Major James Alexander Tappan was born in Somerville, Fayette County, Tennessee on January 17, 1847 to Edmund Swett Tappan and Sarah E. (Williamson) Tappan. He's the father of infant daughter Fannie Dade Tappan from his first marriage to Fannie Dade and from his second marriage to Maggie Lambert are daughters Margaret (Tappan) Merrifield, Martha Govan (Tappan) Spragins, Sarah Elizabeth "Bessie" (Tappan) Jones, sons Robert Edmund Tappan and the youngest Moore Tappan.

Major James Alexander Tappan is the paternal grandson of Benjamin Hall Tappan and Hannah (Swett) Tappan of Massachusetts. He's a younger cousin of Gen. James Camp Tappan buried in this cemetery. He's a nephew of Benjamin Swett Tappan buried in Mississippi, Elizabeth Tappan Balch, Col. Amos Tappan and John Tappan buried in Massachusetts. One of his older brothers Samuel Williamson Tappan is also buried here in this cemetery and his brother Edmund Swett Tappan, Jr. is buried in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

∼James Alexander Tappan joined the "rebellion" in 1863, at the age of sixteen, and was first assigned to Company "A", Sixth Tennessee Regiment, under General Hood. He was later transferred to the Ninth Tennessee, with which command he remained until the end of the war. He served in the cavalry division, attained the rank of major, and was awarded the Bronze Cross of Honor.

At the close of the Civil War, the eighteen year old major decided to take up civil engineering, come to Arkansas, and build railroads---in that order. There was not a mile of rails left in the state, since only the short strip---partly finished before the war---of the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad had been destroyed by Federal troops. Major Tappan was instrumental in building several railroads between 1868 and 1873.

It was in November, 1870, that Major Tappan began survey work for the Arkansas Central Railroad Company on a line from Helena to Clarendon. Both this railroad and the Major (mistakenly called James Alfred Tappan) are mentioned in the Fred Sheldon Diary in the Phillips County Historical Quarterlies for December, 1968, and June, 1969. The railroad was later called Arkansas Midland, and, still later, the Missouri-Pacific.

After the railroad was completed, Major Tappan decided to stay on in Helena. It was a wise decision, as far as the city was concerned. He served with distinction in commercial, industrial and social life, and for a short period in the political affairs of Helena and eastern Arkansas. It was on August 14, 1874, that the Major bought the piece of property on Columbia where he was to later build the home that is still standing.

Major Tappan's first wife---who lived less than a year after their marriage---was Fannie Dade. They had one child, Fannie D. Tappan, who was born December 25, 1876, but lived only two months. She died February 2, 1877. The mother died a few days after the baby was born. Cemetery records show her birth date as April 27, 1855, and the date of death as December 28, 1876.

On November 21, 1878, James A. Tappan, age 30, and Maggie Lambert, age 18, were married by the Reverend C. A. Bruce, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Helena. Margaret Moore (Maggie) Lambert was born to Robert B. and Mary Agnes (Moore) Lambert on March 22, 1860, in Helena.

In August, 1897, he was nominated to serve as one of three on the Board of Improvement of the Helena Improvement District No. I. This District group had been formed to build and maintain a five-mile stretch of the river levee from Helena to the south. Major Tappan had to decline this honor, due to other obligations at the time.

In 1898, Major Tappan was one of the original incorporators of the Maple Hill Cemetery Association. The cemetery had formerly been called Evergreen Cemetery, but had gone bankrupt. So a new association was formed and a new name was chosen. Major Tappan served on this Association for many years.

Mr. Tappan was elected to the office of Mayor on April 4, 1899. But, only one and one-half months after taking office, Mayor Tappan resigned. He was asked to reconsider his action, but he replied that he had considered the matter carefully before he handed in his resignation. He was asked to serve until his successor could be selected.

James Alexander Tappan passed from this life at 6:30 P. M., March 6, 1914. The funeral service was held from the home and a notable incident of the day was the line of "Shantyboaters," more than a block long, who came to pay their respects, and bear testimony to the many deeds of a kind and generous man who never boasted of what he did for needy humanity. Old or young, black or white, rich or poor, when friends became involved in trouble, Major Tappan came to their rescue with encouragement and, if need be, with money to relieve their distress. His wife Maggie died January 15, 1924, at the home on Columbia Street.

Source: MAKE WAY FOR THE MAJOR, by Louise B. Hollowell, Tri-County Genealogical Society, Phillips County Historical Quarterly, Volume 7, September, 1969, pp. 15-22