USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume V > Part 49
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Born ou a farm in Rowan County, Theophilus Allisou was educated iu the district schools, and as a young mau entered the employ of the Western Carolina Company, now the Southeru Railroad Company, aud for a number of years was station agent at Third Creek. He died while yet in the prime of life. The maiden name of his wife was. Margaret Elizabeth Lucky. She was born in Mount Vernon, Rowan County, North Carolina,. and died iu 1862, leaving two sons, William L., now deceased, and Gustave Alphonso. After the. death of his first wife Theophilus Allison married Bettie Carson, whose death occurred a year later.
Being left motherless when a small child, Gus- tave A. Allisou was brought up in the home of his uncle, William A. Lucky, of Cleveland, Rowan County, remaining with him until attaining his majority. Obtaining his preliminary education in the public schools of Cleveland, he continued his studies at Catawba College in Newton, North Carolina. At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Allison entered the employ of the Western North Carolina Railway Company, now the Southern Railroad Company, and for two years was station agent at Third Creek, now Cleveland, Rowan County. Being then transferred to the Company's office at Statesville, Iredell County, he was there engaged as a clerk for two years, and then re- turned to his former position at Cleveland. Wheu the railroad was extended to North Wilkesboro, Mr. Allison opened the station at that point, and coutinued there as agent for two years. The following thirteen years he had charge of the statiou at Advauce, from there going in 1901 to Thomasville, Davidson County, where he was sta- tion agent for three years. Mr. Allison then organized the Thomasville Chair Factory, aud for three years was engaged in the manufacture of chairs. Returning then to his former employ- ment, Mr. Allison in 1907 was appointed station agent at Mocksville, and has held the position since.
/ Mr. Allisou married, at the age of twenty-four years, Heurie Eudora Morris, who was born near Cooleemee, Davie County, a daughter of Edwin S. and Annie (Fowler) Morris, and grand-daughter of Owen C. and Eliza (Osborn) Fowler. Mrs. Allison died in Thomasville, Davidson County, in 1906, leaving seven children, namely: Helen, Marie, Annie E., William A., Ossie, Margaret and Morris. Mr. Allison and his children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, to which his wife also belonged. Fraternally he is a member of Thomasville Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, and of Mocks- ville Council, Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
HENRY F. BURK, of Winston-Salem, is an honored veteran of the war between the states, sac- rificed much for the cause of the Southland, and since the war has lived in Forsyth County as a farmer, public official, and is now enjoying the comforts of retirement at Winston-Salem.
He was born on a farm in what is now South Fork Township of Forsyth County August 19, 1840. His father, Andrew Burk, a son of Edward and Mary (Tesh) Burk, was born on their farm in Davidson County, grew up in close touch with agricultural operations and made farming his per- manent vocation. At the time of the war between the states, being quite old, he served as a member of the Reserve Corps. He died in his eightieth year. His wife, whose maiden name was Polly
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Ader, was born on a farm in Davidson County, daughter of Peter Ader, a farmer of that section. She died in her seventy-third year. There were six children: Solomon, Henry F., John, Catherine, David and Pleasant. The son, John, served as a member of the Junior Reserve during the war.
The old farm in South Fork Township, located about 21/2 miles southwest of Winston-Salem, was the environment of Henry F. Burk as a boy. His school advantages were those afforded by the rural district there. He had not yet attained his ma- jority when the war broke out, and on March 22, 1862, he enlisted in Company K of the Forty- eighth Regiment, North Carolina troops. He be- came fourth sergeant of the company. He was soon sent North to fight on the great battlefields of Virginia, and on the 17th of September, 1862, he participated in the battle before Sharpsburg, Maryland, where he was severely wounded and lost his left leg. He was given medical and surgical attention in a tent hospital at Sharpsburg for five weeks and was then removed to a hospital in Richmond, where he remained five weeks more. Being incapacitated for active field duty, he was granted an honorable discharge and returned to the old home in Forsyth County.
