A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 60

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 60

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Emma Gardner Bailey, who died in 1900, leav- ing two children ; Claude B., who is the wife of I. Keys, a merchant of Ringgold, Texas; and Belle, the wife of J. R. Cavniss, of Okem, Oklahoma, a Baptist minister. Captain Cagle has also reared and educated a nephew, Thomas Cagle, who is now practicing medicine in the Creek nation. The wife and mother departed this life June 29, 1888. She was a consistent member of the Baptist church and reared her children in that faith.

While in Georgia Captain Cagle filled many positions of honor and trust. He was elected and served as county judge, was also notary public and was connected with the railroads in different ways. At one time he was conductor on the road. He was influential with the car- pet-baggers and he ever used his influence for the good of his fellowmen and the furtherance of public interests. He is a fluent and earnest speaker, active and helpful in campaign work and his only departure from the regular Dem- ocracy was in 1896, when he cast his ballot for the gold standard as represented by Palmer and Buckner. He was reared in the Baptist church and from its faith has never departed. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and is affiliated with a number of civic societies. He now maintains his office in Ringgold and is a representative citizen of this part of the state, whose life has been eventful, there having been many exciting chapters in his history, while his successful accomplishment is the direct result of his indefatigable energy and keen business enterprise.

R. W. CUNNINGHAM. Texas has fur- nished splendid opportunities to the agricultur- ist and stockman, and citizens of enterprise and ability have taken advantage of the possibilities here provided. To this class in Montague county belongs R. W. Cunningham, who was born in Tennessee, on the 12th of December, 1856. He was reared to farm pursuit and was educated in the common schools. His parents are Bennett K. and Joanna L. (Witten) Cun- ningham, both of whom were natives of Vir- ginia. The maternal grandfather, Samuel Wit- ten, lived in the Old Dominion, while the paternal grandfather, Oscar Cunningham, came from Ireland. He took up his abode in the Old Dominion, where he spent his remain- ing days and Samuel Witten also continued to reside in that state until called to his final rest. Both were farming people of that locality and owned slaves there. The children of Oscar Cunningham were five in number, namely:

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

Oscar, Jr., who is a presiding elder of the Meth- odist Episcopal church; William, a resident farmer; George, who came to the west; Ben- nett .; and Polly, who died unmarried.

Bennett Cunningham, school teacher, physi- cian and minister of the Methodist church, re- moved from Virginia to Tennessee and settled on a farm. He there followed the practice of medicine, in which he was chiefly engaged un- til after the inauguration of the Civil war, when he became a regimental surgeon in the Con- federate army at Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he died of pneumonia in the same year, 1861. He was a man of liberal education and broad scholarly attainments, who served as professor in Henry College, Virginia, until his health failed, after which he practiced medicine. Broad-minded, intelligent and sympathetic he ever desired the betterment of humanity and gave his efforts to movements that tended in that direction. In politics he was a stanchi Democrat, but without political aspiration for himself. He was opposed to slavery and sold his slaves prior to the outbreak of hostilities, but his sympathies were with the south in re- gard to the right to secede from the Union and he therefore joined the Confederate army. His wife yet survives him and resides at Rock- dale, Texas. After the death of her husband she kept her children together, carefully rear- ing them, giving them every opportunity that she could. She deserves much credit for what she accomplished and has certainly performed a mother's full duty toward her sons and daugh- ters. About 1880 she removed to Texas and lo- cated at Rockdale, Milan county, where she resided for a number of years upon a farm, but now makes her home in the town of Rockdale. She holds membership in the Methodist Episco- pal church, of which her husband was a min- ister and her life has been actuated by her Christian faith, which has guided her in all her relations to her fellowmen. In the family were nine children: Eleanor W., who is now the wife of R. F. Kendrick; John B., who is yet living in Tennessee; Virginia, the wife of B. Ellis; Samuel O., who is engaged in black- smithing; Luther P., Theodosha R., the wife of L. Burgess ; Thomas B., a farmer, mathema- tician and inventor ; R. W., of this review, and Mrs. Maggie Harlis.

