USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 111
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Following his marriage Burl Morris began farming in Mississippi but in 1828 took up his abode as a pioneer settler in Polk county, Texas, and assisted materially in the early development and progress of that section of the state. He pre-empted land there and developed a good farm. In connection with its improvement he carried on stock raising and met with a fair measure of success. His house was situated on one of the old thoroughfares and mail routes and he kept a stage stand. Thus he became known to all the visitors and emigrants to that part of the state. He was a man of social nature, charitable and kindly and enjoyed having his friends around him. His many excellent traits of character made his example well worthy of emulation. He was a stanch Democrat and died at the old homestead in 1848 at the age of sixty- one years. His wife passed away in 1861. They had five children : William J., who served in the Civil war, was twice wounded and for nine months was a prisoner of war; John D .; Wash-
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
ington, who was also a member of the Confeder- ate army; Mrs. Mary A. Robinet; and Matilda, the wife of R. J. Wilkinson. The three brothers served as soldiers of the south in the Civil war and the two sisters made clothing for the troops at the front, thus proving equally loyal to the Confederacy.
John D. Morris was reared to farm pursuits and acquired a common school education. He remained with his mother and assisted in keeping the family together until the opening of the Civil war, when he responded to the country's call and enlisted in Company H, Tenth Texas Cav- alry. The regiment was attached to the Trans- Mississippi department with Walter P. Lane in command and Mr. Morris took part in all of the important battles under General Price and other commanders. He was never wounded not taken prisoner and at the time of General Lee's sur- render was near Galveston, after which the reg- iment disbanded and returned home. His broth- er, W. J., however, was less fortunate. After being in a hospital at Atlanta, Georgia, for some months, from a bad wound, he hobbled on crutches from Atlanta to Kaufman county, Texas, that being his only means of getting home. He was often in the thickest of the fight and again was stationed on the lonely picket line but never faltered in the performance of any duty property. Mr. Morris recalls some of the hard- ships of war and with the same fearlessness and courage has undergone the trials and depriva- tions of pioneer life. When the war ended he returned home and resumed farming and cattle raising. He was married in 1866 and continued business in Van Zandt county until he removed to Williamson county, where he spent ten years. He then sold out and came to Cooke county, where he lived for seven years. In 1882 he came to Montague county and is yet living on Postoak Prairie. Here he bought a farm which he has since conducted, giving his attention to general agricultural pursuits and has a well improved that was assigned him. He bravely met the hard- ships of pioneer days, saying that they made forks out of cane and used a hoe for a griddle on which to do their cooking.
On the 8th of February, 1866, Mr. Morris was married to Miss Mary J. McEnturff, who was
born in Van Zandt county, Texas, September 16, 1845, a daughter of Abram B. and Mary (Parsons) McEnturff, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri. They came to Texas in 1839 and were honored pioneer peo- ple of that state, settling in Van Zandt county before it was organized. In that work Mr. McEnturff aided. The first courthouse there was of logs and he was a member of the first jury of the first court which convened in the county. The McEnturff family has become very numer -. ous and its representatives have been leading people in social and political circles and in the moral development of the state. The father gave his energies to agricultural pursuits and lived a life of honor and uprightness, passing away on the old homestead. His children were: Betsy A., George W., Mrs. Mary J. Morris, William and John.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris are the parents of eight children,: George W., who is in the Indian Territory ; Mrs. Mary R. A. Davenport ; Barclay, who died at the age of twenty-seven years; Ala- bama; Maxie, a farmer; Lee, the wife of J. Mc- Collum ; Jolly, an agriculturist ; and Jennie R., the wife of L. Henly. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mor- ris are members of the Missionary Baptist church, and he votes with the Democracy. They occupy an enviable position in social circles and their own home is noted for its generous hospi- tality and pleasing entertainment. The circle of their friends is extensive and all who know them entertain for them warm regard.
