USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 100
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George Reuben Couch was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, January 27, 1859, and was about eleven years old at the time the family came to Texas. A farmer boy in a thinly set- tled country, he grew up without many educa- tional advantages, and when he started out on his own responsibility it was as a stock driver on the range in Coleman county. He hired to Dunn & Coleman, of Coleman City, cattle owners, and was under C. C. Pool, now a prominent citizen of Fort Worth, who was known as the "boss." Reube Clayton, who was then with Couch, in charge of the second
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herd of cattle, is now president of the First National Bank of Lubbock, Texas. After two years spent on the range, young Couch was made deputy surveyor of Coleman county, un- der W. J. Moore, who soon vacated the office, leaving Mr. Couch in full charge the rest of the term, at the close of which he was a candidate for office but was defeated. Soon after this, in 1883, he came to what is now Haskell county. Here he followed ranching and pri- vate surveying up to 1886, at which time he was elected county surveyor of Haskell county, which position he occupied six years, without any opposition. In 1894 he was elected county and district clerk, which office he filled six years, then declining to serve longer. At this time he accepted the position of cashier in the Haskell National Bank, the place he has since occupied. The bank was organized in 1890, under the name it now bears, with a capital stock of $60,000, and officered as follows: M. S. Pierson, president ; Lee Pierson, vice presi- dent; G. R. Couch, cashier ; M. Pierson, assist- ant cashier. Mr. Couch also has other banking interests. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Aspermont, Stonewall county, Texas, and the Beckham National Bank of Graham, Young county, Texas, and he is interested in other enterprises, including the Haskell Telephone Company, of which he is a stockholder and director. He owns about four thousand acres of land in Haskell county, devoted to farming and stock raising.
In Coleman county, in 1883, Mr. Couch mar- ried Miss Mattie Cope, a native of Texas and a daughter of George Cope, one of the early settlers first of Hill and afterward of Coleman county. They are the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters-Alva R., Florence A., Lela, Joseph E., Allene and George R.
In church and social circles at Haskell, Mr. Couch is as active and influential as in busi- ness affairs. He is a deacon in the Baptist church, with which he has been identified for the past eighteen years; has served on the Haskell School Board for a number of years, at this time being treasurer of the board; and in the Masonic lodge he holds important office.
BENJAMIN PIERCE HULL. Just west of the village of Sunset and along the waters of Sandy, in Montague county, lies the farm over which Benjamin P. Hull has dominion and upon the bluff overlooking the valley and the land- scape beyond stands the modest castle which suggests an ideal country home. To this home and to the varied interests of this farm has Mr. Hull been attached since 1887 and, unless prov- identially ordained otherwise, it marks the spot which shall witness the closing hours of his in- dustrious life. Born amid scenes of industry and brought up where industry prevailed his life has been wedded to that implacable priestess and it has been his pleasure to do the bidding of her stern commands.
At Chester, Meigs county, Ohio, Benjamin P. Hull was born on the 22d of May, 1834. His father, Jesse Hull, was a house and ship carpen- ter-and at times owning and operating a farm -- and about a shipyard in Cincinnati and on a farm in Illinois the minority years of his life were spent. The father was born in the Empire state of New York January 22, 1808, and was a son of Joel and Mary (Wallace) Hull, natives of the same state, whose other children were : Joel, William, Lester, James, Hiram, Mary, wife of Alexander Hutchins; Nabbie, wife of Mark Halsey, and Harriet, who married James Mas- ton. There was another son but his identity can not now be recalled.
Jesse Hull migrated from his native state when approaching manhood and learned his trade in Ohio. He was married in Meigs county and after the birth of his second child went to Adams county, Illinois, and bought a tract of cheap land near Quincy, when there was only one brick building in the town. There he im- proved and cultivated his farm by proxy, while his own labors were devoted to barn and house carpentering for many miles around. He left Illinois in 1847, returning to Meigs county and later to Cincinnati, where he again found work on the boatyard and remained till 1851, when he settled in Pike county, Illinois. There he con- tinued his favorite labors until death overtook him in January, 1869. During the rebellion he
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served for a time in the Union army but his age eliminated him from the scenes of the deadliest of the conflict and he was discharged, without casualty, before the war ended. His regiment was the Sixteenth Illinois Infantry and his serv- ice terminated with one year.
