USA > Texas > Johnson County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 41
USA > Texas > Hill County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 41
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He was married in Austin, Texas, in 1878, to Miss Ella Chambers, daughter of J. P. and Elizabeth (Daniel) Chambers, both of whom died before their daughter's marriage. They have five children: Richard Stuart, James Gordon, William Roswell, Varner (daughter), and Jeanie. After his marriage Mr. Davis moved to a farm of 660 acres, situated four and a half miles cast of town, where he re- sided until two years ago. At that time he moved to his prosent farm of sixty five acres, located three-quarters of a mile east of Grand
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View. He still retains possession of his for- mer farm, having 200 acres under cultivation. Owing to Mr. Davis' instrumentality, a bank was established in Grand View on August 7, 1890, of which he was elected president. To his influence and reputation for business ability and financial integrity, is due much of its prosperity.
Ile has been a member of Grand View Lodge, A. F. & A, M., since he was twenty- one years of age, and has taken all the degrees conferred by the Masonie order under the York rite in this State, the order of High Priesthood having been conferred on him at Houston by the Grand Lodge. He served for six years as Distriet Deputy Grand Master of the 31st District. Mr. Davis is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, of which he is an elder. Mrs. Davis belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Ilis promocion to these responsible positions sufficiently indicate the esteem in which the people hold him, and this fact alone super- sedes the necessity of our adding many words in this connection.
- ILLIAM A. HOUCHIN, a success- ful farmer of Johnson county, is a son of J. D. and Mahulda (Linsey) Hlouchin. The father was born in Edmon- son county, Kentucky, in 1823, was a farmer by occupation, and a soldier in the late war. The paternal grandparents were natives of Virginia, and the maternal ancestry were originally Highlanders, having come to this 22
country before the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Honchin were married about 1843.
The subject of this sketch was born in Ed- monson county, Kentucky, March 25, 1844, and subsequently removed with his parents to Greene county, Missouri, and then to Jas- per county, same State. After the war he came to Dallas county, Texas, where he lived with an uncle one year, and then came to Johnson county, settling near his present location. For a short time he assisted his father in retrieving the fortune he had lost during the war, and then worked for himself at different occupations. In 1876 Mr. Houchin settled in his present neighbor- hood, four miles southwest of Alvarado. In 1861 he enlisted in the Missouri State troops, under Price, and afterward enlisted in the regular army, in Livingston's Cavalry Battal- ion, and served until the close of the war. IIe was in the battle of Oak Hill, Cane Hill, in the thirty days' fight ending with the bat- tle of Saline, and was most of the time en- gaged in scouting within the enemy's lines. Ile was captured in Missouri, in Coekrill's raid to Lone Jack, and saw some exceedingly hot service.
Mr. Hlouehin was married in 1876, to Alpha L., a daughter of Graham and Flor- ence Billingsley, of Johnson county, and they had two children, -Florence May and Will- iam Arthur, and the latter died in infancy. Mrs. Honehin died in 1880, and Mr. Honchin the next year married the widow of W. II. Harris, a daughter of Samuel Billings'ey, who was one of the first settlers of Johnson
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and Ellis counties, coming hero in 1813.
Mr. Honchin is a member of the Demo- eratie party, of the Knight Templar degree of Masonry, has been Master of the lodge and High Priest of Royal Arch Chapter. Mrs. Honchin is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and both sho and her daugh- ter have taken a degree in Eastern Star lodge and Good Samaritan.
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0 L. CARTWRIGHT, a prosperous farmer of Hill county, was born in San Augustine, Texas, March 15, 1860, a son of Columbus Cartwright. The latter was a son of Matthew Cartwright, a nativo of Tennessee, who came to Texas in 1823, and to San Augustine in 1825. The family originally came from England, and have always been large land owners. At one time the family owned 800,000 acres of land, and have yet something over a quarter of a million aeres. Columbus, the father of our subject, married Miss Sally Lane, of Ten- nessee, and a daughter of Robert Lane, a native of the same State. The parents had ris children; R. l., our subject ; J. M., a farmer and stock raiser of San Augustine; Clinton, also a farmer of San Angustine; Ameriens 11., Mary C. and Ella, at home.
The subject of this sketch received his education in the Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tennessee, and after leaving school lic engaged in the stock business, in which he has since continued. He came to Hill county in June, 1883, where he has 675 acres, and is also interested in his father's
farm of 4,600 neres, adjoining. Here the father and two sons, R 1. and J. M., are on- gaged in the cattle business, and are also giving special attention to the raising of horsce. They have just purchased at a great expense a thoroughbred registered stallion, which is the best horse in the State, and have also four or fivo registered mares. Their stallion Plucotto was sired by Falsetto, a four mile racer and the sire of Dew Drop that sold for $29,000 at three years old. Plneetto's dam was a registered dam of as good pedigree as Falsetto.
