USA > Texas > A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume II > Part 61
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Mrs. Clark is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which church Captain Clark is affiliated, and to the support of which he contributes liberally.
PROFESSOR NAT BENTON. The character of its schools and the ca- pacity of its instructors are among the first considerations, to a prospec- tive homeseeker, in a growing community, for they are the indexes al- most invariably to its advancement. In this regard Alice, Texas, has been very fortunate in securing Mr. Nat Benton as superintendent of the graded and high schools. Professor Benton, whose birth occurred in Guadalupe county, Texas, August 18, 1860, is a son of Nat and Jane (Harris) Ben- ton, who were married in Texas. Our subject's grandfather (whose name was also Nathaniel) was a brother of the Hon. Tom Benton of Missouri, and father-in-law of General Fremont, who was so closely identified with the pioneer life of the West.
Nat Benton, Sr., father of our subject, was born in Tennessee, where he grew to manhood. In 1835 he came to east Texas and in 1846 moved to Guadalupe county, where he engaged in farming until the year 1849, when the discovery of gold in California created such excitement throughout the country. In this year he decided to seek his fortune and went to California for the purpose of prospecting, but was disappointed with the state and its prospects, and returned to Texas and resumed his farming operations, which he continued until the opening of the Civil war, when he gave his allegiance to the Confederate cause, and recruited a company for service, which he turned over to Colonel Bane, and later recruited another company which he commanded himself. This company was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi department and with it he served until the close of the war. At the battle of Blairs Landing he suffered
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the loss of his right arm ; he was never taken prisoner, but underwent the deprivations and hardships that were incident to army life in that war, and served the cause faithfully and well. After the loss of his arm he returned home, and subsequent to the reconstruction period he was elected county judge, and served in that capacity for one year, and after this he taught school for a number of years. In politics he was a Demo- crat, and his religious faith was that of the Methodist church, of which he was an esteemed member. His death occurred in 1872, his wife, who was a daughter of John and Laura Adams Harris of Tennessee and Vir- ginia, respectively, having been laid to rest in 1861.
Professor Benton, after a boyhood spent on the farm, went to Concrete College, in Dimmit county, from which institution of learning he was graduated in 1878. Subsequent to this he taught school for one year, and in 1882 enlisted in the State Ranger service, with which he served for three years with Captain McMurray, being stationed at Colo- rado City, and later moving into Edwards county, where he remained until the expiration of his term of service, from which service he re- ceived an honorable discharge. Following this Mr. Benton engaged in stock raising in Edwards county, and later re-entered the teaching field at Barksdale, where he remained for seven years, after which he taught for two years at Rock Springs. In 1895 he was appointed principal of the high school at Seguin, serving there for four years, and in 1900 he accepted the appointment of superintendent of the schools in Alice, to the interests of which he has devoted himself ever since, and has estab- lished a most enviable record for efficiency and scholarship. The following is a quotation from Professor Benton's annual report of the Alice schools, dated June 8, 1905 :
Schools of Alice.
"The census rolls of 1900 showed a total of 487. The rolls for 1905 shows a total of 896. The actual attendance for 1900-01 was 182; for 1904 was 348. In 1900 four teachers were employed; in 1904-05 six teachers were employed, with two additional teachers for 1905-06. When I took charge of your school in 1900 the advanced class had reached only the 8th grade, and the school was not graded. Since that time two grades, 9th and Ioth, have been added and the school systematically graded. Three classes (II in all) have been graduated, and the record made by them speaks more for the success of the school than a volume of high-sounding phrases. Some have made enviable reputations as teachers, and no one has ever failed to pass a state teacher's examination when applying for the same, either for second or first grade certificate (7 out of II have certificates). Only one of our graduates has applied for admission into the State University and he was admitted on taking the entrance examination. This establishes the, fact that we are doing the work required of affiliated schools. The standard of promotion and graduation has been raised from a 75 per cent basis to 85 per cent, thor- oughness being the motto of the school. The 9th grade of 1903-04 was merged with the 9th grade of 1904-05 in the effort to bring our graduates to a still higher standard of proficiency. None was graduated this year,
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but we expect for next a larger and better prepared class than we have ever had."
During his term of teaching at Seguin he studied law, and in 1898 was admitted to the bar, although he has never practiced. For fifteen years he has been connected with normal work and was a member of the summer normal board of examiners in 1899, and again in 1904.