The union of Jesse Hull with Helen, a daugh- ter of Hezekiah Bosworth, was productive of five children and Mrs. Hull died at Barry, Illi- nois, in 1882. The issue of their marriage were : Otis, of Oklahoma City; Benjamin P., our sub- ject; Wesley F., who died in Illinois; Elam W., of Los Angeles, California, and Emma, of Okla- homa City, widow of Riley Moore.
The common schools of Illinois and Ohio pro- vided Benjamin P. Hull with an elementary edu- cation and he began contributing to his own support at about sixteen years of age. He mar- ried while in Pike county, Illinois, and with his family left that state in 1867 and located in Sheridan county, Missouri, where he continued his farm work for ten years. In 1877, he brought his family to Texas, locating for four years in Sherman and for six years in Denison. While in those cities he was engaged in teaming and in various other occupations which offered remunerative employment, and it was while in Denison that he fell to contracting, a business which proved most advantageous to him for sev- eral years.
While the Denver, Katy and T. and P. rail- roads were being equipped with water service he secured contracts for digging wells for water supply and he executed many good contracts on the three lines. He dug the first square wells, with dimensions 16 x 16 feet, and some of them 100 feet deep; the one at Sunset in particular being that depth and for its construction he was paid the sum of three thousand six hundred dol- lars. He completed a contract on the Fort Worth and Denver road embracing all the wells from Fort Worth to Cheyenne, Texas, and the prosperity which came to himself and son John -who remained loyally by him-was sufficient to locate him desirably on a good farm for the remainder of his life.
He was attracted to his present home by the presence on the farm of an extensive and unde- veloped quarry of fine sandstone and he pur- chased, surrounding it, nearly seven hundred acres of land and opened out the quarry and shipped much of the stone. Many prominent , buildings in Fort Worth, Dallas and other points along the Denver road are trimmed with his product and there remains yet inexhaustible quantities for the building age of the genera- tions of the future.
For some years Mr. Hull has given his indi- vidual attention to stock breeding on the farm, while the farming operations have been con- ducted by his son. Their dual industry has yielded them a competence worthy of their la- bors and has placed father and son in circum- stances generally to be desired.
In Kinderhook, Illinois, January 29, 1855, Benjamin P. Hull and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick were united in' marriage. She was born in Meigs county, Ohio, August 29, 1836. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Hull are: George, of Archer City, Texas; John Hull, the company and mainstay of his parents on the farm; Ella, Millie, Jennie and Lottie.
While the early generations of the Hulls seem to have been Whigs and then Republicans, Ben- jamin P., our subject, espoused Democracy for many years and he holds these opinions still, but with over-towering prohibition tendencies and sentiments. He and his household are ar- dent followers of the teachings of the Savior and he is a leading and active spirit in the doctrines of the Holiness church of his county.
DR. WILLIAM C. RUTLEDGE, whose .careful preparation for his chosen profession, native talents and acquired ability have made him one of the successful physicians and sur- geons of Denison, was born in Kentucky in 1861, his parents being Milton and Nancy (Smith) Rutledge. In the paternal line he is descended from an old South Carolina family. His great-grandfather was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He is
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also descended from John Rutledge, one of five brothers who came from England to America at an early period in the colonization of the new world. The father, also a native of Ken- tucky, is now living in Collin county, Texas, where he is engaged in farming, and his wife also survives. In their family were four chil- dren, all of whom were born in Kentucky. Catherine, the eldest, is the wife of M. S. Smith, of Collin county, Texas, and has four children : Finis, Mattie, James and William. Dr. William C. Rutledge is the next of the family. Mary J. is the wife of W. G. Drake, of Collin county and has six children: Ermine, Catherine, Charles, Felix, Milton and Avery. Dr. James T. Rutledge, the second son, living in Silo, Indian Territory, married a daughter of Robert Scott, of Collin county, Texas, and has three children: Clarence, Lewis and Ebra.
