USA > Arkansas > Historical review of Arkansas : its commerce, industry and modern affairs > Part 83
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John C. England is a brother of Joseph E. England, whose life and achievements are touched upon elsewhere in this volume. John C. was born at old Brownsville, in Prairie county, Arkansas, in 1850, where he was reared and received such education as the district afforded. Later he studied law in the office of Gantt and Bronangh, of Brownsville, was admitted to the bar and began his practice amid the scenes he knew best. Ile also conducted a newspaper in Lonoke for some time. In 1885 he went with his family to Little Rock, where he entered into a law partnership with General W. E. Atkinson. Some time after this change of residence the elder Mr. England accepted a position as private secretary to Governor Eagle. and served as such through the major portion of Governor Eagle's term of office as governor. During his fesidence in Little Rock he became attorney for the Cotton Belt railroad and he was the official who secured the right of way for the Cotton Belt from Little Rock, connecting with the main line at Altheimer, having walked the entire distance from Little Rock to Altheimer and return, in securing the rights of way. About that time (1887), he laid out the town of England, which was named in his honor, as he had acquired large land interests thereabout, and still owns much of this property at the present time. England is in the southern part of Lonoke county, surrounded by a rich agricultural district, and its development has been such that it has a present population of nearly three thousand and is generally regarded as one of the best towns of that
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size in the state. In 1892 he removed with his family from Little Rock to St. Louis, which has ever since remained his home. He has retired from the active practice of the law and devotes most of his time to his land and real estate interests in Arkansas and elsewhere.
Mr. England, the immediate subject of this review, received the in- estimable advantage of a good education, attending the Western Military Academy at Alton, Illinois, and also the St. Louis University at St. Louis. His interests have been of such large scope and importance that his entire time is taken up with his private business. He is interested with his father in his real estate dealings and has charge of their holdings in the vicinity of England, although, like his father, he maintains his home in St. Louis. In his distinguished activities he has evinced rare executive ability and enterprise and has brought to success many undertakings.
On the 30th day of April, 1909, Mr. England was united in marriage in St. Louis, the young woman to become his wife and the mistress of his household being Miss Eugenia A. Pickel.
F. B. TANNEN HOLLENBERG, owner of the Hollenberg Music Company, Little Rock, Arkansas, one of the largest and oldest piano and music houses in the Southwest, is a son of the late H. G. Hollenberg, founder of the concern. The name Hollenberg has been intimately associated with the music trade of the Sonth and Southwest for more than a half a century and is of such high standing commercially that it is synonymous in the public mind with all that is most honorable in the world of merchandising. The history of the house is in some respects unique. It was established at Huntsville, Alabama, in 1853, by H. G. Hollenberg, a native of Osnabruck, Hannover. Germany, who was a member of a wealthy family attached to the Hannoverian court, his father having been Consistorial Secretar of that Kingdom. His grandfather. G. H. Hollenberg. after whom he was named, was the Oberland Baumeister of Hannover to whom a monument was erected by admiring friends as a token of his kindness and love to all. His maternal grandfather Tannen was Kriegsrat and Domainrat of Ilan- over.
11. G. Hollenberg received a liberal education, was versed in many languages, speaking five languages fluently. While a young man, he learned the trade of piano-making in Germany, France and Italy, and to his other accomplishments added that of an amateur musician. He be- came an amateur virtuoso of the violin, and was possessed of two famous instruments-one being an Amati and the other a Stainer, both of which are now in the possession of his son, the subject of this sketch.
Having mastered the mechanical and technical details of piano manu- facturing, when he came to America in 1849, he located in New York and established a piano manufactory there. Shortly thereafter, however, the factory was destroyed by fire, and his health having been impaired by over-work, he was advised by his physician to seek a change in climate and preferably to live in the South. He therefore sought a location advan- tageous in a business way and to health. It was then four years after his arrival in America that he had settled at Huntsville, Alabama, and was the proprietor of a piano warehouse and general music store which became one of the important features of that city prior to the war. Later. however, he removed his business to Memphis, Tennessee. In 1865, the house he- gan doing business in Arkansas and in 1823 he established a branch at Little Rock. In 1887, the Little Rock house was incorporated.
