History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume IV, Part 17

Author: Connor, R. D. W. (Robert Digges Wimberly), 1878-1950; Boyd, William Kenneth, 1879-1938. dn; Hamilton, Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac, 1878-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago : New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 750

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He married Annie L. Lindsay. Mrs. Ogburn was born at High Point, North Carolina, daughter of Dr. Robert Lindsay, and she died at Winston- Salem July 9, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Ogburn reared two children. The only son, Lindsay, died when fourteen years of age. The daughter, Anna, now presides over the household of her father. Mr. Ogburn is a member of the Centenary Methodist Church, of which his wife was also a faithful member. He belongs to Norfleet Camp of the United Confederate Veterans.

JAMES M. BUTLER. As cotton manufacturer, merchant, extensive farmer, banker and capitalist, James M. Butler is one of the leading men of Robeson County, and in association with Alexander R. McEachern, has organized and been identified with business enterprises in the past decade that have brought unexampled prosperity to St. Pauls and other sections of the county.

James M. Butler was born in Gray's Creek Town- ship, Cumberland County, North . Carolina, in 1868. Like many of the representative men of the county, Mr. Butler is of Scotch ancestry, the Butlers hav- ing come to North Carolina from Scotland at the time of one of the earliest Scotch colonization movements, possibly in the days of his great- grandfather, and they established themselves in Cumberland County. The paternal grandfather bore the name of Daniel Butler, and his plantation was located in the southern part of Cumberland County. The parents of James M. Butler were

HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA

William and Sarah ( Melvin) Butler, both of whom are now deceased. William Butler spent his entire life in Southern Cumberland County and served four years in the Confederacy. The mother of James M. Butler was of English ancestry. The early Melvins located at Wilmington and from there moved into Bladen County and became identified with its history.

James M. Butler grew to manhood on the home plantation, attending school as opportunity of- fered, and has always retained an interest in agriculture, although his other interests have be- come unusually extensive. He came to Robeson County in 1889 and started, in a small way, in a farming, mercantile and manufacturing business in the community that is known as Tolarsville, in the extreme northern part of Howellsville Town- ship and adjoining St. Pauls Township. Through industry and close attention to business and by the adoption of honorable methods in dealing with his customers Mr. Butler gradually built up a good mercantile business and was ranked as one of the leading and most trustworthy country merchants in this section of the state. He remained in active business in that community until 1912. Having become financially interested in the development of St. Pauls, he came to this place and has resided here ever since. He still retains, however, his extensive farm interests in the Tolarville community, owning several fine properties and being a heavy cotton planter.

After coming to St. Pauls Mr. Butler was asso- ciated in a successful mercantile business for some years with Alexander R. McEachern and others, but since their manufacturing enterprises have grown to such large proportions, the partners have been gradually retiring from the purely mercantile field. While they have numerous enter- prises under way, Mr. Butler and Mr. McEachern are best known, perhaps, in the cotton mill in- dustry, for it was through their enterprise and capital that mills of importance have been estab- lished here and also at Fayetteville, and Red Springs, which give employment to hundreds of workers and thereby give an impetus to other lines of business. Mr. Butler is president of the St. Pauls Cotton Mills Company, of which Mr. Mc- Eachern is secretary and treasurer, and Mr. Butler is also secretary-treasurer of the Cape Fear Cotton Mills at Fayetteville. At Fayetteville also there has been completed and put in operation the Advance Manufacturing Company, a modern plant especially designed for the manufacture of olive drab cloth for the Government. This mill is under Mr. Butler's personal management, and is owned by Mr. E. H. Williamson, of Fayetteville, Mr. A. R. McEachern and himself. Mr. Butler is also secretary-treasurer of Red Springs Cotton Mill Company of Red Springs, North Carolina, which has now under construction a very fine and up to date hosiery yarn mill.

Mr. Butler is prominent also in the financial field and in politics. He is a vice president of the Bank of 'St. Pauls and is mayor of the young. city, which within a very few years has been developed from a village into a busy, prosperous and beauti- ful town. For some time Mr. Butler was a member of the board of county road commissioners of Robeson County, and in that office, as in others, his business capacity and good judgment have been of the greatest value to his fellow citizens.

