James Sanders West

James Sanders West (deceased), who was one of the early settlers of Washington

County, Ark., was born in Lincoln County, Tenn., April 30, 1814, and died

in the first named county February 5, 1881, the son of James and Ann West. At

the age of fifteen Mr. West left his home in Tennessee, and went with a company

of surveyors to Florida. He afterward returned to Tennessee, and when

eighteen years of age came, without means, to Washington County, Ark.,

where he passed the remainder of his days engaged in farming and stock raising.

He was quite an extensive dealer, driving cattle North and horses and

mules South, and although a heavy loser by the war, soon regained all he had

lost by his extraordinary business ability. Before the war he had been a Democrat

in his political views, but after that eventful struggle he became a Republican,

and remained true to that party's interests until his death. He was married

three times, first to Miss Mary Crawford (a distant relative of the present

widow of the deceased), who bore him seven children, four of whom are now

living: William P., a farmer and stock raiser, and a soldier of the Confederacy,

of the State of Texas; Mrs. Ann Beaty, wife of Capt. Alvin Beaty, a famous

Confederate soldier, and farmer of Texas; Alvah G., a farmer of Washington

County, and Mrs. Harriet Mason, wife of C. H. Mason, a resident of Indian

Territory. Mr. West's second marriage was to Mrs. Pitman, and was blessed by

the birth of three children: Mrs. E. E. Sharp, wife of Ed. Sharp, of Cane

Hill, Ark.; Nathan T. and Cecil Eugene, who are now residents of California.

October 18, 1859, Mr. West married his third wife, Miss R. Jane Crawford, a

native of Lincoln County, Tenn., born June 13, 1827, and the daughter of Col.

Hay and Susan Crawford, who moved from Lincoln County, Tenn., to Arkansas

in 1829, and were early settlers of this State, coming here with a colony which

settled at Cane Hill. Her father was colonel of t.he militia in Tennessee. and

was afterward a very prominent man in Arkansas. Her mother was Susan

Harris, kin of the Harrises of Tennessee. To Mr. West's last marriage were

'1orn four children, two now living: Mary L., wife of J. C. Mitchell, a prominent farmer of Illinois Township, Washington Co., Ark., and Samuel H.,

named after Sam Harris, a pioneer Cumberland Presbyterian preacher of

Arkansas, who is a successful lawyer of Fayetteville. Mrs. West is still living,

and is residing with her daughter, Mrs. Mitchell, near Cincinnati, Washington

Co., Ark. Mr. West was a liberal member of the Cumberland Presbyterian

Church, was a Roval Arch Mason and an excellent citizen.