A history of Texas and Texans, Part 77

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

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William Osbin Rawlins was reared on the home farm near Lancaster, educated in country schools, and in 1891 when seventeen years of age, moved to Dallas. He learned the printer's trade in the office of Mr. L. Blay- lock, publisher of the Texas Christian Advocate. For several years he was employed as a printer in the Advocate office and other offices at Dallas. Outside of his business Mr. Rawlins takes most interest in fraternal affairs in connection with the Masonic order, in which he enjoys a high standing. He is a thirty-second de- gree Mason and a member of the Dallas Consistory. Dallas Lodge honors him as a past master, and he holds the chair of King in the Royal Arch Chapter. He is a member of the Grand Lodge of the State and is Dis- triet Deputy Grand Master for Dallas and vicinity. In April, 1914, he was elected a member of the Board of Education.

ALLEN D. HOOKS. Of the officials who are upholding the governmental prestige and civic prosperity of Milam county none has shown greater discrimination and fidel- ity or commands a higher degree of popular confidence than the present sheriff, who has been a resident of Texas since his boyhood days and who is one of the loyal and progressive citizens of Cameron.

Allen Duncan Hooks, who was elected sheriff of Milam county in 1910, claims the state of Tennessee as the place of his nativity. He was born at Saltillo, Hardin county, on the 13th of September, 1872, and thus was a lad of about ten years at the time of his parents' removal to Texas, in 1882. He is a son of James M. and Frances (Hall) Hooks, both natives of Tennessee, where the former was born in the year 1824 and the latter, in Henderson county, in 1838. Upon coming to Texas the parents established their residence at Cameron, the judicial center of Milam county, and here the father devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits during the residue of his active business career. He was a gallant soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, as a member of a Tennessee regiment, and in later years he perpetuated the more gracious memories of his military career by retaining membership in the United Confederate Veterans' Association. He died in 1897, respected by all who knew him, his wife having passed to the life eternal in the preceding year. They are survived by five children,-Charles, Isaac, Frank, Allen D., and James M.

Sheriff Hooks acquired his early education in the schools of his native state and after the family removal to Cameron, Texas, he here attended the public schools until he had attained to the age of fourteen years. He then became clerk in a grocery store, in which capacity he continued his service four years, and for the ensuing eight years he was salesman in a hardware establish- ment in Cameron. The following six years found him in active and efficient service as city marshal of Cam- eron, and he resigned this position to assume that of

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county sheriff, to which he was first elected in 1910. His administration was so satisfactory to the public that he was re-elected in 1912, and he is a candidate for a third term, in the election of the autumn of 1914. He is a popular member of the Texas Sheriffs' Associa- tion, is a stockholder of the Cameron Weekly Herald, his political allegiance is given unreservedly to the Democratie party, he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Pretorians, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, South. As city marshal and as sheriff Mr. Hooks has shown the greatest circumspection and tolerance, and he has never yet heen compelled to use weapons in making an arrest, as he has gained the good will of even malefactors, the while he has had the fullest confidence and esteem of the general public. His record as an officer is one of which he may well be proud.

On the 21st of September, 1902, Mr. Hooks wedded Miss Ida Hobbs, daughter of E. P. Hobbs, a well known business man of Temple, Bell county, and they have an adopted daughter, Lucile Hobbs.

JUDSON H. WOOD. A lawyer of Sherman, Texas. Was born on a farm in Rusk county, Texas, March 22, 1858. He was educated in the common schools of the country. At the age of eighteen he secured employment as a teacher, for the purpose of acquiring the necessary means to take a college course. He entered the law department of the University of Virginia in 1881, and graduated with the class of 1882 with the degree of B. L. He returned to his native county, and again taught school for a few months for the purpose of liquidating obliga- tions ineurred in completing his course at the university. In 1883 he begun the practice of law at Henderson, the county seat of Rusk county. From 1886 to 1890 he served as county judge of that county, refusing re-elce- tion for the purpose of changing his location. In 1891 be removed to Sherman, where he has since resided. In 1894 he was appointed county judge of Grayson county to fill a vacancy, and was twice re-elected, voluntarily retiring from office in 1898. Since that time he has devoted his attention exclusively to the practice of law, refusing all official preferment. He is now a member of the firm of Wolfe, Wood & Haven, a firm composed of J. A. L. Wolfe and J. H. Wood, of Sherman, and James P. Haven, of Denison, with offices at Sherman and Denison. The firm does a general practice in the state and United States courts, and has a large and lucrative business, extending over the state of Texas and adjoining states. He has made a success of his profes- sion and his ability is highly regarded by the lawyers and judges with whom he has come in contact. His name, as well as that of the firm, appears in the judicial reports of the country in many important cases.

