lonoke County, Arkansas

FAMILY HISTORY BOOK, Vol. I Lonoke County, Arkansas

Family History Book Vol. I
Our American Heritage Project
820B N. Main St.
Sikeston, MO 63801
Sesquicentennial Edition
Inside…
Sponsored by the Lonoke County Museum
The History of A Chance To Be Part Of Lonoke County’s History!
Lonoke County
The Lonoke County Museum is sponsoring, compiling, This historical book is AVAILABLE ON A PRESALE
and YOUR family… and publishing a new book documenting the history of BASIS ONLY and is priced at $59.95. Your check should
DEADLINE: May 30, 2022 Lonoke County and its people, from yesterday to today. be made out to Lonoke County Family History Book.
It will be necessary to collect orders in advance of
The Lonoke County, Arkansas Family History Book,
Volume I will feature all aspects of our communities, publication, since we are going to print only a limited
churches, businesses, farms, organizations, and more, number of books. All money will be held in escrow at
plus hundreds of family histories, past and present. a local bank for payment to the publishing company
We would like to include your family’s rich history in later. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to be
our new book! recorded in Lonoke County’s 150th anniversary family
history book.
The Lonoke County, Arkansas Family History Book, Vol.
There is NO CHARGE for having your history and one
I, will contain material from 1873 through 2023, with
photo published in this book. Your history, picture(s),
approximately 200 to 300 pages. This hardback, library and book order(s) should be sent in no later than May
quality, smyth-sewn 8-1/2 x 11-inch book will be bound 30, 2022. Send your material to:
in an elegant Navy, swirl-grained leatherette cover with
a gold foil-stamped seal depicting Lonoke County’s Lonoke County Family History Book
Want to learn more? rustic heritage on the front, and gold on the spine. What
an heirloom to give your children and grandchildren!
P.O. Box 873 • Lonoke, AR 72086 • (501) 676-6750

LOOK INSIDE!! IDEAS FOR WRITING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY:

Family histories, photographs, and book orders may
also be emailed to [email protected],
Everyone has a family history, and even if you recently delivered in person to the Lonoke County Museum, 215
moved to the county, we want yours! Give the date your E. Front Street in Lonoke, Mon.-Sat., 9 am to 4 pm, or
family came to Lonoke County, where they originated, submitted online at www.acclaimpress.com!
and vocation before settling here. Tell about any
Lonoke County, Arkansas interesting stories from childhood; include marriages,
children, job, military, education, organizations
Complete the attached form to order your copies of the
LONOKE COUNTY, AR FAMILY HISTORY BOOK,
participated in, etc. Write your stories in third person and send in your family history and photograph
(use he, she, they). The family history must be written today!
in 500 words or less; there will be a charge of 15¢ per
word for all over 500. Please submit your story typed Sincerely,
on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, double spaced if possible.
Sign your name to your history. Sherryl Miller, President
Lonoke County Museum
PLEASE SEND ONE PHOTOGRAPH (current or
historic) to be used with your family story; an extra photo
can be included for only $15.00. Because the photograph
will be handled many times, send a professional copy
(no Xeroxes please) that is not valuable or irreplaceable.
Write in pencil your name and address on the back of
all pictures. Indicate the names of people, date, and
caption for the picture. Your material will be returned
when the book is completed. In addition, please feel free
to send any rare historic photos you wish to be printed.
We will print as many as we can.

