A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 99

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 99

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have eight children : Arthur, who was born in Missouri and now fol- lows farming in Texas; Rosa, who was born in

590

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

this state and is the wife of T. Anderson ; Albert, who is operating the homestead farm; Cora, the wife of James Newton, who is farming on the old home place ; C. J., Enoch, Nolia and Corbett, all at home. The parents are faithful members of the Christian church and Mr. Smith is a stal- wart Democrat. His advancement in business life has come as the direct result of his own labor, perseverance and capable management. Nearly all that he possesses has been acquired since he came to Montague county. When he removed to Texas he had a small team of horses and wagon and thirty dollars in money with which to supply the necessities of life for his wife, one child and himself. Hard work was before him, but he did not falter and his untiring indus- try and perseverance have at length been crowned with success.

GEORGE BRAUN, deceased, a conserva- tive business man who, nevertheless, was con- nected with various interests of commercial and industrial importance in Denison, was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1835, and came to America soon after the close of the Civil war, settling in St. Louis, Missouri. In his native country he had acquired a good practical edu- cation and had become a civil engineer, follow- ing that business until his removal to the Unit- ed States. In St. Louis he conducted a res- taurant in one of the large parks, being so en- gaged until he came to Texas in 1879. Here he became the agent in Denison for the An- heuser-Busch Brewing Company of St. Louis, acting as its representative for several years. In connection with others he established an ice plant in Denison and was successfully connect- ed with various business enterprises. He was always conservative and careful in making in- vestments and his judgment was sound and reliable in all business matters. In his trade relations he was strictly honorable and his prosperity was attributable entirely to his own labors.

In 1873, in Illinois, was celebrated the mar- riage of George Braun and Miss Minna Beltz, who was born in Germany, but was raised in St. Clair county, Illinois, a daughter of Charles

and Julia (Graff) Beltz. Her father, a native of Germany, came to America in 1850 and set- tled in Illinois, where he followed the occupa- tion of farming and also ran a general mer- chandise store in Mascoutah, Illinois, until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Braun became the parents of five children, of whom three are liv- ing: Lottie, the wife of Harry J. Bettis, a resi- dent of South McAlester, Indian Territory, by whom she has one child, Dorothy; George; and Tonie, now wife of R. S. Vann of Dallas.

The death of the husband and father oc- curred at Denison on the 17th of November, 1903. He was a Republican in politics but was without political aspiration. In a financial way he was very successful, for he carefully planned his advancement and every step was thoughtfully made and his life was an exempli- fication of the possibilities that are afforded in America to young men where effort and enterprise are not hampered by caste or class.

JOHN S. NEWMAN, the present sheriff of Jack county, is a native son of the Lone Star state, his birth occurring in Parker county in 1874, a son of G. S. and Nancy (Bedford) New- man. Many years have passed since the father located within the borders of western Texas, and his name figures conspicuously on the pages whose records perpetuate the principal events from early days to the present time. Prior to the Civil war he located in Parker county, and at the opening of that conflict he enlisted in the state troops, but on account of the Indian raids they were kept at home to protect the homes of the settlers. His life has been spent in the cattle and stock farming business, and for sev- eral years past he has made his home in the western part of Jack county, near Bryson, where he is the owner of a valuable stock farm. Mrs. Newman is a native of Kentucky.

John S. Newman was principally "raised in the saddle" and started cow punching in his early boyhood, in which occupation he traveled over Western Texas and a large part of New Mexico and Colorado. In his early days as a cowboy the fenced pastures which have since

591

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

developed were unknown, the business being ticed law in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, for two conducted on the great free range country, re- ' years. He then removed to Texas, settling in Jones county in 1881. This was prior to the organization of the county and of the selection of the county seat. Mr. Buie was chosen county judge in November, 1882, and again was elected in November, 1884. He served 'through that term, making four years in office and upon the bench he displayed the utmost fidelity to his duty, his decisions being based upon the equity and the law in the case and showing a thorough familiarity with the prin- ciples of jurisprudence.

