USA > Texas > A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume II > Part 54
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On December 31, 1846, Eli S. Hankins married Elizabeth Caroline Day, who was born in Charleston District, S. C., October 9, 1830, a daughter of Johnson Day, also a native of that district. The son of a prosperous planter, Johnson Day was reared and educated in Charles- ton, living there until after his marriage. He subsequently lived for a while in other states, first in Alabama, and then in Georgia, after which he returned to Charleston District, purchased the old homestead, which he occupied until 1835. Selling out in that year, Mr. Day started over- land with his family tor Texas, and after a tedious journey by team of several weeks arrived at San Augustine. Texas had then declared, but had not achieved, its independence, and the Mexican Army was invading the southwestern part. 'There being neither railways nor telegraphs at that time, news was carried from place to place by mounted couriers, and was a long time in reaching the people. Being advised, on account of the unsettled condition of things, to remain in San Augustine, he decided to do so, and rented land, on which he raised one crop. In the fall of that year, he went to Gonzales, a town which a few months before had been burned by the Texan army. All of the settlers had fled to the east when the depredations commenced, and but a few had been courageous enough to return. Those few, however, were trying to maintain law and order, and when Mr. Day arrived he was elected to a high office, and devoted his time to the discharge of the duties devolving upon him. That sec- tion of the state was then in a very unsanitary condition, and the whole family were taken ill, and in 1838, about a year after locating at Gon- zales, Mr. Day died, leaving a widow and seven children, six daughters and one son. Mr. Day married Sarah Hembrew, a daughter of Rev. James Hembrew, a preacher in the Primitive Baptist church, of which she was a consistent and devout member for many years. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Day removed with her family to Seguin, Guadalupe county, being attracted to the place by its beautiful and health-giving springs, being among the original settlers of the now enterprising city. The only son, James Milford Day, engaged in farming there, clearing quite a tract of land. Hostilities between the Republic and Mexico break-
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ing out, all of the whites left that place, the Day family going back to Gonzales. They subsequently returned to Seguin, and there Mrs. Day spent her declining years.
Of the children born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Eli S. Hankins, five grew to years of maturity, namely : Arminda Ann, James Milford, Eli Clemmons, Mary Ellen, and William Martin. Arminda Ann, who died at the age of forty-one years, married, March 16, 1870, Edmund Bellinger, by whom she had nine children, Carrie L., Eli, John C., Wenona, Oran, Edmund, William R., Eugene, and Lucius. John M. married Glendorah C. Glass, on October 26, 1876, and they have seven children, Clay M., Lula, John P., Archie, Wayne, Wenona, and Barney. Eli C. married, October 25, 1876, Ida J. Perry, and they have reared nine children, John M., Craig, Lillie, Willie, Maggie, Mary, Maude, Alice, and Gladys. Mary C. married in February, 1883, Samuel L. Eeds, and they are the parents of six children, John R., Walter, Samuel, Beatrice, Arminda, ar.d Carl.
William Martin Hankins, the youngest member of the parental household, and the special subject of this brief sketch, received his edu- cation in the district schools. Choosing the occupation to which he was reared as the one most congenial to his tastes, he has carried on the vari- ous branches connected with general farming with undisputed success, and in the management of the old homestead is meeting with excellent pe- cuniary results. On November 28, 1902, Mr. Hankins married Flora Mary Harris, and they have two children, Morris C. and Mildred M.
JAMES JEFFERSON HOLLOWAY. Numbered among the citizens of prominence in Weimar is James J. Holloway, one of the founders of the place, and a supporter of all projects tending to advance its best interests. A man of energy, enterprise and practical judgment, he has shown marked ability in business methods and dealings, and from a modest beginning has, through his own efforts, won a handsome competence, enabling him now to live retired from active work, enjoying to the utmost the fruits of his earlier years of toil. He was born, December II, 1837, in Person county, N. C., which was likewise the birthplace of his father, John Adams Holloway, and of his grandfather, James Holloway. The latter, who came of substantial Scotch-Irish ancestry, inherited the paternal homestead, located about eight miles from Roxboro, and there spent his entire life. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Dixon, was also a life-long resident of Person county, N. C.
