Who were the Holt’s of Lead Hill!
The “White River Valley Historical Quarterly” states that the Holt Family from the East (Virginia and later Tennessee) were among the first settlers in the ‘White River Valley. Fielding Holt (1767-1860) was born in Virginia migrated in 1806 with his family including son, William Henderson Fielding Holt (1799-1860) to Cannon County, Tennessee. It was here near Bradyville, that 20-year-old son William Henderson Fielding Holt married Mary L. Stevens in 1819.
Sometime after 1839 William and his wife Mary L. Stevens loaded a covered wagon with their belongings and then seven children, and traveled six weeks westward, stopping in Ozark County, Missouri near Theodosia. They remained there for ten years until 1849 when they moved southward into Arkansas settling above the mouth of Shoal Creek on the White River. They settled near neighbors Joe and Patsy Magness who had arrived in 1827 and gave their name to the Magness Bottoms on White River.
Silas Turnbo who would later marry William and Mary’s granddaughter Mary Matilda Holt and wrote 44 stories referencing the Holt family and referring to William H. F Holt as Uncle Billy Holt and Mary L as Aunt Polly.
Here on the left bank of White River just above the mouth of Shoal Creek and over the line in Boone County, Ark. is where Uncle Billy and Mary Holt lived from 1848 until his death the 21st of November 1860. Uncle Billy Holt was a farmer and raised livestock He raised an abundance of corn and always extended a helping hand to the needy that made an effort to help themselves. He had a set price for his corn. It made no difference with him whether corn was scarce or plentiful. He sold it for 50 cents per bushel, no more nor no less. When the parching drought occurred in 1854 corn crops were very short. Many settlers experienced great difficulty in securing enough corn for bread. Some could not get it at all and had do without bread. During that dry year Uncle Billy Holt raised enough corn for his own use and some to spare to those that needed bread. He could have sold all his surplus corn at an extortionate price but he refused to do it. This noble man divided and sold all the corn he had for 50 cents.
To show the generosity and Christian like nature of this man Silas Turnbo related one incident. One day in the early spring of 1855 a man by the name of Blair came to Uncle Billy’s house and informed him that his family was without bread and offered him a silver dollar for one bushel of corn. Uncle Billy being an old farmer and Christian hearted man declined to accept it. Then Mr. Blair offered him $2 for a bushel. Mr. Holt replied that he did not have any two dollar per bushel corn in his crib. The man was astonished for he supposed by this that Uncle Billy had raised the price of his corn to $5 per bushel. Mr. Blair knew if that was the case, a bushel of corn was beyond the money he had and he gave up in despair. Mr. Blair and his wife and had little children and he begged Holt to tell him how much money he asks for one bushel of corn. And Holt replied that he would sell him a few bushels at 50 cents per bushel. At this Mr. Blair was overcome with joy and wept like a child and tears flowed down his cheeks.
William or Uncle Billy and Mary's thirteen children were Fielden, R. S. or Richard, William Hart, James D., Peggie, Nancy, Elizabeth, Matilda, Fannie, Sarah, and Mary Ann. Fannie married W. Z. Pumphrey and she died on Little North Fork and lies buried in the Jimmie Forest grave yard. Peggie was River Bill Cokers first wife. Matilda married Frank Pumphrey. Nancy Elizabeth married Wilshire Magness. Sarah never married. Mary Ann died in the latter part of 1861. R. S. or Richard married Mrs. Ellen Harris a widow lady a sister of Marion Wilmoth. William H. married Miss Katie Coker daughter of Herrod Coker.
Mr. Turnbo writes that he and Uncle Billy’s son James D. were mess mates together in the Confederate Army Co. A. Arkansas Infantry. He taken sick in camp Mazzard near Van Buren Ark. in December 1862, and he with other sick was sent to Little Rock on a steam boat, and he died in a hospital at Little Rock in the early part of the night of the 16th of January 1863. The river bottom where Uncle Billy Holt was once a camping place for the red men. A few implements of war and other Indian relics have been picked up on their damp ground. Among the former was a battle axe that the Silas Turnbo found one day in May 1898. The flood waters in the river exposed to view human skeletons and some peculiar ornaments and other things were found with the bones. Before Mr. Holt came here, Mike Yocum was the first settler on the land.
