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 79

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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79

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James Bennett, the subject of this notice, was born at Cedar Island, Limestone county, January 7, 1863, was reared in the same locality, and was educated at Honest Ridge. under Professors Bishop and Par- ker. He left school at the age of sixteen years and began working in a nursery in northern Texas. Later, le clerked two years in the clothing house of Julius Kahn, at Dallas; was in the livery business at Groesbeck for two years, and since that

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time has followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Bennett is a " dear lover " of fine stock, and owns an excellent trotter of the Hamble- tonian breed. He also takes great pride in running machinery. He is one of the leading young farmers of the locality, and is a progressive, public-spirited man.

July 20, 1890, Mr. Bennett married Miss Belle Collins, a daughter of T. J. Collins. She is a native of Louisiana, and moved to this county with her parents in 1886, where they still reside.

ILLIAM W. LOOP, a successful business man of Navarro county, is a son of Jolin Loop, who was born in Virginia in 1811. He afterward moved to Indiana, thence to Missouri, in 1844 to Fannin county, Texas, and then to Henderson county, where he died in 1855. He was a farmer and mechanic by occupa- tion, and was a Democrat in his political views. His father, Christian Loop, was born in Germany, but came to America when yonng, locating in Virginia. His father, the great grandfather of our sub- ject, was the first of the Loop family in this country. The mother of our subject, nee Margaret R. Spohr, was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Loop were married in 1829, and were the parents of eight children, viz .: Christaun, wife of John Naudain, of Chatfield; the second and third died in infancy; Josiah Marion died in the Confederate army in Arkansas, and was buried at Van Buren; David was killed at Corinth, Mississippi; George R. died at Chatfield; and Malinda, deceased when young.

William W. Loop was born in Indiana, in 1836, but removed with his parents to Missouri, and in 1844 came to Texas. He remained at home until after the death of his mother, which occurred in 1853, then bought and improved a farm of 319 acres; in 1865 rented land near Chatfield one year, and then bought 100 acres of his present farm. In 1879 he bought a gin, and the following year engaged in the mercantile business, which he still follows in connection with his farming and stock- raising. Mr. Loop began life for himself at the age of seventeen years, with com- paratively nothing, and after arriving in Navarro county he was worth about $500. He now owns 1,300 acres of land in this connty, with 200 acres under cultivation, has 640 acres in Jones county, witlı 50 acres cultivated, owning in all about 1,940 acres, and has 125 head of cattle and about 50 horses. He is also a stockholder in the Corsicana National Bank, owns three- fourths interest in a stock of goods worth $3,000, and inherited about $1,100 from his grandfather. Mr. Loop is independ- ent in his political views, and has served as County Commissioner from 1878 to 1882. Socially, he is a Master Mason, and is Junior Warden of Quitman Lodge, No. 122.

He was married in 1853, to Miss Sarah C. Nandain, a native of Delaware, and a daughter of James N. and Ellen Naudain, natives also of that State. She removed with her parents first to Ohio, then to In- diana, and later to Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Loop have had eight children, namely: John N., a farmer of Jones county ; Ellen R., wife of W. C. Garner; Malissa Ann,

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wife of W. L. Olephant, of Hale county, Texas; David N., engaged in business with his father; W. R., deceased at the age of twenty-eight years; Sarah Eliza- beth, attending Hill's Business College at Dallas; Mattie and Addie, at home. Both our subject and wife are members of the Christian Church, in which the former is an Elder.

B G. McKIE is the youngest child of Dr. B. D. McKie and Mrs. Eva McKie, and was born in Corsicana, Navarro county, Texas, on the 5th day of January, 1863. Removing from Navarro county with his parents when about three years of age. His youth was passed mainly in Bell county, Texas, at the home of his parents; and was educated at Salado, Bell county, and at the Texas Military Insti- tute at Austin. After reaching his major- ity he was quick-muscled for a number of years, having spent quite a time in the Republic of Mexico and in the larger cities of the East, principally New York and Philadelphia. About 1889 he re- turned to his native State and town, Cor- sicana, Texas.

He was managing editor of the Observer in Corsicana until about October 1, 1892, and is now part owner and managing editor of the Corsicana Light, a bright daily and weekly paper.