Professor Benton was married in December, 1884, to Alice L. Nichols, a native of Guadalupe county, and a daughter of Solomon and Martha Daniels Nichols. Mrs. Benton is a member of the corps of teach- ers in the Alice schools and is a competent and respected teacher. She is the mother of two children: Irene, born 1887, and a popular and suc- cessful school teacher; and Curran, a graduate of the high school at Alice and now pursuing post-graduate work. Both Professor Benton and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. He is a friend of fraternal orders and holds membership in the F. & A. M., being wor- shipful master of the Alice lodge; also in the Knights of Pythias, Rath- bones, Woodmen of the World, and Woodmen Circle. In politics he is a staunch Democrat, although he has never been a seeker for public office, feeling that the work of education, to which he is devoting his life, de- mands all of his time and vitality.
P. A. PRESNALL, president of the Alice State Bank, of Alice, Texas, and for many years a prominent stock-raiser of Western Texas, was born in Bexar county, Texas, July 26, 1865. His paternal grand- father, Absalom Presnall, of French descent, was a well known planter in South Carolina, but died in Alabama. He was married twice, and was the father of twenty-four children. Harrison Presnall, youngest son of Absalom Presnall, by his first wife, and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1813, and died in Wilson county, Texas, in February, 1883. He left Alabama (his native state) when a young man, and settled in Mississippi ; next settling in Louisiana ; and, in 1854, mov- ing with his family, and slaves to Texas, and locating near San Antonio, where he established a stock ranch. During the Civil war he was in the frontier service, and at the conclusion of the same returned and de- voted his time to his live-stock interests. He held membership in the Presbyterian church. His wife, Susan, who still survives him and re- sides in San Antonio, was born in October, 1823, and is a daughter of Isaac Applewhite of Mississippi, who died in San Antonio, at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Presnall was a daughter by his first wife. Mr. and Mrs. Presnall were the parents of six children, born in the follow- ing order : Laura (Mrs. Mitchell), Jesse, Safrona, (Mrs. H. Mussey), Susan (Mrs. J. Archibald), Cora (Mrs. H. Beverley), and P. A.
P. A. Presnall in his early years assisted his father on the ranch, and continued until his father retired from active work and sold his business. He then went to Pecos county, where he engaged in stock raising on his own account, and continued for eight years, during which time he served one term (1890) as county treasurer. His next move was to San Antonio, where he, in company with a partner, bought out a live stock commission company, with which he was identified for two and one-half years, subsequently selling his interest to his partner. He next came to Alice, and on July 24, 1893, in company with S. B.
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.
Mosser, he opened a private bank, which did a successful business until July 1, 1906, when Mr. Presnall organized the State Bank of Alice, with a capital stock of $75,000; P. A. Presnall, president; S. B. Mosser, vice president and Thomas H. Clark, cashier. Mr. Presnall is also a stockholder of the Cheap Home Land Company, and is vice president of the Citizens' Gin Company.
In politics Mr. Presnall is a staunch Democrat, and has served as mayor of Alice, at all times lending his aid to those things which make for the public good. He is well known in Masonic circles, being a member of his local lodge.
In December, 1897, Mr. Presnall was married to Miss Alice Clark, who was a native of Nueces county, and a daughter of Captain Hines and Adolphe (Sack) Clark. Of this union there were born three chil- dren: Homer, December 1I, 1899; Mary, November 7, 1901; and Alice, February 28, 1904. Mrs. Presnall, who was a lifelong and worthy member of the Methodist church, died May 26, 1904, not long after the birth of her daughter Alice.
Mr. Presnall was married August II, 1906, to Miss Donia Scruggs, a daughter of Hamilton and Julia ( Franks) Scruggs, of Texas.
JOHN S. STRICKLAND, M. D., of Strickland & Vick, physicians and surgeons at Alice, Texas, was born in middle Tennessee, May 6, 1866, in which state he was reared and educated. He is a son of Thomas J. and Terrissa (Tunget) Strickland, both natives of Tennessee. Stew- ard Strickland of Alabama, the grandfather, was a prominent planter and slave owner, who moved to Texas in his later years and remained there until his death. His children were eight in number: Thomas J., William, John, Desdamon, Terrissa, Mary, Adel, and Ida.
