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Below is a family biography included in The History of Washington 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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John W. Oxford. Among the names of successful and wide-awake farmers of Goshen Township is the name of John W. Oxford, who was born September 3, 1842, and is the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Culwell) Oxford. The father was born in Middle Tennessee in 1801; was reared there, and after marriage (1839) moved from that State to where J. J. McGaroch now lives, in this county and township. Here he passed the remainder of his life, with the exception of three years in Texas during the war. He was a farmer, and died in 1872. His mother was born in Arkansas in 1822, and is now living with her son, John W. She was the second wife of Mr. Oxford. By his first marriage he became the father of seven children, and by his last became the father of nine children, all now living. He was among the prominent pioneer settlers of Washington County, and Oxford’s Bend takes its name from him. John W. was reared on a farm in sight of where he now lives, and remained on the farm with his father until the latter’s death. He, like his father, has been a farmer all his life. In 1859 he was united in marriage to Miss Livonia C. Gregg, a native of Washington County, and the fruit of this union were five children: Mary, wife of N. B. Clark; John A., Dora M., Fayner N. and Russell A. Mr. Oxford moved to his present farm, which consists of 115 acres, ninety under cultivation, in 1873. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was in Company K, King’s regiment, Confederate army, and was in service four years; was wounded three times, once at Helena, once at a skirmish in this county, and once at a skirmish in Texas. All the wounds were in the right arm, and within six inches of each other. Mr. Oxford is constable of his township; is a Democrat in politics, and is one of the township’s best citizens.

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This family biography is one of 300 biographies included in The History of Washington County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Washington County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Washington County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

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