USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 35
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The members of the Darter family were in various ways identified with the early history of Erath county and also with the subsequent events of the Civil War period. Martha Elizabeth Dart- er, the oldest daughter of the family, who subse- quently married A. Y. Lester, the first county clerk of Erath county, was one of the first school teachers in that county, her school being at Stephenville. Two of the sons, John H. and James I., also lived in that county and had charge of the Darter ranch, while William A. and his father ran the home place. These three sons all
gave their services to the Confederate cause. James I. was captured at Arkansas Post, later was exchanged and fought under Bragg and Joe Johnston, was fatally wounded in the fighting at the siege of Atlanta, dying soon after. He was orderly sergeant of Company C, Twenty-fourth Texas Cavalry, dismounted. John served in Cooper's command in the Indian Territory as a member of Company B, Scantlin's Squadron of Cavalry, and it was with this detachment that William A. saw his service, joining the company in 1864, at the age of seventeen, and all his serv- ice being in the Indian Nation.
One of the interesting experiences in Mr. Dart- er's early life was in crossing the plains to the Pacific coast with his father in 1868. In a party of thirty-three they left Comanche, in Comanche county, and took the southern route through West Texas, coming to the Rio Grande at Fort Quitman, thence to El Paso and through south- ern New Mexico, southern Arizona, Tucson lying on their direct route, and crossing the Colorado river at Fort Yuma they arrived at Los Angeles, and from there made their way to the mines at the head of the Santa Clara river. They passed through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Jose, and reached San Francisco. This journey, especially in its earlier stages, through West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, was particu- larly a trying one. On one occasion they tra- versed a distance of one hundred miles without water for their stock, and had similar experiences on various shorter stages of the trip. In addition to this they had to be on the constant lookout to protect themselves from Indians and other dangers. On account of the quite extensive out- fit carried, such as stock, wagons, teams, etc., the progress of the party was somewhat slow, and eight of them, including the two Darters, decided to push ahead and make the trip alone as quickly as possible, leaving the remaining twenty-five to finish in their own time; so that from the Rio Grande river to California Frank Darter and his son had only six companions on their journey. Mr. Darter's memory holds a fund of interesting reminiscences incident to this expedition, many of the adventures being both amusing and danger- ous. Six or eight months having been spent in
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California, the father returned to Texas by way of Panama, while William A. remained, went up into the Sacramento Valley and located there for awhile, in the mean time, in 1869, helping to celebrate, at Sacramento City, the driving of the last spike on the Union Pacific Railroad, thus con- necting by rail for the first time the Atlantic and Pacific states. In the fall of 1869 he came east on the newly completed line, and after reaching St. Joseph he made a tour of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, and reached his old home in Tarrant county about the beginning of 1870.
With his return to this county began his career of business and industrial activity which has identified him so closely and usefully with the city of Fort Worth. Those were pioneer times for Fort Worth, just then at the beginning of that commercial development and importance as a railroad center which easily makes it the lead- ing city of northwest Texas. His first position in this city was as a clerk in the store of Davis & Overton, on the old public square, which was then the center of trade. Having been elected surveyor of Tarrant county in 1872, in which position he served altogether for about six years, he entered upon a work in this capacity which has always been looked upon as one of his most important public achievements. In his school days he had made a specialty of mathematics, and was particularly well equipped for the profes- sion of surveyor. He had attended public school in Fort Worth in the year 1867, his teacher being that well known educator of so many of Fort Worth's early citizens-Captain John Hanna. Previous to this, in 1867, he had studied under Professor Richardson at Denton. In accurately surveying and mapping the lands Mr. Darter did a highly efficient work for all time and to all in- terests beneficial. From his surveyor's notes he made one of the first maps of Tarrant county, and it was from this map that the commissioner of the state land office made the official map of Tarrant county for use in the land department, and which is still in use as such. It is the testi- mony of those who are familiar with this subject that Mr. Darter's work as surveyor in straight- ening out the land tangles of Tarrant county
saved the county and its citizens many thousands of dollars in preventing litigation over land.
