A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 28

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: 972

USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II > Part 28

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Dr. Elisha P. Brown was born on a farm twelve miles from the little town of Florida, Missouri, well remembered as the birthplace of Mark Twain, and was reared to the life of the farmer boy, continuing to follow its pursuits until the breaking out of the Civil war. His mother was a strong anti-slavery woman, although her father was a large slave owner in Virginia, and had conscientiously instilled

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

those sentiments and teachings in her children, so that Mr. Brown, notwithstanding the almost overwhelming southern sentiment throughout the state of Missouri outside of St. Louis, joined the Union forces, being one of the six Union men in his township. His first two years of army life were spent with the Missouri State Militia, Company B, Thirty-ninth Regiment, of which Major Johnson was one of the well re- membered officers, and it was this company that was the victim of the tragedy enacted at Centralia, Missouri, in which seventy-five out of a company of a little more than one hundred men were killed by the Confederate forces under Bill Anderson, Mr. Brown being one of the fortunate ones that escaped. Shortly after his enlistment he was promoted from a private to a corporal, but ere his two years of service had ended he was made a captain by the act of Governor Fletcher for bravery while in service under Major Johnson, at which time he was transferred to the Sixty-ninth Regi- ment, M. S. M., and two years later went into the regular federal troops, joining the Thirty- ninth Missouri Volunteer Infantry. Through the recommendation of one of its officers and his friends he was then assigned to detached duty, being detailed as a provost guard with the duty of transferring troops from the rear to the front of the army. These duties took him all over the country, as far south as Sherman's headquarters in Georgia and east to New York City. He was a brave and fearless soldier, and when the war ended and his services were no longer needed he was honorably discharged and mustered out of service at St. Louis, two weeks after the assassination of Lincoln.

Returning to his old home in Ralls county, Mr. Brown again took up the duties of farm life, and later removed to Pike county, Louisiana, where he embarked in the mercantile business, which he later carried on at Hannibal, conduct- ing a prosperous business there until 1884, in which year hecame to Texas. His first location in this state was in Dallas county, which con- tinued as his home for five years, and since that time he has resided in Fort Worth. About the time of his arrival in this city he abandoned the mercantile business and engaged in the preparation and manufacture of proprietary medicines, which he has ever since conducted with eminent success. While engaged in business in Missouri and while yet a young man he had taken the medical course at the McDowell College of Medicine, St. Louis, dur- ing which time he made special investigation and research for the purpose of compounding

remedies, in which he has become very profi- cient. He has pushed forward this enterprise with strength and ability until his preparations have within the past few years reached a large sale throughout Texas and the southern states, supplying the retail trade through jobbers.

In Audrain county, Missouri, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Virginia Rog- ers, the daughter of Rev. Rogers, and their union' was blessed with four chil- dren, three of whom are living,-Lillie, the wife of J. W. Barr, of Louisiana, Missouri; Dr. Edgar P. Brown, D. D. S., of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas; Ida, the wife of G. W. Richard- son, of New Orleans, Louisiana; and Mrs. Emma F. Burnett, deceased. They all re- ceived excellent educations, being college graduates, and the daughters were especially well educated in music. For several years the family furnished the music for the Metho- dist church at Hannibal. Besides being a most successful dentist, the son Edgar P. is also an inventor, having invented a solar mo- tor that according to the Scientific American represents the highest perfection of any de- vice of that class. Mrs. Brown died in Mis- souri, and in 1895, in Texas, Mr. Brown mar- ried Miss Minerva Smith, a member of one of the prominent families of Van Zandt county. Her little sister, Miss Dovie, was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Brown when she was a young child, and Mrs. Brown's niece, Miss Mae Adams, is also a member of their family. Their home at Fort Worth is comfortable and hos- pitable to the highest degree; and Mr. Brown is personally known to a large number of peo- ple throughout Texas as a fine, genial and generous-hearted man. He is Post Command- er of Parmelay Post, G. A. R.

COLONEL CHARLES W. GEERS. Con- spicuous on the roll of names of men that have conferred honor upon the profession of jour- nalism in Texas is that of Charles W. Geers, the proprietor and editor of the Monitor at Denton. He is a writer of superior force and ability and has ever been an earnest worker, and in all the relations of life he is an honorable, upright gentleman who has won the sincere respect of all with whom he has come in con- tact. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, May 27, 1840, a son of Charles and Caroline (Perkins) Geers, both of whom were also na- tives of that city, and there were laid to rest. The paternal grandfather, James Geers, re- moved to Kentucky from North Carolina, lo-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

cating with Daniel Boone at Boonesboro, but later took up his abode in Lexington.

