A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 100

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Texas > Henderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100
USA > Texas > Freestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100
USA > Texas > Leon County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100
USA > Texas > Anderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100
USA > Texas > Limestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100
USA > Texas > Navarro County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 100

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ica in October, 1869, first settled in Illinois and then moved to Texas in 1878, and the same year her husband died. In politics, our subject has always affiliated with the Democratic party.

R. HOWARD .- The best earnest of the efficiency of any man, is in his continuous retention by an em- ployer, and such evidence is greatly strengthened when that employer is a rail- road company, which, from the very nature of the case, must demand exacting service. Our subject, yeta young man, has been with the Great Northern Railroad twenty-two years, and upon his merits alone has ad- vanced from the humblest position to the highly important office of secretary and treasurer of the great corporation. Not only has he won the confidence and esteem of the directors and officials of the railroad and of its employes, but also the respect and friendship of the people of Palestine, and, in fact, throughout the wide-extended circle of his acquaintance. The struggles and labors and final success of such a life deserve to be recorded at length, that they may serve as encouragement to others to perseverance in earnest, honest, manly ef- fort.

Our subject was born in Philadelphia, in April, 1852, in which city he was reared, and where also he enjoyed very good ed- ucational advantages. His father, the Rev. H. C. Howard, an Episcopal clergy- man, now a resident of Columbus, Texas, lived for many years in Pennsylvania, where he had several important charges.

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He is a native of England, emigrated to America when a young man, and, later, married Margaret Overall Allen, of Fred- ericksburg, Virginia, a member of an old Virginia family. The health of our sub- ject being broken down upon quitting school, doubtless the result of too close ap- plication to his books, he went to Texas with the object of regaining his strength. His companion on the journey was James A. Evans, chief engineer of the Interna- tional Railroad. Seeking employment at once, for he abhorred idleness, no place was open for him in the service of the railroad except that of axman. This he promptly accepted in the faith that any honest work is honorable, and did the humble duty faithfully for three months, when he was promoted, still in the engineer's depart- ment, in which he remained a year. In recognition of his faithful work, he was then made a clerk in the auditor's office and stationed at Hearne, which was then the headquarters of the company. In this position he remained until the Interna- tional and the Great Northern were con- solidated in September, 1873, and the offi- ces were removed to Houston, when he was made chief clerk to D. S. H. Smith, who had become auditor of the consolidated roads.

After holding the position named for some time, Mr. Howard became pay master and held that office until the International & Great Northern were absorbed by the Missouri Pacific system, and the offices were removed from Texas to St. Louis, Missouri, at which time he was made chief clerk in the office of the master mechanic. In August, 1882, he was transferred to St.

Louis and became paymaster of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain, the Texas & Pa- cific and the International & Great North- ern, all of theni then being operated under the Missouri Pacific system. This office was held for six years, or until May, 1888, when the offices of the International & Great Northern were brought back to Texas and located at Palestine, at which date he became cashier of that road. He was made secretary and treasurer of the road in June, 1892, when it went into the hands of the stockholders, it having been in the hands of a receiver from May, 1888, the date of its transfer to Palestine, until June, 1892.

Mr. Howard is the oldest employe, in point of service, in the company, having been with it continnonsly since Jannary 2, 1871, having, in fact, been with the Inter- national from the date of its construction, and with the two roads since their consol- idation and throughout their checkered career. The International & Great North- ern has been twice in the hands of a re- ceiver, once absorbed in another system, twice in the hands of the stockholders and operated as an independent line since Mr. Howard began his connection with it. He is the best posted man now with the com- pany as to the status, history, etc., of the road. For upwards of twenty-one years he has held a responsible position, and has been promoted from time to time on his merit. Millions of money have passed through his hands without the error of one cent in his accounts. The road has gone through many trying times and has sus- tained many " shake-ups " of one kind and another, but Mr. Howard has never swerved

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in his devotion to the interests committed to liis care. The confidence of stockholders, officials and employes in him is nnbonnded, and their attachment for him is intimate and close.

Our subject is a quiet, dignified gentle- man, strictly businesslike in his habits, with great capacity for continued work, courteous and accommodating to all. His very presence commands confidence, he holds friends fast for life, and his in- fluence is wide-extended. It is scarcely possible to estimate how much his exalted character, accommodating spirit and his unshaken confidence in the road have con- tributed to the inspiring of confidence of stockholders and others in the road, and thereby contributing to the great advance- ment of its interests. His personal labors have been enormous, and always system- atic; never behindhand in the discharge of any duty, he has, indeed, been an exem- plar in all things.

