A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 34

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 34

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After leaving Montana Captain Hyde went to Mills county, Iowa, and engaged in farm- ing and the cattle-feeding business, and while there he was married to Miss Colona Wearin, a member of the Wearin family who are noted for being the largest landholders in southwest- ern Iowa. Captain Hyde lived in Mills county from 1879 to 1889, and in the latter year came to Texas and located at his present home town of Iowa Park. Here he bought some land, was engaged in trading and loaning money until 1893, when he established his hardware store. With the exception of two years he has been in this business ever since, and now has as partner Jesse Tanner, a young man who formerly worked for him, the firm name be- ing Hyde and Tanner: The maiden name of Captain Hyde's present wife is Sarah Isabel Powers, and they were married in Texas. He has three children, all living in Mills coun- ty, Iowa, namely: Mrs. Olive Swayne, Otha Hyde and Othello Hyde. Captain Hyde is a Mason, and a popular man among all his many friends and business associates.

JOHN W. McCRACKEN, state agent for the Security Mutual Life Insurance Company with headquarters at Fort Worth, has gained a distinctively representative clientage in this business. He formerly became well known in educational circles and since his connection with the insurance business he has gained a still broader acquaintance and has developed a business, the extent and importance of which indicates in no unmistakable manner his splen- did discernment, executive force and unremit- ting enterprise. He is a native of Arkansas and a son of William M. and Jane (Doak) Mc- Cracken. His parents were born in Tennessee, from which state they removed to Arkansas, living there for seven years, subsequent to which time they came to Texas, locating in 1858 at Springtown, Parker county. They were among the first settlers there, only two or three families having located in that part of the county before their arrival. The father is well remembered by all of the pioneers of that part of the state as an early settler who experi- enced all the hardships, privations and trials in- cident to the settlement of a frontier when the people were constantly menaced by the In- dians, Springtown being a storm center of the Indian troubles in those days. Mr. McCrack- en, however, became successful as a farmer and stock-raiser and his old homestead forms one corner of the city of Springtown and in later years has become a portion of the best residence district there. It is in the midst of. one of the richest agricultural portions of the state and Mr. McCracken lived to see the town of which he was one of the founders grow to be a rich and prosperous municipality. He died in January, 1899, since which time John W. McCracken has purchased the old home and it has since been his place of residence, although he maintains his business headquar- ters in Fort Worth.

'The subject of this review, born March 19, 1856, was reared upon the old home farm and his industry and the utilization of his opportunities enabled him to secure a good education. Among his later instructors was Professor S. W. Merrick, a well known edu- cator of those early days. Mr. McCracken prepared himself for teaching and established the first college in Parker county-College Hill Institute at Springtown. This enterprise was successful from the beginning and became a valued factor in educational development of the state. Mr. McCracken remained at its head for thirteen years, the moving spirit in its growth and development, and on the expiration

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of that period established Mineral Wells Col- lege at Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto county, which he conducted for seven years, and at the end of that time there was an enrollment of five hundred and twenty-six pupils under the charge of eleven teachers. During the course of his career as an educator Mr. McCracken has taught the sons and daughters of some of the most prominent families in Texas and the ter- ritories. He was particularly proficient in mathematics and made that his specialty, but was also well qualified to teach any other de- partment. In Parker county he was the presi- dent of the examining board for eight years anu in Palo Pinto county occupied a similar position for seven years.

At times during his educational work he de- voted the vacation periods to soliciting life insurance. and having demonstrated that he could be successful in the business he re- tired entirely from the teacher's profession in 1898 and accepted a position at a good salary with the New York Life Insurance Company. After remaining with that company for a time he became connected with the Amer- ican Union Life Insurance Company, and later with the Equitable Life, and in June, 1901, he received appointment to the position of state agent of the Security Mut- val Life Insurance Company of Binghamton. New York, his territory being the state of Tex- as and Greer county, Oklahoma. He main- tains his headquarters in the Powell building in Fort Worth, with Thomas Morgan as cash- ier of the office, and there are one hundred and twenty agents in the state under his supervi- sion, while in 1904 the office wrote insurance amounting to more than a million and a half dollars. Mr. McCracken has written insur- ance on the lives of some of the most promi- nent men of Texas. His many years of teach- ing brought him into close touch with lead- ing people throughout the state and he won warm friendships, and when he took up life in- surance as a permanent business he was at once accorded a lucrative patronage ; his high character and standing as a business man and citizen being testified by the regard which is uniformly accorded him by prominent people throughout the state.

