A history of Texas and Texans, Part 159

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906

USA > Texas > A history of Texas and Texans > Part 159

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Medicine at Louisville, Kentucky, graduating in 1898, with the degree of M. D. Dr. Rutledge also took post- graduate work in the New York Policlinic, in 1905. By license from the state board, he began practice in Collin county, Texas, in 1891, and was identified with the local- ity until 1899, since which time Denison has been bis home and the scene of his professional efforts. He has membership in the Denison, the Grayson county, the State and North Texas Medical Society.

Dr. Rutledge is a Republican in politics, and has taken considerable interest in party affairs. He is affili- ated with the Woodmen of the World, is a deacon in the Christian church in Denison, and allies himself with every movement for the betterment of his community.

Dr. Rutledge was married October 8, 1885, in Glasgow, Kentucky, to Miss Sallie E. Myers, a daughter of Robert and Mary Ellen Myers, now deceased. Her father was a millwright by trade. To the marriage of Dr. Rutledge and wife have been born five sons, one of whom is de- ceased. The four now living, all except the youngest of whom, are well started in their careers, are as fol- lows: R. M., aged twenty-seven, is in the wholesale grocery house of Waples-Platter at Denison; Dr. J. A., aged twenty-three, is a surgeon at Woodville, Oklahoma; B. F., aged twenty-two, is bill clerk in the Waples- Platter wholesale grocery house at Denison; and W. C. Rutledge, aged fourteen, is still in school. The Rutledge home is at 1103 South Armstrong Avenue, and his office is in the Security Building.

LOUIS GILLMAN. For many years America and her business opportunities have been exploited in other lands, and to her shores have come people of every coun- try to take advantage of these. While a welcome has been extended to all and a large degree of personal freedom assured to them, it has been the solid, thrifty European who has been most acceptable, for in a large majority of cases he has come already prepared for self- support, and with aspirations that include the founding of a home, the educating and rearing of his children, and the assuming of the responsibilities of citizenship. Such a man is Louis Gillman, who, as proprietor of the Pan-Handle Furniture Company, at No. 215 East Fourth street, is one of the well-known and substantial business men of Amarillo. Although a resident of this city only since 1908, Mr. Gillman has already firmly estab- lished himself as a man of ability and usefulness, one interested in the progress and development of his adopted city and taking pride in its achievements. A self-made man in every sense of the word, his career has been one of steady advancement, and should be of a na- ture encouraging to the ambitious youth of any land. Mr. Gillman was born April 17, 1878, in Russia, and is a son of Abraham and Katherine (Eyfa) Gillman, farm- ing people of that country, who never left Europe, the father dying in 1908, when sixty-five years old, and the mother in 1907, when in her sixty-third year. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom Louis was the sixth in order of birth.

The son of a moderately successful farmer, Louis Gillman was given a common school education at Visna, but at the age of fifteen years completed his studies and was apprenticed to learn the wood-worker's trade, which he followed for seven years, in the meantime serving for one and one-half years in the Russian army. Like thou- sands of others of his worthy countrymen who could see ahead of them in their native land only a long career of hard labor, with but little chance of achieving independ- ence, he left Russia in 1906, and came to the United States, by way of England. In 1908 he made his ad- vent in Amarillo, Texas, and during the first six months was employed in the establishment of Green Brothers Furniture Company. At the expiration of that period he decided to enter business on his own account, and accordingly formed a co-partnership with King Broth- ers, and established what was known as the Pan-Handle

Dr. M.C. Rutledge

2107

TEXAS AND TEXANS

Furniture Company. Six months later he bought out his partners, and since that time has conducted the busi- ness alone, meeting with unqualified success. Despite the newness of the business, and the size of its quarters, the amount of trade handled compares favorably with that of any establishment of its kind in the city. This success may be traced directly to Mr. Gillman's good man- agement, honest business policy, thorough knowledge of his chosen calling, and energetic, untiring enterprise. At all times manifesting a desire to please his patrons, he has made many of them personal friends, and at all times has been popular with his business associates and those who have met him in any way. It is only natural that Mr. Gillman should be satisfied with Amarillo and to have faith in its future, and to manifest this confi- dence he has invested heavily in city realty. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants' Association, and can be counted upon to withhold his support from no progressive movements inaugurated by these bodies. In political matters he is a Republican, but only takes a good citizen's interest in matters of a public nature.

