A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 69

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 69

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THEODORE HEYCK

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

paper there, being associated in the enterprise with a partner and bringing forth the Fisher . County Call, which he continued to publish until 1890, when he found that his newspaper work interfered with his law practice and he disposed of the journal in order to devote his attention to his other business interests. In 1897, there being a vacancy in the office of district attorney for the thirty-ninth judicial district, he was appointed by Governor Culberson without his solicitation and filled the vacancy until the following year, when he was elected without opposition for the full term. In the spring of 1899, however, he re- signed and removed to Abilene, Texas, where he remained for three years in the active practice of his profession.

In the spring of 1902, the construction of the Orient road having become an established fact, Mr. Crane removed to Sweetwater and entered into partnership with R. A. Ragland under the firm name of Ragland & Crane, which association has since been maintained. They enjoy a liberal clientage, connecting them with much of the important litigation heard in the courts of the dis- trict. Mr. Crane confines his practice largely to civil law, but is well versed in all departments of jurisprudence. In addition to law practice his firm conducts an extensive real estate business through the county and this portion of the state. Furthermore he is actively interested in public affairs and the recognition of his loyal citizenship and progressive spirit came to him in December, 1903, when he was elected mayor of Sweetwater to fill out an unexpired term and to the same office he was chosen at the general election held in April, 1905, so that he is now the chief executive of the city.

On the 7th of January, 1892, Mr. Crane was united in marriage to Miss Mamie Douthit, a daughter of Thomas E. Douthit, a prominent cit- izen of the county. They have one son who bears his father's name and they have lost three children, two sons and a daughter, who died in infancy. Mr. Crane has been a Mason since 1888 and belongs to the Commandery at Abilene and to Hella Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Dallas, Texas. He also affiliated with the Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Pythias, has

filled all of the chairs in those two organizations and has occupied many important offices in the Masonic lodge. He is likewise a member of the Baptist church, with which he has been identified since 1894. He stands today as one of the dis- tinguished men of Western Texas because of his capability, his devotion to the general welfare and his genuine personal worth. He is a highly educated gentleman, of refined characteristics and of high principles. He has moreover an in- born spirit of industry and independence that have been strong factors in his success and ad- vancement and have made him a leader not only in his profession but in the onward march of progress that promotes civilization and develop- ment.

THEODORE HEYCK, of Abilene, was born in Hamburg, Germany, June 14, 1825, his parents being Hans Christian and Gesine Marie (Dorothee) Heyck. In their family were five children, four sons and one daughter. The boy- hood days of Theodore Heyck were spent on his father's farm near Hamburg until he was eigh- teen years of age. He then went to the city of Hamburg, where he engaged in clerking in a mercantile house, and later he became a travel- ing salesman for a cotton mill firm, doing busi- ness near Bremen. He remained in that employ- ment for four or five years, and in 1852 he left Germany for the United States. There were no steamboats at that day, so he took passage at Bremen on a sailing vessel, and after being on the water for sixty days he landed at Galveston, on the Ist of June, 1852, remaining in that city for some time. He again pursued his vocation in a store and followed it for two years. From Gal- veston he went to Port Lavaca, Calhoun county, Texas, where he engaged in the shipping and commission business on his own account, this be- ing the principal port of entry of all goods for the interior of the state being brought here. At the same time large shipments of cotton and other staple crops of Texas were shipped from this port to New Orleans and New York. Mr. Heyck also had a large carrying trade with Mexico, running wagons into that country loaded with various kinds of goods and bringing back cop-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

