Individual Details

The Hugh Comstock family is said to have left Perry Co TN on 25 Nov 1854 in an ox wagon. This is also approximately the date that Hugh's sister Caroline & her husband William Randel & their family made this move. Probably all traveled together.

Harve and his brother William were raised by various relatives after their mother died. Gratis Comstock says, first with their uncle Sam, but there is no Sam in this Comstock family. "Uncle Sam" is said to have taken them in 1856 to their Aunt Caroline. In 1860 They were living in McDonald Co MO with aunt Caroline Comstock Randell. William & Harve lived with Caroline until about 1861 when Tom Comstock came and took them to his home. Harve ended up with Miranda Comstock and her mother during the Civil War years. Harve related taking a trip on horseback with Mrs. Brown [Miranda Comstock's mother] to central Arkansas to see other relatives - this would likely have been Mrs. Brown's sister-in-law Jane Davis who lived in Johnson Co AR. Harve also stated that the home in which they lived during the Civil War was burned - this would of course have been Mrs. Brown's [Rebecca P. Jones Brown, wife of Murphy Brown.]

In Harve's narrative he also tells the story of Robert Christian, calling him Bob Christie, the man who murdered Murphy Brown & his son Ezekiel during the War. Harve tells of Christian's killing at Fredonia. Although the story is somewhat garbled it is basically correct.

In November of 1866, William & Harve left Tom's home in Missouri and moved to Crawford Co AR on Lee Creek, near Natural Dam along with another uncle, Harvey Alexander Comstock. In 1868, William left the area and Harve never saw him again. Harve went to live with Mrs. Hannah Bourne and her son Whitley.

On 27 Jan 1870 Harvey was arrested and apparently jailed in Fort Smith for having given liquor to an Indian, Andrew Young, a Cherokee, at Dripping Springs on or about 15 April 1868. $250 bond was posted on the 28th by himself, Silvaner Cox and Marion Warden. This was a violation of the Law governing trade and intercourse with the Indian Tribes. Disposition of the case is not in the file.

In the 1870 Census in Lees Creek Twp there is a "J. Gamstock", age 20, living with Hanner Bourn. 13 year old Elias [Bourn] also lived in the house, as does Augusta Daw/Dan who was 15. The spelling and handwriting of the enumerator was poor. Based on location and the information found later in 1880, I feel that this is James Harvey Comstock.

In 1871, Harve went to Johnson Co TX where he worked for wages and learned the carpenter's trade. He came back to Crawford Co, living again with Mrs. Bourn. Then in Dec of 1874 he went with Sterling & Ellen Marlock to Wise Co Tx. He lived part of that year with his uncle Harve [Harvey Alexander who must have also come to Texas - Uncle Harve was in Cooke Co TX in 1880]

Obituaries, Death Notices & News Items Extracted from the Van Buren Press 1875
Fran Alverson Warren
p.44 J. H. Comstock's signature on a petition
“A Move in the Right Direction of Temperance." 1 Jul 1875
Pledge to not sell any spiritous liquors at Lees Creek PO or Oliver's Store or in Lees' Crk Township


Harve applied for 160 acres of school land in Vansant Co in 1876 and build a small house on the land in 1877. In 1878, he took some of his produce and made a trip to the "buffalo range" between the Brazos and Pea Rivers where he traded with the Buffalo Soldiers and took part in a buffalo kill. In the Spring of 1879, Harve moved back to Lee Creek believing that the Texas summers were bad for his health. He never went back and lost the Texas farm.

In the 1880 Census, Harvey was living two households from the family of Nathan Rose and living with the widow Hannah Brown and her son Whitfield.

Married to a daughter of Nathan Rose by Samuel Cox, MG, in 1882 - the marriage record from Crawford Co, is dated 28 Dec 1882. J. H. Comstock was 28 [he was actually 32], Martha Rose, 18.

Obits Death Notices & News Items Extracted from the Van Buren Press 1884; Fran Alverson Warren
26 Jul 1884
JUDGES OF ELECTION
Barker: S.A. Cox, I. N. Burchfield, Harry Comstock

The 1890 Crawford Co Reconstructed Census has J. H. Comstock in the Rosedale School District at S9,T12,R32.

The Van Buren Press, 5 Jan 1895: Eads has a new postmaster, Harvey Comstock has resigned and his place has been taken by S. A. Cox.

The VAN BUREN PRESS of 27 May 1899, listed J. H. Comstock as a member of the petit jury for the next term of circuit court, to convene June 20th.