Charles W. Geers is indebted to the public schools of his native city of Lexington for the educational privileges he received in his youth, and on its completion he entered the office of the Lexington Observer and Reporter, where he learned the printers' trade. That paper in those days was owned and edited by D. C. Wickliffe, while the associate editor was John T. Hogan and Captain R. Marsh was the fore- man. At the breaking out of the Civil War Colonel Geers went out with John H. Morgan, of Lexington, who had been captain of the Lex- ington Rifles. He did not at first formally en- list, but like many other young men in an ad- venturous spirit joined to follow Morgan. On reaching Camp Robinson a number of other men, parts of three or four companies, joined, making altogether about one hundred and fifty men, they calling themselves Morgan's Squadron. This squadron continued to in- crease, especially after the fighting at Forts Henry and Donelson, until finally Morgan had nearly four thousand fearless soldiers of mount- ed cavalry, a recognized aid to the Confederate cause. They were engaged in dangerous scout- ing duty between the two armies. Mr. Geers' father was also a Confederate soldier, but his brother joined the Union army.

After the war had ended Mr. Geers returned to his old home in Lexington, but a short time afterward removed to Louisville, Kentucky, there securing a position as river reporter on the Louisville Democrat, published by Harney & Hughes. From that city he journeyed to Shelbyville of the same state, where he was employed for a time on the Shelbyville News, after which he became editor of the Glasgow Times of Glasgow, Kentucky. From the latter city he went to New Orleans, there securing a position with Colonel J. O. Nixon as local writer on the New Orleans Crescent. His next place of residence was Shreveport, Lou- isiana, where he was employed for a short time on the Shreveport News. Removing thence to Greenville, Hunt county, Texas, he became ac- quainted with Tom R. Burnet, and the two published the Greenville Independent. In April, 1868, they hauled the plant by wagon to the then frontier town of Denton, in Den- ton county, which has ever since continued the home of Colonel Geers. At the time of the re- moval the name of the paper was changed to the Monitor, a name which brought to its old and honored proprietor fame and renown. The

partnership between Colonel Geers and Mr. Burnet existed but thirty-one weeks, when the former bought his partner's interest, and was thenceforward its sole editor and proprietor. With one or two exceptions this is the oldest newspaper in northern Texas, having had a continuous weekly publication since 1868. In the early days he did not confine his attention solely to the Monitor at Denton, but as a side issue took up at different times the publication and editing of a number of other papers, name- ly : a weekly paper at Morgan, in Bosque coun- ty; another, The Citizen, at Meridian, in the same county ; also the Clifton Banner at Clif- ton, Bosque county. He also published a paper at Sanger, called the Legal Tender, and estab- lished the Louisville Headlight at Louisville, Texas.

In Denton Mr. Geers was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Sophia Blount, a daughter of Judge J. M. Blount, and a native of Denton county. They have eight living children, name- ly: Charles W., Jr., engaged in the newspaper business at Aubrey, Texas; Effie, the wife of Rev. A. E. Ewell, pastor of the Christian church at Bonham; Gertrude, wife of John G. Rix, a merchant of Colorado City, Texas; Otis, Estie, Margaret, Lucile and Sallie. Mr. Geers served as a member of the Texas state delega- tion to the National Democratic Convention at Baltimore in 1872 which nominated Horace Greeley. In 1868 he interested himself in or- ganizing a Christian church in Denton and brought a minister here for that purpose. The church was duly organized and Mr. Geers has since been connected therewith, and in fact is the only surviving charter member of what is now the First Christian church of this city. A life of intense and well directed activity characterized by devotion to duty and by suc- cessful accomplishment have made Mr. Geers one of the representative and honored men of Texas.