per, lead and specie. After becoming imbued with the idea that by removing farther north he would have a near route to make the journey, he removed to Taylor county, settling at Buffalo Gap, then the county seat. It was at that time the Texas & Pacific Railroad was being builded. He expected that the terminus of the road would not reach the destination planned and that he could ship his goods by rail up to the terminus and from there run his wagon train into Mexico, thus reducing the expense of transit and also the time of making the trip, but it was demonstrated then as now that railroads can be built in a com- paratively short time and the road was com- pleted to the Mexican border, which resulted in Mr. Heyck abandoning his enterprise. At that time he established a wool market at Abilene, carrying on an extensive business, having the largest wool market in the west at that period. Abilene was a thriving little town and was being built up at a very rapid rate. The old tent houses were fast giving way to more substantial struc- tures and Mr. Heyck, realizing the need of a building large enough to accommodate his pur- pose, erected his warehouse in the heart of the city and it today forms an important landmark in the town. As soon as the building material could be shipped in on the railroad the work of con- struction was begun and was completed in the spring of 1881. Mr. Heyck carried on the busi- ness of buying wool for several years, or until there was no longer any market, owing to the business of sheep-raising having become un- profitable. He then devoted his warehouse to general storage purposes and it has since been used in that capacity.

Upon the breaking out of the Civil war Mr. Heyck enlisted in 1861 in the Confederate serv- ice, joining the First Texas Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Augustus Buchel, a German, who had had considerable military experience in the armies of his native country. Mr. Heyck served throughout the war, participating in all the cam- paigns with his regiment. In 1862 he was com- missioned by General Heber, his commanding officer, to go on a private expedition to England after medical supplies for the army. He there- fore took passage on a boat sailing from a port

in Mexico bound for London, and there he se- cured the needed supplies and embarked on the return voyage. While the vessel was at sea near St. Thomas Island, one of the group of the West Indies, it was run down by the United States cruiser Vanderbilt, and captured as contrabands smuggling goods into the country and taken to Key West. There were others on the captured vessel who had similar cargoes shipped in their own names, but Mr. Heyck had taken precaution to have his goods consigned to parties in Mexico. The others lost their goods, which had not been insured, but Mr. Heyck had taken the necessary precaution of insuring his goods in London be- fore leaving there, so that he was not a loser. While in port at Key West he sought the aid of the British consul there and through him his re- lease was effected, as nothing could be proved against him. Following his release Mr. Heyck returned to his regiment and remained in the army until the close of the war, receiving his dis- . charge from the service at Corsicana in 1865.

The following year he was married to Miss Sophia Hanaur, a native of Alsace, and born of French parentage. Five children graced this marriage, four sons and a daughter: Adolph, an electrician, who is now in the employ of the Electric Company, at Marshall, Texas; Theo- dore, who is agent of the Swift & Company Oil Mills at Alvarado, Texas; Eugene, who is em- ployed by Dixon, Carville & Company, car wheel manufacturers, at Houston, Texas ; Alfred, agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company, at Hous- ton, Texas, and Annie, who is with her parents.

Theodore Heyck has lived an eventful life and can count in his experience more exciting and interesting incidents than are usually given to the lot of ordinary men. He has been successful in a financial way in all his business enterprises and although now quite well advanced in years is still giving his attention to active business in- terests, at the same time enjoying the fruits of his integrity and well directed labor.

EDWIN A. PEARCE. A genealogical rec- ord in possession of the Pearce family gives many items of interest in connection with the an- cestry of Edwin A. Pearce. His father, Benja-

