Stephen Cantley


was born about 1846, son of William and Electa Cantley. Brothers and sisters of Steve Cantley were: Jackson; John (unmarried); Mattie (Mrs. Thomas Livingstone); America (Mrs. Dave Neal). Half-brothers: Henry; Samuel (b. June 2, 1830 and died at the age of 86 years who married a daughter of Jesse Johnson, prominent early citizen of Prescott).

In Nov. 1873, Steve Cantley married Martha McMillan who was born Nov. 8, 1856, near Camden in Ouachita County, Ark., the oldest of 10 children born to Matthew and Elizabeth Goodlett McMillan. She was still a child when the family moved to what is now Nevada County. She passed away at Prescott 3 days before her 89th birthday and at the time of her death was the only living resident of Prescott who was an adult when the town came into existence.

Stephen Cantley operated a: store at Moscow for Joe Levi (a Jew) who lived at Camden. After his marriage, he moved to Camden, but 2 years later, he came to Prescott and opened the 2nd mercantile store established in the town. In this business he as associated with Capt. John Norman.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Cantley were:

Electa Young; Otis Jackson, Ada, William McMillan, Edward Bryson

My. Cantley died in 1883 and was buried at old Moscow near Prescott in Nevada County. His wife who survived him by 62 years, was buried beside him.

Note: Moscow is among the oldest communities in this section, having been settled before the county was formed and before the Cairo and Fulton Railway was laid.


More Information

Here is a web page with more information:
https://www.depotmuseum.org/images/Nevada_County_Personal_Histories.pdf (click link to open in a new window).