Biography of O. S. Abel, St Francis County, AR

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Submitted by: Paul V Isbell
        Date: 19 Nov 2008
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Amid pioneer surroundings in the latter part of the nineteenth century when
Forrest City was a small struggling community of a little over 500 hardy souls
with the Bank of Eastern Arkansas only one year old, the late O. S. Abel, an
early Arkansas settler, founded his well contracting business which today is
being proudly continued by his son and his grandson, James H. Abel Sr. and James
H. Abel Jr., as one of the oldest firms in St. Francis County. The business of
well and house-moving contractors, dates back to 1887 when their sturdy pioneer
ancestor started bringing in his first well in this rich agricultural community.
The last O. S. Abel came to Old Town, Ark., in Phillips County, in 1850 from
Mississippi and in 1886 moved to Palestine. His father had moved from South
Carolina to Mississippi, a few years after the Revolutionary War.


SOURCE:
HISTORY of ST. FRANCIS COUNTY, ARKANSAS, 1954 - Robert W. Chowning

Copyright, with Permission: Weston McCollum Lewey, Publisher
-Times Herald Publishing-Forrest City, Arkansas