Thomas J. Strickland grew to manhood and was married in Ten- nessee, where he resided until the opening years of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the Confederate army and served until the close of the war. He was taken prisoner once, in Mississippi, but was never wounded. After the war was over he returned home and resumed farming, with which he was occupied until 1876, when he moved to Texas and settled in Ellis county, where he purchased a farm. This he ran until 1903, when he sold out and moved to San Diego, dying in that city the follow- ing year. He was an earnest member of the Methodist church, and also belonged to the Masonic fraternity. His wife, who was a daughter of Medom Tunget, of Alabama, died at Italy, in Ellis county, in 1888. She was the mother of six children: John S., our subject; Medom, of Alice ; Thomas D., a machinist at Stamford; Eunice, a student, and un- married; Leslie, preparing for missionary work in Mexico; and Evie, a student. Since the death of his parents, Dr. Strickland, has made a home for his brothers and sisters, and is educating the younger members of the family.
Dr. Strickland, as a young man, after having been graduated from the Nash high school in Texas, decided upon medicine as a profession, and in 1895, began reading with Dr. C. L. Orr of Waxahachie, Texas, and continued with him for three years, assisting him in his practice, and gaining much practical information. He next attended the medical de- partment of the State University of Tennessee, from which institution
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he was graduated. He then commenced practicing at Lagarto, in Live Oak county, Texas, and remained there for two years, and then mov- ing to San Diego, from whence he came, in 1904, to Alice, where he formed a partnership with Dr. Vick, which has proved to be a very satisfactory combination. They have built up a fine practice, even in the short time that they have been together.
Dr. Strickland is unmarried, and has devoted his time to assisting his brothers and sisters to obtain educations, and fit themselves for their appointed tasks in life. He holds memberships in the National, State, and County Medical Associations, and is well known professionally.
WILLIAM ADAMS, born in England, January 3, 1846, is an early settler in Texas, and has been for many years identified with the stock interests of the southwestern part of the state. His paternal grand- father, a baker by trade, was English born, and spent his entire life in England. His father, Robert Adams, who married a Miss Sarah M. An- derson, also of English birth, grew to manhood in England, and while there followed railroading. In 1852, being desirous of seeing something of America, he emigrated with his family, landing first at New Orleans ; from there going to Galveston: and then, by small steamer, to Corpus Christi, where he located, and shortly afterward started in the stock business. The range was then free, and this venture proved quite pro- fitable. This occupation he followed for about fifteen years, but in 1867, being desirous of seeing the home of his boyhood, he, with his youngest son, John, took passage for England, where he spent a pleasant vaca- tion, visiting the scenes which were so familiar to him in his youth. After the conclusion of his visit he and his son embarked for the return trip on the ill-fated steamer Raleigh, which burned in mid-Atlantic, not a soul on board being saved. Both he and his wife, who died in Corpus Christi in 1861, were valued members of the Episcopal church, and were both highly esteemed in the community in which they re- sided. Their children were seven in number: Elizabeth M. (de- ceased). William A., Robert, Harry (deceased at the age of 35), Ellen (Mrs. E. J. Kilmer) deceased, Mary A. (Mrs. Hinnent), and John, who died at sea with his father.
William Adams, was but seven years of age upon coming to Ameri- ca with his parents, and here he grew up, assisting his father in the stock business, and becoming familiar with the details of the same. He received a good elementary education at Corpus Christi, and at the age of sixteen entered the employ of Mr. J. W. Drury at a salary of $15 per month, and at this employment he was engaged for three years. He assisted Mr. Drury, who was engaged in freighting (by ox team) to the Rio Grande, hauling Texas products and returning with supplies, this being at that time one of the chief outlets for the productions of Southern Texas. The country was then very sparsely settled, and Mr. Adams relates that in the spring of 1865 he and several companions, while returning from Brownsville with a load of heavy machinery, des- tined for a Waco cotton factory, were attacked bv a band of Mexican brigands, who represented themselves to be United States soldiers, and ordered the freighters to give up their weapons. A fight thereupon ensued, but the Mexicans, being fifteen in number, proved too formid-
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able a force for the four teamsters and they were forced to surrender. One of the teamsters and one Mexican were killed, but the robbers, after plundering them of their supplies, allowed the freighters to proceed on their way with the machinery. After reaching his destination Mr. Adams was taken sick, and this ended his work as a teamster.
