Research Notes

Jane Morrow Simpson, settling near the headwaters of the Illinois River around 1830. Hugh was· born in York District, South Carolina, December 18, 1787. He was the son of Hugh Simpson, a Scottish immigrant who came to America in the early 1700s, traveling in a home-made sailboat with his brother, John. Jane was born in Abbeville, South Carolina, April 23, 1795, daughter of John and Mary Calhoun Morrow. Hugh and Jane were married in Bowling Green, Kentucky, January 1, 1818. In 1826, there were six families who decided to migrate further west from Kentucky: two Simpson brothers, two McGarrah brothers, one Shannon and the Alexander family. These families, with their personal belongings and whatever equipment they had, were loaded on a flat boat and were sent down the Tennessee River, into the Ohio and then into the Mississippi. They had their raft towed up the Arkansas River to Phillips Landing (now Van Buren, Arkansas). They decided to stop in western Arkansas where land could be theirs by fencing it. Hugh and Jane had seven children: John Morrow, Elijah, Mary Ann, George, Margaret Catherine, Elizabeth Jane and Hugh. Hugh died January 2, 1852; Jane died May 7, 1881. They are buried in Brewster Cemetery, south of Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Their son, George, was born February 27, 1827 in the Sugar Loaf Valley, Sebastian County, Arkansas on September 9, 1850, he married Mary Ann Edmiston, daughter of David Crawford and Rebecca Thornton Edmiston. The Edmistons were another of Washington County's early families, moving here in 1835 from Clark County, Arkansas. David was born July 21, 1805 in Tennessee, died September 17, 1887. Rebecca was born November 22, 1807 in Illinois and died August 3, 1881, being the second person buried in Edmiston Cemetery, Morrow, Arkansas. George and Mary Ann had thirteen children: Rebecca Jane, John, William Henry, Hugh White, James L., Thomas Jefferson, Mary T., Sarah D., Fannie Bell, Martha Irene, George David, Elizabeth Annie and Hattie Mae. They settled their family in the Cincinnati, Arkansas area around 1880, moving there from the Prairie Grove region. During the War between the States, George served as a member of the Confederate Army, and saw action in the Battle of Prairie Grove. He devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and was very successful in his life work. He died October 16, 1908 of Bright's Disease; Mary Ann died June 17, 1895. Both are buried in Edmiston Cemetery. Their daughter, Martha Irene or "Rena" was married July .9, 1886 to William Elijah Bond, son of William Thomas and Salina Walker Bond, who came to Washington County with his parents sometime in the late 1870s from Beersheba Springs, Tennessee. The elder Bonds first settled near Rhea's Mill. After Salina's death February 1, 1882, W. T. moved his family to Cincinnati. They lived in a cabin that was built before the Civil War. It was built of "blackjack" and native pine. W. T. Bond was born August 28, 1828 in Tennessee, died July 17, 1901, and is buried beside his second wife, Nancy Smith, in Harrell Cemetery at Cincinnati. W. E. and Rena Bond had two children: Lillie Kate, born May 16, 1887 and George William, born April 6, 1891. In 1900, W. E. and his brother, John, built a fine two-story house on 247 acres of land. The family farmed this land for over 70 years. Just south of the house was a spring branch, and around the road was a vacant space where wagon trains once camped. These people frequently bought chickens, milk, butter and feed for their stock from the Bond farm. In 1923, George Bond married a beautiful, young lady named Mary Bost, daughter of John Simeon Able and Callie Watson Bost of western Washington County, and a distant cousin of his. He had a successful career in the education field, starting out teaching in schools at Cincinnati, Springdale and Cane Hill in Washington County. He moved on to eventually become President of Louisiana Tech University and Southeastern Louisiana 862 Families College. Mary has said that educators today don't know what hard times are. George became president of the Louisiana Tech during the depression and the college had no credit. Those were hard times. After retirement in Louisiana, he taught several years at Harding College at Searcy, where he established the advanced degree program in education. George and Mary retired in Fayetteville. In 1973, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. George died in 1974 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery. Mary, also a retired teacher, is very active in First Baptist Church and many civic organizations. Lillie Kate Bond married, September 22, 1907, William Homer Dodson. They lived on the Bond farm most of their married life. They had one son, John William (see Dodson family). Cattle, hogs, horses, mules and a few chickens were raised on this farm. Meat was smoked using various kinds of wood, but the things that made the unique flavor were corn cobs, hickory chips and sassafras branches. Nothing tasted better than a piece of this thinly sliced smoked ham in the middle of a big biscuit. A few fruit trees (apple, plum, pear and cherry) grew on the farm and made excellent preserves and dried fruits. Beautiful quilts made by Lillie and Rena were backed with material dyed yellow with walnut hulls. Their door was always open to friends. They never knew how many people would show up for dinner, as W. E. was always inviting people to eat with them. The depression years were not as hard for them as for some. They were out of debt, but lost all savings in bank failures. The farm was fairly self-sufficient, except for a few items like salt, baking powder, etc. Lillie gathered eggs and sold them or traded them for these few staples. Her egg basket (with the Dodson name penciled on the handle) is among the family heirlooms. The Bonds and Dodsons were very active in their community, being leaders in the Presbyterian Church, Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star and Extension Homemakers Organizations. W. E. Bond was a member of the Anti-Horse Thief.Association (also known as Knights of the Horse). By: John W. Dodson