JOHN R. MCCORMICK. During the thirty-five years that this gentleman has been a resident of Boone County, Arkansas, he has thoroughly identified himself with every interest of the same, and has been very public-spirited and progressive.
He comes of good old Revolutionary ancestry, as his grandfather, Joseph R. McCormick, fought for independence and carried the scars received in the conflict to his grave. He was wounded seven times, and the last time crippled for life. Nothing is known of his wife and but little of his children. One of his sons, Benjamin F., went to California and died there in 1858, leaving a family. Another son, Joseph R. McCormick, father of our subject, was born in Tennessee in 1800 and was there married to Cynthia Ellis Nunley, also a native of that State. From there they moved to Alabama, and when our subject was four or five years of age they moved to Greene County, Missouri, twenty miles east of Springfield, in what is now Webster County, where the father improved a good farm. There they resided until 1858, when they came to Boone County, Arkansas, and settled near Harrison. The mother died at the home of her son, John R., in 1883, when in her seventy-fifth year. The father died in Greene County, Missouri, in 1863. Both had for a number of years been earnest and sincere members of the Christian Church. Her father, J. Nunley, was probably a native of Tennessee, and died in that State after the war. He was a very prominent farmer. Mr. and Mrs. McCormick’s union was blessed by the birth of nine children: Nancy Jane, deceased, was the wife of J. N. Edwards; Prudie, the wife of Gilliam Hopper, a prominent farmer and stock dealer; Lottie Ann died in Webster County, Missouri, when about seventeen years of age; Mary died in infancy; Washington F. was a prominent farmer, preacher and lawyer of Stone County; Thomas J. died in Webster County when about twenty years of age; Benjamin W. died at Eureka Springs, where he was a prominent farmer and stockman; and two of them died unnamed;
John R. was born in Jackson County, Ala., in 1836, and like many boys reared on farms, passed most of his time working on the same, to the detriment of his education. He remained at home until after the death of his parents, but started out for himself when twenty-three years of age. His happy domestic life began August 18, 1859, when he led to the altar Miss Ruth E. Rose, daughter of Elisha B. and Jane II. (Hicks) Rose, who came from Tennessee to Boone County, Arkansas, at an early date. Mr. and Mrs. Rose were among the first settlers of this prairie, where he died May 24, 1894, aged eighty-six years. He had been a lifelong farmer, and served as Government registering officer for Boone County for a number of years after the war. Mrs. McCormick was born in White County, Tennessee, September 4, 1838. She became a member of the Christian Church in her early life, and has been a consistent Christian.
Her marriage to Mr. McCormick resulted in the birth of ten children: Thomas, the oldest child, died when thirteen months old; Mary died when little over a year old; Cicero died when fifteen years old; Anna is the wife of J. P. Johnson, of this county; Benjamin F. married Rhoda B. Dearing, December 24, 1893; John R., Alice, Eva, and Prudie are yet remaining at home; Archie, the youngest child, died when fourteen months old. B. F. McCormick and J. P. Johnson, his brother-in-law, have been engaged in the live stock business and ranching for seven or eight years. B. F. is attending to the business while Mr. Johnson is studying law. Since 1865 Mr. McCormick has lived on his present farm three miles northwest of Harrison, where he has 660 acres of land in different tracts, and 500 acres under cultivation, all the result of his own energy and industry. He first purchased 120 acres before the war, and has since added to that as he was able. He is one of the most extensive farmers and stockmen in the county, frequently shipping over 150 head of cattle or 300 or 400 hogs at one time. He also raises considerable grain, etc. All his life Mr. McCormick has followed stockraising, and few are better judges of cattle and hogs than he. He is universally respected for his honesty and fair dealings, is well known in this and adjoining counties, and his character is above reproach. He was a Union man during the war, but took no part in that struggle. In politics he is a Republican, but is not active and does not care for office. He is not connected with any church, but his motto is, to do unto others as he would wish to be done by and to respect his Maker, and by following this motto, a more respectable and devoted family was never raised.