A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 35

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 35

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a member of the committee on military affairs, and introduced and had passed the bill that made the Texas Volunteer Guard a part of the National Guard, in accordance with the pro- visions of the Dick Bill in the national congress. He energetically fought the Quarantine Bill, and it was largely through his efforts that it was defeated, the passage of which would practically have ruined the cattle industry in the Panhandle district. He is a pleasant and forceful speaker, and since entering public life has been a prom- inent figure at all the Texas political gather- ings of note. He is a member of one of the leading law firms in Quanah, that of Fires and Decker, of which Judge A. J. Fires of Childress is the senior member. They have offices at both Quanah and Childress.

Mr. Decker was married at Georgetown to Miss Jennie Morrow, and they have two chil- dren, Morrow and Margaret. Mr. Decker is a member of the Methodist church, the Ma- sonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias and Elks. For a number of years he has been ac- corded a prominent position at the Texas bar, and his professional career is an honor to the district which has so honored him.

FLAVIOUS G. McPEAK, superintendent at Fort Worth of the Southwestern Division of the American DeForest Wireless Telegraph Company, for the past ten or twelve years has been well known in this portion of Texas through his prominent connection with finan- cial and business affairs. A native of Tennessee, near Memphis, he is related to some of the best families of that state, including among the members President Polk and Governor Neil S. Brown, the former a paternal relative and the latter on the mother's side. Mr. McPeak's father is Rev. G. B. McPeak, who is still living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Reared and educated in Wilson county, near Lebanon, Tennessee, Mr. McPeak's business experience began at Nashville, in the banking and brokerage business, for several years being connected with the Bank of Commerce of that city. With experience and natural ability to fit him for large usefulness in the field of finance, he soon took his place among the as- tute brokers of his time. He removed to Chi- cago in 1893 and opened the stock and bond department for the well known house of Lam- son Brothers and Company, but owing to cli- matic conditions was soon forced to return south. In May, 1894, he located in Fort Worth, and both as a public-spirited citizen and busi- ness man has been very closely identified with

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this thriving, hustling Texas city ever since. By fair dealing and the native courtesy which is manifest in all his relations with others, he built up a large brokerage business in the city, numbered among his patrons being many of the best known business men, capitalists and investors of Fort Worth and the south- west. He was an active member of the Fort Worth and Chicago boards of trade and of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. In Aug- ust, 1904, Mr. McPeak discontinued the bank- ing and brokerage business of F. G. McPeak and Company in order to devote all his busi- ness attention to the American DeForest Wire- less Telegraph Company, in which he is a di- rector and a stockholder and superintendent of the Southwestern division with headquarters at Fort Worth. He is engaged in extending this wonderful system of modern telegraphy throughout the southwest, the first stations having been erected at Fort Worth and Dal- las. This is the only successful wireless sys- tem operated on land, its stations now extend- ing from the Atlantic inland to Chicago, Kan- sas City and the Southwest, also including nu- merous naval and merchant marine vessels. Wireless telegraphy has passed the experi- mental stage and has already entered upon its wide domain of commercial practicality and usefulness. The DeForest Company, since its organization under a charter from the state of Maine in the latter part of 1902, has installed its service with successful results in the larg- est American cities, and has many times over proved its efficiency in competition with the wire telegraph lines. Aside from the fact that messages are daily sent between distant points with all the accuracy secured by the old sys- tems, the significant feature of this new ser- vice is its economy in rates, resulting from the absence of poles, wire and right of way re- quired by the old system. In identifying him- self with this great modern enterprise Mr. McPeak has devoted his executive and busi- ness talents to an excellent cause. In addition to his active connection with the telegraph company Mr. McPeak is director of the West- ern National Bank and vice president of the Fort Worth Iron and Steel Manufacturing Company, both of Fort Worth.

By his wife, whose maiden name was Miss Johnnie C. Lester, Mr. McPeak has seven children; namely, Lessie P., Flavious B., Lil- lard H., Carrie D., Myrtle, Hubert B. and Flavia. The McPeak home is on his Oak Hill farm, situated two miles and a half north

of the court house, where is a beautiful resi- dence.

