USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume IV > Part 16
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mother, Sula Pope Gardner. He is now living in Fort Worth, respected and admired by all who know him.
Because of his sterling integrity, his genial disposition and pleasing personality, Mr. Gardner is held in high esteem not only by the members of the field of activity in which he is engaged, but by the business men of the section where he is known. He has a word of encouragement and good cheer for all with whom he comes in contact, either in a busi- ness or social way, and is universally admired and respected by all who know him.
Note-This sketch was written by the editor of these volumes who has known Mr. Gardner intimately for nearly a half century.
BOB B. JOHNSON. A well known and highly respected citizen and business man of Joshua is Bob B. Johnson, whose career has been a struggle with the realities of life since he was left an orphan boy at the age of six years, and about that time came to Texas, where he has learned the vicissitudes as well as the successes of life. As a boy and young man he performed nearly every sort of labor from setting out sweet potato plants to mould- ing railroad cross ties, but the chief gainful occupation he has followed has been farming.
Mr. Johnson was born in Wayne County, Missouri, April 1, 1875, the only child of his parents, both of whom died when he can scarcely remember them. His mother died when he was six years of age, and left him alone with some property which was never of any benefit to him. The family home was at Mill Spring, Missouri. After the death of his mother he fell into the hands of her brother. Thomas Rhoades, and they came to Texas in company with Alfred Bradshaw. His uncle gave Bob to Mr. Bradshaw and abandoned him to his fate. Mrs. Bradshaw soon died, and the boy was then shifted about in different homes for two years. With the second marriage of Mr. Bradshaw he looked up the orphan youth, and the Bradshaw home was his own until he was almost fifteen years of age. While there he acquired some educa- tion in the country schools, but chiefly learned to work. He finally slipped away from the Bradshaw home. leaving his address unknown. Later, however, he kept on friendly terms with the family and had a downright affection for "Uncle Alf Bradshaw" and kept in touch with him as long as the old man lived. The Bradshaw home was in Hill County, near
Peoria, and Mr. Johnson remained in that locality until he was about thirty years of age.
Among varied experiences his work was chiefly as a farmhand. Leaving Texas, he went to Altus, Oklahoma, and became helper to a millwright in the construction of an oil mill and also worked in a laundry plant. Re- turning to Texas, he resumed farmhand work at Bethesda in Parker County for two years, and some thirteen years ago reached the Joshua community of Johnson County, where, among strangers, he began farming on the halves. After two years he married; and started farming on Rock Creek, but the second year moved to a farm a mile west of Joshua. That was the scene of his labors and gradu- ally increasing prosperity until 1920, when he moved into the village.
When the movement began to prospect for oil at Joshua Mr. Johnson was asked to take part in the effort to lease some land desired by the Johnson County Oil Company. He made such headway that he was urged to con- tinue the work, and subsequently began taking other leases, and his success in this line has continued until nearly all his time for the past two and a half years has been devoted to leasing and selling leases.
Mr. Johnson cast his first vote for prohibi- tion at Whitney. Texas, but for President has supported democratic candidates. He and his family are members of the Church of Christ. At Fort Worth, August 22. 1908, he married Mrs. Nannie J. Wilson, who was born in Dallas County. Texas, in 1879. Her father, J. R. Hawpe, was a native of Kentucky, but came to Texas in time to join a Texas com- pany in the Confederate army. After the war he settled in Dallas County, and farmed near Seagleville until he removed to Johnson County in 1888. He died at Joshua May 29, 1921. at the age of seventy-six. Mrs. Johnson by her first marriage has three children : Ruby Ella, wife of Albert Kelson, of Fort Worth ; Addie May, wife of Sid Brown, of Fort Worth ; and Nannie Marv Wilson.
J. ROBERT KEITH has the distinction of being county attorney of his native county, and prior to his assumption of this office he had gained secure place as one of the leading members of the Johnson County bar and had represented the county in the lower house of the State Legislature.
