Notes for Abner D Meeks

Notes for Abner D Meeks Our Merged Meeks Families

Notes for Abner D Meeks

Source: Meeks Etchieson

Abner D. Meeks was the second son born to Thomas and Mary Dodd Meeks.He was also born in Inde pendence County, Arkansas on 21 October 1831.Abner Meeks received his education at the commo n country schools.Abner Meeks was married twice.(1) On "September 28, 1855, he marriedMiss B aneta Hardin, a native of Arkansas, who bore him one child,...,and died October 25, 1856. Se ptember 18, 1859, Mr. Meeks was againmarried, to Tennessee Long, also a native of Arkansas, b y whom he hashad six children..."(2) (Goodspeed). Abner's second wife, TennesseeLong, was th e daughter of Alex T. W. and Mary M. Long, and the sisterof William's wife, Margaret E. Abne r Meeks was "a farmer byoccupation, owning sixty acres, all of which is under an excellentsta te of cultivation. He is a Mason, belonging to the Rob MorrisLodge No. 126. He was engage d in the mercantile business atMurfreesboro for fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Meeks are bot h membersof the Christian Church"(3) (Goodspeed).

In 1853. Abner Meeks and Josiah Simpson were arrested for "bettingmoney on a certain game o f chance played with cards called seven up onthe first day of March A. D. 1853." Thomas Meek s paid a bond of $110for his release.(4)

A. D. Meeks and his father, Thomas Meeks, posted bond in the amount of$110 in March, 1866, f or the failure of A. D. Meeks to "appear whensummoned to act as petit juryman"(5) in Februar y of that year.

Abner D. Meeks was again arrested and posted bond in the amount of$150 in December, 1867, fo r gaming. The Grand Jury, during the Augustterm, 1867, found that Abner Meeks, Thomas Roland , and William Meekshad "bet United States currency of great value to wit= of the value offiv e dollars on and at a game of card called draw pocre, a game playedwith cards...".(6)

In the 1870 census. Abner D. Meeks is listed in Thompson Township,Pike County, Arkansas wit h his wife Tennessee and one child, Irene.McDonald D. Meeks, a brother, is listed in the sam e household.

Abner Meeks also apparently operated a "merchandising store" inAntoine(4) and also possibly r an a hotel in Antoine during the 1880'sand there is a reference in an 1884 article in the Sou thern Standardstating that "...and Mr. Ab. Meeks keeps the hotel, where a good mealcan be had ".(7)

In the same 1884 Southern Standard article, there is also a referenceto heavy rains which th e Antoine area had received: "While in Antoinethe heaviest rain ever know in that section fe ll. The farmers onAntoine and Wolf Creeks suffered greatly. In many instances thefields ha d been planted in corn and it was up and had been plowed andhoed out, and the fences and soi l both have been washed away. Greatdestruction was done on all of the creeks, and the prospe cts for acrop are indeed gloomy. We felt sorry for our friend Ab. Meeks whohad a field of tw enty five acres, situated on the bank of Antoinecreek, planted in corn, which had just been w ork over, and it was allwashed away, with all the rails and soil too".

Abner Meeks was again in court in 1887 answering a claim filed byAmanda F. Givins and her so n Oscar X. Givens. Their complaint wasthat Abner Meeks was occuping lands that rightfully be longed to them.In his answer, Abner Meeks denied these claims.(8)

Notes:
(1) Marriage Records, Book C, page 360, marriage to Bonetta Hardin,21 August 1853; Book D , page 128, marriage to Tennessee Long, 25September 1859, Office of the County Clerk, Cla rk
County Courthouse, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
(2) Goodspped Publishing Company, 1890, Biographical and HistoricalMemoirs of Souther n Arkansas. The Goodspeed Publishing Company.Chicago, Nashville, and St. louis, pg 334
(3) State of Arkansas, 1853, State of Arkansas vs. Josiah Simpson andAbner Meeks. Case No . 169. Records on file in the Circuit ClerkOffice. Clark County Court House, Arkadelphia,
Arkansas
(4) Owens, Magora, Wingfield, 1978, "Antoine," IN Early History ofPike County, Arkansas: T he First One Hundred Years. Pike CountyHeritage C;ub. Murfreesboro, Arkansas
(5) State of Arkansas vs. Ab. Meeks, Juror attachment, filed April24, 1866. On file in th e Clark
County Historical Association Archives, Ouachita BaptistUniversity, Arkadelphia, Arkansa s
(6) State of Arkansas vs. Abner Meeks, Gaming, filed December 23, 1867. On file in the Clark
County Historical Association Archives, Ouachita BaptistUniversity, Arkadelphia, Arkansa s
(7) "Pike Circuit Court", Southern Datandard, page 2, column 3. April26, 1884. Arkadelphia,
Arkansas.
(8) Amanda F. Givens and Oscar X. Givens vs Abner D. Meeks, bill ofComplaint, case 244, Clar k
Circuit Court in Chancery, filed August 12, 1877. Amanda F.Givins vs Abner D. Meeks, An swer
case 244, filed August 12, 1887. Documents on file in the ClarkCounty Historical Associ ation
Archives, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas.