My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Little River 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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Louis Walker Dollarhide, a substantial farmer, of Jackson Township, is a native-born resident of Little River County, his birth having occurred on January 19, 1851. His father, James I. Dollarhide, was born in Kentucky, in 1815, and was a son of James D. and Barbara (Samples) Dollarhide, natives of North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively, the former of Irish, and the latter of Scotch extraction. When he was three years of age his mother died, passing away in Louisiana, and when he was eight years old, he accompanied his father to Arkansas (then a Territory), and located in what is now Bowie County, Tex., but was then considered a part of Arkansas, and here, while moving to Pecan Point on Red River, the father passed from life, on January 8, 1823, leaving three children, of whom he was the youngest. His educational advantages were extremely limited, his education having been acquired by hard study since reaching mature years. He came to this State on January 10, 1824, and his recollections of the country as it then was will prove interesting. At that early date there were no mills, the milling being done by soaking the corn and pounding in a trough with a pestle. Hominy was made from corn by the use of lye, and was among the favorite dishes of the early settler. The first mill was built in 1829, about twenty miles from where the Judge resided, and was owned by a man by the name of Asa Hartfields. Previous to this the nearest mill was in Hempstead County, at a distance of forty miles, and was owned by a man by the name of Johnson. Its capacity was fifty bushels of corn per day, and Judge Dollarhide made many a trip to this mill. He would place his grist on a horse, and do the forty miles, taking four or five days to make the trip. When the Sevier County mill was erected, people thought it very convenient. The first highway in the county was cut by the governor through this county to Fort Towson, in 1832, previous to this there were some trails made wide enough for wagons to pass from one neighborhood to another, by the settlers of what now comprises the western portion of Sevier County; the county of Little River being made since the war, this sketch embraces that portion of Sevier County from which Little River was made. Up to 1824 the inhabitants of this county were: Andrew Dollarhide (the uncle of our subject), George Holbrooks (who settled on Roland Fork, previous to the settlement of Mr. Dollarhide), John and Jacob Hudgins (who also settled on Roland Fork), Samuel Bunham (an uncle of our subject), Shearard Bradshaw, William and Roger McCowen, Mrs. Nancy Thomas, Morris Rulong, and William Story (the famous bear hunter of this part of the State, who bears the reputation of being the greatest bear hunter in Arkansas. He was the David Crockett of Arkansas, and lived directly east of Mr. Dollarhide's residence). At that time Indians were very numerous, and frequent bands of Cados, Osages, and several other tribes passed through the county, but very little depredation was done by them.' There was then a small Chanu village on the Hemphill place. Previous to 1804 Mr. Dollarhide lived on Roland Fork, Sevier County, and while a resident of that place served as lieutenant of Company G, First Arkansas Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, for six months, in the war with Mexico, but his health failed him, and he was obliged to resign his commission and return home. In 1850 he was elected sheriff of Sevier County, and the next term succeeded himself, making four years' service as sheriff. He was appointed county and probate judge in 1855 to fill the unexpired term of Judge David Foran, and at the next general election was chosen to fill that office; he discharged the duties of that office very ably, and after two years was again elected to fill that position. Although opposed to secession himself, he voted for secession at the convention held in Little Rock, in 1861, to which he was a delegate. The last public office held by him was in 1883, when he was a member of the State Legislature from this county. Since then he has retired from active public life, and very comfortably resides at his home in Rocky Comfort. In 1883 he also gave up his law practice, in which he had been engaged since 1866, at which time he was admitted to the bar. He is a large land owner, possessing a farm on Red River of some 2,000 acres of land, about 180 acres of which is under cultivation. He has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was married in 1839, was formerly Miss Mary King, daughter of John King, of Sevier County, who came to this State in 1807, locating near Little Rock, where he was married, and soon after this event took place, moved to Washington County. Their union was blessed by the birth of nine children, five of whom are now living: Elizabeth (now Mrs. William Reeves, of Fisher county, Tex.), Angeline (wife of Freedom Pierce, of this county), Martha J. (wife of J.S. Johnson, of Hempstead County), William K. (a resident of Lockesburg, Ark), and Louis W. Mrs. Dollarhide died in 1852, and the following year he wedding Martha A. King, a half sister of his first wife, and by her became the father of thirteen children, of whom the following survive: Laura J. (wife of L. B. Hawley, of Arkansas City), Daniel S. (of Rocky Comfort), E. W., R. L., and J. C. (of Lockesburg), Hattie (now Mrs. Clark), Virginia and Thomas J. The Judge affiliates with Rocky Comfort Lodge A. F. & A. M. Mrs. Dollarhide is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church , South. Louis W. Dollarhide, the immediate subject of this sketch, grew to maturity, and was educated in the common schools of the county. He commenced life on his own responsibility as a clerk in a general store at Hood's Landing, on Little River, for Col. John S. Walker, in whose employ he remained for three years, when he came to this place, and for the following twelve months acted as deputy county clerk under Hugh M. McCowan. He next, in 1873, opened a general store at Rocky Comfort, and soon established a large and paying business, which he conducted until 1882, when he sold his stock of goods, and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits on Red River, where he now resides. He owns 240 acres of good land, about 60 of which are under cultivation, and on which he raises from three-quarters to one bale of cotton, and 40 bushels of corn per acres. His farm is very admirably situated about ten miles south of Rocky Comfort, and about fifteen miles southwest of Richmond. November 27, 1877, witnessed his marriage with Miss Fannie Paulina Williams, a native of Newberry, S. C., born about 1858, she being a daughter of James Harrison Williams, a resident of this county, and the fruits of their union were four children, but two of whom are now living: Florence S. and Louis E. Mr. Dollarhide is a Master Mason, having joined the Rocky Comfort Lodge in 1874, and has served as secretary of his lodge for a number of years. He has served in a number of local offices of trust, among them being that of notary public, which he held from 1881 to 1885, and justice of the peace, in which capacity he acted for two years. He and wife are both worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and are greatly esteemed by all who know them. He is a very public-spirited man, and takes a deep interest in all that pertains to the welfare of the community.

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