Dr. Rutledge of this review remained a resi- dent of his native state until twenty-three years of age and acquired his more advanced literary education in a school in Glasgow, Kentucky. He also engaged in teaching in that state and in 1884 he came to Texas, set- tling in Mckinney, Collin county, where he followed the profession of teaching for four and a half years. During the last two years of that period he devoted his leisure hours to the study of medicine and then went to Louis- ville, Kentucky, where he entered the Louis- ville Medical College, from which he was grad- uated with the class of 1898. Having thus pre- pared for the practice of medicine and surgery he returned to Melissa and opened an office, remaining at that place for seven and a half years, when, seeking a broader field of labor, he came to Denison, where he has since prac- ticed with excellent success. To further per- fect himself in his chosen profession he took a post-graduate course in general medicine and surgery at the New York Polyclinic Hospital in the summer of 1905.
Dr. Rutledge was married in 1885, in Glas- gow, Kentucky, to Miss Sally Myers, a native of that state and a daughter of Robert Myers, a prominent resident there. Unto the Dr. and his wife have been born four sons: Robert
Milton, who was born in Collin county, Texas; James A. and Ben Tracy, who were also born in Collin county ; and William Charles, who is living in Denison, Texas.
JOSEPH A. HOFFMAN. The pioneer fam- ilies of Texas have a representative in Joseph A. Hoffman, who is now residing near Saint Jo. He was born in Fannin county, this state, on the 17th of October, 1859, and was reared to the honest toil of the farmer, while in the common schools he acquired his education. His parents were Samuel and Elizabeth (Ford) Hoffman, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky respectively, although their marriage was celebrated in Fan- nin county, this state. The paternal grand- father, Joseph Hoffman, was a native of Ten- nessee and was of German descent. He was married in the state of his nativity and then turned his attention to farming, which he fol- lowed successfully for some time. At a very early day in the history of Texas, however, he crossed the Mississippi and made his way to this state, settling in Fannin county, where he pur- chased large tracts of land and there as he car- ried on his agricultural interests he became rec- ognized as one of the most prominent farmers and stockmen of the county. Upon the home place which he there developed he reared his family and saw them start out in life for them- selves. He carried on his business affairs with success for many years and was well known and highly respected in the community where he lived. Later in life he sold the old homestead and took up his abode in Denton county, Texas, where his remaining days were passed. In pol- itics he was a stanch Democrat and although he never aspired to office he was interested in the welfare and progress of the state and rejoiced in its advancement. His children were as fol- lows: Samuel; John, who served in the Con- federate army; Robert, a prominent farmer; Matilda, Minerva, Josephine, Mrs. Benz and Mrs. Howard.
Samuel W. Hoffman, the eldest son of Joseph Hoffman, was born in Tennessee and in his boy- hood days accompanied his parents on their re-
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moval to Texas. He was reared to manhood in Fannin county and remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority, when he married and started out in life for himself. The occupation to which he was reared he made his life work, remaining upon the farm until most unimproved. He began the development of an extensive farm, however, and became a success- ful and prominent agriculturist and stock raiser, prospering as the years went by until he was recognized as one of the substantial citizens of his community. In politics he, too, was a Dem- of his children were born. He then sold out and , ocrat but preferred to leave office seeking and removed to Arkansas, where he spent about five office holding to others, for he found that his years, after which he returned to Texas, taking agricultural interests fully claimed his time and energies. He was straightforward in all his dealings and his life was in consistent harmony with his professions as a member of the Cum- berland Presbyterian church. He spent his de- clining years upon the old homestead in Fannin county and there eventually passed away. The members of his family were: Frank, who set- tled in Iowa, where he engaged in farming, his labors being attended with prosperity; James, an attorney at law who served as a major in the Confederate army; William, a farmer; Jennie, Mrs. Lizzie Hoffman, Martha and Joicey. up his abode in Montague county in 1875. In that year he pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land near Elm Creek and began the improvement of a farm, to which he added as his financial resources increased until he owned a good farm and home equipped with modern im- provements and accessories. Thereon he remained until his death, which occurred in 1885. He was numbered among the pioneer settlers of his neighborhood, having located in his dis- trict at a time when there was little farming done in western Texas. No further danger was to be feared from the red men, who, like the wild To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoffman were born eleven children: William, now living in Okla- homa; Joseph A., of this review; Sally, who died unmarried; Robert, residing upon the old home- stead farm; Alonzo, of Oklahoma; Mary J., who died unmarried; James, who died in childhood; Samuel, of Oklahoma; Eva, the wife of T. Bat- ton; David, on the old homestead; and Oscar, who is living in Chickasaw Nation. animals, had been driven from the country, but the usual hardships and trials of pioneer life were to be borne because of the remoteness from markets and the lack of shipping facilities. In order to sell their produce and secure supplies they had to go to Sherman and milling was done at an old mill operated by ox power at Marys- ville, Cooke county .. Mr. Hoffman, however, bravely met the conditions of pioneer life and Joseph A. Hoffman, whose name introduces this article, was born in Fannin county, Texas, and accompanied his parents on their various removals, coming with them to Montague county in 1875, when about sixteen years of age. Here he grew to manhood and assisted in im- proving the homestead and in carrying on gen- eral agricultural pursuits. He remained under the parental roof up to the time of his marriage, which occurred on the 7th of May, 1882. He then rented a farm on Elm creek, where he re- mained for two years, after which he spent four years in Saint Jo and then again returned to the farm, residing there for the succeeding two years. . He next bought eighty acres of land where he now lives and to this he added eighty acres. He also purchased three hundred and assisted in planting the seeds of intellectual and moral development as well as of material prog- ress in the county. He was a strong Democrat . but without political aspiration. He held mem- bership in the Masonic fraternity and his life was in harmony with the teachings of the craft, which stands for upright manhood, brotherly kindness and fidelity to high principles. His wife yet survives and resides upon the old home- stead. Mrs. Hoffman is a native of Kentucky and a daughter of Embers Ford, also of that state. Her father was a prominent farmer and slave owner, who at an early day came to Texas, casting in his lot with the pioneer settlers of Fannin county, where he invested in large tracts of land that up to that time was entirely wild and
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fifty-four acres on the prairie, where he runs his stock, and he is now a prominent stock farmer. He has in the homestead farm eighty acres under a good state of cultivation devoted to the various crops best adapted to soil and climate and the fields yield liberally of the things needed for the family's support. He has cleared and added to the tract of his cultivated lands, has greatly improved his farm along modern lines and has erected a commodious frame residence situated on an elevation that commands an ex- cellent view of the farm and the valley of Moun- tain Creek. The residence is surrounded by a growth of natural forest trees and Mr. Hoffman has set out an orchard on his place. Altogether his farm is neat and attractive in appearance and both branches of his business are proving prof- itable.
Seeking a companion and helpmate for life's journey, Mr. Hoffman chose Miss Ellen Bailey, who was born in Mississippi in 1864. She is an intelligent and cultured lady, who has been a devoted wife and helpmate to her husband, and like him she comes of an honored pioneer family of Montague county, her parents being Martin and Mary (Patton) Bailey, the former a native of Mississippi and the latter of Tennessee. Her grandfather, William Bailey, was a native of Georgia and was of Irish lineage. He followed farming and was also a stock trader and became one of the early settlers of Mississippi, when that was a frontier district. There he made his permanent home and his efforts contributed to the substantial improvement and development of his part of the state, for he supported many pro- gressive public measures, while at the same time he carefully conducted his business interests. His death occurred upon the old homestead in Mississippi. Of his sixteen children the names of the following are recalled : James, William, George, Martin, Griffin, Mrs. Mary Perry and Mrs. Margery Wren.
