USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume III > Part 62
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
Mr. Cooper has always been a great be- liever in education. In former years, when it was necessary to plan thriftily with his re- sources as a farmer, he worked hard and con- trived to give his children the benefit of a good education. He is now a member of the Board of Education of the Ranger Independ- ent School District. In this position he has shared in the distinction that should be awarded the Ranger School Board. One of the most prominent features of the history
----
Allemsbacher
325
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
of the town was the hurried construction of three costly, modern and adequately equipped school buildings to take care of the tremend- ous growth of school population following the boom beginning in the fall of 1917. Pending the incorporation of the school district and the legal authority to issue bonds, a matter involving much more delay than the emergency could permit, the members of the board indi- vidually came forward in a most generous manner and personally financed the construc- tion of these three handsome school buildings, the board members personally guaranteeing the necessary amount, relying upon official sanction by the people to repay them later. The result was that the City of Ranger had ample school facilities practically as soon as needed.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Cooper was formerly Miss Lulu Riddle. Her father, the late Uncle Od Riddle, was one of the earliest pioneers of Ranger. The six chil- dren of their marriage are: Oddie Cooper, formerly postmaster of Ranger and now in business at Breckenridge; Vespasian V., Jr., Mrs. Laura Jensen, Cecil, Charles and Eliza- beth. Mr. Cooper is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, a member of Dallas Consistory and of Moslah Temple.
MARION H. SMITH is president of the Texas Bank & Trust Company of Ranger. Besides being head of one of the largest and most popular banking institutions of this re- markable oil town he was formerly a super- intendent of schools, and is one of the com- munity's citizens who by individual enterprise and generosity have supplied what the slow process of legal technique could not supply in providing for the immediate and pressing needs of the city in the way of improvements and institutions required for the thousands of people who have come to Ranger within two or three years.
Mr. Smith is a native of Eastland County, born near Carbon in 1889, a son of C. C. and Addie (Mann) Smith. His parents now live at Plainview, Texas. His father, a native of Alabama, came to Eastland County in 1877 and was one of the pioneers in the vicinity of Carbon. His wife was born in Illinois.
Marion H. Smith grew up on a farm, at- tended first the rural schools, graduated in 1911 from Hankins' Normal College at Gor- man, is a graduate of the North Texas Nor- mal College at Denton, and from there en-
tered the University of Texas, pursuing both the academic and law courses. A man of thorough education and high ideals, he is well qualified for leadership in the financial and public affairs of his community. He was for a time principal of the high school at Gor- man, and was superintendent of schools at Ranger until he resigned to enter the bank- ing business in 1919.
He was one of the organizers of the Texas Bank & Trust Company, which was founded in June, 1919. Mr. Smith had a place on the board of directors, and on June 18, 1920, was elected president. Seldom has a Texas bank made such a splendid record of growth and substantial prosperity within a year from its founding. Its capital stock is $100,000, and on September 8, 1920, a statement showed nearly a million dollars in deposits. It is a very pop- ular bank, the men-behind it being all citizens of the highest standing and character. The bank in fact is looked upon as one of the bul- warks of the city, not only as a conservator of financial prosperity but as a promoter of sub stantial growth and development.
Mr. Smith continues his work in behalf of education as a member of the Board of Edu- cation. In that capacity he gave his services in the construction of the three fine public school buildings erected under the auspices of the present board. On account of the ur- gent necessity for these buildings, caused by the growth of the town from less than a thou- sand to something like twenty thousand pop- ulation, the members of the School Board had to finance the construction personally, pend- ing the necessary legal procedure that would permit the issue of bonds. The citizens of Ranger have expressed repeatedly their in- debtedness to the present school board for these progressive measures.
Mr. Smith is a director of the Chamber of Commerce, is a York Rite and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner and member of the Meth- odist Church. He married Miss Bettie Fears Walker, of Eastland County.
G. R. McMANIS, of Breckenridge, is one of the postmasters of Texas who might have qualified for their present positions through a long and extensive experience in the postal service, which in many countries is a real pro- fession. Mr. McManis knows the technical and operating side of the postal department from the standpoint of an experience that be- gan in early boyhood and has been almost continuous.
