USA > Tennessee > Notable men of Tennessee. Personal and genealogical, with portraits, Volume II > Part 20
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GEORGE H. TAYLOR, of the firm of Taylor & Norris, funeral directors, undertakers and embalmers. Memphis, Tenn., is a native of Indiana, having been born in the city of Indian- apolis, Aug. 14, 1869. He lived in his native city until he attained his majority, acquiring his education in the schools there. In 1890 he came to Memphis and became associated with his uncle, the late P. M. Stanley, in the undertaking business. In 1893 he was made manager of the business, where he continued until 1899, when he was taken into part- nership. After the death of his uncle he continued to conduct the affairs of the firm, under the old name of Stanley & Co., his aunt, Mrs. Virginia G. Stanley, still retaining an interest in the business. On Jan. 1, 1903, the firm of Taylor & Norris was organized, the partners being the subject of this sketch and James W. Norris, and it succeeded to the business of Stanley & Co. Both members of the new firm being practical undertakers, the new concern soon acquired a prominence in the field of conducting funerals. It remained for Taylor & Norris to introduce the ambulance service to Memphis, and they are quick to adopt anything new in their line that promises to be an improvement in the disposal of the dead or in alleviating the sorrow of surviving friends. All the modern paraphernalia of the undertaking art has therefore found its way into the rooms of Taylor & Norris, and they are men of sufficient technical knowledge of their calling to prove that this para- phernalia is not for the purpose of impressing the visitor, but for practical use. Mr. Taylor is by nature of a sympa- thetic disposition, and is well fitted for his work as an under- taker. To see him conduct a funeral, one loses sight of the commercial side of the transaction, there being no ostentatious
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display, no unseemly advertising. but everything is "done decently and in order." He is a member of the Baptist church and makes the tenets of his faith the guide to his conduct through life, thus deserving and gaining the confidence and esteem of his fellow-men.
THOMAS DIES, one of the well- known merchants of Memphis, Tenn., has been closely connected with the commercial growth and prosperity of that city for more than a quarter of a century. He was born in the city, in 1862, and until he reached the age of fifteen years was an attendant in the public schools. He then went into a grocery store, as a clerk, and after a thorough apprenticeship of nine years, during which he saved his money, he went into business for himself. His complete knowledge of the grocery business, acquired through his long years of serv- ice, soon placed him in the vanguard of the city's retail grocers, a proud position, which he has ever since maintained by his square dealing and his courteous treatment of customers. In later years he added to his stock of groceries, until today he has one of the best-selected stocks of general merchandise in Memphis. Mr. Dies takes a lively interest in all matters pertaining to the municipal welfare. This marked him out as a suitable candidate for councilmanic honors, and the people of his ward elected him to that body, of which he is now one of the most active and influential members. Mr. Dies is a member of the Catholic church and is a liberal supporter of its charities. He is also a member of the Catholic Knights of America and the Memphis Business Men's club, where he is always ready to assist any movement having for its object the promotion of the material interests of his native city.
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WILLIAM LACROIX, manager of the stock yards of Jacob LaCroix, Memphis, Tenn., was born in that city Oct. 31, 1862, and was there reared and educated in the Christian Brothers' college and Ledden's Business college. At the age of ,seven- teen he entered the service of his father, Jacob LaCroix, in the stock yards, of which he is now manager, and has been con- nected with the yards ever since. The yards handle thousands of cattle every year, and form one of the largest institutions of the kind in the South. The business keeps pace with the growth of the city, and in the hands of Mr. LaCroix is never allowed to lag behind the stock yards of other cities in up-to-date methods. Mr. LaCroix has been an active Demo- crat ever since he attained his majority. As the North Mem- phis member of the city council, the interests of that portion of the city were carefully guarded. The passage of the build- ing ordinance, which means thousands of dollars annually to the city, and prevents the construction of an inferior class of buildings, was chiefly due to his intelligent and well-directed efforts. For this measure he was congratulated by hundreds of people on the occasion of its passage by the council. Mr. LaCroix was appointed a member of the Memphis legislative council, by Governor McMillin, in July, 1899, and served until January, 1900, when he was elected for a term of four years. He is also a member of the board of equalization of Memphis; a charter member of the Business Men's club, where he spends a portion of his time each day; a Knight Templar and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine in Masonry; a member of the Royal Arcanum; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and of the Presbyterian church. In political circles, in the council, in his club, lodge and church, Mr. LaCroix is popular be- cause of his genial disposition and good-fellowship. and his popularity is well deserved. Always safe and conservative in matters relating to his private interests or the welfare of the municipality, his career so far has marked him as one of the substantial and public-spirited men of Memphis. Still in the prime of a vigorous manhood, the future is full of promise for him, and, with his natural optimism, it is almost certain that the promise will be realized. He owns a handsome resi-
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dence in North Memphis, and is especially interested in every movement tending to promote the interests of that section.
