Arkansas in the 1800s
William Wilson gave his birthplace as Prescott, Nevada, Arkansas however neither Nevada County nor the city of Prescott were established when William lived there. [1]
Following a controversy over allowing slavery in the territory, the Territory of Arkansas was organized on July 4, 1819. The cotton plantation economy of southeast Arkansas firmly supported slavers as slave labor was the only method of harvesting their crop. The "hill country" of northwest Arkansas was unable to grow cotton and relied on a cash-scarce, subsistence farming economy. Native American removals began in earnest during the territorial period, with final Quapaw removal complete by 1833. The capital was relocated from Arkansas Post to Little Rock in 1821, during the territorial period.
When Arkansas applied for statehood, the slavery issue was again raised in Washington DC. Congress eventually approved the Arkansas Constitution after a 25 hour session, admitting Arkansas on June 15, 1836 as the 25th state and the 13th slave state, having a population of about 60,000. [2]
In 1815 the national road from Jackson, Missouri into Arkansas opened up the area to settlers. This road was also called The Military Road. It appears that between 1815 and 1818 Willis Wilson and his family moved from Missouri to Hempstead County, Arkansas.
About 1818 there were few Baptists in Clark County and Hempstead County and a church was organised at Antioch in Hempstead, near the present town of Prescott by Willis Wilson and others. [3]
I'm not sure if Willis Wilson was related to my William Wilson but it seems possible.
Nevada County was formed from Hempstead, Ouachita, and Columbia counties in 1871 and Prescott was settled two years later. If William lived near present-day Prescott, he would mostly likely have been from either Hempstead or Ouachita County. There were small communities in this area at that time like Moscow, Rosston, Delta and Sutton. [1]
There is no William Wilson listed for either Hempstead or Ouachita County for the 1840 census. In the 1850 census, there is a William Wilson from Hempstead County born in 1829 making him 21 at the time. There is also a William Wilson from Ouachita County born in 1812 who was 38 at the time. The other William Wilsons from this census and counties are either under 13 or aged around 50. [4]
If William Wilson went to New South Wales straight from Arkansas, the first man could well be he.
Another family researcher has suggested that William Wilson may have been part African-American. This was never mentioned in our family however it could be another reason (as well as to look for gold) why William came to New South Wales and why we have no information about his family origins. If William was African-American during this time, he would have been a slave and it will be much harder to find information on him [1]. On balance, however, I do not believe that he was part African-American.
[1] Email from Melinda Dewberry, Executive Director, Nevada County Depot and Museum
[2] Retrieved 8 November 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas
[3] Retrieved 8 June 2013 from http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Wilson-Network/1999-06/0929590344
[4] censusrecords.com
TO DO LIST:
The Arkansas History Commission has a website where you can request photocopies of county records:
The website is http://www.ark-ives.com/documenting/
When Arkansas applied for statehood, the slavery issue was again raised in Washington DC. Congress eventually approved the Arkansas Constitution after a 25 hour session, admitting Arkansas on June 15, 1836 as the 25th state and the 13th slave state, having a population of about 60,000. [2]
In 1815 the national road from Jackson, Missouri into Arkansas opened up the area to settlers. This road was also called The Military Road. It appears that between 1815 and 1818 Willis Wilson and his family moved from Missouri to Hempstead County, Arkansas.
About 1818 there were few Baptists in Clark County and Hempstead County and a church was organised at Antioch in Hempstead, near the present town of Prescott by Willis Wilson and others. [3]
I'm not sure if Willis Wilson was related to my William Wilson but it seems possible.
Nevada County was formed from Hempstead, Ouachita, and Columbia counties in 1871 and Prescott was settled two years later. If William lived near present-day Prescott, he would mostly likely have been from either Hempstead or Ouachita County. There were small communities in this area at that time like Moscow, Rosston, Delta and Sutton. [1]
There is no William Wilson listed for either Hempstead or Ouachita County for the 1840 census. In the 1850 census, there is a William Wilson from Hempstead County born in 1829 making him 21 at the time. There is also a William Wilson from Ouachita County born in 1812 who was 38 at the time. The other William Wilsons from this census and counties are either under 13 or aged around 50. [4]
If William Wilson went to New South Wales straight from Arkansas, the first man could well be he.
Another family researcher has suggested that William Wilson may have been part African-American. This was never mentioned in our family however it could be another reason (as well as to look for gold) why William came to New South Wales and why we have no information about his family origins. If William was African-American during this time, he would have been a slave and it will be much harder to find information on him [1]. On balance, however, I do not believe that he was part African-American.
[1] Email from Melinda Dewberry, Executive Director, Nevada County Depot and Museum
[2] Retrieved 8 November 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas
[3] Retrieved 8 June 2013 from http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Wilson-Network/1999-06/0929590344
[4] censusrecords.com
TO DO LIST:
The Arkansas History Commission has a website where you can request photocopies of county records:
The website is http://www.ark-ives.com/documenting/