Mr. Butler married Miss Annie Regan, who was born in Howellsville Township, Robeson County,

a daughter of Mr. W. J. Regan and a grand-

daughter of the late Colonel Regan. Mr. and Mrs. Butler have seven children, namely: Mrs. James T. King, Berta, W. Joseph, Julian, Ed- ward K., Annie Grace and James M., Jr. Mr. Butler and family belong to the Baptist Church.

JAMES ALEXANDER GRAY. First vice president of one of the largest banks in North Carolina, the Wachovia Bank & Trust Company of Winston- Salem, James A. Gray represents one of the earliest families established at Winston. He saw active service as a boy soldier in the war between the states and has been prominent in banking and business affairs in Forsyth County for upwards of a half a century.

Mr. Gray has just arrived at that point in life where he can claim the Psalmist's allotted span of years, three score and ten. He was born January 2, 1846. His birthplace was a farm, located about ten miles southwest of Greensboro, but just across the line in Randolph County, North Caro- lina. His grandfather, Samuel Gray, was a farmer and so far as known spent his entire life in the limits of Randolph County. The father was Robert Gray, and was born in Randolph County December 17, 1814. Thus the Gray family has been located in Western North Carolina for con- siderably more than a century. Robert Gray, though a farmer, also engaged in merchandising in Randolph County. Soon after Forsyth County was formed, the Village of Winston was platted and Robert Gray attended the first auction of lots. He had the distinction of buying the first lot offered. Its situation was the southwest corner of Third and Main streets, and the ground is now occupied by the Wachovia Bank & Trust Company, of which his son is vice president. On that piece of ground Robert Gray erected a small frame building. He introduced one of the first stocks of merchandise in the new town. Having become well situated and with prospects for continuing success, he brought his family to Winston in 1852. His business went on successfully commencing in a frame building and ending in a three-story brick building, when he was compelled to suspend opera- tions for a time during the progress of the war. Later he resumed business. His death occurred January 17, 1881.

Robert Gray married Mary Millis Wiley. She was born in Guilford County, North Carolina, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Millis) Wiley. Samuel Wiley's mother was a Shannon, whose father (a. great-great-grandfather of James A. Gray) was one of four brothers coming to America in Colonial times. One of these brothers located in Pennsylvania, another in South Carolina, another in Ohio and the fourth, the ancestor of the line now under consideration in North Carolina. Wil- liam Shannon, a descendant of one of the brothers, was governor of Ohio and United States senator. Samuel Wiley was a farmer in Guilford County and spent his last days there. Robert Gray and wife reared nine children: Samuel Wiley, Martha, James A., Robert T., May Belle, Robah F., Eugene E., Emory S. and Will T. The oldest of these, Samuel W., left his studies at the State University to enlist on July 5, 1862, in Company D of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, North Carolina Troops. He was appointed first sergeant and for gallant and meritorious service was promoted to captain in December, 1862. He was with his command in all its campaigns and battles up to and includ- ing the three days' struggle at Gettysburg. On

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HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA

the second day of that great battle he was killed, July 2, 1863.

James A. Gray was six years of age when the family moved to Winston, and some of his earliest recollections are of that city, then a wilderness hamlet. He attended the free school and Winston High School, and also the Boys' School at Salem, and also had the advantages of a course in Trinity College. As a boy he assisted his father in the store, but when he was still young he volunteered his services toward the close of the war, and enlisted in Company C of the Thirty-sixth Regi- ment, North Carolina Troops. He was in the army eight months. At Fort Fisher he was cap- tured, and spent two months as a prisoner of war at Elmira, New York.

With the close of the war he lent his individual energies to the upbuilding and progress of Winston as a commercial center and became one of the organizers of the Wachovia National Bank. He was assistant cashier of that institution, subse- quently cashier and finally president. When the Wachovia National Bank and the Wachovia Loan & Trust Company were consolidated, taking the new name Wachovia Bank & Trust Company, Mr. Gray became its first vice president and has filled that post to the present time. The Wachovia Bank & Trust Company has a capital of $1,250,000 and its deposits and general resources are pro- portionate to its large capitalization.

Mr. Gray married Miss Aurelia Bowman of High Point, North Carolina. She was born at Oak Ridge in Guilford County, North Carolina. Her father, Wyatt Bowman, was the first president of the Wachovia National Bank of Winston. Mr. and Mrs. Gray were the parents of four children : Bowman, Mary, Bessie and James A., Jr. Bow- man is now a vice president of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and by his marriage to Nathalie Lyon has two children named Bowman and Gordon. Mary is the wife of Alexander H. Galloway, and their two children are James Bowman and Alex- ander H. Bessie married Charles E. Plumly and has three children Elizabeth, Lindsay and Aurelia. James A., Jr., married Pauline L. Bahnson.