ROWLAND J. DARNELL, one of the leading lumber dealers of Memphis, Tenn., was born at Free- dom, Owen county, Ind., Dec. 9, 1854. When he was about eleven years of age, his parents removed to . Spencer, the county seat of Owen, and three years later to Worthington, in the adjoining county of Greene. Row- land J. attended the common schools in these several towns, and later spent one year at the State university, at Bioomington. At the age of seventeen, he secured employment with J. T. Williams, of New York city. He remained with this house for three years, the latter part of the time being an inspector, and then went to Indianapolis, where he became associated with Bell Bros., lumber dealers. In 1876, he went to St. Louis with this firm, and in the fall of 1880, he came to Memphis, as a member of the firm of Bell Bros. & Dar- nell. A year later he sold his interest in the business and formed a partnership with his father, under the firm name of I. M. Darnell & Son. They operated in Dyer and Lauderdale counties, Tenn., until 1888, when the principal offices were located at Memphis. In 1898, the son withdrew from the firm, and established his present business. He is president of the Darnell-Love Lumber Company, Leland, Miss .; is a member of the National Lumber Exporters' association; vice-president of the local Lumbermen's club; a member of the Tennessee, Business Men's, Chess, Checker and Whist clubs. In politics, as in business, he is conservative, exercising his best judg- ment at the ballot-box by voting for the candidate whom he considers the best man, regardless of party affiliations. Though a member of several clubs, Mr. Darnell is not a society or club man to the extent some men are, preferring the quiet asso- ciations of his home circle, yet he keeps in touch with general
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society through his club membership. On occasions, his home is thrown open to his friends, where the most cordial welcome and generous hospitality are extended.
W. T. BOND, justice of the peace, Memphis, Tenn., is a native of Shelby county, Tenn., and was born Feb. 22, IS50. Being born upon a farm, he grew to manhood in that occupation, attending the common schools during the winter seasons, where he received the major part of his education. From early youth he manifested an interest in the local politics of his county, and this interest did not wane as he grew to riper years. He is always on the side of good government and the betterment of the local insti- tutions, and his pronounced opinions on certain matters led to his election to the county court several years ago. As a mem- ber of that tribunal, whose duty it is to look after the roads, asylums, prisons, and other county institutions, Mr. Bond measured up to the full requirements of his official duty, and in 1901 was elected chairman of the court. Ever since becom- ing one of the court he has used his influence for the im- provement of all the county institutions, especially the high- ways and a new court house. When Shelby county made an appropriation for an exhibit of her products and resources at the Tennessee Centennial exposition, Mr. Bond was chosen secretary of the commission, and was given the control of the funds. His judicious expenditures and his judgment in the selection of materials for the exhibit led to his being elected to . the chairmanship of the commission, and the display of Shelby county told the story of his efficiency. In 1894 he was elected to the office of justice of the peace. In the exercise of his judicial functions he demonstrated that he was possessed of correct ideas of equity and a fine power of discrimination, so that in 1900 he was triumphantly re-elected. Mr. Bond is a type of the best class of Tennessee planters, and is in every
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way a gentleman. Although pronounced in his opinions, he is not arbitrary, willing to listen to what the other side has to say, and is always open to conviction. He is a member of the Bartlett Methodist Episcopal Church South, and has for some time been one of the stewards of his congregation.
