Jake Madden; Washington, Ark. 1853

direct quotation from the book, "Sam Williams: Printer's Devil", ed. by Mary Madearis, Etter Printing Co., Hope, Arkansas, 1979:

     "Absalom Madden was among the early pioneers.  He became a citizen of Hempstead county about 1819 or 1820.  I don't know his nativity.  He brought with him a number of slaves, several of whom he liberated at his death.  Among these was one JAKE MADDEN, who was a hard-working, thrifty, saving, sensible negro, albeit a full-blood African and black as anthracite coal.  In the course of time he acquired a small fortune amd owned a fine plantation and quite a number of slaves.  In 1853 the Legislature enacted a law requiring all free negroes to accept the alternative of leaving the State or choosing masters and entering a state of slavery.  Jake sold out his farm and slave property, went to California, invested his money judiciously and became quite wealthy.  He has been dead several years."

This book is a collection of memorabilia from the printer of the Washington, Arkansas, newspaper, the Washington Telegraph.

Contributed by: crwjeffers@hotmail.com "Charlotte Jeffers"
Arkadelphia, AR

crwjeffers@hotmail.com