On leaving the office of county surveyor, Mr. Darter was in the grocery business for awhile, and then in the course of time became identified with the land and real estate business. Subse- quently he re-engaged for a time in the grocery business, but in the hard times following the financial depression of 1893 was forced to dis- continue, but during the last few years has been very prosperous in land dealing. One of the most creditable acts of his career was that, after the lapse of a number of years after his insolvency caused by the hard times, when he was once more on his feet financially and making money, he paid off all his old debts to wholesale houses and oth- ers and settled every cent of indebtedness with scrupulous exactitude, so that not a man in the city has a better business standing than Mr. Darter. This confidence and esteem, so worthily gained, has enabled him to transact real estate deals of large magnitude involving some of the most important interests in the city, and his busi- ness enterprises have been most successful and happy in their outcome.
When we turn from his private record to his activity in civic affairs, we find Mr. Darter one of the most zealous and efficient in promoting the permanent development of his city. In the early eighties he was elected a member of the city council, representing the second ward, and for many years following, under several different city administrations, he was an active member of that body. It was through his efforts, as a member of the council, that the site for the present city hall was purchased from the Baptist church, and it was also as a result of his planning that the city hall and auditorium were built.
Since the advent of the first railroad, the Texas & Pacific, in 1876, Mr. Darter has been a gener- ous contributor to public enterprises. He and his brother, John Darter, gave a thousand dollars to the bonus to bring the Santa Fe Railroad to Fort Worth. He was one of thirty-six to sign the bond that secured the building of the Cotton Belt Railroad from Texarkana to Fort Worth, and he, assisted by John F. Swayne, procured the
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right-of-way for this road through Dallas and Tarrant counties to Fort Worth. There are in- stances of many other public spirited acts of this nature.
Mr. Darter's younger brother, Dr. I. M. Dart- er, is remembered as one of the young pioneer citizens and physicians of Fort Worth, and served at one time as city physician. He died here early in the nineties.
Of his father's family, besides the sister and three brothers already mentioned, Mr. Darter has three other sisters, viz: Margaret Jenkins, wife of M. G. Ellis; Mourning Christobell, wife of J. W. Shirley ; and Lucy Emma, wife of J. W. Burton. They are all residents of Fort Worth, Texas.
Mr. Darter married, in the state of Mississippi, Miss Adelia Gambrell, and their eight children are : John H., Mrs. Blanche Fakes, Ada, William A., Jr., Adelia, Catharine, Mary Sue and Fannie.
ALEXANDER HOGG, M. A., LL. D., edu- cator and author with a national reputation, is father of the present public school system of Fort Worth, and at this writing is filling the po- sition of superintendent of the Fort Worth schools, a place which he has honored as incum- bent during the greater part of the past twenty years. The career of Professor Hogg has the interest which pertains to lives of high idealism and persistent endeavor in a worthy sphere of the world's work.
Born near Yorktown, Virginia, a son of Lewis and Elizabeth (Stroud) Hogg, his father a native of Gloucester county, Virginia, of Scotch extrac- tion, and a farmer by occupation, and his mother also a Virginian, Professor Hogg was reared to farm life and obtained his preliminary educa- tion in the common schools of his home locality, alternating between the plow in summer and the schools in winter. He attended Randolph-Macon College at Boydton (now Ashland), Virginia, graduating from that institution, and in course received the degree of Master of Arts, a degree subsequently conferred upon him by two other colleges. In his later life the University of Ala- bama conferred upon him the degree LL.D.
Professor Hogg's career as an educator began
as a result of his desire to complete his educa- tion. In order to obtain means therefor he be- came a country school teacher. When he was hired to teach there was no school building in which to instruct his young proteges, and he often relates how he himself built the log house where he first taught. From teaching school in Gloucester county he entered the University of Virginia, and, as a licentiate, again taught pri- vately, while attending lectures.