ORLANDO L. SWEET, a member of the board of commissioners and a prominent citi- zen of Tarrant county residing north of and near Keller, owns there a farm of seventy acres of land and also has three hundred and twenty acres of land near Haslet in this coun- ty. Throughout the greater part of his life he has followed farming and stock-raising and has prospered in his undertakings here. He is a native of Pike county, Illinois, born Decem- ber 13, 1857. His parents were Thomas A. and Catherine (Burdick) Sweet, who were na- tives of the state of New York and in the year 1858 they removed from Illinois to Texas, set- tling first in Wise county, where they remained for several years, after which they returned to Pike county, Illinois, where Orlando L. Sweet continued to make his home until 1873. In that year he again accompanied his parents to the Lone Star state, the family locating near Handley in Tarrant county, where the subject of this review grew to manhood. He was largely educated in the public schools of his native county and in Tarrant county, this state, supplemented by knowledge gained through practical experience and observation in later life. He remained with his father on the farm near Handley until twenty-three years of age, since which time he has engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account, having been familiar with farm work from his early youth. In 1904 he took up his abode on his farm near Keller in the northern part of Tarrant county, but previous to this time had resided at Henrietta Creek for a number of years and for a short period on Grapevine Prairie in Tarrant county. In his farm work he is practical and progressive and now has a well equipped place, the products of which yield him a good financial return annually.

Mr. Sweet is a member of the Masonic lodge at Roanoke, Denton county, the Wood- men of the World at Keller and is a Democrat in his political affiliation. He is recognized as one of the leaders of his party in the com- munity and in 1904 was elected commissioner of the county for a term of two years, so that he is the present incumbent in the office, the duties of which he discharges with prompt- ness and fidelity.

On the 22d of April, 1889, Mr. Sweet was united in marriage to Miss Emma Clark, a na- tive of Tarrant county and a daughter of George W. Clark, who resided near Randall,

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this county. Six children graced this mar- riage, of whom five are living: Pearl, William F., Eva L., Maud and Mary E., while Charles M. is now deceased.

Mr. Sweet is a member of the Methodist Protestant church, better known as Sweet's chapel at Henrietta Creek. He is a public spirited citizen of the community, a stanch friend of education and of moral development and has given his co-operation to many meas- ures that have tended to elevate society and advance the substantial improvement and de- velopment of this part of the state.

WILLIAM SMITH CUMMINS. Ad- joining the city of Bowie on the west lies a country estate of one hundred and sixty acres whose natural physical characteristics attract the eye of the homeseeker and whose fertility and artificial advantages commend it unreserv- edly as an ideal habitation for mankind. Up- on the crest of a modest incline studded with native oak and conspicuous from many points of the city, stand two modern and commodious cottages, in agreeable companionship with each other, and by their generous proportions announcing to the passing observer the hospi- tality, the good cheer and the sincere "good will to men" of its proprietor. This spot of earth marks the home of William Smith Cum- mins of this personal review.

For fifty-four years Mr. Cummins has made his home in Texas, having come within the state's jurisdiction with his widowed mother and brothers and sisters as a youth of sixteen years in the year 1851. He was born in White county, Tennessee, September 9, 1835, whither his father, David Cummins, migrated from North Carolina in his early life. The latter was a millwright, and while he owned a farm where he maintained his family he was con- stantly occupied with mill-construction all over his county until his death in 1847 at fifty-two years of age. He chose for his life companion Margaret Woods who, like himself, was a dis- ciple of the Master, and at their home in that early day the Cumberland Presbyterian, among other denominations, were wont to hold their neighborhood meetings. In this primitive but comfortable home the seeds of Christian char- acter were sown among children whose lives have shown the fruits of their early training and who hallow the names and memories of their worthy parents. The issue of David and Margaret Cummins were: Jane, widow of William Basson, of Denison, Texas; James M., of Seymour, Texas; Elizabeth, who mar-

ried Rev. J. W. Chalk and resides at Pilot Point ; Melvina, who died at the age of fourteen years; John G., of Cornish, Indian Territory ; William Smith, of Bowie, Texas; Nancy, wife of John Took, of Colorado county, Texas; Emily, Mrs. Thomas Allen, of Tarrant county, both now deceased; David W., of Arizona, and Allison B., of Vernon, Texas.

