Samuel Brooken Stephens was the son of George W. and Sarah Stephens (1st cousins). Born Dec 25, 1817, in Kentucky. When he was about twelve years old, his parents moved to Washington County, Missouri.
About 1843, he moved to Arkansas, and was one of the first settlers on Massard Prairie, south-east of Fort Smith.
He was elected as first sheriff of Sebastian County, when that county was organized in 1851.
Note: The following info taken from Frank Weaver Collection (Scrapbook).
The death of S.B. Stephens, the first sheriff of Sebastian county, at the hands of a Creek runaway negro, July 25, 1855, occasioned no little excitement and regret, for Mr. Stephens was highly esteemed by everybody who enjoyed his acquaintance. This tragedy occured on the Texas Road about, one fourth of a mile this side of the McCarron place, (the old Falconer homestead), and five miles from the town.
Particulars of the tragic event the author obtained from the late Major Ben Hackett, a kinsman of Mr. McCarron-and at that time about 11 years old. Mr. Stephens had called at Mrs. McCarrons house, and while resting on the porch for a few moments-a negro man passed along the road. Suspecting the negro to be a "runaway" or at least a suspicious character, Mr. Stephens, with the assistance of Mr. McCarron, attempted to halt him for the purpose of making him give a satisfactory account of himself. In this they failed, the negro breaking away and running down the road. Stephens then jumped on his horse, which was standing at the gate, and soon overtook the fugitive, who at once turned and grappled with him and stabbed him twice with a long-bladed knife. McCarron arrived in time to throw a club at the negro and strike him on the back of the head as he turned from his bloody work-and continued his flight.
Hastening to where Stephens stood he asked him if he was hurt, to which query Mr. Stephens replied, "I am a dead man", and then fell and expired. The murderer was never apprehended, but circumstances that afterward developed showed him to be a slave of a citizen of the Creek Nation.
(There is no headstone for Samuel B. Stephens, but family tradition is that he is buried alongside his wife Elizabeth in the Steep Hill cemetery).
Samuel Brooken and Elizabeth Standifer Stephens were the great-great grandparents of Milton A. Stephens.
About 1843, he moved to Arkansas, and was one of the first settlers on Massard Prairie, south-east of Fort Smith.
He was elected as first sheriff of Sebastian County, when that county was organized in 1851.
Note: The following info taken from Frank Weaver Collection (Scrapbook).
The death of S.B. Stephens, the first sheriff of Sebastian county, at the hands of a Creek runaway negro, July 25, 1855, occasioned no little excitement and regret, for Mr. Stephens was highly esteemed by everybody who enjoyed his acquaintance. This tragedy occured on the Texas Road about, one fourth of a mile this side of the McCarron place, (the old Falconer homestead), and five miles from the town.
Particulars of the tragic event the author obtained from the late Major Ben Hackett, a kinsman of Mr. McCarron-and at that time about 11 years old. Mr. Stephens had called at Mrs. McCarrons house, and while resting on the porch for a few moments-a negro man passed along the road. Suspecting the negro to be a "runaway" or at least a suspicious character, Mr. Stephens, with the assistance of Mr. McCarron, attempted to halt him for the purpose of making him give a satisfactory account of himself. In this they failed, the negro breaking away and running down the road. Stephens then jumped on his horse, which was standing at the gate, and soon overtook the fugitive, who at once turned and grappled with him and stabbed him twice with a long-bladed knife. McCarron arrived in time to throw a club at the negro and strike him on the back of the head as he turned from his bloody work-and continued his flight.
Hastening to where Stephens stood he asked him if he was hurt, to which query Mr. Stephens replied, "I am a dead man", and then fell and expired. The murderer was never apprehended, but circumstances that afterward developed showed him to be a slave of a citizen of the Creek Nation.
(There is no headstone for Samuel B. Stephens, but family tradition is that he is buried alongside his wife Elizabeth in the Steep Hill cemetery).
Samuel Brooken and Elizabeth Standifer Stephens were the great-great grandparents of Milton A. Stephens.