Mr. Cartwright married Miss Terie Bick- ham, who was born July 10, 1862, a daugh- ter of John S. Bickham and an own consin of Dr. C. J. Bickham, a noted physician of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bickham family are originally from Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright have had three children: Lena 1 .. , born February 6, 1884; Columbus J., November 12, 1887; Elisha B., January 9, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright are members of the Methodist Church, and the former is identified with the Democratic party.
ILLIAM M. EWING, farmer, Cle- burne, Texas. - Mr. Ewing has been a resident of Johnson county, Texas, since. 1870, and is one of its most progres- sive and successful agriculturiste. lle re- sides on the Stephensvillo rond, three miles west of Cleburne, and has n good farm of 272 acres with 125 under cultivation. His prin- cipal crops are cotton, corn and wheat. When
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ho tirst settled here he erected a log cabin. Morgan county, Alabama, who was residing but now he has a fine, commodious residence. and everything about the place indicates the owner to be a man of enterprise and advanced ideas. He was born in Lawrence county, Alabama, in 1825, and is the son of J. M. and Sarah ( MeGaughey) Ewing. He was but seven years of age when he went with his parents to Itawamba county, Mississippi, and there remained until 1869, passing his boyhood there and receiving his education in the subscription schools. The father was a planter by occupation and followed that until his death in 1866. The mother died in 1858. The former was a native of Tennessee, but in his youth came to Alabama. His parents were Virginians and of Irish descent on both sides. J. M. Ewing was under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, and was discharged at that point. William M. Ewing (subject of sketeh) was residing in Mississippi when the war broke out and he immediately enlisted from Itawamba county in the sixty days' troops, Captain Clayton's company. He was in active service three months, after which he re-enlisted in the State service for sixty days. He subsequently enlisted in Captain Silas Ashcroft's com- pany and served in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, under Albert Sidney Johnston. Ile was at Harrisburg, Mississippi, Jones- boro, Georgia, and in many engagements and skirmishes of lesser yote. He was pot wounded or taken prisoner, and served as pri- vate until discharged at luka, Mississippi.
Mr. Ewing was married in Mississippi, in 1817, to Miss Martha Ann Ray, a native of
at the time of her marriage in Itawamba county, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Green Ray. This marriage resulted in the birth of eleven children, eight now living: Marcus Lafayette, farmer, married Miss L. Strainer and resides in Johnson county, Texas: he is the father of five children; James, a farmer, married Miss Emma Will- iamson and is the father of four children, and resides in Somervell connty, Texas; Mary Frances, married William M. Reeves, a farmer of Johnson county, and is the mother of four children; Alexander De- kalb resides in this county and is married and has one child; Charles, a farmer, single, resides in Johnson county; Franklin, farmer, also resides in this county; Robert, engaged in farming in this county; and Mattie B., who married William Howell and resides in this county; they have one child. The mother of these children died July 10, 1873. In 1876 Mr. Ewing married Mrs. Frances (James) Ray, widow of Thomas Ray. When Mr. Ewing first settled in Johnson county, the country was wild and unbroken, only a few scattered settlers here and there. All the marketing was done at Cleburne, where there were three or four stores, and all the settlers lived in log houses. In politics Mr. Ewing is a Democrat. He has never held a county oflice but has attended strictly to his farming interests. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Cleburne Lodge, No. 315, and has been a member of that organization since 1856. lle has been a member of the Christian Church since 1857. Mr. Ewing is
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a self-made man and what he has acenmn- lated in the way of this world's goods is the result of his own good fighting qualities.
M D. COLVILLE, a successful farmer of llill county, was born in Ten- nessee, September 9, 1830, a son of Joseph and Anna (Gambell) Colville. The parents moved to Arkansas in 1839, and after the discovery of gold in California the father and eldest son started in pursuit of the riches of that State, never again to return. After a long und tedious journey across the plains they located at a paying mine, and had been at work digging the precious metal from its hiding place until they were attacked by the wild savages, and were both killed and sealped ! The mother died in 1874, at the age of seventy-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Colville had twelve children, viz .: Sarah, wife of S. A. Prior; Elizabeth, wife of W. R. Serry; Margaret J., now Mrs. John Ford; Olivia A., the wife of A. J. Goard, died in 1869; Ada- line, wife of J. Robbins; Mary I .. , now Mrs. J. P. MeDonald; Martha L. was married to M. Wilson, and after his death to James Knox; Andrew G., killed in California; Samuel, died in 1869; and M. D. Laura C. married G. T. Wilmoth.