EDWIN A. PEARCE

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

min Cummins Pearce, was a native of Maryland, born in October, 1808, and with his father he re- moved to Kentucky about 1810, while in 1813 the family became residents of St. Charles coun- ty, Missouri. His mother belonged to the Cum- mins family, and thus he obtained the middle name. Having arrived at years of maturity, Benjamin C. Pearce wedded Miss Martha Camp, whose father, Hosea Camp, was killed in the war with the Blackhawk Indians near the southern boundary line of the state of Wisconsin. Mrs. Pearce had his sword and pistol, which remained in her possession for many years. About six inches of the old saber had been broken off at the point to prevent its being used again. At one time during the Civil war her house in Missouri was visited by a Yankee officer in charge of a squad of soldiers, who asked her if she had any weapons in the house. Being placed on her hon- or, she replied that she had, and brought forth these old relics, laying them before the officer but never dreaming that he would want them. To her great astonishment he deliberately took pos- session of them and departed from the premises, much to her sorrow and disappointment, for they were keepsakes, more than weapons of war- fare to her, and would have been highly prized as family heirlooms by her descendants. Martha Camp was a native of Illinois and was married at Galena to Benjamin C. Pearce. Galena was at that time a lead mining town, to which Mr. Pearce had gone in order to seek his fortune in the mines, but not winning the success that he had anticipated, he remained but a brief period there and returned to Missouri, at which time he set- tled on the property given him by his father, Thomas Pearce, the farm being a pre-emption claim which had been taken by the father from the government. The old log cabin built by Thomas Pearce more than ninety years ago is still standing there, and a part of it is in a good state of preservation. Benjamin Pearce was a steward in the Methodist church in which Bishop Marvin preached his first sermon, and his influ- ence was a potent factor in the moral develop- ment of his community. Benjamin Pearce fol- lowed the occupation of farming for many years and was also for a long period engaged in the

manufacture of tobacco in St. Louis, his partner .at that time being A. H. Buckner, representative in congress from the sixteenth congressional dis- trict of Missouri. Mr. Pearce died in 1885 at the advanced age of eighty-five years. In his fam- ily were five children who reached adult age, while two sons and one daughter are yet living.

Edwin A. Pearce, whose name introduces this review, was born in St. Charles county, Missouri, August 31, 1852, and was reared upon his father's farm, where he lived up to the time he was sev- enteen years of age. Having a desire to equip himself for life's practical duties he started out and crossed the Red river on the seventeenth anniversary of his birth. He made his way to Sherman, Texas, the terminus of the Texas & Pacific Railway being at that time at Marshall. He had an uncle, William Camp, at Rockwell, Texas, and with him remained one winter, after which he returned to Missouri by way of the Red and Mississippi rivers to St. Louis. In 1870 he again made a trip to Texas with teams and wag- ons loaded with tobacco, which commodity his father traded for cattle with Major Tabor, an old resident of Bryan. Edwin Pearce, with his father, undertook to drive a herd of cattle, num- being about five hundred head, back to Missouri, but in the course of the journey feed became scarce and the father decided to go on ahead, leaving Edwin and a man named Osborn in charge of the cattle. They stopped at what was known as the old Blocker ranch, thirteen miles east of Rockwell, belonging at that time to Jim Harris, afterward a prominent banker of Dallas. In the meantime his father had given him two hundred and fifty dollars in gold and a belt to carry it in, but having no immediate need for the money he took out one or two pieces and put the rest in an old pickle bottle, which he buried in an old corral. Being in poor health at that time, Edwin Pearce was advised to try a remedy con- sisting of three bottles of whiskey, one of which had in addition some quinine, another black pep- per, while the third was unadulterated. On one occasion he took a dose of what he supposed was the straight whiskey, but soon he became violently ill. He was taken to the house of Joe Hurst, a few miles away, and a messenger dis-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

patched for Dr. Manson, of Rockwell, who came to his assistance and waited on him during his illness. Soon after taking the dose Mr. Pearce had become unconscious and remained in that state for twenty-one days before regaining his right mind. The doctor made an examination of the whiskey and found that it contained strych- nine, supposed to have been put into the whiskey by the fellow Osborn, who probably intended to kill him and get his money. If such was the case, however, Osborn repented his act and seemed desirous of doing what he could to relieve .the sufferings of his victim.

In the meantime the cattle had become scat- tered and many of them were never found. The others were finally gathered together and the journey resumed. They arrived at Fort Gibson, in Indian Territory, and from there continued by rail, the cattle being the first that were ever shipped over the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail- road from the Arkansas river. The next spring Mr. Pearce returned to the old corral and dug up the hidden treasure. He continued to make his home in Missouri and engaged in farming and in the tobacco business.