quiring constant out-door life month after month over large stretches of country. He thus passed through all phases of cowboy life and experi- ence. He first went with the outfit of Kuhn & Hittson, taking a bunch of cattle over the trail from Texas to Kansas; was next with Taylor & Company on the Vox ranch in New Mexico and with the same outfit in Colorado; and then be- came a cowboy for the Loving Cattle Company, remaining with them for several years and in fact most of his life on the plains was spent with that company, which was formerly one of the largest in Texas, founded by Oliver Loving, and whose interests centered largely in the famous Loving Valley lying in Palo Pinto, Parker and Jack counties. In November, 1904, Mr. New- man was elected the sheriff of Jack county. The regular Democratic nominee for that office with- drew from the race and removed from the county, and Mr. Newman was called on to take his place, thus announcing his candidacy only twelve days before the election, but notwith- standing this and without being able to make a personal canvass of the county he was easily elected, this being due no doubt to his high standing and popularity and his wide acquaint- ance over the country engaged in the cattle bus- iness. The confidence reposed in him has never been betrayed, and his fidelity to the public trust in the discharge of his official duties has been most marked. He is still engaged with his father in the cattle business and is widely and favorably known in Jacksboro and surrounding country.

HON. L. M. BUIE, for four years judge of Jones county and well known in connection with the legal profession, has also attained success and prominence in connection with real estate operations. He was born in Ceru- lean Springs, Kentucky, and acquired his early education in the common schools of that state, while his literary education was obtained at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennes- see. He was graduated from the law depart- ment of that school in June, 1878, and prac-

Judge Buie has been connected with the land business since 1881. In February, 1899, he was especially selected and commissioned by the Texas Central Railroad management to go and select the town site of Stamford. This he did and opened a land office there and he now operates land offices in both Anson and Stam- ford. The first train reached Stamford Febru- ary II, 1900, over the Texas Central road. He established a land office at that time and has thus been identified with the town from its be- ginning. In September, 1903, B. E. Sparks was admitted to a partnership in the business under the firm name of Buie & Sparks. In Decem- ber, 1881, he opened his office in Anson and has since maintained it, the business being conducted under the firm style of Buie & Ken- nedy, his partner being Ed Kennedy. This relation was formed in August, 1898, prior to which time the Anson partnership had under- gone many changes. Judge Buie has a val- uable farm in Jones county of over one thou- · sand acres all under cultivation and in fact it is one of the best in the country. He likewise has the management of lands for different peo- ple for investment. He makes his home in both Stamford and Anson, as business may call him to either place.

Judge Buie is unmarried and he devotes his time to his private business interests and the welfare of the two towns with which he is associated. He has probably done more for the settlement of the country than any other one man. In the important commission of selecting a site for the new town of Stamford he displayed great wisdom and forethought.

592

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

The Texas Central Railroad then had its west- ern terminus at Albany and with the building of the road to Stamford, a distance of forty miles, its present terminus, penetrating into the heart of an undeveloped but an exceed- ingly fertile and rich country, it took away from other sections the great bulk of trade which formerly went to these places and a new commercial growth was established within its own limits. This has rapidly been going on and Judge Buie has always been a central figure in its active progress. As county judge he was an efficient and capable exponent in the enforcement of the laws of the country, was brave and courageous in the discharge of his official duties and did much toward breaking up those lawless organizations which always are found in a new country.

SAMUEL L. S. SMITH, M. D., who has won distinction in the medical profession, is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and a son of Isaac P. and Abbie H. (Campbell) Smith. He was reared and received his early literary edu- cation in the city of his birth, where his father was a prominent architect and builder, while his professional training was obtained in the Uni- versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating with the class of 1873. His summer vacations were spent in the Marine Hospital at Louisville, the last year as an interne by appointment of the physician in charge, Dr. Griffith, and after his graduation he continued his services in the hos- pital until August of that year, 1873. An epi- demic of cholera broke out at Lancaster, Ken- tucky, where at that time there was an army post garrisoned by Company E of the Sixteenth Infantry under Captain J. S. Fletcher. The epi- demic became so violent that the town was panic-stricken and all the physicians fled, includ- ing the post surgeon, as did also a majority of the people. Hearing of this and with the stern sense of the duty of a physician, Dr. Smith vol- unteered to Dr. Griffith and through him to Dr. Sloan of Louisville, who at that time was med- ical director of the Department of the South, to go to the relief of the stricken people of Lancas- ter. Dr. Sloan had tried in vain to induce

