USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. III > Part 39
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mittee, chairman of the ways and means committee and a member of the police board and water committees of the council. Fra- ternally he is identified with Lodge No. 30 of the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 416 of Jackson, and the order of Eagles. He is a man of good business capacity, fine resources and absolute integrity.
Hilton & Hilton. The members of this well known and representative law firm, engaged in practice at Mendenhall, Simp- son county, are both native of this county, as are also their parents, Amos C. and Lydia (Touchstone) Hilton, who have always resided within its borders, the father being a merchant and planter by vocation and being one of the prominent and influential citizens of this section of the State. He rendered loyal service in defense of the Confederate cause during the Civil war, having enlisted in Duncan's Rifles, Thirty-third Mississippi battalion, commanded by Maj. A. B. Hardcastle, R. T. HILTON. while later it was consolidated with the Thirty-second Mississippi and commanded by M. P. Lowrey. After the battle of Chickamauga, Mr. Hilton was discharged from service, later joining Van Dorn's cavalry in a company commanded by Captain Hargrove. He served in the Georgia campaign, taking part in the engagements at Union Church and Peachtree creek, and other conflicts, and remaining in the cavalry arm of the service until the close of the war. Robert Toombs Hilton, senior member of the firm whose name initiates this paragraph, was born Feb. 28, 1879, and his brother and professional confrere, Wilburn D. Hilton, was born April 15, 1880. From their childhood days the brothers have been closely associated, both having re- ceived diplomas from the Braxton col- legiate institute in 1898, after which they continued their studies in Mississippi college, at Clinton, where R. T. was grad- uated in 1901, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while his brother was graduated in the same department of the same insti- tution and in the same year, with the WILBURN D. HILTON. same degree. Both then began the work of preparing themselves for the profession of law, entering the law department of' Millsaps college, in the city of Jackson, Miss., where R. T. was graduated as a member of the class of 1902, and Wilburn as a member of the class of the succeeding year, each receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. The senior member of the firm began the practice of his
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profession in Mendenhall in June, 1902, and was joined by his brother, Wilburn, under the present firm name in the following year. They have met with gratifying success in their chosen vocation and field and are numbered among the prominent young members of the bar of the State. They have very consistently specialized in their practice, devoting primary attention to commercial and cor- poration law, and they practice in all the State courts, as well as the Federal courts, having a clientage of high grade. The brothers are zealous advocates of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor, R. T. having been a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1904, and both are affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and are members of the Baptist church, in whose faith they were reared. Wilburn D. is also identified with the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias. The Messrs. Hilton are prominent in the social life of the community, having a wide circle of friends, but they are essentially devotees of their profession, in which they are rapidly rising to positions of unqualified prestige. The Hilton brothers are two of twelve children-nine of whom are living-seven of these being boys. The senior member of the law firm is the middle one of the boys.
Henry, Thomas Monroe, of Jackson, Miss., was born Feb. 4, 1857, at Hillsboro, Scott county, Miss. He is a son of Patrick and Mary Ann (Chambers) Henry, she being a daughter of Robt. P. Cham- bers. The father removed from Alabama to Mississippi in his youth and settled in Scott county ; he was a soldier in the Confed- erate army and was made lieutenant of his company in 1862 and served in the army of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the Thirty-sixth Mississippi regiment. His paternal grandfather, John M. Henry, served under Gen. Andrew Jackson in the Creek war. Mr. Henry attended the public schools of Scott county until fourteen years of age when he left school and began to earn his own support ; he was employed as clerk and bookkeeper at Forest and Morton, Miss., until 1878, when he became a bookkeeper and merchant in Brookhaven, Miss., remaining there from 1878 to 1883. He was appointed revenue and insurance clerk in the auditor's office by Sylvester Gwin in 1885 and reappointed by W. W. Stone. He was appointed deputy auditor by W. D. Holder and re-appointed by W. Q. Cole. Mr. Henry was elected auditor of public accounts, Nov. 3, 1903. He was engaged in newspaper work with his brother, Capt. R. H. Henry, for a number of years during which time he assisted in founding the State Ledger, which afterwards became the Clarion-Ledger. He was news reporter for many of the leading metropolitan papers in the South for several years. He has been active in the establishment of the soldiers' home at Beauvoir by the Sons of Veterans and has aided in the accomplishment of a great work in that direction. Mr. Henry is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the fraternal orders of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, and Masons. He was married to Miss Laura Brown Pickens, daughter of Samuel Anderson Pickens of Holmes county, and was married the second time to Miss Carrie
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Maud Pickens. Mr. Henry has two children by his first marriage -Samuel Pickens and Laura Mabel.
