A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 76

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 76

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MAURICE C. EDWARDS, a member of the firm of O. T. Bassett & Company, lumber merchants of El Paso, was born at Clinton, In- diana, where he was reared and attended school. When a young man he left home and came to the new Southwest, spending a few months in Las Vegas, New Mexico, then a wild, western town, enjoying a "boom" as a result of the completion of the Santa Fe Railway through the territory. He then came to El Paso, arriv- ing in April, 1882, and on the 4th of that month he obtained a situation in the lumber yard of O. T. Bassett & Company. He has been with the firm continuously since-a history that is a splendid example of steadfastness and reliabil- ity in business, especially in a western city where avantages in business are so constantly growing. As time progressed he acquired an interest in the business and finally became an equal partner. The lumber yard was estab- lished in El Paso in 1881 by the late O. T. Bas- sett and is now owned by his son, Charles L. Bassett and Mr. Edwards. The original name of the firm, however, which is incorporated, is retained and business is carried on under the style of O. T. Bassett & Company-a name which has been familiar among the trade cir- cles of this part of the state for a quarter of a century. For twenty-four years, from 1881 un- til 1905, the lumber yard of O. T. Bassett was located on North Stanton street, at the south- east corner of the intersection of that street and St. Louis street. A photograph of the lumber yard taken in the former year gives a vivid idea of the insignificance of the town at that time, only a few adobe houses besides the lum- ber yard being visible, for the picture not only gives the enterprise but also the entire town. In October, 1905, the yards were removed to the corner of East Overland and South Vir- ginia streets, where the plant comprises exten- sive sheds, covering nearly a block and a sub- stantial two-story brick office building. The success of the enterprise is attributable in no small degree to the efforts, industry and sound business judgment of Mr. Edwards, who, in harmonious co-operation with his partners, has

James, g. Inflic

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developed a trade that in extent and'importance makes the business a very profitable one, so that there is annually a good financial return upon the investment.

Mr. Edwards has for many years been a prominent figure in the El Paso fire department, which he joined in 1884. He has been foreman of the hook and ladder company and is now treasurer of the department, and as the years have gone by has favored its improvement along modern lines for the scientific fighting of fire. Fraternally he is a Mason, who has attained high rank in the craft, belonging to the Knight Templar commandery and the Mystic Shrine. As the years have passed he has made consecu- tive progress in business life, keeping in touch with the rapid and substantial advancement of the Southwest and is to-day regarded as one of the leading and substantial citizens of El Paso, with close connection with its interests and with hearty support for all movements and measures that are calculated to advance its welfare.

JAMES F. WYLIE, devoting his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits in Mon- tague county, has lived in this section of the state since the period of its pioneer development and has not only been active in business affairs but also in community affairs and three times served as commissioner of the county. He was born August 23, 1840, in Franklin county, Ala- bama, and traces his ancestry back to Ireland, his paternal grandfather, James Wylie, having been brought from Ireland to America when only six years of age. The family home was established in Virginia and later he became a resident of Alabama when it was yet a new and undeveloped country. There he purchased land and improved a farm, making it his home throughout his remaining days. He owned an excellent plantation and his enterprise and busi- ness activity made him one of the reliable citi- zens of the county. In later life he gave all of his slaves their freedom. At the time of the Revolutionary war he became a member of the continental army and fought for liberty. He never aspired to political honors nor office and

lived a life in consistent harmony with his pro- fessions as a member of the Presbyterian church. ·He had eleven children: James, Thomas, Wil- liam, Elias, John, Samuel, Ezekiel, Marcus, Mrs. Jane McCulloch, Mrs. Sally Culberson and Ade- line.

Of this family Marcus Wylie was born in North Carolina and when a young man went with his parents to Alabama, where he was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth Wood, a daughter of Isham, Wood, a leading farmer and slave owner of his home locality in North Carolina. He, too, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war and he died in middle age. In his family were four children: Martin, Thomas, Mrs. Mahala Richardson and Mrs. Elizabeth Wylie. After the death of the father, the mother married again, becoming the wife of Benjamin Arnold, an agri- culturist, and they had three children: Dewitt C .; Anne, the wife of James Landers; and Jane, who married John Seawood.

Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Wylie took up their abode upon a farm in Alabama and for many years the former devoted his time and attention to agricultural pursuits. He passed away, how- ever, at a comparatively early age, dying in 1846 at the age of forty-four years. His wife sur- vived him and with a most tender care and devo- tion reared her family to lives of honesty and uprightness. She passed away in 1867 in the faith of the Primitive Baptist church, of which she had long been a devoted member. In the fam- ily were: Mary and Adeline, both deceased; Anne, who died at the age of ten years; and James F., who is the only one that ever married and is now the only survivor of the family.

James F. Wylie was only about six years old at the time of his father's death. His educational privileges were limited, but in the school of ex- perience he has learned many practical and valu- able lessons. He remained with his widowed mother until he attained his majority and then in 1861 went to Arkansas for the purpose of spending some time with an uncle. While there he joined the Arkansas state troops, the state at that time yet remaining loyal to the Union. He remained with the state troops for four months,

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took part in the battle of Oak Hill and afterward returned to his uncle's home. In the meantime the state had voted for secession and Mr. Wylie then enlisted in the Eleventh Arkansas Infantry under Captain J. Moss and marched to Island No. 10, taking part in the siege there until the Island surrendered and all were made prisoners. Mr. Wylie did not relish the idea of being made a prisoner and early in the morning after the order for surrender was read he started for a drink of water. Seeing a hollow cypress tree, he crawled into it and pulled a piece of the tree over the opening. There he remained all day, coming out at night, and in the meantime the command had been sent to Camp Douglas at Chicago. Exerting his ingenuity again he man- aged to get a canoe and make his escape into Tennessee and on to his old home in Alabama. After remaining there for a short time he joined the Sixteenth Alabama Infantry under General Bragg and took part in the campaign in Ken- tucky, including the battle of Perryville. Later the regiment returned to eastern Tennessee and participated in the battles of Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, at the close of which only eight of his company remained. Learning after this battle that his original regiment had been ex- changed he then joined the Eleventh Arkansas Infantry and throughout the remainder of the war was largely in Mississippi, being at Fort Adams at the time of General Lee's surrender. He was there regularly paroled and returned to his home. At the battle of Chickamauga he was slightly wounded by a piece of shell which struck his heel when he was in the act of taking a step and he was thrown down. His wounds at that time and on other occasions, however, were slight and he was never a prisoner of war, but he saw hard service in the front ranks and under- went many deprivations such as constitute the life of a soldier.

When the war was over Mr. Wylie spent a short time at home and then started for Texas. He had spent all of his money on reaching Up- shur county and he there rented a farm and en- gaged in its cultivation. In December, 1866, he married Miss Josephine Gingles, who was

born in North Carolina in 1845, a daughter of John and Clementine (Purvine) Gingles. Her father, a native of North Carolina, was a farmer and slave owner who removed to Upshur county, Texas, in 1859, where he engaged in farming. Later he retired to Mount Pleasant, where he lived in the enjoyment of a well earned rest until his death in 1885. He held membership in the Presbyterian church. His daughter, Mrs. Jo- sephine Wylie, has a brother Charles, now living in Titus county. Her father, however, was married four times, but only had three children.

Following his marriage Mr. Wylie remained in Upshur county. He purchased a small tract of land in 1873, when he arrived in Montague county, and took up his abode at his present place of residence on which he has remained since, and now owns two hundred and ten acres in Willowally valley. This was raw land and he began the development of a farm property. The country was sparsely settled and wild game was plentiful. Wild animals were also frequently killed and it seemed that the work of improve- ment and progress had scarcely been begun, but Mr. Wylie placed his land under cultivation and added to it. Later, however, he sold some of his farm, but he yet owns the original purchase and homestead. As the years have passed, through the capable conduct of his agricultural interests, he has acquired a comfortable competence for the evening of life. He owes his prosperity en- tirely to his own well directed labors and, brook- ing no obstacles that barred his path to success, he has worked his way steadily upward, showing that prosperity is not a matter of genius, but is the outcome of clear judgment, experience and determination. He is one of the influential men in the local ranks of the Democracy and for three terms capably served as county commissioner, winning high encomiums from the general public. He has also served on the grand jury of the county and the federal grand jury at Dallas and Sherman and is always loyal to his duties of citizenship. He belongs to the Methodist church, in which he has served as trustee for many years and his fraternal relations connect him with the Masonic lodge. He has a pleasant home, con-