Uncle Billy’s son William Hart Holt married Catherine Coker the daughter of Harrod Coker and Granddaughter of Pioneer Settler Joe Coker on March 29, 1866, in Boone, Arkansas. William Hart Holt was born on March 16, 1839, and served for the confederacy during the Civil war. Silas Turnbo wrote that William Hart and his brother R. S were gallant soldiers in the 14th Arkansas Infantry. William Hart and Catherine Coker Holt had nine children in 21 years. He died in 1923 in Lead Hill, Arkansas, at the age of 84.
William Hart and Catharine’s grandson William Fielding Holt married Maude Austin. Their children included Fred Gladys Faye Holt Richey, Beatrice Mae Holt Davis, Bonis Ray (Jid) Holt, Arkie Gray Holt, John Roy Holt, Ella Katheryn Holt Kellogg, Charles Howell Holt and two children Fred and Arkie died in childhood. William Fielding was a successful business until the hardship of the depression and his early death at the age of 55 having had 8 children in their 35 years of marriage.
Gladys Fay born in 1903 married Phil Richey and lived, most of her life in Lead Hill raising their seven children there. John Bill, James Moore, Birt Leon, Betty Jean, Charles Richard, Frankie Sue, and Mary Kay. Phil was a farmer and farmed on the DeShields Creek which had been home to his mother’s family. He also worked for the Boone County Road Department. Fay cooked for miners in a tent café during the mining days of Lead Hill and later at the school. Phil and Fay Holt Richey were married 73 years and had seven children, and Fay died at the age of 93.
Beatrice married Jeff Davis and living in Harrison she was active in community activities, the Eagle Heights Baptist Church and in the Eastern Star. She and Jeff who worked for the Arkansas Highway Dept for 36 years raised five sons: John, Jimmy, Bill, Dick, and Jack. Bea died at the age of 79.
Bonnis Ray Holt was born in 1907. He married Mary Smart on February 28, 1929, in Marion, Arkansas. He and Mary moved to Tulsa Oklahoma. They had one daughter Betty Jo Holt. and he died in Tulsa at the age of 54.
John Roy Holt was born in 1913, in Lead Hill. He married Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 19, 1933, in Harrison, Arkansas. They had four children during their marriage. John Roy like his father before him was businessman, building a store in South Lead Hill and being very active in the Southside Baptist Church. Before his untimely death at 55. He was considered to be one of the up-and-coming political voices in the area and in the state. John Roy Holt had gotten his education through hard work. During the depression his father’s Holt family business had failed and young John Roy went to work hauling rail road ties. He met Ruth Davis in 1930 and after dating for three years John Roy borrowed $40 to get married. they dated for three years. When his son David Ray was born John Roy sold his saddle to pay the Doctor. John Roy was elected and served as Boone County Judge. He had four children, David Ray, James Ross, and Judy. two boys a girl and a son Charles who died in childhood. John Roy and Ruth had six grandchildren. His grandson son David Holt recently retired as the manager of the Harrison Verizon store. He died on March 17, 1969, in Harrison, Arkansas, at the age of 55, and was buried there.
Ella Katheryn Holt was born in 1918, in Lead Hill. Katheryn graduated from Lead Hill School playing basketball and other school activities. She met and married Fritz W Kellogg whose parents operated the Lead Hill Telephone Company on May 27, 1937. Moving to California she and husband Fritz operated a successful air plane parts repair business. They had one child, Marie Elena Kellogg Hubbell. Katheryn died in California, at the age of 92.
Charles Howell Holt was born in 1921, in Lead Hill. His father passed away when Charles was only 13. He graduated from the Lead Hill School and married his high school sweetheart Susan Eileen Brown on January 24, 1942. Howell had a successful career with the Arkansas Department of Finance as a supervisor. His wife Eileen Brown Holt was a loved and respected Elementary Teacher. Mrs. Holt who taught generations of students in Lead Hill began her teaching career following HS graduation in the Dodd City school rooming in the large house next to the school. Howell was active in the South Side Baptist Church, serving in many leadership positions. He and Eileen had two daughters Halita Holt Dehan and Natalie Holt Garrison. Howell died at the age of 55 in Lead Hill and is buried there.