James Robert Keith was born on a farm ten miles east of Cleburne, judicial center of
8.R.Keith
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Johnson County, and the date of his nativity was August 7, 1878. He was an infant at the time when his parents moved from the home farm to Cleburne, and in this city he was reared to adult age, his educational advantages in the meanwhile having been those of the public schools. He later attended the Texas Agricultural & Mechanical College, at Bryan, and in 1901 he was graduated in the law de- partment of Cumberland University, at Leb- anon, Tennessee. After thus receiving his degree of Bachelor of Laws he was forthwith admitted to the bar of his native state and engaged in active practice at Cleburne. He soon became actively identified with political affairs in his native county. . and in 1914 he was elected to represent the county in the State Legislature, in which he served effec- tively during the Thirty-fourth General Assembly. In the House he was assigned to various important committees, including those on insurance, criminal jurisprudence and re- forms in criminal procedure, and while a mem- ber of the Legislature he was specially inter- ested in the reform of the suspended-sentence law, but the bill which he introduced to com- pass the amendment was defeated.
Mr. Keith found his attention closely engaged in connection with his substantial and representative law business at the time when the nation became involved in the World war. He promptly subordinated all personal inter- ests to respond to the call of patriotism. He entered the first officers' training camp at Leon Springs, Bexar County, where he gained his commission as second lieutenant and whence he was detailed to the Infantry School of Arms at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was next assigned to duty as instructor in musketry with the Ninetieth Division, at Camp Travis, and in this service he continued until just before the division left for service in France. On the 31st of December, 1917, he was promoted to first lieutenant, and on the 14th of May, 1918, he was commissioned a captain and assigned to the 358th Infantry, with which he went to the stage of conflict in Europe, in command of Company K. The regiment crossed the Atlantic in a British vessel and landed at Liverpool the 1st of July, 1918. Captain Keith and his company disembarked at Havre. France, on the seventh of the same month and proceeded to the training area eighty miles south of Paris, where, soon afterward, he was detailed as one of six officers assigned to attend the tactical school of the Second Corps at Chatillon-sur-Seine. After completing this
course of instruction Captain Keith rejoined his regiment, and about the middle of August went with his company to the front, on the right of what was known as the St. Mihiel sector. Captain Keith was detached on spe- cial duty at army headquarters September 11. and there his service continued during the entire course of the historic St. Mihiel drive. After this he was assigned to duty with the Rents, Reclamation and Claims Service, with headquarters at Neufchateau, and immediately after the signing of the armistice he applied for a discharge, his embarkation orders having been received December 25, 1918, and the 1st of the following month marked his sailing from Brest on the transport "Stockholm.' which landed in the port of New York City on the 12th of that month. On the 16th of Feb- ruary he received his honorable discharge, at Camp Dix, New Jersey, and the 1st of April recorded his arrival at his home in Cleburne.
Upon resuming the active work of his pro- fession Captain Keith was appointed assistant county attorney, May 1, 1919, and in the dem- ocratic primary in the summer of 1920 he was nominated for county attorney, to which office he was elected in the following November and in which he is making a most excellent record.
Captain Keith is one of the progressive and public-spirited citizens of Cleburne, and his loyal activities have extended in many direc- tions. He was one of the organizers of the Cleburne Post of the American Legion, and was its first presiding officer, as was he also in the organization of the Lions Club, of which he was president in 1921. He is an active member of the Cleburne Chamber of Con- merce, in 1920 was a member of the Open Forum Committee, and he is active in the council of the Boy Scouts and in the boys' work of the local Young Men's Christian Association. He was reared in the faith of the Methodist Church. The first wife of Cap- tain Keith bore the maiden name of Mossie Pierce, and the one child of this union is James Robert, Jr. At Fort Worth, on the 14th of October. 1915. was solemnized the marriage of Captain Keith to Miss Eula Mae Bland, who was born in Ellis County, this state, but reared in Freestone County, she hav- ing received the advantages of the public schools of the city of Fort Worth. No chil- dren have been born of this marriage.
James H. Keith, father of Captain J. Rob- ert Keith, was born in Jackson County, Ala- bama, and was reared in the district along the state line between Alabama and Tennessee.