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veniently situated a mile and a half south of Hardy in Willowally valley. The house stands upon a natural elevated building site, overlook- ing the farm and valley, with fine mountain scen- ery in the distance. He has here a commodious frame residence and all the necessary outbuild- ings for housing stock, grain and other crops. Water is piped to different parts of the farm,; the motive power being a good windmill. There is also an orchard of fine fruit and one hundred and fifty acres of the land is under cultivation, but Mr. Wylie now rents this tract, giving his attention to his general business interests.

WILLIAM RHEINHEIMER, a contractor, of El Paso, was born in Syracuse, New York, where he spent the first twenty-one years of his life, and during that time gained a fair English education, after which he learned the carpen- ter's trade. He then came to the west, locating first at Kansas City in the spring of 1879, and in 1880 he made his way to New Mexico, where he was employed as a journeyman on the con- struction work of the Santa Fe Railroad, the line being then constructed to San Marciel. Later he had charge of a gang of men building depots and other buildings for the railroad com- pany along the new line and in this way he gradually made his way toward El Paso, arriv- ing here on his first trip, September 5, 1881. He did not make a location here, however, un- til 1882, at which time he started in the building business associated therein with C. E. Fruin, as foreman, and later with Tom J. Holland as part- ner. He was in partnership with the latter until 1897, since which time he has engaged in con- tracting and building on his own account. In 1883 he left El Paso temporarily, but after two years returned, and has thus practically made his home here since 1881.

In April, 1904, while across the river in Juarez, New Mexico, Mr. Rheinheimer met A. H. Par- ker, L. H. Davis and David Creswell, three pio- neers of El Paso, and suggested to them in a social conversation that a pioneer society should be organized. That conversation was the begin- ning of such an organization which now in-

cludes in its membership over two hundred of the pioneer settlers of El Paso and is known as the El Paso Pioneers' Association, the ob- ject of which is to preserve the history of this city and vicinity and in time establish a museum or collection of historic relics, of which there is already considerable interesting material.

Mr. Rheinheimer was married in Syracuse, New York, to Miss Elizabeth Nies, of that city, and they have five children, all born in El Paso, namely : Edward William, Frieda Juanita, Nelson Nies, Oscar Carl and Helen. Fraternally Mr. Rheinheimer is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Eagles and the Foresters, and became a charter member of Court Robin Hood, No. I, which was the first Forester lodge organ- ized in Texas. Of this he is past chief ranger and was also at one time state deputy. He is deeply interested in the material and social progress of the city, of whose growth and de- velopment he has largely been a witness. He early had the prescience to determine what the future held in store for this gerat and growing country and allying his interests with those of El Paso he has contributed to its substantial improvement as the years have gone by and at the same time through the careful conduct of his private business affairs has won a comfort- able competence.

GEORGE THOMAS NEWMAN. The rap- id and substantial growth of El Paso in the last quarter of a century has provided a fruitful field to the real-estate operator and the improvements and substantial development of the city are due in no unimportant degree to those who have handled her property interests, among whom is numbered George Thomas Newman. A native of Carroll county, Missouri, he is a brother of E. S. Newman, also a real-estate dealer of El Paso. The parents, E. R. and Rebecca (Car- rico) Newman, removed from Spencer county, Kentucky, to Missouri, settling in Carroll county, where both the parents passed away. There George Thomas Newman spent his early youth, and at the time of the breaking out of the Civil war he was a lad of fourteen years,

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being employed in the store of his brothers at Lexington, Missouri, to which place he had gone from the home farm. Lexington was the center of much excitement at the time of the outbreak of the war and a battle occurred there, which was one of the first engagements fought on Missouri soil. General Milligan, of the fed- eral army, had taken possession of the town, which was in a state of uproar and confusion. Later he was captured by General Price's army and at that time, although but a young lad, Mr. Newman of this review joined the Confederate army and for three months was in scouting ser- vice under command of General Cockrell in the vicinity of Lexington.