The education of William Smith Cummins was limited by adverse conditions in youth, and not until after his advent to Texas did he enroll as a pupil in any school. The first year of the family residence in the state was passed in Dallas county, but in 1852 they moved to Tarrant county, where the mother passed away in 1854. After his mother's death Mr. Cum- mins resumed his vocation as a teamster, hauling flour and other provisions with ox teams to the frontier at Fort Belknap for . Campbell, Cooper and Company. In 1857 he left this employ and went to southern Texas and was living on Arassas Bay when the Civil war broke out. He returned to Tarrant coun- ty and enlisted in Company A, Ninth Texas Cavalry, Colonel Dudley Jones, adjutant and later colonel, until the war closed, and Captain Berry commanding the regiment and company, respectively. This regiment was in Ross' Brig- ade and the regiment's first encounter with the Federals after subject joined it was at Keats- ville, Missouri. Seigle's command of Yankees was encountered at Bentonville and at Sugar Creek, as preliminaries to the battle of Elk Horn. After this famous engagement the Ninth Texas crossed to the east side of the Mississippi river and dismounted and became an infantry regiment. It fought at Farming- ton, Iuka and Corinth, where Mr. Cummins was wounded. He participated in engagements at Yazoo City and at Big Black and at Thomp- son's Station, where his brigade met, fought and took the opposing brigade on the Vicks- burg campaign and after the surrender of Pem- berton the force with which he was operating was transferred to the east and took part in the events of the Atlanta campaign and the battles of Jonesboro, Franklin and Nashville, where they were one hundred and three days, and out of the one hundred and three days his regiment fought eighty-three days. At the inception of his service in these movements Mr. Cummins was detailed from the Ninth Texas to join General Ross' Scouts, operating along the railroads and in the rear of Sher- man's army. Following the annihilation of Hood's army his command was ordered west again and when the news of Lee's surrender *

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came he was at Canton, Mississippi, from which place he set out for his western home. They were also in the Hood's Tennessee cam- paign, his division taking the advance in going in and covering the retreat coming out.

The war had kept Mr. Cummins from home nearly four years and at its close he was with- out other resources than a willing hand and an honest heart. He began substantial recuper- ation by applying himself to the carpenter's trade and this he followed a few years. Then an opportunity presented itself to embark in the gin and threshing machine business and from this he got into the carding business in a small way in Dallas. Out of all these he seems to have strengthened his finances very mate- rially and when he sold his carding factory in 1882, his cash resources enabled him to handle with credit any business he felt competent to undertake. He directed his attention to mer- chandising and established himself in Plano. For a few years he conducted a general store, but later hardware and implements constitut- ed his stock. After twelve years of close con- finement he found his health threatened and he turned his property into money and located at Bowie, where he improved and has main- tained his home. Only the restful labors of modest farming have occupied him here.

In September, 1867, in Dallas county, Texas, Mr. Cummins married Miss Sophia, a daughter of J. W. Smith, a farmer who brought his fam- ily to Texas from White county, Tennessee. He married Miss Susan Marsh, and passed away in Dallas county, in 1903, leaving: J. H., of Dallas county ; W. H., of Fort Worth ; Clyde P., of Dallas county, on the old farm where they settled twenty years ago; Mrs. Mary Wynne, of Dallas county ; Mrs. Smith Cummins; Mrs. Alta Sears, of Dallas county ; and Mrs. Sallie Wyatt, of Collin county, Texas. Mrs. Smith died October 30, 1905. The issue of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Cummins are : Minnie H., widow of W. H. Beacham, who died in July, 1904, and who was succeeded as treasurer of Montague county by his wife, to fill the nnexpired term. Their children are Myrtle and Jack Smith Beacham ; Misses Mar- garet E., French A. and Emma A. Cummins complete the family, and all four daughters, except Mrs. Smith, make their parents' home their own. Mr. Cummins and his family are Methodists, and in politics he is a Democrat.

SAMUEL TIIOMAS HOWARD of Here- ford, is known all over the state as well as in · other parts of the country as an exponent of

high-class stock farming. During the twenty years that he has been in Texas and in this line of business he has done as much as any other man to raise the standard of excellence in cattle, and has thus contributed inestima- ble value to the great industry for which Texas is most famous. A man of first-class business ability, with positive views and high principles in business, politics and state affairs, Mr. How- ard has throughout his career been an "influ- ence" for pure government and wholesome social life and progress.