physicians to go there, and so impressed was he with Dr. Smith's offer that he appointed him post surgeon of Company E, Sixteenth Infantry, and for his meritorious service was retained in the medical department of the United States army for nearly nine years, three years of the time being spent at Lancaster. After the epi- demic had been quelled he made a detailed re- port to the surgeon general of the army and this is now a part of the government report of "The Cholera Epidemic of 1873," published about a year later.

While serving as post surgeon at Lancaster, which was located in the feud-infested part of eastern Kentucky, Dr. Smith had some thrilling experiences and narrow escapes from assassin- ation in the bitter warfare going on there at that time, and which was the cause of the troops be- ing stationed there. But his sterling character and true worth were soon recognized by all, even by those engaged in the feuds, and these brought him friendships that more than once saved his life. From Kentucky he was trans- ferred to the post at Aiken, South Carolina, and thence to northern Georgia, where he served as surgeon and was with the two companies of the Second Infantry when they captured eight hun- dred moonshiners. Following this Dr. Smith resigned his position and for a short time was engaged in private practice in Indianapolis, but his services were still needed in the army, and after a few months the surgeon general volun- tarily offered him an appointment, allowing him to choose whatever post or section of the coun- try he wished to serve-an unusual favor to show an appointee to positions in army life. Judge Walter Q. Gresham, afterward secretary of state in Cleveland's cabinet, gave him a letter of introduction to General E. O. C. Ord, then in command of the Department of the South- west, with headquarters at San Antonio, and Dr. Smith decided to report at that place, with the result that General Ord assigned him for duty at Fort Concho, with title of assistant surgeon and with rank of first lieutenant of cavalry. Fort Concho was located in Western Texas, on the Concho river, Tom Green county, where the

593

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

town of San Angelo has since been built, and the

Society, was a member of the board of education buildings of this fort, the ruins of which are. in San Angelo for about sixteen years and was instrumental in building the first permanent school house in the city, which was the begin- ning of the educational system here; was pres- ident of the Citizens National Bank, but this in- stitution is not now in existence; and is exam- " iner for about twenty insurance companies. Fra-

still standing, were begun about 1866 and com- pleted about 1874. At the time Dr. Smith ar- rived at the fort, in the year 1877, it was a ten- company post, and on account . of the Indian troubles in Texas and New Mexico was an important seat of army operations at that time. During the first year of his services here he rode ' ternally he is identified with the Masons, belong- five thousand miles on horseback with his regi- ing to the local commandery. ment on duty. He was with the expedition that In Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Potter, a daughter of the Rev. S. S. Potter, a Presbyterian minister, the wedding being celebrated on the 5th of April, 1882, and to them were born two children, a son and a daughter, but the former, Isaac Pot- ter Smith, died at Louisville in May, 1904, while preparing to enter the medical profession. The daughter is Miss Elizabeth R. Smith. was sent out after the Indians in rebellion under Chief Victoria, these being the Apaches, and was with them at the battle of Tularosa, New Mex- ico, where were captured about four hundred of the savages, with many killed on both sides. He was also on many other scouting and fighting expeditions, ranging over the West Texas coun- try from Fort Concho to and including New Mexico and south to the big bend of the Rio Grande, his last trip having been made with five companies of troops to Fort Sill, Indian Nation, on account of the outbreak of the Kiowas in 1881.