On January 2, 1909, Mr. Gillman was married to Miss Rose Shorr, daughter of Gidalia Shorr, a native of Eng- land, and to this union there has come one daughter: Katherine, born at Amarillo, October 17, 19II. The pleasant family residence is located at No. 1211 Pierce street.

HON. D. LEON HARP. A young lawyer of San An- gelo, and a member of the present state legislature, Mr. Harp is very highly regarded as a young man whose ability and accomplishments are certain to take him far in his profession and in the field of politics, and at the age of twenty-seven he has already made an excellent start.

D. L. Harp, who is of Scotch-Irish stock, and a descend- ant of old families, who for many generations were plant- ers and slave owners in Georgia, was himself born in Texas, October 8, 1886. His parents were R. M. and Millie Harp, of Georgia, the former a lumberman of that state. He left Georgia in 1883 and moved to one of the principal lumber districts of Texas, in Cass county. He was in the lumber business there for some years, and in 1895 moved to Morris county, where he was a ranchman and stockman in partnership with John L. Sheppard. In 1901 he sold his interests and moved to the town of Naples, where he was in the hardware business for some time, later moving to Sweetwater in 1904, and still later to Cleburne. There be was in the retail grocery business until 1907, in which year he es- tablished himself at San Angelo, and once more resumed ranching, which he followed until his death in 1911. The mother passed away in 1912.

The fourth in a family of seven children, D. Leon Harp received his first education from the public schools of northeast Texas. He was then a student in Gray- son College at Whitewright, in Grayson county, where he was graduated in 1908 with the degrees of B. S. and B. O. From there he entered the University of Texas, where he studied law for two years. In 1909, having been admitted to the bar, he began his practice in San Angelo, and has made himself known in the local bar as a forceful and well informed lawyer, and a speaker both in court and on the stump, of execeptional ability and fluency.

Mr. Harp in 1912 was elected to the legislature as rep- resentative of the One Hundred and Thirteenth legislative district for the regular two-year term. Since he was little more than a boy he has been interested in politics and has done much speaking in the various campaigns. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World, the Benevolent and Protect- ive Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Loyal Order of Moose. His church is the Baptist.

On November 6, 1912, the day following his election to the state legislature, Mr. Harp married Miss Laura Kirkpatrick, daughter of W. A. and Alice Kirkpatrick, of Whitewright, Texas. Her father is a Presbyterian minister, came to Texas from Tennessee about forty years ago, and has been devoted to his profession in Texas for many years. He is now secretary of his pres- bytery. The mother is also living and their home is at Whitewright.

EMETTE WESTBROOK. Now president of the First State Bank of Sterling City, Mr. Westbrook has been identified with this section of west Texas since the be- ginning of his business career, and is thoroughly familiar with banking and especially with financial conditions in this part of the country. He was formerly a private banker in Sterling City, and has been identified with the First State Bank as cashier and president from its be- ginning.

Emette Westbrook was born in Johnson county, Texas, August 5, 1874. His parents were J. B. and Joanna Westbrook, who were of Scotch-Irish stock, and the father was an Alabama resident, from which state he moved to Texas, in 1869. The family were known as cotton planters and slave owners in Alabama, before the war. The father had three brothers and one sister, and all of them married and had families. J. B. West- brook for many years was a farmer and stock raiser in Johnson county, where he died October 15, 1912. Dur- ing the war he entered the Confederate army, responding to the second call for troops in 1862, and then coutinu- ing until the close of hostilities. The mother died in 1883. Of the four children in the first union of the father, Mr. Westbrook is the only one now living, and there were three children by the second marriage of his father, and all now live in Texas.

In the public schools Mr. Westbrook received his early training and later attended the Grayson College at Whitewright, where he was graduated in 1901, with the degree of B. P. His first business experience was in the office of Beall & Beall at Sweetwater, and he then took a clerkship with Thomas Trammel & Company, private bankers at Sweetwater. From there he moved to Sterling City and started the private bank, known as the Sterling County Bank, in November, 1904. In Sep- tember of the following year was organized the First State Bank, and the Sterling County Bank was one of the constituent elements in the new bank. With the open- ing of the First State Bank for business, Mr. Westbrook became cashier, and held that position until 1910, since- which time he has been president.