Fortunate and happy was his choice of a wife, the partner of his home being a most estimable and accomplished lady, who has brightened his life by her presence and whose sympathy and encouragement have been added impulses to energetic effort on his part. He was married at Houston, this State, in 1875, to Georgia Granger, a daughter of Charles J. Granger, an old resident of that place, where Mrs. Howard was born.

In Masonic circles Mr. Howard is widely known and greatly esteemed. He became a Mason in 1878 and has gone through the successive degrees of that order,-Master, Royal Arch, Knight Templar and Scottish Rite, thirty-second degree. Thrice has he

filled the exalted position of Grand Com- mander of Knight Templars of the State of Texas, and twice has been Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Master Masons of the State. Most of the chairs in the sub- ordinate lodge and Templar asylum have been filled by him.

GBERT G. BEALL, the subject of this sketch, is a son of Josias Brad- ley Beall, who was born in 1790 in the State of Maryland, coming thence to Georgia when young, and in 1835 coming to Texas. He took part in the Texas rev- olution, and was killed in the massacre at Goliad, having been captured and then shot by order of Santa Anna. He was buried on the battlefield. By occupation he had been a farmer and teacher, was well educated, and successful in his profession. In his politics he had been a Whig, and had served as Sheriff of his county, which was Campbell county, Georgia, continuing in office for a number of terms, and held the position of General in the State mili- tia. Mr. Beall was a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity.

The ancestors of the Beall family were of Scotch-Irish descent. The mother of our subject was a daughter of John and Clara (Mathews) Butt, natives of Crawford connty, Georgia, who married in 1815. Her name was Sarah Butt, and she was born in Georgia in 1860. Mr. and Mrs. Beall, Sr., reared a family of nine children, as follows: Robert, who died in infancy ; Margaret, deceased, was the wife of Joseph Gainer, of Macon, Georgia, and she left

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one daughter; Eliza and William died in infancy; Susan is the wife of John Mc- Chire, a farmer in Georgia; James, a farmer in Georgia; Josias was killed at Fredericksburg; our subject; Sarah, the wife of Joseph Spence, a merchant of At- lanta, Georgia.

The subject of this sketch was born Sep- tember 4, 1831, in Campbell county, Georgia. He remained there until he was twenty years of age with his mother, at- tending school and working on a farm, and then came to Texas. He first engaged in work by the month in Austin county, and in 1851 came to Freestone county and lo- cated upon a part of the farm where he now is. Then he became overseer for William B. Kolb for one year, married there and returned to Georgia.

Our subject remained but a short time in Georgia, and then returned to Grimes county, Texas, and then rented land one year, going from there to Freestone coun- ty, where he rented for the following year. At this time he bought a farm of 160 acres, with only about four acres of it im- proved, since which time lie has improved eleven farms, including his present one, containing, improved, from 40 to 300 acres, paying $1 per acre for his first land, and for his present one $3 per acre. Here he located in 1881.

The marriage of Mr. Beall was cele- brated in 1851 with Miss Martha L. Kolb, a native of Georgia, who came from there with her parents. She was the daughter of his employer, and the name of her par- ents were William G. and Alzada (Coma) Kolb, and twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beall, as follows: William

B., who died at the age of twenty-one; the second and third child both died in infan- cy; Joseph G. resides upon his father's farm; Sarah died when twelve years of age; James died when aged nine years; Mary M. became the wife of James Cow- ard, of Motley county; Martin and Robert died, children of three and two years re- spectively; Thomas L. is at home; and the last two children died infants.

When about twenty years of age our subject was thrown upon his own re- sources with a fortune of some $20, but after the war he started again. During the war he was a member of Company C, Captain Shannon, Fifth Texas Cavalry, under Colonel Tom Green. The first year he served in New Mexico, going thence to Louisiana, and from that time on he was in that State. The first engagement in which he took part was at Valverde, New Mexico, and the next at Camp Blace, Louis- iana; then came Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Yellow Bayou, and numerous skirmishes. Although shaved by bullets and lost a horse by having it shot from under him, our subject was not injured, and was at Fairfield at the time of the surrender.

