Martin White Greeson

MARTIN WHITE GREESON

The Greeson family end the James Harrison family migrated from Wayne County, Tennessee to Arkansas in 1851, traveling in covered wagons. The settled in Van Buren County.

Hartwell Greeson and Louisa Harrison were married and there were born to them, Martin White Greeson, Sarah H. (Greeson) Guthrie, Gertrude (Greeson) Garner, and Luther Greeson. Luther Greeson died in childhood. Martin White Greeson was born November 7, 1866, on a farm near Clinton and, in 1867, the family moved into Clinton where the subject of this sketch was reared, attending the Public Schools and graduating from the Clinton Academy in dune 1884. He taught school in Bee Branch Arkansas in 1885, in Morrilton, Arkansas in 1886 end 1887; took the Law Course in Cumberland University, Lebanon Tennessee, graduating with the Degree L.L.B. in the Class of 1888. He was licensed to practice law in the state courts, and in November 1988 came to Prescott, Arkansas, joined the law firm of Atkinson & Tompkins. Mr. Atkinson became Attorney General of the state of Arkansas, moving to Little Rock, and in 1895 Mr. Tompkins, under federal appointment, went to Montana for four years, Mr. Greeson continued alone in the practice until 1900 when, due to other interests and the advice of his physician that he should be out in the open all possible, he formed a law partnership with Henry B. McKenzie which continued two years, for the closing out of his active practice of law. In 1913 Horace E. Rouse moved to Prescott, Arkansas for the practice of law and he and the subject of this sketch formed a law partnership under the firm name of Greeson and Rouse. This, however, was largely a nominal partnership, as Mr. Greeson was not very active in the practice.

Since his retirement from the law, he has devoted much of his time to many things, including farming, operating a railroad from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Ark., and oil and gas operations, The opening of the Nevada County oil field was due largely to his efforts.

Civic endeavors called forth much effort from him. In the early history of Prescott, he was identified with municipal affairs, championing the first concrete sidewalks for the town, a municipal Water and Light plant, and a sewer system, all of which are municipally owned and free from debt. He built the first opera house and the first sanitarium in Prescott. He is a member of the Arkansas State Flood Control Commission and has been for some time urging the development of the Little Missouri watershed, conserving the soils end controlling the water for beneficial purposes.

He is a member of the Methodist Church and has been on the Board of Stewards of the Prescott Church since 1890, and president of the Board of Trustees of the Church for many years. He has also been active in Masonic circles, early taking all of York Rite Masonry, and is now the senior living Past Grand Master of the state of Arkansas. Mr. Greeson was married to Carrie Tedford of Brookhaven, Miss. on Oct. 18, 1893. There were born to them six children: Hartwell, Gladys, Beulah, James Allen, Louise, Carolyn.

Data furnished by Beulah (Greeson) Hirst, daughter of the Subject, in the year 1959.

Martin White Greeson died Nov. 16, 1949.