A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 64

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 64

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David Molsbee, the father of Rev. Abraham Molsbee, was reared in Tennessee and settled . upon the old homestead farm there. Later he added more land to his original property and he became one of the prominent and successful agri- culturists of the neighborhood. He, too, was a lo- cal minister of the Brethren church. In politics he was a Whig, but never aspired to office. He opposed slavery and was a strong Union man during the Civil war. At times he was threat- ened by the rebels because of his Union sympa- thies, but he was never harmed. The army, how-

ever, foraged off his place, took all that he raised, drove out his stock, robbed his place and serious- ly damaged him financially. He died in the year 1864 respected by all who have regard for up- right principles and honorable conduct. His wife survived him until 1865. She was a daughter of C. Simmons, a native of Virginia, who followed the occupation of farming, and removed to Ten- nessee, where his last days were passed. He, too, was a member of the Brethren church and in his family were eight children: Mrs. Susanna Shanks; Jacob, a farmer; Mrs. Margaret Mols- bee; George; Mrs. Elizabeth Isenberg; Mrs. Martha Vaughn; Mrs. Anna Price and Mrs. Catherine Francisco.

The children of David and Margaret Molsbee were nine in number: Catherine, who became the wife of John Kinsinger ; Joseph, who followed farming but is now deceased, dying during the period of the Civil war; Mrs. Mary Isenberg; William, also a farmer; Margaret, the wife of William Kinsinger; Mrs. Anna Shanks; Mrs. Rachel Davis ; and Samuel and Abraham, twins. The former died on the old homestead farm in 1891.

Abraham Molsbee was born and reared upon the old family homestead in Tennessee. He pur- sued his education in the common and graded schools, and when a young man engaged in teaching school for a number of years, proving a capable educator. In connection with his brother he obtained the old homestead farm, which they divided. Mr. Molsbee of this review took up his abode thereon and built a commodious brick resi- dence. He continued the work of cultivating the fields and improving the property until he had an excellent farm, upon which he lived for many years, there rearing his family. In 1888, how- ever, he sold that property and came to Texas, settling in Montague county, where he purchased a farm from the Broadus Jordan Ranch Com- pany, thus becoming owner of nine hundred and sixty-five acres of valuable land, on which he has made many permanent and substantial improve- ments. He built a commodious two-story frame house and all necessary outbuildings for the shel- ter of grain and stock and now has an excellent farm property. He has since made division of his farm with his sons and about four hundred acres of the entire tract are under cultivation, yielding good crops. He has never failed to raise a sufficient amount to support his family and his stock and has met with a desirable measure of success in all of his undertakings. He is pleased with the country, has firm faith in its future and is demonstrating its possibilities for agricultural

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development. He gives some attention to stock- raising, having a small herd of cattle, and he has also fed some for the market.

Mr. Molsbee was married to Miss Sue Looney, who was born in Tennessee in 1840 and is a daughter of Absalom and Sally (Starnes) Loon -. ey, both of whom were natives of Tennessee and were faithful members of the Methodist church. Her father was a prominent farmer and slave owner and was regarded as one of the substan- tial citizens of his community. He never aspired to office, but was a man of considerable local in- fluence and was respected by all with whom he came in contact. He died during the Civil war in 1862. His children were eleven in number: William C., a farmer; Mrs. Louisa Hutchisson ; Gains, who also follows agricultural pursuits ; Mrs. Mary A. Campbell; Margaret G .; John B., Absalom and Joseph I., all of whom are follow- ing farming; Mrs. Sarah J. Pearson; Orville, who was killed while serving in the Confederate army ; and Mrs. Molsbee. To our subject and his wife have been born the following named: Sam- uel and David, who follow farming on the old homestead in Montague county ; Alice, the wife of R. Brice of Tennessee; Absalom and Abra- ham, who are living upon the home farm; Mrs. Maggie Drake ; Mrs. Sudie Paine ; and William, yet at home. The second son of the family, Or- ville Molsbee, died in Texas when about twenty years of age.

