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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jefferson 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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A. M. Middlebrooks, a resident of Jefferson County, and worthily identified with Arkansas' interests as a citizen only less than in an official capacity, first saw the light of day, February 19, 1855, in Troup County, Ga., of course as a slave boy, his mother, Cynthia Middlebrooks, being the slave of Mrs. Mahala Middlebrooks; his father was a white man by the name of Isaac Totom, who came south and engaged in the cotton business, as a cotton factor at Griffin, Ga. He died when his son Aaron was only three weeks old. At the emancipation all the slaves on the old county farm, where Mr. Middlebrooks lived, had to sign a contract and remain on the farm with the old slave owners until the following Christmas, in 1865; when they were all called to make the cross mark none were able to do so but the subject of this sketch, who stepped up to the desk and readily seized the pen and made his own mark. Upon this manifestation to wield the pen, his master told him he could soon learn to read and to write, and keenly realizing the thought he seized his opportunity and got hold of a Webster spelling book. In less than six months he had mastered that little but old volume, one which has contributed to make more men and women intellectual athletes than any other book ever written by an American author. In 1866-69 Mr. Middlebrooks remained on the farm and studied hard by the aid of pine knot light. He attended night school and recited his lessons in orthography, grammar, geography, reading and history, with other studies, to Mrs. Lucy Davenport, the wife of a Southern planter. Having shown his earnestness by his studious and energetic habits, and indicating that he was greatly imbued with the idea of education, the planter's wife persuaded the boy to leave the farm and enter the school, which advice he heeded and attended the grammar school under an eminent Southern tutor. From here he became a student at the Atlanta University, at Atlanta, Ga., where he remained for a number of years, gaining the love and sincere respect of both pupils and teacher. When he entered the college at Atlanta, he was poor and penniless, but his energy, his "pluck," his bright recitations, his studious habits and his manly conduct, soon brought him financial assistance from both North and South. One among his "hobbies" is that the negro can never be a race, if it depends upon other races for succor, but it must work out its own salvation. He says among other good things, that the great mass of the negro population in the South do not need classical education, but a business and an industrial training. He has always stood up for his ideas of what he conceived to be right, and while very naturally his opinions may not always have met universal approval, they have commanded respect and kindly notice. In 1880 he was a delegate to the National Republican Convention, at Chicago, at that time being the youngest member of the convention. Again in 1884, he was a member of the National Convention, at Chicago, from the State of Mississippi, along with Messrs. B. K. Bruce, John R. Lynch, Thomas W. Stringer, James Hill and others. When he saw the inevitable conflict and prejudice that existed between the whites and the blacks of Mississippi, he at once took in the situation and determined to come west. Settling in Jefferson County, Ark., for a while, he engaged as tutor in the public schools, but his local party soon recognized in him a conservative and forcible speaker, and his consistent manner as well as other commendable traits soon called him to better fields of labor, if not more lucrative ones. In 1888, when the Republicans had once more determined to give the Democratic party a hard fight for the presidency, and to elect at least two congressmen from the State of Arkansas, that party placed Mr. Middlebrooks on the ticket as elector for the Second congressional district of Arkansas. Upon clearly appearing before the people, he was at once accorded a worthy place as a leader among men, and became the confidential friend of the late congressman-elect, John M. Clayton. He was with Mr. Clayton, aiding and abetting his cause of contest against Hon. C. R. Breckenridge; and foreseeing the dangers awaiting the former a day or so before they came to pass, made known to his friend his fears, stating that he should not remain at Plummerville. The brave reply was: "If I knew they would kill me I should remain at my post of duty." Mr. Middlebrooks is now deputy revenue collector for the Eastern district of Arkansas. In addition to this he has been called upon to occupy other positions of public trust, ever manifesting that faithfulness and efficiency in the discharge of his duties which have redounded to his own credit and the perfect satisfaction of those whose interests have been in his control. He is indeed a citizen who commands the proud respect of every Arkansan as well as residents of all other localities, and his example is one well worthy of emulation. July 25, 1882, Mr. Middlebrooks married Miss Sarah J. Hinton. They are members of the Baptist Church, and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity.

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This family biography is one of 136 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jefferson County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Jefferson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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