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Loderick and Mary Sauls Matthews
Loderick, the second child of Benjamin and his 1st wife, was a native of North Carolina. His wife, Mary Harrell, was a native of Twiggs Co., Georgia. They were the parents of ten children, all but one were born in Georgia before moving to Arkansas in 1844.
Loderick is listed in the 1820 Georgia land Lottery as having drawn lot 375 section 20 in Twiggs County and that he drew early. Sometime after 1820, he moved his family to Upson County. In the Historical Collections of Georgia, page 665, he is listed as one of the first settlers of Upson County (founded 1824).
One of Loderick's sons, Benjamin Rush, was sent to Arkansas in 1843 to begin the farm. A year later (1844), Loderick and his brother Arthur brought their families to El Dorado, Arkansas from Russell Co, Alabama. A steam-vessel was boarded at Mobile, Alabama and then routed by New Orleans and up the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Red River. They then went up the Ouachita to what was then called the Hill place (and in 1962-called Calion -- about twelve miles NE of El Dorado). The families landed there with the choice of only one road in the county at that time to follow, which led from Champagnelle (near Calion) to Camden. With pioneer and frontier purpose and strength of character, the families traveled to Union Co and El Dorado. There they settled and cleared 1,200 acres three miles north of El Dorado. John Reeves, the husband of Martha (and later Mary) Matthews, both daughters of Arthur, also settled close to this place.
In a history published by Goodspeed Co. of Chicago in 1890, entitled Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas, Benjamin Rush stated about Loderick that:
"The mother's parents were wealthy and influential citizens of Twiggs Co., Georgia. The parents of our subject left Georgia in 1833 immigrated to Alabama and settled in Russell Co, where the father cultivated the soil for eleven years. They then moved to Arkansas, settled in Union Co and became owners of 1,200 acres of land situated three miles north of El Dorado. Mr. Matthews cleared 1,000 acres of this land and was one of the most extensive planters of that time. He was deeply interested in religious matters and was a generous contributor to all public worship. In politics he was an able advisor and counselor in his party and held the patronage of the Democratic Party. In 1851 he went to the Lone Star State and there died in 1855."
In another place in this history, it states:
"Immediately after 1840 the tide of new arrivals to Union County was the strongest; it was about this time that some of the most influential and substantial citizens of which the county can boast arrived."
Among the names listed were Loderick Matthews and his sons Benjamin Rush and Loderick William.
Loderick was considered a large slave owner and had his slaves erect ample quarters for the family and slaves. The virgin forests were rich in beautiful hardwoods and pine trees -- therefore the houses were constructed of logs. With the assistance of his slaves Loderick also built a log cabin for worship in the Missionary Baptist faith. Loderick and Mary, along with Benjamin Rush Matthews were among the seven charter members of the First Baptist Church of El Dorado in the winter of 1845.
When Loderick and Mary were living in El Dorado, an artist, who was taking hot baths at Hot Springs, requested permission to paint a large portrait of Loderick. After Loderick had died, Mary wrote to the artist and asked to buy the picture. The artist would not sell the painting, but did send it as a gift to Mary. It is highly possible that the artist was Peter Byrd (or Bird) who painted many citizens of Union Co. during that period.
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