Mr. Molsbee has always taken a deep interest in religious work and for forty years has been a preacher of the Brethren church. He has been associated with the Louisiana and Texas Confer- ence and has attended several of its annual con- ventions in different parts of the United States. He did missionary work at Texas, but now has a regular charge at Nocona and also one in Cooke county, which he has controlled since its organi- zation fourteen years ago. He is a strong Prohi- bitionist, having long been an advocate of the temperance cause, and his life is permeated by honorable principles, which make him a man worthy the highest regard and confidence of his associates. In all of his business relations he has been honorable and upright, and moreover in his relations with his fellow men he has dis- played the kindliness, sympathy and charitable spirit which are the direct outcome of his re- ligious faith. His labors in behalf of his church have been far reaching and beneficial and he is today numbered among the honored citizens of Montague county.

ANDREW JACKSON McCAN. Probably the choicest bottom farm in Young county is that owned by Andrew J. McCan on the Brazos river in Miller's Bend, a tract of several hundred acres, rich and productive and commanded by the Mc- Can bridge spanning the famous stream of liquid soil bearing the name of the Brazos. Mr. McCan settled in that community in 1876, passing the first year on the east side of the river, and buying land in 1877 on the Ratliff Survey and paying the exorbitant price of five dollars per acre. The products of the farm and pasture have yielded him abundantly and his efforts for twenty-nine years have been liberally rewarded.

For his first home he pre-empted a tract of hill land near his first purchase and upon this he erected a log cabin for the reception and protec- tion of his family, and from that modest and simple fort he laid siege to dame fortune for ten years and won many victories so substantial as to enable him, from year to year, to add to his do- mains and to extend its limits, ultimately to em- brace nine hundred and sixty acres. From his present modest home, topping an eminence over- looking his broad and fertile valley to the north- ward, he has achieved much of the fame which attaches to him as a farmer, and when nearing his three score and fifteen years he has gotten his own consent to relinquish active labor and pursue a more quiet and less strenuous life.

Mr. McCan came into Young county from Dallas county and a pair of horses and a small bunch of cattle constituted the paraphernalia with which he started his career. He lived in Dallas county ten years, selling goods at Cedar Hill for four years and following the farm six. He went into Dallas county at the close of the war from Arkansas, where he had refugeed dur- ing that bloody strife to more safely care for and watch over his orphan children. He refugeed from Dent county, Missouri, whither he had taken his young family in 1856 from his Tennes- see home, and there, when the rebellion was un- der way, he enlisted in the Confederate army and served until the death of his wife in 1863, when conditions at home induced the Confederate au- thorities to furlough him while looking after the necessities of his household. His command was Company C, Colonel Tom Freeman's Regiment, and his service was confined to the states of Mis- souri and Arkansas alone. The battle of Bates- ville was the chief engagement in which he took part and he was doing his duty as he saw it when misfortune overtook him at home.

Andrew J. McCan was born in Hickman coun- ty, Tennessee, August 24, 1832, a son of John

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McCan, who came to the United States from Erin's Isle a young but a married man. The lat- ter settled on Duck river in Hickman county, Tennessee, where he died. His wife was Nancie Ann Maycock and their children were: James, Polly and Elizabeth, all died in Hickman coun- ty; the first daughter as Mrs. John Arnold and the second as Mrs. George Jackson ; Elijah served in the United States army in the war with Mexi- co and died at Memphis, Tennessee, on his way home; Thomas died in Arkansas during the re- bellion; Andrew J. and Henry, who died in Sul- phur Springs, Texas.

Andrew J. McCan obtained little education during youth and made a thorough acquaintance with hard work on the farm. He married first in 1854 Miss Mary Pickard, who left at death chil- dren, viz: Mary, wife of James Ramsey, of Cedar Hill, Texas; Joseph, who died at twelve years ; Spencer, of Haskell county, Texas, married Mol- lie Dickson; Louisa married William Bryant, of Cedar Hill; Henry, of Young county, married Emma Porter. In 1867 Mr. McCan married in Dallas county Sarah Penn, who died in 1902. By this union Mr. McCan is the father of George, of Old Mexico, who married Miss Curtis ; Andrew L., of Silverton, Texas, married Miss Higgins ; and Maud, wife of Monroe Hughes, of Silver- ton, this state.