R. W. Cunningham was born and reared in Tennessee and after the death of his father he remained on the old home, assisting his mother in the labors of the farm. In 1880 he was mar- ried and soon afterward removed to Texas,

spending the first year in and near Pilot Point, in Denton county. He was there employed as a farmhand and later he removed to Milan coun- ty, where he raised one crop. He was after- ward employed in a cotton gin for three years, making his home in Milan county altogether for six years. In the fall of 1889 he removed to Montague county and purchased one hun- dred and fifty acres of land from the firm of Brodus & Jordan. He was the first to buy and open up a farm. He built a house, made sub- stantial improvements upon the place and has himself done most of the work. His capital was limited when he took up his abode here and he worked accordingly, but as his financial resources have increased he has added to his land each year until he now owns five hundred and sixty acres, of which two hundred and eighty acres is under a high state of cultivation. He has a good herd of cattle upon his place, also ten head of horses and some hogs, and in both his farming and stock-raising interests is meeting with well merited success, his entire attention being given to his farm and its prod- ucts.

Mr. Cunningham was married to Miss Mary R. Harmon, who was born in Tennessee Janu- ary 18, 1862, and is an intelligent lady, who has been a good helpmate to her husband on life's journey. Her parents were W. W. and Jane B. (Turner) Harmon, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. Her father served in the Confederate army and participated in the siege of Vicksburg. He afterward removed to Texas in 1882 and in 1886 became a resident of Montague county, where he purchased land and improved a farm, making his home thereon until his death, which occurred in 1892. His wife yet survives him and makes her home with a son. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and Mr. Harmon lived a quiet, uneventful life, characterized by fidelity to every duty that devolved upon him, so that he won the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. In his family were eight children: James, a farmer; Ester, the wife of M. Ford, who also follows farming; Lizzie; Mrs. Mary R. Cunningham, Joseph T., who was formerly a farmer, but is now follow- ing merchandising in Oklahoma: Jacob A., who likewise carries on agricultural pursuits ; Mrs. Emma McNatt; and Mrs. Carrie Rice.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham has been blessed with eight children: Bennett, born April 3. 1882: John W., December 29, 1884; Hilda, July 9, 1888; Joanna, February 13,

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

1893; Fredda, November 20, 1894; Eddie, No- vember 16, 1896; Dallas, February 7, 1898; and Julia, January 28, 1900.

Mrs. Cunningham is a member of the Metho- dist church and a most estimable lady. Mr. Cunningham is a stalwart Democrat in his po- litical views, but though he has never sought or desired office he has assisted the sheriff in making some arrests. He has frequently at- tended the conventions of his party and greatly desires its success. He is a broad-minded, in- telligent business man, who as the architect of his own fortunes has builded wisely and well. His prosperity is attributable entirely to his own labors and his strong purpose, guided by sound judgment and supplemented by un- flagging energy constitute the basis of. his prosperity.

SIMEON T. SEDDON. Mr. Seddon was one of the first settlers of Upper Tonk valley, Young county, having founded his first per- manent home in the Lone Star state on Tonk branch in 1873, where the steady and substan- tial part of his life has been passed. Here his efforts, and those of his industrious posterity, have been liberally rewarded and the prosper- ity which has been visited upon him and them marks his household with that brand of sub- stantiality which is a certain index to the high character of any community.

In his early manhood Mr. Seddon's environ- ment was of that excitement-producing char- acter which forces life on a high key and the weekly occurrences of those strenuous years were such as to impress indelibly upon the scroll of his memory events which challenge in interest those of any other locality on the plains. Mr. Seddon came to America at the outbreak of the Civil war, believing that the conditions here then opened the way for service in many lines and at wages better than any Old England ever knew. He went direct to Fort Leavenworth, on the Missouri river, and got into the freighting service without diffi- culty, being within the next three years in the employ, respectively, of Major & Russell, Salisbury & Slemans and Gage, Christian & Company, doing an overland hauling business from the river to points across the plains in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico.