About 1880 Mr. Pearce was married to Miss Mary F. Page in St. Charles county. Her mother was a member of the old Chapin family, whose ancestry can be traced back four hundred years to the coming of the Mayflower. The line of descent, preserved in substantial book form, is now in possession of some of the descendants. To Mr. and Mrs. Pearce have been born five chil- dren: Alice M., who is a teacher in the public schools of Abilene; Jennie H., who is preparing herself for an art teacher; Ada D., who is also a public school teacher in Texas; Haase died when one year old and Flora died aged thirteen years.

For two years after his marriage Mr. Pearce continued to live upon his farm in Missouri, but in 1882 sold this property, which was a part of the original claim pre-empted by his grandfather and which he bought from his uncle, Thomas Pearce. Removing to Texas he located in Abi- lene, where he has since made his home. He en- gaged in carpentering, afterward in the butcher- ing business and later added a transfer business

and also dealt in coal and grain. He continued in the last mentioned line of business for a period of fifteen years, profiting greatly by his well di- rected labors, and in 1902 he established his pres- ent grain and coal business, in which he is like- wise meeting with gratifying success. He has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and has done effective service for the general welfare as alderman, to which office he was elected in 1899 and is now serving on his third term.

LAWRENCE W. HOLLIS, M. D., is a dis- tinguished member of the medical frater- nity, practicing in Abilene. His father, Dr. Thomas H. Hollis, was a native of Ten- nessee, and when nine years of age came to Texas, settling in San Augustine. When the Civil war was inaugurated in 1861 he enlisted as a surgeon in Walker's Division of the Thir- teenth Texas Mounted Infantry and served throughout the war. Following the close of hos- tilities he removed to Nacogdoches, Texas, hav- ing his office in the historic old stone fort built by the Mexicans in 1716 and demolished in 1902, where he practiced medicine and made his home for about thirty-five years, his death occurring there in 1888. He was a man well known throughout his state and ranked as one of its most successful and prominent surgeons. His service in the army gave him an exceptional op- portunity for practice and investigation and for performing surgical operations of the most diffi- cult nature. In this work he gained fine experience that greatly aided him in after life, and his capability was so marked as to rank him with the leading representatives of the profession. His wife bore the maiden name of Katherine Dumas, who was a native of Mississippi but came to Tex- as in her early girlhood days with her parents, who settled in Anderson county near the Mag- nolia postoffice. Her father, Lawrence W. Du- mas, was a distinguished judge there for a num- ber of years. It was at Magnolia that Dr. Hollis and Miss Dumas were married and there reared a family of nine children, three sons and six daughters, all of whom are yet living. One son, W. H. Hollis, is sheriff of Jones county, Texas,

M. Haller, m.d

J. FLEETWOOD REED

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

while another, Thomas H. Hollis, is a practicing dentist of Abilene.

Dr. L. W. Hollis of this review was born in'' San Augustine, Texas, December 21, 1861. His education was partially received at that place and he continued his studies in Nacogdoches. He entered upon the study of medicine when about sixteen years of age in his father's office and sub- sequently attended medical lectures in the med -; ical department of the University of Louisville, . Kentucky, where he remained for three years, completing the full course by graduation in March, 1883, and subsequently has taken post- graduate courses in Chicago and New York. After graduation he located at Anson, Jones county, where he began the practice of medicine and made his home until 1894, when he came to Abilene. He has devoted his attention to general practice, but has also made a specialty of surgery and he is called to various parts of this state and New Mexico that he may render professional services. In the year 1905 he opened a sani- tarium in Abilene for the treatment of those in need of medical and surgical assistance. It is lo- cated on South Ninth and Chestnut streets. He has a whole block of ground, with buildings fronting on the two streets, and the sanitarium is splendidly equipped, so that it affords every facility for the care and treatment of the many patients who have already been received. Dr. Hollis is connected with the Taylor County, the Texas State Medical and American Medical As- sociations, and is ex-president of the board of medical examiners of the thirty-ninth district, having filled that position for a number of years, or until the board was disbanded and the state board instituted. For years he has filled the posi- tion of United States pension examiner for the district, comprising several counties.