Following this experience, Mr. Newman went to the west, crossing the plains through Ne- braska to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where he became connected with the contract business. He was in that country until about 1867 and visited Fort Laramie in 1867, when the noted Indian chiefs, Spotted Tail and Red Cloud, came to the valley under a truce and made a treaty with the military authorities there, an event which followed the Fort Phil Kearney massacre. Mr. Newman was an eye-witness of and participated in many of the exciting inci- dents of typical western life in those days, par- ticularly at Julesburg, Colorado, which, when it was one of the headquarters of construction work on the Union Pacific, was one of the most lawless places ever known in the history of the west. In 1867 he returned to Kansas and it was about that time that the work on the Kansas Pacific was begun. In connection with his brothers he established a store at Newman Sta- tion, near Topeka, under the firm name of New- man & Hasten. About the same time H. L. Newman established a large grain warehouse at Newman Station, buying grain from all the surrounding country and supplying same under government contract to the forts in western Kansas and elsewhere. In 1876 Mr. Newman, of this review, went to Fort Sheridan, Nebraska, and was post trader there for some time.

Early in the year 1881, with others of the Newman family, George T. Newman came to El

Paso and engaged in the cattle business in Wes- tern Texas with headquarters in this city, the ranch lands and leases lying in El Paso, Jeff Davis and Reeves county. They owned one of the old-time ranches which covered great stretches of territory and prairie under the name of the Gomaz Cattle Company, of which Mr. Newman of this review was manager. He re- mained in the cattle business for about fifteen years, successfully conducting the enterprise and at the same time taking up other lines of busi- ness and development in El Paso, particularly in real-estate, in which the Newmans have al- ways been heavily interested. He was for a time quite extensively engaged in furnishing railroad supplies for the Mexican Central Rail- road building south of El Paso. He was a mem- ber of the real-estate firm of Newman & Rus- sell, which afterward sold out to A. P. Coles & Brothers, and was one of the founders of the El Paso Ice and Refrigerator Company, the pioneer industry of that character in the city, and was an important factor in the shipment of refrigerated meats to California and other points. As a member of the firm of Newman Brothers & Nations he was engaged in the business of handling and shipping young cattle from the Texas country to the northern pastures in Wy- oming, Montana and other states. Thus it will be seen that he has been a most active repre- sentative of business interests which have devel- oped the industrial and commercial, as well as agricultural, possibilities of this part of the state.

When the Newmans came to El Paso they built the first house lying in the district between Magoffin avenue and extending beyond Camp- bell street. They were then and have been since financially interested in most of the im- portant additions laid out in El Paso, and at the present writing George T. Newman is a member of the real-estate firm of Newman & Sutherland, and is one of the financial promot- ers of Highland Park, a leading and attractive residential addition to El Paso, lying to the east in the pathway of the present development of the city. Much money has already been ex- pended in the improvement of that district, which

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has become one of the most attractive residence portions of El Paso.

In 1876, in Missouri, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Newman and Miss Lillian Blachly, and to them have been born four children, but three of the number have passed away, the sur- viving one being Thomas B. Newman. Mr. Newman was formerly interested in politics, rec- ognized as an influential factor in Democratic circles, and in 1893-4 was treasurer of El Paso county. While he is yet never remiss in the duties of citizenship and gives his co-operation to many measures for the general good, his energies are concentrated more largely upon his individual interests, which make heavy claim upon his time and attention. He is constantly broadening the scope of his business interests and as the years have gone by has found in the rapidly developing western country opportunity for the exercise of talents that reach to large results and successful accomplishment.

FLORENCE J. HALL, filling the office of chief of police of El Paso and well known as a representative of the cattle industry of Texas, is descended from an old southern family, and was born in Elbert county, Georgia, April 15, 1850, his parents being Asa and Martha (Adams) Hall. The father was born in South Carolina but spent the greater part of his life in Georgia, where both he and his wife died.