326
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
He was born in 1873, at Princeton, Illinois, a member of one of the very old and prominent families, some of whom are still represented in that cultured little city of Northern Illinois. His father was William McManis, a native of Ohio. William McManis brought his fam- ily to Texas in 1884 and located out on the frontier in Callahan County, where for sev- eral years he conducted a ranch. He subse- quently removed to the county seat of Baird, and was postmaster there sixteen years.
G. R. McManis was eleven years of age when brought to Texas, and after his early schooling and rearing on a ranch he began working for his father in the Baird Postoffice. He was assistant postmaster and for two years postmaster. Mr. McManis followed this ex- perience with eleven years of railway mail service. Seven of these years were spent in Texas. For four years he was clerk on the Burlington Fast Mail traveling west of Chi- cago, and thus came into frequent touch with his old home town of Princeton.
On returning to Texas Mr. McManis served as assistant postmaster at Ranger and at Cisco for a time. Then occurred a resignation in the office of postmaster at Breckenridge, and Mr. McManis was recommended by the busi- ness men of the city for the appointment. Thus in June, 1920, he was installed as post- master, taking charge of the office in the midst of the great oil boom which had changed Breckenridge from a country village to a city of nearly ten thousand. The business of the office has been constantly increasing, and so rapidly that the utmost efforts of Mr. McManis have hardly been adequate to supply additional quarters for the equipment and office force to handle the business of the office. However, as an expert in all details of postal management he has proved his resourcefulness in every exigency, and has thoroughly justi- fied the confidence of the business men who recommended him to this position.
Mr. McManis takes an active part in local affairs so far as his duties permit. He is a republican in politics. He married Miss Min- nie Gillitt, a native of Texas.
PAUL GILVIN. In the new municipal ad- ministration elected to govern Fort Worth's affairs in 1921, an administration that had the support of the best thinking citizens of the community, the office of commissioner of streets went to Paul Gilvin, than whom there is no man better qualified for the duties, since
he has been connected with the engineering department of the city for over ten years.
Mr. Gilvin was born July 21, 1889, at Trip- lett, Missouri, son of B. A. and Jennie (Eaton) Gilvin. His father was a native of Kentucky, moved from that state to Missouri, and became a prominent contractor and builder at Triplett, where he continued to make his home until 1916. While there he constructed practically all the important buildings and bridges in that vicinity. He is now retired from business and since 1916 has been a resi- dent of Fort Worth. He was formerly an active worker in Masonry and Odd Fellow- ship, and is a Democrat in politics.
Paul Gilvin is the youngest of three children and the only survivor. He acquired his early education in the grammar and high schools of Triplett, Missouri, graduating from high school in 1904. He soon afterwards came to Fort Worth and in 1906, at the age of seven- teen, entered the service of the Fort Worth Fire Department. He was with that depart- ment of the city for three years. In 1911 he completed his course and graduated from the Business College of Fort Worth.
Mr. Gilvin began his work with the engi- neering department of the city in the capacity of rodman, and was successively inspector of construction, chief inspector of construction, and assistant city engineer, an office which he resigned February 15, 1921, to enter the race for commissioner of streets. He was elected April 5, 1921, and is now in charge of the street improvement and repair program of the city, with offices on the second floor of the City Hall.
Mr. Gilvin has taken an active interest in local politics for several years. He is a Dem- ocrat, and fraternally is affiliated with the Masonic Order, Knights of Pythias, Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, Elks, U. B. A., and is a member of the Kiwanis Club. He is past chancellor and deputy grand chancellor of Queen City Lodge No. 21, Knights of Pythias, and has been captain of the D. O. K. K. Drill Team for six years. During 1911-12 Mr. Gil- vin was a member of the Fort Worth National Guard contingent.
On October 18, 1913, he married Miss Ethel Mae Stevens, daughter of E. T. Stevens, of Fort Worth. Mrs. Gilvin was educated in the public schools of Fort Worth. They have one daughter, Juanita Mary Gilvin, born Septem- ber 17, 1914.
