William Newell Edmonds (1850-1930)

William Newell Edmonds was born in Watkinsville, Clarke County, Georgia in April of 1850.  He was the son of James Powell Edmonds and Rebecca Ann Snow.

William Newell spent most of his early years in Georgia before moving to Whelen Springs, Clark County, Arkansas in the early 1880s.

Two of his younger siblings, Frank and Emma also appear to have relocated to Arkansas with their families around the same time.




On April 30, 1885, William Newell Edmonds married Laura Smith of Whelen Springs.

William Newell and Laura had twelve children.  Two of the twelve children died within two years of birth. 

William Newell Edmonds with Sons

One of the children born to William Newell and Laura was my grandfather, Bruce Edmonds.  In the photograph above, my grandfather is standing directly behind his father.

William Newell farmed and worked at the Whelen Lumber Company in Whelen Springs.  The 1900 census shows the family living in the Beech Creek community of Clark County, Arkansas.

By 1910, the family was living in the Ward 3 area of Union Parish, Louisiana.

No records have been found for William Newell Edmonds since the 1910 census.

The 1920 census shows his wife, Laura, and children living in the Ward 5 area of Allen Parish, Louisiana.  Laura is listed as married on the census.

In the 1930 census, Laura is listed as widowed.  The enumerated date on this census is April 17, 1930.

I have been told that a DAR application was submitted many years ago that stated William Newell Edmonds died on March 25, 1930 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.   Based on the 1930 census data, this date of death is very likely.