HOLT FAMILY STORIES from Silas Turnbo
WM. HOLT AND FAMILY AND THE HOLT FARM
By S. C. Turnbo
On the left bank of White River just above the mouth of Shoal Creek and over the line in Boone County, Ark. is where Billy Holt lived from 1848 until his death the 21st of November 1860. Mr. Holt was a farmer and stock raiser and raised an abundance of corn and always extended a helping hand to the needy that made an effort to aid themselves. He had a set price for his corn. It made no difference with him whether corn was scarce or plentiful. He sold it for 50 cts per bushel, no more nor no less, he said that corn was worth that to raise it. When the parching draught occurred in 1854 corn crops were cut off very short. Many settlers experienced great difficulty in securing enough corn for bread. Some could not get it at all and had do without bread until another crop was grown. Farmers and others were not compelled to buy feed for their plow horses during the crop season of 1855 for they made a crop off of the grass. During that dry year Mr. Holt raised enough corn for his own use and some to spare to those that needed bread. He could have sold all his surplus corn at an extortionate price but he refused to do it. This noble man divided all the corn he had to spare among those without bread at his standing price 50 cts. per bushel. To show the generosity and christian like nature of this man we will relate one incident. One day in the early spring of 1855 a man by the name of Blair came to his house and informed him that his family was without bread and offered him a silver dollar for one bushel of corn. The old farmer and christian hearted man declined to accept it. Then Mr. Blair offered him $2 for a bushel. Mr. Holt replied that he did not have any two dollar per bushel corn in his crib. The man was astonished for he supposed by this that the old farmer had raised the price of his corn to $5 per bushel and if that was the case a bushel of corn was beyond his reach with the means he had and gave up in despair for he had a wife and some little children and he begged Holt to tell him how much money he ask for one bushel of corn. And Holt replied that he would sell him a few bushels at 50 cts per bushel. At this the man Blair was overcome with joy and wept like a child and tears flowed down his cheeks. Mr. Holt’s wife’s name was named Mary L. or Aunt Polly as she was called. Their children were Fielden, R. S. or Richard, William H., James D., Peggie, Nancy, Elizabeth, Matilda, Fannie, Sarah, and Mary Ann. Fannie married W. Z. Pumphrey and she died on Little North Fork and lies buried in the Jimmie Forest grave yard. Peggie was River Bill Cokers first wife. Matilda married Frank Pumphrey. Nancy Elizabeth married Wilshire Magness. Sarah never married. Mary Ann died in the latter part of 1861. R. S. or Richard married Mrs. Ellen Harris a widow lady a sister of Marion Wilmoth. William H. married Miss Katie Coker daughter of Herron Coker. I and James D. were mess mates together in the Confederate Army Co. A. 27th Arkansas Infantry. He taken sick in camp Mazzard near Van Buren Ark. in December 1862, and he with other sick was sent from Apadra Bluff to Little Rock on a steam boat, and he died in a hospital at Little Rock in the early part of the night of the 16th of January 1863. R. S. and William H. were gallant soldiers in the 14th Arkansas Infantry. The river bottom where Mr. Holt lived which is now owned by his son R. S. Holt was once a camping place for the red men. A few impliments of war and other Indian relics have been picked up on their damp ground. Among the former was a battle axe that the writer found one day after the freshet in White River in May 1898. The flood waters in the river exposed to view human skeletons and some peculiar ornaments and other things were found with the bones. Before Mr. Holt came here, Dave Jones lived here a while. Jones was preceded here by a man of the name of Cobb and Dan Rhodes lived here before Cobb did. But Mike Yocum was the first settler here which we refer to elsewhere.