To the old plainsmen Forts Bridger, Laramie, Union and the towns of Julesburg and Denver suggest incidents in their experience filled with the drama of the frontier, and in the twenty trips which Mr. Seddon made to and from

those western gateways many things happened which made the hair stand and the blood chill. As is well known the mode of travel across the "great American desert" in those days was by ox team and the slow-plodding bovine wore the days into weeks and kept the great caravans for a month exposed to hostile attack. The red man was particularly active and bitter against his "paleface" brother during the war, but unless strongly outnumbering a train he never made his cowardly and murderous as- sault. During his three years among them a sight of a bunch of Indians was a common one to our subject, and divers and many times were they driven off while making a show of re- sistance to the progress of the American ship of the desert.

In 1863 the various tribes formed a plan to attack every train crossing the plains and de- stroy them bodily and a certain Sunday was agreed upon to do their deadly work. As it happened the train with which Mr. Seddon was connected was too near Denver to be mo- lested and on their arrival in Denver on that August day the town was all excitement over the news of the massacres, the burning of trains and the carrying off of plunder by the Indians as a result of their concerted attack. Colonel Chivington, of the United States army, happened to be in Denver and he raised a com- pany of volunteers two hundred strong to pro- ceed against the red man's camp on Sand creek. some thirty miles northeast of Fort Lyon, and exterminate the band, root and branch. Having been schooled in adventure up to this time, Mr. Seddon gladly added his presence to the im- provised army and did his share toward putting out the light of every brave, squaw and papoose in the Sand creek camp.

In 1864 Mr. Seddon joined the freighting trains of the United States government carry- ing supplies for the commissaries in the Indian Territory and during that year he was with the largest train ever sent south when it was captured by the Confederates at Cabin Creek. Indian Territory, the supplies converted to the enemy's use and the officers and men of the train turned loose.

Mr. Seddon came to Texas in 1867 from Kan- sas and in 1868 located in Parker county, nine miles south of Weatherford. The first year of his residence in the state he passed as a freighter. He owned a team, but had other means of staying hunger than that offered by his old-time occupation as a goods-hauler and he passed to and fro between Corsicana, Bryan and Bremond and Forts Griffin, Richardson

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

and Weatherford, always accompanying a wagon train to be able to frustrate Indian at- tacks, as they frequently occurred. For five years he farmed modestly in Parker county and with a humble beginning he cast his lot with the scattered settlers of Young county. With his team of horses and one of oxen he en- tered upon his pre-emption in Tonk valley and built the proverbial log cabin for the reception of his little family. This primitive cottage served as his home for fourteen years, when his present-day cottage took its place. Not alone as a farmer did he prosper, but the raising of horses added rapidly to his strong box and from year to year he added materially to his landed estate, paying taxes now on more than eleven hundred acres and having more than two hundred under cultivation.

Simeon T. Seddon is an Englishman by na- tivity. He was born in Lancashire December 21, 1843, of parents whose ancestors for un- numbered generations had called Lancashire their home. His father was John Seddon, a merchant, yet living, and his mother was Alice Thorp, who died many years ago. Simeon T. was the oldest child, then came Anne, wife of James Cook; Mary, who married Edward Story; Elizabeth, who became Mrs. Tom Butterworth ; and Emily.

As it must happen in England, Mr. Seddon acquired a fair education and from eleven to seventeen years of age was employed in a shipping store, the while contributing to his own support. He sailed from Liverpool on the sailer Sarenac and landed at Philadelphia after seven weeks and a day out, and went to the cen- ter of the continent at once, where, at Leaven- worth, he was to meet an uncle; Sam Thorp, and got into the freighting service without delay.

Near Weatherford, Texas, in September, 1871, Mr. Seddon married Ellen Johnson, a daughter of R. N. Johnson, who came to Collin county, Texas, from Kentucky. Mrs. Seddon was born in Collin county in 1853 and she and Mr. Seddon are the parents of John William, of Young county ; Minnie, wife of B. M. Moore, of Lamar, Colorado; Simeon, of Greer county, Oklahoma, is married to Sallie Matthews; Alice, wife of W. W. Mays, of Young county ; Richard, of Vernon, Texas; and Nellie and Charles, yet with the domestic circle.

The business of Simeon T. Seddon's life has been industry and constant achievement. In his study of questions of government he has drifted from Democracy toward Socialism, but in practice is neutral and passive in local mu-

nicipal affairs. He believes in the teachings of Urim and Thummum as translated by the first Joseph Smith and owns fealty to the church of the Latter Day Saints.