Mrs. Gray died in August, 1914. She and Mr. Gray were active members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South. He is trustee of the Chil- dren's Home, the Methodist Orphanage, and was one of the contributors to that splendid institu- tion. He is also a trustee of Trinity College, and he together with Gen. J. S. Carr of Durham, and Col. J. W. Alspaugh of Winston, contributed to the maintenance of the college for three years at Old Trinity in Randolph County before its removal to Durham. Mr. Gray throughout his citizenship in Winston-Salem has been one of the liberal con- tributors to all worthy objects claiming his atten- tion, and his career has been guided by high ideals and firm principles of right. He is chairman of the board of stewards of the Centenary Methodist Church and a member of the Twin City Club and the Forsyth Country Club.

HON. JAMES ALEXANDER GRAY, JR., youngest son and child of James A. Gray elsewhere referred to, is for a man still in his twenties one of the most prominent citizens of North Carolina in respect to his various associations and interests.

He was born in Winston-Salem, August 21, 1889, was educated in the public schools, graduated from high school, and in 1908 received the A. B. degree from the University of North Carolina. Thus he

has had only ten years in which to achieve a posi- tion and name for himself. His first employment after leaving the University was in the Wachovia National Bank as manager of the savings depart- ment. In 1911 when Wachovia National and the Wachovia Loan and Trust Company were consoli- dated as the Wachovia Bank & Trust Company, Mr. Gray was elected Assistant Treasurer, and in January, 1915, came to his present responsibility as Treasurer of that great institution, the largest banking house in the State. Mr. Gray for three years was Vice President of the North Carolina State Bankers' Association, and in 1918 was elected President. On April 18, 1918, Mr. Gray was married to Miss Pauline Lizette Bahnson, daughter of Mrs. Henry T. Bahnson.

Mr. Gray was elected in the fall of 1916 to the North Carolina State Senate from the Twenty- sixth District, and during the following sessions was chairman of the finance committee of the Senate. During 1915-6 he served as chairman of the Forsythe County - Board of Highway Commis- sioners. Since 1913, by action of the Legislature, he has served as a Trustee of the University of North Carolina.

HON. ERASTUS BEVERLY JONES has been a mem- ber of the North Carolina bar for over thirty-five years. Much of his time has been spent in public service. He filled with distinction the office of circuit judge, and for several terms represented Forsyth and adjoining counties in the Legislature. For years his name has been closely associated with the public and professional life of Western North Carolina.

He was born on a plantation near Bethania in Forsyth County. His paternal lineage goes back to Wales. The immigrant ancestor came to Amer- ica in colonial times and settled on what became known as Jones Creek in the city of Baltimore. While living there he operated a grist mill but subsequently moved to Pittsylvania County, Vir- ginia. Judge Jones' grandfather was Gabriel Jones, who probably spent all his life in Virginia.

Dr. Beverly Jones, father of Judge Jones, was born on a farm in Henry County, Virginia, and acquired his medical education in Jefferson Medi- cal College at Philadelphia. After completing his course there he removed to North Carolina, and for five or six years practiced at Germanton in Stokes County. For his permanent home he set- tled on a farm near Bethania, and looked after his plantation while attending to his large country practice. His was a notable life, and one of unceasing service to his fellow man. His prac- tice extended for many miles around his plan- tation, and he was obliged to keep several horses since he was almost constantly riding and driv- ing. During much of his practice he rode horseback, carrying his instruments and medicines in saddle bags after the fashion of the old time practitioner. Though his life was a strenuous one, he lived to the age of ninety-two. Doctor Jones married Julia A. Conrad, She was born at Bethania, North Carolina, and died at the age of eighty-seven. Her parents were Abraham and Phillipina (Lash) Conrad. Abraham Conrad was born in Berks County. Pennsylvania, and his father became a pioneer settler at Bethania, North Caro- lina. He was both a farmer and merchant. Abraham Conrad followed farming as his regular vocation, and had a number of slaves to cultivate his plantation. His death occurred at the age of

HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA

eighty-four and his wife passed away at sixty-five. Phillipina Lash was born at Bethania, North Carolina. Her father, Christian Lash, was a native of Pennsylvania, and after coming to North Carolina lived for a time at Bethabia and then removed to Bethania, where he followed mer- chandising and farming. His son, Israel Lash, at one time represented this district in Congress.