327
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
ROBERT BENJAMIN WAGGOMAN is general manager and publisher of the Ranger Daily Times, the newspaper that has worked for and with all the important movements affect- ing the life and affairs of that busy oil metrop- olis, and comprising a plant and organization that make one of the brightest and busiest newspaper offices in Texas.
Mr. Waggoman was born at Fort Worth in 1895. His father, B. L. Waggoman, has for many years been actively identified with busi- ness in Fort Worth. Robert B. Waggoman was educated in the grammar and high schools of his native city, also attended Kemper Mili- tary School at Boonville, Missouri, and the Texas Christian University at Fort Worth.
He is one of the ex-service men who have busied themselves with important tasks in Texas since the close of the war. January 1, 1918, he entered the Officers' Training Camp at Camp Funston, Kansas, then under the com- mand of General Leonard Wood. He received a lieutenant's commission and was in the Eighty-ninth Division, commanded by Gen- eral Wood. Later he was transferred to the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Depot Bri- gade, stationed at Camp Lee and still later at Camp Mead, Maryland. Mr. Waggoman received his honorable discharge at Camp Mead, December 22, 1918, after practically a year of service.
On returning to Fort Worth he became identified with the Bagley-Allison Company, publishers of the Fort Worth Record. This company was responsible for the establishment of the Ranger Daily Times, and Mr. Waggo- man was sent to Ranger in March, 1919, as business manager of the paper. The first issue of the Ranger Daily Times came out in June, 1919, and its publication was beset with many difficulties that were shared in common by practically all the business institutions of an over-crowded city whose facilities were hardly equal to the demands made by a fourth of the population. In spite of many unavoidable interruptions the Times grew and prospered, has covered the local news field in a most ad- mirable and efficient manner, and has brought to the young city a complete daily exposition of the world's news, including Associate Press dispatches.
Besides looking after the business manage- ment of the paper Mr. Waggoman has con- sorted actively with leading citizens of Ranger in working for a better condition of municipal affairs, and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. He is also
secretary of the Ranger Rotary Club and is a member of the Elks.
GUY DABNEY, a prominent young banker of Cisco, is recognized as a leader in his line of business in this region. He was born at Gran- bury, Hood County, Texas, in 1889, a son of A. G. and Artie (Cameron) Dabney. He is descended from the well-known Dabney family of Virginia, which was originally from France, where the name was spelled D'Aubigny. A. G. Dabney was for many years a prominent merchant and resident of Hood County. He was a member of the board of directors of the famous Add-Ran College at Thorp Spring, Texas, founded by Addison and Randolph Clark, and he was one of those who con- tributed liberally to financing the college. Re- tired for some years from his former activi- ties, he is now a resident of Cisco.
Growing to manhood in Hood County, Guy Dabney was educated at Add-Ran College, and after completing his studies came to Cisco in 1909, and since 1910 he has been connected with the Cisco Banking Company, of which he is now an active vice president. This bank was organized in 1905 by Gus D. Ward, now deceased, who was its cashier and executive official until death. It was established with a capital of $25,000, which was raised to $50,- 000, and in 1920 to $100,000, the increase in capital in both instances being made from the accumulated earnings. The deposits now average $1,250,000. This institution is one of the three largest private banking houses in Texas. The five-story modern office build- ing in which this bank is located is owned by it. Mr. Dabney has been very active in the man- agement of this bank, especially since the demise of Mr. Ward, who was his father-in- law. Ever since he came to Cisco he has been zealous in promoting local measures looking toward a further advancement of the mate- rial prosperity of this section, and in addition to his other holdings is interested in ranching in Tom Green County, near San Angelo.
Mr. Dabney was united in marriage with Miss Eula Ward, a daughter of the late G. D. Ward, and they have one daughter, Virginia Dabney. Mr. Dabney and his bank are closely connected with the history of the commercial and industrial growth of Cisco, and some of the most important development projects have been carried through because of the wisely- directed assistance of this banking house. Mr. Dabney is carrying out in the main the poli- cies inaugurated by Mr. Ward, thus giving
328
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
assurance of the continued prosperity and prestige of the institution of which he is so worthy an exponent.