GEORGE W. HAZELWOOD is a member of the firm of Eaton & Hazelwood, of the Palo Pinto County Abstract and Guarantee Com- pany, carrying on business at both Palo Pinto and Mineral Wells, Mr. Hazelwood having charge of the office at the latter place. He was born in Stephens county, Texas, in 1869, and is a son of Calvin T. and Martha (McCracken) Hazelwood. His father was one of the prom- inent and honored old settlers and Indian fight- ers of Palo Pinto county. He was born in Lincoln county, Tennessee, in 1824, and was there reared upon the farm. In Mississippi he enlisted for service in the Mexican war, be- coming a member of Company A, of a Missis- sippi regiment under command of Captain Mc- Kee, which was assigned to Colonel Anderson's battalion. Mr. Hazelwood was mustered in at Vicksburg and went with his company down the river to New Orleans and thence by boat to Tampico, Mexico, where his battalion joined the army under General Winfield Scott. When the war was over he returned by the same route and was mustered out at Vicksburg.

Calvin T. Hazelwood came to Texas in 1849 and after a brief period spent in Harrison county took up his abode in Houston county. In 1854 he removed to Tarrant county, becom- ing one of its earliest settlers, and he is still kindly remembered by the pioneer residents of Tarrant county who are still living there and who endured with him the hardships, dangers and trials of pioneer life. His greatest hard- ships, however, were yet to come, following his removal to Palo Pinto county, where he settled in 1857, only a few days after the county had been organized. He pre-empted some land for a home, three miles west of Palo Pinto, the county seat. This fine old place has become better known in later days as the location of "Lovers' Retreat" and Hazelwood Springs and these comprise a homestead of beauty and in- terest. When Mr. Hazelwood and his family first came to Palo Pinto county the greater number of the Indians were located at Fort Belknap, and were quite friendly, but soon some of them, mainly Comanches, began to make trouble by stealing horses. Thereupon the settlers complained to the government that the Indians were getting troublesome and should be removed to Fort Sill, in the Indian nation. The red men hearing of this became

GEORGE ANDERSON

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

angry and were more troublesome than ever. When Texas seceded from the Union the gov- ernment troops were, of course, withdrawn and then the Indians with unbridled license made life a continuous burden and danger to the un- protected settlers. Their stealing, murdering and marauding compelled the settlers to band themselves together, living principally at the county seat, which was then the only settle- ment of any importance. Many residents, how- ever. took refuge in counties further east, al- most depopulating some parts of Palo Pinto county, notably the Keetchi country. Mr. Hazelwood was in many combats with the In- dians, on more than one occasion when he was alone, and recalls one experience when he was chased and shot at by ten or a dozen Indians. He was on his horse and a red man approached, so close at one time that turning around he could see the caps of their pistols. He had many narrow escapes personally and his wife and children at home were in even greater danger from the savages. It was unsafe at night to go out of the house to pick up a stick of stove wood for it was impossible to tell where the treacherous foe was lurking. Not the least of the trouble was occasioned by the Indians periodically stealing the horses, making a con- stant drain on Mr. Hazelwood's finances, for he was obliged to purchase new horses as soon as the former ones were stolen. About 1868 he removed his family to Stephens county, lo- cating at Picketville, now Breckenridge, Texas. At that place the Indians bothered them even worse than at Palo Pinto and it was at the Stephens county home that in 1868 Mr. Hazel- wood's brother, George W. H., was killed by the Indians. The family returned to Palo Pinto about 1870. locating in the county seat, which remained the home for many years, and it was not until the fall of 1904 that Mr. and Mrs. Calvin T. Hazelwood removed to Mineral Wells.

Mrs. Hazelwood, who was married to her husband in Tarrant county, is the daughter of Anson McCracken, a well known old settler of Dallas county, Texas, where he located on re- moving to the Lone Star state from Missouri, his native state, in 1845. He was one of the first men to take up a "head-right" in Dallas county and was one of the first justices of the peace. He later removed to Tarrant county, where he died. Mrs. Hazelwood recalls with her hus- band many pleasant as well as unpleasant memories of their life in western Texas, having vivid recollections of the dangers and priva- tions that come to the pioneer's wife in rearing

a family amid the environments of the wild west. Mr. and Mrs. Hazelwood now have several children living in Palo Pinto county and elsewhere. They are an honored pioneer couple, worthy the unqualified regard and re- spect which is extended them and the part which they have played in the development and progress of this portion of the state well en- titles them to representation in this volume.