HON. CHARLES V. CYRUS, who as a merchant has contributed to the general pros- perity of Cleburne, was born in Giles county, Tennessee, in 1841. His father, Charles B. Cyrus, was a native of Logan county, Ken- tucky, and in 1814, when a young lad, accom- panied two of his uncles to Pulaski, Giles coun- ty, Tennessee, whence he afterward removed to Maury county, where he died in the year 1860. He married Miss Susan Stratton, a na- tive of Virginia and a daughter of John Strat- ton, who died at Pensacola, Florida, while serv-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

ing under General Andrew Jackson in the war of 1812 and a peculiar coincidence in the family history is that Henry Cyrus, the paternal grandfather of our subject, also died in Pensa- cola in the same service.

In his youth Hon. Charles V. Cyrus was reared to agricultural pursuits, aiding in farm labor in Maury county, Tennessee, but at the outbreak of the Civil war he put aside all busi- ness and personal considerations and in re- sponse to the summons to arms made by the Confederacy he joined Company E of the Ninth Battalion of Tennessee Cavalry. Like many cavalrymen in the Confederate service, espe- cially during the first year or two of the war, he was kept moving about in different lines of duty. He was, however, with his battalion at the battle of Fort Donelson in February, 1862, at which time he was captured, being held as a prisoner of war for about six months. He was then exchanged at Vicksburg, Missis- sippi, and afterward served with his comrades as infantryman until a detail of their command could return to Tennessee and procure re- mounts. In the meantime while acting as in- fantry they went to assist in the defense of Port Hudson on the Mississippi river. After receiving horses they organized a little bri- gade of cavalry commanded by Colonel John Logan of Arkansas and they were behind Banks until after Port Hudson surrendered on the 8th of July, 1863. Subsequent to that time Mr. Cyrus' command joined the army of the Tennessee under General Joe Johnston and with others of his regiment, while on scouting duty, he was captured and taken to Fort Dela- ware below Philadelphia, where he was in- carcerated until a short time before the close of the war. He was released, however, in time to rejoin General Johnston's army at Greens- boro, North Carolina, where they surrendered.

Mr. Cyrus returned to his home on horse- back, reaching Maury county on the 23rd of May, 1865. He was then engaged in farming, in which pursuit he was quite successful, his attention being given to agriculture until 1896, when he came to Cleburne, Texas. In the meantime he had figured prominently in pub- lic life in his native state, having been elected in 1801 a member of the Tennessee legislature. In that session his most important work and for which he is given the greatest credit was in furthering the legislation providing for the establishment of a state home for old soldiers at the Hermitage, once the residence of General Andrew Jackson. This plan was successfully

carried out and has proved a great blessing to the indigent Confederate soldiers of Tennessee.

Mr. Cyrus was married in Maury county, Tennessee, on the Ist of September, 1869, to Miss Anne M. Porter, who was born in Fau- quier county, Virginia, a daughter of Richard L. and Anne Maria (Walker) Porter, both of whom were natives of that county and rep- resentatives of the well known Porter family of the state. Mrs. Cyrus went with her par- ents to Maury county, Tennessee, in 1861. To Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus have been born eight chil- dren: Charles L., James C., Thomas S. and Richard, all well known business men of Cle- burne; Susan, the wife of E. R. Barkus, of Waco, Texas: Elbert M .; Roberta and Jennie Hill, at home.

The eldest son, Charles L. Cyrus, came to Cleburne in 1892 and engaged in the feed and coal business on a small scale. He was later followed by three other sons of the family and the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Cy- rus, and their other children came to Texas in 1896. The small business established by Charles L. Cyrus has since grown into the large commercial enterprise now conducted under the name of Cyrus Brothers, the partners being Charles L. and James C. Cyrus. The field of labor of the firm was enlarged in 1893 to in- clude beside the original line a complete line of vehicles, agricultural implements and hard- ware and is one of the successful houses of Cleburne, having an extensive and profitable trade. Thomas S. and Richard Porter Cyrus also constitute another firm of Cyrus & Cyrus, who are in the drug business in Cleburne and who established their store in 1903. This firm was originally Ball & Cyrus, but the partner- ship was dissolved by the retirement of Mr. Ball, at which time Thomas S. Cyrus was joined by his brother Richard, who had previ- ously been engaged in the furniture business. They then united their interests in the firm of Cyrus & Cyrus, dealers in drugs in Cleburne, and have enjoyed a profitable and constantly increasing trade.