In 1893, II. G. Hollenberg died at his home in Little Rock at ?21 E. Sixth St. lle was not only an artist in things musical but a man of af- fairs of the highest ability, and in speaking of his notable career, it has
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often been said that "nothing but war and the yellow fever plagues ever set him back." One of his strongest characteristics was his unflinching opposition to anything savoring of trickery in trade, and it was upon that underlying idea that this great concern was built up. Mrs. Amelia Adelaide (Binns) Hollenberg, wife of H. G. Hollenberg and mother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Alabama, a descendant of an old Virginian family, which established itself in Virginia in the early part of the 18th century, the old aneestral home being built in the early part of that cen- tury and the estate consisted of many thousands of acres which were handed down consecutively in the family and was not disturbed until the war of 1861-65. Several of her ancestors participated prominently in the Revolutionary war, and Mrs. Hollenberg is active in the work of the Daughters of the Revolution as well as in the Daughters of the Confed- eracy.
F. B. Tannen Hollenberg was born January 22, 1866, at Providence Forge, near Richmond, Virginia, in the old ancestral home referred to, but which was destroyed by fire in 1884. While still a youth, he became connected with his father's business and has devoted his attention to it ex- elusively until the present time. For some years prior to his father's death, he was connected with the Little Rock branch and later became manager of the Hollenberg Music House, a corporation consisting of a number of stockholders, forming itself for the purpose of buying out the Little Rock branch of the business. As manager of this concern, he successfully con- dueted the enterprise for some time, In 1891, after the entire manage- ment of the business had devolved upon Colonel Hollenberg, he planned to make for the house a greater position in the musie trade of Arkansas and the Southwest, and increase his financial strength in the field of oper- ation so that it would be able to more extensively buy goods at the lowest spot eash price in order that it might give its customers the benefit of larger transactions. In 1891, he organized the Hollenberg Music Company ot Chicago, Ill., with a much greater capital and absorbed the Hollenberg Musie House of Little Rock and the company is at the present time oper- ating under the name of the Hollenberg Music Company, incorporated under the laws of Illinois. Since 1891, there has been no change whatso- ever in the directors and officers of the company. At the beginning of its existence, F. B. T. Hollenberg was elected president and E. S. Conway and E. B. Bartlett vice-president and secretary, and these officers are still in charge of the affairs of the company. But in 1910, F. B. T. Hollenberg availed himself of an opportunity to gratify a long eherished ambition to be the sole owner of the house and he bought out all the others in- terested in the company with the exception of a nominal amount of shares to maintain the organization. The capital stock and surplus aggregate several hundred thousand dollars, but this important deal was transacted without a moment's loss of time or change of a single previous plan- there being no change whatsoever except the mere ownership of the shares of stock of the corporation.
Perhaps one of the strongest reasons for the success of Colonel Hollen- berg was his ability to seleet his aides in the business and to hold their intense enthusiasm and loyalty to the interests of the company, and after he had become the practical owner of the Hollenberg Music Company, he very fittingly remembered his two able lieutenants-W. B. Parsons and J. B. Mayer-who have been associated with the company for over twenty- five years, by providing them with quite a large amount of the stock of the company. The history of the house has been continually progressive up to the time it was taken hold of by Colonel Hollenberg and that progress
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and the dignified position it held in the trade has been supplemented since his management and control of the affairs began.
The growth of the business has been steady and continuous. The house has enjoyed the most liberal patronage of the best people in its trib- utary territory, a fact which may be attributed to its strict adherence to its early adopted square deal plan as well as to the quality of the in- struments always sold and to the low prices, quality considered, it has been able to make through its great purchasing power and standing in the trade at large. The company now sells the Kimball, Hallet & Davis. Hollenberg, Whitney, Hinze and other makes of fine pianos, the Kimball reed and pipe organs, Kimball player pianos and Melville Clark Apollo player pianos, and keeps constantly on hand the largest stock of grand and npright pianos and player pianos and organs of any concern in the South or Southwest.