George W. Hazelwood was practically reared in the saddle, for from early life he rounded up the cattle and did other work in connection with his father's ranch. He was a cow-man at the foot of the plains in western Texas and in fact from the age of sixteen years until a recent date was actively interested in cattle industry. For several years he was prominently identified with the cattle busi- ness and other interests in Haskell county and he became thoroughly familiar with the south- ern part of the plains country of western Texas. ,In the spring of 1904 he entered into partner- ship with John Eaton under the name of the Palo Pinto County Abstract and Guarantee Company, with offices at Palo Pinto and Min- eral Wells, and Mr. Hazelwood has charge of the Mineral Wells office, while Mr. Eaton at- tends to the business at Palo Pinto. This com- pany was established in 1892 and through the intervening years has become well known throughout this section of the state by their honorable business career and enterprising methods of handling the affairs entrusted to them. The firm deals extensively in real estate for which business their own residence and ex- perience in western Texas peculiarly fits them. They also conduct an abstract and guarantee business, helping many large land owners there with important financial interests, and in fact have an extensive clientage.

Mr. Hazelwood was married in Palo Pinto to Miss Dollie Massie, a daughter of C. W. Massie, a prominent lawyer of that place and they have a little daughter-Miss Velma Hazel- wood. Like his father Mr. Hazelwood is a Mason and in his life he exemplifies the benefi- cent spirit of the craft. He is active and ener- · getic in his business affairs, determined in whatever he undertakes and his labors have al- ready brought him a very desirable success.

JOHN A. ANDERSON, a member of the firm of Anderson Brothers, owners of the Cle- burne Roller Mills, was born in Ontario, Can- ada. His father, George Anderson, was a native of Scotland and crossed the Atlantic to Canada in 1859, making his home in the prov-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

ince of Ontario for a number of years. When yet a young man, however, he removed with his family to Outagamie county, Wisconsin, where he established a small grist mill, conducting business there for several years. In the late '70s he removed to Tennessee, where he was in a similar business enterprise until 1886, when with his brother, John Anderson, he established a flour and corn mill at Cleburne, Texas, under the firm style of Anderson Brothers. The busi- ness has been continued with increasing suc- cess to the present time as the cultivation of wheat in Johnson county has grown from year to year. Mr. Anderson was actively engaged in the management of the business until his death in April, 1905, at which time his brother John and the subject of this review became owners of the plant and business, which is still con- ducted under the old firm name. George An- derson was a member of the Methodist church and was one of the representative citizens and business men of Cleburne, honorable and reli- able in all transactions and enterprising and energetic in everything that he undertook.

John A. Anderson became connected with the milling business in his youth, entering on this work in Wisconsin in 1874 and continuing it in Tennessee and Texas. He has been con- nected with the mill at Cleburne since its estab- lishment and he had an accurate and expert knowledge of the milling business and the millwright's trade before coming to this city. He had occupied several good positions as a millwright in various northern and eastern cities, principally in Buffalo and New York. The Cleburne Roller Mills, of which he is now one of the proprietors, has a capacity of one hundred barrels of flour and fifty barrels of corn meal per day and does a general commercial and shipping business, keeping in touch with the methods of modern milling and making ad- ditions and improvements from time to time.

Mr. Anderson was married in Tennessee to Miss Mollie Maniere and they have a con- stantly growing circle of friends in Cleburne.

JACOB DONNELL. Mr. Donnell's advent to Texas dates from the Centennial year when he located in Brazos county, stopping three miles north of Bryan and passing his first year in the state as a farm hand. He was youthful in appearance, but ambitious, and the glowing accounts of the opportunities for the young man in the Lone Star state which the press had conveyed to him filled him with a desire to make his start here. With what success his thirty years have been crowned, as a citizen of

the empire of commonwealths, our story will later on reveal.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 60

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