Even if he had not turned his attention to banking, Mr. Dabney would have been a strong factor in the financial history of East- land County, for he possesses the mental ca- pacity to swing large deals and the persever- ance to pursue a matter to a successful com- pletion. In addition to become one of the leading men of Cisco in a material sense he has accomplished what is still more impor- tant, gained the approval and support of its best element.
Gus D. WARD. The late Gus D. Ward was one of the most prominent men Cisco has de- veloped, and he was the founder and active factor of the Cisco Banking Company until his demise. He was born at Greenfield, Ten- nessee, November 27, 1863, and died Decem- ber 21, 1920. When he was eighteen years old he came to Texas with his parents, who located at Breckenridge, Stephens County, and there Mr. Ward lived until 1900. In that year he came to Cisco and was engaged in a mercantile business with Vick Douglass, un- der the firm name of Ward & Douglass. Later Mr. Ward bought out his partner and the firm was continued as Ward & Company. About 1905 he organized the Cisco Banking Company, which opened for business in an old one-story rock building erected by Mart Owens, an old time stockman of this section. During 1918-19 Mr. Ward supplied the capital for the erection of the five-story banking and office building which occupies that site at the corner of Fifth Street and D Avenue. This bank was founded with a capital of $25,000, which was later raised to $50,000, and in 1920 it was further increased to $100,000, the in- creases in capital in each case being taken from the earnings. The deposits have in- creased to $1,250,000.
This bank is one of the three largest private banking houses in Texas, and in the banking circles of the state is notable for the suc- cessful and sound condition which has always prevailed in its affairs. It is one of the out- standing financial institutions of the state. Under Mr. Ward's wise management and and skillful financiering it became the monied bulwark of Cisco, and has been the means of financing every important commercial and in- dustrial enterprise of the city. As it is a private and unincorporated bank, Mr. Ward had a wide latitude and was able to exercise
his own judgment in extending loans and financial backing to worthy local enterprises, and in thus exercising his wise discrimination he made very few, if any, mistakes. It is claimed that this bank has afforded the means of building practically every prominent en- terprise at Cisco. The bank erected and oc- cupies its own building, a modern five-story office structure that is a memorial to Mr. Ward's enterprise and the importance of the city in which it stands. He was one of Cisco's best citizens. None had more interest and desire and pride in the upbuilding of the city than he. His every effort was in this direc- tion, and while he was unostentatious in all his doings he was always at work for Cisco. Many of the business projects of the city, many of the better buildings, were financed by him. One of his greatest interests was the building of the Cisco and Northeastern Rail- way.
Mr. Ward married Miss Annie Edwards, who survives him. They had two children, namely: Eula, who is the wife of Guy Dab- ney, of Cisco; and J. D. Ward, who is now a resident of San Angelo, Texas. The record of Mr. Ward's life is completed, but his in- fluence remains, and is showing its remarkable effect not alone in the lives of his children, but in the city in which he always took so deep and fostering an interest, and the banking house he founded and to which he gave the best years of his life. Some men prefer to endow hospitals, colleges or libraries, but Mr. Ward discharged his obligations toward humanity in a different manner, and many claim a much better way. He did not wait until his remains were laid to their eternal rest to put his money to good purpose, but placed it safely with each succeeding day, be- ing willing to accept the realization of what he was accomplishing for the advancement of Cisco as a part of his reward. Others might have been found to stand back of the mer- chants, manufacturers, builders and pros- pectors of this region had he not assumed these obligations, but none would have done so as wisely, sanely and with as little personal profit, all things considered, as he. As long as Cisco stands his name will be held in grateful rememberance as one of the founders and pro- motors of its civic and business prominence.
Mr. Ward was long a consistent member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as an elder at the time of his death. He was a director of the Chamber of Commerce, hav-
-
ASaque
329
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
ing been chosen to that position a few days before his death.
Concerning his citizenship and character an editorial in the Cisco Daily News presents a just and deserved tribute :
"Communities are just so good, or bad, as their people make them. There necessarily must be grades of citizenship in every com- munity-some good, some not so good, and some, unfortunately, bad.