In 1866 Mr. Burk took his place among the other loyal men of North Carolina in rehabilitating the state from the destructive elements of war. He bought a farm on the Shallowford Road, four miles west of the courthouse at Winston, and though handicapped by the injury he had received in the army he pursued farming vigorously and successfully for a number of years. In 1884 he turned the farm over to renters and has since op- erated it through tenant labor. In that year he removed to Winston, and for two years held the office of jailer. After that for ten years he and Mrs. Burk conducted a boarding house, but since then he has lived retired in a comfortable home on the street which bears the name of this Confed- erate veteran.
In 1866, half a century ago, Mr. Burk married Miss Eugenia Ann Wagner. Mrs. Burk was born in Davidson County, daughter of Alvin Wagner, a farmer of that section. The only living child of Mr. and Mrs. Burk is Mrs. John W. Harrison. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have five children, named Mamie M., Flora, Beatrice, Robah and Kate.
Mrs. Burk was an active member of the Calvary Moravian Church. She died August 24, 1917. He has always taken much interest in Confederate Veterans' affairs and is a member of Norfleet Camp of Confederate Veterans and is also on the pension board.
JOHN LELAND BECTON. With the development of any community comes the need of the skilled work and careful planning of the civil engineer. Without his knowledge and practical appliance of it the community would not only cease to grow; it would cease to exist. He is the product of the age in which he lives, and meets its requirements ad- . mirably. The profession of engineering at Wil- mington is represented by several men of high standing and more than local reputation, and among them is found John Leland Becton, to whom must be granted the credit for some of the great engincering work that has been done in this locality during recent years.
John Leland Becton was born near Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, October 24, 1885, and is a son of George Lawrence and Mollie (Yel- verton) Becton. His father was a farmer and
merchant, and the youth spent his early years be- tween the homestead and the city, first attending the public schools of Goldsboro and later those of Guilford for three years. His primary educa- tion completed, Mr. Becton then entered the Agri- cultural and Mechanical College, . at Raleigh, from which he was duly graduated in 1908, and in that year came to Wilmington and began his career in civil engineering. That he has suc- ceeded in his calling was recognized by the Agri- cultural and Mechanical College, in 1913, when that institution conferred upon him the degree of Civil Engineer. For two years after coming to Wilmington Mr. Becton served in the office of assistant city engineer, but since that time has been devoting himself largely to a private clientele. He has served as engineer for many drainage dis- tricts in Eastern North Carolina and has installed miles of tile drain in this and other states. To his credit are miles of water and sewer mains- municipal improvement-miles of industrial rail- road-lumber company" progress-and numerous suburban developments with thousands of dollars on improvements-from the topographical map and landscape engineering to the completed streets and drives. Mr. Becton is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and enjoys a high reputation in the ranks of his profession. He belongs to Sepia Grotto, is a Thirty-second degree and Shriner Mason, and holds membership in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, in addition to which he is a member of the Cape Fear, Cape Fear Country and Carolina Yacht clubs. Politically he is a democrat, but the con- stantly increasing duties of his calling have kept him from taking any active part in public affairs. He has shown much interest in the Young Men's Christian Association at Wilmington, of which he is a director, and has also been active in the work of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a steward.
HON. GARLAND S. FERGUSON. Haywood County can justly lay claim to general citizenship of a high order and can point with pride to native sons whose names stand high on her roll of honor because of worthy achievements. Few men whose names appear on this record are better known or more universally esteemed and trusted than Judge Garland S. Ferguson, of Waynesville, whose un- impeachable integrity and earnest, intelligent ef- forts at the bar, on the bench and in the legis- lative councils of his state have made him hon- orably conspicuous in his county and community for many years.
Garland S. Ferguson was born in Haywood County, North Carolina, May 6, 1843. His par- ents were William and Ruth (Gibson) Ferguson, who undoubtedly were able to trace their ances- tral lines far back to Ireland and Scotland, so he is truly Scotch and Irish. The father of Judge Ferguson was a prosperous farmer during the latter's boyhood and early youth, and educa- tional advantages were not lacking. He worked on the farm in spring and summer and attended school in the fall and winter. Many changes in- evitably came about with the precipitation of the war between the states, aud Garland S., with many other schoolboys of eighteen years, enthu- siastically and adventurously put aside their books to take up a musket and marched valiantly from the shelter of the old home into an entirely dif- ferent evironment. Changes have come again and once more the youths of the land leave home
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and family to do battle on land and sea, and it is not a matter of surprise to find the old fa- miliar names appearing on the new rolls of cour- age and valor.