THE YOUNG MAN WAS TRUE TO HIS BENEFACTOR
By S. C. Turnbo
Hundreds of men proved true and faithful to their charge in war times. These men would rather die than reveal the Thereabouts of a friend that an enemy was hunting to kill. Mr. R. S. Holt of Lead Hill, Arkansas, gives an account of a case of this kind which we give here to show the fidelity of a young man to his benefactor. Mr. Holt said that some years before the war while he was living with his father on the farm just above the mouth of Shoal Creek in what is now Boone County, Arkansas, he started up to Dubuque one morning and he met a stripling boy in the Jake Nave Bend of White River. he was a sickly looking lad and was chilling, bare footed and thinly clothed he said he was an orphan and that he was born In Sharp County, Arkansas, and give his name as Jim Turpin. The boy was a pitiable looking being and seemed to be telling me the truth and I took compassion on the child and brought him home with me and prepared clothes and medicine for him and other attention that he needed until he recovered his strength. As he seemed to be a good hearted boy and true to his word as well as being industrious we kept him with us and I never regretted bringing him home with me and caring for him until he was able to recompense us with labor on the farm. My father died as the war was brewing up and when It did come myself and brothers and the Pumphrey boys, who were living with us, could not remain at home and Jim Turpin being only a boy stayed with the family to assist them with the work. On day at the greatest heat of the war an armed force of the enemy rode up and dismounted and took young Turpin out of the house and made him go behind the barn with them where they demanded of him where myself and Bill Pumphrey were. Of course Turpin did not Know exactly where we were but he knew close about it. But he refused to give them the least benefit of his knowledge. They beat him on his body, head and face until he was badly hurt, but he held out faithful and refused to give them any Information. Then they proceed to hang him for a short while and lower him until he could breathe again, then pull him up again and let him down, before he was dead. It was a terrible ordeal to have to pass through, but he was true grit to the last his neck was badly Injured while being suspended. They would curse him and threatened to Kill him if he did not divulge the whereabouts of I and Bill Pumphrey. Turpin would curse back at them when we was able to talk and told them If he lived to be grown he would have revenge. After they had tortured him in such a barbarous manner some time without forcing him to betray his trust they went off and left him. After the war Mr. Turpin lived at Ash Grove, Mo., and paid us all a visit in 1870. He always seemed more like a brother to me than a stranger, " said Mr. Holt as he ended the story of this war time incident
An Old Time Country School
By S. C. Turnbo
The pupils that were in the school room in the early days were compelled to use a mixed class of books unless it was Noah Websters Blue Back speller which we all loved so well. There were different kinds of arithmetic and works that treated on grammer was hardly known. At noon and night the scholars toed the crack in the floor of the school room if it had any, to spell by heart. The school room of the present day and the school books are different to what they were then.
At the lower end of the old Ned Coker farm which is owned now by Alex Prewit is a fine spring of water which gushes out of the river bank. This water comes out just above the level of a low stage of water in the river and Is in Crocket Township Marion County, Ark. In the latter 50s a log house stood in the lower end of the bottom and just above the spring, and Billy James was employed by a few of the citizens to teach a three months subscription school in it. The house had a puncheon floor and puncheons were used for seats. Among the students who attended the school from the north side of the river and crossed back and forth in a canoe were Mary Matilda, Sally and George Holt who were children of Fielding and Betsey Holt who lived at the mouth of Shoal Oreek. John Bruce son of Jim Bruce boarded at Mr. Holts and attended school with the children and those who went from the Billy Holt farm were Jim Holt, Sarah Holt and Mary Ann Holt who were children of Uncle Billy and Aunt Polly Holt. Lewis Pumphrey and his two brothers Bill and Joe Pumphrey, nephews of Billy Holt went from the same farm. These boys were children of Tomps and Peggie (Holt) Pumphrey and were living at their uncle Billys. Also Margarette and Fielding Pumphrey children of Frank and Matilda (Holt) Pumphrey attended this school from this same farm. Those who went to this school from the south side of the river were Harry Hudson who lived on East Sugar Loaf Creek and M. P. Rays children, Henry, Mary and Marth who lived on East Sugar Loaf Creek just above the mouth. There were 5 of the Jake Nave children, Ned, Mary, Bill, Dice