Charles V. Cyrus, his wife and family, are all consistent members of the Methodist church and he holds membership in Pal Cleburne camp, U. V. C., of this city. He is a man of strong purpose, unfaltering in support of his honest convictions, reliable in business, faith- ful in friendship and his strong and salient char- acteristics are those which have gained for him warm regard and which in every land and clime command respect and confidence.

JAMES T. PULLIAM

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

CAPTAIN JAMES T. PULLIAM, well known in real estate circles of Fort Worth, has been identified with Tarrant county and North- west Texas more than a quarter of a century. During a lifetime of more than three score and ten years he has experienced the variety of a career of self-achievement and well merited suc- cess, and is esteemed as one of the leading citi- zens of the twentieth century city of Fort Worth, with whose later development he has had much to do of a beneficial character.

Born in Franklin county, Georgia, November 28, 1834, on a farm where his father, Benjamin S., and his mother, Eleanor (Turman), then lived, he was taken, in 1837, to their new home in Chickasaw county, Mississippi, near Houston, where the father kept an inn for a year. At their home, thus opened to the public, were entertained during that period many prominent men of that day, among them as now recalled being W. S. Featherstone, a member of Congress and later a general in the Confederate army.

It was at Houston, Mississippi, that the son James received his first school privileges, and among other interesting reminiscences of his youth he recalls how he was dressed for school in the white bonnet and dress also worn by the girls, this method of appareling the school- boys being in vogue in that part of the country at that time. And all this clothing was of course homespun by his mother. While attending school and for some years afterward, until he was twen- ty-three years old, he lived at home on the farm. From 1857 to 1860 he was engaged in the mer- cantile business in Houston, and in the latter year moved to Egypt on the Mobile and Ohio Rail- road, but still in Chickasaw county, where be- sides conducting a general merchandise business he was also postmaster. January 14, 1861, this career came to an end by his enlisting in Com- pany H, Eleventh Mississippi Infantry, of the Confederate army. After twelve months' service, during which he was in Virginia, in the Harper's Ferry campaign under Joseph E. Johnston, and also in the battle at Pensacola, Florida, he re- turned home in 1862, selling out his stock of merchandise, re-enlisted, this time in Company C, Thirty-first Mississippi. This time he went in for three years, and remained till the close of the war, being discharged May II, 1865, at Meridian, Mississippi. Courageous and efficient service brought him advancement, and when he finally returned home it was with the rank of captain. He had participated in many important battles, being at Shiloh, and at Flat Woods every man in his company was either killed or wounded, he

being at that time third lieutenant. He was also wounded at the battle of Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 20, 1864. Despite such a long and arduous service he was never sick a day nor absent without leave. Besides the incidents and dangers of the regular service he on three differ- ent occasions volunteered for special duty, which led him into perilous skirmishes and he was wounded each time.

War time over, he returned to Egypt to find his home and store to have been destroyed in the General Smith raid, and he was one of the brave sons of the south who were compelled to begin all over again to build up the structure of personal success, and it is to his everlasting credit that prosperity has in later years rewarded his efforts and that he can enjoy it notwithstand- ing early misfortunes. On January 25, 1866, he married Miss Eliza Ann Ware, who was born in South Carolina, October 22, 1844, and who died in 1894. She was the beloved mother of a family of ten, all but two of whom are living; namely, Thomas M., James E., Theodore C., Benjamin O., Lenora Y., Emma L., Frank L., Joseph T., and Williamson L. and Mary L., both deceased.

After conducting his business at Egypt for three years he took up his residence at the home of his boyhood, and was engaged in farming there seventeen years, until 1879. Altogether he lived forty-two years in Chickasaw county. When he came to this state in 1879 he settled on a farm near Azle in Tarrant county, and for seventeen years was known as one of the most successful and enterprising of the farmers in that fertile section. His removal to Fort Worth was made in order that he might the better educate his children, and since taking up his home in the city, he has engaged in the real estate busi- ness.

In public affairs Captain Pulliam's most im- portant service for the welfare of his fellowmen was performed during his term as county com- missioner of Tarrant, in 1877-78, when he justly earned the title of father of the good roads sys- tem in the county. He was one of the first to bring into practical success the employment of the county criminals in road building, and the results of the movement thus inaugurated are regarded as one of the great achievements in the progress of Tarrant county, and are ground for no ordinary gratulation on the part of Cap- tain Pulliam and his friends. In religion the Captain is a member of the Missionary Baptist denomination.

