EUGENE S. ARNETT
Was born at Brooklyn, Halifax county, Virginia, on January 30,
1847. He is the son of W. W. Arnett, a Virginian by birth, now a
resident of Saline county, Missouri, and Martha A. Strickland, now
deceased. He had an elder brother in the Confederate States Army,
W. W. Arnett., jr. The first wife of Mr. Arnett was Sallie A. Hatchett,
who died on July 25, 1880, leaving him one son, Willie P., born
December 14, 1872. He married secondly Miss M. H. Dixon, of Pittsylvania
county, their marriage solemnized December 6, 1881. Their
children are two sons: Eugene W. and Alvah H. Mr. Arnett received
a common school education in his native county, and came to Danville
where he began business at the age of 22 years, in 1869, as leaf
tobacco dealer. From 1876 to 1886 he was connected with the firms
of Arnett & Wemple, and Arnett, Wemple & Ellyson. On January 1,
1886, the firm as last named was dissolved, and Mr. Arnett entered
into his present copartnership relation, in the firm of Arnett, Snellings
& Co., proprietors of the Martha Washington Tobacco Works, High
street, Danville. The facilities of the firm, and their volume of business,
are second to no similar house in the United States. For the
past five years Mr. Arnett has been a member of the city council of
Danville.