W. H. COOKE, president and cashier of the Citizens Bank at Clarendon, has been identified with this town and with Donley county ever since their organization, and his prominence as a business factor and as a public-spirited citizen has done no little for the cause of progress and advancement along all lines of activity. He is essentially a business man, has made the man- agement of commercial and financial affairs the principal occupation of his life and the line in which he has won his principal success, and having lived in Texas since he was twenty-one years old he is a typical man of affairs and a representative of the progressive element which has done most for the welfare of Northwest Texas.
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
Mr. Cooke was born in Athens, McMinn county, Tennessee, February 14, 1855. His father, Judge J. B. Cooke, a native of North Carolina, but who was reared in east Tennessee, studied law and became a leading attorney at Athens before the war, representing McMinn county in the state legislature. He was colonel of the Fifty-ninth Tennessee Regiment of the Confederate army, and was a loyal and devoted son of the south throughout the war. After the war he removed with his family to Chattanoo- ga, where he became a member of the law firm of Van Dyke, Cooke and Van Dyke, and was elected and served as one of the judges of the supreme court of Tennessee. His death oc- curred at Chattanooga, in 1899, when he was eighty years old. His wife, Penelope (Mc- Dermott) Cooke, was the daughter of a promi- nent planter of Monroe county, Tennessee, and she died at Chattanooga in 1875.
Mr. Cooke's early boyhood days were spent, during the war period, on Tellico plantation, his mother's old home in Monroe county, and, after the war, at Chattanooga. His educational advantages were ample, three years being spent in study at East Tennessee University in Knox- ville. In 1876, when he was an ambitious young man of twenty-one, he came to Texas and be- came a clerk in the employ of C. D. Cates, a merchant at Decatur, Wise county. Decatur was the home of T. Waggoner, the millionaire cattleman, who soon offered the energetic young clerk a job on one of his ranches, and the latter, after working and showing his mettle in the capacity of cowboy, became one of Mr. Waggoner's foremen, and continued in the great cattleman's employ for several years, mostly on the ranch in Wichita and Wilbarger counties. In 1887 Mr. Cooke came to Claren- don, in which year the town had its inception, and he has been one of its leading citizens ever since. For the first two years he was book- keeper and cashier for the Wood-Dickson Mer- cantile and Banking Company, but in 1889 he helped organize and became cashier of the Bank of Clarendon, of which Colonel Charles Good- night, the noted cattleman, was president. He remained with that institution until 1892, when he was elected county and district clerk of Donley county, and he filled this office for eight
consecutive years, being elected four times. In 1899 he and his associates organized the Citi- zens Bank, with E. A. Kelly, of Leavenworth, Kansas, as president, and Mr. Cooke became cashier. When Mr. Kelly retired from the presidency Mr. Cooke assumed the positions of both president and cashier, and is at the present time manager of this bank, which is a flourish- ing financial institution, and enjoys an espe- cially large patronage among the cattlemen and other large interests of this section.
During his boyhood and while still at home Mr. Cooke took much interest in the study of law, and did considerable reading in his father's office. And while county and district clerk he attained added familiarity with legal business, both through reading and his associations in the district court, and in August, 1900, he passed the necessary examinations and was admitted to the bar by Judge H. H. Wallace. He has had no intention of engaging in active practice, but has found his legal knowledge and skill of great value to him in his own business.
Mr. Cooke is a member of the Presbyterian church, and affiliates with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias, he also takes great interest in the welfare of the United Confederate Veter- ans, and in 1905 was appointed an aide de camp on the staff of the Fifth Brigade, United Con- federate Veterans, by B. B. Paddock, general commanding. He was married in 1886 at Har- rold, Texas, to Miss Hallie Moore, who was born in Kentucky. They have lost by death a little daughter, Hallie, and their seven living children are: W. H. Cooke, Jr., Thomas B., Julia Penelope, Frances Melissa, Mary Swaney, Eugene Allen and Helen.