Doctor and Mrs. Jones were the parents of ten children: Abraham G., James B., Alexander C., Robert H., Erastus B., Ella M., Virginia E., Julia P., Catherine E. and Lucian G. Abraham G. was a soldier in the Confederate service and is now a practicing physician. James B. was also a Con- federate soldier and is now president of the Williams Woods College at Fulton, Missouri. Alex- ander C. left college to enter the Confederate army and died in service in his eighteenth year. Robert H. is a practising dentist at Winston- Salem.

Erastus Beverly Jones had the good fortune to be reared in a home of high ideals, and the cir- cumstances of his parents were such that they could afford him the advantages of a liberal edu- cation. He was graduated from Wake Forest College in 1877, and then took up the study of law with Judge T. J. Wilson and afterwards studied . under Dick & Dillard. He was licensed to practice by the Superior Court in 1880. His first work as a lawyer was done at Taylorsville in Alexander County. In' 1884 Judge Jones was elected a member of the State Legislature. In 1890 he came to Winston, and here formed a part- nership with R. B. Kerner under the name. Jones & Kerner. His services have always been in much demand in the important litigation tried in the courts of this district and in the state at large.

In 1892 he was elected a member of the State Senate to represent Forsyth, Davidson and Rowan counties. While in the Senate he was chairman of the judiciary committee. A prominent demo- crat, Judge Jones has been one of the leaders of his party in the western part of the state. In 1896 he was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention, and a member of the organization com- mittee. From the first he was a strong advocate of the Nebraska statesman William J. Bryan, and he took an active part in the strategy by which that orator was nominated in Chicago in 1896. Realizing that his favorite's chances for the nomi- nation would be lessened should he be made chair- man of the convention. Mr. Jones gave his vote and influence to Senator White of California, as chairman. In 1898 Judge Jones was a candidate for solicitor of the Eleventh District. His de- feat was accomplished by only thirty-four votes. In 1902, without being a candidate, he was elected to the bench and gave seven and a half years of competent and dignified service in that capacity. He finally resigned from the bench in order to resume his legal practice.

In 1912 Judge Jones was again elected a mem- ber of the Senate from the Twenty-sixth District. During the following session he was chairman of the railroad committee and was a member of the appropriation and finance committees.

Judge Jones was first married in 1886, but his wife died in the following year. In 1889 he mar- ried Miss Susie Barber. They have one daughter, Hervey Louise. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Presbyterian Church and Mr. Jones is a member of the Disciples Church, and he is affiliated with

Winston Lodge No. 167, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons.

Mrs. Jones comes from a long line of prominent ancestors who played a distinctive part in the early history of Kentucky. Her mother was Emeline (Hauser) Barber. Mrs. Jones was born at Falmouth, Kentucky, and that was also the birthplace of her mother. Her mother was born June 6, 1830. The Hauser family in North Caro- lina goes back to Martin Hauser, who was born in Alsace in 1696 and afterwards came to America with a colony of Moravians. He lived in Pennsyl- vania until 1752, when he came to North Carolina, locating at Bethabia, which was then in Surry, later in Stokes and now in Forsyth County. That was his home but a short time until he removed to the present site of Bethania. He died there in 1761. Martin Hauser married Margaretta, who was born November 4, 1702, and died January 12, 1775.

Their son George Hauser was born February 17, 1730, and was past his majority when he came to North Carolina with his parents. He died at Bethania in 1801. His wife was Barbara Elrod.

