Washington Co., AR - Biographies - William H. Engels

***********************************************
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgenwebarchives.org
***********************************************
William H. Engels, farmer, was born in Independence County, Ark., 
August 27, 1830. His father, Henry A. Engels, was born and reared in 
Washington, Ky., and at the age of nineteen years left his home to 
seek his fortune in the West, locating in Independence County, Ark., 
where he engaged in farming, and became one of the leading citizens of 
the county. He was the first sheriff of the county after the State was 
admitted, and held the office six years. He died December 9, 1843, and 
his wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Allen, and whom he married in 
1829, died in 1835. She was born in Alabama, a daughter of Andrew 
Allen. one of the prominent men of Independence County, and became the 
mother of three children: Abraham A., Sarah J. (wife of W. F. 
Woodraff) and William H. The latter was but five years old when his 
mother died, and he was reared by his uncles, William and Abraham 
Allen, of Washington County, Ark. He returned to his father in a few 
years, but at the latter's death returned to his uncles, with whom he 
remained until grown, In 1852 he went to Fort Smith and entered the 
employment of Sutton, Griffith & Co., wholesale merchants, with whom 
he remained four years. In 1854 he went overland to California with a 
drove of stock, returning the following year, and in 1856 returned to 
Washington County, where, in December of that year, he was married and 
settled on the farm where he now lives. During the war, being exempt 
from service, he remained at home and had charge of the Allen 
Gristmills. and in 1865 removed the mills to Farmington, built the 
Farmington Gristmills, and also operated a saw-mill. He laid out the 
town of Farmington, and owned the land on which the town was built. In 
1876 he retired from the milling business and devoted his attention to 
farming, and for about ten years operated a steam thresher. His wife, 
Isabella (Kinnibrugh) Engels, was born in Washington County in 1834, 
and to her union with Mr. Engels four children were born: Mary (wife 
of John Smith), Alice, William A. and Bertha. Mr. Engels owns a good 
farm of 140 acres. with eighty under cultivation, and he and wife are 
devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Engels supplies 
the following data of interest: The first thresher was brought to 
Washington County in 1844: the first reaper in 1857; in 1858 he (Mr. 
Engels) went to St. Louis in a two-horse wagon for a reaper, a 
distance of 350 miles, taking twenty-nine days to make the trip. The 
first steam flouring mill in the county was erected in 1854, at 
Fayetteville, by Stirman & Dickson, merchants of that place. There are 
now (close of 1888) sixteen in the county.