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He was ten years old at the inception of the Civil war, and his father died soon after its close, after having served as a valiant soldier of the Confederacy. It was about the year 1872 that James H. Keith came from Franklin County. Tennessee, to Texas, where he passed the remainder of his life and where he left the impress of a strong and noble personality. In the earlier period of his residence in Texas he served as deputy sheriff of Johnson County, and thereafter he was city marshal of Cleburne for a period of about ten years. He became connected with banking enterprise both at Cleburne and Dallas, in which latter city he was one of the organizers of the Gas- ton National Bank. There also he was owner of the Keeley Institute of Texas, which he conducted about twenty years. He retired from active business the year prior to his death. which occurred in September, 1915. He was an ardent and uncompromising democrat and he held membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
In Johnson County was recorded, in 1876. the marriage of James H. Keith to Miss Octa- via J. Miller, daughter of the late Samuel Miller, who came with his family from Bun- combe County. North Carolina, and became one of the earliest settlers in Johnson County. Texas, where he passed the residue of his life. Since the death of her husband. Mrs. Keith has maintained her home at Cleburne, she hav- ing been a child at the time of the family immigration to Texas. Of her surviving chil- dren. Captain Keith of this review is the eldest ; Eula is the wife of J. P. McGary. of Cleburne : and Tommie is the wife of Benja- min S. Hill, of Clifton. this state. The widowed mother. now venerable in years, is one of the revered pioneer women of Cleburne and has been for many years a devoted mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South.
L. AUSTIN MORRIS is one of Fort Worth's younger business men and one of the city's most public-spirited citizens, always ready to turn any opportunity to the advantage and welfare of the community.
He was born in Bowie County. Texas. De- cember 29. 1893. His father. William Morris, was born in Dallas County in 1865, and for the past fifteen years has been engaged in the real estate business at Fort Worth. L. Austin Morris was reared and educated in Fort Worth, attended the public schools, graduated from business college in 1916. and then for about three years handled a newspaper agency.
Following that came his varied experience in the states of California, Utah and Missouri, and with his return to Fort Worth he became associated with his father in the real estate business under the firm name of William Morris & Son, who have their offices at 207 Main Street. The firm has figured in a num- ber of important real estate transactions in the city and surrounding territory. Mr. Morris is a member of the National Real Estate Ex- change and is a democrat in politics.
THOMAS R. T. ORTH. Always a builder and constructor, Thomas R. T. Orth has followed the westward trend of empire and is now as- sociated with the development of Wichita Falls and the adjoining country, and is one of the most prominent oil men and capitalists of the southwest, although formerly his name was principally connected with the railroad history of this region. He was born at Con- nellsville, Pennsylvania, February 25, 1865. his native town being famous as the center of the richest coke coal fields of the Key- stone state. When he was five years old he was brought to Hiawatha, Kansas, by his parents. He left school at the age of sixteen years and then, in 1881, came to what were the wilds of southwestern Texas, a frontier country whose only industry was the cattle business on the open range, and the scene of a life of adventure and romance that has forever passed away. Mr. Orth went to work as a cowboy on the historic "Tom Ranch" in Live Oak County, and practically grew up in the saddle of a cow pony. Leaving this work. he went to San Antonio, Texas, and helped to lay the first track on the San Antonio & Ar- ansas Pass Railroad, which had been pro- moted by Uriah Lott.
Subsequently Mr. Orth became a contractor with the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Rail- road, doing construction work, and was con- nected with it for several years, first as a builder and later as an operating official. Re- turning to his old home at Connellsville, Penn- sylvania, he engaged in the business of buying and selling coal lands, and was the first man to sell the famous coking coal land for $1,000 per acre. After the successful consummation of these operations, Mr. Orth returned to Texas, and purchased a ranch in Live Oak County, where he had formerly worked as a cowboy, and he also became interested in railroads and mines in Mexico, and assisted in building the Mexican International Rail-
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road from Durango into the interior. The movement to construct good roads out of San Antonio then attracted Mr. Orth, and he went to that city and secured and completed some very large contracts for the building of the celebrated good roads out of San Antonio through Bexar County, which have continued to be the best roads in the state. He also built the tie treating plant for the Santa Fe Railroad at Sommerville.
