USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 82
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When the war was over Mr. Wilson returned to his home at Salem and soon thereafter went to Atchison, Kansas, where with a company he joined the "bull train" of Stebbins & Porter for the overland trip across the plains to Cali- fornia. They were a little over a year in making
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this trip, starting from Atchison in October, 1865. At length they arrived at San Francisco but Mr. Wilson remained there only a short time, after which he took passage on a steamer for New Orleans, arriving there in the latter part of 1866. He next traveled northward and after being in St. Louis, Missouri, for some time he came to Texas in 1870 by way of Baxter Springs, Kansas, Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, Sherman, Jacksboro and Fort Griffin, Texas, to the Concho river country in what is now Tom Green county. He located at Fort Concho near where the little town of Ben Ficklin, later de- stroyed by a flood, was just being started. There he arrived in September, 1870, in which month he went to work as a driver on the stage line of Sawyer & Ficklin, driving a stage to the head of the Concho. It was not long after this that he located at Fort Davis still farther west in what is now Jeff Davis county, and in 1871 he took up his abode at Fort Quitman. He drove a stage for nearly three years, after which, in 1873 and during a part of 1874, he was deputy collector of customs at Presidio del Norte under Collector Colwell of El Paso. His subsequent step in the business world was as a cattle dealer. He furnished beef under contract to the military offices at Fort Hancock and Fort Quitman and filled such contracts for about fifteen years. He has continued steadily in the cattle business to the present time, owning and operating in El Paso county, which is regarded as one of the best places in the valley. Since 1902 he has made his home in the city of El Paso, operating his ranch from this point. He annually makes large sales of cattle, his business returning him an excellent income.
Mr. Wilson recalls associations with many of the men who in later days became prominent in public life and who during his youth were residents of Salem, Illinois. His brother-in- law, J. M. Martin, is president of the First National Bank of Salem. Since coming to the frontier of Texas Mr. Wilson has enjoyed pleas- ant relations with many of the well known army officers who have been stationed at the forts in western Texas. He was married in El Paso
county to Miss Rosa Cassares, and they have a family of twelve children.
Mr. Wilson was presiding officer of elections at Fort Hancock for ten or twelve years and was also deputy for six years under Sheriff James H. White and for a similar period under Sheriff B. F. Simmons. He has a wide and favorable acquaintance with men and events which shape the history of this part of che country and his mind bears the impress of the historic annals of Texas as it has emerged from pioneer conditions to take on all the ad- vantages and improvements known to the older and longer settled east.
F. M. GERMAN. On the roll of Texas cit- izens appear the names of many men who have had most interesting histories and have obtained prominence in one or another line and nearly all have been instrumental in considera- ble degree in the reclamation of this great state from wild natural conditions to an advanced civilization. Perhaps there is no resident of this immediate section of the middle west-Scur- ry county-who has done more in this respect than F. M. German. His father, Zaccheus Ger- man, was a native of South Carolina and for a time resided in Tennessee. He served as a vol- unteer soldier under General Jackson in the "Creek War" of 1813 and 1814, for which serv- ice he received a pension until his death. He emigrated from that state to Missouri in 1827, thus becoming one of the early settlers there. He was accompanied by his family and he pro- vided for their support by following the occu- pation of farming in Morgan county. He had wedded Miss Nancy Webb Cooper, a native of Tennessee, who died in Missouri in 1844. They were the parents of eight children, of whom seven lived to adult age, namely: Daniel W., Joseph T., Thomas W., Zaccheus D., Martha, James L. and Francis Marion. Three of the sons are now living, James L. being a resident of Whitewright, Texas, while Joseph T. makes his home near Los Angeles, California. Zac- cheus German continued a resident of Missouri until after the close of the Civil war, when he
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removed to Texas, settling at Bonham, and his last days were passed in the vicinity of White- wright in Fannin county, at which time he was making his home with his son, James L. There he passed away in 1878 at the age of eighty-nine years.
James L. German was a member of the state legislature from Fannin county in 1874 and was also a member of the constitutional convention of 1876 which framed the present organic law of the commonwealth.
