M. L. ADERHALT. This gentleman is one of the most extensive farmers and stock-men of Boone County, Arkansas, and although he resides in Harrison he operates a farm about two miles south of that place. He has made his home in this county since 1867, but was born in the Old North State April 17, 1843, being the third of seven children born to M. E. and Mary E. (Rudisill) Aderhalt, the former of whom is still engaged in farming in his native county of Gaston, N. C. His father, Jacob Aderhalt, came from Germany and settled in North Carolina prior to the Revolution, became prominent in that section and there passed from life many years ago. M. E. Aderhalt became captain of a North Carolina company during the Mexican War, during which time he was wounded once, and in 1861 he also enlisted in the service, first as a Union man, but was forced to join the Southern army for the sake of his family and effects. He served under Gen. Lee and took part in the engagements at Richmond and Petersburg. He is a highly honored citizen of the section in which he lives, has held the office of county treasurer, and in other ways has been prominent in the affairs of his county. His wife died in 1861, a daughter of Jonas Rudisill, also a native of Germany and an early settler in North Carolina. The children of M.E. and Mary E. Aderhalt were named as follows: Mary L., who died in 1861; M. E., who is a fruit grower of Florida; Monroe L., the subject of this sketch; Sylvanus, who is a railroad man of North Carolina; Adolphus, who is also in that business in Georgia; J. C., who is also engaged in that occupation in Georgia, and a baby that died in infancy.
In the common schools of his native county M. L. Aderhalt laid the foundations of a good education, and in 1860 he began learning the carpenter’s trade under an uncle in Jacksonville, Ala., and followed this occupation up to 1880 in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, other portions of the West and to some extent in Boone County, Arkansas He has been quite an extensive traveler throughout the Western States and Territories, and besides following his calling, he bestowed considerable attention to stock trading and has prospered financially. His farm in this county comprises over 300 acres, all of which is under cultivation. It is one of the finest estates in a county noted for the excellence of its farms, is well improved with fine farm buildings, fences, etc., and on it are annually raised and pastured a large amount of stock. He has bought and handled stock from northern Missouri to the Rocky Mountains and is well known as a shrewd, intelligent, but always honorable dealer. He has operated in other lines and was at one time the owner of a distillery in Boone County, was a merchant in New Mexico, was one of the organizers of the Boone County bank, and is now vice-president, one of the directors and a stockholder in the same. In the hard school of experience he has gained a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the business affairs of life, and is one of the keenest and most successful financiers of the county.
He has resided in the town of Harrison since 1893 and is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge of this place. He is a stanch Democrat politically, and he and his wife attend the Presbyterian Church, of which she is a member. Her maiden name was Mary E. McMillan, who was born near Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1848, a daughter of William McMillan, who came to this county in 1868 and died in the vicinity of Harrison in 1878. She has two brothers: B. Frank, who is living on the old home farm, and Charles, who also makes his home there.