Garland S. Ferguson enlisted on June 29, 1861, in Company F, Twenty-fifth North Carolina Vol- nnteer Infantry, with the rank of sergeant. Pro- motion followed and when the war closed he came ont of the struggle with the rank of lien- tenant. Although his regiment was constantly at the front and danger encompassed it on every side, Mr. Ferguson passed through the earlier years of the war practically nnharmed. Early in 1864, however, at the Battle of Drnry's Bluff, he was seriously wounded in the head, some time afterward, however, returning to active duty and in' Angnst of the same year was again wounded, in his right shoulder. On the 25th of March, 1865, at Fort Steadman in front of Petersburg, he was again wounded, his left thigh broken. He did not reach home until the 25th of Ang- nst, 1865, and the bones continned to work their way ont of his thigh until November, 1878.
In the fall election, 1865, Mr. Ferguson was elected clerk of the Superior Court of Haywood County and was re-elected in 1868, in the mean- while having completed his law studies. In 1871 he resigned his conrt office and entered npon the practice of law. He became a prominent political factor in the years that followed and was elected to the State Senate and served in the sessions of 1876 and 1877. In 1878 he was made solicitor for the Ninth Judicial District and in this capacity served for eight years, display- ing in the interim such complete knowledge of the law in many complicated cases that his fel- low citizens determined to call him higher. From 1886 nntil 1902 his law practice at Waynesville absorbed his time and attention, his reputation for legal ability growing apace. In 1902 he was elected judge of the Sixteenth, now the Twentieth, Judicial District, and entered npon a long and honorable judicial service that ter- minated only with his declination of re-election in 1918. He administered his high office with patient, conscientions thoronghness, with dignity and impartiality, and his decisions were very seldom questioned.
Judge Ferguson was married in November, 1866, to Miss Sarah F. Norwood, who died in 1912, the beloved mother of seven children, namely: Na- than, who is in business at Atlanta, Georgia; Fannie, who is the wife of E. J. Robeson, super- intendent of the Waynesville public schools; James W., who is engaged in the practice of law at Waynesville, North Carolina; Joseph B., whose interests lie along agricultural development; Gar- land S., who not only bears his father's honored name bnt is adding Inster to it in the same pro- fession at Greensboro, North Carolina, and in Washington City where he now resides; John Norwood is in the United States navy, with the rank of commander and is inspector of ord- nance of the New York Division of Ordnance; and Lillian, who is the wife of J. C. Blanchard, of Hertford, North Carolina.
A man of the character and attainments of Judge Ferguson naturally has been interested in human progress and educational development and at all times and in many ways he has been ready to enconrage landable enterprises along these lines. He still resides in Waynesville, in which city, despite the passage of years, he remains a controlling force and vital citizen and he will again resnme the practice of law.
LUTHER MONTROSE CARLTON was born in Durham Connty, North Carolina, March 27, 1877. His parents were Marqnis L. Carlton and Bettie V. (Groom) Carlton, and the mother now resides in Durham.
At that time his father was engaged in the furniture business but some time later returned to his farm in Wake Connty. On account of the inadequate conntry schools, the subject of this sketch, when six years old was sent back to Dur- ham and placed in the city schools and continued. there until he graduated in 1891, winning a scholarship to Trinity College, which institution he entered in 1892. He graduated from Trinity College in 1897 and during the following year was Secretary and Treasurer of the Business Men's Association of Durham. Resigning this position, he entered mpon the study of law in the office of Boone & Bryant, attorneys, and in 1900 he' completed his studies in the law department of the University of North Carolina with credit, and. in February 1900, was admitted to the bar.