ROBERT W. CRAWFORD, M.D., capably practicing medicine and surgery at Muenster, Texas, and also the head of the firm of J. S. Crawford & Company, dealers in general mer- chandise and grain and cotton buyers, was born in Pontotoc county, Mississippi, March 1I, 1866. He was reared on his father's plantation and ac- quired a good elementary education in the com- mon schools, after which he engaged in teaching for one term. His youth was passed under the parental roof, his parents being Thomas J. and Susan Crawford, the for-
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HISTORY, OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
mer a native of South Carolina and the latter of Mississippi, in which state their marriage was celebrated. They were distantly related, being about fourth cousins. Thomas Crawford was a son of Robert Crawford, a native of Scotland and a representative of an honored family of that land. With two brothers Robert Crawford emi-, grated to America, one settling in the state of New York, one in Pennsylvania, while Robert took up his abode in South Carolina. This was during the colonial epoch in our country's his- tory, and Robert Crawford served in the Amer- ican army throughout the Revolutionary war, after which he made a permanent settlement in South Carolina, becoming an extensive land- owner and prominent planter there. He pros- pered in his business undertakings, acquired a handsome competence and his death occurred upon the old homestead in his adopted state. In his family were seven sons, all of whom served in the Civil war: David and Wesley, who were killed while in the army; Thomas; Franklin; Henry ; John"H .; and Samuel.
Of this family Thomas and John settled in Mississippi, becoming prominent planters and slave owners of that state. Thomas filled some federal appointments before the Civil war but he strongly advocated the principles of secession and his influence was for the Confederacy. At the opening of hostilities he assisted in raising the Second Regiment and was chosen captain of his company, serving throughout the war. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Vir- ginia and he was always on active duty, fre- quently in the front ranks. He took part in many skirmishes and hotly contested engagements, in- cluding the battles of Manassas and Gettysburg and the seven days battle before Atlanta. He was in nearly all of the engagements that were. fought on Virginia soil and he was three times wounded, first by a bullet in his hip, second by a bullet in his shoulder, and on the third occasion a bullet pierced his elbow. He remained in the hospital, however, only as long as he was forced to do so. He never fully recovered from the wound in his hip, which occasioned him consider- able trouble throughout his entire life. On one occasion, although he was not wounded, his hat was pierced by nine bullets, showing that he had
various narrow escapes. He was never a pris- oner but he saw hard service and underwent many of the deprivations of war. Following the surrender he returned to Mississippi and joined his family. He found that his two hundred ne- groes had been freed and that nearly everything upon his farm was gone, much valuable property having been destroyed, while his teams had been taken and his plantations altogether badly demor- alized. He soon began the work of re-construc- tion, however, and again placed his plantation in good condition. As the years passed by he prospered. The fact that he was a kind and faithful master is indicated by the fact that some of his slaves never left him even after they were granted their freedom. In this community he was recognized as an enterprising business man and was prominent and popular. His fellow townsmen recognizing his worth frequently called him to fill offices of honor and trust. He served as chancery clerk for a number of years, several times represented his district in the state legislature and was widely known and highly re- spected. He left the impress of his individuality for good upon the public life of the state and moreover he was numbered among the consistent and exemplary members of the Masonic frater- nity and of the Presbyterian church. In the latter he served as elder for more than twenty years and he was a delegate to the Presbytery at New Orleans, where he was taken ill. Returning to his home he died in 1900. His wife yet survives and now finds a good home with her son, Dr. Crawford, at the age of sixty-two years. The old homestead in Mississippi has been sold and she is now comfortably situated in Texas. Mrs. Craw- ford is also a worthy Presbyterian. She was a daughter of Samuel Crawford, who was born in Alabama and settled in Mississippi, where he be- came a leading planter, having a large and val- uable tract of land. His entire life was devoted to agricultural pursuits and he never sought nor desired office. He held membership in the Prim- itive Baptist church. His children were: Jane, who became the wife of Captain T. Williams ; W. H. D., who served throughout the Civil war ; and Mrs. Susan Crawford, who is now the only one living.