1900 Census. Union Twp, Crawford Co, AR, Hh 105
James H. Comstock, b. Jan 1850, married 18 years, b. TN, parents b. TN, farmer
Martha W., wife, b. May 1868, age 32, b. AL, parents b. AL
children all born in Crawford Co:
Gratis M., son, b. apr 1886, age 14
Hettie M., dau, b. May 1888, age 12
Charles C., son, b. Nov 1889, age 10
Rosa L., dau, b. Mar 1892, age 8
Cora A., dau, b. Mar 1894, age 6
Elsa V., dau, b. Oct 1895, age 4


1910 Census. Union Twp, Crawfrod, AR, HH 11
James H., 60 married once for 27 years, b. TN
Martha W., wife, 45, 10 children, b. AL
Hettie M., dau, 22, divorced - 2 children [See Monday children below - they are hers)
Rosalie, dau, 19
Cora A., dau, 16
Elsie V., dau, 14
Zora Z., dau, 10
Hugh T., son, 8
Hardy, son , 6
Maranda, dau, 2
Raymond Monday, grandson, 5
Milton M. Monday, grandson, 3
Jesse Burns, Boarder, 32, Farm Laborer


1920 Census of Farm Land Owners
Wanda M. Gray, 1998
COMSTOCK, J.H. Truck and general farmer on 75 acres a mile north of Uniontwon


1930 Census. James H. Comstock, age 79, born in Tennessee, renting a house in Uniontown. Wife Winnie was age 66, b. AL, her father b. in NC, her mother b. AL.

From Tonya Mercer [some of this obviously came from the narrative by Harve & his son Gratis]:
After Harve and his brother were deserted by thier step-mother, they stayed with their Uncle Sam Comstock but then, he turned them over to another relative. This relative beat the boys, gave them little to eat or wear, and made them do all the work. After five years, they found the courage to make matters known to their Uncle Tom Comstock who, at the point of a gun, took the boys away from that uncle and took them to his own home where they stayed until 1866. Their Uncle Tom was away at the war most of the time so their training was left to his wife and her mother and Harve always said those good women taught him admirably. In 1866, the boys went to what was known as the Black Farm on Lee Creek where they made a crop with their Uncle Harry Alexander Comstock. In 1871, Harve went to Texas and learned something of the carpenter's trade. He traveled, hunted buffalo, farmed, and finally returned to Crawford County. In 1898, he clerked in the store of his cousins, Monroe and Randolph Comstock, and bought 75 acres 1 1/2 miles northwest of Uniontown. He was years ahead of his time in farming methods and grafting, and his farm was a show place. He clerked in the store for fifteen years and farmed until his last child married. Even in his later years, he was not satisfield unless he had a little patch to cultivate. At the age of 72 he decided that the farm was too great a burden for him to care for alone, so the old home place was sold and they lived for awhile with a daughter, Mrs. Jim Campbell. They then lived with different children for a while but they soon moved to themselves in Westville, Oklahoma. On January 22, 1940 Harvey Comstock slipped quietly away to his reward He never grew old but remained a spry and cheerful man until his Maker offered him his reward which he was ready to accept. According to his wishes, he was buried in a little cemetary (New Hope) a few miles from Westville by the side of his mother-in-law, Mary Rose. On Sunday, February 28, 1960 his wife Winnie went home to join him in the land behold. On Tuesday, March 1 she was laid to rest by her beloved husband and mother.

Birth	14 Jan 1850	Perry County, Tennessee
Marriage	28 Dec 1882	Crawford County, Arkansas - Martha Winnie Rose
Death	22 Jan 1940	Westville, Adair County, Oklahoma

Spouse	Martha Winnie Rose (1865 - 1960)
Child	Gratis Monroe Comstock (1884 - 1971)
Child	Hettie May Comstock (1886 - 1984)
Child	Charles Cornice Comstock (1888 - 1982)
Child	Cora Ada Comstock (1892 - 1971)
Child	Rosalie Comstock (1892 - 1968)
Child	Elsie Violet Comstock (1898 - 1995)
Child	Zora Lorena "Rena" Comstock (1900 - 2003)
Child	Hugh Tony Comstock (1902 - 1982)
Child	James Hardy Comstock (1905 - 1990)
Child	Zella Miranda Comstock (1908 - 1990)

Father	Hugh Bonaparte Comstock (1827 - 1856)
Mother	Elizabeth Rebecca Weeks (1828 - 1855)
Sibling	William Riley Comstock (1848 - )
Sibling	Thomas Ewing Comstock (1852 - 1855)