USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume IV > Part 10
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 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
In Navarro County, Texas, September 26, 1869, Doctor Allen married Miss Rhoda Gage. Her father was Jerry M. Gage and her mother a Miss Chaney. Mrs. Allen was born in Arkansas, but was brought to Texas when a child and was a schoolmate with Doctor Allen in Wise County. Her father died in that county, his children being William, Calvin, James, Reese B .. Jonathan L., F. M. (Bud), Mrs. America Clemens, Mrs. Sallie Cunnius and Mrs. Allen. Mrs. Allen, who died March 4. 1907, was the mother of four children. The oldest is Thomas Franklin, of Altus, Okla- homa. The second is Dr. Joseph H. Allen, an associate of his father in medical practice at Justin, who married Effie McDaniel. James E., the third son, is also a resident of Altus, Okla- homa. Theresa P., the only daughter, is the wife of U. B. Johnson, of Justin.
REV. J. S. O'CONNOR, pastor of Holy Name Catholic Church of Fort Worth. is one of the brilliant men in the Catholic priesthood in
Texas, and his work in his parish, his devo- tion to the welfare of humanity everywhere, and his ready co-operation with civic move- ments has made him a most welcome and val- uable citizen of Fort Worth.
Father O'Connor was born at Ottawa, Can- ada, December 2, 1870, son of Mathew and Mary ( Doyle) O'Connor. From 1880 to 1889 he attended public schools in Canada. He entered the priesthood only after a long and thorough education and training. From 1890 to 1893 he was a student in Mont La Salle College at Montreal, was in Holy Cross Col- lege at Quebec from 1893 to 1896, and until 1898 continued his studies in St. Viator's Col- lege at Bourbonnais, Illinois. From 1898 to 1904 he was in the Seminary of St. Thomas, Valleyfield, and on July 10, 1904, was ordained to the priesthood in St. James Cathedral, Mon- treal.
Father O'Connor was at once delegated for service in Texas, his first appointment being as assistant to the Dallas Cathedral. In 1906 he became secretary to the late Bishop Dunn and chancellor of the Dallas Diocese. He was appointed administrator of the Sacred Heart Cathedral on July 8. 1907, and since Septen ?- ber 3, 1911. has been engaged in the congenial duties of the pastorate of the Holy Name Church at Fort Worth.
Father O'Connor is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and past chaplain of that order, and is also affiliated with the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
E. CLAUDE MANNING. A residence of thirty years, supplemented by a long, varied and successful experience in business affairs, and in the municipal administration of the city, as Commissioner of Finance and Rev- enue, has given E. Claude Manning recognition as one of the best known and popular citizens of Fort Worth.
Mr. Manning was born in Chillicothe, Mis- souri, February 5, 1870, a son of Henry C. and Demaris Anne (Claudas) Manning, his father a native of Tennessee, and his mother of Chillicothe. Missouri. E. Claude Manning lived at Chillicothe until he had attained the age of seventeen. Leaving home at that time, he gained his initial experience in commercial affairs as a clerk in a drug store at Trenton, Missouri. From the winter of 1888 until 1891 he was connected with a mercantile house at St. Joseph. Missouri, and in 1891 came to Texas as traveling representative of the Turner-Frazer Grocery Company. and for the
417
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
ensuing eleven years he sold groceries over Texas territory as a representative for this and other firms.
Upon retiring from the road, Mr. Manning engaged in the lumber business at Fort Worth as president and general manager of the Man- ning Lumber Company. In 1907 he disposed of his lumber interests and engaged in the real estate field, both as a broker and as a builder and developer, a line of industrial effort which proved profitable to him and of benefit to the growing city. In 1912 he estab- lished the Manning Dyeing & Dry Cleaning Company, which business he still owns and conducts.
Mr. Manning has always felt keen interest in the promotion of the city's welfare, and has given liberally of his time to public duty. He was twice elected and served as Commis- sioner of Finance and Revenue, and his efficient service as a public officer did much to promote and conserve the financial wel- fare of the municipality.
In 1891 Mr. Manning married Hattie Carder, a daughter of Benjamin F. Carder, of St. Joseph, Missouri. They have one son, Claude, Jr.
Mr. Manning is a Mason and a Shriner, a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias and an Elk. He is a member of the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, while he and his family are members of the First Christian Church.
