My Genealogy Hound

Alfred T. Craig, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Tennessee, in 1847, being the second of five children born to Andrew and Jane (Lambeth) Craig, the former a native of Tennessee, and the latter of North Carolina. The maternal grandfather was born in the ‘‘Old North State,” and came to Tennessee at a very early day, settling in the western part of the State, where he was engaged extensively in farming, and died in 1888, at the age of eighty-three years. His father was a soldier in the Revolution, and served throughout the entire war. The paternal grandparents were Virginians. Andrew Craig was also an extensive farmer, and died in 1863. His widow still survives him and lives on the old homestead in Tennessee. Alfred T. Craig worked on the home farm in his youth and received but little schooling. At the age of seventeen he left home and went to North and Middle Tennessee, where he resided for over a year, then went to Texas and was engaged in the distilling business for one year, after which he returned to Tennessee, and soon after married Miss Martha Brown, a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of Hiram Brown, of the same State, a well-known farmer in his section. In 1868 Mr. Craig purchased a farm on which he lived for three years, and on the 3d of December, 1871, came to Arkansas and settled in Greene County, where he bought 120 acres of wild land. On this he immediately began making improvements, and up to the present time has opened up some seventy-five acres, about all of which is under fence and in a high state of cultivation. He has two acres in orchard. His stock is of a good grade, his hogs being Jersey Reds and Berkshires, and his cattle part Jersey. Mr. Craig is a Democrat, and has held the office of school director for eight years. To him and wife were born fourteen children, twelve of whom are living: Andrew, who died in infancy; Fannie Ella, wife of John Jones; William Charles, James Alfred, Mary Elizabeth, Lucy, John, who died at the age of nine months; Rosa Lee, Eli, Van, Winston, Francis Clyne and Frances (twins), and James Adaline. In 1886 Mr. Craig bought eighty acres of land on Eight Mile Creek, which is a choice piece of bottom land, and is improved with two good houses. Forty acres are under cultivation. His son William resides on and tills this farm.