WILLIAM M. KENNEDY, of the Kennedy & Morelock Stave Company and president of the Mechanics Savings Bank and Trust Company, of Memphis, Tenn., was born in Gibson county, of that state, six miles east of the city of Humboldt, Sept. 10, 1852. While still in his boyhood his parents removed to the town of Feliciana (now extinct), Graves county, Ky., and there lived for four years. They then removed to Balti- more. Hickman county, Ky., where they lived until 1865, when they went to Fulton, Ky. In the schools of these different localities Mr. Kennedy obtained a good, practical education, and began his business career as a manufacturer of tight- barrel staves at Wynne, Ark. In 1887 the firm of Kennedy & Morelock was organized, and the business carried on at Wynne until 1901, when it was removed to Memphis, in order to take advantage of better shipping facilities. Mr. Kennedy is also vice-president of the Kennedy Stave and Cooperage Company, of Birmingham, Ala., was president two years and vice-president for four years of the Cross County bank, at Wynne; is now a director in the American Saving Bank and Trust Company and a member of the Memphis Business Men's club. In fraternal circles he is a prominent figure, being a thirty-second degree member of the Masonic consistory, a Knight Templar and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, and also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In religious matters, he belongs to the Christian church, in which he holds the office of deacon. In lodge, church, club and the community at large, Mr. Kennedy stands well with his fellow-men because of his kindly disposition, his pro- gressive notions, his force of character and his sterling in- tegrity.
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O. M. PECK, one of the directors in the William R. Moore Wholesale Dry-Goods Company, Memphis, -. Tenn., is a native of Connecticut, hav- ing been born at Lynn, New London county, in May, 1845. He continued to live in his native town, attending the public schools, until he was about seventeen years of age, when he went to New York City and entered the employ of the firm of S. B. Chit- tenden & Co., wholesale dealers in dry-goods. Here he remained until after the close of the Civil war, when he came South, and in 1868 landed in Memphis, as a salesman in the employ of the William R. Moore Dry- Goods Company, first in the house and afterward "on the road." In 1880 he became one of the directors of the com- pany, and has continued in that position ever since, where his energy, tact and ability, together with his thorough knowledge of the dry-goods business in every department, have done much to place the William R. Moore Company in the high posi- tion it occupies as one of the leading dry-goods firms of the South. Mr. Peck devotes his time to his business interests, does not mix in political contests, and the result of his con- centrated efforts is seen in the constant growth of the firm's patronage, extending into new territory every year. He is a member of the Business Men's club, the Christian church and is a Royal Arch Mason. As a member of the club, his voice is always on the side of progress and development of the city's commercial interests; in the church, he is a consistent prac- titioner of the doctrines taught by his denomination; and in his Masonic bodies, he is honored and esteemed for his true worth as a man.
A. W. WALTON, manager of the Gulf Cotton Compress Company, Memphis, Tenn., was born in Detroit, Mich., Dec. 7, 1844. While still in his boyhod his parents removed to Chicago, where he received his education in the city schools.
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After leaving school, he entered the service of the Chicago & Alton Railway Company, worked his way up to the position of a locomotive engineer, and ran a locomotive on that road for nearly fifteen years. In 1879 he went to Rome, Ga., where he went into the compress business as a stockholder and man- ager of the compress at that point. There he remained for twenty-two years, or until 1902, when he came to Memphis to accept the presidency of the Gulf Compress Company. Since September, 1903, he has held the position of manager, for which his long experience and practical turn of mind give him the very best of qualifications, and the results of his manage- ment may be seen in the volume of business done by the com- pany since he took charge. Mr. Walton takes a commendable interest in public affairs, though he is by no means a politician. While living at Rome, Ga., he served the city, both as a mem- ber of the council and as mayor. As a legislator his voice and vote were always on the side of progress and the people, and as an executive the city ordinances were fearlessly and impartially enforced. He is a Knight Templar and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, in the Masonic fraternity, and in 1898 was eminent grand commander of Georgia Knights Templars. He is also a member of the Episcopal church. Throughout his long business career Mr. Walton has had the support and friendship of those with whom he came in contact, because of his conservative ways and genuine good-fellowship. It has been a maxim with him that "Whatsoever thy hands find to do, that do with thy might," and, whether with his hand on the throttle of a locomotive or when interested in the business of compressing cotton, he has always given that undivided attention to his business that is so essential to success.