Francis Marion German, whose name intro- duces this review, was born in Morgan county, Missouri, December 1, 1836, and was reared to farm work. He had no opportunity to attend the public schools and in fact the public school system was just being organized about that time. In the winter months, however, he was a student in the subscription school until six- teen years of age, when he went to Warsaw, Missouri, and entered the Warsaw Academy, in which he spent one session. There he studied surveying and the higher mathematics and af- ter leaving that school he engaged in teaching for about three or four years at different places, spending a part of the time in Cedar county in southwestern Missouri. The practical part of his knowledge of surveying was gained under the direction of his older brother, Daniel Ger- man, who had been public surveyor in Morgan county for a number of years and with whom he worked for six or eight months.
Returning to southwestern Missouri, Fran- cis M. German, while engaged in teaching school there, was married on the 22nd of Sep- tember, 1858, to Miss Mary C. Thompson, a daughter of John W. Thompson of Cedar county, Missouri. He afterward removed to Montevallo, Vernon county, and was there elected county surveyor, in which position he served until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when in 1861 he responded to the call of the Confederacy. He left his wife and one child in Missouri and enlisted in the Missouri state guards, participating in the exciting events that took place in that state during the early days of the war. The first engagement in which he
participated was at Wilson's Creek on the Ioth of August, 1861, and in this engagement, which was one of the hardest fought that had occurred up to that time, General Lyons, who com- manded the Federal troops, fell. In the spring of 1862 Mr. German went to Arkansas, where he became a member of the regular army of the Confederacy, his family remaining at their home in Missouri. He enlisted in November under General Hineman, who had charge of all the forces in Arkansas, although the Missouri forces to which Mr. German belonged were un- der immediate command of General Sterling Price. Mr. German remained in the service until the close of hostilities and was in the bat- tle of Helena on the 4th of July, 1863. Later he took part in the engagements at Little Rock and Pleasant Hill, the latter occurring the day after the battle of Mansfield was fought. His next engagement was at Jenkins Ferry on the Saline river in Arkansas and there he was slightly wounded. He was also in a number of minor engagements at different times and was with his command all through its campaigns. After the great struggle was brought to a close he was paroled at Shreveport, Louisiana, on the 8th of June, 1865. The condition of affairs in Missouri was terrible, as the two armies had foraged and devastated the country. Much property was burned, including the home of Mr. and Mrs. German in which his wife and family were living. The sympathizers of each side burned the homes of the others, each faction having its leaders. It remained to the southern women to either go into the military posts or to the south and Mrs. German chose the latter course. Fitting up a team and wagon she took with her her family and what belongings she could and made her way to Texas. The women of those days had to undergo many hardships and dangers as they passed through the coun- try. In the fall of 1863 Mrs. German joined her husband in Red River county, after having un- dergone many difficult experiences while pass- ing through the Federal lines.
When Mr. German had been paroled he re- turned to Red River county, where he rejoined
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his wife and children and there he started out in business life anew, for all that he had pos- sessed had been lost through the fortunes of war. He remained in that county until the fall of 1866, when he removed to Fannin county, where he engaged in teaching school for a.time and also followed surveying. In the fall of 1872 he was elected county surveyor and filled the office until 1880, making his home in Bonham, where he continued to live until 1890. During the time that he was not in office he engaged in surveying and farming. In 1890 he removed to western Texas, locating in Scurry county, where he took up some school land fourteen miles west of Snyder. When he first settled on this prop- erty there were but three residences between him and Snyder and west of him there was but one actual settler so far as he knew to the boun- dary line of New Mexico. Since then the coun- try has become quite thickly settled and while there have been drawbacks to its rapid develop- ment in the way of droughts, yet those who have remained have ultimately won prosperity, as the county has progressed along the general lines of advancement. In 1892 Mr. German was elected county surveyor of Scurry county and held the office until 1902, having at the same time jurisdiction over the counties of Kent and Garza, which were attached to Scurry for sur- veying purposes. He was mainly instrumental in having brought the famous mandamus suit of "Hogue vs. Baker," a decision of which was rendered by the Supreme Court of Texas, May 28th, 1898, which decision gave in equity all the remaining unappropriated public domain of Texas to the common school fund; thereby stopping all further appropriations of the same. He now makes his home in Snyder and is still actively engaged in surveying although now somewhat advanced in years. In the line of his profession he has taken a most helpful part in the work of public improvement and as a pri- vate citizen has co-operated in many measures for the general good.