Heslin, Rt. Rev. Thomas, bishop of the diocese of Natchez, is one of the distinguished representatives of the Catholic church in the South. He was born at Darnacross, County Longford, Ireland, in April, 1847, and in the same county were born his parents, Patrick and Catherine (Hughes) Heslin, who there passed their entire lives. The father was a tenant farmer and continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1867. In the family were five sons and two daughters. The youngest son, Patrick, is a priest of the Church and is now a mem- ber of the diocese of San Francisco, Cal. Bishop Heslin secured a good academic and classical education in the schools of his native land, and in 1863 he came to America with Archbishop John M. Odin, of New Orleans, who had gone to Ireland in search of promising divinity students. Bishop Heslin became a student in Bouligny seminary, now the St. Louis diocesan seminary, of the city of New Orleans, and there completed his divinity course. Being still too young to receive the orders of the priesthood, he devoted about two years to teaching and then returned to the seminary to review his studies, in preparation for ordination. On Sept. 18, 1869, he was ordained to the priesthood, at Mobile, Ala., receiving his orders at the apostolic hands of Bishop Quinlan. He was stationed for one month at the cathedral in New Orleans ; passed the following year at the church of St. Vincent de Paul, of the same city ; for three and one-half years thereafter was assistant priest at St. Patrick's church; and for the following fifteen and one-half years he was rector of St. Michael's parish, New Orleans. On April 7, 1889, he was appointed bishop of the diocese of Natchez, and was consecrated on June 18, following. He has accomplished a most admirable work in this diocese, where he has instituted new missions and schools. The bishop holds the affectionate regard of his people and has long been influential in the various departments of church work. He is a man of fine scholarship, as his high office indicates, and his popularity is of the most unequivocal order.
Hester, W. Emory, who is associated with his father in the coal and building material business in the city of Meridian, under the title of the Hester Coal Company, was born in Kemper county, Miss., on July 2, 1872, and is a son of James A. and Carrie S. (Lloyd) Hester, both of whom were likewise born and reared in this State. For many years James A. Hester was engaged in agricultural pursuits and merchandising in Kemper county, whence he came to Meridian about 1895 and engaged in the coal and build- ing material business, with which he has ever since been actively concerned, being the present head of the Hester Coal Company. W. Emory Hester was reared to maturity on the old homestead plantation and incidentally gained good business experience, while his early educational training, received in the public schools, was supplemented by a course of study in the Cooper institute, at Daleville, Lauderdale county. He came to Meridian in 1890 and
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after being a short time in the employ of Threefoot Brothers, he engaged in the coal and cotton-brokerage business. Four years later he became associated with his father and elder brother, John H., in the coal and building material business, under the firm name of J. A. & J. H. Hester, and this title was maintained until the death of his brother, after which, in May, 1904, the present cor- porate name, the Hester Coal Company, was adopted, while the enterprise has been expanded in scope and stands as one of the lead- ing concerns of the sort in the city, while the interested principals have also other important investments in an industrial and com- mercial way. W. Emory Hester is aligned as a supporter of the Democratic party, and is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the fraternity of American Citizens.