A native of Monroe county, East Tennessee, where he was born August 24, 1842, he was the son of a thrifty farmer, Cornelius L. How- ard, who was born in east Tennessee and died in Monroe county in 1874. His mother, Laura Elizabeth (Douthitt) Howard, was a daughter of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Douthitt, a pioneer Methodist minister in east Tennessee, of prom- inent family connections, and widely known for his beneficence and his indefatigable indus- try in his Master's vineyard. He was an asso- ciate of the celebrated "Parson" Brownlow and other noted characters who gave the defi- nite stamp of their high convictions and moral worth to the early Tennessee.

From rearing on the Monroe county farm, Mr. Howard, when a young man, went into merchandising, grain trade and steamboating at Loudon, Tennessee, and for several years enjoyed a successful business career. In 1882 he came out to Texas, and, locating at Weath- erford in Parker county, went into the sheep business incidentally raising hogs, cattle, etc. This was a very profitable enterprise until one disastrous year in the sheep business swept all away until he literally had almost nothing left but "a cow and a calf." From the bedrock of experience, energy and integrity, he began, not the least discouraged or dismayed, the task of building up again. Coming to Hardeman county in northwest Texas in 1891, he started a small business in registered Jerseys, and in this line, continually expanding, he has gained his monumental success. He was among the pio- neers in this state to import and breed, on a systematic and extensive scale, thoroughbred Jerseys, and to such men belongs the credit for grading up the cattle in this state to a higher standard. Such was his success that his was, again and again, the winning herd at the state fair at Dallas and at the fine stock shows at Fort Worth and San Antonio. Four of his Jersey heifers were sold to C. I. Hood, of Lowell, Massachusetts, for twelve hundred dollars. He sold out his entire Jersey herd

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

in 1896 and then went into the registered Here- ford business at Quanah in Hardeman county, where he had the same success with his Here- fords as with the Jerseys, and his Herefords likewise took the first prizes at cattle shows of the state. After continuing this enterprise for five years he sold out his.herd to Colonel Burt Burnett, of Fort Worth, and Colonel C. C. Slaughter, of Dallas.

In 1901 Mr. Howard came out to the high plains country and bought land in Deaf Smith county, northwest of Hereford, where he now owns thirty-two sections, twenty thousand four hundred and eightv-eight acres, land which lies in a particularly advantageous part of the county and possesses peculiar superiority in soil and water. About three hundred acres are devoted to raising rough feed, such as Kaffir corn, Milo maize, etc. for stock. He has a herd of some of the finest cattle to be found in the Panhandle, and all of pure breeds. In the spring of 1904 his steers sold for higher prices than anybody else's in this country.

Mr. Howard affiliates with the Masonic or- der, and he and his wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Mr. How- ard has been especially happy in his home life, and he takes just pride in his fine family of young men and women who are growing up to fill worthy places in the work of the world. He was married in Monroe county, Tennessee, to Miss Isadora Kimbrough, and they had twelve children, namely: Cornelius L., deceased ; Myra E., Mrs. Alice A. Lee, Rev. John K., Samuel T., Jr., Hugh, Horace, Annie Lee, de- ceased; Luella, Earl, deceased; Rhome and Willie.

Rev. John K. Howard has had an especially creditable career for a young man. He was splendidly educated, having studied four years at Trinity University at Waxahachie, where for each of these four years he took the high- est honors of his class; this was followed by three years spent in the university at Lebanon, Tennessee, where also he three times took the highest honors. He further distinguished him- self as a student at the Union Theological Sem- inary at New York, where he prepared for the ministry. After traveling through Europe and the Holy Land he returned and at Jackson. Tennessee, took charge of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, which has a large mem- bership. He remained pastor there until the summer of 1904, when, owing to his untiring devotion to his labors, he was compelled to resign the charge on account of ill health, and he is now living in the state of Washington,

being pastor of the Presbyterian church at Garfield.

S. T., Jr., and Horace D., after completing their education, as a matter of choice went onto their father's ranch, which they have suc- cessfully managed for four years.