To Mr. and Mrs. German have been born six children, three sons and three daughters. These are: Elizabeth, now the wife of John C. Ar-
ledge, of Bonham, Texas; Frank M., who is also living in Bonham; Nannie, the wife of Sylvester Wasson, of Waco, Texas; John Z., of Bonham, Texas; and Geneva, the wife of J. R. Carter, of Nolan county, Texas; they also lost one son, James D. German, who died in 1891 at the age of twenty-one years. The parents and all of their children are members of the Christian church and Mr. and Mrs. German may well be proud of the family that they have reared, for their sons and daughters are a credit to them and are numbered among the worthy and re- spected people of the various communities in which they reside. Mr. and Mrs. German have been identified with the church since the year of their marriage and during the period of the Civil war he became a member of the Masonic fraternity. His life has been fraught with many unusual experiences by reason of his military service and his residence upon the frontier, and as the years have gone by he has performed his full share in the work of public improvement and has won the respect and esteem of his fel- low men by reason of an honorable and upright life.
GEORGE W. ALDREDGE, who platted the town of Myra and has been successfully engaged in the promotion of its interests, is now devot- ing his time to the real-estate and fire insurance business there and is also a banker and mer- chant. He was born in Maury county, Tennes- see, September 18, 1854, his parents being John R. and Sarah (Squires) Aldredge, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Kentucky. The paternal grandparents were William and Nancy (Lane) Aldredge of North Carolina, and the former was a son of Aaron Aldredge and a grandson of James Aldredge. The last named, with his brother John Ald- redge, emigrated from England. They were shipbuilders and settled in Maryland. It is from James Aldredge that the branch of the family to which our subject belongs is descended. Aaron Aldredge settled in North Carolina and became a prominent farmer, who served throughout the Revolutionary war as a defender
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of the cause of the colonists. His children were James, John, Aaron and William.
company of which George W. Aldredge was captain. The command became a part of the Of this family William Aldredge was born,. Trans Mississippi department and was assigned to General Price's division, operating in Mis- souri, Indian Territory, Arkansas, Louisiana
reared and married in North Carolina and after- ward removed to Tennessee, becoming a pioneer settler there. He located on Duck river, where. and Texas. Mr. Aldredge was detailed to drive he operated a ferry boat for many years and the place became known as Aldredge's Ferry. He was also an attorney-at-law by profession and was a stanch Democrat, who used his influence for the party but never aspired to political pre- ferment. He became a prominent agriculturist and slave owner of his community and was highly respected in his home locality in Ten- nessee. In 1858 he left that state and removed to Fannin county, Texas, where he was living at the time of the Civil war. He used his influ- ence in behalf of the Confederacy and was a staunch advocate of the secession movement. He had many slaves and by their loss his estate was badly crippled at the close of the war and the earnings of a lifetime which he had saved for his children were swept away. He resumed farming, however, and continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits until his death in 1880, which occurred when he was eighty- eight years of age. His children were: John R., father of our subject; Aaron, who died in Tennessee; Donna, the wife of George King; Mrs. Lizzie Kline, whose husband was killed in the army; Margaret, the wife of M. Rutledge; and Jasper, of Fannin county, Texas. Of this family John and Jasper served in the Confeder- ate army. John R. Aldredge spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Tennessee and was there married, after which he began farming on his own account, successfully following the business until 1857, when he removed to Texas, settling in Fannin county. He brought his slaves with him and was thus enabled to open up and improve a large farm, becoming a very prominent agriculturist and stockman. At an early day he also found it profitable to carry on freighting as that was the only source of getting supplies into the country. He thus carried on business until the opening of the Civil war, when, in 1861, he enlisted as a member of a an ambulance and he proved his usefulness in many ways, continuing in active service until the close of the war. Hardships and privations were met and the usual exposures and dangers of a soldier's life were meted out to him, but he never faltered in the faithful performance of his duty. At the time of Lee's surrender the regi- ment was at Shreveport, Louisiana, and the reg- iment was then disbanded