James Robinson Arthur (1834 - 1905)

Born 30 Sep 1834 in Washington, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 15 Mar 1905 at age 70 in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, United States

Biography

• Fact: Occupation (1850) Job: Farmer
• Fact: Residence (1850) Washington Twp, Daviess Co, Indiana
• Fact: Residence (1850) Washington Township, Daviess, Indiana, United States
• Fact: Residence (1850) Washington, Daviess, Indiana
• Fact: Occupation (1860) Job: Miller, Job Code: 490 - Miller
• Fact: Residence (1860) Harrison Twp, Daviess Co, Indiana
• Fact: Residence (1860) Harrison Township, Daviess, Indiana, United States
• Fact: Residence (1870) Indiana, United States
• Fact: Residence (1880) Harrison, Daviess, Indiana, United States
• Fact: Residence (1900) ED 6 Harrison Township, Daviess, Indiana, United States
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch "A prosperous and influential citizen of [Daviess County, Ind.], who began life as a poor man, but had accumulated a good deal of property." — The Steen family in Europe and America (Moses Steen, 1917)

"Soon after their marriage [James Robinson Arthur and Lettie Steen] established a home for themselves on the Portersville road in Harrison township, seven miles from Washington. Here they spent the remainder of their days. To them fifteen children were born, twelve of whom lived to middle age. James Arthur first engaged in the saw milling business with his brother William, then took to farming and stock raising. He built his home on a heavily timbered tract of land, rived clapboards to cover the house and farm buildings. He went into the wood with ax, and maul, and wedge and split rails to build miles of fence. He cleared the ground, rolled logs, and pulled stumps. He drove yokes of oxen and teams of horses, in rain and mud, and sleet and snow. He plowed, planted fields, and furrows; he shucked the corn with his own hands; cut the grain with a cradle, and mowed the hay with a scythe. He gathered, and marketed the products of the farm; fed cattle, and sheep, and hogs, and drove them to market over miles of rough country roads. With iron determination, he forged ahead through the years, challenged, and mastered hard conditions, and untoward circumstances. By dint of hard work, he improved the land, and fashioned it into farms second to none in the country. He led the community in the erection of better buildings, in the improvement of the soil, in the introduction of better stock, and better products of the soil. His companion in the home was a helpmate in every sense. She reigned as queen in her own home, instructed, and nurtured her children, and provided for them the best of everything available in the home. The children went to school, and church, and each one learned some useful occupation." - Elijah A. Arthur's hagiography of his own father from "Historical Sketch of the Gregory, Johnson, Vance, and Steen Families" (1937, p25-26)

• Fact: Burial Washington, Daviess, Indiana, United States

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 24 October 2017, 02:18), entry for James Robinson Arthur(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:K4FS-RR8); contributed by various users.