A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 73

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

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In the year of his marriage John D. Parr came to Montague county, where he purchased land and improved a farm. He yet resides on his first tract of one hundred and sixty-six acres, to which he has added, however, until he now has four hundred and eighty-six acres. This he has transformed into a valuable prop- erty, bringing two hundred and fifteen acres of land up to a high state of cultivation. He carries on general agricultural pursuits and also feeds hogs for the market. In all of his work he is practical and enterprising and his labors have been attended with a gratifying measure of success. His first dwelling was destroyed by fire together with all its contents, but he has since erected a more modern and commo- dious residence two stories in height and taste- fully furnished. He has also built the neces- sary outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock, has planted an orchard and has other- wise improved his property.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Parr has been blessed with six children: Grace, the wife of C. E. Bell; Jesse M., who follows farming; Rachel, Alice, Ruth E. and Mattie A., all at home. The parents are members of the Cum- berland Presbyterian church, in the work of which they take an active and helpful part and Mr. Parr is now serving as one of its elders. He is also connected with the Woodmen of the World and he has a very wide and favorable acquaintance in Montague county, where he has now lived for almost a quarter of a cen- tury.

MR. AND. MRS. DAVID L. EDGIN

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

JOHN WILEY RAINES. In the matter of service as a public official, John W. Raines'. tenure of office made him almost a veteran. The distinction of an early settler also attaches to him and this fact, coupled with his long ca- reer in public life, renders him probably the most widely known citizen in Montague county.

While Mr. Raines came to Texas in 1875, he passed the first year in Ellis county and succeeding three years on Cowhouse river, in Coryell county, in each of which communi- ties he was occupied with the duties of the farm. He emigrated to the Lone Star state from Maury county, Tennessee, where his birth occurred June 11, 1843. He was a son of Wil- liam Raines and his childhood was passed as a farmer boy and the country schools provided him with a meager knowledge of books.

William Raines was born in Maury county, Tennessee, in 1809, and grew up in that then new country, devoting his life to farming, and died January 30, 1852. He was a son of James Raines, who went into Maury county from North Carolina and died about 1846. He mar- ried Sarah M. Wiley, who died the same month and year of his own demise, and their children were: Mary and Sarah T., both died in Ten- nessee, the former as Mrs. C. M. Edwards and the latter as the wife of R. W. Kirkpatrick, and both left families; John W., our subject ; Harriet J., wife of William Lunn, died in Bowie; and Laura V., wife of Ed. M. Lunn, of Young county, Texas.

John W. Raines knew nothing of the world at the age of nineteen beyond the limits of his uncle's farms. Early in 1862 he enlisted in Company E, Ninth Tennessee Cavalry, under Colonel George Bantz and saw service in many of the Confederate states. General Joe Wheel- er was his commander-in-chief and he partici- pated in the battles of Forts Henry and Donel- son. At the latter place his regiment was cap- tured but he made his escape and rejoined his regiment, after its exchange, at Port Hudson. The succeeding two years he was on guard and picket duty in Louisiana under Major Aiken, but was transferred with his regiment to Dal- ton, Georgia, where his division covered he Confederate retreat from Atlanta, being on the skirmish line all the way. From Atlanta the regiment returned to Tennessee on the scout and was at Columbia, that state, when surrend- ered at the close of the war.

On his return home and resumption of civil life Mr. Raines dropped into his favorite vo- cation, farming. In the ten years that he re-

mained in Tennessee he acquired, by hard work, some property, and, as results came slowly, he decided to try his fortune in the new west. He drove his team with his family and effects to Memphis, shipped from there to Lit- tle Rock and completed the journey at the end of six weeks, when he drew up in Ellis county, Texas, in 1875.

Coming into Montague county in 1879, he located on a tract of raw land near where Bowie was afterward built and proceeded with its fencing, improvement and cultivation until he established himself in the grocery business in Bowie. He had taken little active interest in politics prior to his appointment as deputy sheriff, in 1888, and he served his first two years under L. L. McLain. He was retained by Sheriff T. L. Garrison during his six-year term and was then, in 1896, himself elected to the office. He was re-elected in 1898, 1900 and , 1902, completing sixteen years of faithful serv- ice in the one office, with his retirement in November, 1904.

