CROSS CO, AR - RAPHAEL BLOCK - Bio

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Submitted by: Jason Presley <daclyde@usa.net>
        Date: 3 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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     Raphael Block is a leading merchant of Vanndale, was born in the town
of Tremblade, Alsace, France, in May, 1852, and was the fourth in a family
of five children, born to Herman and Rebecca Block, the father a success-
ful businessman of the old country.  Raphael remained at home attending
schools, until thirteen years of age, and in 1871 determined to seek his
fortune in America, and came to Wittsburg, Cross County, Ark., and engaged
as a clerk for D. Block & Co., but about two years later, became an
employee of G. M. Arnold & Co., general merchants of the same place.  In
1874 he engaged in general merchandising at Wittsburg, being associated 
with B. Block, and they immediately began doing an extensive trade, the
largest in all probability that has ever been done by any one firm in
Cross County.  This partnership was dissolved in 1886, and our subject
became sole proprietor, and in 1887 he bought the interest of J. W.
Killough, of that well-known mercantile firm of Killough & Erwin of 
Vanndale, and since January 1, 1889, has been sole proprietor of this
establishment also.  He has a large and well-selected stock of general
merchandise, amounting to about $10,000, and he commands a large and
consistently improving trade.  He is quite extensively engaged in buying
and shipping cotton, and is an enterprising and wonderfully successful
young businessman, and is courteous, pleasant and cheerful, a leading
spirit in the commercial affairs of the county.  He is quite an active
politician, and is always found at the polls on election day.  Socially
he belongs to Arcadia Lodge No. 183, of the A. F. & A. M., at Vanndale,
and he also belongs to the K. of H. and the K. & L. of H. December 28,
1874, he was married to Mrs. Hester C. (Hamilton) Perry, a daughter of
J. G. Hamilton, a member of the firm of D. Block & Co.  They have had
five children: Herman (attending school at the Christian Brothers'
College of Memphis), Felix, Nina, David and Mary (who died in infancy).