Biography of Miles Keener, Scott Co, AR

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Submitted by: Charlene Holland <Char@presys.com>
        Date: 9 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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	Miles Keener is the efficient postmaster of Waldron, Ark., and is
recognized as one of the best citizens of Scott County, Ark. He first saw
light of day in Lincoln County, N.C., in 1832, being the, second of seven
children born to Moses and Elizabeth (Drum) Keener, both of whom were
also born in the Old North State. The great-grandparents were citizens of
that State and county, and both great-grandfathers were soldiers in the
Revolutionary War. The paternal grandfather, John Keener, lived near
Rancour's Mills, where Gen. Cornwallis destroyed his supplies during
Morgan's retreat from the battle of Cowpens. Moses Keener was a tiller of
the soil, and first moved from his native State to Texas, in 1851, where
he bought 320 acres of land, and there made his home until 1871, when he
came to Scott County, Ark., and here passed from life in 1887 at the age
of eighty years. He was a strong adherent to the Union cause during the
Rebellion. His wife was called to her long home in 1886, a member of the
Baptist Church. Miles Keener acquired a good education in a high school
of his Native State, which institution he attended two years, at the end
of which time he removed to Texas with his parents. He entered the
Federal Army in 1863 at Fort Smith, Ark., becoming a member of Company I,
Second Arkansas Cavalry, and was clerk in the provost's office at
Berryville, Mo., for some six months. He was then promoted to sergeant
major his regiment, and did service in Western Tennessee and Northern
Mississippi, but was disabled so that he could not do duty in the field.
He was discharged at Memphis, Tenn., on April 20, 1865, after which he
returned to his home in Texas and there continued to reside, where he was
engaged in merchandising and stock-dealing until 1868, when he moved to
Kansas, where he made his home for one year. In February 1870, he came to
Scott County, Ark., purchased a farm of eighty acres and entered 160
acres more, ten miles southeast of Waldron. Besides his residence and
town property in Waldron, he is the owner of 200 acres of land. For a
number of years he was engaged in running a cotton-gin, saw and grist-mill
in partnership with his father, but in 1882 bought property in Waldron,
and soon after made this place his permanent residence. In August 1889,
he took charge of the Waldron post-office, and has had the management of
this office up to the present time. His union with his first wife
resulted in the birth of six children: Thomas J., Ulysses Grant,
Lizzie L., Fannie (wife of A. Hawkins), Sarah and Donia. Mr. Keener's
second marriage took place in 1885, and was to Miss Sallie Frazier, a
native of Arkansas. They have a family of three children: Moses
Marmaduke, Chester Arthur and Susie. The family are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and are quite active in church work, Mr.
Keener being deeply interested in the progress of the public schools.
He had the first sawmill in Park Township, and sawed much of the lumber
that is in the buildings of that section.