My Genealogy Hound

Edgar A. Carleton. The history of every community is made up of the events and transactions which have occurred in the lives of its prominent representative citizens, and in giving a worthy history of Mississippi County, a sketch of the life of Mr. Carleton would be most appropriate, for he has been unusually successful, and in his farming operations has always combined the practical with the theoretical, his long experience in that calling rendering him fully capable of doing so. He was born in Lafayette County, Miss., in 1855, and remained in his native county until eleven years of age, when his father, Alex. Carleton, with his family, which consisted of his wife and seven children, of whom Edgar A. is the fourth, removed to Memphis, Tenn., where the children received sufficient educational advantages to fit them for the ordinary duties of life. At the age of nineteen years Edgar A. went to Tunica County, Miss., where he engaged in farming and merchandising, continuing successfully until the fall of 1877, when he moved to Lee County, Ark., remaining one year, being also occupied in farming and merchandising at this point, following the latter occupation for the mercantile firm of Ferguson & Hanison. In 1879 he came to Mississippi County, where his mother, brothers and sisters had preceded him, and took charge of a store for the above named firm, which he conducted in a highly successful manner until 1882, doing a business amounting to $50,000 per annum. In addition to this he and a brother attended to over 2,000 acres of land, employing in different capacities from 300 to 500 hands, and shipped in one year 1,100 bales of cotton. In the latter part of 1882 he and A. B. Carouthers formed a partnership and embarked in the mercantile business at Richardson Landing, just across the river from where he is now located, but in the spring of the following year, owing to poor health, he sold out his share to his partner and took a trip through Texas, Mexico and New Mexico, returning home much improved in health, at the end of five months. He again began working for his former employers, Messrs. Ferguson & Hamson, and about four months later, in the month of December, while sitting in the store after dark, he was fired upon through a window by a man, who shot him in the left breast with a double-barreled shot-gun, the wound being so serious that he was obliged to give up work until the 22d of April. The would-be murderer was caught and sentenced to the penitentiary for nine years. After recovering, Mr. Carleton went to Frenchman’s Bayou, where he purchased the mercantile stock of R. E. L. Wilson, where he remained in business until January, 1885, returning the following year to Nodena. He is now engaged in farming (his land being rented of Mr. Ferguson), and has about 425 acres in cotton and corn, which requires the care of from fifty to 150 men. His wife, who was Miss Nina Uzzell, was born in this county in 1860, her parents, J. W. Uzzell and wife, having settled at Frenchman’s Bayou in 1858. To Mr. and Mrs. Carleton have been born two children: Edith Orr and Nina Gray. Mr. Carleton is a Mason, and a member of the Knights and Ladies of Honor.