Higdon, Robert Earl, M. D., who is engaged in the practice of his profession at Brookhaven, is one of the representa- tive physicians and surgeons of Lincoln county, being a close student and keeping himself thoroughly fortified in the ad- vanced learning of the medical science. Dr. Higdon is of Scotch-Irish descent and was born in Hazlehurst, Copiah county, Miss., July 6, 1872. In this State also were born his parents, Nathan Marion and Nellie (Nesmith) Higdon, who still maintain their home in Hazlehurst. After completing the curriculum of the public schools of his native town, Dr. Higdon was matriculated in the literary department of Tulane university, and one year later he transferred to the medical department of that institution, where he completed the prescribed three years' course, being graduated as a member of the class of 1896, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He began the practice of his profession at Fort Adams, Winkinson county, Miss., where he remained until 1903, when he located in Brookhaven, where likewise he has met with unequivocal success in the work of his humane profession, his practice being extended and of representative character. He is a member of the American medical association and the Mississippi State medical association. In January, 1900, Dr. Higdon was united in marriage to Miss May Sexton, daughter of James S. Sexton, of Hazlehurst, and they are prominent in the social life of the com- munity.
Hicks, James Stowers, is chancellor for the Fourth chancery dis- trict of Mississippi and an ex-member of the State legislature. He was born in Fayette, Jan. 29, 1858, and is a son of Edward H. and Elizabeth J. (Stowers) Hicks, the former of whom was born in Kentucky and the latter in Mississippi. The father was for many years engaged in the practice of law in Jefferson county and served two terms as district attorney also having repre- sented the county in the State legislature. The subject of this sketch secured his early education in the public schools of his native
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county and thereafter engaged in teaching for several years, proving a successful and popular member of the pedagogic profession and in the meanwhile reading law while engaged in teaching. He was. admitted to the bar in 1885, in which year he established himself in practice at Fayette, where he remained until 1892, when he re- moved to Bolivar county, where he was engaged in professional work for the ensuing six years, at the expiration of which he re- turned to Fayette, where he has since controlled an excellent prac- tice. Mr. Hicks is a Democrat in his political proclivities and for seven years served as attorney for the board of supervisors of Jef- ferson county. He served two terms as superintendent of educa- tion for Jefferson county and was serving his fourth term as repre- sentative of his county in the State legislature, when he was appointed by Governor Vardaman, in April, 1906, chancellor for the Fourth chancery district of Mississippi, comprising the counties of Sharkey, Warren, Claiborne, Jefferson, Adams, Wilkin- son, Franklin, Amite and Pike and took office on Aug. 1 of the. same year. In a fraternal way he is identified with the Woodmen of the World and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, his wife being a member of the Presbyterian church. In 1900 Mr. Hicks was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Graham,. daughter of William H. Graham, of Jefferson county. Judge Hicks has four children-Florine, Ivy, Wilma and Janie.
Hobbs, Benjamin Turner, editor and publisher of the Brookhaven Leader, is one of the successful newspaper men of the State and is a citizen of sterling character and progressive views. He
was born in Hinds county, Miss., June 4, 1853, and is a son of Howell and Elizabeth E. (Ellis) Hobbs, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in Kentucky. Both were of Eng- lish lineage, and on the paternal side is represented the patrician cavalier stock of the Old Dominion. Benjamin T. Hobbs was afforded the advantages of the common schools and of Mississippi college, at Clinton. He served an apprenticeship at the printer's trade under R. H. Henry, of Jackson, who was then editor of the Newton Ledger. He became familiar with all details of the news- paper business and in 1883 he founded the Brookhaven Leader, of which he has since remained editor and publisher, making the pa- per one of exceptional influence, especially in the advocacy of the cause of prohibition. He was among the first and strongest advo- cates of the constitutional convention of 1890, and months before that convention met and during its deliberations, was one of the foremost and ablest journalistic champions of the radical ballot and state prison reforms adopted by that historic body. In 1892 the Leader was published at Jackson, the capital city, in order that it
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might more effectively champion the policy of prohibition of the liquor traffic of the State and other political and moral reforms. Mr. Hobbs has been more prominently identified with the prohi- bition movement than has any other editor in the State, and is the only one who has published and maintained a strictly prohibition paper in Mississippi. He is an able and forceful writer and his editorial utterances have had marked influence in furthering the cause which lies so closely to his heart. He is an independent Democrat, is fearless in his support of the causes which meet the approval of his judgment and is a man of strong individuality. He holds membership in the Baptist church, and is affiliated with the Knights of Honor and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. In 1882 Mr. Hobbs was united in marriage to Miss Lena C. Menger, daughter of Prof. Emil and Mary (Seeman) Menger, of Clinton, Miss. They have three children, two sons and a daughter: Paul Menger, Mary Menger and Henry Ware.
