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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clay 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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Loda & Bro., proprietors of the Knobel House at Knobel Station, Clay County, Ark. This is one of the finest hotels in the State, and was erected in 1884 by the Iron Mountain Railroad Company at a cost of about $10,000, and was first opened to the public in June of that year, being placed under the management of the Loda Bros., who are experienced hotel men. Eli, the elder member of the firm, was born in Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1853, and is the seventh of twelve children born to Leision and Adelaide (Boler) Loda, who were natives of Lower Canada. The father was a ship builder by trade, and later followed the business of hotel keeping, which occupation received his attention until his death, which occurred in 1865. His wife died in 1871. Eli Loda attended school until his father’s death, and then secured employment on the lake steamers for several years, and after that was engaged in the railroad business for three years as fireman and engineer. In 1874 he came to St. Louis, Mo., securing employment on the Iron Mountain Railroad, and ran the engine of the pay-car for several years, and in 1884 made a run of over 3,900 miles with engine No. 380, of the Missouri Pacific, which is the longest run ever made by an engine; and on this trip he hauled the general manager of the road, Mr. A. A. Talmadge. He gave up railroad work in June, 1884, leaving an excellent record behind him, for during his experience on the road he never had an accident happen to one of his trains. In 1883 he assumed the management of the Belmont Hotel, at Belmont, Mo., it being conducted by his wife (whose maiden name was Miss Ida Cloud, and whom he married in 1877) and by his brother, Darius. The following year he and his brother assumed the management of the Knobel House, which they have since carried on with the best of success. The younger member of the firm, Darius, was also born at Cape Vincent, N. Y., in the year 1857. He was engaged in steam-boating for about nine years, acting as steward the most of the time, but in 1878 he gave up this work and went to Colorado and opened a restaurant at Georgetown, where he remained for about three years, being also occupied in mining to some extent. He next went to Wyoming Territory, and was engaged in hotel-keeping at Laramie City for several months. In 1882 he came east as far as Missouri, and in partnership with his brother soon after opened the Belmont Hotel. These gentlemen are extensive stock raisers and farmers, but devote the most of their fine farm of 120 acres to stock-raising, and give their principal attention to the propagation of horses. They purchased their fine Norman-Percheron stallion, St. John, in Illinois, in 1887, at a cost of $600. He is a draft horse of about 1,800 pounds, and is a colt of St. Benoit, Jr., by the imported horse St. Benoit, owned by the Browns. St. John is one of the best animals ever brought into Northeast Arkansas. The Loda Bros, also keep twelve breeding mares. Owing to the enterprise of these men, there is a growing desire among the citizens for a better grade of stock, and this feeling is being shown by an improved class of stock on the farms. Eli Loda has about 140 acres of land under cultivation, which he devotes to raising such crops as are needed for his stock. In 1888, in partnership with W. P. McNalley and Harry Flanders, he purchased 100 acres of land adjoining the station and railroad land at Knobel, and they immediately had their land surveyed and laid out into city lots, and their enterprise will secure a fine town here as soon as this point is made the terminus of a division. Mr. Flanders is master of transportation for the South Division of the Iron Mountain Railroad, and Mr. McNalley is passenger conductor for the same division. Three children have been born to the marriage of Eli Loda and wife: Guy, who is deceased; Mabel, and Nellie Irene.

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This family biography is one of 124 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clay County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Clay County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Clay County, Arkansas family biographies here: Clay County, Arkansas Biographies

View a map of 1889 Clay County, Arkansas here: Clay County, Arkansas Map

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