Mr. McKie has recently married, and therefore seems to have altogether aban- doned his previous rather nomadic life. He has but one sister, Mrs. S. W. Walker, who resides in the city of Mexico, and one

brother, W. J. McKie, who also resides in Corsicana. His father is deceased, and his mother yet living, and spends her time with her daughter in Mexico and her sons in Corsicana.

EWIS D. SIMPSON, a farmer of Na- varro county, was born in North Carolina, January 5, 1844, a son of Pearson and Martha Simpson, also natives of North Carolina. The father served as County Surveyor, and was a prominent man during the late war. In 1863 he moved from Arkansas to Texas, bought and improved a large tract of land in Johnson county, but later sold out and bought land in Navarro county, but died in the course of moving, in 1868. He married Miss Martha Simpson, a cousin, and a native of North Carolina. She died in Arkansas, and he then married Mrs. Bird. By the first union there were ten children, of whom our subject was the fifth child, and the family all came to Texas but one sister. Two children died when young, and eight grew to years of maturity, viz .: Catherine, Mary, Sarah, Ambrose (deceased in the army), Lewis D., Jane, Caroline and John.

Lewis D. Simpson was reared to farm pursuits, and, at the age of about five years, moved with his parents to Arkansas, where he grew to manhood. He remained at home until the opening of the late war, when he enlisted, at the age of seventeen years, in Captain Winfrey's company, Colonel Clark's command, and served in the Indian Nation, Arkansas and Louisiana. He par- ticipated in many battles, the first being Prairie Grove, served under Hineman,

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON

Holmes and Price, was disabled with mea- sles, small-pox, pneumonia, was never wounded or captured, and received only two furloughs during the time of his en- listment. After the close of the war Mr. Simpson returned to Arkansas, but in the fall of the same year, 1865, came to Texas. He came on foot to Navarro county, where he worked by the month the first year, the second and third years farmed on the halves, and in 1870 bought a tract of 140 acres, paying $20 per acre. He went in debt for his land, paying twenty-seven per cent. in- terest, and, after paying for his first tract, he bought 120 acres more. He afterward added 160 acres to his place, but has since sold land until he now owns about 200 acres. He cultivates abont 100 acres to corn, cotton, oats, millet, etc., and has lately increased his acreage of alfalfa. In 1882 Mr. Simp- son purchased a residence at Blooming Grove, where he subsequently moved, but three years later returned to his farm. In 1888 he embarked in the grocery business in that city, which he sold one year later, and since that time he has given his entire at- tention to hiis agricultural pursnits.

Mr. Simpson was married in 1868, to Miss Mary L. Cole, who was born April 10, 1848, a daughter of William and Amy II. (Bussey) Cole, natives of Alabama and Georgia. The father represented his county two terms in the Legislature of Arkansas, was a prominent farmer by occupation, and came to Texas in 1864, to save his negroes. He was too old to take part in the late war; two sons went, and both died in service. The father died on the Brazos river in 1867, and his wife afterward bought a farm in Navarro county, where

she died in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have had eleven children, ten now living: Frank H. of Blooming Grove; Mattie E., wife of J. P. Willerford, a merchant of this city; and Carrie L., George P., Peter, Euzenia HI., Lewis P., Pinka E., Charlie C. and Mamie B., at home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are members of the Methodist Church, and the former is a strong Prohi- bitionist.

UDGE L. D. BRADLEY, deceased .- This gentleman was for many years a prominent citizen of Freestone county, and the residents of this part of the State will expect a sketch of him to appear in this work. He settled in Fairfield, Free- stone county, in 1855, coming from Selma and Cahawba, Alabama, at each of which places he liad practiced his profession, the law. He was a graduate of Transylvania University at Lexington, Kentucky, and practiced law in this State, at Fairfield, from 1855 to 1861. At the opening of the war he raised two companies for the Confederate service, being elected Captain of the last one. He entered Wall's Legion, served through the entire war and was promoted for gallantry and faithful duty to the Colonelcy of the regiment.