Born in February, 1800, John Adams Holloway grew to manhood in his native county, and at his marriage settled about a mile from the ancestral homestead, on a large tract of land given him by his father. He was very well educated, took an active interest in public affairs, and in politics was identified with the Whigs. During the early "forties," when the annexation of Texas was discussed, he strongly advocated the project, and in 1844 was a warm supporter of James K. Polk, the presi- dential candidate, and in the fall of that year was elected to represent Person county in the State Legislature. Polk being elected president, and the annexation of Texas being assured, Mr. Holloway sold his Person county estate, and started with his family for Texas, then a Republic, going partly by land and partly by water to Houston. From there he
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came with teams to the interior, fording all streams except the Brazos river, where a ferry boat pushed across the stream with poles was used. After journeying for two weeks, he arrived in Colorado county, and, locating on the west side of the Colorado river, bought one thousand acres of wild land, paying $1.00 per acre for it. As there were no build- ings on the place, he, with his family, found shelter in a board shanty near by, and occupied that structure until he had erected a log house, for which he made all the furniture. Deer and other kinds of wild game, both large and small, was plentiful, and with the products of the land supplied the people then here with the means of subsistence, which con- sisted largely of corn bread, black coffee, jerked beef, and game. Cattle roamed the plains at will, and the Indians and Mexicans were oftentimes troublesome. Mr. Holloway immediately commenced the improvement of a homestead, but he did not live to accomplish very much, his death oc- curring in June, 1846, while yet in the prime of a vigorous manhood.
On February 22, 1837, John Adams Holloway married Mary Ann Walthall Bass, who was born, October 3, 1819, in Nottoway county, Va., which was the place of birth of her father, Elam Bass, and of which her grandfather, Edward Bass, was a life-long resident. About 1824, a few years after his marriage with Mary Elizabeth Oliver, Elam Bass bought land in Halifax county, Va., and was there engaged in tilling the soil until his death. In 1846, soon after the death of her husband, Mrs. Holloway removed to Rutersville, and there, in 1848, she married for her second husband, Mr. P. J. Shaver. A native of Salisbury, N. C., Mr. Shaver migrated from there to Texas in 1835, when he became one of the original settlers of Fayette county. Buying a tract of wild prairie land, he erected a log house, which was the first building on the present site of Fayetteville, which he laid out. Improving a good ranch he was there actively engaged in farming and stock raising until his death in 1875. Mrs. Shaver continued to reside in Fayetteville for a number of years after the death of Mr. Shaver, but is now living in Weimar, and with her mental vigor unimpaired, although physically weak, is enjoying life surrounded by her children and grandchildren. By her two mar- riages, Mrs. Shaver had a large family of children, five of whom died in infancy. Of the children born of her union with John A. Holloway, six grew to years of maturity, namely: James J .; John B .; Emma, wife of C. McGowan Breeding ; Willis S .; Mary Fiske, deceased, married Major B. F. Dunn ; and Richard E., deceased. Of the children born of her union with Mr. Shaver, five grew to years of maturity, namely: P. J .; Ella, wife of Louis Ahless ; Martha J .; Sarah, deceased, married Henry Dun- lavy ; and Robert A., deceased.
Coming with his Uncle David and cousin James to Texas, and bring- ing with them the slaves, James Jefferson Holloway had a tedious jour- ney, partly by water, and joined the family in Colorado county. Being then but a boy, he continued his studies at the pioneer schools of Ruters- ville, afterwards being under the instruction of William Halsey, at Chapel Hill, and then under Rufus Burleson, at Independence. He was subse- quently employed as a clerk in a general store at Fayetteville until the breaking out of the war. Enlisting then in the company known as Ward's Legion, he was with his command in Texas, Louisiana and Mis-
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sissippi until the close of the conflict, taking an active part in its many marches, campaigns and battles. Returning home, Mr. Holloway hav- ing no means with which to establish himself in business made an arrange- ment with the owner of a large number of cattle to carry on teaming, and employed colored men as teamsters. In this occupation, he made long trips, going as far as Ellis county, where he bought wheat, which, after having it ground into flour, he sold at a profit in Fayetteville. He also purchased lumber in Grimes, and made some money on that. Locating in La Grange in 1866, Mr. Holloway was there engaged in mercantile pursuits for three years, after which he was again employed for two years as a clerk, and from 1871 until 1873 was a farmer. In the latter year the railway was extended to Weimar, the village was established, and Mr. Holloway here erected the first residence and the first business building, a fact worthy of recording, although some had previously been moved on to the site of the present village. With characteristic enter- prise, Mr. Holloway established a mercantile, banking and exchange business, and for many years was actively employed in these lines, car- rying on a large and remunerative business until his retirement from the activities of life.