Resuming private life again, Mr. Raines brought his family to Bowie, where he owns both residence and business property. He also owns a farm of two hundred and sixty-two acres near Montague and is in other ways sub- stantially identified with the county.

In August, 1862, Mr. Raines married Mary J. Cavender, a daughter of Stephen Cavender, a North Carolinian and a farmer. Of the chil- dren of this union William died in 1901; Luther A. married Lillian Wilson and is a resident of Bowie, Texas; Edward C., of Bowie, married Mollie Stillwell; Sarah V., is the wife of J. D. Jamison, of Montague; John E., of Albany, Texas, is married to Sallie Bishop; Haughty, is the wife of William Turner of Gainesville, and Dallas Raines resides in Montague and is married to Ella Nix.

Mr. Raines is an Odd Fellow, a Baptist and belongs to the Bowie Pelham Camp, U. C. V.

DAVID L. EDGIN. The actual energy ex- pended in the material improvement of the rural precincts of Montague county, as well as of other counties of the state, came from the rank and file of the sturdy farm and stock men, who, bent upon the establishment and eventual ownership of a home, came hither with their little families and began the career which now marks them as leaders among successful men. To the subject of this article credit is due for the distinct part played by him and his in the building up of a modest home and the conse-

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quent reduction and beautifying of the surface of his county.

Mr. Edgin has been a resident of Texas long enough to remember it distinctly as a frontier country. Indeed, he was an active, integral part of the very frontier during the years of his youth and early manhood, for his father es- tablished the family in Palo Pinto county in December, 1864, at a time when domestic tran- quillity was far from being established, for the North and the South were fighting to the death and the red man was making his moonlight visits and leaving theft and murder on his trail on the- border in Texas. No family home felt secure for ten years after that date, in West Texas counties, and uneasy sat the cowboy as he rode the silent prairies on his daily or nightly rounds, for the Comanche and the Kiowa often left his body to the vultures and his bones to bleach in the sun.

From eleven years of age to his twenty-fifth year David L. Edgin's home was in the saddle. His father became a stockman on entering Palo Pinto county, prospered and numbered his cattle by the hundreds of head. While he usually marketed his beef on the range, he fol- lowed the practice of leading men of the time, on one occasion, and drove his cattle to the Kansas market and shipping point at Abilene. The extent of his operations made him widely known on the border and his son David L. was associated with every important event in that period of his father's career.

January 30, 1853, David L. Edgin was born in Pike county, Arkansas, and from that point the family migrated to Texas. From there, also, Churchwell Edgin, his father, entered the Confederate army and served one year with the regulars and the remainder of the time, until his departure for the west, in the Home Guard. The latter was born in Middle Tennessee about the year 1817 and grew to manhood and married there. His father was Thomas Edgin, who died in Franklin county, Arkansas, whither the family removed from Tennessee. Thomas Edgin mar- ried a Miss McNew and their issue, who reach- ed maturity, were: Churchwell, Nathan, Celia, wife of Washington Conatser ; and Melissa, who married a Mr. Osborn. His wife died in early life and then Grandfather Edgin married a Miss Conatser, and by this marriage there were several children whose names we are not now able to learn.

Churchwell Edgin married Mahala, a daughter of Henry Conatser. The Conatsers were of German origin and Henry, our sub- ject's grandfather, was a Tennessee farmer.

Mahala Edgin died in Arkansas, while the fam- ily was moving from Franklin to Pike county, in the year 1861. The issue of Churchwell and Mahala Edgin were: William, of Palo Pinto county ; James, of McCombs, Oklahoma ; David L .; Sarah, wife of Andrew McBride, of Beaver county, Oklahoma; Nancy A., who married Thomas Gant, of Archer county, Texas; and Nathan, who resides in the Creek Nation. Churchwell Edgin married for his second wife Delilah Matthews, who bore him: George, of Archer county ; Mahala, wife of George Row- land, of Wise county ; Lue, who married James Houghton, of Wise county, and John, of Indian Territory.

