James Preston Neal

Came to Washington County in 1829. Practiced law at Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Austin, Texas. Founder of the City of Prairie Grove, Arkansas. A Veteran of the Mexican War. NEAL, James P. - (from The Fayetteville Daily News, 8th inst.) Yesterday evening Col. Neal died at the ripe old age of seventy-six years at his home, Prairie Grove. He had lived in this county since the year 1829 and was elected mayor of Fayetteville in 1851 and subsequently re-elected, holding the office four years. In 1847 he volunteered in the war with Mexico, rising to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. After that he returned to the practice of law in this city and in 1849 he married Miss Adeline Bean. On account of his wife’s ill health he moved to Austin, Texas, where she died. At the outbreak of the war he joined the Confederate service and was an elector, casting his vote for Jeff Davis as President. In 1869 he married the widow of his brother who was killed in a skirmish with the Federals near Clarksville. He established the town of Prairie Grove, building there the first store and serving as its first postmaster. The funeral obsequies will take place tomorrow at Prairie Grove where he will be buried by the side of his pioneer mother. [The Springdale News 1/17/1896]

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Death of Col. J.P. Neal

Fayetteville Weekly Democrat, January 9, 1896, page 2

[Misspellings have been corrected]

The announcement was received by telephone from Prairie Grove yesterday morning that Col. J.P. Neal had passed to the great beyond Tuesday evening and that he would be buried today. A number ofour citizens went to Prairie Grove this morning to be present at the funeral exercises and pay a last tribute to the venerable pioneer and respected citizen who has passed away full ofyears at the close ofa useful life. We take the following biographical sketch from "A History of Northwest Arkansas:"

James P. Neal (one ofthe old residents of Washington County, Ark., who is now retired from active business life), was born in Butler County, Ky., March 24, 1820, and is a son ofWilliam Neal, and a grandson of Thomas Neal. The latter was a Virginian, whose ancestors were Irish, and one ofthe early settlers ofKentucky, in which State William Neal was born, reared and married. His wife's maiden name was Sinai Harreld [or Harrold], whose parents were also Virginians, of English ancestry. After Mr. Neal's death, which occurred when James P. was a child, she married again, and in 1829 moved to Arkansas with her husband, Rev. Andrew Buchanan, a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, locating on the land on which the Colonel now resides. Here Col. Neal was reared on the farm, and in 1847 volunteered in the Mexican War, marching through Texas into Mexico. He arose to the rank offirst lieutenant, and served in this capacity until the close ofthe war, being mustered out at Comargo [Kentucky] in 1848.

Previous to his entering the army he had read law, been admitted to the bar, and had practiced his profession in Fayetteville, and after returning home he resumed his profession, which he continued until 1853, when he was elected mayor ofFayetteville, and held the office until 1854. In 1849 he was married to Miss Adaline Bean, daughter of Capt. Mark Bean, and cousin ofthe late Col. Tom Bean, the Bonham, Tex., millionaire. In 1854 he moved to Austin, Tex., owing to his wife's failing health, where she died in 1863. During the war Mr. Neal was actively engaged in furnishing the Confederate army with supplies. He was a presidential elector, and voted for [Jefferson] Davis for his second term.

In 1868 he returned to Prairie Grove, Ark., then made historic by the battle ofDecember 7, 1862, between the Federal and Confederate forces, commanded respectively by Gens. Blunt and Hindman. In 1869 he was married to the widow of his brother, Col. William T. Neal, who was killed by the Federals in a skirmish near Clarksville, Ark., in 1864. In 1872 he established the town ofPrairie Grove, built the first store and engaged in merchandising, being also appointed postmaster ofthe town. He held this position until 1887, when he was obliged to resign on account of failing health, and is now living at his beautiful suburban residence, free from the cares of business life, surrounded by the lovely groves and grand old trees made memorable by the incidents ofthe battle, where that famous old spring comes bubbling forth with its crystal water,-where both Federals and Confederates slaked their thirst and bathed their bleeding wounds. Col. Neal has held many positions oftrust, and has done much to build up the town. His donations ofreal estate to public and charitable buildings have been munificent.

He was a member ofthe Masonic fraternity, and a worthy and consistent member ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His first union resulted in the birth ofsix children, only two ofwhom (Nora and Sam Bell) grew to mature years. To his last union three children were born; James Preston, Sinai Belle and Jay Dudley. Mr. Neal wrote and published many interesting sketches ofthe early times in Arkansas.