My Genealogy Hound

A. A. McDonald, circuit court clerk of Sebastian County, Ark., was born in Rhea County, Tenn., 1863, and is a son of Charles T. and C. E. (Rice) McDonald. The former was born in Virginia in 1831, and January 16, 1859, was married, in Jasper County, Tenn., to Miss Rice. She was born in Tennessee January 12, 1834, and after her marriage removed with her husband to Alabama, thence back to Tennessee, locating near Dayton. Charles McDonald was a soldier in the Confederate army during the late Civil War, being next to the last man to get out of prison at Rock Island, Ill., his exposure there being the cause of his early death. He died about 1868 in Calhoun County, Ark., where he had located previous to the war. His widow then returned with her family to her people in Alabama, but after residing there one year returned to Arkansas in company with her father, George W. Rice. They finally settled in Greenwood, in 1873, where the family have since made their home. The children are as follows: Emma E., A. A., the subject of this biography, and T. B. Owing to their mother’s earnest endeavor and good judgment, they have been reared to intelligent manhood and womanhood. A. A. McDonald has grown up principally in Sebastian County, Ark., and secured a good common-school education. He followed various occupations until August 31, 1884, among which was teaching school, and was then appointed chief deputy in the sheriff’s office for Greenwood District, of Sebastian County, and filled this position for over two years. He then resigned the office, and March 1, 1887, accepted a position with Rappenhimer Hardware Co., of Fort Smith, where he worked until June of the same year, and then engaged in the livery business, and worked in the county clerk’s office at Greenwood until January 29, 1888. He then became candidate on the Democratic ticket for circuit court clerk, received the nomination and was elected September 3, 1888. He entered upon the duties of his office October 30, 1888, and owing to his many sterling business qualities, a bright future is predicted for him. He says that if he ever attains to any prominence in years to come it will be owing to the counsels which he received from a good and intelligent mother, whose advice he has always tried to follow.