J. W. THOMPSON, president of the J. W. Thompson Lumber Company, of Memphis, Tenn., is a native of the Hoosier state, having been born near Warsaw, Kosciusko county, Ind., in 1861. He was educated in the schools of Lees- burg, Warsaw and Terre Haute, Ind., and after leaving school he engaged in teaching for about three years, having taught two terms while still a student. In 1883 he embarked in the
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drug business, at Leesburg, and conducted a successful busi- ness until 1885, when he sold out to engage in buying and shipping grain. Five years later he went to Nettleton, Miss., where he became associated with the Nettleton Hardwood Lum- ber Company, and in 1891 he was made president and general manager of the company. In 1893 he came to Memphis, as the junior member of the firm of Taenzer & Thompson, dealers in lumber. This partnership lasted until 1898, when Mr. Taenzer bought the entire business, and the following year the J. W. Thompson Lumber Company was incorporated. Mr. Thomp- son is also a director in the Bennett Hardwood Lumber Com- pany, the Goodlander-Robertson Lumber Company, of Mem- phis, and the Schuch-Miller Lumber Company, of Selma, Ala. Few men are better or more favorably known throughout the lumber districts of the South than Mr. Thompson. In the course of his long career as a lumberman he has bought and sold millions of feet of lumber, every transaction having been marked by square dealing and a strict adherence to correct business principles. In the board meetings of the several com- panies in which he is a director his counsel is always sought and generally followed, the results uniformly being of such a character as to mark him a man of sound judgment and fine discernment of the needs of the hour. Mr. Thompson is a prominent Mason, having taken the thirty-second degree, and is a member of the Concatenated Order of Hoo Hoos, an order made up chiefly of lumber and railroad men.
ALBERT N. THOMPSON, of the firm of Thompson & McClure, manufacturers of and wholesale dealers in lumber, Memphis, Tenn., was born in Maury county, Tenn., March 19, 1861. Until he reached his majority he lived in Maury and Giles counties, where he acquired the major part of his education in the public schools. His father was a lumber- man, and Albert grew up in the business, so that by the time he left school he had a good general knowledge of the re- quirements of the lumber trade. In 1889 he located in Mem- phis, as an employe of the firm of I. M. Darnell & Son, lumber dealers. Here he remained until 1893, when he went with the
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firm of Taenzer & Thompson, which had just been organized. He continued with this firm until 1902, when he formed the partnership with Mr. MeClure and engaged in business for himself. Although his firm has been in existence for a period of only two years, it has come to occupy a high position in the iumber trade of Memphis and vicinity, owing to the enterprise of the men who constitute it. Thompson & McClure are by no means laggards in the race for business, and, when two hustlers combine, it is easy to figure out the result. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Memphis Business Men's club; is second vice-president of the Lumbermen's club, and belongs to the Concatenated Order of Hoo Hoos. Although he is in- terested in the progress of the city and its good government, he does not mix in politics, but votes for men who, he thinks, will administer the affairs of the city in the best way.
FRANK W. DAVIS, city recorder of Memphis, Tenn., and justice of the peace for the fourteenth district of Shelby county, was born at Wheeling, W. Va., in the year 1855. When he was about twelve years of age he went to Evansville, Ind., where he attended school for eighteen months, at the end of which time he went "on the river," and for the next sixteen years he was employed in the steam- boat trade of the Ohio and Missis- sippi rivers, being a licensed engineer from 1876 to 1884, most of the time as head engineer. In 1874 he took up his residence in Memphis, and after he left off steamboating opened a retail store, with a stock of general merchandise. He continued in this line until 1894, when he was elected magistrate for a term of six years, and in 1900 was chosen for a second term. Mr. Davis is also coroner of Shelby county, and is now on his third term. In 1898 he was appointed by Mayor J. J. Williams to the office of city recorder. In all these several positions Mr. Davis has evinced rare tact and ability in the discharge of his
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official duties. Careful, conscientious and prompt in discharg- ing them, he has won the approbation of his fellow-men and enlarged the number of his friends by his fidelity and capability. Mr. Davis is well known in Memphis fraternal circles, being a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Improved Order of Red Men and president of the Marine Engineers. In all these societies he is a welcome attendant at the lodge meetings, and is widely known for his brotherly charity and good-fellowship. He affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal church and is a liberal contributor to its support.