In his youth Florence J. Hall came to Texas, arriving in the fall of 1866. He located first at Marshall, where he lived for a year, and then went to Gainesville, where he made his home and headquarters for about thirty-seven years. Dur- ing all this period he was connected with the cattle interests of the state, and for many years has been one of the prominent, successful and well known cattlemen of Texas. He began as a cowboy in the early days of the industry in this state and worked with many of the old-time cattlemen whose names are familiar in connec- tion with the cattle industry of Texas, including the Gunters, Waggoners, Burk Burnett, E. B. Harrold and many others. As time passed Mr. Hall gradually collected a herd of his own and

eventually became an extensive cattie owner, conducting his operations from his Gainesville headquarters until the early part of 1900, when he came to the west and established his head- quarters at El Paso. The ranch which he leases and operates with the assistance of his son, F. N. Hall, is a property of many thousand acres, lying in Donna Ana county, and one of the ad- joining counties of New Mexico. They have about eight thousand head of cattle. He is thoroughly familiar with the cattle interests and has kept in touch with the progress that has been made as the breeds of cattle have been improved, as the open range has given way before the ranches with their modern equipments, and as a transformation has been wrought in the meth- ods of the cattleman until to-day Texas stands foremost among the stock-raising states of the country.

Mr. Hall was united in marriage to Miss Agnes E. Norwood, of Sherman, Texas, a daughter of Dr. A. T. Norwood, of that city, and they have four children: Mrs. Stella Ed- wards, the wife of B. B. Edwards, of El Paso; F. N. Hall, who is associated with his father in business; and two children, Florence 'Bell and Asa Dougherty at home.

In the fall of 1904 Mr. Hall was appointed chief of police under the administration of Mayor Morehead, and was re-appointed in the spring of 1905 when the present Mayor Davis adminis- tration was inaugurated. He has made a fine record as a police official and is an unusually popular man. It has been under his guidance that the closing up of gambling houses has been accomplished-a fact that has brought pleasant fame to El Paso. He is prompt and fearless in the discharge of his duties and it is such men who, conserving the interests of law and order, make a community which, as an attractive place of residence, is unsurpassed.

ANDREW MONROE NEECE. Union county, Georgia, was the birthplace of Andrew M. Neece, of this review, and his birth occurred January 30, 1856. His father, Joseph Casvill Neece, was born in Cooke county, Tennessee,

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March 20, 1812, and while he was reared to a rural and farm life, he chose mechanics on near- ing his majority, and learned the cabinet-maker's trade. Of education he had little, yet his bent for current reading and the information gained by association with his fellows enabled him to pass through life an intelligent and useful man. He served District 8 of his county as notary pub- lic for twelve years, and he was an active leader in the spiritual and business affairs of the Meth- odist church. He married Nancy Ann, a daughter of John Lance, of Buncombe county, North Carolina, and died in Union county, Geor- gia, March 17th, 1882, .while his wife passed away in 1887 at seventy-one years of age.

Adam Neece, grandfather of our subject, was born in 1785, and died in Laclede county, Mis- souri, in 1860, He married Miss Cook, and their children were: George, Samuel, James, Joseph, Adam, Arraneous, Ann, who married William Price, and Margaret, who married a Mr. Cherry and passed her life in Macoupin county, Illinois.

Joseph Casville Neece was the father of Mar- tha E., of Chillicothe, Texas, wife of John A. Lance : Etta, deceased wife of J. D. Chastain, passed away in Union county, Georgia; So- phrona, of Christian county Missouri, is the wife of J. R. Dean ; William Marion Lafayette, of Montague county, is well known as a farmer near Fruitland; Margaret, wife of Benjamin Chastain, of Union county, Georgia ; John W., of Foss, Oklahoma; Elizabeth C., married to Harrison T. Cobb, of Union county, Georgia ; Cornelius T., of Chillicothe, Texas ; Amanda, of the Cherokee Nation, is the wife of L. C. Chap- man ; Albert Y., of Sunset, Texas; Allen T., of Chillicothe, Texas ; Andrew M., our subject, and Alfred M., of Sunset, Texas.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 76

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