Mr. Beall now enjoys the possession of 570 acres of land, 300 of which are under cultivation, has 100 cattle, ten horses and mules, and a gin that is valued at $1,000. In politics, he is a third-party man, a member of Alliance and Grange. Both he and his excellent wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Beall is not an aged man, and there is yet time for him to do many more acts showing his energy and thriftiness, but he has done plenty to make him respected

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and esteemed by every one in the commu- nity. He is a man of intelligence, liberal in his thoughts and words as well as his acts. Such men are the ones who form the backbone of the country.

R. JOHN W. GERMANY, one of Navarro county's representative citi- zens, is a son of Thomas A. Ger- many, who was born in Mississippi in 1834. IIe attended the common schools and worked at farın labor in his native State until 1857, when he came to Personville, Texas, and he still resides in that city. He was employed as a teamster until the breaking out of the late war, then he en- listed in a company under Captain Far- rar, of Groesbeck, Limestone county. After the close of the struggle Dr. Germany rented land two years, and then bought his present home at Personville, where, in connection with his farm interests, he was engaged in the banking business. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Mexia, and is also interested in the stock business, handling both sheep and cattle. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party; socially, is a Mason; and religiously is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. The mother of our subject, nee Fannie Reeves, was born in Mississippi, a daughter of J. and Elle- phan (Hawkins) Reeves. Dr. and Mrs. Germany were married at Personville in 1864, and were the parents of twelve chil- dren, viz .: William, deceased; Jolin W., our subject; Mattie, wife of George Owens, a stock man of Jones county; Eureka,

wife of Dr. Shell, of Personville; James, Oscar, Alpha and Hubbard, deceased; and Robert, Arthur, Marvin and Jewel, at home.

John W. Germany was born in Lime- stone county, Texas, in 1867, and remained at home until fourteen years of age. He then attended the Mexia public schools five years, worked at farm labor one year, began the study of medicine under Dr. Shell, his brother-in-law, and in 1887 took a course of lectures at Louisville, Ken- tucky, where he graduated in 1890. He won a gold medal as a prize in surgery, against a dozen contestants. After com- pleting the course the Doctor at once re- turned home, but two weeks later began the practice of his profession at Roane, Navarro county, where he has since con- tinued. Mr. Germany began life for him- self at the age of twenty-one years, with one horse, a saddle and bridle, and he now has a beantiful residence, a practice which pays him about $1,000 annually, and a medical library worth $2,500.

The Doctor was married in 1891, to Miss Loganie Fickling, a native of Alabama, and a daughter of Joe and Lou Fickling, natives of the same State. Dr. Germany is a Democrat in his political views.

R. J. A. S. BAILEY, a prominent citi- zen of Freestone county, Texas, is a son of John Bailey, who was born about 1822, in Georgia, where he grew to inanhood, and moved from there to Wood county, Texas, where he still resides. By occupation he is a farmer, and a

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quite successful and prominent man there. His educational advantages were limited, but by reading and observation he has become self-educated, and is well posted upon all current matters. In politics, Mr. Bailey is a Democrat. He is a member of the Masonic order, a Royal Arch Mason of Winsboro Lodge. He is a member of the Knights of Honor, and of the Baptist Church. He served in the Confederate army and was taken prisoner and retained six months in Tyler.

The mother of our subject was named Huldah (Houseworth) Bailey, a native of Georgia, where she married in 1850, and the daughter of John and - House- worth, natives of Georgia. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, as fol- lows: Mary, wife of John Cruppler, a farmer of Camp county; Jefferson T., a farmer of Wood county; Abram E., a farmer of Boone county; Casuy J., the wife of William Burroughs, a farmer of Wood county; William F., a farmer of Wood county; our subject was the sixth child; Emina A., married; Florence A, · wife of Allen Cherry, a farmer; and Zachariah, at home.

Our subject was born in Wood county, Texas, in 1862, and resided there until 1880. Until that time he worked on a farm and attended school. In 1882 he went to the excellent school at Comanche, having had two years of advantages at the schools at Leesburg, in Camp county. While at- tending school at Comanche, he engaged the school there, and later taught at Sipe Springs four years, all this time studying medicine under the wise supervision of Dr. Roach, of Sipe Springs. In the win-

ter of 1884-'85 lie began to attend a course of lectures at Atlanta, Georgia, at the Southern Medical College, from which he graduated in 1887. He then located for practice near Sana, where he continued until September, 1891, when he engaged in the mercantile business, in connection with farming, which he has continued ever since.