In February, 1866, Mr. Holloway married Lizzie Nicholson, a daugh- ter of James A. and Clemie A. Nicholson, and of their union six chil- dren have been born, namely: James B., Clemie E .; John W., Charles F., Katie M., and Scott F.
WILLIAM DILLARD. Among the earlier settlers of Texas, William Dillard, of Caldwell county, holds a position worthy of mention in a volume of this character. Coming to this state while it was yet a part of the Republic of Mexico, he formed an intimate acquaintance with the privations and hardships of pioneer days, and the subsequent incidents of his active career place him among the self-made men of our times. By the untimely death of his father, he was thrown upon his own re- sources when but a boy, but he successfully paddled his own canoe, and in course of time became the possessor of a tract of land, which, largely by the labor of his own hands, he has developed and improved into the homestead on which he is now living in comfort and ease, enjoying to the utmost the fruit of his earlier years of toil. A son of Joseph Dillard, he was born, in 1824, in Cooper county, Miss., where he spent the first ten years of his existence.
In 1834, Joseph Dillard, accompanied by his family, came across the country with teams from Mississippi to Texas, locating in Washington county, where his death occurred the very next year. His widow, whose maiden name was Susan Beason, was born in Illinois. After the death of her husband, she moved to Missouri, which was her home a short time. When the independence of Texas was assured, she returned to Washing- ton county, and soon after became the wife of William Burnett, who fought under Gen. Houston at the San Jacinto. In 1850 Mr. and Mrs. Burnett moved to Caldwell county, and subsequently settled in Gonzales county, where Mrs. Burnett spent the remainder of her life.
Beginning the battle of life for himself at the age of fourteen years, William Dillard was variously employed for a number of years, laboring at any remunerative work. During the progress of the Mexican war,
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in 1847, he enlisted in Company K, commanded by Captain Snell, and served in the regiment of "Jack Hayes" until the close of the conflict. The following eighteen years, Mr. Dillard spent on the plains in the western part of the state. Coming to Caldwell county in 1871, he bought the farm on which he has since resided, and by dint of hard labor has improved the land, making it to yield abundantly of the crops common to this section of the country.
Mr. Dillard has been twice married. He married first, in 1849, Mary Ann Ellison, a daughter of N. P. Ellison, a pioneer of Caldwell county. She died in 1895, leaving eleven children, namely : Josephine, Abraham, Emma J., George, William, Alice, Ann, John, Charles, Susan, and Daniel. Mr. Dillard married for his second wife Mrs. Fanny (Wells) O'Stean.
THOMAS MCNEAL. Prominent among the well known and influen- tial citizens of Lockhart is Thomas McNeal, attorney-at-law, and one of the leading members of the legal profession. A native of Texas, he was born, November 22, 1849, in Washington county, a son of William Wallace McNeal.
Coming from thrifty Scotch ancestry, William Wallace McNeal was born and reared in Maury county, Tenn., and there lived until 1849. Coming then to Texas, he spent a few months in Washington county, where his father-in-law, Walker Berry, had previously settled. Looking about for a place in which to locate permanently, he came then to Caldwell county, and was so favorably impressed with Lockhart that he opened a store of general merchandise in a building standing on the northeast cor- ner of the square, having for a partner his brother-in-law, R. M. Berry. There being no railways in this vicinity at that time, all of the merchan- dise was brought from Port Lavaca with teams. In 1853 his partner, Mr. Berry, went to Mississippi to be married. The wedding over, he started for home with his bride, and when at Port Lavaca both were stricken with yellow fever, and died in a very short time. Mr. W. W. McNeal continued the business alone for a few years, after which he lived retired, in Lockhart, until his death. He married Elizabeth W. Berry, who was born in Tennessee, a daughter of Walker and R. C. Berry. She survived him, and spent the closing years of her life in Gon- zales county.
Having laid a substantial foundation for his future education in the public schools, Thomas McNeal read law in the office of Walker W. Berry, in San Antonio, and in 1872 was admitted to the bar. He began his career as a lawyer in Lockhart, but later removed to Luling, where he practiced a few years. Then, after practising a while in Gonzales, he returned to Lockhart, where he has since continued, having built up a large and lucrative patronage in this thriving city and its suburbs.