In 1904 Mr. Orth came to Wichita Falls and took charge of the building of the railroads and other industries of Frank Kell and J. A. Kemp of this city. For this firm he built the Wichita Falls & Northwestern Railroad from Wichita Falls to Forgan, Oklahoma, a distance of 305 miles. He also built the Wichita Falls & Southern Railroad from this city to Newcastle, which opened up the coal mines at the latter place, and built the grade for the Morgan Jones road from Seymour to Anson. In the meanwhile he had charge of all the other building and industrial con- struction for Kell & Kemp in Wichita Falls and its vicinity. Among other accomplish- ments Mr. Orth assisted in establishing and selling for them the townsite of Burkburnett, which has since became the fabulously rich oil center of Northwest Texas.
Subsequent to these operations Mr. Orth engaged in the automobile business at Wichita Falls, and established the Dodge agency here, but discontinued this to enter the oil industry, and being such an experienced and shrewd builder and business man, it was quite natural for him to make a success in it. With his associates he has drilled and brought in a number of the paying oil wells in the Wichita Falls district, and is ranked among the leaders in oil production.
Mr. Orth is a fine, public-spirited citizen of the highest type, and has been largely in- strumental in effecting many of the improve- ments of Wichita Falls. It was he who organ- ized the first Chamber of Commerce, and brought A. E. Miles here as its first man- ager. During the late war he was chairman of the Wichita County Council of Defense. and was otherwise active in promoting all of the war work.
Mr. Orth was married to Miss Eliza L. McGuire of Trinity, Texas, and they have three daughters, namely: Lutie, who is the wife of B. F. Terry; Gertrude, who is the wife of F. D. Woodruff ; and Mary, who is the wife of George Woodruff.
GEORGE BEGGS, SR. For upwards of thirty years one of the most familiar figures among the livestock and commission men of Fort Worth was the late George Beggs, Sr., widely known for his splendid judgment and integ- rity and his all around knowledge of the live- stock business.
Mr. Beggs was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1845. He came to America in 1869, lived a few years at Mount Sterling, Illinois, and from there came to North Texas and built the third house in the village of Handly in Tarrant County. He at once launched into the livestock business, and as a dealer his name became familiar to cattle men all over Texas. In 1893 he removed to Fort Worth, and was one of the early commission men at the stock- yards. He handled livestock consigned to the Fort Worth markets from nearly all the prominent cattlemen of his day in Texas. He also represented the Chicago Cattle Loan Company. He continued active in business until he retired in 1918, and his death on Sep- tember 3, 1920, brought a sense of personal loss to the livestock industry of Texas.
Mr. Beggs was unmarried when he arrived . in America, but soon decided that he would make his future home on this side of the water, and cabled for his promised bride in Ireland to come over, and four months after his arrival she also arrived, and they were married at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Hudson City, New Jersey. She is still living. a resident of Fort Worth. They were the parents of six children. William D. and Erin are both prominent ranchmen in Collings- worth County, Texas, and known as "Beggs Brothers"; George Beggs, Jr., is prominent in the real estate and insurance business at Fort Worth. The daughters are Mrs. James Ander- son, Mrs. Lionel Beven and Mrs. C. G. Arnold of Fort Worth.
JOSEPH B. LONG, president of the Home National Bank of Cleburne, is a native Texan, his father and one of his brothers were prom- inent physicians in Limestone County, but his own choice of a career early led him into banking, a field in which he has made a con- spicuous success.
Mr. Long was born at Mexia, Limestone County, November 4, 1876. His father, Dr. Reuben Long, was a native of South Carolina and came to Texas a few years before the Civil war and was one of the pioneer Texas physicians at old Springfield, then the county
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ยท seat of Limestone County. He also conducted a drug store. Another early settler of the town was Judge Prendergast. When the Houston & Texas Central Railway built through Limestone County Springfield was abandoned and the town of Mexia started. and Dr. Long continued his life work there and died at an advanced age. He did a great deal of good in his profession and his interest in the welfare of humanity also caused him to be licensed as a preacher of the Methodist Church, and he did some active pulpit work though he was never a regular pastor. He was a democrat and a member of the Masonic fraternity. Dr. Long married Nancy Yell Mc- Guire, whose father, Dr. John McGuire, was also a pioneer physician near Springfield. He came from Tennessee where Mrs. Long was born. She is now living at Dallas at the age of eighty-three. Of the eight children of Dr. Long and wife the following survive: Ella, wife of Osborn Kennedy of Mexia; Reuben of Fort Worth; Emma K., wife of S. E. Col- gin of Dallas; Joseph Benjamin; and Anna Mary, wife of Lenn Roberts of Fort Worth, a railroad man. The deceased children were : Dr. Robert Lee, who graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, and Tulane University College of New Orleans, and gained distinction in his profession at Mexia ; J. Marvin, a graduate of the South- western University of Georgetown, was a Mexia banker ; and Mattie N., who died as the wife of R. T. Mosley of Lexington, Okla- homa.
