52 Ancestors: Martha Ellen (McCombs) Hoard: A Life Across Three States (1870-1946)
211 N Pettit Ave, Hominy, OK as it appears today For this week's #52Ancestros challenge, I'm taking a different approach. Instead of "At the Library," I'm sharing the story of my ancestor Martha Ellen (McCombs) Hoard, whose life journey took her through Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma during a transformative period in American history. Early Years in Post-Civil War Arkansas (1870-1890) Martha Ellen McCombs was born on July 1, 1870, in Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas. Her parents were John A. McCombs (1846-1921) and Lutitia Nichols (1850-1926). As the eldest of eight children, Martha grew up in Dickson, Benton County, Arkansas, where the 1880 census shows her living with her family at age 9. Martha's childhood unfolded in a rural farming community still recovering from the Civil War. During her formative years, Benton County was experiencing significant agricultural changes. In the 1870s and 1880s, the county led Arkansas in tobacco production, harvesti...