The first building occupied by the company in Little Rock in 1873 was located on Main St. between Fourth and Fifth. Later the business was removed to a store in the Capital Hotel building on Markham St. : later to 311 Main St. and then to the Kempner block at 311 Main St. where it was housed for about twenty-two years. The beautiful Hollenberg build- ing put up for this company by Gov. George W. Donaghey and containing the Hollenberg Recital Hall, was erected in 1906 at Seventh and Main Sts. This structure and the appointments of the building at the time it was built was one of the very finest in the United States from every standpoint. On January 3, 1911, this magnificent building. together with the entire block of business buildings, was destroyed by fire, one of the most disastrous fires that every occurred in Little Rock. Practically nothing was saved in the entire block. With this building, was destroyed all of the beautiful instruments and splendid equipments with which the building abounded. The Hollenberg Music Company on the day of the fire immediately sub- let large quarters directly across the street and are temporarily occupying these quarter at 604-606 Main St. during the construction of the new build- ing on the site of the destroyed building, and which building at this writ- ing is about completed. While the building constructed in 1906 was deemed one of the finest buildings in Arkansas, and certainly one of the finest piano and organ houses in the whole country. vet the building of the present structure far surpasses the previous one in every way. being absolutely fireproof throughout, with many modern improvements, and on January 1, 1912, the Hollenberg Music Company will again occupy the entire building.
Colonel Hollenberg graduated in the public schools of Memphis, Tennessee, and afterwards graduated from the Kentucky Military Insti- tute, near Frankfort, Kentucky, receiving a degree of B. A. and also G. C. S. His school day career was particularly gratifying and honors were received by him in athletics and studies, and he graduated as valedictorian of his class-the highest honor of the school. He has been particularly devoted to military matters and belonged to the crack military teams of the '80s and '90s. These military companies met in encampments through- out the United States competing for prizes of great value-the notable contests being at Galveston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Omaha, Nashville, Ten- nessee, and other places. In recognition of his meritorious services. in 1893 he was elected Colonel of the First Arkansas Regiment which posi- tion he held for a number of years. In 1885, he left Memphis for Ar- kansas where he has since resided. He has always been prominent along business, social and political lines and ever in the front in work beneficial to Arkansas and Little Rock. He is recognized as one of the leading citizens of Little Rock. For many years he was executive director of the
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Board of Trade of Little Rock, and has served as its vice-president for many years and president. He was also vice-president of the Little Rock Business Men's League, and is executive director of the Little Rock Cham- ber of Commerce. Prominent in the social and club life of the city, being a member of all of the clubs and president of the Little Rock Country ('Inb ; has been a vestryman of Christ Episcopal Church for many years and a senior warden of that church. He is president of the Mountain Park Land Company, a corporation organized about ten or twelve years ago, and which company has opened up and developed a large territory North- west of Little Rock, and which since that time has rapidly developed from beautiful hills and dales to the thriving and beautiful eity of Pulaski Heights now numbering several thousand inhabitants, and becoming the place of the finest homes in and about Little Rock.
Colonel Hollenberg has been particularly prominent in the general piano trade throughout the United States. In 1901. he with several other piano merchants, organized the National Association of Piano Dealers of America. In 1911, this name was changed to the National Association of Piano Merchants of America, and Colonel Hollenberg is endearingly known as the father of the association. He has served as its president and has served continuously on the advisory committee and chairman of the freight bureau. Several years ago, he proposed the idea of an exhibition of pianos manufactured in the United States but for some time it was deemed that such a great task as this could not be accomplished. However, at the Detroit meeting in 1909 the whole matter was turned over to Colonel Hollenberg personally to arrange the details and if possible to hold an exhibition of pianos manufactured in the United States. After a great deal of labor and under his guidance, a very successful piano exhibition was held at Richmond, Virginia. in May, 1910. This was repeated on a much enlarged plan with great success at Chicago in June, 1911, the ex- hibition being held in the Coliseum. and easily proved to be the most beautiful and splendid display that was ever exhibited at the Coliseum where the finest exhibitions known in this country are held.