After recovering his health Mr. Adams and his brother Robert entered into partnership, and bought a flock of sheep, left by their father, and also took another herd which they were to work on shares. They located on the Banbone ranch and followed sheep raising until 1890. In 1869, both brothers having meanwhile married, they moved to a point near Driscoll, now known as Alfred. They continued in part- nership for about twenty-four years, their herd of sheep varying during that time from five to seven thousand head.
They had been, meanwhile, buying land, until they possessed about 18,000 acres, and had also started raising cattle and horses, having a herd of about 1,600 cattle and a good-sized herd of horses. In 1893, by mutual consent, they divided the land and stock, Robert Adams re- maining at the old homestead, and William moving to a part of the ranch lying near the town of Alice. Although during their partnership they had done very little, if any, farming, Mr. Adams, after the division of the property, started into farming in a small way, until now he has three hundred acres under cultivation.
In the spring of 1906 he moved to Alice, and erected a commodious. two-story house, in which he is now living. Besides other interests he is a stockholder of the Alice Cotton Gin Company, and is well known in social and business circles. He is a Democrat in politics, and was in 1880 elected county commissioner, in which capacity he served for four years, with credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of the people. In 1898 he was elected to the same office and has served continuously since. He is an esteemed member of the Episcopal church, and also holds member- ship in the fraternal order of Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Adams was married, first, on January 17, 1867, to Miss Sarah B. Dobson of Grimes county, Texas, and a daughter of A. B. Dobson. who came from South Carolina to the Republic of Mexico in 1826, and who died in 1897, at the age of ninety-one years. Mrs. Adams died August 6. 1894, having been the mother of eight children : Lilly L., now Mrs. H. W. Garrett; Rose L., now deceased; Robert A., who died at the age of twenty-six ; Jasper, deceased at the age of seventeen ; George R., a mer- chant at Alice : Arthur L., deceased at fifteen ; William R., who died at fifteen ; and Edwin, who died at the age of thirteen years.
In 1896 Mr. Adams was again married, to Miss Nina O. Young. born in Hill county, Texas, in May, 1874, and a daughter of Samuel and Nettie (Grace) Young. To Mr. and Mrs. Adams have been born the following children: Elizabeth, September 7, 1897; Norwick, De- cember 2, 1898; Harry L., December 9, 1900; Walter, August 30, 1902; and Mary A., August 1I, 1906.
Bee County.
WILLIAM M. SMITH, treasurer of Bee county, and intimately asso- ciated with the industrial and moral development of Beeville and vicinity,
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is a son of Thomas J. and Lugana ( Roberts) Smith, natives, respectively, of Georgia and Alabama, in which latter state they were married, mov- ing to Texas in 1853. William Smith, grandfather of William M., was born in Ireland in 1741, coming to Pennsylvania in 1748, and was a Revolutionary soldier, enlisting in the first company organized in Penn- sylvania, and gave true and honorable service to the colonial govern- ment. The old gun which he carried in the war is still in the possession of the family, and is a treasured relic. His first cousin, James Smith, enlisted in the same company, and was sent as a delegate to the conti- nental congress and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence. William Smith was a plain and honest farmer, and his death occurred in 1830. He was the father of five sons: Simeon, Jackson, Joseph, Thomas J., and Robert; and six daughters as follows: Mary Smith, ( Mrs. Fennel) ; Nancy Smith, (Mrs. Moore) ; Pallie Smith, (Mrs. Hullam) ; Irine Smith, (never married) ; Rebecca Smith, (Mrs. Eads) ; Jane. Smith. (Mrs. Edwards).
Thomas J. Smith, the father of William M., was born in Georgia in 1815, and grew to manhood on the farm. He married and settledI in Alabama, where he remained until 1853, when he moved to Texas, and settled in Guadalupe county. In 1860 he moved to Bee county, and continued his business ( which was stock raising) until 1866 when he moved to Beeville, and opened a general merchandise store. In 1868 he was elected county and district clerk, which office he held for three terms, at the same time attending to his private business. He died in 1874. His wife, who was a daughter of Joshua Roberts, a prominent farmer and slave owner of Alabama, survived him until 1901, her death occurring in that year. Their children were born in the follow- ing order: Elizabeth, Mrs. F. S. Lancaster; Jane, Mrs. T. J. Lan- caster ; Ulrich, who died at the age of eight years; Joseph L .; William M .: Lewis M .: Rebecca, Mrs. Taylor; Margaret, Mrs. E. Ray, and Rachel, Mrs. J. F. Ray.