Mr. McCan has always felt an interest in local Democratic politics, but no ambition for the public service has ever consumed him. He is a de- mitted Mason from Profit lodge, and as the fore- going review discloses is one of the characters of the county he has helped to develop.

JAMES D. PEDIGO. The name of Pedigo is interwoven with the pioneer history of Mon- tague county and in the work of development along agricultural and stock-raising lines James D. Pedigo has become well known, his efforts in that direction being carefully, systematically and successfully conducted. He was born January I, 1846, in Clay county, Tennessee, and with a common school education to fit him for life's practical duties entered upon his chosen life work. His parents were Robert and Susan (King) Pedigo, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Tennessee. They were married in Tennessee, where the father began farming, residing there upon the old homestead until his life's labors were ended in death. He not only de- voted his attention to agricultural pursuits, but was also a minister of the Christian church, in the work of which he took a most active part, his labors proving of value in the upbuilding of that denomination for many years. He never aspired

to political preferment, desiring rather to give his attention to the work of providing for his family and in promoting the spiritual welfare of the localities with which he was connected. His · hed in 1861. She was a daughter of Zacha- riah King of Kentucky, a prominent farmer and trader, whose labors were attended with pros- perity. The other members of the King family were: Reading, Jack, Alfondu, Polly and two whose names are forgotten.

· Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pedigo had a family of nine children: Curtis, who is yet living in Ten- nessee; Mrs. Elizabeth Holland; Lewis Jackson, of Bosque county, Texas, who served in the Confederate army; Calvin, who died in Ken- tucky ; Zachariah, who was a soldier of the Con- federacy and is living in Tennessee; Mrs. Polly Wood; James D .; and John and Wade, both of Tennessee. Following the death of the mother in 1861 the father was again married and by the second union had a. son, Robert A. Pedigo.

' No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for James D. Pedi- go until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he enlisted, in 1863, for service in the First Tennessee Mounted Infantry. He was on active duty in Tennessee and Kentucky as a patrol and guard and on one occasion was accidentally wounded, a bullet piercing his arm. He served his full term and after receiving an honorable discharge returned home and resumed farming.

In 1867 Mr. Pedigo was married to Miss Sarah J. Meador, a native of Tennessee and a daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Meador. The mother's family name in maidenhood was Acton. Both were natives of Tennessee and Mr. Meador was prosperous in his farming operations, becom- ing one of the substantial citizens of his com- munity. He served through the war in the Con- federate army and he was an exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity. In his family were six children: Mary, the wife of Zachariah Pedi- go; Mrs. Sarah Pedigo; Thomas, a merchant of Saint Jo, Texas; Mrs. Clarinda Chauncy ; Dalton, who is engaged in merchandising with his brother at Saint Jo; and Mrs. Rosa Fake.

At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo located on a farm, which he continued to cultivate until 1870, when he came with his family to Texas, settling in Montague county a few miles from Saint Jo. He bought land on Mountain Creek and improved a good property, leaving a portion of this for pasturage. It had not been fully demonstrated at that time that farming would prove a profitable industry, for prior to that time the settlers had mostly car- ried on stock-raising. Mr. Pedigo, however,

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demonstrated that crops could be profitably raised and in connection with the tilling of the fields he has raised some stock. He remained upon the farm until 1895, when he retired from its active management, although he is still the owner of the property. He now makes his home in Saint Jo and to some extent is engaged in trading in stock. Here he built a residence and later he sold that property and bought again, becoming owner of fifteen acres in the edge of town. On this place is a commodious two story frame resi- dence and all the necessary outbuildings and the land is under cultivation and devoted to fruit raising.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo has been blessed with two children: Smith C., a druggist of Saint Jo, and Molly, the wife of S. M. King, a banker of Saint Jo, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo are members of the Presbyterian church and contribute generous- ly to its support and take an active part in its work. His political allegiance is given the De- mocracy. Mr. Pedigo has always enjoyed good health and he feels satisfied with his selection of Montague county as a place of residence. He has witnessed much of its growth and progress and through his utilization of business opportuni- ties has accumulated a competence for old age. Even now he is enabled to live practically retired in his pleasant home in Saint Jo, his property interests returning him sufficient income to sup- ply him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