Humnoke Post Office, circa 1930’s

Right: Arkansas State Rice Milling Company in Carlisle

History and Families Book D eadline : May 30, 2022

 Lonoke Co. AR Family History Book—Vol. I Lonoke County, Arkansas History & Families
Book Community Representatives
Sample family histories — Deadline to submit is May 30, 2022
Use these examples as a guide in writing your 500 word history. Remember: It’s FREE to be included! Sherryl Miller
Send one (1) family history with one (1) family photograph per household. Rusty Eisenhower
Anna McClung
MOSES - Eli Moses was born in 1843 and was listed among 66 other slaves and died July 31, 2014 and is buried in the Brownsville Cemetery. His
owned by a wealthy landowner in Sumter, SC. As a freedman after the Civil parents were Charley Edwards and Janie L. Moore. Janie Moore’s parents For more information or assistance, e-mail the Lonoke
were Wm. J. Moore and Alice E. Williams. Alice Williams’ parents were Co. Museum at [email protected]
War, he worked as a farm laborer and his wife, Eliza, as a housekeeper. By
Silas V. Williams and Cassie Leach. Silas V. Williams parents were Silas W. or call the Museum at (501) 676-6750
1880, he was farming on his own but soon his family was part of the great
Williams and Mary E. Watts. Mary E. Watts parents were Vincent Watts
migration of blacks out of South Carolina. He became a landowner in what
and Nancy Harris.
is now the Pettus area south of Lonoke in 1884. Although this land along Vincent Watts was born Jan. 12, 1800 in Jackson County, Georgia and Lonoke County Cities and
the Bayou Meto was problematic for growing crops because of the heavy
wet soil, Eli knew how well this type of land produced rice in the “Low
he died in Crawford County, Arkansas May 10, 1879. He was the son of
Garrett Zachariah Watts of the Paint Clan of the Cherokees (aka the Red
Communities Included:
Paint Clan or Corn People, these were the spiritual teachers of life, birth,
Country” of South Carolina. Soon he was successful in growing the rice
death, and regeneration) and Anna Cintha Self. Austin • Allport • Cabot • Carlisle
seed he had brought from his home state and then his bayou neighbor,
Garrett Zachariah Watts was born in Coy • England • Humnoke
Jack Noble, began to
experiment with the
1756 at Bowling Green, Virginia and was Keo • Lonoke • Scott • Ward
the son of “Trader John” (aka “Old Forked
crop also.
Tongue”) Watts and Gi Yo Sti Ko He, of
Independently, the Cherokee Bird Clan-Raven (aka
W.H. Fuller, traveled interpreters of bird messengers believed
to south Louisiana to be the communicators between A QUALITY PUBLICATION
humans and the spirit world). This hardback, collector’s quality, 8-1/2” x 11”
in 1896 and saw how
Trader John Watts was also married to
book will be bound in a beautiful swirl-grained
successfully rice was leatherette cover with a gold foil stamping on
Jossie Stuart (in 1754), a white woman,
being grown there. the front cover and spine. Its archive-quality
in Charleston, SC two years prior to the
His experience in pages will be smyth-sewn for durability. Acid-
Eli Moses tending to his field birth of Garrett and had at least two
free paper will be used for superior photo
raising oats and corn children with her and likely had another reproduction and durability. This book will be Top: Vehicles lined up to sell produce at the Cabot Farmer’s Market.
near Carlisle, where he was farming with his brother-in-law, John Morris, Chief Tar-chee
Cherokee wife other than Gi Yo Sti Ko He. in libraries and offices across the county, state Bottom: Police station in England, Arkansas.
had not been as successful as his prior experience in Nebraska. Intrigued, Trader John Watts served as an interpreter and USA! This book will be a family heirloom
he brought back enough rice seed to plant 3 acres in 1897. Although, his for the Cherokee people including truce talks with military leaders of the that can be handed down from generation to
initial attempt was not that successful, he was encouraged enough to Grant Expedition on August 28, 1761 and at the 1763 treaty in Georgia. generation. SUBMIT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, PHOTO, AND
return to Louisiana and spend the next 5 years learning how to manage Garrett Zachariah Watts’ maternal grandfather was Chief Tar-chee, (aka BOOK ORDER AT WWW.ACCLAIMPRESS.COM
Dutch, The Long Warrior, and Great Eagle of the Bird Clan, pictured). He
an irrigation system to support large scale rice production. Meanwhile, Send all material, checks, and orders to:
Morris continued to try to make the crop work, planting 7 acres in 1902.
was born in 1720 in Cherokee, North Carolina to Chief Moytoy Pigeon Order Form Lonoke County, Arkansas
of the Bird Clan and Ani Gatage Wil Woman, of the Deer Clan (known
After Morris’ untimely death in the spring of 1903, his wife, Emma, to be the best hunters, the fastest runners, and were often called upon Lonoke Co., AR Family History Book, Vol. I Qty Price Total Family History Book Vol. I
carried on this effort harvesting 10 acres that year and becoming the first to be messengers). Tar-chee’s wife was Ailsey, Garrett Watt’s maternal Lonoke County Museum
Limited Edition $59.95
woman rice producer in the state. In 1904, Fuller having obtained more grandmother, and she was of the Paint Clan. P.O. Box 873 • 215 E. Front St.
seed from growers in Louisiana, as well as from Eli Moses and Jack Noble, Deluxe Leather Edition $89.95 Lonoke, AR 72086
produced a successful crop on 70 acres. By 1907, the Grand Prairie had (501) 676-6750
Emboss your name on the book cover $ 6.00
been transformed with some 10,000 acres being grown.
Eli Moses also continued to grow rice. A 1906 article in the Oklahoma
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: *Shipping & Handling
• Type your family history in 500 words or less (see (if mailed, $6.50 per book, see below) $ 6.50 Name
Farmer documents his early success in growing rice in Lonoke County. By
samples on this page). If you need more space, add
Family history extra words over the
1911, he owned 474 acres in the Pettus area. A 1912 article in the Lonoke .15/word for each additional word over 500. Write in first 500 - add 15¢ word $ 0.15 Address
Democrat states “Eli Moses sold $3,000 worth of rice. His land is watered third-person (he-she-they). Use 8.5 x 11” white paper,
from Bayou Meto. And by the way, he was the first rice grower in this double-spaced. Extra photos - add $15 per photo $15.00
• Send a photo (historic or recent). The first photo sub- City State Zip
section. He raised dry land rice in a small way for his own table 15 years Checks Payable to Lonoke Co. Museum GRAND TOTAL
ago.” His wife, Eliza, passed away in 1917 and is buried in the Lemmons mitted is free, additional photos are $15/each. Write a
caption for each photo on the back of the photo or on *Check one of the following Phone
cemetery on land he owned. Eli Moses died in 1929, at 86, having helped
your family history. Photos will be returned to you at
with the establishment of the US rice industry.
the completion of the project. ❏ Please mail my order to me. ❏ I will pick up my order. Name to be embossed on cover (up to 24 spaces)
Arkansas which produces half of the US rice crop had its beginnings ❏ I am interested in knowing more about the printed BUSINESS,
• If you’d like to order a book, complete the order form at FARMS, MEMORIAL/TRIBUTE and ORGANIZATION/CLUB
in Lonoke County. Although W.H. Fuller, a large landowner just south of right and mail with your check to the address listed. pages. The cost of these special pages are:
Carlisle, is credited with the large-scale production of rice in the area, the • Invite friends and family to participate –– the more _ 1/2 pg.–$175.00  full pg.–$250.00
story also traces to Elijah Moses, who moved into the area around1885. families included in the book, the better this historical _ SCHOOLS & CHURCHES: Note: Proceeds from the sale of this book will also help other commu-
record will be for everyone! _ 1/2 pg.–$85.00  full pg.–$125.00 nities and organizations preserve their history through Our American
EDWARDS - Raymond Edwards was born December 3, 1947 in Tennessee Heritage Project, a non-profit organization.