In 1888. Colonel Hollenberg married Miss Jean Cravens, a native of Clarksville, Arkansas, daughter of Colonel Jordan E. Cravens, a dis- tinguished Confederate officer, who for many years represented his dis- triet in Congress and was also Judge of the Circuit Court in his judicial district. Her maternal grandfather was Judge Felix I. Batson, a lawyer and jurist of distinction who was a member of the Congress of the Con- federate States of America. Honorable Ben Cravens at this time a mem- ber of Congress from Arkansas is her cousin. Colonel and Mrs. Hollen- berg have four children : Miss Sophia Cravens Hollenberg, F. B. Tannen Hollenberg, Jr .. Jean Batson and Henry George Hollenberg.
PATRICK C. GALLOWAY is now actively engaged in business as a mer- chant at Moscow, Jefferson county, Arkansas, and here he is rapidly building up a large and representative trade and gaining precedence as one of the foremost business men of this city. He was born at U'tah. Greene county, Alabama, in 185%, a son of Alfred Galloway, who was born and reared in Sumpter district, South Carolina, whenee he removed to Utah. Alabama, when sixteen years of age. Prior to the Civil war. Alfred Galloway was a planter in Greene county, Alabama, and during and after the war he served as sheriff of his home county. Later he removed 10 Argo, Jefferson county, Alabama, where he passed the remainder of his life. His wife is still living and enjoys good health.
Patrick Galloway was reared to maturity on the old home plantation and he received his preliminary educational training in the common
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schools of his native county. In 1882 he assumed the general manage- ment of a large plantation at Wabbaseka. Jefferson county, Arkansas, and after severing his connection with this estate he had charge of the Altheimer plantation, near Pine Bluff. for five years. In 1896 he in- augurated his independent career as a planter, leased in that year an ex- tensive plantation at Garrison, on which he still remains. In conjune- tion with his agricultural enterprises he also conducted a general store at Garrison until September, 1909, at which time he removed to Moseow where he is now most successfully engaged in the same line of enterprise. Mr. Galloway has served as school director for the past twelve years and he is highly esteemed by his fellow eitizens. He is affiliated with various fraternal and social organizations of representative character, and both he and his wife are interesting, social people.
Mr. Galloway was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Inzer, a daughter of Rev. R. W. Inzer, of Argo, Alabama. Mr. and Mrs. Galloway became the parents of nine sons, namely: William Masser, Alfred W., Louis A., Marshall D., Hervey M., and Patrick Caldwell, Jr., and three who have passed away. Louis A. is his father's able assistant in the store.
JOHN II. PARKER. who is efficiently filling the office of sheriff of Onachita county, Arkansas, is a native son of Ouachita county, this state, and is an enterprising man, deeply interested in publie affairs and a co- operant factor in many measures projected for the public good. His birth occurred on the old homestead farm near Camden, on the 4th of April, 1872, and he is a son of John M. Parker, a native of Columbia county, Arkansas. The father was reared in the home of Major William L. Bradley, the first settler in Columbia eounty, and after the Civil war he acquired a large amount of property lying four miles cast of Camden. He married Annie Hawkins and to this union were born thirteen children, ten of whom are now living. When the dark cloud of civil war cast its pall over the national horizon John M. Parker enlisted as a soldier in the Eighteenth Arkansas regiment, in a company commanded by Captain Sutherland, and he served with the utmost faithfulness and gallantry in several important conflicts marking the progress of the war. He was imprisoned at the siege of Fort Hudson and confined in Rock Island prison, where he was held in duress for some months. After the close of the war he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, locating on a plantation in the vicinity of Camden, Ouachita county, where he and his wife have resided during the long intervening years to the present time. He has always been active in political affairs in the county, but he has never, himself, run for office. He is a man of sterling integrity of character and that uprightness characteristic of western pioneers.