Samuel Brooken Stephens was the son of George W. and Sarah Stephens (1st cousins). Born Dec 25, 1817, in Kentucky. When he was about twelve years old, his parents moved to Washington County, Missouri.
About 1843, he moved to Arkansas, and was one of the first settlers on Massard Prairie, south-east of Fort Smith.
He was elected as first sheriff of Sebastian County, when that county was organized in 1851.
Note: The following info taken from Frank Weaver Collection (Scrapbook).
The death of S.B. Stephens, the first sheriff of Sebastian county, at the hands of a Creek runaway negro, July 25, 1855, occasioned no little excitement and regret, for Mr. Stephens was highly esteemed by everybody who enjoyed his acquaintance. This tragedy occured on the Texas Road about, one fourth of a mile this side of the McCarron place, (the old Falconer homestead), and five miles from the town.
Particulars of the tragic event the author obtained from the late Major Ben Hackett, a kinsman of Mr. McCarron-and at that time about 11 years old. Mr. Stephens had called at Mrs. McCarrons house, and while resting on the porch for a few moments-a negro man passed along the road. Suspecting the negro to be a "runaway" or at least a suspicious character, Mr. Stephens, with the assistance of Mr. McCarron, attempted to halt him for the purpose of making him give a satisfactory account of himself. In this they failed, the negro breaking away and running down the road. Stephens then jumped on his horse, which was standing at the gate, and soon overtook the fugitive, who at once turned and grappled with him and stabbed him twice with a long-bladed knife. McCarron arrived in time to throw a club at the negro and strike him on the back of the head as he turned from his bloody work-and continued his flight.
Hastening to where Stephens stood he asked him if he was hurt, to which query Mr. Stephens replied, "I am a dead man", and then fell and expired. The murderer was never apprehended, but circumstances that afterward developed showed him to be a slave of a citizen of the Creek Nation.
(There is no headstone for Samuel B. Stephens, but family tradition is that he is buried alongside his wife Elizabeth in the Steep Hill cemetery).
Samuel Brooken and Elizabeth Standifer Stephens were the great-great grandparents of Milton A. Stephens.
About 1843, he moved to Arkansas, and was one of the first settlers on Massard Prairie, south-east of Fort Smith.
He was elected as first sheriff of Sebastian County, when that county was organized in 1851.
Note: The following info taken from Frank Weaver Collection (Scrapbook).
The death of S.B. Stephens, the first sheriff of Sebastian county, at the hands of a Creek runaway negro, July 25, 1855, occasioned no little excitement and regret, for Mr. Stephens was highly esteemed by everybody who enjoyed his acquaintance. This tragedy occured on the Texas Road about, one fourth of a mile this side of the McCarron place, (the old Falconer homestead), and five miles from the town.
Particulars of the tragic event the author obtained from the late Major Ben Hackett, a kinsman of Mr. McCarron-and at that time about 11 years old. Mr. Stephens had called at Mrs. McCarrons house, and while resting on the porch for a few moments-a negro man passed along the road. Suspecting the negro to be a "runaway" or at least a suspicious character, Mr. Stephens, with the assistance of Mr. McCarron, attempted to halt him for the purpose of making him give a satisfactory account of himself. In this they failed, the negro breaking away and running down the road. Stephens then jumped on his horse, which was standing at the gate, and soon overtook the fugitive, who at once turned and grappled with him and stabbed him twice with a long-bladed knife. McCarron arrived in time to throw a club at the negro and strike him on the back of the head as he turned from his bloody work-and continued his flight.
Hastening to where Stephens stood he asked him if he was hurt, to which query Mr. Stephens replied, "I am a dead man", and then fell and expired. The murderer was never apprehended, but circumstances that afterward developed showed him to be a slave of a citizen of the Creek Nation.
(There is no headstone for Samuel B. Stephens, but family tradition is that he is buried alongside his wife Elizabeth in the Steep Hill cemetery).
Samuel Brooken and Elizabeth Standifer Stephens were the great-great grandparents of Milton A. Stephens.
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