Mr. Carlton immediately entered into a general practice at Roxboro in Person County and has continued ever since and now stands well at the head of a very able body of lawyers. In 1902 he entered into partnership with Hon. W. W. Kitchin, under the firm name of Kitchin & Carlton, which partnership continned nntil 1909, when Mı. Kit- chin was elected governor of the state. Since then as an individual attorney Mr. Carlton bas managed a large and substantial practice and is universally recognized as a counselor of legal worth as well as personal probity. For many years he has practiced regularly in the adjoining County of Caswell and is a member of the firm of Carlton & Upchurch. With other professional connections he is attorney for the Bank of Rox- boro.
Mr. Carlton was married March 22, 1905, to Mary Graves Hines of Monnt Airy, North Caro- lina and they have three children: Margaret Hines, Mary Shnford and Luther Montrose, Jr.
Interested from early manhood in public affairs, and believing that politics has an established place in the condnet of a republic, he soon defined his principles and nnited heartily with the democratic party, in which he has been recognized in his connty and district as a leader. For eight years he was chairman of Democratic County Executive Committee, and although nrged many times to rnn for office he has preferred to work for party friends and devote his energies to his profession. Once elected Mayor of Roxboro he resigned be- cause of the pressure of professional business. He has always taken an active interest in all pro- gressive movements and especially in public schools and good roads.
He is a man of broad view and intelligent vision and both professionally and personally enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens. For many years he has been identified with the Pythian and Masonic fraternities and belongs also to the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
JAMES EDWARD KENERLY is one of the leading building contractors of Winston-Salem. His career has been one in which his independent efforts and self-reliance have been prominent factors in his progressive success. While working for others, his enterprise led him to acquire outside interests.
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of his own, and gradually he got into the business which he now follows.
Mr. Kenerly was born on a farm in Davidson County, North Carolina. He is of Scotch-Irish an- cestry. His great-grandfather was according to the best information at hand a native of Ireland but of Scotch stock. On coming to America he located in Rowan County, North Carolina, and spent the rest of his days there. 'Mr. Kenerly's grandfather was George Kenerly, a native of Rowan County and for many years he was a successful farmer in that section. During the war between the states he operated a blacksmith shop and a shoe factory. All the boots and shoes were hand made, and as a mechanic and artisan he rendered a valuable service to his community during war times. He died when about seventy-two years of age.
George Kenerly, Jr., father of James E., was born in Rowan County in 1849. While reared on a farm and habituated to its duties, he also learned the trade of blacksmith and furthermore worked as a carpenter. He subsequently removed to David- son County, bought a farm in Tyro Township, was a general farmer for several years, and then re- turned to Rowan County where his death occurred in 1910. He married Sarah Walton. During the first years of their married life they lived very simply, and in the absence of a stove the bride cooked her meals by the open fire. She was born in Rowan County in 1854, a daughter of George Allen and Sarah (Klutz) Walton. She is still liv- ing a resident of Rowan County, and has reared nine children: Ida, James Edward, Nora B., John D., Thomas G., Daniel L., Ollie D., Lonie E., and T. Scott.
James Edward Kenerly spent his early life on a farm in Davidson County. While there he attended the public schools and was also a student in the Churchland High School. His independent efforts began at the age of eighteen, when he became a school teacher, and followed. that vocation for about four years. In 1898 Mr. Kenerly removed to Spencer, North Carolina, and for six years was employed in the paint department of the Southern Railway shops. It was while working in that capacity that he first became interested in real estate. He bought some lots, employed a carpenter to build houses, and sold several of his properties to advantage. This experience opened up a new field for him, and at the end of six years he left the railway company to become a carpenter and builder, and followed that line four years in Spencer. In 1910 Mr. Kenerly removed to Win- ston-Salem and has since perfected an excellent organization and does an extensive business as a building contractor. Through that work he has developed with his own capital considerable prop- erty and is handling his own work and accepting contracts from others.
In 1897 he married Miss Florence Lelia Miller. Mrs. Kenerly was born in Davidson County, daugh- ter of Henderson and Victoria Miller. Three children have been born to their marriage: Ira B., Paul James and Elva Lee. Mr. and Mrs. Kenerly and children are active members of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Mr. Ken- erly is an active member of West End Church of the same denomination. He is a member of the Men's Bible Class.