David L. Edgin came to maturity at a time when educational and other favorable advantages were at a low ebb. His services became valu- able as a cowboy soon after he reached the prairies of Palo Pinto county and he became in- terested in little else until his cattle career ended. He possessed a pony at his marriage and he made a crop that year on rented land. After another crop season he moved to Mon- tague county, bringing some forty head of cattle with him as his own. He settled in the com- munity two and a half miles northeast of Bowie where he soon bought a quarter section of Hill county school land. He has bought and sold sev- eral other places in the neighborhood, as he saw a chance to make some money, and owns a farm of one hundred and ninety-five acres. It has been as a farmer that he has made his chief success and he is numbered among the success- ful agriculturists of his locality.

November 19, 1875, Mr. Edgin married Della Abbey, a daughter of James Abbey and Mar- gret Dwire, the mother a native of Illinois and father of Canada. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Edgin are: Elmer, who married Mamie Teague; Churchwell, whose wife was May Tomblenson; Annie, wife of George Teague; Cordelia, who married Frank Smith ; David L., Jr. ; and Lillie M. All the married children reside near their parents and are applying them- selves diligently toward the acquirement of homes. While father and sons are all party men in politics not one is ambitious beyond the casting of his ballot for Democratic candidates. In religious matters the family holds to Prot- estantism and worships with the Missionary Baptists.

While Mr. Edgin has been achieving success upon the farm he has been unconsciously ac- quiring standing and influence as a citizen. He has gone about his every day affairs without boast or bluster, appreciative of the blessings

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS .-

bestowed by Providence and content each year with the substantial winnings he made. Pre- maturely racked in health by years spent in the saddle, in foul weather as well as fair, he has yet some years of vigor for the accomplishment of good things in his community. Mr. Edgin ranged during the time when the semi-wild and ownerless cattle crowded the range and all of these mavericks that could be roped and branded belonged to the man accomplishing that round-up, .

DAVID M. PAYNE, a wholesale produce and commission merchant of El Paso, is too well known to the citizens of this part of the state to need any special introduction. He was born at Petersburg, Virginia, February II, 1860, and is descended from Welch ancestry on the paternal side, while in the maternal line he represents one of the old families of Vir- ginia, who were of English descent. His par- ents were David H. and Ann E. (Pace) Payne. The family home was in the contested district that lay between the opposing armies at the time of the Civil war, and adjoined that special locality known as the "Crater," where occurred the battle in which thousands of soldiers rushed into the mines at Petersburg. This en- gagement took place on the Riddick farm, which adjoined the old homestead of the Payne family. The members of the household fled to a tobac- co factory at Petersburg, where about fifty families had sought refuge, and afterward took refuge at Abingdon, Washington county, Vir- ginia, for it was unsafe to remain in their own home, and indeed their residence was riddled by cannon balls and other missiles. The father was exempt by age from active service in the regular Confederate army, but belonged to the Home Guards and was wounded at Petersburg. He continued to reside in Virginia until 1872, when he came with his family to Colorado and resided on a stock ranch, where he remained for a few years. He then sold out his cattle inter- ests and took up his abode in the city of Den- ver when it was a pioneer settlement. He passed away in Colorado; his wife died in El Paso.

David M. Payne accompanied his parents on their removal to the west and resided in Colora- do until 1886, when he came to El Paso, where he has since made his home. He accepted a salaried position, which he kept for a few months, and then seeing a favorable opportu- nity for the establishment of a wholesale prod- uce business, he made arrangements to enter that field of commercial activity as a member

of the firm of Hubbard & Payne, which later consolidated with the firm of Smith & Thomp- son, under the style of Smith, Hubbard & Com- pany, while subsequently other changes in the partnership brought about the firm of G. E. Hubbard & Company. A short time prior to Mr. Hubbard's death arrangements were made for Mr. Payne to continue the entire business individually, and he has since been at the head of the house and conducted the business under the name of D. M. Payne, wholesale produce and commission. This is one of the largest en- terprises of its kind in the southwest, the trade having constantly increased, and under the capable management of Mr. Payne the business is continually growing. He is a man of keen discrimination, untiring enterprise and laudable ambition-qualities which always form the basis of gratifying success. He is likewise the president of the Shelton-Payne Arms Company, incorporated, a large local establishment, deal- ing in hardware, firearms, ammunition and saddlery. He is likewise owner of the D. M. Payne sub-divison of East El Paso, a promi- nent residential district that is being rapidly built up and developed and is one of the most attractive home localities of the city.