After the close of the war lie settled down to the practice of his profession. As long as he was at the bar, Judge Bradley enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. Later he served in both branches of the Legislature, representing his conty and senatorial district with distinction. While serving in the Senate lie was elected Judge

how Obot sens

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

of his judicial district, composed of the counties of Freestone, Limestone and Na- varro, being re-elected to the same position and dying on the bench, October 6, 1886. His demise was mourned throughout the district. He was not a finished lawyer nor classical scholar, but he was a man of fine practical sense and exceptionable executive ability. He was a man of great public spirit and enterprise, and possessed those qualities which made of him a ruler of men. True to his friends, he never neg- lected an opportunity of serving them. Our subject was not a professor of religion, although he was a strictly moral man, the soul of honor and a liberal contributor to all worthy purposes. Judge Bradley was a prominent member of the Knights Tein- plar of Palestine Commandery. He was a man of distinguished appearance, full six feet tall, and weighing 250 pounds. He liad deep black eyes, black curling hair and swarthly complexion, a noticeable mnan in an assembly of a thousand.

Judge Bradley was married to Miss Mary Grayson, sister of Alice Grayson (wife of John Kirven), daughter of Dr. S. G. Gray- son, an old citizen of Freestone county, who came to Texas years ago from Wilcox county, Alabama, which was Mrs. Bradley's birthplace. This lady died one year after the death of her husband, in 1887. They left a family of nine children, as follows: Callie, now the wife of W. A. Ransom, of Corsicana; Annie, now the wife of J. B. Watson, of Fairfield; Minnie, deceased, was the wife of David Jolinston, of Na- varro county, leaving an Infant, Minnie Johnston; L. D., Jr., died in 1891, at the age of twenty-one; Julia, now the wife of

D. Waltman, of Jewett, Leon county, Lizzie; James G .; George B .; and Alice Kirven Bradley, the youngest, who, with her sister Lizzie, are the wards and mem- bers of the family of J. Bibb; and Annie Watson. James G. and George are mem- bers of their uncle George T. Bradley's family and his wards. The Bradley famn- ily for the past thirty-five years lias been of the most popular, influential and wealthy familes in that section of Texas, and their impress and influence will be felt for many years to come.

APTAIN SAMUEL J. T. JOHN- SON, senior member of the real- estate firm of Johnson & White, and one of the most liberal and progressive citizens of Navarro county, is a native of Roane county, Tennessee, born January 23, 1832. His parents were also Tennes- seeans by birth, the father, James Johnson, having been born in Hawkins county, that State, in 1803, and the mother, whose maiden name was Martha M. Johnston, in Roane county. They each came of pioneer ancestry, their families moving to east Tennessee toward the close of the last cen- tury as part of, or soon after following, the colonies planted in the vicinity of Jones- boro and Knoxville by the famous Indian fighter and frontier statesman, John Sevier. The Johnsons were of Irish ancestry. The old stock died where they cast their lots in the pleasant valleys and upon the pictur- esque hillsides of the Sweet Water and Holston river country, but not until they had contributed their share toward re-

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

claiming that beautiful region from the savages and converting it into the famous hog and corn country which it was in the earlier years of this century. Rev. James Johnson, who was a Presbyterian minister and father of the subject of this notice, spent the most of his life in Tennessee, but died in Texas, coming to this State in 1863, whither most of his children had preceded him. His death occurred in 1882, in his eighty-third year. His widow died July, 1892.

S. J. T. Johnson is the eldest of a family of nine children, all boys, four of whom are now living. One of his brothers, Jerry M., lives at Hubbard City, in Hill county, this State, and two, William Douglas and E. Wiley, in Corsicana. Four of the family died in infancy, and one, James Dodson, died just as he was reaching manhood, un- married.

S. J. T. Johnson was reared in his native place and in North Georgia, near Dalton, whither his parents moved when he was young. What education he received was obtained in the schools taught in the primi- tive log school-houses of that period and hardly rose to the dignity of what would now be a preparatory course. He was placed in his father's store at the age of seventeen and there supplemented his early training by learning many valuable lessons in the great school of experience. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Georgia and Tennessee up to 1856, first as clerk and later as partner in interest, being a inember of the firm of Johnson, Bell & Co., at Loudon, Tennessee, from 1852 to 1856, when in the latter year, having married and desiring to settle in some new country, he

came to Texas. He visited a number of places in this State before settling, but finally took up his residence permanently at old Fort Graham, in Hill county, in September, 1858. There he engaged in farming, ranchring and merchandising. He was successful from the start and had the most flattering prospects before him, but the war which played havoc with so many others broke up all his plans, and in 1861 he sold out his entire interest in that lo- cality and embarked in an expedition to Cuba, for the purpose of purchasing quinine and morphine for the Confederate States Government. He reached Brownsville, Texas, on this expedition when the enter- prise was brought to an unexpected end by the news of the war then in progress in Mexico.

