CROSS CO, AR - MAURICE BLOCK - Bio

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Submitted by: Jason Presley <daclyde@usa.net>
        Date: 1 Jan 2004
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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SOURCE:  Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern 
Arkansas. Chicago:Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.
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     Maurice Block, deceased, was for many years a leading merchant in
what is now Cross County.  He was born in Germany in 1819, and spent his
youth until fifteen years of age at home with his father, who was a 
merchant, and in attending school.  At the above mentioned age his father
wished him to learn the baker's trade, but this not proving satisfactory
to Maurice, the latter left home and went to Paris, where he worked in a
clock factory, doing the fine ornamental brass work and putting on the
finishing touches.  He worked at this until twenty-two years of age.  The
year previous, he wedded Miss Bettie Bloon, a native of Paris.  In 1842
he came to the United States, landing at New Orleans, where he started
out by selling goods through the country, and remained in that city for 
four or five years.  While there Mrs. Block was stricken with the yellow
fever and died, leaving two sons: Losso (who died in St. Louis in 1849)
and Nathan (who is a merchant in Memphis).  Soon after the loss of his
wife, Mr. Block took his children and removed to Memphis, Tenn., where
he continued his business of selling goods through the country for nearly
a year.  On May 17, 1849, he married Miss Anna Woubilman, also a native
of Germany, and in July of the same year, they moved to St. Louis, where
they resided for two years.  In 1851 they moved to Arkansas, settled in
Bolivar, the old county seat of Poinsett County, and here made their home
for little more than a year.  After this they removed to the Cold Water
Spring, and here Mr. Block began clerking for David Block (a man of the 
same name but no relation), and remained in that capacity for two years,
when he became a partner in the business, doing the largest cross roads
trade on Crowley's Ridge.  In 1859 they shipped 700 bales of cotton and
over 10,000 coonskins.  During the year 1858 this firm had the contract
to furnish the city of Memphis with beef, and during that year they
shipped over 2,600 head.  This firm was dissolved in 1859 by Mr. David
Block retiring, and the subject of this sketch moved to Farm Hill in 1860,
and there started a store.  He soon built up a large trade by his honest
upright dealings, and bought a farm which promised to give good returns,
but the war breaking out he was compelled to close the store in August,
1861.  In the fall of that year the Confederate soldiers burned 139 bales
of cotton for him and a large quantity still in the seed, amounting in
all to nearly 300 bales.  Mrs. Block, with the assistance of two negro
women, succeeded in saving a quantity of cotton by throwing the straw
out of the bed ticks and filling them with cotton.  Five months later
this was taken from the ticks and made into two bales which Mr. Block,
with the assistance of his son Isaac, took to Island No. 87, where they
sold it for $1.20 per pound.  During the years of the war, Mr. Block bought
 cotton and cattle, which he succeeded in smuggling into Memphis,
and which resulted in immense profits, as he often sold calico at $1 per
yard, coffee at $1 per pound and salt at $100 per barrel.  These goods 
and others he would buy in exchange for cattle and cotton.  In 1865 Mr.
Block formed a partnership with his old partner, David Block, J. J. 
Hamilton and A. A. Luckey, and started a large store in Wittsburg, at
the head of navigation of the St. Francis River.  Mr. Luckey retired
after six months.  This firm, known as D. Block & Co., soon became one
of the largest commercial firms this section has ever known, doing over
$100,000 annually, and during the last year, 1875, their sales were over
$175,000.  Mr. Hamilton withdrew in 1874, and the subject of this sketch
died on October 14, 1875.  His widow continued his interest in the
business until 1878, when David Block died, and the firm was dissolved,
the business being sold out to J. Hall & Co.  To the union of Maurice
Block and his estimable wife were born ten children, seven sons and three
daughters: Adam (died in infancy), Isaac (in a retired merchant and farmer
residing in Wynne), William M. (is a real-estate agent at Vanndale),
Joseph (a mute, has the position of manager at the freight department
of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, at Wynne), Samuel (died in 1870 at the
age of 13 years), Julia (is the wife of Ben Block, a merchant at
Memphis), Jefferson Davis (a lawyer, present prosecuting attorney from
the Second judicial district of Eastern Arkansas), Callie (wife of B. T.
King, real-estate agent of Springfield), Robert E. Lee (county school
examiner of Cross County) and Fannie, who died at the age of ten years
in 1880.  Maurice Block was long a leading merchant in this section,
and was an active energetic citizen.  He was the father of a family of
children, all of whom are noted for their success in life, and most of
whom have been the author of their own fortunes.  His widow, hale and
hearty, is still living and enjoying the ample means of her husband's
estate, makes her home alternately with one or other of her children.