On October 19, 1887, he married Miss Frances Jones, daughter of the late Colonel James H. Jones, of Hender- son, Texas. They have two promising sons. The older, Judson H. Wood, Jr., was born January 21, 1891, and is now engaged with a wholesale grocery house at Tulsa, Oklahoma. The younger, James Ralph Wood, was born April 9. 1896, and is at present a student at the State University of Texas, preparing himself to enter the legal profession.

HERSHEL L. LACKEY. For more than sixty years a resident of Texas, and nearly half of this time identified with that section of west Texas about the present county seat town of Alpine, Mr. Lackey is in all respects a pioneer, and combines in his character and activities the best qualities of the old time Texan. He has known in his experience the life of ante-bellum days in this state and afterwards came west in time to participate in the full scope of the varied activities which have marked the development of western Texas.

There are probably none in Brewster county who do not know and esteem this splendid old citizen. Hershel

L. Lackey was born in Tennessee on February 2, 1842. His father was Robert Lackey, a native of Tennessee, who died when his son Hershel was two years old. The maiden name of the mother was Martha Keating, who moved to Mississippi when her Hershel was three years old, and then in 1850 came to Texas, where she spent the remainder of her life. Her death occurred when she was eighty-eight years of age, and she was a very devout member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Having resided in Texas since 1850 when he was eight years of age Hershel L. Lackey attained all his educa- tion by private schooling during the decade before the war. He left school at the beginning of the war in order to become a soldier in the Confederate ranks, and served from the beginning to the end of that great struggle. He was with the southern army in a number of the campaigns, on both sides of the Mississippi River and gave a good account of himself as a faithful and efficient soldier. When peace was declared and he again reached home he took up the work of the home farm, which he followed for eight years, and then engaged in the stock and cattle business for himself, an occupation which he has followed for forty years or more. He first came to Alpine in 1883, and now owns one of the larg- est and most profitable ranches in all this section, located about fifty-six miles from Alpine. In 1865 Mr. Lackey was married in Goliad county to Miss Annie Hord, daughter of Rev. Jesse Hord of Goliad county. Mr. Lackey and wife are members of the Methodist church, he is an influential worker in the Alpine Commercial Club, and is a Democratic voter, though in practical polities has never interested himself to any extent. Dur- ing the many consecutive years of his attention to busi- ness he has built up a splendid success and is regarded as one of the most prosperous men in Brewster county. Of his diversions it will suffice to say that he is a lover of fine horses and has been all his life. He is also equally fond of good books and spends much of his later leisure in reading, and particularly along lines which broaden his viewpoints of the world's affairs. As to Texas Mr. Lackey is convinced from his individual ex- perience that there is no finer place in the world and its opportunities are beyond computation. Mr. Lackey owns and lives in one of the most beautiful homes of Alpine.

WILLIAM F. MCGAUGHY. In the development and improvement of west Texas Mr. MeGaughy now a resi- dent of Alpine, in Brewster county, has always supplied the important elements of individual enthusiasm and enterprise. He spent practically all his active career in different portions of West Texas, he has had unusual opportunities for judging the country and his loyalty to this section of the state is therefore grounds for confidence to newcomers in this region. Mr. MeGaughy is head of a prospering real estate firm and live stock commission business at Alpine, where he has resided for several years and for a number of years was a county official in Nolan county.

William F. McGaughy was born in Moulton, Alabama, September 6, 1864, and when he was a small child his parents moved to west Tennessee, and when he was eight years of age they came to Texas in 1872 and he has been a resident in this state ever since. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Hood county, and he also studied for a time in that well remembered institution, the Add-Ran College at Thorp Springs. After leaving college at the age of twenty he moved into Brown county, and was in the cattle busi- ness for four years, after which he moved his stock out to Nolan county, which continued to be his home until 1909. Cattle ranching was his regular business in that vicinity, but official duties also occupied much of his time. In 1899 the commissioner court appointed him sheriff to serve out an unexpired term and after that he was elected to the office for three consecutive terms,

Ifwood.

