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JAMES RUSSELL HAM
Vol. 3, p. 1307
book has photo

An example of that thrift an energy which enable a man to retire
from active pursuits at a comparatively early age is found in the
career of James Russell Ham of Maysville who, previous to renouncing
business cares in 1909, was one of this city's well known merchants.
While the greater part of his active operations has been set aside,
Mr. Ham possesses an active and energetic spirit which will not allow
him to remain idle and at present he has a number of interests which
occupy his mind. As a citizen he has a progressive and public-
spirited, and at the present he is acting in the capacity of justice
of the peace.

Mr. Ham was born near Hernando, DeSoto County, Mississippi, October
18, 1858, and is a son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Williams) Ham, and a
member of a family that, originating in Ireland, early settled in
Alabama. Stephen H. Ham was born in Lauderdale County, Alabama, in
1831, and died in Northern Mississippi in 1913. When he was ten years
of age his parents removed to DeSoto County, Mississippi, and there
he was reared, educated and married. He was a farmer and stockman by
vocation, and his home was located in Tate County, which was formed
from pates of DeSoto, Tunica, Lafayette and Panola counties. When the
Civil war came on his sympathies were with the South and he enlisted
in the Confederate army, in which he served four years, during which
he sustained a wound in the shoulder. When peace was declared he
resumed the duties and work of the civilian and through hard and
industrious work accumulated a modest property. At his death, which
occurred August 5, 1913, he was considered on of his community's good
and reliable citizens. In politics, Mr. Ham was a democrat, while
fraternally he was affiliated with the Masons and was treasurer of
his lodge for twenty years prior to his death. Mr. Ham married
Elizabeth Williams, who was born in Tennessee in 1834, and who still
survives and makes her home at Strayhorn, Mississippi. There were
eight children in the family, namely: James Russell; Eliza deceased,
who was the wife of Thomas Brewer, a farmer residing one-half mile
from the old Ham homestead in Tate County, Mississippi; Cleo, who
died at the age of thirteen years; Lou Emma, who married John Jones
the owner of 4,000 acres of land at Jayton, Texas; Alice, who is the
wife of William Lashley, a farmer of Tate County, Mississippi;
Perneacia, who is the wife of Madison Powell, a farmer of Strayhorn,
Mississippi; Clementine, who married Sidney Gray, a farmer of
Marshall County, Mississippi; and A. L., who is a farmer at Jayton,
Texas.

James Russell Ham was reared in Tate County, Mississippi, near the
Town of Senatobia, and there attended the public schools. He was
brought up as a farmer and remained on the home place until twenty
years of age, at which time he was married and removed to Scott
County, Arkansas, but remained only eight years. In 1887 he changed
his residence to Muskogee, Indian Territory, where he became a
pioneer farmer and remained one year, and then returned to Arkansas,
continuing for a short time as a farmer of Washington County. On
October 18, 1888, he came to Whitebead, Indian Territory, where for
seven years he was engaged in farming, but finally turned his
attention to mercantile lines, in which he was successfully engaged
at that point until 1903. In that year Mr. Ham came to Maysville,
entered the general merchandise business and built up a large and
profitable trade, in the handling of which he continued until his
store was destroyed by fire in 1909, at that time retiring from
merchandising. He has, however, been rather actively interested in
trading and trafficking, and is a director, stockholder and treasurer
of the Farmers; Gin Company. Politically a democrat, Mr. Ham was
county commissioner of Garvin County for five years, and at this time
is acting as justice of the peace, a position in which he has shown
his executive ability and judicial capability. Fraternally, he
belongs to Maysville Lodge No. 238, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons,
of which he has been treasurer since its inception in 1903, and has
reached the thirty-second degree in Masonry, belonging to Valley of
Guthrie Consistory No. 1, and to India Temple, Ancient Arabic Order
Nobles Mystic Shrine, of Oklahoma City. He formerly held membership
in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.

On November 13, 1877, at Pleasant Hill, Mississippi, Mr. Ham was
united in marriage with Miss Nancy McGuire, daughter of Zial McGuire,
who lost his life in the Confederate service during the Civil war.
Six children have been born to Mr. And Mrs. Ham; William Henry, who
died at the age of six years; Cora D., whose death occurred when she
was four years old; James Austin, who was but sixteen months of age
when he died; D. E. , who is engaged in the real estate business at
Maysville; Charles O., who is engaged in merchandising at Jayton,
Texas; and Laura D., who is attending the public school at Maysville.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Charmaine Keith, October 4, 1998.