and John, who lived with their grandfather Ned Coker and went to school here. George and Winnie Coker, children of "River" bill Coker who lived opposite the mouth of Shoal Creek were among the little men and women who learned to spell and read in this school. One day while the school was going on Miss Mary Ann Holt who was a sickly girl did some trivial thing that was against the rules and the teacher whipped her for it. Jim Holt her brother interfered and told the teacher that she had not done enough to deserve a whipping and the teacher flew in on him and began threshing him severely. Jim did not resist except that he looked up at the teacher and says "Please sir scatter your licks" and the only answer the teacher gave him was that he applied the lickery with thicker and heavier. Miss Mary Ann Holt died in the fall of 1861 and her body received interment the old time grave yard at the lower end of the Jake Nave Bend where the moldering dust of her father and mother and sister Peggie lies
WM. HOLT AND FAMILY AND THE HOLT FARM
By S. C. Turnbo
On the left bank of White River just above the mouth of Shoal Creek and over the line in Boone County, Ark. is where Billy Holt lived from 1848 until his death the 21st of November 1860. Mr. Holt was a farmer and stock raiser and raised an abundance of corn and always extended a helping hand to the needy that made an effort to aid themselves. He had a set price for his corn. It made no difference with him whether corn was scarce or plentiful. He sold it for 50 cts per bushel, no more nor no less, he said that corn was worth that to raise it. When the parching draught occurred in 1854 corn crops were cut off very short. Many settlers experienced great difficulty in securing enough corn for bread. Some could not get it at all and had do without bread until another crop was grown. Farmers and others were not compelled to buy feed for their plow horses during the crop season of 1855 for they made a crop off of the grass. During that dry year Mr. Holt raised enough corn for his own use and some to spare to those that needed bread. He could have sold all his surplus corn at an extortionate price but he refused to do it. This noble man divided all the corn he had to spare among those without bread at his standing price 50 cts. per bushel. To show the generosity and christian like nature of this man we will relate one incident. One day in the early spring of 1855 a man by the name of Blair came to his house and informed him that his family was without bread and offered him a silver dollar for one bushel of corn. The old farmer and christian hearted man declined to accept it. Then Mr. Blair offered him $2 for a bushel. Mr. Holt replied that he did not have any two dollar per bushel corn in his crib. The man was astonished for he supposed by this that the old farmer had raised the price of his corn to $5 per bushel and if that was the case a bushel of corn was beyond his reach with the means he had and gave up in despair for he had a wife and some little children and he begged Holt to tell him how much money he ask for one bushel of corn. And Holt replied that he would sell him a few bushels at 50 cts per bushel. At this the man Blair was overcome with joy and wept like a child and tears flowed down his cheeks. Mr. Holt’s wife’s name was named Mary L. or Aunt Polly as she was called. Their children were Fielden, R. S. or Richard, William H., James D., Peggie, Nancy, Elizabeth, Matilda, Fannie, Sarah, and Mary Ann. Fannie married W. Z. Pumphrey and she died on Little North Fork and lies buried in the Jimmie Forest grave yard. Peggie was River Bill Cokers first wife. Matilda married Frank Pumphrey. Nancy Elizabeth married Wilshire Magness. Sarah never married. Mary Ann died in the latter part of 1861. R. S. or Richard married Mrs. Ellen Harris a widow lady a sister of Marion Wilmoth. William H. married Miss Katie Coker daughter of Herron Coker. I and James D. were mess mates together in the Confederate Army Co. A. 27th Arkansas Infantry. He taken sick in camp Mazzard near Van Buren Ark. in December 1862, and he with other sick was sent from Apadra Bluff to Little Rock on a steam boat, and he died in a hospital at Little Rock in the early part of the night of the 16th of January 1863. R. S. and William H. were gallant soldiers in the 14th Arkansas Infantry. The river bottom where Mr. Holt lived which is now owned by his son R. S. Holt was once a camping place for the red men. A few impliments of war and other Indian relics have been picked up on their damp ground. Among the former was a battle axe that the writer found one day after the freshet in White River in May 1898. The flood waters in the river exposed to view human skeletons and some peculiar ornaments and other things were found with the bones. Before Mr. Holt came here, Dave Jones lived here a while. Jones was preceded here by a man of the name of Cobb and Dan Rhodes lived here before Cobb did. But Mike Yocum was the first settler here which we refer to elsewhere.