After the father's death M. D. Colville and his older brother were left in charge of the family, and, although young and inexperi- enced, paid off all the debts and came out con- querer. Our subject was a soldier in the late war, but was in no regular fought bat- fles, and was held slong the line to keep back
the Indians. In 1873 he moved to Texas, and settled where ho now lives, about seven miles southwest of Hillsboro. He purchased 165 acres of raw land, 110 acres of which is now under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. Colville was married, October 15, 1854, to Miss Matilda Vaughan, who was born No- vember 8, 1836. They have had fourteen children, eleven of whom are now living, namely: Joseph A .; James A .; Sarah C., wife of W. F. Anderson; Samnel F .; Martha, wife of A. B. Harris; Mollie, wife of A. R. Smoot; Elizabeth, wife of George Perry; Alexander, Caroline, Lillie D. and P. D. Mr. and Mrs. Colville are members of the Methodist Church South.
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I. SATTERFIELD, a snecessful farmer of llill county, was born in Walker county, Georgia, in 1833, a son of Arthur Satterfield, who was born in South Carolina in 1804. The latter located in Georgia when a young man, and served in the Florida war. He married Delilah Jen- kins, a native of Georgia, and they had seven children, viz .: Reuben, who was killed at the second battle of Manassas; J. M., a farmer of Georgia; Marion, of Arkansas; Elijah, of Hill county; William and Mahalie Ray.
W. I. Satterfield, our subject, received only a limited education, and at the age of twenty- two years he engaged in overseeing. In 1861 he enlisted in Company G, Ninth Georgia Infantry, under Colonel Hoye, Lee's army, Longstreet's corps, Anderson's brigale and Hood's division, and participated in the bat-
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tles of Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Cancellorsville, Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania Courthouse, siege of Richmond, was in the seven days' fight at Richmond, second Manassas, Yorktown, Jamestown, Cedar Rnu and all the battles participated in by Ander- son's brigale. After the close of the war he returned home and engaged in farming on the Tennessee river until 1870, when he was again engaged as an overseer. In 1878 Mr. Satterfield came to Texas, locating in Alva- rado, Johnson county, and one year later located on his present farm of 341 acres, 250 acres of which is cultivated. In 1886 he erected a gin with a capacity of twenty bales per day, and this year he will gin 600 bales. Ile also owns 640 aeres of land in Fisher county, which is now being improved.
Ile was married, in 1859, to Frances Eliza- beth, a daugliter of Ansel Massey, a native of South Carolina. They have had four chil- dren, namely: J. W., of Itasca; W. I .; Mrs. Ida Kelley, of Hill county; and Maggie.
EORGE 1. JORDAN, an attorney at law of Hillsboro, Ilill county, Texas, was born in Noxubee county, Missis- sippi, on December 17, 1854. Ile is a son of Warren Henry Jordan, who was born in Lexington, Oglethorpe county, Georgia, in 1820. Ile was the youngest of seven chil- dren and was left an orphan at the age of eight years. Ile then made his home at the house of his sister, Mrs. Mary Sanford, wife of Thomas Sanford, of Eatonton, Georgia, who
was the guardian of his person and estate. Ile commenced his education at the Male Academy of Eatonton, Georgia, and finished it at Athens, Georgia, the university of the State. Hle afterward received an appoint- ment to the Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he remained two years only; the severe climate and strict discipline being too great a tax on his constitution. After leaving West Point he returned to Georgia, and in 1842 moved to Mississippi and located in Noxubee county, twelve miles south of Macon, the county site, and seven miles cast of Shuqualak, which latter place was his post office. In 1846 he returned to Eatonton, Georgia, and married Miss Julia Louise IInd- son, and took her to his new home in Missis- sippi, where he accumulated property to the amount of 2,210 acres of land and ninety-eight negroes. By this wife the said Warren Henry Jordan had five children, to wit: John J., a farmer in Falls county, Texas; Anna A., now wife of llon. II. P. Bell of Cummings, Georgia; Julia C., wife of Hudson E. Adams of Eaton, Georgia, but who is now dead; George 1., the subject of this sketch; and Warren II., who died in infancy. Ilis first wife died in 1856, and in 1858 he married Miss Elizabeth J. Pollard of Warrenton, Vir- ginia, by whom he had two children: Charles S. who died in 1886, and Elizabeth P., now wife of Delaney Evans, who lives in Wil- mington, North Carolina. Mr. Jordan was what was termed a cotton planter in ante- bellum days, and lived in a magnificent country residence, which was called Myrtle Ilill. He was princely in the entertainment
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of his friends and liberal in all his dealings. But the emancipation of the slaves, and the large demands made upon his estate by those who held negotiablo paper, to which his name was signed as seenrity, left his family peuni- less. Ile was a staunch Demoerat all of his life. Ile died November 3, 1861, from a cancer on his lip. The grandfather of our subjeet was a native of South Carolina, and of French descent, tracing his ancestry baek to a family of Huguenots, who came to America in 1685, just after the revocation of the Ediet of Nantes by Lonis the XIV., and originally spelled their name Jourdan.
