William H. Crabtree

Narrative:

     William H. Crabtree was born about 1806 in Tennessee.^4,5,6
     William married first Margaret D. Harpole, daughter of John Harpole and Sarah [surname unknown], whether in Tennessee or Arkansas is unknown. No record of the marriage has been found.^7,8

Moving to Arkansas --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

William appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Lafayette Co., Arkansas Territory, with a household consisting of one male under age 5 (unknown), and one age 20 to 30 (himself), one female under age 5 (daughter Sarah), and one age 20 to 30 (wife Margaret). There were also 13 slaves listed, 7 males and 6 females, including 5 males and 3 females under age 10.¹³
     William and Margaret moved to Arkansas by 1830.
     On 10 Apr 1837 William was granted a patent for two adjacent parcels of land, each 80 acres, about four miles west of Bradley, Lafayette Co., Arkansas, under the Cash Entry Act of 24 Apr 1820. That act reduced the minimum price of public land to $1.25 per acre, and the minimum purchase to 80 acres, but required payment in cash, not on credit. His tracts were described as the E½NE¼, section 8, and W½NW¼, section 9, township 19S, range 25W.^14,15
     On 1 Aug 1837 William was granted a patent for an additional 320 acres of land, two miles south of the prior grant, on what is now Crabtree Lane, west of Bradley, Arkansas, also under the Cash Entry Act of 24 Apr 1820. His tract was described as the SE¼, section 15, and NE¼, section 22, township 19S, range 25W.¹⁶
     William moved his family to Hempstead Co. before 1840, while continuing to hold his plantation in Lafayette Co.
     William appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Ozan Twp., Hempstead Co., Arkansas, with a household consisting of two males under age 5 (sons Thomas and William), two age 5 to 10 (unknown), two age 10 to 15 (unknown), and one age 30 to 40 (himself), one female age 5 to 10 (daughter Sarah), and one age 30 to 40 (wife Margaret). There were also 13 slaves, eight males and five females.¹⁷
     On 1 May 1845 William was granted a patent for 61.76 acres of land about 12 miles north of his other grants, directly on the Red River in Lafayette Co., Arkansas, under the Cash Entry Act of 24 Apr 1820. His tract was described as the NE fractional ¼, section 31, township 17S, range 25W.¹⁸
     His wife died on 30 May 1846.¹⁹

A Second Marriage --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William married second Sophia W. Cobb, daughter of James Dyer Cobb and Rachael Isaacs Jones, and older sister of the man his daughter Sarah had married the previous fall, on 11 Jan 1848 in Hempstead Co., Arkansas, with John D. Trimble, presiding judge of county court, offciating.^9,10,11
     William and Sophia appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Mine Creek Twp., Hempstead Co., Arkansas, enumerated 24 Dec 1850, reporting real estate valued at $2,200. Their daughter Rachael was listed as living with them His daughter Thomas, William and George was listed as living with him, as was John Brady, age 16, and 14 slaves.^20,2
     William and Sophia appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Saline Twp., Hempstead Co., Arkansas, reporting real estate valued at $16,000 and personal estate of $68,500. Their children Rachael, Lizza, James and Emma, and his sons by his prior marriage, Thomas and George, were listed as living with them, as were her father, her sister Alice, and 12 slaves.^21,22
     He was a farmer.^23,24,25 According to his wife's obituary, published years later, he owned a plantation of several thousand acres on Long Prairie, and about 100 slaves before the Civil War. The 1861 real estate tax rolls for Lafayette Co. shows he actually had 1,200 acres and 39 slaves over the age of five there, so it seems these numbers were somewhat exaggerated. According to the obituary the war reduced them to poverty.^26,27 But he continued to list himself as a farmer after the war.^28,29

Life After the War --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William and Sophia moved to his plantation to Lafayette Co. before 1870.
     The Federal government passed a series of acts to raise revenue during the Civil War, including provisions for both excise and progressive income taxes. William's name appears in a tax list dated Jan 1870 showing him at Walnut Hill, Lafayette Co., Arkansas, with an annual income of $728.47, owing $36.42 in tax.³⁰
     William and Sophia appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Roane Twp., Lafayette Co., Arkansas, enumerated 15 Jun 1870, reporting real estate valued at $12,000 and personal estate of $1,366. Their children James, Emma, George and Joseph were listed as living with them, as was her sister, Caroline.³¹
     William and Sophia appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Roane Twp., Lafayette Co., Arkansas, enumerated 23 Jun 1880. Their daughter Emma was listed as living with them, as was her daughter Pearl.³²
     William died about 1891.¹²