"The man who is inherently endowed with the principle of right, has within his heart a loving kindness for mankind, whose constant desire is to do good, grows into that ideal man whose every thought and every effort is for helping others.
"Imbued with deserving pride, wanting things beautiful about him and at the same time' wanting nothing which his neighbors may not also enjoy, he becomes a builder of monuments to civilization and advancement, not alone in things material, but in the rich- ness of mind which shall endure forever.
"All this is recalled in the passing of Gus Ward, Cisco citizen, friend and neighbor, one who ever followed the Master's meekness, never paraded his works before the public yet became one citizen to which the city owes probably more than to any other-past or present.'
As he advanced in the esteem of all who knew him, Mr. Ward grew to have a still better understanding of and tolerance for human nature. He possessed among other qualities a distinct impulse toward the humani- ties and was always a commanding inspira- tion for activities of the best kind. Reaching the understanding of the public directly and surely, he knew how to take its measure and accord it what would work out to the best ends. His ideas were convincing in their simplicity and integrity, but once he was cer- tain of the worthlessness of a man or a con- cern he did not waste time over trying to re- deem his losses, but learned a lesson from the transaction and let the matter rest. As a usual thing, however, he was amply justified in his extension of credit and giving of assistance, for he did possess in marked degree the shrewd banker's intuitiveness and well-bal- anced common sense. Personally he was the incarnation of probity and kindness, of stead- fast devotion to his duty as he saw it, and the needs of the whole human family.
J. W. CASTLEMAN has been resident of Breckenridge for over a quarter of a century.
His work as a teacher and public official made him a widely known and esteemed citizen of Stephens County, and his long associations with the community's best interests entitle him to the prosperity that has resulted from the wonderful oil development of Breckenridge within recent years.
Mr. Castleman was born in Falls County, Texas, in 1873, a son of D. and Lou (Masters) Castleman, his father a native of North Caro- lina and his mother of Tennessee. The Castle- man family were early settlers in Falls County, and J. W. Castleman grew up on his father's farm there. He acquired a good common school education and qualified for the teaching profession. When he came to Breckenridge in 1894 he taught school, and continued active in that vocation for about twelve years. In 1914 he was elected justice of the peace, and his services have been such as to keep him in that office indefinitely 'so far as the will and ap- proval of his fellow citizens are concerned. In 1920 he was re-elected for another term of two years.
Two or three years ago Mr. Castleman bought as the site for the home he built and now occupies an entire block of ground at Court Street and Hullum Avenue. He re- garded the investment as one primarily for home purposes. Then came the wonderful era of oil discovery. It is the distinction of the Castleman home site that the first oil well in the limits of Breckenridge town was brought in on the Castleman ground. This well came in June 5, 1920, and it is still pro- ducing. Since then a producing oil well has been brought in on every available block in Breckenridge, thus constituting this the won- der oil city of the country. The history of this famous oil territory will always give a prominent place to Mr. Castleman, and he has been a factor in enterprise and subsequent development and the upbuilding of the city.
In 1920 Mr. Castleman bought a twenty thousand dollar home at Abilene, Texas, though his business interests at Breckenridge have not allowed him to move to that city. He married Miss Roxie Walker, whose father was a Baptist minister. They have five chil- dren, Walter D., J. W., Jr., Katie Ben, Ida Vern and Maggie Gertrude.
HOWARD L. AGEE has been the man chiefly instrumental in giving Fort Worth one of its distinctive industries, the Agee Screen Com- pany, of which he is president. This is an industry that has had a progressive growth,
330
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
and is now a large factory for the manufac- ture of screens to supply every need, and the product is sent over many states besides Texas.
Mr. Agee was born in Camp County, Texas, March 13, 1873, son of Jonathan F. and Sat- sie Ann (Lewis) Agee, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Macon, Georgia. The family came to Texas in 1871, locating on a farm in Camp County. His father is still living, but retired, and the mother died August 11, 1919. They reared all their ten children to maturity and eight are still living.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.