Unto the parents of Dr. Crawford were born
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
seven children : Jane C., who is now Mrs. Dav- enport and resides in Mississippi; Robert W. of this review; John S., who is a partner of his brother Robert in the mercantile business. in Muenster ; Thomas H., a practicing physician of Austin, Texas; Maggie P .; Dwight W., who is a merchant at Fort Worth, Texas; and Ervin, a grain dealer of Muenster, Texas. All were reared in and now affiliate with the Presbyterian church. Robert W. Crawford, after completing his education and teaching one term of school in Mississippi, came to Texas. He lived at Vernon and for two years read medicine under the di- rection of Drs. Jonas and Robertson, pursuing a full course of lectures at Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee. He was graduated from that institution in 1893, after which he re- turned to Vernon, Texas, where he remained for a short time. In the spring of 1893 he came to Muenster, where he began the practice of his profession, giving his entire attention to the mas- tery of practical science and to the capable per- formance of his daily duties. His close attention to business and his able service won him the confidence of the colony of people at this place and the residents over a large surrounding coun- try. He has a well equipped office with all mod- ern appliances and practices along scientific lines both as a physician and surgeon, meeting with his education and skill the needs of the people, his success being displayed in the liberal patron- age accorded him. For six years he gave his un- divided attention to his studies and practice and then joined his brother John S. in opening a gen- eral merchandising establishment, which they yet conduct under the firm name of J. S. Crawford & Company. They also operated a mill until it was destroyed by fire. They buy produce of all kinds and make a specialty of buying grain and cotton, handling the two latter commodities in large quantities. They also operate an elevator and the members of the firm are prominent deal- ers in Muenster. Dr. Crawford never neglects his professional duties under any circumstances but when not engaged with active practice gives his attention to his other business interests and investments. His success in every way has been almost phenomenal for when he started out on his own account his capital was very limited and he
has won an excellent reputation and accumulated a large property in Muenster. He also has two fine farms in addition to his large mercantile, grain and cotton interests. The town of Muen- ster was founded by a colony of German emi- grants, the original promoters of this German Catholic colony being the Fleuscher brothers, na- tives of Westphalia, Germany, who on emigrat- ing to America first located in Iowa. They came to Texas. in 1889 and secured the agency for twenty-two thousand acres of land belonging to Jot Gunter and Mr. Wellesley. This they adver- tised and they succeeded in planting a colony here. The town was platted in 1889 and they gave it the name of the principal town in the Westphalia province of Germany-Muenster. Soon German colonists from Iowa and other states began to arrive and in 1890 quite a goodly number of families had settled here and in the spring of that year began the erection of a suit- able place for worship, putting up a frame struc- ture. The first priest was Father Blume. The congregation was making rapid progress along various lines of activity, when, in 1891, the house of worship was destroyed by a wind storm. A second edifice was erected which is now used for a school house. It continued to serve as a church until 1895, when they began the erection of a more elaborate church edifice of brick. It is today one of the best structures of the kind in northern Texas, and is elaborately furnished. There is also a handsome and commodious parish residence and a fine hall. There are likewise two good schools, the parish school and the pub- lic school in town and since the establishment of the colony great progress has been made here in all desirable lines. The church communicants number one hundred and fifty-four families or about twelve or fifteen hundred members in all. The colony is increasing rapidly, people coming to Muenster from Germany and from the dif- ferent states of the Union. The town of Muen- ster was platted in 1889 and in 1905 the popula- tion was eight hundred and fifty. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad runs through the town and there are three elevators, a cotton gin, two hotels, blacksmith shops, implement store, three general stores, two grocery stores, two hardware stores, one bank, five saloons and a lumber yard.
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
Business interests of all kinds are flourishing here and although many of the colonists come with very small means they have met with success and are in comfortable circumstances, many having fine farms which are well improved. They are also buying more land from time to time and the farms are now adorned with large and at- tractive residences, big barns, windmills and all the accessories of model farm property.