Mr. McCracken is the president of the school board at Springtown and is intensely inter- ested in community affairs. He was the first man to introduce and agitate the movement to connect Fort Worth and Mineral Wells, via Springtown, by electric railway, and is a char- ter member and director in the corporation

who recently secured a charter for the building of the line. He is deeply interested in the en- terprise and has every confidence that it will succeed. His energy is of the kind that never tires, always meeting obstacles with renewed vigor. He is a Royal Arch Mason and an Elk in his fraternal relations, a Methodist in his religious faith and a Democrat in his political views. He married Miss Bettie Taylor, Aug- ust II, 1879, a native of Mississippi, and they have five children: W. L., Stella, now Mrs. L. E. Seaman, of Minerall Wells, Maud, Than and John R.

DR. JOHN ALBERT HEDRICK, phy- sician and surgeon at Dalhart, has been identi- fied professionally and as a public-spirited citi- zen with this northwest corner of the Pan- handle ever since the town of Dalhart sprang into existence. He is highly regarded in business circles and has been connected with business affairs in this section of Texas about as long as any other man. As a physician and surgeon he has attained high rank, deservedly on account of his skill and thorough professional knowledge, and in whatever ' relation he has become known to his fellow citizens he has shown ability and high worth.

Born in Homer, Louisiana, in 1864, Dr. Hedrick is the son of a physician, his father, Dr. W. C. Hedrick, a native of Mississippi, having been a practicing physician for over forty years. He came to Texas from Louisiana in 1868, locating at Bryan, and later moved to Calvert, where he lived until 1880, and then went to Ennis. He is now retired from prac- tice and lives at Wilderville, this state. Dr. Hedrick's mother, Emily (Perkins) Hedrick, now deceased, was born at Brookhaven, Mis- sissippi.

A resident of Texas since he was four years old, Dr. Hedrick, after obtaining a good pri- mary education, finished at Ennis College. He then took up the study of pharmacy and be- came a druggist, and in 1887 he came out to the Panhandle and established a drug store at Clarendon, being one of the pioneer mer- chants of that city, where he continued in the drug business for ten years. In the meantime, as occasion offered, he had taken up the study of medicine privately, and whenever it was possible he attended medical lectures in the medical department of Fort Worth University. Before his graduation, however, he passed the necessary examination before the state board entitling him to practice, and in 1897 he entered

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upon actual practice at Bridgeport, this state. Later he returned to the Panhandle and estab- lished his office at Canyon City, in Randall county. Having graduated in 1901 from the medical department of Fort Worth Univer- sity, on April 4 of the same year he came to Dalhart, which town and its vicinage have since been the field of his professional en- deavors.

The El Paso line of the Rock Island Rail- road was being graded through Dalhart when he located there, and where it junctioned with the Fort Worth and Denver line there was established a new town, which, after being named variously during its incipient stages, be- came finally plotted as Dalhart in July, 1901, at which time the first sale of town lots was held. Dr. Hedrick makes a specialty of surg- ery, although his practice is of a general na- ture, and he now has all the professional busi- ness that he can consistently attend to. He is local surgeon for both the Rock Island and the Fort Worth and Denver Railways, and is a member of the Rock Island System Surgical Association, and of the Panhandle and the Texas State Medical societies. At the present writing he is serving as secretary of the Dal- hart school board. He belongs to the Ama- rillo lodge of Elks, to the Woodmen and other orders, and is specially prominent in Knights of Pythias circles, being grand representative from this district to the grand lodge of the state and is deputy grand chancellor for the state.

Dr. Hedrick and wife are members of the Methodist church. He was married at Clar- endon to Miss Dot Ward, of Henrietta, and they have three sons.

HON. DANIEL WELDON ODELL. It is a notable fact that the lawyer figures more prominently in public life than any other one class of citizens. The reason is evident and needs no explanation here, for the qualities which would fit one for successful practice --- analytical power, keen discernment and logical reasoning-also equip him for the mastery of the important questions relating to the wel- fare of county, state and nation. Mr. Odell, practicing at the bar of Cleburne, has gained a large clientage and in public life has wielded a wide influence, various public honors hav- ing been conferred upon him.

