Among those who deservedly rank among the progressive and rising agriculturists of Randolph Co., Arkansas, is the above mentioned gentleman, who has resided here since 1850 and is now the owner of of 400 acres of as good land as there is in the county.  He is one of ten children, and was born in Monroe Co., Georgia, April 25, 1829, and is the son of Randall and Nancy(Dunn) Hurn, natives of North Carolina and Georgia, respectively. Randall removed to Georgia when a young man, was married there, and there he resided until 1850 when he moved to Arkansas, and located in Randolph County where he died in May 1858 at 66 years of age, followed by his widow about 2 years later at 56 years of age. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he was a Baptist until a few years before his death when he became a Methodists in belief. He was a lifelong Democrat, a farmer of occupation, and after a lifetime of hard labor he became a wealthy citizen.
  His father, James Hurn, who was of Irish birth, served in the Colonial Army during the Revolutionary War and was a participant in many battles, being at Yorktown when Cornwall surrendered. He died in North Carolina. Simon's maternal grandfather, James Dunn, was born in North Carolina and also served in the American Army during the Revolution.  The children born to Randall and Nancy Hurn are as follows: James and Simon Peter, farmers of Randolph Co., Arkansas; Paul A., a farmer of Washington Co., Arkansas; Mark, a farmer of Clay Co., Arkansas; Ezekiel, a minister of the Washington Co. Primitive Baptist Church; Permeila E, wife of James Sammonds of Randolph Co, Arkansas; Nancy J., wife of Ben F. Tyler, a farmer of this county; and Leah S., wife of William Kirk of this county.  Those deceased are John and Matthew, who was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Randolph Co., Arkansas, at the age of 21 years.
Simon Peter Hurn, our subject, began life for himself as a farmer, but afterward learned the butcher's and stone mason's trades, at which he worked for many years.  He started without any means whatsoever, but with the help of his wife, who was a strict economist and an excellent manager, he became one of the wealthy men of the county.  In 1851, he enlisted in Capt. Connors Company, Adams regiment of the Confederate States Army, and during his 4 year service he was in the battles of Saline, Pilot Knob, Big Blue, and others.  He was a heavy loser by the war, but afterwards managed to make his losses good.
   Sarah Jane Alexander, a daughter of John W. and Mary T ( Mostice) Alexander, became Simon's wife on november 21, 1850.  She is a native of the county and was born August 21, 1838, becoming by Mr. Hurn, the mother of 8 children: Matilda E., Mary L., John W., Emily J., Luther D., Peter M., Eliza Ann, and Thomas F.  Peter M. died when 6 years of age.  Mr. Hurn and his wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South for the past 40 years, and he has served most of this time as steward. Politically he is a Democrat.