Person:John Meadors (19)

Migrated from Whitley Co., KY to Arkansas in the mid 1850's.

History of Benton County CRAWFORD COUNTY. page 1174

John R. Meadors was born in Whitley County, Ky., October 7, 1826, and is a son of Jacob M. and Jane W. (Harman) Meadors. The former died in 1871 aged seventy-three, and the latter at the age of seventy-one. Jacob M. was a son of John Meadors, whose father was Jason Meadors. The latter married a Miss Mobley. John Meadors' wife was Delila Jones. and Jacob M. married Jane W. Harman, a daughter of Valentine and Sarah (Baken) Harman. The father of the latter, Thomas Baken, was a captain in Washington's army, and was killed in a duel with John Brown in South Carolina. In 1845 John R. Meadors married Susanna, daughter of Nathan [p.1174] Moore, who was the son of Thomas and Delila (Williams) Moore, natives of South Carolina, who went to Tennessee in 1825, and the same year settled in Whitley County, Ky. In 1856 they moved to Crawford County, Ark., where the father died in 1865 aged eighty-eight, the mother in 1877 aged seventy-three. Mr. Moore has been a class leader in the Methodist Church sixty years, and his wife had been a member for a long time. To the union of our subject and wife sixteen children were born, five sons and three daughters now living, and all married and residing in this neighborhood. In 1851 Mr. Meadors came to this county and purchased of the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railway a portion of his present farm, his deed, dated September 8, 1859, being the first issued by them. He has since added to his possessions until now he is one the largest landholders in the county, owning 500 acres of good land, which is the result of his industry and business ability. He is a Republican now, but previous to the war was a Democrat. He is a leader of his party in this vicinity, and with the exception of six years has served continuously as justice of the peace since 1864. Since 1866 he has been postmaster of Belmont Post-office, and for nearly six years after 1868 was associate judge of the county court. He has never served on a petit jury, but has probably been on more grand juries, in both the federal and circuit courts, than any other man in the county. In May, 1878, a mercantile store, which he had been running, was burned, but in 1887 he again started a store on his farm, and is now doing business upon the old site. He is a public-spirited man, a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and himself and wife belong to the Christian Church.

NOTE: Find A Grave website contribution by Sherry Link notes that John & Susanna had a daughter Delila. Delila probably married a Meadows a short time before she married Leven Wilson. < I did not have her listed as child originally. >

I have also seen reference that there were 3 children I don't have in my files: Ellis Elam, Lena and Franklin C.

1. ↑ WFT.
2. ↑ Cheryl Wilson Hopp - Whitley Co message board on Rootsweb.
3. ↑ Bellmont, Lafayette, Crawford Co., AR , in United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   visit 170.

   J R Meadors, 44, farmer, $800 real estate, $500 person property, born KY
   Susan, 44, born TN
   David, 17, born AR
   Wilis, 13, born AR
   P H, male, 11, born AR
   Maretta, 9, born AR
   Elan, 7, born AR

4. ↑ Lafayette, Crawford, Arkansas, in United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9).

   John R. MEADORS Self M Male W 53 KY Farmer NC TN
   Susanna MEADORS Wife M Female W 55 TN Keeping House SC SC
   John P. MEADORS Son S Male W 21 AR Farm Laborer KY TN
   Maretta S. MEADORS Dau S Female W 19 AR KY TN

5. ↑ Lafayette, Crawford Co., AR , in United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T623)
   visit 105.

   John R Meadors, 73, born Oct 1826 in KY, father NC, mother TN, married 54 yrs
   Susan, wife, 75, born Feb 1825 in KY, parents KY, 9 children / 7 living
   Josie, 24, born 2/1876 in AR - father born KY, mother AR
   Lenah, 21, born 6/1878 in AR - father born KY, mother AR
   next door is son Reuben George W Meadors

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 Memorial# 6169397, in Find A Grave.

   John R. Meadors
   Birth: Oct. 7, 1826, Whitley County, Kentucky, USA
   Death: Oct. 8, 1908, Alma, Crawford County, Arkansas, USA
   Burial: Bolton Cemetery, Dean Springs, Crawford County, Arkansas, USA
   
   John was the son of Jacob M. & Jane W. (Harmon) Meadors - a pioneering family of Crawford Co., AR. In Whitley Co., KY on the 8th day of July 1845 John R. Meadors married Susanna, daughter of Nathan & Delilah Moore. It's been told that sixteen children were born to this union (but I have found evidence of only nine). In 1851 John Meadors went to Crawford Co., AR and purchased land for his farm. His deed, dated September 8, 1859, being the first issued by them. As the result of his industry and business ability he was able to add to his property until he became one of the largest landholders of his day in the county, owning 500 acres of good land. He was a leader of his political party in his vicinity, and with the exception of six years had served continuously as justice of the peace since 1864. Since 1866 he has been postmaster of Belmont Post-Office, and for nearly six years after 1868 he was associate judge of the county court. He has never served on a petit jury, but has probably been on more grand juries, in both the federal and circuit courts, than any other man in the county. He is a public-spirited man, a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and he and wife were members of the Christian Church.
   
   Parents:
   Jacob Mobley Meadors (1799 - 1871)
   Jane W. Harmon Meadors (1803 - 1874)
   
   Spouse: Susanna Moore Meadors (1825 - 1907)
   
   Children:
   Deliah Jane Meadors Wilson (1846 - 1895)
   Reuben George Washington Meadors (1848 - 1933)
   William Daniel Meadors (1851 - 1935)
   David L. Meadors (1853 - 1935)
   Wilse Valentine Meadors (1857 - 1936)
   John Powhatan Meadors (1859 - 1920)
   Maretta S. Meadors Ryan (1861 - 1946)
   Alvah Meadors (1895 - 1897)

7. ↑ Whitley County (Kentucky). Clerk of the County Court. Deeds, 1818-1934. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1967-1968)
   Vol 4, p. 326; FHL #0533550.

   Indenture 6 April 1853
   Between Wm Meadors, his wife Critty an Meadors and John R. Meador and wife Sesannah Meadors of Crawford County, Arkansas
   and Felix Faley of Whitley, Kentucky
   who paid $50 for land
   Beginning a post of [??] . . . . hundred acres
   Surveyed to the said William Jr. and John R. Meadors fully patented . . .
   Signed Wm J Meadors, Crity Ann Meadors, J. R. Medors, Susannah Medors