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finally refusing to accept any more nominations or elec- tions to office. His deputy in his office was elected his successor. After long and active connection with busi- ness and industrial affairs at Sweetwater, Mr. Me- Gaughy on March 1, 1909, sold out his interests in that vicinity and moved to Alpine, where he established his office in general real estate and live stock commission business. His operations include a large territory, about Alpine and his high standing and well known business integrity have commanded a generous prosperity.

In Nolan county on November 16, 1887, Mr. Me- Gaughy married Miss Allie Robertson, a daughter of Dr. Robertson, formerly of Hood county, Texas. Her father was born and reared in Texas, and Mrs. Mc- Gaughy was a schoolmate with her husband while growing up in Hood county. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. MeGaughy are Iven W. who is in the stock business in Brewster county; and Felix P. a graduate of the Alpine high school. The family worship in the Christian church, and fraternally Mr. MeGaughy is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World. He is also an active member of the Alpine Commercial Club, be- longing to its executive committee. Throughout his active career in Texas he has been one of the leading Democrats in his county, and gives much interest to political matters. At the present time he is secretary of the Alpine school board, and has always interested himself in educational affairs, having been a member of the committee which erected one of the fine school buildings of Sweetwater. At the present time he is serving as a county commissioner of Brewster county, and in this office has paid particular attention to the good road movement in this vicinity.

The parents of Mr. MeGaughy were Dr. John B. and Ellen MeGaughy, the father being still alive and a resident at Stephensville. The mother, whose maiden name was Ellen Stephenson died in 1904 at the age of sixty-six. She was a devout member of the Presbyterian church. Dr. MeGaughy is a native of Alabama, where he spent his boyhood and youth, studied medicine in west Tennessee, where he was engaged in the practice of his profession, until coming to Texas and from 1884 for many years was engaged in practice at Brownwood, in Brown county.

Mr. MeGaughy owns an automobile, but he still pre- fers the old horse as the most pleasurable means of getting over the country. He enjoys working among cattle, and is a real type of the west Texan, fond of outdoor life of all kinds, and at the same time taking pleasure in the artistic side of life, being fond of music, the theatre and of other diversions. He believes that nowhere in the country are there greater opportunities for legitimate business enterprise than in west Texas.

DR. JAMES C. DURRUM, long a resident of Clarksville and well known throughout this section of the state in his capacity of physician, was born at Jefferson, Texas, on September 6, 1860, and is the son of Dr. James C. Durrum, Sr., a native of North Carolina, born there in 1821, and a graduate in medicine from the old University of Kentucky.

The senior Dr. Durrum was a country doctor, the owner of slave property and productive farms, and he passed a rather uneventful life in the course of his professional career. He was a Southern sympathizer and though he did not participate in the active warfare, five of his sons participated in it, and two of them fell in battle. Dr. Durrum married Sarah McCraw and died in 1875, ten years prior to the death of his wife. Their children were as follows: Oscar, who was killed in the battle of Mansfield, Georgia; William, who served with the Army of Northern Virginia, and was presented with a medal by General Lee for the ladies of Richmond, as the model private soldier of the South- ern army, was later engaged in farming iu Marion county, and was accidentally killed in 1903, leaving

three children; Samuel, is another of the soldier sons, passed his life quietly on the farm after the war, and died without issue; John Jacob was killed at the battle of Chickamauga; Silas, a farmer of Smithland, Texas, was another of the five soldiers; Robert died in young manhood; Mrs. T. H. Stalsup, of Jefferson, Texas, and James C., who was the youngest of the family.

James C. Durrum took up the study of medicine after he had possessed himself of a common school education in the country district where he was reared. His ambition for a profession did not make itself felt as a dominant factor until after he had reached his majority at home on the farm, but it was sufficiently strong to carry him forward to his entrance in the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville. He finished his course there in 1885 and established himself in Clarksville soon thereafter. During the course of his earlier practice Dr. Durrum absented himself in order to make possible further professional investigation and study, and he returned with a diploma from the New York Polyelinie in 1892. Since that time he has devoted * himself to his practice and his farms, and he has gained a name as a physician as well as in his capacity of farmer.