GEORGE HUNT CRAIG. Mr. Craig rep- resents the blooded cattle interests of Young county and is the surviving member of the firm of Craig Brothers, who identified themselves with the county as citizens and business men in 1888. Their ranch comprises owned and leased land to the extent of six thousand acres and lies on the waters of Fish creek chiefly, reaching also to the waters of the Brazos. As breeders of Short Horn cattle the brothers have established a reputation and standing through- out the cattle regions of Texas and have the dis- tinction of having produced the prize Short Horn male exhibited at the Fort Worth show and sale of 1905 and bought by J. W. Burgess.

In the beginning the Craig ranch was devoted to the production of stock and beef cattle and for some seven years it was to this industry its owners held themselves, eventually lending themselves to the breeding of fine stock along somewhat experimental lines. Convincing them- selves that Short Horn breeding here would bring desirable results the firm closed out their com-

mon stock and built up a herd of "bloods" num- bering from seventy-five to one hundred head and registered with the purest strains of America.

George H. Craig, the successor of Craig Brothers, came to Texas on an "outing" tour for rest and recreation in 1888, and the pure air, the clear sky and the "free and easy" manner and friendly welcome of the Young county peo- ple so interested and attracted him that he bought land here and decided to remain. He was a young man with education, energy and ambi- tion and the open country of his new home en- couraged his freest and most independent effort and he bore an equal share in the subsequent career and achievements of the well known firm. He made his home always on the ranch and gave it his personal oversight for years, and not until his marriage did he establish his home near Gra- ham, at The Point, the summer home of his late brother William D. Craig.

At Plainfield, New Jersey, November 2, 1865, George H. Craig was born and he was trained in youth in its public schools. His father, Dr. Lewis Craig, was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, in 1803, received his literary training in Rutgers College and his professional education in Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia. His grandfather was William Craig, also born in New Jersey, and passed his life there as a farmer. The senior Craig married a Miss Drummond and three sons, Lewis, Dr. John and William, were born to him. William Craig moved out to Ohio in an early day and reared a family some- where in that state, while the older sons remained near their native home and left descendants to perpetuate their name and fame.

Dr. Lewis Craig married Mary, only daugh- ter of Drummond and Catherine (Burgess) Hunt, of Fayette county, Kentucky. The Doc- tor died in 1887 and his wife passed away in 1880, leaving two sons, William D. and George H., the subject of this sketch. Dr. Craig's pro- fessional career spanned an era of fifty years of active practice in Plainfield and he grew in pro- fessional, business and social prominence with the lapse of time. When he retired from his life work, in 1880, he did so with a competence sufficient as reward for his years of toil and with a career filled with acts and deeds whose substan- tial results are not all measured by dollars and cents.

Upon leaving the public schools George H. Craig entered Pingry School, in Elizabeth, for some further preparation for a college course and when this preliminary was finished he en- tered Columbia College of Physicians and Sur- geons in New York City and completed the

A. N. EVANS

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course to the senior year. At this juncture he made his trip to Texas with the result that he became a "cowman" instead of a physician.

January 12, 1905, at New Albany, Indiana, Mr. Craig married Miss Mary E. Kintner, a daughter of J. P. Kintner, of Harrison coun- ty, Indiana, who was a pioneer, and a promi- nent farmer on the banks of the Ohio river some thirty miles below Louisville, Kentucky. Mrs. Craig was born and reared at beautiful

Cedar Farm, the old Kintner family home. Mr. ` ners being Judge S. G. Tankersley and A. S.

and Mrs. Craig are Methodists and their influ- ence and helpfulness are felt in both religious and social work in Graham, their favorite town.

