansas since 1834, was born in Boone County, Ky., in 1807, and is the son of Frederick Hanger, a native of Pennsylvania. When quite a young man, P. H. went to Virginia, and after several years returned to Kentucky, where he carried the mail on horseback across the country, from Cincinnati to Lexington, for some time. After that he was employed in a store belonging to one Mr. Fisher, in a small town called Ghent, on the Ohio River. For his services in this store he was given $100; quite a fortune it seemed to him then, and it has since proved to be the only salary he ever received, as since that time he has been his own master. For some years previous to 1834, Mr. Hanger was engaged in boating up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, starting from Cincinnati with a stock of general merchandise and trading all along the shore, and one winter took a contract to furnish planters on the Red River. In 1834 he settled in Chicot County, at Gaines’ Landing, and there built his cabin. He was almost as far (seemingly) from civilization as Robinson Crusoe, for there were no roads at all, only an occasional trail made by the cattle wandering through the woods. In 1838 he sold cord-wood to the steamboats, and carried on a general merchandise business. He next went to Van Buren, Crawford County, and opened a mercantile business, but failed there. His next venture was to rent a farm, and for several years made brick, and, as he worded it, did anything that turned up. In 1848 he came to Little Rock, and has since resided here. He bought the stage contracts from Little Rock to Hot Springs and Fort Smith, carrying all the mail from 1848 to 1862, having all the contracts in that State. At the beginning of the war, his horses were taken from him, thus peremptorily closing up that business. Near the close of the war he started to New Orleans with a cargo of cotton, tobacco and sugar, but it was destroyed by fire before reaching its destination. Since that time Mr. Hanger has been engaged in planting. He was a member of the legislature from Chicot County, in 1837-38, and is now a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was married, June 18, 1850, to Miss Matilda Cunningham, who bore him seven children, two of whom are still living: Fred (born in 1855) and Mrs. Ratcliffe (born in 1853). Mrs. Hanger died in 1865, and Mr. Hanger was married again to Miss Ann M. Gaines, a very estimable lady and respected by all who knew her. Mr. Hanger is always interested and gives liberally to all enterprises of a worthy character. He has done a large amount of building and opened up a number of acres of land.

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This family biography is one of 156 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Pulaski County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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