During his residence in Sweetwater, Mr. Westbrook for two years served as secretary and treasurer of the city. He has been a Democratic worker, and is affiliated with the Masonic order, in which he has taken the cryp- tic degrees, and is also affiliated with the Woodmen of the World and the Modern Woodmen of America.

April 27, 1902, he married Miss Jennie L. Anderson, of Weatherford, a daughter of John Anderson, who was in the furuiture business at Weatherford, until his death. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Westbrook. Emette Westbrook, Jr., is eight years old and Miss Madeline Westbrook is four years old. Mr. Westbrook as a banker has been able to contribute much to the development of the North Concho Valley country, and from his business experience here it is his judgment that there is no finer stock raising country iu the west than that portion contained in Sterling county.

E. T. MILLER. A native of Texas who has spent nearly all his life in the northwestern counties of the state, Mr. Miller has for several terms served as city attorney for Amarillo, and is one of the rising young members of the bar in that city.

E. T. Miller was born in Johnson, Texas, December 22, 1884, the fourth of six children born to Albert William

2108

TEXAS AND TEXANS

and Mary J. (Thompson) Miller. The father, a native of North Carolina, came to Texas when a young man, began farming, later transferred his attention to mer- chandising in Egan, Johnson county, and since 1907 has resided in Potter county, beiug now retired and sixty-eight years of age. He was in Texas when the Civil war broke out and he served in the Twelfth Texas Regiment and saw much hard service and participated in many battles. For four terms he was honored with the office of tax assessor for Armstrong county, and has held other positions in public affairs. The mother, who is also living, was born in Johnson county, in 1852, and her father was a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil wars. Besides the Amarillo attorney, the other living children of the family are Marion, W. M. Miller, Claude, Mrs. Margaret Slay and Mrs. Ora May Trice.

Mr. E. T. Miller, when a boy, learned to depend upon himself for his personal advancement, and has followed the leadings of his ambition until he now ranks as a successful lawyer. He attended the public schools, and finished at the high school in Claude, the county seat of Armstrong county. He subsequently was a student in the Polytechnic College and the University of Texas, and for one year was a student in Washington & Lee University of Virginia. After passing a successful ex- amination as an attorney he located at Amarillo, opened his office as a lawyer in September, 1907. Six months later he had progressed so far in his profession and in popularity among the citizens that he was elected to the office of city attorney, and is now serving his third term in office. He also enjoys a large general practice. He is a member of the County Bar Association, and frater- nally is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Woodmen of the World. He is a Democrat in politics and a men- ber of the Methodist church.

At Claude, in Armstrong county, August 11, 1907, Mr. Miller married Miss Agnes lona Brummett, a daughter of Judge W. H. and Fannie Brummett, the former county judge of Armstrong county. Mr. Miller and wite have two children. Mary Frances was born at Amarillo in May, 1908, and Iona Kate was born at Amarillo in April, 1910.

JULIEN LEVY. To have started in business on a mod- est scale, with a small stock of goods and in limited quarters, and to have built up the largest department store in the Panhandle, all within the space of four years' time, is the achievement in merchandising at- tained by Julien Levy, of Amarillo, now one of the fore- most merchants of that city. Mr. Levy is a young busi- ness man who came to America fifteen years ago, began as a clerk, was promoted for efficiency and by fair and square and courteous dealing and on the plan of giving good merchandise at low prices, has acquired a liberal prosperity and an influential position. Julien Levy was born in Brumath, in Alsace, Germany, June 5, 1880. His parents were W. and M. (Meyer) Levy, both par- ents natives of Alsace, where the father died in 1884 at the age of thirty-nine. He was a merchant. The mother reared her family in her native country, and in 1904 came to America, and remained with her daughter in Bessemer, Alabama, until her death in 1905 at the age of sixty-three. There were four children in the family. Mrs. Rachel Levy lived at Bar Le Duc, France ; Bernard, also a resident of France, and Mis. Delphine Schwabacher, of Bessemer, Alabama.

