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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Dallas County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  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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William S. Horton, merchant, Fairview, Ark. Prominent among the successful business enterprises of Dallas County stands that conducted by Mr. W. S. Horton. Both as a merchant and farmer he has been eminently successful. Reduced to almost poverty by the late war, yet by his undaunted energy he soon gathered around him the comforts of life. His parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Teasley) Horton, were born and married in Elbert County, Ga. He followed farming all his life and became quite wealthy. While on their way to Texas, in 1849, the father died in Shreveport, La., at sixty years of age. The mother’s death occurred in Harrison County, Tex., in 1853, at the age of fifty-five. His father was a native of North Carolina, and of English descent. In politics he affiliated with the Democratic party. Eleven children were born to this union, five of whom are now living: Mrs. Sarah Trimble, Mrs. Nancy Hines, Mrs. Mary M. Johnston and Thomas (a farmer and merchant at Sunny Point, Tex.). Of these children W. S. Horton is the eldest. He was born in Elbert County, Ga., November 28, 1823. He graduated at Brownwood Institute, Lagrange, Ga., at the age of twenty-one. He then accepted the position of salesman in the employ of Jones, Philips & Co., at Griffin, Ga. In 1849 Mr. Horton went to Mexico, thence to San Francisco, Cal. He remained in the gold region thirteen months, and then embarked in business in Elysian Fields, Tex. After this he was one year in Jefferson, Tex., in the general merchandise business, but gave this up and turned his attention to farming in Panola County, Tex. From here he moved to Fairview, Dallas County, Ark., and began to clear up his present plantation. He is now the owner of 700 acres of as good land as is to be found in the county. He has 200 acres in cultivation. In 1868 he again turned his attention to merchandising, and has continued to sell goods ever since at Fairview, and also at Pine Grove. In 1854 Mr. Horton married Miss Elizabeth Scott, a native of Decatur, Ala., and a daughter of Maj. J. D. Scott and niece of Gen. Winfield Scott. Nine interesting children have been born to this union—four sons and five daughters: Bettie (who died at the age of twenty-one), Ida B. (who became the wife of Dr. Wozencraft of Dallas County), Mary H. (the wife of Ed Pool, of Fordyce, Ark.), Maud (attending Ouachita College), Angie (at home), Louis S. (a farmer of this county), Stephen A. and William S., Jr. (in the Arkansas University), Fayetteville and Paul E. (in the training school, Fordyce). In 1863 Mr. Horton joined the State troops under Gov. Flanagan. He was in the battles of Poison Springs, Mark’s Mill, and many skirmishes. He spent the year 1868 farming in Jefferson County, Ark., and then returned to his old home in Dallas County, where he has since remained. He is Democratic in his political views, and a postmaster at Fairview. He is a member of both the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges, and a member of the Methodist Church. He has always been a liberal and progressive citizen.

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This family biography is one of 55 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Dallas County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Dallas County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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