Mr. Payne has for many years figured prom- inently in enterprises of public importance, that have contributed to the prosperity and growth of El Paso in marked degree. His ef- forts in public life for which he is given most praise were put forth in connection with pro- curing a water supply for El Paso and also a first-class system of electric street railways, both of which he was largely instrumental in consummating in his position as chairman of the committee on rules and ordinances which had charge of the matter of granting the fran- chises for the above mentioned utilities and in seeing that the franchises were properly exe- cuted for the best interests of El Paso. This was during his service as a member of the city council, under the administration of Mayor B. F. Hammett. About the Ist of October, 1905, the result of this beneficent legislation was shown in the adequate supply of pure mesa water that was turned into the city pipes at that time, the work of procuring the water hav- ing been carried on for about two years before success crowned the work. Mr. Payne as well as his brothers has always advocated all that is commendable in civic rule, opposing open gambling and other disorder and law-breaking and standing as the champion of right, reform, progress and improvement. He is now a mem- ber of the chamber of commerce, one of its

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directors, and chairman of the committee on transportation.

Mr. Payne was married to Miss Mary Find- ley Barron, of St. Louis, and they have a daughter, Dorcas Ann Payne. He thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure in the society of his family and friends. He is always courteous, kindly and affable, and those who know him personally have for him warm re- gard. A man of great natural ability, his suc- cess in business from the beginning of his resi- dence in El Paso has been uniform and rapid. Through his persistency of purpose he has gained the most satisfactory reward and his life is exemplary in all respects, for he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, which work for the good of his city and which develop high, moral character.

Mr. Payne was prominently connected with the Law and Order league, which was organ- ized in the late 80's, and later became one of the organizers of the Citizen's league, which stead- fastly fought the gaming houses and lawless element, and drove them out of business, and there have been no public gambling houses in El Paso since the spring of 1905.

WILLIAM E. PORTER, who in the control of real estate operations has contributed in substantial measure to El Paso's growth and development, has also been the owner of ranches and cattle and is thus connected with the important business enterprises of the state. He was born in Caldwell county, Texas, Au- gust 9, 1855, and is a son of Asbury Duvall and Catharine (Skaggs) Porter. His parents re- moved from Bowling Green, Kentucky, to Texas and both died in this state. The fa- ther arrived in 1852, settling first in Caldwell county, whence he removed to Hays county in 1857. He was a rancher and cattleman and served in the militia department of the Con- federate army during the Civil war.

In his early youth William E. Porter, hav- ing been reared in the cattle business, went far- ther west, working in Coleman county as a cow- boy until 1879. In 1881 he made his way to the Rio Grande country, having his headquarters at Del Rio, and the Rio Grande valley remained his stamping ground in the cattle business for many years. He continued at Del Rio until 1885, when he brought his cattle still farther west to Presidio county, where he made his headquarters until 1900. About that time he sold his cattle interests, and in 1902 he opened a real estate office in El Paso, where he has

since conducted business. Besides doing a com- mission brokerage business in real estate, cat- tle and ranches in the United States and Mexi- co, he has built and is the owner of several nice residence properties in El Paso, being one of those who in the past four years have largely pushed forward the wheels of progress, espe- cially in real estate development and the in- creased property values.

Mr. Porter was married in Ysleta, El Paso county, to Miss Adella McGinnis, a daughter of Colonel C. C. McGinnis, a well known Texas pioneer, frontiersman and soldier, who served in the Mexican war and was also a member of the Confederate army in the war between the states. Mr. and Mrs. Porter now have one son, William E., Jr.

With all the experiences of cattle raising on a western frontier Mr. Porter is familiar, and his life history if given in detail would present an accurate picture of the conditions which ex- isted in Western Texas when as a cowboy he rode the trail and assisted in the round-up. As the years have gone by great changes have been wrought in the appearance of the county, in business conditions and in the production of improvements, which have made Texas the equal in its advantages of the older and more thickly settled states. In El Paso he has con- tributed to the material improvement of the city and at the same time his business interests have brought him a gratifying competence.