Hodges, Walter G., who is practically the only man engaged exclusively in the real-estate business in the city of Meridian, has typified in his career that marked initiative power and well di- rected energy which have enabled the young men of the South to advance the material interests and civic progress of this fair por- tion of our national domain, and he has won a success worthy the name, since in the connection he has retained the implicit confi- dence of those with whom he has come in contact in a business or social way. He was born in Shubuta, Clarke county, Miss., on Oct. 11, 1881, and is a son of George M. and Mollie (Campbell) Hodges, both of whom were likewise born in Mississippi. The father was for more than twenty years numbered among the rep- resentative business men of Meridian, where he was honored by all who knew him, having here been engaged in the manufactur- ing of brick, and he died in this city in 1903, his wife still sur- viving him. Walter G. Hodges secured his educational training in the excellent public schools of Meridian, and in 1898, when but sixteen years of age, he showed his intrinsic self-reliance and ambi- tious spirit by engaging in the real-estate business, in which he has advanced to a foremost position through his own efforts. Since 1899 he has been engaged in buying and selling property for himself and making a specialty of rentals and collections. His business is practically confined to the handling of city properties, and he has unmistakably the largest list of rental houses of all real-estate dealers of Meridian, while his characteristic energy and progressive methods cause his operations to be constantly cumu- lative. He is one of the representative young business men of the city and has a host of friends and is essentially public-spirited in his attitude, ever ready to do all in his power to promote the welfare of his home city. He is identified with the Masonic fra- ternity and with its social adjunct, the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, while his political allegiance is given to the Democratic party.
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Holcomb, Joel R., merits recognition in this compilation as one of the repre- sentative members of the bar of Lamar county and also as one of the leading citizens of this section of the State, while he is also to be mentioned as a scion of one of the old and honored families of the commonwealth. He was born in Williamsburg, Covington county, Miss., May 29, 1868, and is a son of Levi and Mary E. (Stokes) Holcomb, the former of whom was born in Marion county and the latter in Harrison county, Miss. Ar- thur G. Holcomb, grandfather of our subject, was a prominent citizen of Marion county as originally constituted, and he represented the same in the State legislature in the forties. Joel R. Holcomb availed himself of the advantages of the public schools, which he attended until he had attained to the age of sixteen years, having in the meanwhile learned the art of telegraphy. He then left the parental home and became a telegraph operator in the employ of the Illinois Central railroad, in which connection he was later advanced to the position of station agent, serving in this capacity in towns between Canton and New Orleans for a period of three years. He then located in Arcola, Washington county, Miss., where he became station agent for the Mississippi Valley railroad, retaining this incumbency four years, within which time he also served as postmaster. The latter office he retained four years after resigning as station agent, and he also conducted a prosperous general merchandise business in the town. In the autumn of 1895 Mr. Holcomb came to Purvis, where he established himself in the general merchandise trade, in which he continued two years. He has ever shown a loyal interest in affairs of a public nature and has been prominent in the local ranks of the Democratic party. In 1900 he was appointed tax collector for the second judicial district, in which capacity he gave most effective service. In the autumn of that year he entered the law department of Millsaps college, at Jackson, where he completed the prescribed course, being grad- uated as a member of the class of 1901 and being duly admitted to the bar of his native State, May 20 of the same year. He has since built up a large and representative legal practice in the courts of Lamar county, as well as in the Federal courts, and is known as one of the able members of the bar of his county. In 1904 he was elected to represent Lamar county in the state legis- lature, in which body he has made an excellent record. Since Jan. 1, 1900, he has also been the editor and publisher of the Lamar County Record, one of the leading weekly papers of this section and one which was known as the Marion County Record prior to the organization of Lamar county. The marriage of Mr. Holcomb to Miss Lelia Bailey was solemnized Nov. 2, 1892, she being a
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daughter of Dr. Peter T. and Mobrey (Adams) Bailey, the latter a sister of Gen. Wirt Adams. Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb have four children, namely: Richard Mobrey, Thelma, Albert, and Leroy.