Going to Alabama Mr. Hogg became a pro- fessor in the Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege of that state, and later superintendent of the public schools of Montgomery. He resigned the latter position to accept a chair in the Agricul- tural and Mechanical College of Texas. On the .reorganization of this college in 1879 he took a position as civil engineer with the Hous- ton & Texas Central Railway, and later a position in the land department of the Texas & Pacific Railway ; still later he was com- missioned by Governor Roberts, who was his warm personal friend, as state inspector of new railroads.
In the fall of 1882 began Professor Hogg's noteworthy connection with the schools of Fort 'Worth and the work which will entitle him to be denominated as the father of the present school system. He came to this city in response to a telegram from Hon. Peter Smith (now de- ceased), the distinguished citizen of Fort Worth, mayor at that time, who had taken great interest in the public schools and who was desirous of seeing the school system established here in ac- cordance with modern public school principles. Professor Hogg having achieved, even at that time, considerable distinction as a teacher and organizer, was called on by Mr. Smith to come to Fort Worth and make an address in behalf of the proposition, which Mr. Smith was fostering, to raise, by a special tax of one-half of one per cent, a fund to establish an adequate school sys- tem. Mr. Hogg came and made the address, and as the result of his efforts, in connection with others, on this occasion, only nineteen votes were cast against the propositions above noted at the election held a short time subsequently. Another result was that in October, 1882, Mr. Hogg was
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elected to take charge of the rehabilitation of the school system in the capacity of superintendent, and thus became the father of the public school system of Fort Worth.
Upon his taking charge of the schools in the fall of 1882 he began at once putting into effect the features which have since made the schools of this city a model of excellence. For over twenty years Professor Hogg has labored assidu- ously in other educational fields as well as in the schools of Fort Worth for two general ideals of education ; namely, a fair chance for our daugh- ters, insisting that they have separate schools and be taught and given advantages equally with our sons ; and, second, the education of man in his entirety-that is, the education of the head, heart and hand. On this latter subject Professor Hogg, a pioneer in that direction of education thought, delivered in 1879 an address before the annual meeting of the National Educational Association at Philadelphia, which address was printed, and had a large and appreciative reading among edu- cational people all over the country.
In conformity with his cardinal ideals Profes- sor Hogg has introduced the modern depart- ments of educational training into the Fort Worth schools, and in many cases before they had taken root in any of the western city schools. During the early years of his work he brought to Fort Worth, at his own expense, Professor Luther W. Mason, from Boston, to take charge of musical instruction in the public schools. He next added a department of writing and drawing. Since then, under his direction, have followed schools of manual training, sewing and cooking. Thus, in his scheme of education, precision and skill in the direction of the natural functions of the body have been given equal prominence with the training of the heart and mind.
In 1889, through a change in the administra- tion of the city government, Professor Hogg was replaced in his position of superintendent. He then went to Waxahachie under a special contract to organize the public schools of that city. In 1891, returning to Fort Worth, he was appointed principal of the high school and in 1892 again elected superintendent. In 1896 the vicis-
situdes of city politics again displaced him, and in that year he was put in charge of the literary bureau of the Texas & Pacific Railway, with headquarters at Dallas. His originating genius caused him here also to perform a pioneer work. He has the honor of having established the first literary periodical published by any railway com- pany, namely, the Texas & Pacific Quarterly. Since that first undertaking the New York Cen- tral has established the Four Track News, the Baltimore & Ohio the Royal Blue Magazine, the Lehigh Valley the Black Diamond. Professor Hogg was head of the literary bureau of the Texas & Pacific practically during the interreg- num between 1896 and 1902, and in the latter year was again elected to his old position of superintendent of the Fort Worth schools, which office he has honored by his efficient direction down to the present time.
When Professor Hogg took charge of the Fort Worth schools in 1882 there were six hun- dred pupils and sixteen teachers. At this writing, in February, 1905, there are registered 5,542 pu- pils, with one hundred and eight grade teachers, besides three supervisors, four substitutes, teach- ers of cooking, manual arts, etc.
