My Genealogy Hound

Elder Joseph B. McGlasson, minister of the Christian Church, and farmer of Big Creek Township, was born in Cumberland County, Ky., in 1809, and is at present one of the oldest and most esteemed citizens of Fulton County. His early life was one of hardship and trouble, and at that day he received very limited educational advantages, the most of his education being acquired after attaining his majority. Previous to that he had left home under rather unpleasant circumstances, his father being quite dissipated, and ragged and bare-foot, and with little or no schooling, he was compelled to make his way in life. He worked for a man one day to get some leather, and for another man a short time to get the leather made up into a pair of shoes. He continued to labor at such occupation as he could find, until he had a good suit of clothes, after which he attended school, etc. He was married September 16, 1830, to Miss Fannie Ross, who was originally from Cumberland County, Ky., and who died in Fulton County, Ark., in 1858. Eleven children were born to this marriage, six sons and five daughters, only four of whom are now living, viz.: Isabelle S., Susan, wife of William L. Cavnett, of Phelps County, Mo.; Jane and Fannie. Mr. McGlasson’s second marriage occurred, in 1859, to Mrs. Margaret J. Nibblett, daughter of William and Lucy Fewell. She was born in Alabama, and by her marriage became the mother of four children, two now living: Francis M. and Tabitha, wife of James James, of Randolph County, Ark. The second Mrs. McGlasson died about 1877, and Mr. McGlasson then married Mrs. Nancy Hewitt, who died in 1883. In August of the following year he married Mrs. Elizabeth Watson, daughter of James Hammond, and a native of Graves County, Ky. She was previously a member of the Baptist Church, but for the last seven years has been a member of the Christian Church. In 1836 Mr. McGlasson removed to Southwest Arkansas, where he remained until 1851, then locating in Izard County, and from there, one year later, in Fulton County, Ark. He settled in the neighborhood where he now lives, and was one of the first white settlers of the county, he being only one of two now living in Big Creek Township who were in that township at that time. He has long been recognized as an honest, upright and much esteemed citizen, and one of the county’s leading farmers. He now has 148 acres of land, with some sixty acres under cultivation. For about fifty-eight years he has been a Christian, first a member of the Methodist Church, and in 1845 he was licensed to preach by that church. He has preached more or less ever since, and is among the oldest ministers of Arkansas. He was a Methodist until the separation in 1845, and was then a Protestant Methodist until the war. He then remained out of the church until 1865, when he joined the Christian Church. From 1844 to 1850 he was justice of the peace, and filled this position for four years in Fulton County. He was drummer for four years in the militia in Kentucky, and was lieutenant of a volunteer company in the year 1845. In politics he has been a Democrat all his life, and his first presidential vote was cast for Andrew Jackson, in 1828. He is a member of Wild Cherry Lodge No. 85, I. O. O. F. Mr. McGlasson is the son of James and Susannah (Harley) McGlasson, natives of Virginia, born in Franklin and Bedford Counties, respectively. The parents were married in their native State, in 1807, and removed to Cumberland County, Ky., locating in the woods, and were among the very earliest settlers. There they spent their entire lives, the mother dying since the war, at the age of ninety-seven years. She was a member of the Baptist Church for many years. The father was a good farmer. They were the parents of eleven children. Matt McGlasson, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Scotland, and came to America when quite young. He enlisted in the Revolutionary War when only eighteen years of age, and was in service during the entire war. He located first in Virginia, but later moved to Kentucky, where he passed his last days. He was one of the first settlers. His wife, Elizabeth Cunningham, was born in France. Mathew McGlasson, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, spent his entire life in Scotland. The maternal grandfather, Francis Harley, was of Dutch descent, and died in Virginia.