In October, 1881, Dr. Smith tendered his res- ignation as army surgeon, which was accepted with reluctance as he had made strong and last- ing friendships in the army and established him- self for private practice at Fort Concho, or more properly speaking at San Angelo, which was then just beginning to spring into existence, at that time consisting of only a few shacks. A lit- tle item of interest recalled by the Doctor which others seem to have forgotten or not to have noticed, is that the town had originally been ' vania to Miss Jane Wareham, whose birth oc- named San Angela, but the postoffice depart- ment objected to the name on account of its being incorrect Spanish, and insisted that it should be either St. Angela or San Angelo, the latter form being chosen after the town had been on the map for some time as San Angela. Here he has ever since been numbered among the city's skilled physicians and surgeons, and a large and lucrative practice has been vouchsafed him. He is the dean of the medical profession in this section of the state. He was the first president of the Tom Green County Medical

IRVING R. FISHER, filling the position of post office inspector at Denison, was born in Selins Grove, Pennsylvania, in 1852, a son of Dr. Chesselden and Jane (Wareham) Fisher. The Fisher family is of English lineage and was founded in America by four brothers, one of whom settled in Vermont, a second in Ken- tucky, while the other two went to the south. It is supposed that David Fisher of Vermont was the emigrant from England and it is defi- nitely known that he was the progenitor of the family of which our subject is a representa- tive. The father was born at Newfane, Ver- mont, in 1822, and was married in Pennsyl- curred at Selins Grove, that state. After their marriage they removed westward to Illinois, where Dr. Fisher engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery. He was a graduate of the Jefferson Medical College, of Philaldephia, and throughout his entire life devoted his en- ergies to practice. He entered the army as an army surgeon at Freeport, Illinois, and was at first attached to the Seventy-third Illinois Regiment, and afterward was brigade surgeon of the brigade of which the Seventy-third was a part, with which he remained until the close

594

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

of hostilities, rendering valuable aid to the sick and wounded among the Union soldiers and also to the Confederates who came under his care. When the war was over he went to Iowa and he came to Texas at the same time his son, Irving R. Fisher, took up his abode in this state. Dr. Fisher was a Mason and he belonged to the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion. He practiced his profession in both Stephens and Grayson counties and was a prominent and valuable representative of the medical fraternity in this part of the state. His death occurred in Denison in 1895, while his wife passed away three years before. They were the parents of two sons: Irving R., of this review; and K. S., who is chief deputy United States marshal at Paris, Texas. Thus both sons are in the government service.

Irving R. Fisher was but four years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Illinois. He followed his public school course by an appointment to the Naval Academy at Annap- olis by Congressman John A. Logan, which he entered in 1869, and resigned in October, 1871, and then entered the law department of the Michigan University of Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in 1874. He then practiced law in Illinois and in Texas and going to Des Moines, Iowa, became a member of the bar of that city. In 1877 he removed to Texas, settling in Stephens county before the building of the railroad there. He remained in active practice at that point until 1885, when he came to Denison, which has since been his home and where he engaged in the practice of den- tistry until 1890, when he received the appoint- ment for the position of post office inspector for the Texas division with headquarters at Austin. When that division was abolished he was transferred to the St. Louis division and in 1894 was transferred to the New Orleans di- vision. In politics he is a Republican and as a Federal official has given capable service, discharging the duties that devolve upon him with promptness and fidelity. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, liis membership being with the lodges in Denison.

In 1875 Mr. Fisher was united in marriage in Geneva, New York, to Miss Jeanie C. Smith, who was born in Canton, Illinois, and is a daughter of Amos Smith. They have be- come the parents of two sons and two daugh- ters. Dr. Stewart C. Fisher, a graduate of the Harvard University Dental College, married Hattie Lutewiler, of Denison, Texas, and is engaged in the practice of dentistry in St. Jo, Texas. He has one son, Jack. Cora L. Fish- er is now the wife of Harvey E. Henry, of Mill Creek, Indian Territory, and has one child, Edna. Jennie Gertrude Fisher is at home. Merrill L. Fisher, who is a brakeman on the Houston & Texas Central Railroad, married Maud Turner and has two children, Mildred L. and Irving R.