As is indicated by the above review of his life, Professor Hogg is a man of broad views, a stu- dent of general affairs, and entitled to distinction on other grounds than his purely educational work. Especially has he been an investigator of railroads and their problems, and his study and observations along this line have enabled him to produce a work of distinct importance to the educational and serious-minded world. "The Railroad in Education," which bears Professor Hogg's name on the title page, has had a cir- culation of one hundred thousand copies, its prac- tical value being best shown by the purchase of large numbers of copies for distribution. Briefly stated, the book elucidates the principles of "Steam and Steel, Science and Skill"; its motto is "Work and Wealth are inseparable allies"; the Popular Science Monthly said : "It is an hon- est and forcible attempt to present the benefits the railroads have conferred upon society and the nation," and its "main purpose is to trace the
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evolution of the railroad and to exhibit its edu- cational and civilizing force as a type of nation- al progress and commercial enterprise."
Many high encomiums have been passed upon the work, which alone would entitle Professor Hogg to an influential position in the educational world.
In 1883 Professor Hogg made a speech at Galveston, before a meeting of the State Teach- ers' Association, that was the means of resusci- tating the deep water improvement schemes at that port, and as a result of his address, and through the efforts of Senator Coke in Con- gress, an appropriation of six million dollars was secured for carrying on the work.
Professor Hogg has been a member of the Na- tional Educational Association since 1874, and several times has been honored by election to the office of vice president of the association, and on at least four occasions has delivered formal ad- dresses at its meetings. He is a member of the Methodist church.
Professor Hogg's wife, who died in 1900, was Eliza Buckner (Cooke), a member of one of the old families of Gloucester county, Virginia. He has three daughters : Miss Mary Lulie, Mrs. Vir- ginia Dabney Wynne and Mrs. Julia Ellen Pow- ell, the latter the wife of the mayor of the city.
JAMES D. FARMER is the vice president of the National Live Stock Commission Company and a resident of Fort Worth who in his business career has shown a ready recognition of the splendid opportunities offered by the state for the cattle industry and kindred enterprises. He was born in Tarrant county in the old White Settlement about five miles west of his present home on the 25th of June, 1858, his parents be- ing E. W. and Sallie (Jackson) Farmer. The mother died many years ago but the father is still living and makes his home at North Fort Worth, being one of the honored pioneer settlers of this state. He was born and reared in Roane county, Tennessee, and came to Texas in the spring of 1846. After about three months spent in Lamar county the family removed to Fannin county, where they raised a crop and resided until the fall of 1850. At that time they came to Tarrant county. Fort Worth was then but
a small military post. The father established his home in the old White Settlement and for many years was connected with agricultural interests. After two years he located on a place about six miles west of the post, also in what has always been known as the White Settlement, and for many years he was well known as a . 'stockman, being engaged in handling cattle on the range in the country west of Fort Worth, al- ways retaining his home in Tarrant county. In- deed he was one of the pioneer stockmen and kept his herds largely in Young county and vicinity. Like others in those early days he suffered great- ly from the depredations of the Indians but with his headquarters at Flag Springs he sent his cow- boys out upon the range to care for the cattle. The second year after the war the Indians had become so troublesome that Mr. Farmer sold his cattle and returned to his home in Tarrant coun- ty. For a number of years he has now lived re- tired from active life, making his home in North Fort Worth.
James D. Farmer was reared on his father's home place in White Settlement and spent some years on the farm of his uncle while his father was in Western Texas in the cattle business. When he was a young man he too engaged in the cattle business and was successful in the under- taking, handling his herds in Parker and adjoin- ing counties, having a ranch in Parker county for about ten years. When the old stock yards were established at North Fort Worth he was among the first to engage in the cattle commis- sion business and organized the first firm for this purpose known as the Fort Worth Live Stock Commission Company. When the new stock yards were built and the erection of the great packing houses was begun in 1902 Mr. Farmer continued in the commission business, which be- came a very profitable undertaking by reason of the great impetus given to the cattle industry of this portion of the country by the establishment of these enterprises. At that time he became a member of the National Live Stock Commission Company, was chosen vice president and is in charge of the cattle sales for that firm. He is an experienced and expert cattleman, being among the foremost representatives of the business in the state.
