Christopher Columbus Hamby

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HAMBY

1851-1921

son of Thomas Jefferson Hamby (d1875) and Nancy Byars (b1835 - d1870) was born near Pittsboro, Calhoun County, Miss., Sept. 14, 1851, and died at Prescott, Nevada County, Arkansas, Jan. 31, 1921. Thos. J, Hamby was a soldier in a Mississippi Reg. in the Confederate Army.

C.C. Hamby attended the common schools and one term grammar school; he worked on his father’s farm until he secured a job as brakeman on the old Mississippi Central (now ILL. Central) railroad in 1871. He removed to Arkansas in 1872 in Logan County where he attended High School one term. He moved to Ouachita County, Arkansas in 1874 and taught school, studying law at night and on Saturdays. He was admitted to practice law at Camden in 1876. On Nov. 3, 1876, he married Emily Frazier who died without issue March 30, 1877. In Oct. 1878, he removed to Prescott, Ark., and entered upon the practice of Law. In 1831 he was licensed to practice before the Arkansas Supreme Court and the Federal Courts of Arkansas, On Feb. 6, 1881 he was married to Isabella Caroline Blake (b. 2-6-1863 d. 12-28-1886), daughter of Capt. William James Blake and his wife, Emily T. Peden, to which union was born on Sept. 24, 1886, Randolph Peden Hamby. On Dec. 1, 1886, the Hamby family moved to Texarkana where Mr. Hamby formed partnership with E.F. Friedell, after the death of his wife, Mr. Hamby removed to Prescott where he renewed the practice of law. On Sept. 14, 1887, Mr. Hamby married Bettie Wells, daughter of Elijah T. Wells and Sarah Jane Stephens of near Wallaceburg, Hempstead County. To this union the following children were born: Irma Lee (1889); Leonard Christopher (1891-1918); Helen (1893-1898); Wells Byars (1896); Sarah Elizabeth (1900-1924).

Christopher Columbus Hamby joined the First Methodist Church, Prescott, Arkansas in 1887, In 1890 he was elected State Senator from the 20th Senatorial District composed of Hempstead and Nevada Counties. At the close of the 1891 session, he was elected hold-over president of the Senate and during the illness and absence from the state of Gov. J.P. Eagle, Mr. Hamby served as Acting Governor of Arkansas for four months. In 1904 he was unanimously elected and served as Permanent Chairman of the Democratic State Convention in Hot Springs. On June 4, 1917, he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a member of the York Rite and Scottish Bodies of Masonry; was Master of Prescott Lodge no. 80 for 12 years. He was one of the original stockholders and served several years as President of the Citizens Bank of Prescott; was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for 12 years; was member of Prescott School Board 15 years; was active in 1898 in the organization of the Prescott Water and Light Plant.

Lawyers associated with Mr. Hamby at different times were Eugene E. White, E.F. Friedell (Texarkana), Col. J.M. Montgomery, Robert E. Wood, George R. Haynie, Randolph P. Hamby. (Condensed from his biography written for me Sept 1939 by his eldest son, Randolph Peden Hamby)

Bettie Wells Hamby, widow of the late C. C. Hamby died at her home in Prescott, Ark. June 6, 1950.