Dr. Bailey was married October 16, 1889, to Miss Birdie Foreman, a native of Texas. She is the daughter of Robert and Mary (Eppes) Foreman. Dr. and Mrs. Bailey are the parents of two children: Otis W. and Gertie. Our subject began life for himself in 1880, and to show his success he can point to his fine farm of 124 acres in cultivation, with stock enough to work it. He has store buildings and a stock of goods worth about $1,800, and his home property. In politics, Dr. Bailey is a Democrat, and was a delegate to the State Convention at Houston, in 1892. Mrs. Bailey is a member of the Christian Church, and while the Doctor is not a member he is heartily in sympathy with it.

UCIUS T. WHEELER, one of Cor- sicana's oldest living settlers, was born in Livingston county, Kentucky, in 1832, a son of Altious Wheeler, a native of Vermont, born in 1780. He moved to Kentucky as a pioneer, where he held the office of Justice of the Peace so long, that according to the law there he became Slier- iff of his county. He died in November, 1841. His wife, Temperance Ann, was a daughter of William Pippen, of North

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Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were the parents of eight children, viz .: Opha, Elizabetlı, Horace, William and Augustus, deceased; L. T., onr subject; Altious was tlie next in order of birth; and Ann, de- ceased.

L. T. Wheeler acquired a portion of his education at the Georgetown (Kentucky) Academy, and at the age of fourteen years he first encountered the stern realities of life, by employing himself as pilot on the Cumberland river. After a few years of this service he engaged as clerk for a time. Not having good health in Kentucky, he concluded to try the western climate, and accordingly came to Navarro county, Texas, in 1851. The first year he engaged in merchandising at Chatfield, the next year he followed the same occupation in Cor- sicana, and the following year began the study of law, under Colonel R. Q. Mills. Mr. Wheeler was admitted to the bar in 1859, and immediately began practice with his brother-in-law, Colonel Croft. When the war broke out they were one of the lead- ing firms in the city, being employed on one side of nearly every important case. In 1862 our subject enlisted in Colonel Bass' regiment of cavalry as First Lieu- tenant of Captain B. D. McKie's Company, but later reported to H. E. McCulloch for duty, next joined McKie's squadron, and finally served in Morgan's battalion. They were in the Trans- Mississippi Department, and participated in the battles against Banks, Major Wheeler commanding the skirmishers each day in opening the fight. For meritorious service he has twice been called out and complimented by Major- General Johu A. Wharton, and was pro-

moted from First Lieutenant to the rank of Major. May 20, 1865, he was discharged at Calvert and returned to Corsicana, and again began the practice of law. After the close of the war he was appointed County Attorney, but was removed by the Federal anthorities as an obstruction to reconstruc- tion. In 1874 he laid aside law books and took up farming, which he inade his call- ing until quite recently. In 1888 he was appointed by Mr. Ballew as Deputy Dis- trict Clerk, and was re-appointed by Mr. Talbot. In his active life Major Wheeler took a prominent part in all political cam- paigns, was opposed to secession, was a sub-elector on the Bell and Everett ticket, and made many speeches in the State for that ticket. Mr. Wheeler is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' orders; in politics, he is a Democrat, and was clair- man of the executive committee of the county of the Clark faction.

In 1859 our subject married Miss Bell Roach, a daughter of Dr. Richard Roach, of Ohio, who was a surgeon in the United States Army. Mrs. Wheeler died in 1870, and in 1872 the Major married Mrs. Eliza- beth Earl, a daughter of W. W. Manning, of Alabama.

EORGE W. EVERETT, a prominent farmer and stockman of Freestone county, was born in western Florida, in 1832, and is the second child born of a family of fifteen children, who were added to the family of Thomas H. and Rebecca (Spurs) Everett, natives of North Carolina, of English and Scotch parentage, and an-

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cestors on both sides of the family partici- pated in the war for independence. Thomas Everett was a farmer and cotton planter, and was the owner of slaves. He died in 1866, in Georgia, where he had removed in 1836. Of the fifteen children born, eleven grew to maturity and seven of this num- ber still survive, namely: Mark; Sam; Henry; our subject; Elizabeth, wife of William Dickey; Caroline, widow of Dr. Wilmott, of Georgia; Mary, wife of Mr. Dearing, of Tennessee. The boys, with the exception of subject, were born in Georgia. The mother died in 1866.