RIGGS PENNINGTON has been identified with the citizenship of Johnson County since 1875. · He is a native of Texas, represents a family established in the southern part of the state about the time Texas won its independence from Mexico. He is an ex-Confederate and his mature years have been accompanied by much constructive work in the development of rural localities in Johnson County, several good farms proving the value of his handi- work in this section.
Mr. Pennington, whose present farm is four miles south of Cleburne, is named for his grandfather, Riggs Pennington. His grand- father was a Kentuckian by birth, grew up when the Middle West was almost a complete wilderness, had few school advantages, and most of his life was spent on the frontier, though civilization finally overtook him and he died in a community accessible to the out- side world by railroad. He lived in Indiana and then in Illinois, and from the latter state accompanied by his family started with wagon
and horse team for Texas. This was in 1837, only after the battle of San Jacinto had been fought. The Pennington family brought their store of gold in a nail keg with trace chains piled on top of it to allay suspicion. Crossing the Brazos River at Washington. the team nearly backed off the ferryboat and the loss of the money was narrowly averted. Riggs Pennington settled at Brenham, in Washington County, and spent the rest of his days there. While he was never in politics, he was a man of public spirit, encouraged schools and other civilizing and enlightening agencies, opening his home to a residence of teachers of the community schools. He was a democrat and a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Physically he was above the average, nearly six feet tall, a man of spirit and enjoyed living to the full. His career as a Texas planter was successful, and he died leaving a large estate. Riggs Pennington married Johanna Osborn, who died in 1872, having survived her husband two years. Both were eighty-four when they died. Among their children were Wesley, Elijah, Elisha, Lydia, who married a Mr. Whitaker; Matilda, whose husband, John D. Dupuy, had a headright in Johnson County ; Elihu. William, Stephen, Hansford and Asa.
Elijah Pennington, father of Riggs Pen- nington, of Johnson County, was a youth of eighteen when the family made their journey from Illinois to Texas. He was born in Indiana, June 1, 1819, and not long after the family moved to Illinois and became pioneers in Knox County, near Galesburg. After the family came to Texas they paid out much of their money for cheap land and adopted the southern plan of planting and stock raising. using negro slaves for the heavy labor. Elijah Pennington after his marriage established his home four miles north of Brenham on part of the family estate, and lived in that county. and after retiring from the farm was in Bren- ham, where he died March 13, 1909. in his ninetieth year. He was a veteran of the Mexi- can war, being a member of the Somerville expedition, and also did some service for the Confederacy before reaching the retiring age of forty-five. He helped establish and main- tain schools in his county and the impulse to do something for others was always a strong motive. He married in Arkansas Ellen McAlister, who died October 4, 1912, when almost eighty-seven. They reared six of their nine children-Riggs ; Asa, in Southern Texas ; Mrs. Matilda Ann Applewhite : John R., who
418
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
died at Brenham; Joseph, of Brenham, and Elijah a Brenham attorney.
Riggs Pennington, representing the third generation of the family in Texas, was born in old Washington County. under the flag of the Republic of Texas. October 1, 1845. He acquired a country school education and his life was with his parents until twenty-one. though in the meantime in August. 1863, he joined Capt. Lee Scott's Company. Col. Dave Terry's Regiment of Cavalry. This regiment was dismounted before the close of the war and served in Texas and Louisiana, its chief duty being to prevent negro uprisings and look up deserters. His brother, Elijah, was first lieutenant of the company. The regiment was at Richmond. Texas, when the news of Lee's surrender was reported, and on reaching Hempstead, in spite of the appeal of the cap- tain to stay together and be mustered out regularly, the men dispersed on their own account. Mr. Pennington reached home in May. 1865. After the war he supplemented somewhat his early education and then resumed the work of the farm on part of the old estate. Later he sold his property inter- ests in Washington County, and reached John- son County in Northern Texas about the 15th of November. 1875. His first home was on Village Creek. twelve miles above Cleburne, a locality in which he built one of the best small homes of that day. After five years there as a grain raiser and cattle feeder, a strenuous period in his history, he moved to a com- munity south of Cleburne and built his first home within sight of his present place. That was a tract of new land. and he improved and occupied it five years. He then moved to his new and present purchase. where he con- structed another good home and improvements. Corn and cotton have been the staple products of his farm, and he has brought a large amount of soil under cultivation.