N. T. INGRAM, justice of the peace for the fifteenth dis- trict of Shelby county, Tenn., with offices in the city of Men- phis, was born in McNairy county, Tenn., in 1841. When he was about three years of age his parents removed to the Indian Nation, as the State of Arkansas was then called, and there he grew to manhood. In April, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, First Arkansas mounted infantry, as a private, and the following autumn was detailed as a courier to Gen. Ben Mc- Cullough, and served as such until Mccullough was killed at the Elkhorn Tavern, and Mr. Ingram was wounded and cap- tured. The second night he managed to escape, and after five days of starvation and hardships in the mountains he rejoined his command on the Arkansas river. He was again wounded at Richmond, Ky., and for eight months was laid up at Rome, Ga., where he was appointed provost marshal on his recovery. After three months' service in this position he resigned. on account of his continued ill-health, and came to Memphis in October, 1863. Soon afterward he started in the grocery busi- ness on a small scale at Covington, Tenn., but the depredations of the "jayhawkers" drove him out of business. Mr. Ingram then returned to his old home in Arkansas, raised a crop of cotton, and in December, 1866, came to Memphis to stay. In 1873 he was appointed deputy sheriff of Shelby county, and served two years; was then elected constable of the thirteenth civil district for a term of two years; was three times re-elected, serving in all eight years; then spent a year on the farm; was
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chosen deputy sheriff again and served until 1886; resigned to take up the study of law, and in 1888 was admitted to the bar. In August, 1901, he was elected justice of the peace, which office he still holds. As a justice, he has the respect of the bar and the confidence of the public. He is a member of the Third Presbyterian church, of Memphis, and in his decisions he tempers the rigors of stern justice with the charities of Christianity. Mr. Ingram is a fine type of the true Southern gentleman. He has in his make-up something of the aristocracy of the old ante-bellum days, coupled with high ideals, and the progressive notions of the dawn of the twen- tieth century.
EDWARD HUNTER, who for a number of years was intimately con- nected with the mercantile interests of Memphis, Tenn., until his temporary retirement in January, 1904, was born in the city of Nashville, Tenn., in 1856. His primary education was obtained in the public schools of his native city, after which he entered the Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn., and graduated from that insti- tution in 1875. He began his busi- ness career as a clerk in the employ of one of Nashville's leading mercantile establishments, where he remained until 1878, when he came to Memphis, and during the next seven years was engaged in clerking in various retail houses. In 1885 Mr. Hunter started in business for himself, in a modest way at first, handling only dry-goods. The business gradually grew, owing to his fine judgment and good taste in the selec- tion of his stock, until the firm of. Edward Hunter & Co. be- came one of the best-known department stores in Western Tennessee. At the time he retired from the management of the business, in January, 1904, the house employed over 200 people and occupied the large, six-story building at the corner of Main and Court streets, handling everything in the way of wearing apparel and house-furnishing goods, and doing a busi-
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ness of $1,000,000 annually. The rapid growth of the business and the high standing of the firm were chiefly due to Mr. Hunter's sagacity and the reputation he early established for fair dealing. It was frequently said: "A child can do as well at Hunter's as a grown person." Even since his retirement from the firm he feels a just and pardonable pride in the great establishment that he founded, and is as jealous of its reputa- tion as when he was actively connected with it. Mr. Hunter is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church, of Mem- phis, and belongs to the Business Men's club. In the first, he is interested in the charitable work of his religious denomi- nation, and in the second in the growth and progress of Mem- phis.
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