A. N. EVANS. Men of enterprise in recent years have recognized the splendid possibili- ties of Texas and the country has been settled up with marvelous rapidity. This has given excellent opportunities to the real estate deal- er and to no class of its citizens has Texas owed more for its substantial improvement and development than to the men who have placed its lands on the market and made the value of property and the possibilities of the state known to the general public. Mr. Evans be- longs to this class, and his efforts have been far-reaching in connection with the secretary- ship of the Texas Real Estate & Industrial Association, whereby he has promoted public prosperity as well as individual success. He was born at Brooksville, Noxubee county, Mississippi, November 2, 1857, and is a son of J. W. and Cordelia (Bell) Evans, both of whom were natives of North Carolina, but were reared and married in Mississippi. The father served as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War, and came to Texas in 1865, settling in Ellis county, where for twenty years he made his home, his death occurring there in 1885. He was a farmer and stock-raiser, and in his close and active as- sociation with agricultural interests met with a fair measure of success. His wife is still living.

& Evans, the first two being attorneys and giv- ing their time largely to their law practice, while Mr. Evans had charge of the real estate branch of the business. He has resided in Fort Worth since 1891, and has here been prominently engaged in real estate operations, being for a time associated with Captain W. G. Veal, now deceased, a prominent citizen of Texas for many years. The present style of the firm is A. N. Evans & Company, his part- Houssells.

Perhaps Mr. Evans is best known through- out Texas and other portions of the country as secretary of the Texas Real Estate and Indus- trial Association, which position he has filled for six years and in which he has been very en- ergetic and public spirited, largely promoting the growth and development of the state. This association was organized eight years ago to labor for the interests of Texas and promote its improvement. It is composed of one or more members from each of the towns and cit- ies of the state, these members being selected from among the representative citi- zens and are usually real estate men who are thoroughly familiar with property values and the possibilities of the country. This associa- tion has published and distributed much liter- ature and valuable information relating to Texas and in various ways has advertised to the world the great resources of the state, thus being the direct means of bringing many citi- zens to this commonwealth. Hon. J. Felton Lane of Hearne is now president of the associa- tion. Mr. Evans married Miss Nanny Dix- son, a native of Navarro county, Texas, Decem- ber 6, 1881, and they have six children: Earl, Ruby, Ethel, Lillian, Alden and Frank. Mr. Evans is a member of the Mulkey Memorial Methodist church and has fraternal relations with the Knights of Pythias, the U. B. A. and the Royal Archates. He is a man of excellent business discernment and resources, who seems to have realized at any one point of progress accomplishment at that point and working along modern lines he has gained for himself an honorable name and prosperity in his busi- ness career and at the same time has greatly benefited Texas by his labors.

A. N. Evans was reared upon his father's farm, on which he took up his abode with the . in his career the possibilities for successful family when but eight years of age. When a youth of fifteen years he became an appren- tice to a pharmacist conducting a drug store in Ennis, and when he had thoroughly mas- tered the profession and acquainted himself with all the particulars of the drug trade he embarked in business on his own account at Ennis, where he conducted a store for fifteen years. Removing then to Corsicana, he en- gaged in the real estate business as a member of the real estate and law firm of Hightower, Call

WILLIAM DRUMMOND CRAIG. For his sincere and high-minded citizenship, for his wisdom and capabilities as a business man, for his culture and moral bearing as a gentleman and for his loving human sympathy and charity as

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a friend Young county has produced no purer and nobler character than the late William D. Craig, who until October 29, 1904, was one of the dis- tinguished among her private citizens and whose passing away marked a sad day in the social and business life of its county seat.

Almost the entire career of Mr. Craig's busi- ness life was passed as a resident of Young coun- ty and it was here that his virtues shone brilliant- ly and it was here, too, the influence of his daily life left an imprint that only time can obliterate. His business relations brought him into contact with all classes and all people and the calcium light of his example and precept pointed out the true and the right way to one and all alike. Everywhere along his pathway he spread happi- ness and good-cheer and in his wake invisible results accumulated which shall endure while memory lasts.

Coming hither in 1888, Mr. Craig embarked in the cattle business with his brother, and their interests on Fish creek were considerable dur- ing the remainder of his life. Besides his stock interests he was connected with the financial af- fairs of his community and filled responsible of- fices in two of the county's banks. He helped organize the First National Bank of Graham, which afterward liquidated, and was an influence toward the direction of its affairs. His connec- tion with the Beckham National Bank of Graham gave that institution much of its prestige and as its cashier he won a large and desirable patron- age.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 64

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