and soldiers returned to their homes. Mr. Aldredge was never wounded nor captured. Arriving home he found his slaves had gone and his farm was in a poor condition of improvement, owing to the ravages and neglect occasioned by the war. With resolute purpose, however, he sought to make the property again in good condition and he continued successfully in farming until 1879. when he sold out and removed to Bonham. Later he contracted for a mail route which he drove for four years, and in 1883 he removed to Hunt county, Texas, where he purchased and settled upon a farm, where he is yet living at the ripe. old age of seventy-seven years. He votes with the Democracy, using his influence for the party, yet never seeking nor desiring office for himself. He belongs to the Methodist church and is a member of the Masonic frater- nity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife died in 1890. She was a daughter of George Squires of Kentucky, who removed from that state to Tennessee, where he became an extensive lumber dealer, rafting logs down the river and used a large number of negroes in the work. He married Miss Sarah Willis, a daughter of Edmond Willis, of Virginia, and one of the early settlers of Kentucky, where he be- came a prominent farmer and slave owner. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Squires were six children: Uriah and William, who died in Texas; Sarah, who became Mrs. Aldredge; Margaret, the wife of William Burns; Mrs.
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Hettie T. Andrews; and Parmelia, the wife of J. Aldredge. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Aldredge were four children: Josie, who died in childhood; George W .; Ida, the wife of R. T. Barnett; and Mollie, the wife of J. Davis, who is now district clerk at Bonham.
George W. Aldredge was born in Tennessee and came with his parents to Texas when two years of age, being reared and educated in this state, the public schools affording him his priv- ileges in the line of intellectual advancement. He early became familiar with the duties and labors of the farmer and assisted his father in the work of the old homestead until nineteen years of age, when he married and began farm- ing on his own account in Fannin county, where he prospered in his work. After a num- ber of years he traded his place for the old homestead farm upon which he resided until 1897. Altogether he made his home thereon for forty years, but in 1897 sold that property and bought eight hundred acres of land at the pres- ent site of Myra in Cooke county, the greater part of which he yet owns. In 1899 he pur- chased one hundred and sixty-seven acres from Mr. Bergman and platted the town, giving it the name of Aldredge. Soon after he admitted Messrs. Sears and Sanders to a partnership and they continued with him for two years, but Mr. Aldredge has since been the chief promoter of the village. He platted the entire tract of one hundred and sixty acres and there has been no man who has done as much for the improvement and upbuilding of the village. Before the town was laid out the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad had established a flag station here and the postoffice was called Mvra. The postoffice name has never been changed to Aldredge, al- though the latter is the proper name of the town. During the first year Mr. Aldredge sold twenty thousand dollars' worth of lots and he continues in the real-estate dealing, yet owning three hundred lots here. The town has had no "booming," but has maintained a steady and healthful growth and there is now a good sta- tion house here, a large three-story merchant mill, three elevators, a cotton gin, a Methodist
and a Baptist church, a hotel, two livery stables, hardware, furniture and implement stores, three grocery stores, a blacksmith, wagon and repair shop and a good school. Mr. Aldredge has a large brick business block in which he is con- ducting a general store, dealing in dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes and groceries. He carries a complete stock and has an extensive business, a liberal patronage being accorded him from residents throughout the surrounding country. He also conducts a private bank for deposit and discount, buys and handles produce and ships grain and cotton. All of these inter- ests are conducted in addition to a real-estate business and he likewise has a fire insurance agency. His old home is a commodious and at- tractive two-story frame residence, erected in modern style of architecture and he has thirty- seven hundred acres of fine land which includes six well improved farms and also rich pasture lands which he rents. He supervises his busi- ness interests, looking after the details himself, including the rental of his property and the management of his commercial and farming in- terests, and he is indeed leading a useful and busy life. The town now has a population of six hundred with no empty houses and all branches of business here represented are doing well.