CALOWAY DEAN is descended from an honored pioneer family of Texas, associated with this state when it was an independent republic and when it was part of Mexico. He is a leading agriculturist and stockman of Clay county and a native son of Texas, his birth having occurred in San Augustine, September 23, 1852. His pa- rents were Caloway and Mary (Clark) Dean, both natives of Tennessee, although their mar- riage was celebrated in this state. The father was born January 1I, 1811, and the mother's birth occurred February 27, 1812. The paternal grandparents were John and Mary (Mash) Dean, and the great-grandfather, Joshua Dean, a native of England, served throughout the Revo- lutionary war, after which he settled in North Carolina. Subsequently he removed to Kentucky, where his remaining days were passed. His son, John Dean, was reared in the Blue Grass state and later went to Tennessee, where he took up his abode and reared his family, living there un- til about 1845, when he came to Texas. His death occurred in this state in 1858, when he had reached the ripe old age of ninety years. Throughout his entire life he followed the occu- pation of farming and was a man true to every obligation that devolved upon him. His chil- dren were as follows: William, James, Alford, Caloway, Mrs. Mary Hopkins, Jack, Riley (who was killed in the Mexican War in 1846), O. H. P., Asberry, Russell and Frank.

Caloway Dean, Sr., father of our subject, was reared in Tennessee and in 1835 came to Texas. Later he joined General Sam Houston's forces and was at the capture of San Antonio, whereby Texas became a republic. He later took up his abode in San Augustine county, where he was married in 1837 and then opened up a farm there. He later engaged in merchandising, remaining at that place until 1861, in which year he removed to Smith county, where he opened up a new and large farm. He carried on agricultural pursuits extensively. In the meantime he had become a large slave owner, and at the outbreak of the Civil War he announced his allegiance to the Confederacy and sent supplies from his farm to the army. He was a member of the Texas con- vention which declared the secession, but was be- yond military age at the time of the war, so that he did not join the army. However, he acted on

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

detail duty and did much to assist the troops at Tyler, Texas. The war liberated his fifty slaves and his estate was largely crippled. During the siege of hostilities he had been very ready and generous in his assistance to his friends, so that at the close of hostilities he found himself sixty- six thousand dollars in debt, largely through having gone security for others. He was thus forced to give up all that he had save his home- stead farm. The family, however, remained to- gether, working earnestly and persistently to re- cuperate their fortunes, and in his last days Mr. Dean was enabled to enjoy the fruits of the labors of life. In politics he was a very stanch Demo- crat and was regarded as a leading and repre- sentative citizen of San Augustine and Smith counties. He filled various offices of honor and trust in the republic, was district clerk and also clerk of the board of land commissioners. In whatever locality he lived he became a man of influence and prominence, being well fitted for leadership. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, being long identified with the organization, and was a Royal Arch Mason. He was closely associated with all of the leading men of Texas and his opinions were favorably received in matters relating to the welfare of the state. His integrity and honor were above reproach and the number of his friends was limited only by the number of his acquaintances. He passed away May 25, 1892, at the very advanced age of eighty-one years, and his wife died in 1857. She was a daughter of Barnes Clark, a native of Tennessee, who came to Texas in 1837, and settled in San Augustine, about 1840. He became a prominent and suc- cessful farmer and slave owner, a typical repre- sentative of the gentlemen of the old school, and was widely esteemed by all who knew him. In his family were eight children : Barnes, Jr., John, I. D., Caroline, the wife of Judge J. D. Berry ; Mary C., who became Mrs. Dean; Mrs. Cassan- dra Crane, Mrs. Francois and Joan, the wife of J. Landers, and after his death married J. Ken- nedy. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Caloway Dean, Sr., are: R. S., who was killed in the Con- federate service in the Civil War: John, who served for four years with the Confederacy ; Mary, the wife of S. H. Horton ; Carrie, the wife of A. F. Butler; Joan, the wife of L. Hyer; James, who died at the age of sixteen years, and Caloway.

Caloway Dean, whose name introduces this review, is a native son of Texas, representing an honored pioneer family. After attending the com- mon schools he continued his studies in Marvin College, at Waxahachie, Texas, and he remained

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 35

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