Mr. McNeal married, in 1876, Mary Field, and into their home five children have been born, namely: Edna, Mary, Lillie, William Wallace, and Thomas Hill.
HON. ABNUS BAILEY KERR of San Antonio has attained distinction as one of the most extensive land owners and prominent stockmen of the southwest. His other business interests, too, are of a most varied character, demanding keen discrimination and sagacity in their manage- ment and successful control. But while his splendid prosperity awakens
a. B. Kem
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the admiration of all it is the character of the man that has endeared him to his many friends. Unostentatious in manner, plain and simple in tastes, he has never allowed the accumulation of wealth to warp his kindly nature or affect his relations with others less fortunate, and the title of "honorable" given to him by reason of public office is as certainly de- served by reason of his genuine character and worth.
Mr. Kerr is a native of Virginia, having been born in Augusta county that state, on the 4th of March, 1832. He is a son of Robert G. and Cassandra (Mccutcheon) Kerr and in both the paternal and maternal lines comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The Kerr family is an old and prominent one of Augusta county, Virginia, where representatives of the name have lived through many generations. The paternal grand- father, William Kerr, was one of the early settlers of the Old Dominion and valiantly served his country in the Revolutionary war. His son, Robert G., was born in 1803 and, having arrived at years of maturity, wedded Cassandra Mccutcheon, also a native of Augusta county, Vir- ginia, and a daughter of Captain Downey Mccutcheon, who was also in the war for independence and won his title while serving with the army of patriots of Virginia. Both the Kerr and Mccutcheon families were large property owners and people of much influence in their state. After residing for a long period in the county of his nativity Robert G. Kerr came to Texas in 1874 to spend his remaining days with his son, Abnus B., and here died in 1893 at the very venerable age of ninety years. His wife also died in Texas, passing away at the family home in Fayette county.
Abnus Bailey Kerr, the eldest of his father's family, acquired a fair education in the schools of Augusta county and when twenty years of age started out to make his way unaided in the world. He went first to Charleston, West Virginia, and then down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. The long trip was fraught with hardships and also considerable danger on account of the cholera epidemic, for all along the route they passed through communities infected with that disease, and many on board the boat became ill with cholera and died. Mr. Kerr fortunately, however, escaped and from New Orleans he went by boat to Indianola, Texas, and on to Gonzales by ox team, arriving at the latter place on the Ist of November, 1852, with but limited capital. He suc- ceeded in securing work, however, as a bookkeeper for a Mr. Gishard, a Frenchman, at a salary of fifty-one dollars per month. After a month he was compelled to abandon the position on account of failing health. When he had recovered he found it so difficult to obtain a position that he accepted work as a hod carrier on the construction of the first brick house in Gonzales, his wage being but seventy cents per day, out of which he had to pay his board. He worked on that building, which was known as the Kaiser Hotel, until March, 1853, at which time Major Neighbors was raising a company of rangers to guard the surveyors going north to survey land in Peters colony in northern Texas. Mr. Kerr joined the company of rangers upon the request of the major and they were or- ganized at Austin by Colonel Hitchcock and started north in the latter part of March. The party surveyed seventeen hundred square miles of
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land in nine months and had many interesting and exciting experiences, especially with hostile Indians.
On the 2d of July, 1853, Mr. Kerr and a friend, Mr. Gibbons of Arkansas, decided to leave the camp and go to Fort Belknap, a distance of twenty-five miles, to get their guns repaired. While hunting for a suit- able place to cross the Brazos river they came suddenly upon a band of one hundred and fifty Indians who were on the war path. The young men hurriedly beat a retreat, but were pursued by the Indians. The friend was on a fine mare, which left Mr. Kerr's little pony far in the rear. Mr. Kerr called to his companion to wait, but the latter seemed to be deaf. The race continued until within sight of Fort Belknap and the mounts of the two boys were almost exhausted. They reached the fort in safety, however, when a party of soldiers started back after the In- dians, but did not succeed in capturing any.