The mother of our subject, as above stated, was Miss Julia Louise Hudson, daughter of William IIndson and Annie Young ( Mason) Iludson of Eatonton, Georgia. The former was a native of Virginia and the latter of Alabama, being a sister of Chancellor Wiley Mason, of Tuskeega, Alabama.
The subject of this sketch spent five years in the boarding school of Woodlawn, Missis- sippi, and then entered Bloomfield College, Kemper county, same State, where he re- mained two years. For the next three years he had no established business, traveling about from place to place, and stopping one year in Eaton, Georgia. In 1869 Mr. Jordan borrowed money with which to come to Texas, and located at Covington, Ilill county, where he farmed for three years, keeping bachelor's hall during the time. By industry and econ- otny he accumulated sufficient money to de- fray his expenses at school two years and one month at Mansfield, Tarrant county, under Prof. John Collier. In 1876 he returned to
Hill county and was appointed Deputy Tax Collector by F. T. Weir, serving in that capacity for two years, after which he ro- turned to Mansfield and completed his course, graduating in June, 1579. During that fall he ran a gin near Itasea, working eighteen hours per day, and in January, 1880, he came to Hillsboro and read law under Tarlton & Bullock four months, from May 1 to Deeem- ber 1 of same year. He was deputy county Clerk under J. M. Duncan. On December 1, 1880, he again resumed his law studies under Tarlton & Bullock and obtained license to practice at the spring term, 1881, of the District Court, and, the city being incorpor- ated at this time, on the same day he received his lieense he was appointed City Attorney, which ofliee he held twelve months. A partnership was then formed with B. D. Tarlton and G. D. Tarlton under the firm name of Tarlton, Jordan & Tarlton, which was dissolved on December 22, 1888. On account of poor health, Mr. Jordan was then advised to spend sometime in southwestern Texas and Mexico, and accordingly the winter and spring of 1888-'89 was spent in Monterey, Mexico, and southwestern Texas. June 1 of the latter year he returned to this county and resumed his practice in partnership with Hon. S. C. Upshaw under the firm name of Upshaw and Jordan. Ile was Alderman of the city two years; in the spring of 1888, he made the race for Mayor; was one of the county school examiners in 1884, and is at present president of the Board of Trade. He is also slightly interested in real estate, own- ing a farin of 180 acres north of the city and a
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good home in the city. In 1885 Mr. Jordan was married to Miss Kate B. Upshaw, a daughter of Captain S. C. Upshaw, who was from 1886 to 1890 State Senator and is now a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of the State, subject to the action of the Democratic State Convention. They have four children, namely: Samuel Irby, Julia Louise, Jennie Aldridge and Attillia Francis.
F. RAMSEY, of the law firm of Crane & Rainsey, was born in Bell county, Texas, October 25, 1855. Ile passed his early years in his native county, and in 1861 moved with his parents to John- son county, and to Cleburne in 1877. He was educated in the schools of this county, and at Tehuacana, Limestone county, graduat- ing in the collegiate department of the insti- tute in 1876, and in the law department in 1877. He was examined before Judge D. M. Prendergast, of the 28th Judicial District, and admitted to the bar July 4, 1877. Mr. Ramsey immediately began practice, as a member of the firm of Brown, Hall & Ram- sey, his partners being James W. Brown, of Dallas, and Judge J. M. Hall, now Judge of the 28th Judicial District. This partnership continued until in February, 1879, when there was a general dissolution and Mr. Ram- sey was alone until in Jannary, 1881. He then entered into a partnership with James W. Brown, as Brown & Ramsey, and August 1, 1882, M. M. Crane became a member of the firm.and the style was changed to Brown, Ramsey & Crane. In July, 1855, Mr. Brown
withdrew and soon thereafter moved to Dallas, the firm becoming Crane & Ramsey, and so continues at this time. It is one of the lead- ing law firms of Cleburne, and is always found on one side or the other in every important law case tried in Johnson county.