He is a native of Crockett, Houston county, Texas, and a son of Judge J. M. and Arabella ( Murchison) Odell. The father was born in Tennessee, in 1832, and came to Texas, locat-

ing in Houston county, which was his home until 1871. He then removed to Cleburne, where he has lived since that time, and he served here upon the bench. His wife, also living, was born in Mississippi.

Hon. Daniel W. Odell was a young lad when his parents came to Cleburne and in the pub- lic and private schools of this city he ac- quired his education. He took up the study of law in the office of Crane & Ramsey, the partners being Hon. M. M. Crane and Judge W. F. Ramsey, constituting one of the strong law firms of the Cleburne bar and after thor- ough preliminary reading he was admitted to the bar in 1892. Here he has won a creditable place as a member of the legal fraternity, hav- ing manifested strength in argument, strong logic in his persistent force and thorough fa- miliarity with the principles of law involved.

Mr. Odell has also figured prominently in political circles and was the Democratic nomi- nee of the legislature in 1892. In 1894 he was elected county attorney and was re-elected in 1896, but resigned in 1897 and the following year was chosen to represent his district in the state senate. In 1900 he was a delegate at large to the Democratic convention at Kan- sas City, where W. J. Bryan was nominated for the presidency, and in 1902 and again in 1904 he was a member of the state executive committee of the Democratic party. In the state senate he served as president pro tem, was a member of judiciary committee No. I, chairman of the committee on state affairs and a member of other important committees. He took an active part in much constructive leg- islation and was interested in the various ques- tions which came up for settlement, giving to each his earnest consideration and then sup- porting or opposing with force, as he thought best for the interests of the state. He became most widely known perhaps through his oppo- sition to the payment of money under the Hogg fee bill. Returning to his home he resumed his practice of law as a member of the firm of Odell, Phillips & Johnson and they have a large and important general practice.

Mr. Odell was married to Miss Birdie C. Murchison, whose parents came from eastern Texas to Fort Worth, and they now have three children, Arabella, Mary and Weldon. Mr. Odell is a man of dignified demeanor, modest and unostentatious, but his ability is widely recognized in the liberal law practice accorded him and the public honors that have been con- ferred upon him.

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

WILLIAM CALVIN HODGES. In the person of William C. Hodges the grain business of Bellevue is ably represented and capably handled and his acquaintance over a wide scope of territory surrounding his mar- ket wields a beneficent influence in the matter of trade and his establishment vies with the other leading marts of Bellevue for a fore- most place as a business-winner for the town.

We have in William C. Hodges a distin- guished American character. Not distin- guished, especially, on account of an exhibi- tion of genius in some particular line of our American affairs, but because of the genuine- ness of his American blood. The Virginia Ran- dolphs, eminent statesmen of their day, point- ed to their pride of ancestry as their greatest family distinction because the blood of Poca- hontas coursed through their veins. Equally distinguished is our subject, for he is the great- grandson of a Sioux chieftain whose tribe disputed the possession of the Missouri river and all the country northwest of it in the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

Mr. Laidlaw, an Englishman, established himself along the waters of the Missouri river, in the forepart of the century just passed, and engaged in barter and trade with the Sioux and other tribes of Indians. His dealings with them were so eminently fair and his manner so easy and simple that he was named by his red brethren, "the Good White Man." He shipped his furs and other articles of commerce down the river to St. Louis and there supplied himself with wares for his trade. He grew wealthy at the business and finally established himself on a large plantation in Clay county, Missouri, and settled down to a more quiet and uneventful life. While engaged in Indian-trad- ing he made many fast friendships among the prominent people of the Sioux tribe, particular- ly with a chief whose eldest daughter was ap- proaching womanhood, and this friendship he turned to his own advantage by winning the love of the young maiden of the forest. Her tribal name is unknown and when she became Mrs. Laidlaw and was preparing to leave her family for the society of the "palefaces" for- ever, it was the Indian custom that all prin- cesses, when about to desert their father's wigwam, should hand down to their next older sister all jewels and other ornaments worn as the insignia of their position and it took all the courage in our young Indian wife to make this sacrifice. She accompanied her husband to his farm and there they lived in the ut- most peace and harmony together. They oc-

casionally visited the tribe and kept in touch with the chief's family until after Mr. Laid- law's death, when communication ceased, ex- cept such visits as annually took place.