Dr. Durrum has been twice married. He married his first wife in Covington, Tennessee, in April, 1886, she being Miss Lizzie Menefee, who died in Clarksville, in 1901. They were the parents of two daughters, Mabel Gray, the wife of H. M. Lassister, of Clarksville, and Miss Edith, now a student in Newcomb college, New Orleans, Louisiana. In December, 1911, Dr. Dur- rum married Miss Lodiska Lattimer, a daughter of L. R. Lattimer of this city, whose wife was formerly Isabella, daughter of Col. DeMorse, founder and editor of the Clarksville Standard, the first paper published here and once a candidate for the office of Governor of the state.

JUDGE GEORGE MORRISON is the county judge of Red River county, and he was born while his father was located as a pioneer of the Republic of Texas, the year 1869 marking his advent into life. He is the son of James Morrison, who came to Texas in 1838 as a young man of thirty years and entered the ranging service of the Republic. With his command he covered the country engaged in Indian fighting and scouting along the Rio Grande, and he participated in many of the events that mark the bloody annals of Texas' history. He was born in New York City, in 1808, and as a youth he had ever been strongly attracted by the call of the sea. He spent many years upon the Atlantic, the Mediterranean sea, and other arms of that intercon- tinental body of water, and he quit the life of a sailor as a Captain's mate at New Orleans, to become a "land-lubher" on the semi-arid plains of the Republic of Texas. With the passage of time, having stated his desire for experiences as a ranger, he returned to Louisiana for an indefinite stay, and was then lost to this section of the country for several years. Prior to his return to Louisiana, Mr. Morrison had loaned all his surplus cash to a friend in need in Texas, and when he returned, he was so fortunate as to be able to locate that individual, who acknowledged his obliga- tion and offered Mr. Morrison land at one dollar an acre in payment of the entire debt. Mr. Morrison accepted the offer, and straightway settled on the land he had thus acquired. He later married Minerva Wood, whose father, John Wood, came to Texas from South Carolina, in which state Mrs. Morrison was born. Mr. Morrison lived quietly, comfortably and prosperously as a stock-farmer until his death in 1883. Few men in private life had more thrilling experiences than he, and in his reminiscent moments he was an excellent enter- tainer of a group of home folks or others, who always delighted in finding him in a humor that prompted him to live again the experiences of his earlier days

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in tales of adventure and conquest, both concerning his life upon the seas and upon the fields of Texas in the early days. He was a man unskilled in books, it is true, but he was wise from observation and ex- perience, and he knew human nature as men of varied life only can come to apprehend it. He acquired title to a large body of land in Red River county during his later years and when he died in 1883 he was inde- pendent financially. He was a member of the Methodist church, and led a consistent Christian life. James and Minerva (Wood) Morrison had three children, namely James; George of this review, and Mrs. Maggie Hamil- ton, of Bogata, Texas, the first named being now de- ceased.

Judge Morrison received a high school education in Paris and the Honey Grove schools, and when he quitted school held a first grade certificate to teach in the public schools. He taught in the country districts for a few terms and then entered politics in 1894 as a candidate for the office of District Clerk. He was elected and succeeded Judge Kennedy in the office, and for four years he served in that capacity. During that time he . prepared himself for the practice of law, and in 1896 he was admitted to the bar of the state. He had scarcely established himself in practice before a vacancy occurred in the office he had but recently vacated, and he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of R. B. Epperson. He was elected to succeed himself and resigned from the office in 1901 with the intention of engaging in the abstract aud title business, in con- nection with his regular law practice, and he is still actively engaged in that work. In November, 1910, he was elected to the office of county judge, his re-elec- tion to the office following in November, 1912. All of his political activity has been within the ranks of the dominant party of Red River county, and beyond his own candidacy, he has had no connection with polities.

In March, 1894, Judge Morrison was married to Miss Ida Work, a daughter of R. J. Work. She died in 1895 and in 1898 he married Miss Bessie Dean, a daughter of Mrs. Alexander Roger, of Camden, Arkansas. In the household of the judge is an adopted daughter, Marguerite, who completes the trio of their domestic life

Masonry and Oddfellowship have appealed to the fraternal instincts of Judge Morrison, and he is con- nected with the Blue Lodge and Chapter of the former order.