THOMAS H. SPRINGER, a wholesale and retail furniture dealer of El Paso, was born in St. Mary's county, Maryland, May 23, 1859, and is a son of Thomas H. and Elizabeth (Har- din) Springer, both of whom are now deceased. The father was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and the mother in Philadelphia.

After leaving Maryland at the age of seven- teen years Mr. Springer spent four or five years at Wilmington, and then came to the south- west. He resided in Dallas for a few months and in 1883 arrived in El Paso to become one of its pioneer residents. Here he has lived con- tinuously since. For a time he was employed by others, when, in 1887, he established the furniture business by opening a small second- hand store on North Stanton street. From this beginning, however, he has developed an enter- prise to its present pretentious proportions and is now conducting an extensive wholesale and retail establishment in the heart of the business center of the city at Nos. 216-218 San Antonio street, where he has two large and beautiful store-rooms, one for furniture and one for china-

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ware. He likewise occupies the second and third floors of these buildings, and has had an unusually successful career as a merchant, his trade constantly increasing as the result of business methods which commend him to the confidence and support of the public, for his principles are such as neither seek nor require disguise.

Mr. Springer was married at Abilene, Texas, to Miss Mary Louise Rogers, and they have six children. In community affairs he has figured prominently, especially in connection with the chamber of commerce and the fire department. He has contributed liberally toward the suc- cessful establishment of plans and movements for the general good, and he was elected coun- cilman to represent the third ward during the administration of Mayor C. R. Morehead, which was marked by successful and business-like re- sults. In the control of his private interests he has progressed with the growth and develop- ment of the city and has wrought along mod- ern lines of trade until today he ranks with the leading merchants of El Paso.

HENRY FRANKLIN BIGGAR. The sub- ject of this personal review represents a family which was founded in Montague county in the early '70s, and one which has done a mod- est, yet positive part, in the material develop- ment of the county. All its efforts have been rural ones and its individual activities have been confined purely to the domain of agricul- ture. The reward due the toil of years has vis- ited them and H. F. Biggar, the head of the family today, occupies the position of one of the leading farmers and prominent citizens of his county.

Robert T. Biggar, our subject's father, was the leader of this family into Montague coun- ty and his father was its founder in Texas. They came hither from Missouri, where Robert T. Biggar was born, and settled in Shelby coun- ty, Texas. Grandfather Biggar was the father of Richard, who died at Tyler during the war, leaving a family: Robert T .; William Garrison, who left a family in Cooke county at his death; Polly, wife of James Wagstaff, passed her life in Shelby county, and George W., who left a family in Shelby county at his death.

Robert T. Biggar was ten years of age when brought to the Lone Star state by his father and his youthful surroundings were those of the early-day Texas plantation. He acquired little knowledge from school and was married in Shelby county. He left his family to provi-

dential care when the Rebellion broke out, and early entered the Confederate army, serving through the war. About 1867, he severed his connection with the farm in Shelby county and located at Boggy Depot, in the Choctaw Na- tion, with which locality as a farmer he was identified until his advent to Montague county, Texas, in 1874. Here he selected a location on Denton creek and finished his life-work here. His wife died in 1882 and he survived her eighteen years, dying in 1900. Robert T. Big- gar was the father of Mary, George L., H. Franklin, our subject; Robert G., Julia, and Delila J.

Henry Franklin Biggar was born in Shelby county, Texas, March 26, 1853, and had just entered his 'teens when his parents removed to the Choctaw Nation. In the Nation he com- pleted the years of his minority, made a slight acquaintance with the program of the country school there and in Shelby county. July 22, 1875, he married, having returned to the Na- tion from Montague for that purpose and re- mained there during the year. Returning to Montague county he purchased fifty acres of land adjacent to Denton creek, the nucleus of his present farm, and started his career in earn- est. Clearing, improving and building a com- fortable home where his declining years may be passed has occupied himself and his wife, and their farm of two hundred and forty acres is one of the fertile and attractive places along the creek.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 73

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