Mr. Ramsey was a member of the Demo- eratie State Conventions in 1882, 1884, 1886, 1888 and 1890, and was a Presidential Elector in 1884. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and Knights of Pythias; has served on the City School Board; is a representative citizen, and has never aspired to office, pre- ferring his profession to anything in the gift of his people to which he might aspire. lle is a clear, level-headed lawyer, a hard worker, close student, and a diligent prosecutor of all matters entrusted to him.
Mr. Ramsey was married, January 21, 1878, to Miss Emma Johnson, a daughter of Rev. Felix Johnson, of Paris, Texas. His wife died April 1, 1885, and October 13, 1886, Mr. Ramsey married Miss Rowena Ilill, of La Grange, Texas.
RCHI A. MOORE, a successful farmer of Hill county, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 27, 1828, a son of Andrew and Eleanor Moore, natives of Penn- sylvania. The parents moved to Ohio in 1820, settling in Wayne county, and later in Seneca county, where the father served as County Commissioner nine years. He died in 1846, and his wife survived him until- 1881. The Moore family came from Ire- land, and the grandfather, William Moore,
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served as a Captain through the Revolution- ary war. The mother of our subject, nee Eleanor Allison, was of Irish descent, and a daughter of Matthew Allison, a native of Pennsylvania. Senator Allison is a nephew of Mrs. Moore. Mr. and Mrs. Moore had ten children: Eliza, William, John, Samuel, James, Margaret, George, Arch, Harriet and Henry. Samuel, Eliza and Arch are the ouly ones residing in Texas.
At the age of two years Arch A. Moore, our subject, moved with his parents to Seneca county, Ohio, where he grew to man- hood. When twenty eight years of age he removed to Illinois, settling in McLean county, where he was employed as a clerk in a store. During his residence in that county he made two trips to Texas and bought ponies, which he took North and sold, and during the ten years previous to his going to Illinois he was in many different places and engaged in various branches of business. In 1858 Mr. Moore came to Texas, settling in Hopkins county, but in 1859 he removed to Wise county, where he remained until 1862. In the latter year he settled in Brown county, on the frontier, and the Indians at that time were very troublesome. In 1870 he came to this county, where he worked on the railroad at Bryan, and in this way saved sufficient money to buy eighty acres of land. Ile has added to his first purchase until he now owns 210 acres, eighty acres of which is culti- vated, and fifteen acres in orchard and vines.
Mr. Moore was married in the spring of 1857, to Miss Mary Harris, born December 11, 1837, a daughter of Sammel and Sarah
(Griswold) Harris, natives of Ohio. The parents moved to Illinois abont 1846, where the father died, and the mother came to Texas in 1860, and died in this State ju 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have had seven children, viz .: Samnel II., born March 21, 1858, is a farmer of Eastland county, Texas; Ceville, born April 8, 1859, is the wife of Ed. G. Gray, a farmer of Hill county; Jeff. D., born August 23, 1861, is a fruit-raiser of California; Eliza M., who died at the age of fifteen days; Charles M., born November 29, 1864, is Deputy County Clerk of Ilill county, at Hillsboro; David A., born Octo- ber 17, 1869, is at home; and Fiuis G., born August 17, 1876, is also at home. They have also raised an orphan child, William W. Boren, born November 29, 1875. Mr. Moore is a member of the Masonic order, and in his political views is independent.
R. B. JONES has beeen a resident of the "Lone Star State" since 1871, and his present substantial position in life has been reached entirely through his own perseverance and the facts connected with his operations, and their re- sults only show what a person with enlight- ened and enterprising views can accomplish. Ile came to this State a poor boy, and first turned his attention to stock-dealing, in which business he was fairly successful. In Jannary, 1876, he was married, after which he farmed on rented land for three years, then purchased a 120-acre tract of raw land. Later he purchased another tract of 330
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weres, and has four aeres in the town of 18. 1994; Cres F. Forn October 19. 1:56: Brandon, on which he son expects to build a and Frel Texas, who was born February 11. residence for himself and family. One hun- 1991. The mother of these children was dred and thirty-six aeres of his home farm born September 5. 1:55. are under cultivation, and are devoted to the raising of cotton, corn and oats, but the rest is devoted to pasture, as Mr. Jones annually raises quite a number of horses, mules and cattle.
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