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James C. Knott, groceryman, of Bentonville, Ark., was born in Bedford
County, Tenn., in 1855, and is the son of John and Harriet (Steel) Knott.
The father was born in Bedford County, Tenn., in 1808, and was of Irish
origin. He grew to manhood in his native State and county, was married
there and there lived until 1859, when he moved to Benton County, Ark., and
settled six miles south of the county seat. In 1862 he sold out and moved
to Pike County, Ark., but moved from there, in the spring of 1865, to
Hempstead County, Ark., where he died in August of the same year. His wife
was born in Bedford County, Tenn., in 1815, and after the death of her
husband she moved back to Pike County, Ark., and in the spring of 1866 she
returned to Benton County, of the same State, bought a farm of 186 acres,
five miles southwest of Bentonville, near the former place of residence,
and is now living. She is the mother of five children who lived to be
grown: Frank, who died in 1886, at the age of forty-five; Bettie, who was
born in 1843, and who is now deceased; John, who is salesman for his
brother James C. and who was born in Bedford County, Tenn. in 1848, was
twelve years old when his parents came to Arkansas, was reared on a farm,
and in 1873 married Miss Mattie Jackson, daughter of J.E.W. Jackson, and a
native of Benton County, Ark., born 1855; they are the parents of three
children Arthur, Elma and Virgil; Eliza J., wife of A.W. Hutchinson, who
resides in Pike County, Ark., and James C. The last named was but four
years old when his parents moved to Benton County, Ark., and was but ten
when his father died. At the age of fifteen he left the parental roof, and
commenced to fight the battle of life on his own responsibility. He
attended school during the winter seasons for two years in the country
schools and then attended two years at Bentonville. The following three
years he clerked for William A. Terry, and in 1877 he engaged in the
grocery business for himself at Bentonville. He commenced on a small scale,
but by his good business ability and honesty he arose year by year, until
he has one of the largest and best stocks of groceries in Bentonville. He
has one room 23x102 feet, and an "L" 20x40 feet. In 1880 he married Miss
Ella Peel, a native of Boone County, Ark., born 1857, and the daughter of
John W. Peel. They have two children: Ada and Eugene. Mr. Knott is a
Democrat in politics.
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History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and
Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. The Goodspeed Publishing Company: Chicago,
1889.
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Update 03.19.01 David Kelley 1999 BIO-0120.HTM