Their son Lieut. George Hauser was born at Bethania August 28, 1755. He was the great- grandfather of Mrs. Jones. Lieut. George Hauser made a notable record as a soldier during the Revolutionary war. In August, 1776, he enlisted in Captain Henry's company and was commis- sioned lieutenant. This company was attached to Col. James Williams Regiment. With the com- mand he was first employed in pursuing the hos- tile Cherokee Indians, being away from home on that campaign about four months. In March, 1777, he was married at Germanton to Magdalena Shore. He was already member of a company of minute men, and soon after his marriage was called out for service. The troops marched to the Blue Ridge to look for some troublesome Tories. Crossing the mountains, for a time they guarded the lead mines and escorted the wagons carrying that invaluable element in the making of muni- tions for the patriot armies to Salisbury. Arriving at Salisbury the lead was delivered to General Rutherford. After the battle of King's Mountain Lieutenant Hauser with others was sent to Salem, Virginia, to guard British prisoners. He subse- quently was employed in guarding a train trans- porting ammunition to Salem. When Cornwallis' soldiers were overrunning this section of North ,Carolina, Lieut. George Hauser was home at Bethania. He and others were compelled to drink to the health of King George. While his glass was poised in the air he spoke what was supposed to be the health of the King but in realty meant "to hell with the king." He escaped condign pun- ishment for this merely because he was not under- stood, having uttered the words in a mixture of German and English that was somewhat unin- telligible to the redcoats. For his services as a soldier the state gave Lieutenant Hauser large tracts of land in Obion County, Tennessee. After the war he continued to be prominent in public affairs, and represented his district in the State Legislature seven times. His death occurred No- vember 3, 1818. His wife survived him and for a number of years drew a pension from the Fed- eral government.

Samuel Thomas Hauser, grandfather of Mrs. Jones, was born at Bethania in 1794. He was liberally educated. When a young man he started

HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA

on horseback for the West for the purpose of in- vestigating the lands granted to his father in Tennessee. He also had some business matters re- quiring his attention in Kentucky. In the course of his journey he visited Falmouth. While there he was induced to teach a term of school, and the locality attracted him so much that he was ad- mitted to the bar and opened an office and began the practice of law. He continued one of the honored members of the Kentucky bar until his death in 1865. He also served as circuit judge. He was married at Falmouth, Kentucky, to Mary Ann Kennett. She was the daughter of William and Euphemia (Hall) Kennett, natives of Mary- land, and early settlers in Kentucky. The Ken- netts are of colonial ancestry and have taken part in the pioneer life of several states in the West. One of them was actively identified with the found- ing of the City of St. Louis.

The mother of Mrs. Jones was reared and edu- cated at Falmouth, Kentucky, and spent all her life there. She married Dr. James Henry Barber. Doctor Barber was born at New Richmond, Ohio, February 29, 1824. He was educated at Marietta College, graduated from the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, and soon afterward located at Fal- mouth, Kentucky, where he continued the active practice of medicine until his death in September, 1912. Doctor Barber was a son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Ashburn) Barber. The Barber ancestors were early settlers in New York and New Jersey, and in the various generations were prominent in public life and some of them were soldiers in the Revolution.

HON. LEROY CAMPBELL CALDWELL. Prominent among the distinguished citizens Iredell County is found Hon. Leroy Campbell Caldwell, who for more than thirty years has been a mem- ber of the North Carolina bar, among whose mem- bers, by his learning, his industry, his ability and his character, he has attained a high place. In no less degree is he valued in his home community of Statesville as a public official who has done much to advance the interests of his city and as a liberal-minded and enterprising citizen.

Mayor Leroy Campbell Caldwell of Statesville was born in the eastern part of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1858, his parents being Charles A. and Louise (Cochran) Caldwell. His grandfather was John Caldwell, and he is a de- scendant of those bearing the name who were the first in settling in Mecklenburg County with the other Scotch-Irish pioneers. Those bearing this name have ever since been prominent in the his- tory and development of North Carolina, particu- larly in Mecklenburg County and other Western sections of the state. Charles A. Caldwell was a machinist by trade, although the Caldwells of the earlier generations had been, as a rule, planters. He remained in Mecklenburg County with his family until 1862, when he removed to Concord, the county seat of Cabarrus County, and there passed the remaining years of his life. During the war between the South and the North, he worked at his trade for the Confederate govern- ment, assisting in that department of mechanics which plays such an important part in warfare, that of machinery making. He was an industrious and hard-working man who held the respect of his fellow-townsmen by his energy, integrity and good citizenship. Mrs. Caldwell's people, the Cochrans, were also among the early Scotch-Irish settlers of this part of the state.

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History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume IV, Part 17

Author: Connor, R. D. W. (Robert Digges Wimberly), 1878-1950; Boyd, William Kenneth, 1879-1938. dn; Hamilton, Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac, 1878- Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago : New York : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 750

Author: Connor, R. D. W. (Robert Digges Wimberly), 1878-1950; Boyd, William Kenneth, 1879-1938. dn; Hamilton, Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac, 1878-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago : New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 750