As one of the successful and prosperous members of the county, Mr. Pennington has been a stockholder in the Traders State Bank. the Home National and the Citizens National Bank, and was made a director in all these institutions. In politics a stanch democrat, he has never scratched a ticket in his life. and as he says, "never saw the day he would vote for a yellow dog for office." He is a loyal Bap- tist and has attended Baptist associations as a delegate.
In Washington County. Texas. July 16, 1868, Mr. Pennington married Miss Sarah Rebecca Moore, who was born in Laurens District of
South Carolina. June 8, 1848, and was brought to Texas just after the Civil war by her par- ents, Robinson and Eliza (Todd) Moore. Mrs. Pennington died September 16, 1901. Of her twelve children, eight are still living: Alpha. wife of J. T. Falkenbury, of Cleburne ; John Elmo, a Johnson County farmer ; Lawrence, of Cleburne; Ellen. wife of J. B. Jackson, of Brownwood, Texas ; Irene wife of Oscar Tarl- ton. of Fort Worth; Miss Nona, Robert and Miss Queener Pennington. of Fort Worth. September 9. 1903, Mr. Pennington married Miss Catherine A. Vinson. She was eighteen years of age when she came to Texas from Yell County. Arkansas, in company with her mother and brother. She is a native of Arkansas. Her father was born in 1819 and died while a Confederate soldier. Mrs. Pen- nington has a brother. James, who is a black- smith at Joshua.
WILLIAM W. WILKINSON. Another one of Texas' sons who worked his way from the farm to the law profession is William W. Wilkinson. He was born on a farm in Navarro County. Texas, on December 30, 1869, and is the eldest son of Isaac Newton and Sue (Hust) Wilkinson, both of whom were natives of the State of Tennessee. Young Wilkinson attended the rural schools in the county of his birth, and attended the Public High School in Hillsboro. Hill County. Texas, for two years. where he finished with honors and at the head of his classes. He then entered the Staunton Military Academy. Staunton, Virginia, but on account of the illness and death of his mother in 1890 was prevented from completing his
· course there. He then took up the study of law at the University of Texas in 1890, taking along with it a partial course in the Academic Department of the University, and graduated in the Law Department in June. 1892, and upon receiving his diploma obtained a license from the Supreme Court of Texas to practice law. In the early part of 1893 he moved to Fort Worth and began the practice of law. which profession and calling he has ever since followed and has established a good clientage in the civil practice and is one of the leading lawyers at the bar of his state.
He has always taken an active part in the civic and political affairs of his city, county and state. With some of his friends, who were also public spirited, he started the first movement for modern street improvements and paving of the streets in the residential parts of the City of Fort Worth, and to his
D. I Donald
419
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
efforts and labor is due the beginning of the paving of residential streets in the city, and in recognition of his ability in this line and his qualifications as a lawyer on the law of street improvements, etc., he was appointed by one of the leading paving companies in the state as its legal representative in Fort Worth, which appointment he holds and has held since June. 1912, and is recognized as the best posted lawyer in the city on street paving law. He was also assistant city attorney of Fort Worth for a couple of years, in charge of tax department.
Mr. Wilkinson was married on June 24, 1903, to Emma A. Morris, of Mississippi, and they have three boys, L. M. Wilkinson, Wil- liam W. Wilkinson, Jr., and Thomas Joseph Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson has always been a democrat and worked for the best interest of his party. When in the University of Texas he became a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and on moving to Fort Worth joined the Fort Worth Club, and also became a member of fraternal orders.
D. STEPHEN DONALD was born in Denton County more than sixty-five years ago and has always regarded that county as his home, though his interests and varied fortunes as a stockman have covered a rather extensive range over the grazing lands of the state. Mr. Donald had his share of success and adversity with other old time Texas cattle men, and is one of the surviving veterans of that class. His attention for a number of years past has been given to the modern phase of stock hus- bandry including a permanent stock ranch with high bred cattle as his mainstay.
