Hugh Simpson Sr.

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