William H. Churchman

• Sex: M
• Born: 1811 in Tennessee
• Died: 1874 in southeast corner of Subaico Pasture in Arkansas
• Buried: East of Joe Carter's place, southeast in Subaico Abbey pasture
• Notes: On April 2, 1832 William bought 127 acres on the Holston River in Jefferson County, Tennessee, from his father. He and his son, William Jr., later went to join his father in Arkansas. William married Abigail Coker after his brother, James, was killed. In 1854 William bought 57 acres near Calico Mountain, and 80 acres on the south slope of Bear Hollow. This property was later the site of the village of Millard, Arkansas.

  William and Abigail found a beautiful site four miles west of old Ellsworth, on the north slope of Pine Ridge. There was an excellent spring of copperas water which proved, over the following 130 years truly to be "never failing". There are also two other good springs on the 40 acre site. Due to the lineage of the Cokers and Churchman, the place was known and remembered as "Cherokee Springs". No longer needing the land on Calico, they sold it to John Frost in 1859.

  Abigail died about 1869 and William died in 1874. Both were buried in the little family plot at the home place by the spring. None of the Churchman family lived at Cherokee Springs after William's death. He was never able to complete his purchase of that property. The United States granted that section of land, along with many others in this part of the state, to the Little Rock and Ft. Smith Railroad Co., in the 1850's to promote settlement in the region. The railroad people were interested in selling larger tracts of land. Since William only wanted the 40 acres containing the springs, cabin and clearing, the transaction was not made final.

Father: John Wesley Churchman, b. 1774 in Virginia

Mother: Francis ??, b. 1779 in North Carolina -- d. After 1850 in Yell County, Arkansas

Family 1:

• Married:

1. Sarah Churchman, b. ca 1841
2. William H. Churchman, Jr., b. ca 1846 -- enrolled October 4, 1863 at Dardanelle, AR into Fourth Arkansas Union Cavalry -- died March 1, 1864 of a fever while stationed at Dardanelle
3. Nancy Churchman, b. ca 1849

Family 2: Abigail "Abbie" Jane Coker, b. 1819 in the White River country (now Marion County, Arkansas) -- d. ca 1869 in Arkansas -- daughter of William Coker and Elizabeth Hudpath

• Married: ca 1850 in Arkansas

1. Mary C. Churchman, b. October, 1853 in Arkansas
2. John James Churchman, b. August, 1854 in Arkansas
3. Joseph Churchman, b. 1858 in Arkansas

Sources:

1. Article, "John Churchman of Cherokee Spring, Virginia, Arkansas", by Joe Carter from Wagon Wheels published by The Society of Paris, Ark, 1980-, Fall, 1995, pages 30-34
2. Research by Don A. Gibson
3. Fourth Arkansas Union Cavalry - Service Records by Desmond Walls Allen, p. 46
4. Information regarding Abigail's parents contributed by Carrie Shelton