My Genealogy Hound

George W. Van Hoose, carpenter and builder of White River Township, Washington Co., Ark., was born in Floyd County, Ky., in September, 1832, and is a son of John and Lydia Van Hoose. He was seven years old when brought to Arkansas, and grew to maturity under the home roof, attending the common schools and the Ozark Institute, near Fayetteville, which institution he attended until he acquired a common education. He then taught school for one term, but not liking that work he gave up the idea of a teacher’s career, and began learning the carpenter’s trade in July, 1853, serving an apprenticeship of three years with George D. Baker. He then worked at his trade in Fayetteville, Ark., Jackson County, Mo., and other places until the summer of 1861, and the first house he assisted in erecting was that of James H. Van Hoose, and among the first was the old court-house that was burned during the war. At the breaking out of the Rebellion he made up a company of infantry, was made captain of it (Company D, Seventeenth Arkansas Regiment Infantry, Confederate States Army), but was captured in 1863 in Louisiana, and taken to Johnson’s Island, where he was kept a prisoner until the 11th of June, 1865. During his imprisonment he took the names of many of his prison comrades who were members of the Masonic fraternity (he being also a Mason). After the close of the war be traveled around for some time, and then returned home to Fayetteville, Ark., and was married to Miss Nancy Rowton, who was born in Washington County, Ark., April 7, 1851, and daughter of William Rowton, who was a soldier in the Mexican War. Their union resulted in the birth of two sons: Henry B. and Peter P., who both reside with their parents, and one daughter, Lydia Able (deceased). The family are all members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In political views Mr. Van Hoose is a Democrat, although formerly an old-line Whig. He has held the office of coroner two terms, and is now filling that position, having been re-elected for the third term. He is a Royal Arch Mason, having been a member of that order for thirty-five years, and is a member of the A. F. & A. M.