About 1870 Mr. Aldredge was united in mar- riage to Miss Mollie Foster, who was born in Georgia, ard has been a valuable helpmate to him on life's journey. Her parents were James B. and Carrie (White) Foster, both of whom were natives of Georgia. The father was a farmer and mechanic and served throughout the Civil war under General Stonewall Jackson in the Army of Virginia. He was on active duty, facing the enemy on a number of battle-fields and on the skirmish lines as well, and though he was often in the front ranks he was never wounded. He was detailed as wagon boss and acquired the title of captain. On one occasion he was captured and detained at Alton for nine months, being there at the time of Lee's sur- render. He was a member of Company G, Twenty-first Georgia Infantry, and he met the
. B. Gads.
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usual dangers and exposure meted out to a soldier. Following his marriage in Georgia he settled upon a farm and was making progress in his business, but at the time of the inaugura- tion of hostilities between the north and the south he put aside business considerations and when he returned to his home at the close of the war he found that the proceeds of his early labor had all vanished. He remained in Geor- gia until 1867, when he removed to Texas, set- tling in Fannin county, where he purchased a tract of land and successfully carried on farming up to the time of his death, which occurred Feb- ruary 26, 1904, when he was seventy-four years of age, for he was born in South Carolina on the 24th of January, 1830. He accumulated a competence for old age during his connection with agricultural interests in Texas and he left a good name and home. He always endeavored to make the golden rule the standard of his life and to exemplify its spirit in his daily relations with his fellow men. His widow yet survives him and continues at the old homestead. Her father was T. P. White, a prominent and highly respected resident of Georgia, who, on making a prospecting tour through Texas, became ill and died in this state. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist church. In their family were seven children: Thomas Henry, Joe, Mack, Emma, Betty and Carrie. The last named became Mrs. Foster and by that marriage there were seven children : James S., who died at Savoy College; Sallie, the wife of J. H. Cooper ; Mollie, now Mrs. Aldredge; W. R., who carries on farming on the old home- stead for his mother; Mrs. Ella Buley; Mrs. Emma Marshall; and Mrs. Minnie Barrett.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Aldredge has been blessed with thirteen interesting children : Maud, who is the wife of William Lettres; John O., who is assistant in the store; James G., who is head salesman in his father's store; Hattie, the wife of George Sewell; Mary Cleveland, Ida and Lexia, all at home; George M., who died at the age of ten months; Ruth, Audrey, Paul- ine, Gordon and Naomi. There has been only one death in the family. The parents are mem-
bers of the Baptist church, also four of their daughters and two of their sons. Mr. Aldredge is a stalwart Democrat, but has no time nor in- clination for public office. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in his church has served as deacon for a number of years. His life has indeed been a busy and useful one, crowned by successful accomplish- ment, and his various business undertakings, all successfully conducted, indicate his keen dis- crimination, foresight and unfaltering enter- prise.
IGNATIUS G. GAAL, superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso, Texas, whose thor- ough training and practical experience has well qualified him for the important and responsible duties which devolve upon him in this connec- tion, was born at Somolnok, in the department of Sepeshi Varas, Hungary, in 1847. He was provided with good educational privileges, in- cluding opportunity for considerable medical study under Dr. Jacob Heidel, a distinguished physician, who later was connected with the general hospital at Vienna. He was also expe- rienced in the general merchandise and drug trade before coming to America in 1865. After a short time spent in New York looking for work he made his way to Cleveland, Ohio, and secured employment in the furniture factory of Troeger, Winkle & Company, continuing there for about six months. Having by this time learned something of the English language he bought a wagon and team and started on trips through the country selling goods in northern Ohio. Later he engaged in the wholesale liquor business on Seneca street in Cleveland in con- nection with a man by the name of White, under the firm style of Gaal & Company. In 1869 he went to Kansas and was one of the pioneers of Washington county, locating on the Little Blue when there were few settlers in that part of the state. He became associated with a wealthy farmer, Mr. Hollenburg, for whom he worked for some time and during that period laid out the town of Hanover and part of the town of Waterville.
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