Hi: I spotted this while using the Lawrence Co. USGenWeb page that has a search feature. This is probably my ancestor John HInds, father of David Hinds. Both left Lawrence Co. for Crawford Co. AR around 1830/31. John Hinds was a territorial legislator representing Lawrence Co. in the 1825 AR Territorial Legislature. I capitalized the name of John Hinds in the article below concerning the ownership of slaves in early Lawrence Co. Regards, Nan [email protected] ----------------------- Found online at the Randolph Co. USGenWeb Homepage: - the entire text of HISTORY of RANDOLPH COUNTY ARKANSAS by Lawrence Dalton Published 1946 - 1947 Page 134 of Dalton's History of Randolph Co. "Anyway, the negro was at one time a very valuable piece of property. He was looked upon in the same light as a horse [134] or cow. The plantation owner felt that dire calamity Stalked his door any time his slaves were taken from him. Financial and social standing was measured according to the number of slaves the planter owned during the first half of the nine-teenth century. Slave ownership was general. Practically every man of means, and especially those who did farming extensively, owned one to twenty slaves of different ages. When the issue was attacked from a moral standpoint, some few liberated their negroes. Some who had slaves considered it a "necessary evil," but with most owners little thought was given to this angle. A few folks today, in speaking of their ancestors, are inclined to leave the impression that "my grandfather was not a-slaveowner," but we find that most of them were. By checking the early records we find that most of the early preachers were slaveholders. In fact, we find recorded where Eli Lindsey, who was one of the first "circuit riders" of Arkansas, owned slaves while residing in Randolph County. On page 383 of the old record book "B" of old Lawrence County is recorded a transaction wherein Benjamin Williams sold to Eli Lindsey "One negro woman named Penny, one negro boy named Tom, one negro boy named Frank, and a negro girl named Mary." This was September 10, 1822. Lindsey afterwards sold these slaves to JOHN HINDS. Practically all of the civilized world today is free of slavery. We are all glad that this problem is settled and that the practice has been abolished for all time. Yet during that colorful era, when slavery flourished, we find that it was practiced and generally accepted by the peoples of the entire civilized world."