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Col. Eli Dodson
(son of Eli Dodson and Mary Goad)
A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region
by Goodspeed 1894
 from
the files of Wanda June Goad Worland
 and
A Brief History of Alexander Goad
An Early Settler of Madison County Arkansas)
This gentleman is the intelligent, trustworthy and efficient county and probate judge of Boone County, Ark., and in his official capacity  has comported himself with dignity, good sound judgment and judicial fairness.  He has resided in the county since 1881, but has been a resident of northwest Arkansas since 1852, whither he came from Madison County, Arkansas in 1834. 

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Eli Dodson, Jr.
Son of Eli Dodson and Mary Goad

He was born on his father’s farm in White County, Tenn., May 22, 1828, the only child of Eli and Mary (Goad) Dodson, the former of whom was born in Virginia in 1798, a son of William Dodson, who helped free this country from British rule by serving in the Revolutionary War.  Eli Dodson, the father died before his son was born and he was also left motherless when two and a half years old.  He was reared by his uncle, Alexander Goad, and came with him to this State. 
His boyhood days were characterized by farm labor, for he unfortunately received no educational advantages until he reached manhood and after his marriage, which event took place in 1847, and was to Miss Rhoda C. Cantrell, daughter of Abner Cantrell, to which marriage twelve children were given: William Y., Mary, Margaret, James A., Elizabeth, Martha D., Rhoda A., Virginia, Eli S., Alice, Melvina R., and Leota B., all of whom are living except the last mentioned.  The mother of these children was called from this life April 14,

 1870, and Mr. Dodson took for his second  wife Mrs. Mary E. Hastings, who lived only a few months after her marriage, dying in February, 1871.  Mr. Dodson’s present wife  was Mary C. Cantrell, a sister of his first wife, and to them were nine children were given, three of whom are living: Lena M., Missouri and Katie.  Those deceased are Ellen C., Hattie G. Lillie D. and Rosa M. (twins), Louetta A., and Floyd R.  Lena M. is the wife of James Birdwell, and Missouri E. is the wife of John Dees.  All the children of the first marriage are married.  Abner Cantrell, the father of Mrs. Dodson, settled in Madison County, Ark., in 1835 and later moved to what is Boone County in 1855, but died at Yellville, in Marion County, in 1891, his wife’s death having occurred in 1873.  He reached the advanced age of ninety-seven years and was the oldest man in the county at the time of his death. 
Until he was twenty-four years old Mr. Dodson resided in Madison County, but he then moved to a farm near where Lead Hill now is, where he made his home for four years, then removed to Yellville, having been elected clerk of the circuit court.  After holding this office four years he entered the army, becoming colonel of the Fourteenth Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A., and commanded his regiment at Pea Ridge, in which engagement he was wounded in the hip so severely that he was unfitted for duty for sometime.  After convalescing, he again joined his regiment at Memphis, just after the bloody battle of Shiloh, and was in command at the siege of Corinth.  He was in different engagements all the way from that place to Tupelo.  He was then at Iuka and in the second engagement at Corinth.  His health became so broken down that he resigned his commission in the fall of 1863 and returned home with the consciousness of having served the Southern cause with fidelity and courage.  H commanded his regiment all the time that he was in the service and was successful in four or five engagements. 
After returning home he located in Yellville, and having been admitted to the bar began the practice of law at that place in 1865, continuing until 1881, when he came to Boone County.  In 1866 he was elected to the State Legislature and served with ability until he was displaced during the reconstruction period.  He was elected county and probate judge of Marion County in 1878 and served till 1880.  Being elected to the position he now holds in 1892, he, in 1893, left his farm in the vicinity of Bellefonte and came to Harrison, of which place he is one of the foremost citizens.
Physically he is strong and active, is prepossessing on personal appearance and is a good conversationalist.  He is a forcible and convincing pleader at the bar, is thoroughly posted in his profession and has been successful in his practice.  He is a Democrat politically, is a member of Bellefonte Lodge of the A.F.& A.M., and has for years been connected with the Free Will Baptist Church while his wife is a Missionary Baptist.

 

Descendants of Eli Dodson

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

ELI DODSON1, son of ELI DODSON and MARY GOAD, was born May 22, 1828 in White County, Tennessee2.  Eli married (1) RHODA CAROLINE CANTRELL3 1847 in Aurora, AR4, daughter of ABNER CANTRELL and MARY MAXEY.   RHODA died April 14, 1870 in Yellvill, Marion County, Arkansas2.  ELI married (2) MARY E. HASTINGS5 1870 in Marion County, Arkansas6 . MARY died February 1871 in Marion County, Arkansas2. ELI married (3) MARY CATHERINE CANTRELL Bef. 1873 in Marion County, Arkansas7, daughter of ABNER CANTRELL and MARY MAXEY.   MARY CATHERINE was born 1845 in Madison Co., AR.

 

Children of ELI DODSON and RHODA CANTRELL are:

      i.WILLIAM B. DODSON, b. April 23, 1848, Yellville, Marion County, AR8; m. SARAH E. GOAD.

      ii.MARY DODSON, b. November 17, 1849.

      iii.MARGARET DODSON, b. April 22, 1851.

      iv.JAMES A. DODSON, b. December 31, 1852.

      v.ELIZABETH J. DODSON, b. December 30, 1854.

      vi.MARTHA D. DODSON, b. November 10, 1856.

      vii.RHODA ANN DODSON, b. September 03, 1859.

      viii.SARAH VIRGINIA "JINNIE" DODSON9, b. September 12, 1861; m. WILLIAM YOUNG9.

      ix.ALICE J. DODSON, b. September 28, 1863.

      x.ELI SIDNEY DODSON, b. April 01, 1866.

      xi.MELVINA R. DODSON, b. February 21, 1866.

      xii.LEOTA B. DODSON, b. January 1870, Yellville, Marion County, AR10.

 

Children of ELI DODSON and MARY CANTRELL are:

      xiii.LENA M. DODSON, b. September 12, 1873, Yellville, Marion County, AR10; m. JAMES BREDWELL10.

      xiv.MISSOURI DODSON, b. January 18, 1876, Yellville, Marion County, AR10; m. (1) BEN CARVER10; m. (2) JOHN ALVIN DEES.

      xv.KATIE DODSON, b. 1878, Yellville, Marion County, AR10.

      xvi.ELLEN C. DODSON, b. Abt. 188010.

      xvii.HATTIE G. DODSON, b. April 18, 188110 .

      xviii.LILLIE D. DODSON, b. October 18, 188210.

      xix.ROSA M. DODSON, b. Abt. 188610.

      xx.LOUETTA A. DODSON, b. Abt. 1888 10.

      xxi.FLOYD DODSON, b. Abt. 189010.

Endnotes

1.  John H. Ogden Bography, http://members.aol.com/madcounty/bios/ogden.htm, page created  by Rhonda Jameson, lists Eli and Rhoda as being married.

2.  "A Reminicent History of the Ozark Region" - Goodspeed, 1894.

3.  Boucher, Angie, e-mail 7/15/98.

4.  Jameson, Rhonda, http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/1468/census1-1850.htm 10/3/98.

5.  Ancestral Files, LDS, 06May1997.

6.  "A Reminicent History of the Ozark Region" - Goodspeed, 1894.

7.  John H. Ogden Bography, http://members.aol.com/madcounty/bios/ogden.htm, page created  by Rhonda Jameson, (location not included).

8.  Ancestral Files, LDS , 06May1997.

9.  Boucher, Angie, e-mail 7/15/98.

10.  Ancestral Files, LDS, 06May1997.
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