Mr. Donald was born five miles west of Lewisville, Texas, March 12, 1855. His father. Robert H. Donald, was a native of Tennessee and while in Alabama married Miss Frances Rowe. From Alabama they came to Texas at the beginning of the decade of the fifties, traveling overland, and after about two years in Smith County in East Texas moved by ox wagon to Denton County, where Robert H. Donald was a resident some thirty-six years. The equipment and capital with which he began his career in Denton County consisted of a yoke of steers, a wagon and one horse. His home was a primitive building well out beyond the settled district, and he lived there until his place was the center of a highly de- veloped and prosperous community. He was not a man of extensive school education, but had a practical knowledge of affairs and the
industry and determination that enabled him to perform his duties acceptably. He was a participant in politics and was elected a mem- ber of the Fourteenth Texas Legislature. Among his colleagues were Judge Pickett of Wise County, John Cochran of Dallas County, and Dr. Foote of Collin County. He early realized that the effectiveness of a good legis- lator depended upon his influence and work in the committee room, and it was there he was satisfied to discharge his obligations to his constituency and his state, leaving speech mak- ing for the ambitious younger members. He had the gift of language and sound ideas, but seldom essayed to make a speech. " A photo- graph of the House in which he served shows three negro representatives from somewhere in East Texas. He was by nature and experi- ence a democrat, and during the war between the states was in Captain Patten's Company. Bourland's command, in service around Fort Arbuckle in Indian Territory and around Gainesville in North Texas. He died in 1890. being survived by his widow thirteen years. Of their children the first was Mary Ann. whose first husband, John Craft, died while a Confederate soldier, and her second marriage was to J. H. Crawford; she died in Denton County. James H. is a retired farmer at Lewisville. Nannie was the wife of H. Frank Wakefield and at her death left a daughter. Mrs. George Owens of Ponder. Benjamin F., who died in February, 1921, at Fort Worth, had his home at Justin, Texas, where a large family survive him. D. Stephen is the next in age. Martha is the wife of Dr. W. H. Pennington and lives at Mineral Wells. Emma and Miss Fannie, twins, the former being Mrs. J. C. Heath of Denton and the latter a resi- dent of Lewisville. Bettie is the wife of F. S. Wilson of Pilot Point. Robert L., the young- est, of Lewisville has extensive ranch and livestock interests in Tarrant and Denton counties.
D. Stephen Donald has recollections of Den- ton County when it was a strictly pioneer community. He attended school on Timber Creek, between Flower Mound and Lewisville in a log cabin schoolhouse without floors and with split logs for benches. Later he was a pupil in the Donald school, and finished his education as a student in Trinity University at Tehuacana. He remained at home to the age of twenty-five and began his own career by borrowing the capital with which he bought "dogy yearlings" at two and a half and three dollars a head in East Texas. He put these
420
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
on the open range at Pilot Knob and remained in that locality some seven years. By that time he had accumulated a bunch of 3,000 head and then moved into Hardeman County. The four years he spent there was a period of excessive drought, and at the end of that time he had only 250 cattle left. This remnant and two small farms he owned near Lewisville he turned over to the bank in part satisfaction for his debts, and started out to begin all over again, with the handicap and stimulus of eight thousand dollars in debt. With borrowed money he invested in some native stock in Leon and other localities of South Texas, wintered them in Denton County and sold to ranchers in Indian Territory. Three years of hard work along this line put him in a posi- tion where he could pay a thousand dollars down on the section of land where he now lives. The purchase price was ten dollars an acre. He had borrowed the thousand dollars and as he has always been willing to borrow capital for his business he was satisfied to keep his lands burdened until 1918, when he finally paid off his obligations. About the time he bought this land Mr. Donald quit handling native stock and began building up better grades, first with the White Face and later the Shorthorns. Shorthorn cattle has been his specialty for a number of years. In 1902 he leased 5,000 acres of the Forester pasture, where he grazed as many as 2,000 head of steer and stock cattle four years. Following that he leased 7,000 acres in Clay County fif- teen miles west of Henrietta, and that was the headquarters of his ranching operations four years. Since then his livestock business has been conducted in conjunction with his 800 acre farm seven miles northwest of Krum and 1,500 acres on Clear Creek in the north- west part of Denton County, the latter ranch being used as a pasture and stock farm caring for some 500 head of grade cattle.
The home place of 800 acres is devoted prin- cipally to the raising of registered cattle, wheat, and grain farming.