Dr. Hollis gives his political allegiance to the Democracy and is a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic lodges in Abilene, having also taken the degrees of the Royal Arch chapter. He was married in this city February 20, 1884, to Miss Eva Scott, a daughter of T. F. Scott, of Fort Phantom Hill, and they have a family of four children, two sons and two daughters. Theirs is one of the attractive homes of Abilene. In addi-

tion to this Dr. Hollis owns considerable land, having a fine ranch about twenty-two miles south of the city devoted to stock-raising. He also owns several farms in Jones county. He has taken a deep and helpful interest in educational affairs and is one of the board of directors of Simmons. College, with which he has been thus connected in the establishment. He is a worthy successor of his noted father, keeping in touch with the march of progress, especially along the line of his chosen profession. He has acquired a technical knowledge and a practical skill in practice that has placed him in the foreground as a representa- tive of medical and surgical science here.

J. FLEETWOOD REED, M. D., engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Wichita Falls, Texas, is one of the leading representa- tives of the medical fraternity in his part of the state, practicing along modern scientific lines and demonstrating through the success which attends his efforts his comprehensive knowl- edge of the principles of medicine. A native of Tennessee, his birth occurred near Winchester in 1855, his parents being Shipman and Lettie (Campbell) Reed. His father was born in Ala- bama and when a young man left that state removing to Tennessee. In the vicinity of Win- chester he purchased a tract of land and began the cultivation of a farm, upon which he con- tinued to make his home until his death on February 13, 1899, aged seventy-one years. This farm was formerly the property of his wife's father and on the old homestead there Mrs. Lettie Reed was born and reared and also spent the days of her married life. She died in 1889, aged sixty-two years.

Dr. Reed, of this review, early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist and continued to assist his father in farming pursuits until twenty-two years of age. His early education was supplemented by a course of study in the Winchester Normal College and after leaving home he engaged in teaching school for four years in Alabama and for one year in Tennes- see. Ere the expiration of the latter period he formed a determination to make the practice of medicine his life work and to this end became a

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

student in the medical department of the Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee, where he was graduated with the class of 1887. He then entered upon practice and was thus engaged until the early part of 1891, when he pursued a post-graduate course in the medical department of the University of Nashville, Ten- nessee, and in the spring of that year came to Wichita county, Texas, locating in the town of Iowa Park. There he opened an office, which he conducted with success until the 14th of January, 1904, when he came to Wichita Falls, where he has since made his home. In 1902 he had pursued a post-graduate course in obstetrics in Vanderbilt University and throughout his professional career he has made continuous progress through reading and investigation. His career has been character- ized by a masterful grasp of the intricate prob- lems which have been continually present for solution and he is now known as one of the most eminent and successful members of the profession in his adopted county. He has had business interests aside from his professional duties, having made judicious investment in oil lands in Clay county, adjoining Wichita county, where he now has flowing wells. He is one of the principal operators in the oil district and in the development of that industry is con- tributing to the public prosperity as well as to his individual success.

In 1889, in Tennessee, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Reed and Miss Josie Edmiston, who was born and reared in Giles county, Ten- nessee. They have no children of their own, but have one adopted son, Jesse Reed. Their home is noted for its generous hospitality and the circle of their friends is almost co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintance. The doctor is a member of the Democratic executive committee of his county and takes considerable interest in local politics, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. His attention, however, is con- centrated more largely upon his professional duties and the acquirement of knowledge con- cerning the best methods of medical practice. He belongs to and is president of the Wichita County Medical Association, and belongs to the Northwestern Texas and the American

Medical Associations and in the last named organization represents Wichita county as a member of the national auxiliary, congression- al and legislative committees. The doctor is a social, genial gentleman, interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his state, is charitable and benevolent and worthy demands of the needy are seldom made in vain. He has a large circle of warm friends and his friendship is best prized by those who know him best. In his professional capacity Dr. Reed is known throughout the country, his reputation extend- ing far beyond the limits of his state, an honor to the profession by which he has been espe- cially distinguished.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 69

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968