Samuel Lewis Hudson was born in Madison County, Tennessee, Sept. 2, 1811. He was brought to Lawrence County, Arkansas, by his parents when he was just a young boy and grew up there. He married Nancy Bellah there in 1832, and moved to what would become Newton County.
He settled on a creek that would bear his name. His place was about three miles above Jasper. He was the first white settler in the area.
He was a skilled hunter, killing four bears and five deer in one day. One time he was in the woods with his son, cutting down a bee tree to get honey. He spied a nine-foot-long panther. He didn't have a gun with him, so he chucked rocks at the creature, hoping to kill it. This only enraged the cat, who sprang on him. After a long and bitter struggle, Samuel was able to kill the panther with his knife. The claw wounds on his head and body were deep, and he nearly bled to death. He was able to get back to his cabin with the aid of his son, and recovered there.
He was active in civic life, representing Newton County in the state legislature in 1856. In 1861, he was appointed to the Confederate Legislature to fill a vacancy.
He farmed the area until around 1860, when he built a grist mill above Mount Parthenon. He operated the mill until 1873, when he built a new mill to replace it. He operated this mill until his death in 1881.
Samuel had 13 children by his first wife. After her death in 1873, he married widow Sarah (Wheeler) Blackwood, and had three more children by her. His children who remained in Newton County included James Jefferson Hudson, Reuben Alexander Hudson, John Hudson, and Jessie Allen Hudson. Many of their descendants live in Newton County today.
Barbara LeRoy is the author of “Which Side Were They On?,” a 302 page book listing biographical sketches of the Newton Countians who were involved in the Civil War, available for sale either in the Bradley House Museum or by purchasing online at www.newtoncountyar.com. The book sells for $33.