Holden, John Burt, one of the most liberal and progressive citizens of Sum- mit, of which thriving little city he is now serving his fourth consecutive term as mayor, is also one of the prominent and able members of the bar of Pike county. He was born on the family homestead, in Franklin county, Miss., Jan. 5, 1873, and is a son of John E. and Laura (Curtis) Holden, the former of whom was born in Mississippi and the latter in Louisiana, the ancestral lines tracing back to English and Scotch ori- gin. Mr. Holden was afforded the ad- vantages of various schools in his native State, laying a substantial foundation upon which to upbuild his symmetrical superstructure of professional knowledge. He stud- ied law under the able preceptorship of Judges William P. and Hiram Cassedy and C. E. Williams, thoroughly fortifying himself in the science of jurisprudence and being admitted to the bar in June, 1894. Since that time he has been engaged in general prac- tice in Summit, and he has gained definite success both as trial lawyer and as a counselor. He is a stalwart in the local camp of the Democracy and takes a lively interest in the party cause. In 1897 he was elected mayor of Summit, and his administration of municipal affairs has been regulated by broad and liberal policies and progressive ideas. The residents of Summit have not lacked due appreciation of his loyalty and public-spirited efforts and have retained him at the head of the municipal government for four consecutive terms, as already stated in this article. Within his regime Summit has secured ownership of its own water-works and electric-lighting systems and modern school buildings, this having been accomplished largely through the efforts of Mayor Holden, and so noteworthy success has attended such municipal ownership here that many other towns in this section of the State have profited by the example of Summit, and have followed the same plan. Mr. Holden is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Woodmen of the World, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Presbyterian church. In 1894 Mr. Holden was united in marriage to Miss Mary Cassedy, daughter of Judge Hiram C. and Betty (Durfey) Cassedy, of Brookhaven, this State. Mr. and Mrs. Holden have had three boys, of whom two are de- ceased. The one living, eleven years old, is named Hiram Cassedy Holden.
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Holland, Edward, of Greenville, Washington county, is one of the leading cotton buyers of that section, buying and shipping that staple product of the State in large quantities and being a con- noisseur in the industry, with which he has been identified from his youth. He was born in the beautiful old city of Tours, France, on Sept. 19, 1857, being a son of Charles and Delphino (Granet) Holland, the former of whom was born and reared in England, while the latter was native of France, where she and her husband were sojourning at the time of the birth of the subject of this re- view. Charles Holland and had come to America in the forties and located in the city of New Orleans, where he engaged in the cotton-brokerage business, in which he continued many years, and both he and his wife remained resident of the "Crescent City," until their death. Edward Holland was educated in private schools in New Orleans, and as a youth he began to assist in his father's operations in the buying and shipping of cotton, thus becoming familiar with all details of the business. He was engaged in that line of enterprise in New Orleans until 1885, when he came to Greenville, Miss., where he has since made his home and where he holds precedence as one of the extensive buyers and shippers of cotton in the State, being a representative business man and popu- lar citizen. He is aligned as a loyal supporter of the principles and policies of the Democratic party and is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and a member of the Elysian and Mississippi clubs, of Greenville. In 1881 was solemn- ized his marriage to Miss Eugenie Hebert, daughter of Adrian and L. D. (Bougere) Hebert, of New Orleans, and they have one daughter, Rena.
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