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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Polk County, Arkansas published by Southern Publishing Company in 1891.  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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John Calvin Bates is a farmer, stock-raiser general merchant and postmaster at Big Bend, Ark. In the space allotted in this volume it would be impossible to give a detailed account of the career of this gentleman, but it is only just to say that in his walk through life his course has been marked by honesty, industry, and a manly, independent spirit. He was born in Cherokee County, Ga., in 1845, to Judge George V. and Hortensia M. (Walker) Bates, both of whom were born in South Carolina, the former in Pickens District, in 1820, and the latter in Spartanburg District, in 1822, respectively. They removed with their parents to Georgia, when young, and were there afterward married in 1842, making their home in that State until 1852, when they came to Polk County, Ark., settling on a woodland farm on Big Fork, where they have since lived, both members of the Primitive Baptist Church. In 1865 Mr. Bates was elected county and probate judge, serving a short time, and was again elected to the same position in 1884, serving two years. He was justice of the peace a good many years, and was postmaster at Big Fork for some years. His father, Stephen Bates, was a Virginian, but was married in South Carolina, and from there moved to Cherokee County, Ga., in 1834, where he followed the occupation of farming, was justice of the peace, and died in July, 1851. His father, William Bates, was probably a Virginian, who died in South Carolina. The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Allan Walker, was born in North Carolina, and died in Cherokee County, Ga., about 1848, a farmer. John Calvin Bates is one of eight surviving members of a family of ten children born to his parents, the other members being: Abraham R., Thomas J., Stephen, George W., Nancy E. (wife of Jacob Masters), Sarah J. (wife of W. H. Smith, and Margaret (wife of W. L. Huddleston of Bell County, Tex.). John Calvin Bates was reared on a farm with very poor educational advantages, and since 1852 has been a resident of Arkansas. He served for about fifteen months during the latter part of the war as third sergeant of Company B, Tenth Arkansas Cavalry, the greater part of the time being on detached service in Arkansas. He was married in 1864, to Miss Malinda E., daughter of Elijah B. and Lucretia Goss, who were South Carolinians, removing first to Georgia and in 1852 to Polk County, Ark., where Mr. Goss died in 1882, the death of his wife occurring six or seven years before, both members of the Primitive Baptist Church. Mrs. Bates was born in Lumpkin County, Ga., and of the eleven children she has borne her husband, nine are living: Mr. Bates lived on Big Fork until 1871, then came to his present farm of ninety-two acres. Besides this he owns 120 acres, all of which he has earned by his own efforts. He raises considerable stock, and for several years has run a general store, doing a business of about $4,000 annually. He is one of the leading farmers of his township and holds progressive views on all topics of general interest, and is a member of the Primitive Baptist Church.

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This family biography is one of 32 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Polk County, Arkansas published in 1891.  For the complete description, click here: Polk County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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