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Our great-great grandfather, Hiram Hess, was born about 1822, in Independence County, Arkansas, the son of Solomon Hess and Nancy (last name unknown).
Hiram appears on the 1830 Independence County census, Ruddell Township, as a male age 5-10 years. The 1840 Izard County census, Washington Township, shows him as a male age 15-20 years.
Hiram's father died about November 1840. He willed his property to his wife and his children. Hiram, being a minor, is not mentioned by name in his father's will.
Hiram married our great-great grandmother, Sarah (last name unknown), about 1847. Sarah was born about 1824, in Tennessee, according to census.
In 1849, Hiram signed an agreement with his siblings concerning the property left them by their father. In the agreement he is mentioned as a son of Solomon Hess.
Hiram was a farmer and a Methodist minister. He and Sarah appear on the 1850 Independence County census in Wallace Township. They were living next door to his cousin Isaac Brookfield Hess, son of Samuel Hess. With Hiram and Sarah are their children Christina, age 3 years, and William, age 2 years.
About 1858, Hiram moved his family to Newton County, Arkansas. He assessed personal property in Newton County for taxation in 1859.
The family appears on the 1860 Newton County census, in Van Buren Township, south of Boxley. The census shows Hiram, age 35, a minister; Sarah, age 36; Christina, age 12; Julia A., age 7; Virginia, age 5; and Sarah M., age 3 years. Hiram's real estate is valued at $250 and his personal property at $50.
Hiram bought 10 acres of land in Section 21, Township 15, Range 23 of Newton County about 1861. Newton County tax records show that Hiram assessed 10 acres of land and one horse that was over two years old in 1862.
We found in Civil War records that H. A. Hess enlisted as a private in the Confederate Northwest 15th Arkansas Infantry, Co. K, on February 15, 1862, at Ozark, Arkansas. The enlistment was for a period of 12 months. Records indicate that H. A. Hess was struck from the muster roll on June 10, 1862, by general orders. We have been unable to determine if this was Hiram.
We do not know where the family was located between about 1862 and about 1873. In 1873, one of Hiram's daughters married in Stone County, Arkansas.
We believe Hiram died just prior to January 8, 1875, in Stone County. His widow, Sarah, applied for and received relief from Stone County on January 8, 1875, and on at least four other occasions before July 1877. She was also listed on the county pauper list during that time. Apparently things got better for Sarah and her children after that time, as we did not find where she applied for or received relief from the county after July 1877.
Sarah's daughter, Julia Ann, married in 1871, and died in 1876, leaving two small children. Sometime between Julia's death and the time of the 1880 census, Sarah took Julia's daughter, Eliza, to live with her.
The 1880 Stone County, Richwood Township, census shows Sarah, age 63, as head of the household. Listed with her are her daughter Christina Meadows, age 32; daughter Martha Hess, age 22; and granddaughter Eliza J. Jones, age 4 years.
Children of Hiram Hess and Sarah
1. Christina Hess, b. abt 1847; AR; m. _____ Meadows, then C. P. Casey on Mar 10, 1885, in Stone Co, AR
2. William Hess, b. abt 1848, AR; d. between 1850-1860
3. Julia Ann Hess, b. Nov 7, 1853, Independence Co, AR; m. Dockery Berry Giddens Jones (our line)
4. Rola Virginia Hess, b. abt 1855, AR
5. Sarah Martha Hess, b. abt 1858, AR; m. W.F.M. Griffin on Dec 6, 1883, in Stone Co, AR