Julien Levy, the youngest of the family, was reared in France, and attended the high school at Naney. Leav- ing school when thirteen years of age he began an apprenticeship in the dry goods business and con- tinued in that manner until he came to America. He arrived in this country on October 13, 1898, went to Bessemer, Alabama, where he obtained a clerkship in a shoe store with his brother-in-law, and remained there six years. He was next at West Point. Mississippi,

employed in a store there for eighteen months, and from there moved to Augusta, Arkansas, where he was em- ployed in one of the local shops for twelve months. From there he came to Amarillo, and entered the employ of the Famous Store, his connection with that firm continu- ing for one year. During that time he bought the stock of dry goods, a department which the Famous Store had abandoned, and remained in charge of the stock for six months until he could secure quarters for his independent enterprise. Since then he has developed his business, until, as already stated, it is the largest store of its kind in the Panhandle, and he occupies four large store buildings in Amarillo, and is sole proprietor of the busi- ness. One reason of the success of the business is be- canse Mr. Levy goes to New York and other markets twice a year and his manager, Max Goodman, also makes the trip twice a year, both getting new ideas while doing the buying in the Eastern markets.

In politics Mr. Levy is independent, is affiliated with the Blue Lodge of Masonry and the Woodmen of the World. At Trinidad, Colorado, in July, 1906, he mar- ried Miss Blanche Hollander, a daughter of Rebecca Hollander, her mother now residing in California, and her father being deceased. Their one child is Bertram Levy, born at Amarillo, August 21, 1908. Mr. Levy is fond of travel and outdoor life, and when business per- mits he enjoys nothing better than recreations in the country.

HOUSTON HAYNIE. With a splendid record in busi- ness, and as a soldier of the Confederacy, Houston Hay- nie has been a resident of Kaufman county since 1885, has been identified with farming, for some time has managed a large cotton gin, and has also been interested in banking and in civie affairs in his county and home locality. His career has been one of exceptional in- terest. He fought valiantly as a soldier, and had hardly attained to manhood when the war closed. He began his career as a farmer with practically no capital and by many years of continuous effort and honorable dealings long since acquired a competence, and now lives sur- rounded with the comforts of material existence, and with a large and happy family of children and grand- children.

Houston Haynie was born in Pontotoc county, Mis- sissippi, November 7, 1845, and spent most of his life there until he moved to Texas in 1885. From ISTS until he left the state, the portion of Pontotoc county in which he was born was made into a new county, known as Union county. His father was Elijah B. Haynie, who settled in Mississippi from Anderson district in South Carolina. Elijah B. Haynie was born about 1806, and died in 1846, soon after reaching Mississippi. He was at hat-maker and planter, by occupation. In South Carolina he married Jane Caldwell, a daughter of Wil- liam Caldwell of South Carolina origin. The Caldwell family, it should be noted were not slave holders. There were only two children in the family of Elijah B. Hay- nie and wife. The older was W. M. Haynie, who died in Kaufman county, Texas, in 1911, and by his two wives, Mary Moore, and Alice Caldwell left a family of children. W. M. Haynie was at one time sheriff of Kaufman county, and for a number of years operated a gin at Kaufman. The mother of Houston Haynie died about 1860. His father had a number of brothers and sisters and among the brothers were Charles, who spent his life in Anderson district of South Carolina; Martin and Britton, both of whom moved to Alabama, and lived there until death; George, who died in North Georgia; Reuben, who probably lived in the same local- ity; Gideon H., who came to Mississippi at the same time with his brother Elijah and died there. There were three sisters, but their names and facts of their existence are not known.

Houston Haynie grew up in the home of his grand- father Caldwell, and his early career was spent on a

Houston Itayou're

2109

TEXAS AND TEXANS

farm, during which time he received the advantages of country schools. When he was seventeen years old in 1862, he enlisted in Company G of the Forty-fifth Mis- sissippi Infantry under Captain John N. Sloan and Col. A. B. Hardcastle. Later he was under the com- mand of Col. W. H. H. Tyson, in Lowrey's Brigade, Pat Cleyburne's Division of Hardee's corps, Army of the Tennessee. His regiment joined the army at Tullahome, Tennessee, and took part in many of the famous Atlan- tie campaign. He was at Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Ringgold Gap, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, and was in the big en- gagement of the twenty-second of July, 1864, before Atlanta. With Hood's army, he went back into Tennes- see, and captured many Federal prisoners on the way to Franklin.