FRANK MILLER WEAVER has carried exceptional burdens in business and civic affairs at Asheville and elsewhere for a long period of years, and today he is one of those men who with unselfish patriot-
ism are concentrating all their resources and in- fluences without monetary remuneration to organiz- ing and directing the power of their home com- niunity to the best advantage of the national Gov- ernment in the prosecution of the great war.
Mr. Weaver was born at Weaverville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, December 1, 1858. He is a great-grandson of that John Weaver who came to this section of North Carolina in 1783, at the close of the Revolutionary war, and founded the community which for more than a century has been known as Weaverville. Frank M. Weaver is a son of John S. and Mary Carmack (Miller) Weaver. His father was prominent in Buncombe County as a planter, woolen mill operator and also as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Frank M. Weaver was liberally educated in local schools and also in Weaver College at 'Weaverville, an institution of which he has been for the past fifteen years chairman of the board of trustees. For three years after leaving school he was in the tobacco business, and then entered the coal industry, with which his name has been longest identified. He was one of the men re- sponsible for opening up some of the great coal fields of old Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, and was vice president of the Indian Coal & Mining Company, which developed some of the extensive fields around McAlester. Mr. Weaver established at Asheville a retail coal business in 1890 and · conducted it successfully until 1916.
Among his large interests at present he is presi- dent of the Brown Hardware Company, vice presi- dent of the Piedmont Electric Company, president of the American Milling Company, president of the Lexington Chair Company at Lexington, North Carolina, president of the Carolina Ice & Coal Company of Asheville, and is owner of some ex- tensive farm lands and orchards and valuable business properties in the City of Asheville. He has done much to develop North Carolina's re- sources as a fruit growing state, and his orchards produce every year quantities of apples and peaches.
Through all the years he has devoted much of his time to public affairs. He is now president of the Asheville Board of Trade, served in the same office at another period for two years, and was a director of the board twelve years. As already noted, he is now giving all his time to his duties as chairman of the Buncombe County Council of Defense and to the county food administration. He is chairman of the board of stewards of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church South, and was for twenty-two years superintendent of the Sunday school. He was elected a delegate from the West- ern North Carolina Conference and served at three successive sessions of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which meets once in every four years. He is a trustee of Trinity College of Durham, is a member of the Asheville Club and the Asheville Country Club, is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner and past grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias.
In June, 1889, Mr. Weaver married Ella Boyd Russell, of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. She died one year after their marriage. October 25, 1899, he married Cornelia Burns, of Shreveport, Louisiana. They have three children, Elizabeth Burns, Frank Miller, Jr., and William Fisk.
WILLIAM ALLEN ERWIN, of West Durham, is pre-eminent among the cotton manufacturers of
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North Carolina and one of the foremost men in that industry in the South. He has made a great success of practical affairs, the more noteworthy because he started in life compelled to make his own capital and promote himself by efficiency and industry. He is a man of broad and liberal mind, and a splendid humanitarianism has min- gled with all his creative and executive work in commercial affairs.
His father was Col. Joseph J. Erwin, who owned a fine plantation known as Bellevue on Upper Creek near Morganton in Burke County, North Carolina. It was on that plantation that William Allen . Erwin was born July 15, 1856. His mother was Elvira J. Holt, daughter of Dr. William R. Holt, of Lexington, North Carolina. Both Colonel aud Mrs. Erwin were highly cul- tured and held in great esteem.
The devastation and loss due to the war ma- terially affected the fortunes of this family, and William A. Erwin, who was prepared for college in the schools of Burke County and in the Fin- ley High School at Lenoir, and who had done two years of good work at the A. & M. College of Kentucky University, was compelled to cut short his educational career and begin work while yet a boy.
On December 4, 1874, he became a salesman in the general store of Holt, Gant & Holt at Bur- lington, North Carolina. He remained there un- til 1877, when he took a position as bookkeeper with the North Carolina Railway Company at Burlington. A year later he engaged in mer- chandising, and so continued until 1882.
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