John William Gann was born in in Paulding County, Georgia on May 10, 1846. His father, Robert Gann, was a large lend owner on Pumpkin Vine Creek. John William was a child of his father's first marriage. He had one brother, Pope Gann, and three sisters: Mary, Martha and Sarah Gann.

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Sometime before John William Gann was 18 years o1d he ran away from his home to join the Confederate Army. He was flag Bearer and carried the flag through the war.

While John William was in the army, his mother died and his father married a widow, Mrs. Armor. Mrs. Armor had been married before to Mr. Brown by whom she had one daughter, Rhoda Brown. After his death, she married Mr. Armor and had Charlotta Jane; also, one son who was killed in the Civil War. She had no children by her third husband, Robert Gann, the father of John.

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When John William Gann came home from the war he met, for the first time, his beautiful stepsister, Charlotta Jane Armor, who had been reared and educated in Tennessee. They married after a short courtship. Rhoda Brown, her half-sister, married Bennett Almand and moved to what is now Nevada County, Arkansas.

John William Gann and his friend, John W. Hudson, decided to move to Arkansas. They brought a wagon and team and few household effects and arrived at Camden sometime in 1872. At the time, John W. Hudson was unmarried.

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John William and Charlotta Jane Gann had 3 small children. They came immediately to Nevada County and home-steadied, jointly with the above, 120 acres of land near the present village of Laneburg.

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 Later, John W. Hudson married Lucinda (Millie) Almand, daughter of Bennett Almand and his wife, Rhoda (Brown) Almond. Then he and Mr. Gann divided the land they had jointly homesteaded. They continued as very close friends all their lives. Mr. Gann bought adjoining land from time to time until he had quite a large farm upon which he and his wife, Charlotta, lived the rest of their lives.

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John William Gann was not an educated man because he did not take advantage of his opportunities. This he always regretted and made every effort to see that his children and grandchildren took advantage of theirs. He died Sept. 9, 1925 and was buried in the Laneburg Cemetery. He had given the land for this cemetery; and also ground for the Baptist church nearby, which building he helped to erect and to which he remained always loyal. He was a strong Democrat. His wife, Charlotta Jane Gann, died Feb. 18, 1929, and was buried beside her husband.

 

 

They had 10 children, namely:

 

(1) George R. Bom in Ga. June 2, 1867, Died unmarried

(2) Dora L. born Mer. 16, 1869. Married J.B. Williams.

(3) Millie EB. b. Feb 10, 1871, Married Elijah Waters.

(4) Eliza, b. Jan. 21, 1875. Married Thomas H. Duke,

(5) Mary born May 7, 1875. Married James Elijah Daniel.

(6) Mattie L. b. Oct. 5, 1877. Mar. 1st, Willard Wren of Prescott. after his death, J.W. Scott of Camden, Arkansas.

(7) Della G. b. March 7, 1880, married John W. Duke

(8) Lucy, b. Nov. 1, 1982, Died unmarried

(9) John Cleveland, b. March 1, 1885. Mar. Julia Woodul of Prescott, Ark.

(10) McRae, b. Jan 7, 1889/ Married Emily Ward of Bodcaw. He died March 27, 1933.

 

The above was written Oct 31, 1941, by Winnie Haynie Hamilton (Mrs. Joe R. from data furnished by Mrs. T.H. Duke and Mrs. J.E. Daniel, Prescott, Arkansas