He was engaged in detail duty at the time of the bat- tle of Franklin, and immediately thereafter his com- pany was disbanded, and its members secured horses and many of them joined Forrest's Cavalry. With that famons command. Mr. Haynie engaged in desultory fighting and skirmishing until his surrender at Meridian, Mississippi. Only once in his many campaigns and marches and battles was he hit by a ball, and that was at New Hope Church. He kept good health throughout the service, and when mustered out was ready to take up the battle of eivic life at once.

With the close of the war his possessions consisted only of the clothes which he wore home and a dollar bill on an Alabama bank. Twenty years of age he took up farming on his grandfather's place, where he lived three years, and then got married. He set up for himself in Union county, which was still a part of Pontotoc county. He made a little more than a living, and with his in- creasing family was indneed to migrate to Texas by his brother, who had already moved to the Lone Star State. He brought his wife and two children, and in 1885 began his career in Kaufman county. Renting land near Kemp from John T. Rice, he spent two years there, and next bought a lot in Kemp, where he put up a resdience, and continued for two seasons to rent land and farm. At the end of two years he bought eighty acres of improved land, and subsequently added to his estate considerable new land, buying at prices ranging from two dollars to three and a half per acre. He finally accumulated five hundred acres, and having improved it and its value having also increased through the gradnal rise in prop- erty values in Texas, he eventually sold at a good profit. He invested in the proceeds of land adjoining the town site of Kemp, and some of this property has since become a part of the town. A considerable part of his land is being cultivated every season, and the whole represents a large and profitable investment. In 1901 the family became identified with mercantile enterprise, when the sons engaged in Kemp as general merchants under the title of Haynie Brothers. They are still connected with merchandising there, and among the other family con- nections are large interests in land in Kanfman and Hen- derson county. Some years ago Mr. Haynie organized the First National Bank of Kemp, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, and was a director from its start and is now vice president.

In politics, Mr. Havnie has long had an active and in- fluential part. He has attended state conventions in Texas, and assisted in the nomination of Governor Col- quitt. He has served on the executive committe of Kauf- man county, and previous to his removal to Texas was county treasurer of Union County, Mississippi, for four years, from 1878 to 1882. Immediately after the war be had joined the local democracy in Mississippi, in sup- port of local management of affairs, and with many of his fellow citizens took an earnest and effective part in the movements which eventually brought about the ousting of the carpet-bag rule in the state. He at- tended various state conventions in Mississippi and helped to nominate Governor Lowrey. This was General

Bob Lowrey in contra-distinction from General M. P. Lowrey, who had been his brigade commander during the war, and who was a noted Baptist preacher in Missis- sippi. In July, 1913, Governor Colquitt tendered the superintendeney of the Confederate Home at Austin to Mr. Houston Haynie, but owing to ill health, he had to regret fully decline the honor. At the present time he is a member of the board of managers. He has been a member of the Confederate Veterans Association, has at- tended many of their national reunions, and belongs to the Juda P. Benjamin Camp at Kaufman. With the Baptist church his membership has been active for many years, and fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is a past grand, and has attended the Grand Lodge.

On January 8, 1868, Mr. Haynie married Miss Mary E. Carlile, a daughter of Frank and Mary (Stephenson) Carlile. Mrs. Haynie was one in the following family of children: John; James; Thomas; Eliza, who married Presley Caldwell; Martha, who first married William West, who was killed in the army of the south, and for her second husband married William Caldwell; Mary E .; and Rebecca, who married John Haynie. To Mr. and Mrs. Haynie were born the following children: Virgil A., a merchant of Kemp; and Martin Lamar, also in merchandising at Kemp. Virgil A., first married Kate Votton, and his second wife was Miss Ola Boles. Martin L. Haynie married Miss Nettie Holly. Mr. Haynie has grandchildren by both sons. The children of Virgil and wife are: Henry Waterson, cashier of the First Na- tional Bank of Kemp; Mary; Clarence W .; Jennie; Mabel; Annie; Charles; and Sibyl. Martin Haynie's children are: May ; Roy; John and Donald.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Texas and Texans, Part 159

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960 Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 906

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906