Dr. Crawford, who has resided in Muenster from an early period in its development, was married at Henrietta, Texas, to Miss Ida Sims, who was born at Council Grove, Kansas, in 1880 and is a daughter of John Sims of the state of New York, who' came west at an early day, mak- ing his way to Texas. He did much trading in stock at a time when it was sparsely settled, when the Indians were, still numerous in this portion of the state and when game of all kinds was plentiful. Later he settled at Council Grove, Kansas, where he engaged in merchandising for a number of years. . During that time he also served as high sheriff of the county and was one of the highly respected, prominent and popular people of his locality. He is a broad-minded, active business man and an enterprising and pub- lic-spirited citizen. He held membership in the Masonic fraternity. His wife died in Kansas in 1898, and in 1900 he removed to Texas, where he is now engaged in the cattle business, his home being in Beaver county. His children are : Emma, now the wife of John S. Crawford, of Muenster; James W., a ginner at Myra, Texas ; Ida, the wife of Dr. Crawford; and John, who is with his father in Beaver county, Texas. This union has been blessed with two interesting children : Margaret S., who was born November 14, 1903; and John T., who was born August 16, 1905. Both Dr. and Mrs. Crawford have a wide circle of friends in the community and he has commanded uniform confidence and respect by reason of his capability in his profession and his unfaltering allegiance to high and manly principles.
JOHN M. HANNA. The citizens of Stanford and other communities in Texas have met dif- ferent conditions than are found in old estab- lished towns. When systems of government are
thoroughly organized, business placed upon a safe and sure foundation and the educational and religious development of the people constitutes the result of a definite plan of action and sys- tematic organization, the business man who comes to such a community has but to concen- trate his energies upon the upbuilding of his in- dividual interests. Those who come to a new community, however, have to divide their time between the upbuilding of the town and their private affairs. Judge Hanna is one whose ef- forts in behalf of public improvement and prog- ress have been far reaching and beneficial and who at the same time has controlled his indi- vidual interests as to win a gratifying measure of success. A native of Christian county, Ken- tucky, he resided there until 1881. His father, Stephen Hanna, was a farmer of that locality and was a native American but was of Scotch parentage. John M. Hanna was reared on his father's farm and attended the old time schools until he had passed the period of his youth, when he became a student at Elkton, Kentucky, and afterward in Bethel College, a Baptist school at Russellville, Kentucky.
When his education was completed Mr. Hanna spent a short time at farm work but his health began to fail and he decided to seek a change of climate in the hope of being benefited thereby. After making preparations for the journey he went to the Mississippi river and embarked upon a steamer at Tyrene, just below Memphis, whence he proceeded southward to New Orleans, and from there fifty miles by rail to Brashear City, Louisiana. At the latter place he boarded a steamer bound for Galveston, Texas, whence he made his way to Bremond, at that time the terminus of the Houston & Texas Central Rail- road. He continued the journey by stage to Waco and on to Belton, Bell county, where he made a location. There he hired to a man, go- ing to Abilene, Kansas, with a bunch of cattle. He sought that employment for the sake of liv- ing out in the open air and roughing it after the experiences on such a trip, and he arrived at the end of his journey greatly refreshed and bene- fited by the outdoor life.
Returning to Belton, Mr. Hanna joined the Texas minutemen, an independent organization
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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.
which was supported by private individuals to act in conjunction with the regular rangers in defending the country against lawlessness of all kinds, including Indian depredations. The com- pany was organized in Brown county and from there went to Fort Griffin and reported to the commander of the government troops stationed there. The command was detailed for scouting expeditions in the west and southwest and went to Fort Chadbourne and thence to Fort Concho near San Angelo, Mr. Hanna remaining with the organization for eight months. After sever- ing his connection with the troops he hired an interpreter and started an independent trip of his own on horseback into Mexico, going by way of San Antonio, Fort Ewell, Laredo and on to Monterey. He remained there for two months, after which he returned by way of San An- tonio and on to Goliad, where he located a sheep ranch, conducting it from February until Sep- tember, 1875. He then started for his own home in Kentucky, but while en route was delayed at Indianola for eight days on account of high water and the flooded condition of the country. At that point he rendered valuable service in the care of the dead and injured. Finally he took a steamer at Indianola for New Orleans and reached home in due season greatly improved in health. In fact such was the change in his appearance that his own father, his sweetheart nor the old Baptist clergyman who years before had baptized him did not recognize him.
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