CHARLES E. MAYS, who for thirteen years has engaged in the general practice of medicine and surgery in San Angelo, making steady advancement in his profession because of his thorough preparation therefor and his conscien- tious performance of the duties that devolve upon him in this connection, is one of the native sons of the state, his birth having occurred in New Salem, Rusk county. His parents, John M. and Sarah (Fullbright) Mays, are both de- ceased. The father was one of the early settlers of Texas, having come from Tennessee to Rusk county about 1850. He was a successful agri- culturist and was early identified with the farm- ing interests of the state, devoting his life to the tilling of the soil and stock raising until his life's labors were ended. His wife was also a native of Tennessee.

Dr. Mays supplemented his early educational privileges by a more specifically literary course pursued in Trinity University and then having made choice of the medical profession as a life work he began preparation for this vocation as a student in Tulane University at New Orleans, where he was graduated with the class of 1885. Thus well equipped for practice he opened an office at New Salem in his home county, where he remained for over three years, when seeking a broader field of labor he removed to Wooten Wells, Texas, and for about three years acted

G.P. Couch

595

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

as physician for the Wooten Wells Company in the "Emerald Isle." His grandfather Couch, addition to conducting his private practice. Since 1892 he has resided in San Angelo, where he has since remained as a general practitioner of medicine and surgery, but has given special attention to gynecology, in which he has been extremely successful. He has read extensively along this line and has become particularly well equipped for that branch of medical practice. The very liberal patronage accorded him has made him a man of affluence and he now has substantial business interests in San Angelo, being the leading proprietor in the Central Drug Store, which is located in Mays Block-a struc- ture that is the property of Dr. Mays of this review. He likewise has other investments and he owns in connection with his business prop- erty a very fine residence in San Angelo.

Dr. Mays was married in New Salem, the lady of his choice being Miss Lulu Wiggins and they have two children, Ed and Aline. The doctor's brother, Judge Milton Mays, is a lawyer and county judge of Tom Green county. The doc- tor is a Royal Arch Mason, in hearty sympathy with the teachings and tenets of the craft and his religious belief is indicated by his member- ship in the Cumberland Presbyterian, church. Interested in all that pertains to the advance- ment of the profession, he is associated with the Tom Green County Medical Society and the regard which his fellow men of the profession entertain for him is indicated by the fact that he is now serving as president thereof. He has carried his investigations forward along original lines and at the same time has kept in touch with the progress made by the medical fraternity and his knowledge is comprehensive and accu- rate, while his correct application of the medical science to the needs of suffering humanity is indicated by the excellent results that have at- tended his labors.

GEORGE REUBEN COUCH, cashier of the Haskell National Bank, Haskell, Texas, has been a resident of the county for more than twenty years and in many ways prominently identified with its growth and prosperity.

Mr. Couch traces his parental ancestry to

when a young man, came from Ireland to America and settled in Bedford county, Middle Tennessee, where he married a Miss Patton, a native of Tennessee, and reared a large fam- ily. Their son, John Archie Couch, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, where he grew up and mar- ried Miss Sarah Jane Hooser, also a native of that county, and where he was engaged in farming for a number of years. His wife died in 1863, at about the age of thirty years. She was the mother of four children, three of whom survived her, namely: Fanny, wife of T. J. Morrison, of Hillsboro, Texas; J. M. Couch, who died in Haskell county, Texas, in 1888; and G. R. Couch, whose name heads this review. After the mother's death the father married her sister, Miss Meda Hooser, by whom he had eight children, all now living and residents of Texas, viz .: Mattie, wife of L. W. Roberts, of Lubbock; Daniel R. Couch, of Aspermont ; Allie, wife of R. L. Reeves, of Knox county ; John A. Couch, of Haskell; Ettie, wife of W. G. Baker, of Coleman county; E. C. Couch, of Roby; C. R. Couch, of Lubbock; and Miss Stella Couch, of Munday. In 1870, with his family, at that time consisting of seven children, John Archie Couch moved from Ten- nessee to Texas, and settled in Hill county, where he carried on farming and stock raising for six years, at the end of that time changing his residence to Coleman county, where he lived for twenty years. Since 1896 he has been in Knox county and at this writing is post- master of Munday.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 99

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