THE YOUNG MAN WAS TRUE TO HIS BENEFACTOR
By S. C. Turnbo
Hundreds of men proved true and faithful to their charge in war times. These men would rather die than reveal the Thereabouts of a friend that an enemy was hunting to kill. Mr. R. S. Holt of Lead Hill, Arkansas, gives an account of a case of this kind which we give here to show the fidelity of a young man to his benefactor. Mr. Holt said that some years before the war while he was living with his father on the farm just above the mouth of Shoal Creek in what is now Boone County, Arkansas, he started up to Dubuque one morning and he met a stripling boy in the Jake Nave Bend of White River. he was a sickly looking lad and was chilling, bare footed and thinly clothed he said he was an orphan and that he was born In Sharp County, Arkansas, and give his name as Jim Turpin. The boy was a pitiable looking being and seemed to be telling me the truth and I took compassion on the child and brought him home with me and prepared clothes and medicine for him and other attention that he needed until he recovered his strength. As he seemed to be a good hearted boy and true to his word as well as being industrious we kept him with us and I never regretted bringing him home with me and caring for him until he was able to recompense us with labor on the farm. My father died as the war was brewing up and when It did come myself and brothers and the Pumphrey boys, who were living with us, could not remain at home and Jim Turpin being only a boy stayed with the family to assist them with the work. On day at the greatest heat of the war an armed force of the enemy rode up and dismounted and took young Turpin out of the house and made him go behind the barn with them where they demanded of him where myself and Bill Pumphrey were. Of course Turpin did not Know exactly where we were but he knew close about it. But he refused to give them the least benefit of his knowledge. They beat him on his body, head and face until he was badly hurt, but he held out faithful and refused to give them any Information. Then they proceed to hang him for a short while and lower him until he could breathe again, then pull him up again and let him down, before he was dead. It was a terrible ordeal to have to pass through, but he was true grit to the last his neck was badly Injured while being suspended. They would curse him and threatened to Kill him if he did not divulge the whereabouts of I and Bill Pumphrey. Turpin would curse back at them when we was able to talk and told them If he lived to be grown he would have revenge. After they had tortured him in such a barbarous manner some time without forcing him to betray his trust they went off and left him. After the war Mr. Turpin lived at Ash Grove, Mo., and paid us all a visit in 1870. He always seemed more like a brother to me than a stranger, " said Mr. Holt as he ended the story of this war time incident
An Old Time Country School
By S. C. Turnbo
The pupils that were in the school room in the early days were compelled to use a mixed class of books unless it was Noah Websters Blue Back speller which we all loved so well. There were different kinds of arithmetic and works that treated on grammer was hardly known. At noon and night the scholars toed the crack in the floor of the school room if it had any, to spell by heart. The school room of the present day and the school books are different to what they were then.
At the lower end of the old Ned Coker farm which is owned now by Alex Prewit is a fine spring of water which gushes out of the river bank. This water comes out just above the level of a low stage of water in the river and Is in Crocket Township Marion County, Ark. In the latter 50s a log house stood in the lower end of the bottom and just above the spring, and Billy James was employed by a few of the citizens to teach a three months subscription school in it. The house had a puncheon floor and puncheons were used for seats. Among the students who attended the school from the north side of the river and crossed back and forth in a canoe were Mary Matilda, Sally and George Holt who were children of Fielding and Betsey Holt who lived at the mouth of Shoal Oreek. John Bruce son of Jim Bruce boarded at Mr. Holts and attended school with the children and those who went from the Billy Holt farm were Jim Holt, Sarah Holt and Mary Ann Holt who were children of Uncle Billy and Aunt Polly Holt. Lewis Pumphrey and his two brothers Bill and Joe Pumphrey, nephews of Billy Holt went from the same farm. These boys were children of Tomps and Peggie (Holt) Pumphrey and were living at their uncle Billys. Also Margarette and Fielding Pumphrey children of Frank and Matilda (Holt) Pumphrey attended this school from this same farm. Those who went to this school from the south side of the river were Harry Hudson who lived on East Sugar Loaf Creek and M. P. Rays children, Henry, Mary and Marth who lived on East Sugar Loaf Creek just above the mouth. There were 5 of the Jake Nave children, Ned, Mary, Bill, Dice and John, who lived with their grandfather Ned Coker and went to school here. George and Winnie Coker, children of "River" bill Coker who lived opposite the mouth of Shoal Creek were among the little men and women who learned to spell and read in this school. One day while the school was going on Miss Mary Ann Holt who was a sickly girl did some trivial thing that was against the rules and the teacher whipped her for it. Jim Holt her brother interfered and told the teacher that she had not done enough to deserve a whipping and the teacher flew in on him and began threshing him severely. Jim did not resist except that he looked up at the teacher and says "Please sir scatter your licks" and the only answer the teacher gave him was that he applied the lickery with thicker and heavier. Miss Mary Ann Holt died in the fall of 1861 and her body received interment the old time grave yard at the lower end of the Jake Nave Bend where the moldering dust of her father and mother and sister Peggie lies