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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Greene 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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Pressley Huckabay, one of the pioneers of Greene County, Ark., and one who has witnessed the rapid development of that county in the last thirty years, was born in Campbell County, Tenn., where he grew to manhood and was married. In 1857 he and family moved to Greene County, Ark., settling about a mile and a half from his present residence, where he cleared a farm of seventy-two acres and erected houses, etc. This land belonged to the railroad company, and having a chance to sell the improvements made on the same, Mr. Huckabay did so, and then moved to his present farm, which consists of 120 acres, with 100 under cultivation. He married Miss Mary Bullock of Tennessee, and twelve children were born to this union, eight now living. The following grew to maturity: Elizabeth married Jackson Purcell, a farmer of Greene County, and became the mother of one child; Nancy married Obadiah Purcell, a farmer of Greene County, and became the mother of two children; Sarah married John Van Guilder, a farmer of Greene County, and became the mother of six children; John A. died, leaving two children, and his wife also died; William T. married and lives on a farm a short distance from his father, and has a family of six children; Commodore Perry married and resides at Marmaduke, where he runs a saw-mill—he has five children; Rhietta was married to M. B. Harvey, a farmer of Greene County, and is the mother of eight children; Almarine married, lives near his father, and has three children; Alfred remains on the farm with his father, is married and has four children; Francis Marion died and left a wife and one child. Mr. Huckabay has a niece, Miss Nancy E. Huckabay, who makes her home with her uncle. The latter takes a deep interest in the political issues of the day, and affiliates with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. During the late unpleasantness between the North and South he was in Col. McNeill’s regiment and participated in the battles of Little Rock, Forrest City, was in the Red River Expedition, and in a number of sharp skirmishes. When Mr. Huckabay first moved to Greene County, Ark., settlers were few, provisions scarce, and all depended, to a great extent, upon the gun for a means of living. When he wanted fresh meat he frequently sent his children around a thicket within 300 yards of the house, and would pick out a good one from the drove of deer thus started up. His method for catching turkeys was very ingenious. Building a square pen of logs near where he fed his stock, he covered it with poles, and then digged a slanting passage-way leading under the logs. This passage-way would end abruptly after entering the pen. Corn was then scattered along the passage or outside slant; the turkey would have to stoop a little to go under the pen, but as soon as inside would fly up to the level ground above, and instead of looking down to get out would always look up. Mr. Huckabay often caught as high as eight or ten at a time in this manner. Coons were so thick that a man could take his rifle and kill as many as fifteen or twenty a day. John Wooten, a neighbor, killed twenty-five on one occasion, and Mr. Huckabay has killed as many as fifteen himself. Bears were so plentiful that their meat was used instead of bacon, and was put down for the season in much the same way as pork. A good bear skin was worth about $5 at Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mr. Huckabay has killed a number of panthers, and can relate numerous thrilling exploits with these animals. He was attacked by one at one time, and after having fired three bullets against its head, which failed to penetrate the skull, he realized that he was getting in very close quarters. Just at this critical moment his faithful dogs renewed their attacks on the panther, thus giving their owner a chance to send a bullet just back of the forelegs of the animal, which stretched him lifeless on the ground.

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This family biography is one of 120 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Greene County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Greene County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

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