The Laidlaw above referred to was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. His home was situated near Kearney Station in Missouri and comprised several hundred acres of rich land and upon it he built a three-story frame residence with twenty rooms, where he entertained lavishly and in the style of the rich frontiersman of his time. He kept a herd of buffalo for many years, as a sort of consola- tion for his squaw wife, and it required a cor- ral twenty rails high to hold them. He en- gaged in stock-raising and farming and was one of the foremost men of his county. He died about 1855, being the father of: William and James, who died young; Mrs. Kate McClin- tock, Mrs. Mary Lurty, Mrs. Lizzie Wallace, Mrs. Nannie McNeeley, Mrs. Jane Waller and Mrs. Julia Halbert, constituted the remaining children, including, also, Mrs. Margaret Hodges, the mother of William C. Hodges, our subject. Mrs. Laidlaw was an incessant smoker, was slow in learning to speak English and for some time she kept her little grand- son, our subject, to act as her interpreter. She was one of several children and when her hus- band died she grew restless and wanted to re- turn to her tribe and she was carefully watched to prevent her doing so.

William C. Hodges was born in Clay county, Missouri, March 28, 1856, a son of William F. and Margaret Hodges. The father was a cab- inet maker and blacksmith, in Clay county, where his father, Calvin Hodges, settled, from Alabama, many years before the Civil war. William F. Hodges died, at the age of twenty- five, and in time his widow married Gardner Alder, of Buchanan county, Missouri. William C. Hodges was his mother's first and only child by her first marriage, but the Alder children were: Flora, wife of William Wade, of Needles, California; James, of Clay county, Texas ; Che- loma, who married A. J. Enoch, of California; Maggie, and Bertie, who was married and left a child at death.

At about fifteen years of age Mr. Hodges began life independently, having acquired only a limited education. Farming engaged him all through his meanderings, as a wage-worker and finally as the proprietor of a farm, until he came to Bellevue and engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1872 he came to Texas and as a youth in his teens he worked about in Hender- son, Smith and Tarrant counties, returning to

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Missouri and remaining until 1874, when he came again to the Lone Star and worked a couple of years in Tarrant county. He then went into Denton county. He left Kansas City with three dollars, made the trip through without untoward incident and got a job at ten dollars a month from farmer Tandy, near Fort Worth. At the end of a year he was draw- ing eighteen dollars a month and when he reached Denton county he employed with Squire Shipley, on Zillaboya creek. He worked about in several places and finally got to crop- pining on the shares with Mr. Jamison. While there he married and continued to farm until 1889, when he came to Clay county and en- gaged in the grocery business in Bellevue the following year, which was succeeded by the grain and feed business in 1899.

Mr. Hodges was married in Collin county, Texas, on January 21, 1879, to Miss Luan Smith, a daughter of the widely known pioneer Texan, C. L. Smith, of Prosper. Mr. Smith is one of the old time head-right men of the state, was mustering-out officer in the Mexican war and has been eminently successful in business. He is a large land owner, owns the mill and ele- vator at Prosper and is president of the bank at that place. He is a native of the state of Ken- tucky, is eighty years old and by his marriage with Miss Mellissa Hawkins is the father of: Bristo W., of Prosper; Cordie, who first mar- ried Moses Taylor and, second, James Haw- kins, died in Denton county; Eddie is the wife of S. B. Harbison, of Deaf Smith county ; Mrs. Hodges, born in 1858: Emily, wife of Mortimer Spradling, a Bellevue merchant; Kate, wife of William J. McCormick, of Prosper; J. A. Smith, of Denton : Edgar Smith, of Denton.

Mr. and Mrs. Hodges' children are: Loma, wife of Moma Hudson, of Clay county, and has children, Fannie, Verna and John Calvin ; Wil- liam Edgar, with the Santa Fe Railway Com- pany; Margaret Melissa, Hettie and Bertie.

JOHN J. LYDON, joint car inspector, who since 1886 has continuously been in the railroad service and now makes his home at North Fort Worth, where as an officer he is also well known, was born at Weston, Lewis county, West Vir- ginia. His father, John Lydon, Sr., was a native of county Galway, Ireland, and after arriving at years of maturity was married to Mary Fahey, whose birth occurred in the city of Galway. They had emigrated previous to this time to America with their respective parents, settling in Lewis county, West Virginia, and there both passed

away, their remains being interred in the cemetery at Weston. The father was a successful man in business and left a valuable estate, and the old Lydon homeplace, comprising four hundred and sixty acres of land, is rich in oil resources. It is still in possession of John J. Lydon and his broth- ers and sisters.

