Most of what I know comes from "Biographical & Historical Memoirs of Independence County, Arkansas" published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889. The subject was William Allen,farmer & stock-raiser, Cord, Arkansas. William Allen was born in Wilson County, TN on 11-24-1815. He is the son of George and Sallie (Johnson) Allen. George Allen was born in South Carolina on 8-2-1781 and died in June 1867. Sallie Johnson was born in North Carolina on 6-23-1786 and died in 1851. They were married in Wilson County, TN in 1805 or 1806. In 1818, George Allen and his family, along with 9 other families, took a keel-boat & sailed on the Cumberland River, for the Red River country. On their arrival at Chickasaw Bluffs (now Memphis), they were informed that the commissioners were negotiating for the Northwest Territory; & as the treaty was successfully completed, & the territory included the portion of country they were then in, they settled there 2-miles east of the present site of the town of Memphis. They remained in the western part of TN for 6-years. Seeing that the rapid settlement of the country was dispersing the game George Allen moved with his family to Independence County Arkansas. George Allen was an old-line Whig, & was under Gen. Jackson in the War of 1812. He enlisted in Charleston, SC. George's father was a Revolutionary Soldier. In addition to William George and Sallie had 6 other children (Elizabeth, Polly, Lavina,George, Henry, & Abraham). All of the children were born in TN. Who were George's & Sallie's parents and siblings? Who were the other 9-families on the keel-boat with the George Allen family?