A. RALPH NICHOLSON. Within the pages of this work will be found specific mention of a goodly percentage of the representative members of the bar of Hunt county, and to such consideration Mr. Nicholson is specially en- titled. He is engaged in the successful practice of his profession in Greenville and his progressive attitude and civic loyalty are shown in his liberality in the support of the important project of the Greenville & Whiteright Northern Traction Company, of which corporation he is president and general manager, and in the financing of which he was the dominating figure. He is a young man of distinctive initiative and administrative ability and is known as one of the most progressive citizens of northeastern Texas, even as he is one of the most pop- ular of his native county.

Mr. Nicholson was born at Greenville, his present home, on the 4th of May, 1884, and is a son of the late John I. Nicholson, who was a resident of Greenville for more than half a century and who was one of the most honored and influential citizens of Hunt county at the time of his death, which occurred in 1910. He was a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of northern Texas and the major part of his active career was devoted to practice of law, in connection with which he attained to a large measure of success. His wife, whose maiden name was Ella Cushman, still maintains

her home in Greenville, and of the children four sons and oue daughter survive the honored father.

He whose name initiates this article gained his early educational discipline in the public schools of his native city. As an expert stenographer he held the position of court reporter of Hunt county for three years, and his experience in this line doubtless quickened his ambition to enter the legal profession. He studied law under effective private preceptorship and was admitted to the bar in 1904, since which time he has continued in the active and successful practice of his profession in Greenville.

The work of his profession has not absorbed the entire attention of Mr. Nicholson, as his progressive ideas and well directed ambition have prompted him to effective enterprise in connection with street and interurban elec- trie railway promotion and construction. His courage in the face of obstacles has been undaunted and he has pressed forward to the accomplishment of large aud im- portant undertakings in this field of semi-public euter- prise. He was one of the foremost in bringing about the installation of the present street railway system in Greenville, and he originated the plan of constructing the electric line between this eity and Mineral Heights, a suburb of Greenville. He effected the construction of this line and the same was placed in operation in May, 1913-a valuable contribution to public utility service in Hunt county. The line is a part of the properties con- trolled by the Greenville & Whiteright Northern Traction Company, which was organized by Mr. Nicholson and which gained the required financial support through his efforts. He is president and general manager of the company, which is incorporated under the laws of the state, and the main line of the system extends from Greenville a distance of thirty miles, in a northwest direction, through Hunt and Collin counties. Its ter- minus in the latter county is in the village of Anna, where connection is made with the line of the Dallas and Sherman interurban line. The line of the Northern Traction Company was completed in the early part of the year 1913 and the system is one of inestimable benefit to the section of country which it traverses, as well as to the city of Greenville, in furthering the latter's precedence as an industrial and commercial center. The line passes through one of the most opulent agricultural districts of Texas, and its equipment in all particulars is of the best modern type, and the cars are operated by most improved type of motors. Great credit is due to Mr. Nicholson for his splendid achievement in this connection, especially in view of the fact that he undertook the great project with no previous experience in such work or in the obtaining of necessary capitalistic reinforcement. He has shown remarkable sagacity as a financier and executive, has boldly faced and surmounted seemingly insuperable obstacles, and, though not yet thirty years of age, he has made a record that would be creditable to a man of wide and mature experience in this field of enterprise. He gave his personal supervision to all details of progressive work, from the obtaining of the right-of-way, the raising of funds and the employing of contractors, to the buying of the equipment for the road. Further honor is due to him by reason of the circumstances that in achieving this noteworthy work he carried the road to completion without the issuing of an iota of watered stock or the placing of fictitious valua- tions. Every share of stock sold was placed at its par value, without commission to intermediate agents, and only a minimum bond issue was required. Cash was paid for the greater part of construction work and equipment, and thus the company has initiated its practical opera- tions under the most favorable conditions. The road has been effective in increasing values of land throughout the sections it traverses and it affords to the residents of these districts most valuable facilities, as may well be understood.

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A history of Texas and Texans, Part 77

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