Jesse Turner, Sr. (1805-1894), judge of the Supreme Court of Arkansas in 1878, was an early resident of Van Buren, Ark., settling there in 1831 and remaining until his death. He was born in Orange County, North Carolina on Oct. 3, 1805. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in North Carolina at the age of 20. He practiced in the courts of Arkansas for 63 years.

In 1838, he was elected to represent Crawford County in the House of Representatives during the term of the second legislature. In 1841, he was appointed by the Secretary of War as one of the examining board for cadets at West Point. Judge Turner was a life-long Whig, and in 1848 was a candidate on that ticket for Presidential Elector, with Gen. Taylor being the nominee. When the Western Federal District of Arkansas was created in 1851, Turner was appointed District Attorney by President Fillmore and served in that capacity until Pierce became president.

Turner was a member of the Convention of 1861 held at Little Rock to decide whether Arkansas was to remain in the Union or secede. At the first session, the ordinance was voted down, Judge Turner voting with the majority, as he was strongly opposed to secession. However, at the second session, in May 1861, once the war had begun, he voted for secession.

In 1866 and 1874, Turner was elected to represent Crawford and Franklin counties in the Arkansas Senate. He was made chairman of the judiciary committee both terms. In 1876, he was appointed delegate at large by the State Democratic Convention to the National Democratic Convention, which was held at St. Louis.

In 1878, he was appointed Associate Supreme Judge to fill the unexpired term of resigning Judge David Walker. The secretary of state report lists him as an Associate Supreme Judge, while a notice at the time of his death says "That he was appointed by Gov. Miller, Supreme Judge to fill the vacancy." Several commissioners show that he served as Supreme Judge in cases where the Supreme Judge was disqualified.

Judge Turner was the first president of the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad, serving 11 years, after which a gentleman from the east was elected president and Mr. Turner was made vice president and served until the road became the Missouri Pacific.

He was one of the incorporators of the Crawford Institute in 1854, which afterwards became the Wallace Institute. He may have been the first president of the Board of Trustees, as he was in 1858 and served until his death. He also was the president of the Van Buren Board of Education for a number of years.

Turner was married twice. His first wife was Violet P. Drennen, a native of Allegheny County, Penn. They were married in 1842 in Pittsburg, Penn. She died less than a year after their marriage began. His second wife was Rebecca A. Allen. They were married on June 21, 1851. She was a native of Warwickshire, England, but had been reared in Pittsburgh, Penn. By this marriage there was one son, Jesse Turner, Jr. He went into business with his father at Van Buren as Turner & Turner, attorneys.

On the evening of Nov. 22, 1894, in company with his wife and son, Turner went to the opera house to hear Col. Robert Crockett lecture of the life of David Crockett. A few minutes after his arrival, Turner was suddenly taken ill, and in a few minutes he quietly passed away at the age of 80.