My Genealogy Hound

James Potts, assistant cashier of the Citizen’s Savings Bank at Russellville, Ark, was born at Galla Creek, now Potts Station, in this county in 1847, and was the tenth in a family of eleven children, born to the union of Kirkbride and Permelia A. (Logan) Potts, the father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Missouri. The elder Potts was a descendant of one of the old and highly-esteemed families of Pennsylvania where many are still living. The father was reared in New Jersey, went to Illinois when seventeen years of age, from there to Missouri, and in 1828 to Arkansas, where he settled in Pope County on the same 160 acres he made his home for fifty years. He was a very active citizen and at one time was a Government agent in the transfer of Indians from Arkansas to the Nation. He established the post office of Galla Creek, and was postmaster from that time until his death. The post-office is now changed to Potts Station. He made three trips to California, the first for gold in 1849, and twice drove stock to California from this State. He kept a hotel and stage stand, cleared about 200 acres of a good farm, and besides was the owner of other land at the time of his death which occurred in 1878. He had limited educational advantages, attending school only three months, but he was a close observer and student, and thus became a well-informed man. He was one of the best known men in the State. The mother died in 1877. Two of their children died in infancy before the birth of our subject, and two sons were killed in the Confederate Army. After this, for fifty years, there were no deaths in the family. James Potts became familiar with the duties of farm life at an early age, received a primary education in the common schools, and finished the same by attending Hamilton College in Kentucky. He began life as a surveyor, serving in that capacity in Pope County for nine years, and in 1882 was elected county clerk, which position he filled in a creditable manner for six years. In 1890 he engaged in the banking business and is a thoroughly capable and experienced banker. He was married in 1877 to Miss Ada Bradley, a native of this county and the daughter of John M. Bradley, a pioneer of North Carolina. To this union were born six interesting children: Loraine, LeVanche, Sallie, Jim, Grace and Mary.