Wesley Henry King

4. WESLEY HENRV2 KING (KING1)5,B was born March 1804 in Watertown, Jefferson, New York, and died

November 23, 1870 in Cane Hill, Washington, Arkansas7•8. He married (1) SALLY REEo9·10 December 25,

1827 in Batesville, Independence County, AR11, daughter of WILLIAM REED and MARGARET ROBERTSON.

She was born August 19, 1811 in Louisville KY 12•13, and died Abt. 1834. He married (2) EVALINE HoLT

November 1836, daughter of JACK HOLT and ELIZABETH POGUE. She was born December 28, 1821 in

Alabama 14• 15, and died April 22, 1908 in Cane Hill, Washington, Arkansas 16• 17.

Notes for WESLEY HENRY KING: " ............ undoubtedly of English origin and perhaps came from England as a

lad. Older family members think there were two sisters also, but there is nothing definite enough to state

with any degree of accuracy. He came to Arkasas, along with William Reed and his family when they came

from Kentucky in 1825; stopped a bit at Batesville, Arkansas, and came on to Cane Hill as one of the seven

original families to form the settlement of Boonesboro, later re-named Cane Hill. His first wife was Sally

Reed, William Reed's oldest child, and by this union there were five chiildren. The marriage record says

"Westley King and Sarah Reed." (Sally was a common nickname for Sarah)

Following her death he was wed to Evaline Elizabeth Holt, in November 1836. Eveline was not quite 15

when this marriage took place. She came to be a mother of four step children, the oldest not quite five years

her junior! In spite of her age, she was a young lady of considerable aplomb ........ "

A History of the HOLT FAMILY in WASHINGTON COUNTY ARKANSAS by Ruth Holt Payne and Mrs.

Burlene Hilton

Notes for EVALINE HOLT: She and Wesley King made their home at Fly Creek, Arkansas.

" .......... Eveline was not quite 15 when this marriage took place. She came to be a mother of four step

children, the oldest not quite five years her junior! In spite of her age, she was a young lady of considerable

aplomb.

"She had already attended the Young Ladies' Female Seminary at Cane Hill, where the young ladies from

Boston, who had established this institution instilled culture in the bosoms of the young women in the area.

The accounts of Eveline's exploits are legion. Her stamina which was to stand her in good stead throughout

her life, is reflected in such stories as the one of her swimming across the river in Alabama where she was

born and lived until their removal to Tennessee and then to Arkansas. Another, of the slaughter of thirteen

rattlesnakes with a brother seconding her efforts.

"Having thirteen children of her own, and having reared a total of nineteen, she was oblivious to almost

anything that would alarm her. During her long life she was an incessant reader. Stories are told of her

granddaughters combing and dressing her hair by the hour, literally, while she read, completely oblivious to

http://home.earthlink.ner/-herblst!king_family.htm 3/1/2005

King Family Page4of37

them. As a result, they always adored her. Her sternest rebuke was to say "Tut tut!"

"She always loved beauty. Flowers were for her almost a necessity and even in the winter months, she

would use dried things dusted with flour, to decorate her bedroom. For a fruitful life, there could be no better

example. Her activities were in no wise confined to her family circle which was large enough to have

occupied most women-------but she was constantly in demand as a midwife. There were almost no medical

facilities and her husband, who acted as a doctor and a dentist, among other things, was also in demand.

She was his assistant in much that he did. At her death, she had 70 grandchildren and many great

grandchildren, also a few great great grandchildren. Hers is the only family to date, in the year 1960, to

reach into the eighth generation from the original family of Jack and Elizabeth Holt---the children of Bobby

Howard and Teda Jean Howard Braly. The Kings also have the largest number of descendants." from ·A

History of the HOLT FAMILY in WASHINGTON COUNTY ARKANSAS by Ruth Holt Payne and Mrs. Burlene

Hilton"

Comment by Clara E. Kendrick: This was my Great-Grandmother. Down by the ever-running mountain

spring on Fly Creek, she had a hole of water where she used to duck her children when they disobeyed her

commands. Cold or hot, she went to this spring every morning for her refreshing wash, before she ate

breakfast, and always brought back a fresh bucket of water to make her coffee. "Never use water that has

stood over night", she said, "because it has lost its savor." Grandmother King is the only person I have ever

heard tell about the Falling Stars. She said: "I saw it rain stars from above on November 13, 1833, from

about 4 in the morning until daylight. Some folks were frightened, thinking the world was coming to an end."

Grandmother King said her mother was sick and had called her out of her sleep. When she saw the stars

coming down, she called other members of her family, to see the ground covered with stars. "You could not

pick them up," she said; "They were just like air bubbles, bright in color, spots which lasted until daybreak."

When a child, I thought she was just telling us fairytales. Later in life I found an account of the falling of the

stars in a history book, date and time just like Grandmother had told us.

==========

1850 Census of Northwest Arkansas:

Washington Counties - Bobbie Jones McLane and Desmond Walls Allen

Cane Hill Township

KING, l. W. 54, Rhoda 4B, Sarah 14, Mary 12,

Alonzo 11. David 5, ANDERSON, Martha E.

1 SC/KY dwg 1 8, Cane Hill twp