Turning his attention in another direc- tion, Captain Johnson decided to help fur- nish the Confederacy " the sinews of war" in some shape, and invested his means in a drove of inules,-441 in number,-which he returned with and sold to the Confeder- ate States Government, accepting therefor paper on which he finally failed to realize anything, and thus lost all he had. He afterward scraped together more means and embarked in the mercantile business at old Dresden, in Navarro county, where he met with very good success. He was engaged in the mercantile business at this place till 1872, when he was elected Sheriff of the county and served in that capacity for three years, giving to the people of that county a wholesome ad- ministration of the sheriff's and collector's office and one that was much needed, com- ing as it did at the close of the period of

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reconstruction, when all had been chaos and confusion and the county's credit in consequence at a low ebb.

After the close of his term of office he resmined his mercantile pursuits in Corsi- cana as a member of the firm of Drane & Johnson and Johnson Bros., and was so engaged for about ten years. In 1885 he sold out, and having previously in- vested largely of his means in real estate he put the remainder of his funds in that line of investment and turned his attention to Texas soil and the task of securing desirable people to culti- vate it and to help in other ways to develop Texas resources. For nearly ten years his labors have been in this direction, and it is probably no exaggeration to say that no man in central Texas has done more toward placing the advantages of soil and climate of this State in a desirable light before the people of other States and coun- tries than he has done. He has traveled extensively, and wherever he has gone his voice has been heard speaking in -praise of the great resources of this imperial com- monwealth. He has sent out thousands and thousands of pages of printed matter, setting forth the possibilities of this region from every conceivable point of view, and has substantiated all he has had to say with the necessary facts and figures. He was one of the promoters of the Southern States Immigration Association, and is now a member from Texas on the Executive Committee. He is also First Vice-Presi- dent of the Texas Real-Estate Association, and has been untiring in his efforts to make the association a success. His latest investment is in the mineral district about

Llano, this State, where he believes there are untold fortunes for investors, manufac- turers and home-seekers, many of whom he has induced to purchase property and locate there.

It would naturally be expected that a man who had undertaken to bring the ad- vantages of a new country before the pub- lic in a prominent way would be called on to do a world of gratuitous work, and this Captain Johnson has done. He was Com- missioner by appointment of Governor Ire- land to the North, Central and South Anerican Exposition, which was held at New Orleans in 1885, and gave not only his time to setting forth advantageously the Texas exhibit, but defrayed out of his own pocket the expenses of getting up and arranging the exhibit. He was also com- missioned by Governor Ireland as Texas Representative to the Queen's Jubilee at London a year later and attended that great exhibition, paying his personal expenses, bnt refused to go down into his pocket for the money to prepare an exhibit as he had done at the New Orleans fair.

In recent years Captain Johnson has given his attention largely to the immigra- tion business, and he has been instrumental in bringing thousands of home-seekers and investors to Texas. That he has profited in a financial way himself by his labors in this direction does not detract in the least from the value of his services to the public. He has simply put the work in motion, taking advantage of an opportunity to make a trade when one was offered, but the men and capital which he has helped to bring here will be adding to the common good, not only in money but in brains, in

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all forms of wealth, refinement and good citizenship, when he is dead and gone and perhaps all of his efforts of this kind for- gotten.

Besides the positions already mentioned as having been held by Captain Johnson, he was a Trustee of the State Orphans' Home, near Corsicana, during Governor Ross' administration, and was one of the founders of Trinity College at Tehnacana, Limestone county, one of the most popular and successful educational institutions in central Texas. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of that school since it was founded. He was one of the organ- izers of the State Sheriffs' Association, and has always taken an active part in every- thing he has been connected with. He has been a Mason since he was twenty- one years old, having held all the po- sitions in the blue lodge and conl- mandery, and has taken the thirty-sec- ond degree. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Honor and the Chosen Friends, and has been an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for twenty-five years and for a third of that time Superintendent of Sunday- schools.