Our subject received only a common- school education, attending school for three months only, but close application to his studies made him better informed than many who have received much better ad- vantages than he. He is now one of the best informed men in the State in which he resides, on the general topics of the day. He acted as overseer for his father until he was twenty-four, when he engaged in clerking in a wholesale house in Shreve- port, Louisiana, from which, in 1857, he went to Paraclifta, Sevier county, Arkansas, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for one year, and in 1858 returned to Min- den, Louisiana, and accepted a position with another gentleman, which he retained until the fall of that year, when he en- gaged in farming in that section.

In 1862 he joined Company K, Thirty- first Louisiana Infantry, and for a short time served on the west side of the Missis- sippi river, and in the spring of 1863 was in the skirmish of Fort Pemberton, from which place he returned to Vicksburg and went out'on the Big Black and fought

General Grant. He then returned to the city and was in the siege and capture of Vicksburg. He was paroled and returned to Louisiana and remained at home until he was exchanged. After his exchange his time was mostly spent at Alexandria, and he surrendered at Fort Beulah.

At the close of the war he came to Texas, where his family had come during the war, in 1863. In 1865 our subject inade the trip, and in 1866 rented the place on which he now resides. He only rented for one year, and then purchased the farm and was allowed the one year's rent he had paid. The farm consisted of 457 acres of land, eighty acres of which were in a fine state of cultivation. He now has 250 acres under cultivation, and on the farm stands his comfortable resi- dence and neat outbuildings. Beside this land he is the owner of 878 acres of land in Navarro county, 250 acres of which is in a fine state of cultivation. He also owns in this county, on Cedar creek; a farm of 300 acres, 100 of which is in a fine state of cultivation. On his Navarro coun- ty ranch he keeps 200 head of cattle, mostly steers. On his home ranch he keeps a herd of horses, of the Percheron and Hardey breeds, which are thorough- bred. On the Cedar creek ranch he keeps considerable stock.

Mr. Everett has been twice married .The first time in 1858, to Miss Sarah Oliver, daughter of Wiley Oliver, who bore him five children, namely: Sallie, deceased, wife of William Blaylock; G. B., at home; Carrie, at home; Ella, widow of E. W. Byers; and Hugh, at home. Mrs. Evrett died in 1883, and in 1887 Mr. Everett mar-

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ried Miss Rebecca Coleman, of Georgia, and she died two years after marriage, in 1889. Both of the wives were members of the Methodist Church, of which Mr. Everett is also a member. He is a Demo- crat in politics, a member of Cotton Gill Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and is also a mem- ber of K. of H. and K. & L. of H.

CULL SANDERS, a young, thrifty and enterprising farmer of Groes- beck, Limestone county, is a son of James Monroe Sanders, who was born in Alabama in 1823. From thence he re- moved to Arkansas and from there to Texas, in 1863, first locating in Anderson county, where he was engaged in farming for seven years. From thence he removed to Limestone county, six miles northwest of Groesbeck, where he bought a farm of 137 acres, and remained until coming to Groesbeck, in 1888. He is a self-made man, having received but little education and no financial assistance. He has 500 acres of land, 300 of which is under a fine state of cultivation. He also owns a half interest in a steam gin. In political views he is a Democrat and is an influential mem- ber of the Masonic order. He, James Mon- roe Sanders, is the son of Thomas and Mary (Mathews) Sanders, natives of Virginia, although the family is of English descent. Mr. J. M. Sanders married Nancy Jane Ratliff, a native of Tennessee, who removed to Arkansas, where she married. She is the daughter of William and Nancy (Boyd) Ratliff, natives of North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders had nine children, name-

ly: Alice, wife of Z. T. Sharpe; Mary, wife of Floyd Gilbert; Amanda, wife of T. K. Stroud (see sketchi); subject; Charles F .; Pearlie, deceased; Rombus M .; Eddie and Sallie. Our subject's father married a second time, and this wife was Nancy J. Johnson, a native or North Carolina, who removed to Tennessee and thence to Texas, in 1885. She is a daughter of Joshua and Winnie (Coley) Coley, and widow of Mr. Johnson.

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Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 954

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954