William M. Smith was born in Alabama August 13, 1850, and re- mained with his parents until the death of his father in 1874. He became associated with his father in business in Beeville. Texas, in 1868, and continued the business after his father's death, until 1879, when he sold out, and started prospecting for gold in New Mexico. He continued this for a time then abandoned the search, and returned to Beeville, where, in 1882, he reopened a store, and continued in business until 1896. During this time (in 1884) he was elected county treasurer, and continued in office for six years. In 1890 Mr. Smith accepted the posi- tion of cashier of the Commercial National Bank of Beeville, which he held for two years, and then retired from active business. He was elected county treasurer again in 1900, which office he has held con- tinuously since. His forebears were mostly Methodists, and Mr. Smith has been a lifelong member of that Church; being recording steward of the local church of which he is a member. He is also a member of the Royal Arch Masons, and is widely known and universally re- spected.
Mr. Smith was married, in 1882, to Miss Mattie Hodges, who was born in Bee county in 1862. She is a daughter of John S. and Sarah
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( Pettus) Hodges, who were married in Texas. Mr. Hodges was a rancher in various parts of Texas for many years and was a soldier in the Confederate army. He served his country faithfully, and his name deserves an honored place in the history of the state of Texas. His death occurred in 1892, his wife surviving him. Mrs. Smith was their first born; their family comprising five, all of whom are alive.
To Mr. and Mrs. Smith there have been born seven children, viz .: Mary, wife of L. Beyett; Maud; Bessie; Lillian; Libbie; Aline; and William A., born January 2, 1905.
JOHN CLAYBOURNE CRISP, of Beeville, Bee county, Texas, a lawyer, was the eldest of eleven children of David Hardee Crisp, M. D., and Elizabeth Amanda Crisp, both of whom were born and reared in Cas- well county, North Carolina.
Dr. Crisp was born April 18, 1824, and practiced his profession over 54 years. He died at Uvalde, Texas, June 23, 1906, aged 82 years, two months and five days. He had a fine English and classical educa- tion and received his degree of M. D. after a three years' course in the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, class of 1846. He began practice in Tippah county, Mississippi, succeeding to the lucrative prac- tice of his uncle, Dr. John H. Crisp, an M. D. from the same uni- versity.
In 1858 Dr. D. H. Crisp moved to Texas, settling on the Colorado river in Colorado county near Columbus, where he also developed a large plantation, on which he had sixty-three valuable slaves set free by Presi- dent Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. He served as surgeon in the Confederate army during the Civil war. He was always the highest type of the Southern gentleman,-a Chesterfield in his manners and language. He attained some distinction in his profession as a writer. He was president of the Medical Society of Colorado county and was president of the board of medical examiners of his district. Dr. Crisp was not a member of any fraternal order but was a devout Christian and life- long ruling elder in the Presbyterian church, having been a descendant of an ancient and historic family of Huguenots who refugeed from the great massacre of St. Bartholomew at Paris, France, to London, where his maternal ancestor married an Englishman named Crisp. His half brother, Stephen Monroe Wells, held a diploma from the University of Mississippi and became a brilliant lawyer at Columbus, Texas. He died of measles while a captain in the Confederate army in the Civil war. Jabez A. Wells, another half-brother of'Dr. Crisp, also died, a soldier in the same army.
His uncle, Dr. John Hancock Crisp, was a distinguished physician and surgeon and extensive cotton planter in Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas, who died in Brazil, South America, having moved there after the Civil war.
Mrs. Elizabeth Amanda Crisp was the third of the eight children of John and Elizabeth Mitchell (nee Mebane), descendants of old Scotch- Irish Presbyterian families from the north of Ireland who were among the earliest settlers in North Carolina. Mrs. Crisp was a lifelong and devoted adherent of the old faith in which she died a triumphant death at Uvalde February 14, 1907, aged 70 years, nine months and five days.
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