Captain Johnson is one of the best known men in Texas, and has contributed largely toward the advertisement and development of her vast resources. He is a man of warm attachments, generous disposition, of winning personality, and a great favorite with all who know himn.

Captain Johnson married on October 14, 1856, Miss Lizzie M. Caldwell, the fair and accomplished danghter of John Caldwell, a prominent citizen of Monroe county, Ten-

nessee, by which union he has had six children : James C., now deceased; William J., residing now in San Antonio; Samuel D., of Corsicana; May, the wife of A. Hoover, of Corsicana; Lnla, the wife of J. F. Gaston, of El Paso, and Louie P., of Llano.

ATHEW M. DRAKE, a prominent and enterprising farmer, is consid- ered one of the best citizens in his neighborhood. He is the son of William J. Drake, who was born about 1815, in Kentucky, and came from there to Texas in 1849. He located near old Springfield, and then came to Freestone county and settled near Cotton Gin, in 1852. He died there in August, 1866. Snecess crowned his efforts as a farmer. Before leaving Kentucky he had received a good English education, was a fine penman and taught school there. In politics he was a Demo- crat, and served one term as Justice of the Peace in Freestone county. He was a member of Royal Arch Masons, and a lib- eral supporter of the church. His parents were Thomas Drake and Elizabeth (Thom- as) Drake, natives of Virginia, and the Drake family came to America from Ire- land. The mother of our subject, nee Nancy T. Busby, was a native of Kentucky, where she married. She was the daughter of Mathew and Salda Busby, natives of Virginia, who moved to Kentucky, and re- sided there till death. Our subject's parents were married in January, 1839, and were the parents of seven children, namely: Sa- rah is the wife of Rev. Thomas Sweeney, a minister of the Christian Church; the

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second child, M. M. Drake, our subject; Thomas M., deceased, lived in Freestone county; the fourth child was an infant, who died unnamed; Anna E., who now is Mrs. Colgin, of Freestone county; the sixth was an infant that died unnamed; and Marinda M., who died in July, 1866.

Our subject was born October 6, 1841, in Kentucky, and went from there to Texas with his parents, with whom he remained until he was twenty. He then worked on a farm and attended school until 1861, when he enlisted in the Confederate service in Company D, Tenthi Texas Infantry, was taken prisoner January 11, 1863, at Ar- kansas Post. He was imprisoned at Camp Douglas for four or five months, was then exchanged, refused to take the oath of al- legiance, and returned to his own command, but afterward served in the Army of the Tennessee, and was wounded at the battle of Franklin. He was in the hospital for some time, then obtained a furlough and reported to R. Q. Mills, as he was at Cor- sicana. While at home Lee surrendered Our subject was in all the engagements from the battle of Chickamauga to that of Franklin, Tennessee. After the war he returned home, and with his brother worked on a farm and engaged in wagoning. Prior to the war he had wagoned from Honston to various points. He farmed for a few years on his father's place, and in 1867 he bought his present farm of 100 acres, and moved on it in 1868.

He was married in December, 1868, to Susan Ferrell, a native of Alabama, who came to Texas with her parents in 1865. She is a daughter of Bennett and Martha Helen (Freeman) Ferrell. Mrs. Drake's

father was a native of Virginia, and his wife was a native of North Carolina. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Drake, namely: Martha H., wife of J. E. Storey, of Mexia; William J., John H., Mary Bell, Eva Engenia, Eddie B. and Mattie Sims, the last six of whom are at home. Thomas N. is deceased.

Although Mr. Drake began with noth- ing he now owns 296 acres of land, and has 184 under cultivation, and also owns twenty head of stock. In politics he is a Democrat, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been Trustee and Steward for a num- ber of years. Mr. Drake is a man of genial disposition, pleasant manners, is intelligent and thrifty, and stands well in the community in which he lives.

AMARTINE KING .- The subject of this brief sketch belongs to a fam- ily who have made a name for them- selves in this county, and, wherever they are found, for honesty in all business rela- tions, considerateness for family and neigh- bors and high grade of morals.

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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