On the Ist of November, 1853, Mr. Kerr was transferred from the ranger service to the surveying corps and after a short period was trans- ferred to the transcribing department, where he received seventy-five dollars per month-a great advance over any wage that he had previously been paid. In that capacity he served until after the close of the year. By the last of January, 1854, having completed his work with the sur- veying party and being paid off, he found himself in possession of four hundred and forty dollars. Returning to Gonzales, he discharged all of the indebtedness that he had been forced to contract while there and then went to Cibolo near Selma in Bexar county, where he purchased a small herd of cattle and a tract of land from J. M. Hill. He made considerable money in the venture there and thus practically made his first start in the business world. During the fall of 1854 he met the lady who became his wife-Miss Mary Mercer-and while she was attending school they were married August 2, 1855. She was a daughter of Levi and Sarah (Meni- fee) Mercer and they lived happily together until her death in 1868.
During the fall of 1855, Mr. Kerr and his wife loaded their house- hold goods on an ox wagon and removed to Fayette county, Texas, where Mr. Kerr continued to make his home for nearly a half century. They settled on a tract of land of two hundred acres, upon which he built a house from lumber hauled from Higgins mill at Bastrop. He also fenced some of the land and engaged in farming and improving his prop- erty until the outbreak of the Civil war. Shortly after the inauguration of hostilities he joined Shaw's company of Carter's regiment of cavalry in Colorado county, to which place he removed his family and effects. He was with that organization throughout the greater part of the war and was principally engaged in scouting duty in this state.
Returning to Fayette county in 1866, Mr. Kerr began surveying and soon became familiar with the lands of this part of the country. Find- ing opportunity for investment, he engaged quite extensively in land speculations, buying and selling large tracts and accumulating consider- able property. He also began farming on an extensive scale and eventu- ally engaged in merchandising in the town of Flatonia. Later in as- sociation with his sons he established a business in the new town of Mul-
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Muldoon.
doon under the firm name of A. B. Kerr & Sons. It was this firm that practically built up the town and there the sons, James and John Kerr, are still extensively engaged in business under the old firm name. They practically own the town of Muldoon and have the most extensive busi- ness interests in that part of the state. In addition to their mercantile and other interests Mr. Kerr and his sons established at Muldoon what was for several years the largest rock quarry in Texas. Mr. Kerr secured and filled a three hundred thousand dollar contract for furnishing rock for the jetties at Galveston and also large rock contracts for the same kind of work for the government jetties at the mouth of the Brazos and at Aransas Pass. While this business enterprise was at its height they shipped from thirty-five to forty car loads of rock from the quarries daily.
Mr. Kerr's largest interests are now in Texas lands, of which he owns over two hundred thousand acres in the southern and southwestern sections of the state. In 1900 he moved his home to San Antonio and controls his business interests from this city. He also has very valuable land holdings in the republic of Mexico. He is the owner of extensive cattle interests, having about six thousand head at the present time, most of which are in McMullen county, where the Kerr ranch embraces forty- five thousand acres. The largest farming interests of father and sons are in Fayette county in the vicinity of Muldoon, a rich cotton and corn region, where they have several thousand acres in cultivation under the care of tenants together with a gin and compress. Another fine ranch owned by Mr. Kerr lies a short distance west of San Antonio. Few men in the state have 'had as many and valuable business interests and he is today one of the most prominent business men of all Texas, to which position he has attained through careful management, judicious invest- ment, earnest purpose, laudable ambition and strict integrity in all trans- actions. Mr. Kerr has been for many years in public life, called to office by his fellow townsmen who have recognized his worth and ability and his devotion to the public good. While living in Fayette county he served as justice of the peace for fifteen years and his decisions were strictly fair and impartial. He was also county assessor, school director and county commissioner for several years and still higher political honors awaited him, for he was elected to the state senate to represent the coun- ties of Fayette, Colorado and Lavaca in the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth legislatures. In the senate he was chairman of the committee on con- tingent expenses and was a member of the finance committee during both sessions, this being one of the most important committees in the legisla- tive body. His most active work in the senate, however, was in connec- tion with his efforts to introduce in Texas the Torens system of land registration, a system that was in vogue in Illinois and named in honor of its promoter, Mr. Torens of Chicago. Its purpose is to simplify the recording and transferring of land titles with the object of making titles absolutely safe and secure and reducing the expense of registration and transference. This measure, which is greatly needed in Texas where titles are so involved, was unfortunately temporarily postponed on ac-
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