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

JUDGE WILLIAM R. PARKER, head of the legal firm of Parker, Dunn and Parker, has for more than fifteen years been a leader at the bar of Tarrant county and through his wide professional activity and distinction in political and private life has become one of the foremost citizens of Fort Worth.

Born in Logan county, Kentucky, in 1851, Judge Parker is a son of Richard C. and Martha Morton (Sanford) Parker, who in 1854 returned to their former home in Sumner county, Tennes- see, to the farm on which the father was born and where he died, and on which Judge Parker spent his youthful days. The mother, who was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, now lives with her daughter at Scottsville, Ken- tucky.

Greenwood Institute is a well known educa- tional seat in Tennessee, noted especially for the large number of students sent from its halls into prominent places of worldly activity. It was here that Judge Parker obtained the major part of his literary training. He studied his law at Scottsville, Kentucky, was admitted to the bar in 1882 and continued to practice there for several years in partnership with Judge Bradburn, a man of eminent position in that part of the state. About 1889 Mr. Parker iden- tified himself with Fort Worth, and has been continuously active here ever since. He served one term as county judge, and on different occasions has been called to act as special dis- trict judge. In practice he makes a specialty of criminal law, and out of a large number of cases extending over a number of years he has lost only two or three, and this unusual record places him in the front rank of criminal law - yers in North Texas. He also has a good clien- tage as general counselor and attorney.

The firm of Parker, Dunn and Parker con- sists, beside himself, of Thomas W. Dunn and Richard C. Parker, Judge Parker's son. It has been Judge Parker's gratifying experience to have nearly all his partners become prominent in politics or public life. Hon O. W. Gilles- pie, who was his first law partner after he came to Fort Worth, has since been elected to Con- gress from this district. His second partner was William A. Hanger, who is now state sena- tor, and among others were Mike E. Smith and M. B. IIarris, who both subsequently went to the district bench.

Judge Parker's political activity has extend- ed to his serving as chairman of the Democratic campaign committee of Tarrant county, a po- sition he has held for several years, and he has frequently gone to state and other con- ventions as a delegate and is a well known

speaker on such occasions. At the present time he is a member of the city council of Fort Worth, from the Third ward. Fraternally he has affiliations with the Masons and Knights of Pythias.

Judge Parker's first wife was Miss Sarah C. Robertson, whom he married February 18, 1874, and by their marriage there were six chil- dren, Richard C., Virgil R., who is assistant city attorney, Mrs. Mary B. Hunter, William R., Jr., Mrs. Kate Louise Wandry and Miss Alma. His second marriage took place June 28, 1904, to Mrs. R. E. Bowman.

JUDGE JAMES M. VAN SANT, success- ful rancher and man of affairs at Canyon City, Randall county, has had a varied and many-sid- ed career, but in general very successful, and ever since taking up his residence in the Pan- handle country he has taken a prominent part in the public and industrial activities and used his influence for the progress and best welfare of his town and county.

in Judge Van Sant was born north- west Arkansas, Crawford county, March 18, 1840, and was the son of Isaiah and Margaret (Chenault) Van Sant. His fa- ther, a native of Botetourt county, Virginia, was one of the earliest pioneers of northwest- ern Arkansas, establishing his home in Craw- ford county three miles from the town of Van Buren, and his son Isaiah still lives on this homestead, where he was born in 1842. The father died at the old home place in 1862.

Judge Van Sant passed his early years on the home farm, and received most of his education at Cane Hill College in Washington county, Arkansas. As soon as he came out of school he began his connection with official life, be- coming employed in the county clerk's office at Van Buren. He was later a clerk in the postoffice for a year or two, and then went into the mercantile business at Van Buren in part- nership with W. B. Heard. He was in that business when the war broke out. He enlisted in the Third Regiment of state troops, and was in the first battle fought in southwest Missouri, that at Wilson's Creek, or, as the Confederates call it, Oak Hill. He later enlisted in the regu- lar Confederate service under General Fagin, being in the cavalry branch of the military, and after a short time was placed in General Cabell's brigade. He participated in the cam paigns throughout northern Arkansas and southwest Missouri, being at the battles of Jenkins' Ferry, Poison Springs, Marks Mills, and others, and was with the army until the close of the war with the exception of a

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 28

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: 972

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: 972