WILLIAM P. NORMAN. There is nothing which adds so much to the prestige of a city or town, in the estimation of the public, as a first-class livery stable. In this respect Harrison is certainly to be congratulated. Among her establishments of this kind are found men of great business tact and enterprise, and none more so than William P. Norman, who conducts one of the busiest, best-managed livery stables in the county.
Mr. Norman came originally from Mississippi, his birth occurring in Marshall County in 1853, and he is a son of Jesse L. and Mary Ann (Clayton) Norman, natives of South Carolina, where they were reared and married. From there they removed to Mississippi some time in the forties and there passed the closing scenes of their lives, the father dying in 1874 and the mother in 1892. Both were Missionary Baptists for many years and were well and favorably known over the section in which they lived. He followed the occupation of a planter, and at the time of the breaking out of the Civil War was quite wealthy. Then he lost all. In politics he was a Democrat, and for a number of years he held the office of justice of the peace. His father died in South Carolina many years ago and left a large family. Grandfather Fielding Clayton was a planter, and died in Mississippi. To the parents of our subject were born four sons and four daughters, as follows: John was a soldier in the Confederate Army, and died in Mississippi; Thomas died in Mississippi from a wound received at Atlanta; Jesse, of Marshall County, Miss., was also a soldier in the Confederate Army, serving over two years; and our subject. The daughters were named Mary Ann, deceased, was the wife of A. W. Wilkins; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of T. G. Henley; Caroline is the wife of T. J. Carter, of De Soto County, Miss., and Sallie, deceased.
The original of this notice grew to manhood on the farm, received a limited education on account of the war, and when twenty-one years of age branched out for himself as an agriculturist. He was married in Marshall County, Miss., in 1874, to Miss Octie O. Moore, a product of Marshall County, Miss., and the daughter of Charles and Sarah Moore, natives of Tennessee. From that State Mr. and Mrs. Moore removed to Mississippi, where Mr. Moore died before the war. His wife is still living. Our subject’s marriage has been blessed by the birth of nine children, viz.: Olivia, Irby, Howard, Clayton, Clifton, Jesse, Chester, Kinlock and William. Mr. Norman resided in Marshall County, Miss., until 1886 and then moved to Boone County, Arkansas, locating four miles south of Harrison, where he rented land for one year. After that he purchased a farm and conducted the same until 1891, since which time he has been engaged in the livery and transfer business. He is the only one of the Norman family who moved to Arkansas or the West. Mr. Norman is a Mason, a member of Boone Lodge No. 314, at Harrison, and in politics is a Democrat, casting his first vote for Tilden in 1876. He and wife hold membership in the Missionary Baptist Church.