Joseph B. Long grew up at Mexia, attended high school, and from school went directly into the service of the First National Bank of Mexia as a messenger boy. His fidelity and industry won him promotions until he was cashier of the institution and one of its directors. Selling his interests there, Mr. Long came to Cleburne in 1907, and was associated with Hon. Cato Sells, former Commissioner of Indian Affairs, in organizing the Texas State Bank & Trust Company of Cleburne. Mr. Sells was president of this company and Mr. Long cashier. It made a splendid busi- ness record for four years, when Mr. Sells having disposed of his interests the institution was absorbed by the Traders State Bank of Cleburne.
At that time Mr. Long and his associates organized the Home National Bank, and he was its first cashier and one of its directors. Later he was active vice president as well as cashier and in January, 1921, became presi-
dent as the successor of H. C. Gresham, who remains as chairman of the board. The Home National Bank was capitalized at $150,000, and opened for business in July. 1913. Its total assets now aggregate a million and a quarter dollars. The Board of Directors at present comprise H. C. Gresham, Joseph B. Long, W. S. Whaley. G. A. McClung. John E. Poindexter, Mrs. I. C. Kelley. Dr. D. Strickland, Charles E. McPherson. J. M. Wright and Riggs Pennington.
As a citizen as well as a banker Mr. Long has won the complete confidence of his com- munity. The responsible post he occupies is as secretary-treasurer of the Cleburne Na- tional Farm Loan Association, organized under the provisions of the Farm Loan Act and subsidiary to the Federal Land Bank of Houston. He organized and secured the char- ter for this association and has worked effec- tively in making it realize the ideals of its service in providing funds for legitimate agri- cultural interests. Mr. Long also took an active part in the organization and is one of the directors of the Farmers Gin of Cleburne. He was one of the first directors of the Cle- burne Chamber of Commerce and is now pres- ident of the Board of Education in a city that can boast of one of the best public school systems of the state.
During the World war Mr. Long was chair- man of the United War Work campaign in the districts including Johnson, Bosque, Hood and Somerville counties, and served as a leader in many local committees for bond and stamp sales. He is now the authorized repre- sentative of the Government at Cleburne for making proof of claims of ex-service men, widows of soldiers, and similar matters.
Fraternally Mr. Long is treasurer of all the Masonic bodies at Cleburne, and is affiliated with the Lodge, Chapter, Council and Com- mandery, is past master of Lodge No. 361. F. and A. M., a member of Moslah Temple of the Mysic Shrine at Fort Worth, and is present district deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of Texas. He is past noble grand and one of the trustees of Cleburne Lodge No. 464, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Mexia. Mr. Long is a trustee of the Main Street Methodist Church.
At Cleburne, November 24. 1909, he mar- ried Miss Lorena E. Brown, a native of Cle- burne. Her father, Captain E. Y. Brown, was a Texas pioneer, one of the strong and able business men. bankers and citizens of Cle-
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burne, and at the time of his death was vice- president of the Traders State Bank. Mrs. Long has two sisters: Jane Y., wife of Lois P. White of Cleburne, and Miss Catherine of Cleburne. Mrs. Long finished her education in the University of Texas after graduating from the Cleburne High School. Her sister, Mrs. White, pursued her education in the same school and Miss Catherine is a grad- uate of the Cleburne High School and re- ceived her degree from the University of Ari- zona. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Long are: Joseph Brown, born in January, 1912; E. Y., born in August, 1913; and Martha, born June 10, 1917.
EDWARD R. BALLARD has been a resident of Cooke County almost half a century, coming here when a boy of eleven or twelve. Since his majority his time and energies have been well bestowed upon the responsibilities of farming, and his name is also prominently associated with the public affairs of the county.
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