B. F. Strong, druggist, of Porter, was born September 14, 1810, in
Ohio County, W. Va. His father, Samuel Strong, was a shoemaker by
trade, and served in the War of 1812 under Capt. Reaves, dying in
January, 1815, from the effects of exposure. The mother, Elizabeth
(Huffman), was born in Ohio County, W. Va., in 1790, and died in 1862.
William Strong, the grandfather, was born in Germany, and came to
America in the colony founded by William Penn. He located in West
Virginia, where he engaged in farming until his death, in 1830. His
wife was also a native of Germany. The maternal grandparents, Benjamin
and Sarah Huffman, were natives of Germany, who settled upon the
Potomac after coming to America, and engaged in farming. Mr. Huffman
died in 1833. Our subject is the only living child of a family of
three. In 1840 he moved to Illinois, and from there went to St. Louis,
Mo., in 1845. Two years later he went to Iowa, and the next year went
to Mercer County, Mo. In 1869 he settled in Crawford County, where he
has since resided. The years from 1850 to 1853 were spent by Mr.
Strong in California. In 1863 he enlisted in the United States
Militia, under Capt. Smalley, operating in Northern Missouri until
discharged in 1863, after six months' service. Mr. Strong is a
carpenter and mill-wright by trade. He is a well-to-do citizen, and
besides his drug business owns five lots in Porter and three good
houses. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and in politics is a
Republican, though his first presidential vote was cast for Andrew
Jackson in 1828. December 26, 1833, Mr. Strong was united in marriage
to Miss Sarah Antill, who was born in Ohio on October 2, 1814, and is
a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Guess) Antill. Mrs. Strong is the
only living child of a family of eleven, and is the mother of four
children living and five deceased. Those living are George W., Mrs.
Sarah Elizabeth Ballew, Mrs. Emeline Lane and Mrs. Ellen Rankin. Those
deceased: Samuel Strong, James M., William H., Thomas J. and Benjamin.
James Antill and his wife, Elizabeth, the parents of Mrs. Strong, were
descendants of William Penn, and died in 1876 and 1852, respectively.
The father was born January 1, 1790, and was a mill-wright by trade.
From Maryland he immigrated to Ohio, and from there to Virginia.

SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed
Publishing Co., 1889.