Descendants
of
Zachary Isam "Zack" Warren
Samuel Thompson Carolan
Born: January 19, 1852 in Morgan County, Alabama
Died: June 30, 1926 in Logan County, Arkansas
Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Booneville, Logan, Arkansas
Mother: Hannah A. Seeley
Father: William Philip Carolan
Married: Alice Elizabeth Edwards on October 29, 1874 in Scott County, Arkansas. She was born on September 25, 1852 and died on December 28, 1920. She is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Booneville, Logan, Arkansas.
Children:
- Walter Emmett
b. April 14, 1876, Carolan, Logan, Arkansas
d. September 7, 1960, Booneville, Logan, Arkansas - John Wesley
b. January 7, 1880, Carolan, Logan, Arkansas
d. July 26, 1937, Carolan, Logan, Arkansas - Samuel Edgar
b. February 23, 1887, Carolan, Logan, Arkansas
d. January 29, 1977, Booneville, Logan, Arkansas - Mamie Elizabeth
b. April 24, 1890 in Carolan, Logan, Arkansas
d. March 7, 1891 in Carolan, Logan, Arkansas
Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Booneville, Logan, Arkansas
In 1876, Samuel T. Carolan opened a small mercantile business in his home. It became very successful and he built a large store building beside his home. This mercantile business was carried on by the Carolan family for nearly 100 years. The next owner of the store was Samuel T.'s son, Walter Emmett Carolan and grandson, W.W. "Bill" Carolan. After they bought the store from Samuel T., they built a new building and moved the merchandise into it in 1918. The last owner before the store closed in 1974 was Samuel T.'s grandson, Robert "Bob" L. Carolan, Sr. and his wife, Elsie (Kelley) Carolan. They operated the store for 30 years. The building is still standing but was moved across the road by Robert "Bob" L. Carolan, Jr. (a son of Robert "Bob" L. Carolan, Sr. and Elsie (Kelley) Carolan.)
Samuel T. Carolan became a very prosperous and influential man, acquiring a large amount of land. He owned stores in Booneville at two different times and built a cotton gin at Barber, Arkansas, in the early 1900's. In the Carolan Community, besides the mercantile store, Samuel T. owned a cotton gin, sawmill, grist mill and blacksmith shop.
Samuel T. was postmaster at Carolan for 32 years, running the post office, which was located in the store. He was a district school director and Justice of the Peace, as well as a notary public for most of his adult life. He was licensed to practice law by Judge J. H. Evans in 1911.
Samuel T. donated lumber and money to help build all the community church and school buildings, since several buildings had burned in earlier days by "rough elements," as many people called them in those early times.
The old Carolan Store was the scene of many memorable events- some good and some bad. One of the good things was that local farmers could get credit to plant and raise their crops. This credit was carried over for almost a year and was paid when the farmers' crops were sold. Samuel T. and Alice's door was always open to help family members and friends when they fell on hard times. Samuel T. was indeed a very compassionate and helpful man all his life and had a deep love for his family and community in which he lived.
The store had some bad times, too. "Night riders" would ride by on horseback and shoot into the store. Sometimes, Samuel T.'s sons, Walter Emmett, John Wesley, and Samuel Edgar Carolan, would lie on top of the roof and fire back at them. This usually stopped the activity.
In total, three men were shot and killed in the store. In 1890, Samuel T. shot a man, who spat tobacco juice in his face and charged at him with a knife. On two other occasions, a man was killed during a fight in the store, one being in 1902.
People still remember getting their first pair of shoes, candy, or tobacco at the store. Harnesses, plows, dry goods, groceries and many other items could be purchased there.
Before the railroad came to Booneville in 1898-1899, Samuel T. would hire local wagons and teams with drivers about 6 times a year to travel to Fort Smith, some 40 miles each way, to purchase various mercantile goods. The wagons would haul lumber and cotton to Fort Smith to sell. Sometimes, there would be as many as twelve wagons in the caravan.
Samuel T. Carolan died on June 30, 1926. Some of the original land owned by Samuel T. Carolan is owned by the Carolan family. There are many descendents of Samuel T. and Alice Carolan, and they carry a rich heritage of which they are very proud.Home | Favorite Links | Gardens of Stone
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