Thomas Fahey, a maternal uncle of our sub- ject, is a prominent old time citizen of Lewis county, West Virginia, and is likewise the owner of property interests in North Fort Worth. He is the father of W. J. Fahey and the father-in-law of W. E. Bideker, both of Fort Worth, the latter being chief of the fire department there.

John J. Lydon was reared to farm life and came to Texas in 1881 when twenty-one years of age, locating at Fort Worth, and was em- ployed by the Texas & Pacific until 1886. He has been constantly in the railroad service, beginning in that year with the Fort Worth & Denver Rail- way, since which time his name has been upon the pay rolls of that company. Previous to 1898 he had charge of the yards of the Fort Worth & Denver road in the former city and in the year mentioned he was appointed chief joint car in- spector for the railroads entering Fort Worth, the headquarters of this inspection being at Fort Worth, where he has made his home since 1902. In this connection he is serving the following railroad companies: The Texas & Pacific, the Fort Worth & Denver, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the Santa Fe, the Houston & Texas Cen- tral, the Cotton Belt, the Red River & Rio Grande, the Rock Island, the International & Great Northern and the Frisco roads, and in ad- dition to these the North Texas Traction Com- pany also participates in joint inspection. Mr. Lydon is likewise a member of the well known grocery firm of Lydon & Company, doing busi- ness on South Main street in Fort Worth, the store being under the active management of the brother, M. M. Lydon.

John J. Lydon was married in Fort Worth to Miss Maggie Mulholland, a daughter of H. A. Mulholland, who is represented elsewhere in this work. They have a wide and favorable acquaint- ance in the city socially and Mr. Lydon is quite prominent in local political circles. At the first election held in North Fort Worth after the or- ganization of the new municipality he was elect- ed alderman by a larger majority than was re- ceived by any candidate for any other office here. He has since been a member of the city council and he is likewise a valuable member of the school board. His home, at the corner of Twelfth and North Rusk streets, is prettily located, and is

MR. AND MRS. JOHN J. LYDON

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one of the substantial structures of the city, be- ing a two-story dwelling, built in modern style of architecture in the year 1902.

HON. DAVIS E. DECKER. The name of Hon. Davis E. Decker is enduringly inscribed on the pages of Texas' history in connection with the records of her jurisprudence. His su- perior ability has won him marked success; he has been crowned with high judicial honors; and both in business and private life has won an enviable reputation. Northwestern Texas num- bers him among her honored sons and political leaders. He was born in Henderson county, Texas, in 1866, a son of J. T. and Nila (Thomp- son) Decker. The father was born in King- ston county, New York, was a mechanic by profession, and when a young man he came to Henderson county, Texas, his death there oc- curring in 1889. His wife, who survives him and is now a resident of Quanah, was a native of Henderson county, Tennessee, but during her childhood days removed with her parents to Henderson county, Texas, and there gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Decker.

Hon. Davis E. Decker spent the early years of his life on the old home farm in Henderson county, and it was largely through his own ef- forts that he acquired his liberal education. He graduated at Southwestern University, George- town, Texas, with class of 1888, being now a member of its Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and his law studies were pursued at Midland, Texas, under R. H. Zane, his admission to the bar oc- curring there in August, 1889. In the follow- ing February he came to Quanah and began the practice of law. From the first he became known as a man of high attainments and prac- tical ability as a lawyer, but he has ever used his intellect to the best purpose, and his influence soon extended far into professional and politi- cal circles. In 1894 he was honored with the election of county attorney, and two years later, in 1896, was made district attorney of the Forty- sixth judicial district, while in 1898 he was elected a member of the legislature to repre- sent the old Panhandle district before its divi- sion into districts, thus serving for two terms. In 1902 he became a state senator from this, the Twenty-ninth senatorial district, and being a hold-over member will serve until 1906 on his present term. During the last session of the senate Mr. Decker was chairman on the com- mittee on privileges and elections, much of the time being taken up with the consideration of the Terrell election law, the most important measure passed by that session. He was also

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 34

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