John H. Parker was one in a family of thirteen children and he was reared to maturity on the old home farm near Camden. His pre- liminary educational training consisted of such advantages as were of- forded in the district schools and the public schools of Fordyce and he later supplemented this discipline for a two year course of study in the University of Arkansas, at Fayetteville. That he put his scholastic at- tainments to good use is evident when it is stated that he taught school in various towns in Arkansas for a number of years. From 1900 he was a popular and successful teacher in the high school at C'amden and in the latter year he was elected cirenit clerk of the Thirteenth Judicial circuit, to which office he was re-elected. in 1904, without opposition. In 1910 he was further honored by his fellow citizens in that he was then elected to the office of sheriff at Onachita county in connection with the dis-
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charge of the duties of which position he is acquitting himself with all of honor and distinction. In his political adherency Mr. Parker is a stalwart supporter of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor and he is ever ready to give of his aid and influence in support of all measures advanced for the good of the community and
county. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and with the Woodmen of the World. Hle and his wife are popular factors in connection with the best social activities in C'amden.
On the 15th of October, 1902, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Parker to Miss Ida Pryor, who was born and reared at Camden, Mr. and Mrs. Parker have one son, John M.
FAY HEMPSTEAD. It is the earnest desire of the publishers of this work to offer in its pages a permanent mark of the appreciation due from them to Mr. Fay Hempstead, whose able co-operation has been most courteously accorded in preparing the general history herewith presented. No resident of Arkansas has a wider or more intimate knowledge of its history than has he, and this fact gives emphasis to his contribution to the work undertaken. As Editor of the generic History presented, he has given another and most valuable and per- manent gift to the historic annals of his native state, and the citizens of Arkansas can not but feel a debt of gratitude to him for this noteworthy contribution. A man of highest literary appreciation, of most comprehen- sive reading and study, of distinctive intellectual force. he has done much to honor the fine state that gave him birth, and that his reputation is not circumscribed is evident when it is stated that he is the crowned Poet Laureate of Freemasonry in America-a noteworthy honor conferred upon him, in the city of Chicago, on the 5th of October. 1908. His poetie works breathe of gentle and fervent inspiration and exalted ideals: and have given him distinction that is even more than National. as his name is everywhere known in the eireles of the great and time-honored Masonic Fraternity. Within the limitations of a publication such as the one at hand it is, of course, impossible to enter into manifold details concerning the carcer of Mr. Hempstead, but in the brief sketch presented it is hoped that the individuality and sterling qualities of the man will have been indicated, and that the estimate may prove a tribute of appreciation on the part of the publishers.
Mr. Hempstead was born in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, on the 24th day of November, 1847. and his birthplace was located at No. 610 East Markham street, where his parents resided until 1853. He is a son of Samuel Hutchinson Hempstead and Elizabeth Rebecca (Beall) Hempstead, the former of whom was born in New London. Connecticut. November 26, 1814, and the latter, in Bardstown, Kentucky, December 16, 1813. Both parents were members of Christ Church, Protestant Epis- copal, at Little Rock. Mr. Hempstead's given name was chosen from that of Mr. Theodore S. Fay, a graceful writer in N. P. Willis' Home Journal of the '40s, whose writings his parents particularly admired. Samuel Hutchinson Hempstead was a son of Joseph and Celinda ( Hutchinson) Hempstead, of New London, Connecticut, who removed with their family from New England to Missouri and established their home in St. Louis in 1812. There Samuel IT. Hempstead was reared and educated, and there he studied law, under the preceptorship of IIon. Edward Bates, who was Secretary of the Territory of Missouri, and later acting governor of the state. Edward Hempstead, a brother of Joseph, was the first representa- tive of the family in Missouri. He took up his residence in St. Louis in 1803. the year that the Louisiana Purchase was acquired, and there he
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maintained his home during the residue of his life. He was the first dele- gate to Congress from Missouri Territory, which at that time embraced all of the country west of the Mississippi river ; and Hempstead county, Arkansas, was named in his honor, it having been created while a part of Missouri Territory.
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