Besides his splendid residence he has two tenant homes across the public highway, and the center of the farm and ranch is marked by a wealth of building improvements includ- ing barns, stock shelters and silos. His experi- ment with the silo has resulted most satisfac- tory. His favorite material for silage is red- top sorghum.
Denton County people esteem Mr. Donald for other interests than those of a successful rancher. He has long been an interested par-
ticipant in democratic state politics. He was a supporter of the early ambitions of Bailey and Hogg, the former for Congress and the latter for Governor. He was a delegate to the convention of 1890 which nominated the former attorney general for governor, and in the campaign of 1892 threw all the strength of his influence to Governor Hogg for the renomination. He has always been well satis- fied to think that he has contributed in some way to the rise of two of the most prominent Texas statesmen. During the World war period Mr. Donald was a leader in his precinct in behalf of the sale of Liberty Bonds, the raising of funds for auxiliary war work, and he also worked effectively in transforming neutral and alien sympathies to positive patriotism.
While without a family of his own Mr. Donald is a staunch believer in public educa- tion and has given generously of his means to establish and maintain good schools. The Plainview school stands adjacent to his farm and he has willingly met increased taxes for its maintenance and derives no small degree of pleasure from the recent act which provided for the construction of a brick schoolhouse to replace the old frame house. This school is the largest single rural school in the county. and one of the largest in this part of the state, if not in the state, employing four teachers. It was finished and ready for the fall term of school on October 24, 1921. In the matter of churches he has manifested like generosity and support of moral and religious movement. He holds his membership in the Presbyterian Church at Krum, which he helped to build. He endorses the teaching of truth whether in school or church, and is in hearty sympathy with every institution or movement which is for the enlightenment of the community.
BUDD M. ROBINSON. While a resident of Fort Worth only a few years, Budd M. Rob- inson is not a stranger to some of the dominant interests and resources of this section of the state. He has had nearly a quarter of a cen- tury of experience in the development of mineral lands and gas and petroleum, and as an individual operator drilling and developing new oil territory his work has had a pioneer character and importance in Texas.
Mr. Robinson, whose business headquarters are in the First National Bank Building of Fort Worth, was born at Waterloo, Iowa, June 28, 1870. His father, George H. Robinson, was a New England Yankee. native of New
421
FORT WORTH AND THE TEXAS NORTHWEST
Hampshire and in 1862 came West and located at Waterloo, Iowa, where he was in the leather business for many years until 1885, and later a piano dealer. He is now retired at the age of seventy-nine. His paternal ancestry was English. He married a Miss Jackson, whose people came from Scotland.
Budd M. Robinson is the second in a family of three children, all still living. He was edu- cated in the public schools of Iowa, but his only degrees and diplomas were acquired in the university of hard work and experience. He has been mastering circumstances since boyhood, and has had an unusual training in the complex problems of existence. After leaving home he traveled up and down the Pacific Coast until he was twenty-six, and since then has been engaged in mining and oil development, coming to Fort Worth in 1918.
For twenty years Mr. Robinson is promi- nently connected with the zinc and lead min- ing interests in the Joplin district of south- western Missouri and still has large interests in mineral lands there. He was responsible for developing some of the large mines in the Joplin district, several of which have been steady producers of zinc ores for twenty years.
Mr. Robinson located at Fort Worth when the McClusky well came in. He had previ- ously been interested in a wild cat proposition in the northeast corner of Stephens County in 1912. From that date he had firm faith in the oil wealth of that section and the Mc- Clusky well only confirmed that faith to the general public. Mr. Robinson has drilled many wild cat wells in Texas and is still actively engaged in such work.
While politics and office are not in the path of his ambition, Mr. Robinson is a stanch republican, and expects to see Texas a repub- lican state within ten years. Much of the greater part of the happiness and good for- tune that have attended his life Mr. Robinson credits to Mrs. Alice M. Robinson, whom he married December 2, 1908. Mrs. Robinson is a native of Toledo, Ohio, but was reared and educated at Creston, Iowa.
GEORGE W. SEELY has been a resident of Denton County more than forty-five years, and practically all his life. His mature activities have identified him successfully with the farm- ing community around Justin, and at all times and occasions he has manifested a high degree of public spirit in everything concern- ing the general welfare of the locality.
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.