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Below is a family biography included in The History of Carroll 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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Capt. Joseph Perry, proprietor of the Perry House, Eureka Springs, was born on August 1, 1841, at Paterson, N. J., and is a son of Samuel and Eliza (Conklin) Perry, of English and French extraction, respectively. Samuel Perry was a hotel man of a life-time experience, and lived and died in New Jersey. His wife also lived and died there. Capt. Joseph Perry was reared in the immediate surroundings of the hotel business. He remained with his parents until he was eighteen years of age, when he engaged in the hotel business for himself on the Hudson River. Thence he removed successively to the lakes, to the Mississippi river, and winding his way still westward in the vanguard of civilization, to Junction City, Kas. Here he erected a hotel, which he operated one year, and moved to Salina, Kas., and remained eighteen months. His son was the second white child born in that place. From there he removed successively to Hays City, Sheridan and Kit Carson, Kas. He and William E. Webb were the men who laid out the towns on the Union Pacific Railway. After losing, at Kit Carson, about $50,000 by fire, he removed to St. Louis, and resided there two years. When the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad began operations he again went to the frontier, and built hotels at Dodge City, Kas., Grenada, Fort Wallace and La Junta, Colo. He then built hotels on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at La Veta, Wayne Creek, Garland and Alamosa. In 1879 failing health caused him to come to the famous Eureka Springs, while the place was in its infancy. He regained his health, and resolved to permanently reside by the live-giving fountain, and, seeing in the nucleus of the city fair prospects for a large city, he began construction of the Perry House, which was built at a cost of over $50,000. Since then he has done much for the upbuilding of the city. The outline given of Capt. Perry’s business life is a sufficient guarantee of his qualifications for the hotel business, and further comment will not add to his great reputation throughout the West, especially to the people who have patronized him here. On February 23, 1865, Capt. Perry was married to Elizabeth Lusher, of Missouri. They have one son living, John H., in the stock business. Capt. Perry’s house is situated within 100 feet of the celebrated Basin Spring; has the water in every room in the house, and electric bells, and it is furnished with all the modern improvements, and there will be a passenger elevator put in the house the coming spring, having been contracted for. The terms are very reasonable, the charges being from $7 to $12 per week, according to room and location.

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This family biography is one of 82 biographies included in The History of Carroll County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Carroll County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

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