Martin Bailey, father of Mrs. Joseph A. Hoff- man, remained under the parental roof until he reached adult age, at which time he married and began farming on his own account in Missis- sippi, where he continued successfully in busi-
ness until 1861. He then enlisted in the Con- federate service in the Twenty-eighth Missis- sippi Cavalry, in which he continued until wounded in 1864, when on account of his injury he received an honorable discharge and returned home. His regiment was first attached to the Army of Mississippi and Tennessee and he did much skirmishing and was in many hotly con- tested battles. He was all through the siege of Vicksburg and in the campaigns and engage- ments in which his command participated until 1864, when in a hot skirmish fight he sustained a bullet wound through his knee when making a charge on the enemy's possession. His regi- ment had been dismounted and was on foot at the time. His wound rendered him unfit for further active field service and he received an honorable discharge, returning to his home. His. injury, however, was never completely healed, causing him trouble throughout his entire life. His company was detailed for the Home Guards on account of the trouble occasioned by bush- whackers who infested the country, robbed and stole from the people and often killed the citi- zens. Mr. Bailey's company had some hot engagements with those lawless bands in driv- ing them from the country. He was a brave soldier, always on duty in the front ranks and he saw much hard service and underwent the deprivations and exposures incident to warfare. Following his discharge he remained at his Mis- sissippi home until after the close of hostilities, when he removed to another part of Mississippi, remaining there for one year. He next took up his abode in the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory, where he also spent one year, after which he went to Grayson county, Texas, where he remained for three years. In 1872 he re- moved to Montague county, settling on Elm Creek three miles east of Saint Jo, where he pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land. He made some improvements there and later added to his land until he owned twelve hundred acres extending east of Elm Creek to the prairie of the blackwaxy lands. He had first erected a temporary cabin and later hauled logs to a saw mill and had the lumber sawed with which he
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
built a better house. He also made rails to fence the farm and in the course of time got his land well under cultivation and his place was self-sustaining. When he came to Texas, how- ever, stock raising was the principal industry of the people and the cattle ranged over the prai- ries, little farming being done, but at a later day it was proved that the cultivation of crops was not an experiment, but could be made a profit- able industry and Mr. Bailey opened a good farm, carrying on the work of the fields in con- nection with the raising of stock. There were hardships and trials to be borne because of the remoteness of the district from the older towns into which the comforts and conveniences of the eastern civilization had been introduced. He voted with the Democracy and while in Missis- sippi served for several terms as constable, while for two terms he filled the office of justice of the peace. After settling in Texas he used his influ- ence for the support of good men for local office, but never desired official preferment for himself, giving his undivided attention to his business affairs. He was a worthy member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church South and was also loyal to the teachings of the Masonic fraternity, with which he held membership. He was a man of medium size and athletic build, strong and wiry and of great endurance and fearlessness, thus possessing the qualities essential to the pioneer. He possessed a social disposition and enjoyed the friendship of many, while the poor and needy found in him a friend and his fellow townsmen recognized in him a good neighbor. He was highly respected for his integrity and honor and was strong in his condemnation of vice and wrong. He remained upon the old homestead. which he improved and developed, until called to his final rest February 26, 1900, when he had reached a ripe old age. His first wife died in Mississippi when the children were all small. She bore the maiden name of Mary Patton and was a daughter of Washburn Patton, a pioneer settler of Mississippi and a prominent farmer, who died in that state in 1876.
To Mr. Bailey by his first wife there were born four children : Flora A., who died in child-
hood; Thomas D., who follows farming in Mon- tague county ; Martin N. O., a stock farmer; and Sarah E., the wife of Mr. Hoffman. The mother of these children died when they were all small and in Grayson county the father married again, his second union being with Mrs. Mary A. Par- søns, a widow and a daughter of Nathan Atha, a farmer of Iowa, whence he came to Texas. His death occurred in Montague county. His children were: Thomas, Floyd, Andrew and Mrs. Mary Bailey.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman have been born ten children: Arlie, now the wife of Ed Souther- lin, a farmer of the state of Washington ; Nellie, the wife of Eugene Griffis; Minnie, at home; Mary, Bulah, Lucy, Joseph B., Rossa, Arthur Lee and Henry H.
Mrs. Hoffman is a worthy member of the Methodist church. Mr. Hoffman votes with the Democracy, but is, without aspiration for office. Theirs is an attractive and pleasant home situ- ated in the midst of a fine farm which has been developed through the efforts and energy of Mr. Hoffman, who is justly accounted one of the representative agriculturists of his community.
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