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Mr. Farmer was married in Tarrant county to Miss Cherokee Thompson, a native of Texas, whose father was one of the pioneers of Jack county, and they have become the parents of eight children; Fred T., Minnie C., Alva Ward, Jeannette, James D., Cherrie, Jack and Jolly. The family have a beautiful home amidst at- tractive surroundings in North Fort Worth. When the city of North Fort Worth was organ- ized in 1903 Mr. Farmer was elected its first mayor, was re-elected in April, 1904, and served until April, 1905. He is prominent today among those whose labors have been of direct and great benefit to the state and he has found in an active business career that success is ambition's an- swer.
CAPTAIN EPHRAIM M. DAGGETT will be known in history as the "Father of Fort Worth." Some of his associates did more for the city along particular lines, but his services, which began with the inception of the village apart from the military post and were associated with every conspicuous phase in its growth, well entitle him to a distinction more than ordinary among his fellow citizens. We have already spoken of his efforts in behalf of his city, and it now remains briefly to sketch the salient features of his life in a somewhat formal biography.
Born in Upper Canada, eight miles west of Niagara Falls, June 3, 1810, he was the son of a man whose sympathies were with the American cause when the war of 1812 came on and who then moved to the American side of the boundary and took part in the war, leaving his property to be confiscated by the British. After the close of the war the government of the United States recognized the services of such Canadian volun- teers by giving them lands in Indiana, then a strictly frontier country, to which place many of them moved in 1820, the Daggetts among the rest. At this time E. M. Daggett was ten years old, the oldest of his father's children. The por- tion of Indiana where the Canadians settled, near Terre Haute, was at that time largely oc- cupied by Indians, and here young Daggett be- came thoroughly acquainted with Indian habits, customs and peculiarities.
On arriving at his majority he left his father's
house and commenced life for himself, going to Chicago and for three years carrying on trade with the Indians. Owing to an attack of rheu- matism, he was advised to seek a warmer and more southern climate, and this led to his settling in Texas. His father had long desired to see Texas, and knowing his father's wishes in this respect, an arrangement was made by which the whole Daggett family embarked for Texas, land- ing at Shreveport in the fall of 1839, and in the following April locating in Shelby county, Texas. The actual cultivation of the soil, and the produc- ing of those things necessary to wear and to sus- tain life, was but a small item compared with the watchful care necessary to bestow in order to protect life and property from the ravages of bad men who still infested this portion of the state. Personal and neighborhood quarrels were constantly arising, and a stranger had to be ex- ceedingly careful of every move and word, in order to steer clear of these feuds. The Dag- getts, however, did so manage their personal affairs as to command the confidence and respect of all classes, until the celebrated war broke out between the Moderators and the Regulators, when it became an actual necessity to take sides with one or the other of these parties. The Daggetts enrolled themselves on the side of the Regulators. His two brothers, Charles and Hen- ry, added to the ranks of the Regulators' forces, and did their full share in the endeavors to rid the country of that class of men and desperadoes whose aim and object were unmistakably fraud, peculation and plunder, and all this under the guise of law and order. Counterfeiting, theft, robbery and murder were openly defended and screened by those in high places, and the courts of the country were so permeated therewith as to afford no protection whatever. Under this state of things the Regulators were organized, and an open war of extermination commenced and continued with fearful results for the space of nearly four years. It is true there was an oc- casional cessation of hostilities, long enough to do a little planting. The campaign was each year renewed with vigor on both sides, so soon as "roasting ears" were ready for use. During the four years of turmoil Mr. Daggett passed through many trying scenes, and on several
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