Our Grandfather’s Grandparents in Van Buren, Arkansas

As our last story ended, Robert Beane Scott, and his wife, Mary Ann Roark Scott, with their children had made their final move.  They had moved from Tennessee to Indian territory that later became Oklahoma, and lived there for awhile.  There is a story that he was kicked out by the Indians, but his family was allowed to stay, but I have been unable to verify that yet.  However he then moved his family to northwest of Van Buren, in Crawford County, Arkansas.  Their daughter, Margaret, was born there in May 1870, but she died three months later on September 7, 1870.

 

The records weren’t clear on the exact location of their home and farm, but best evidence suggests they bought a farm near Dripping Springs Community.  The Farm had a mortgage, and Robert and Mary Ann made payments once a year in the fall, from their crops.  Life was difficult for them but they worked hard.  Mary Ann was pregnant again.  Their daughter, Mary Ellen was born in July. 1871.

 

Their second summer there, Mary Ann’s brother Will came for a visit, apparently escaping for a while from an unpleasant romantic situation in Tennessee. Will was a great help to Robert in plowing the cotton since Robert’s sons, Noah, Miles, and Joseph, were still too young for heavy farm work.  At he end of the summer after receiving a letter from Will, Mary Ann and Robert wrote back.  She thanked him for writing with information about their families in Tennessee.  Then they thanked Will for all of his help.  The cotton was as high as a persons head.  They thought they would make $2000. on the corn in the fall.  She said she hoped to come and visit their parents as soon as the farm was paid off.

 

Mary Ann’s hopes were shattered when just a month later when Robert died suddenly on September 7, 1872.  Just ten days later their daughter, Tennessee, died.  She was just twelve years old. Mary Ann buried both her husband and daughter in Dripping Springs Cemetery.  She was left with a family of six girls aged from 21  to 1 years old, and three boys, Noah 9, Joseph, 6, and Miles 4 years old.  Mary Ann tried hard but she couldn’t herself work the farm and make the mortgage payments.  She was forced to give up the farm.It is thought by some that she probably survived as a tenant farmers.

 

Less than four years later,  Mary Ann got word that her father had died.  Her father, Joseph, had left specific instructions on how  the estate was to be divided.  His three sons, James, John, and Will executed an agreement among themselves as to how his instructions would be carried out.  Joseph’s three daughters, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, and Margaret, each had been given land from the estate, which later had to be purchased by the estate.  Also each daughter would be given a share in the remainder.  Mary Ann’s share would be $800.  Each daughter was to execute a quit claim on her previously held tract and release all interest to their brothers.  Then Will, as administrator, wrote to Mary Ann asking her to execute the Quit Claim right away then her share would be sent when it was received.  Mary Ann responded in a letter that showed she wasn’t going to be that easy.  She wasn’t too happy about it.  She said that it wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but that life was uncertain, and death was sure and if she signed and sent the claim and he were to die and had said nothing about it, she would be out of it forever.  So she sent him a bond binding her to make the deed on receipt of the money, and only gave him to the 1st of July to send it, as she was sure that would give him enough time.

 

It worked out as Mary Ann had asked, and she received her money on June 2, 1876.  She purchased a 160 acre farm near by, from Alexander and Susan Thompson for $800.  The farm was described as NW4, Section 20, T10N, R32W.  Within six years, Mary Ann was able to buy an adjoining 40 acre tract for $200.  It became necessary later for her to mortgage her farm on December 31, 1886 probably for farm, household expenses.  The mortgage was paid in full on December 24,1891.

 

Mary Ann died on her farm on Sunday, October 9, 1892, at the age of fifty eight.  At that time she was a member of the Apostolic Church of the New Testament.  She was buried next to her husband in Dripping Springs Cemetery in Crawford County.  Their graves were marked only by field stones.Tjis picture of her was taken around 1890 with her pipe. Their son Noah was our grandfather’s father.