USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume IV > Part 58
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Thomas Henry Jones attended the rural schools of Collin County, having as one of his teachers the venerable Professor Chambers of Sanger, and completed his educational training in the private school of Professor Tooley at Dallas. Mr. Jones gained his first experience in being self-supporting as a farmer, and for a few years was occupied with that calling in the vicinity of his father's homestead, but not being satisfied with the progress he was making he went to Dallas and for four years was connected with one of the large mercantile establishments of that city. Leaving Dallas, he located at Mckinney and for five years conducted a mercantile house there, and was also interested in hand- ling real estate. Once more he made a change. coming to Denton County, and in 1900 he located at Sanger, which has since continued to be his place of residence.
When he came to Sanger Mr. Jones opened a grocery store, and continued to conduct it for more than twenty years, but sold it in August, 1920, but re-entered the grocery busi- ness in 1921. In 1913 he was chosen by his fellow citizens to become their chief executive, and he was re-elected to the same office in April, 1919, and served a second term, and was re-elected for the third term in 1921. His three administrations have been marked by a business-like conduct of civic affairs, and among other popular measures he carried through was the lightening of the city tax. for he has always been determined in his oppo- sition to going into debt to inaugurate im- provements other than the necessary ones relating to the keeping up of the streets and the building of sidewalks. To branch out
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as some desire and put in public utilities the size of the city does not yet warrant would be, in his estimation, poor business policy and only burden the people with unreasonable taxes. The conservative element is with him in this matter, and as a result the people of Sanger, unlike a number of the little cities in Southwestern Texas, are not weighed down by an unduly heavy bonded debt. Mr. Jones belongs to the democratic party, and cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland the first time he ran for the presidency, and recalls vividly the enthusiastic reception of the election returns which gave the democrats their first national victory since 1856. He has never missed voting at a presidential election since that time, and has always cast his ballot for the nominee of his party. He is a Master Mason, and belongs to the Knights of Pythias and Woodmen of the World.
Mr. Jones was married on August 9, 1881, on his twenty-first birthday, in Collin County, Texas, to Miss Virginia Lee Newman, a daughter of Alexander Newman, who came from Virginia to Texas in 1859, settling in Collin County. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Henderson Johnson in Middle Ten- nessee. Miss Johnson was a daughter of James Johnson. Mr. Newman was a son of John Newman, of Orange County, Virginia. After settling in Collin County Mr. and Mrs. Newman continued to reside there until claimed by death. During the war between the North and the South Mr. Newman served as a captain in the Confederate Army. He was a finely educated man and became an in- fluential factor in Collin County, although his influence was exerted entirely in a private capacity, for he had no aspirations toward public life. Both he and his wife were church people, and were connected with the Chris- tian denomination. Mrs. Newman died April 23, 1883, when she was sixty-one years old, and Mr. Newman survived her until July 12, 1887, when he passed away, two days after he was seventy years old. Their children were as follows: Mollie, who married David Will O'Brien, died in Collin County ; James Samuel, who died in Collin County in 1912, spent his life in that locality; Adelphia, who married W. A. Runyon, lives in Collin County ; James Samuel, who died in Collin County, in June, 1920; Ellen, who married J. C. Hubbard, resides at Farmersville, Texas ; George Washington, who passed away in Collin County about twenty years ago; Wil-
liam Garner, who died in Collin County, April 15, 1883; Mrs. Jones, who was next in order of birth; and Olivia Bauregard, who married T. C. Slaughter, lives at Los Angeles, Cali- fornia.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones became the parents of the following children: William Lawrence, who lives at Sanger, Texas, married Myra Martin, and they have two children, Bostic Mann and Leona Virginia ; Althia Clevia, who died when a young lady at Sanger; Ada Grace, who married Charles C. Pollard, lives at Dallas, Texas, and they have two children, Clara May and Charles, Jr .; Lettia, who is the wife of Jack Pritchett, of Sanger, has two children, "Th". and Virginia Elizabeth; and Tommie Lee, who married John Parks, Jr., of Dallas, Texas.
SAMUEL J. KNEPLEY is an oil well driller and oil producer whose experience covers nearly all the important counties of the North and West Texas fields. His efforts and enter- prise as an oil man have added much wealth to Eastland County and to the general pros- perity of the City of Eastland, where he has his home.
He was born in Clinton County, Pennsyl- vania, but in his early childhood his parents removed to Addison, New York, where he was reared and educated. His active associa- tions with the oil business began at Salem. West Virginia, in 1902. During the past twenty years he has worked in and studied the oil business from every angle, chiefly as a driller and producer. His experience covers the great fields of West Virginia, Ohio, Okla- homa and Texas.
Mr. Knepley has had his home in Texas since 1912, and his operations have covered well known districts in Wichita, Young. Archer, Shackelford, Callahan; Coleman and Eastland counties. His home has been at Eastland since 1918.
Some of the wells that have made history in Eastland County during the past three or four years are credited to Mr. Knepley. He drilled the well on the Rust farm, three miles east of Eastland. This well established a profitable production in the fall of 1920, though its situa- tion was then wildcat territory, and it was the discovery well of the new oil region for the county. Since the Rust well was brought in Mr. Knepley has drilled and is the owner of what is known as the Kimbrough well, a short distance from the Judge Rust well. This
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is also a profitable producer. These two wells are shallow wells, the Kimbrough striking the pay sand at a depth of 1.550 feet.
HARRY E. HANN. While Sanger is one of the smaller cities of this part of Texas, it is the center of a wide area which looks to it as a source of supply, and its merchants can depend upon a much larger patronage than that given by the actual residents, and there- fore they are able to carry on important busi- ness transactions, large and varied stocks, and offer very reasonable prices. One of the men who is taking advantage of the opportu- nities here offered is Harry E. Hann, who carries a full and complete stock of harness, saddlery and automobile accessories, and has built up a well-sustained reputation for up- right methods and fair dealing.
Harry E. Hann was born in Fremont County, Iowa, July 25, 1866, a son of Hugh Thompson Hann, who was born and reared in Indiana. During the war between the North and the South he served in the Union army, and was wounded in the knee at the. battle of Shiloh, and for this injury drew a pension from the government. After the close of the war he moved to Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa, where he embarked in the har- ness business and carried it on for thirty-nine years, dying when still active in his business. He took a zealous part in civic matters, was a strong republican, and a prominent man of the county seat of Fremont County. From a very early age he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and always took a prominent part in church affairs. The mother of Hugh Thompson Hann was a Miss Cunningham before her marriage, and came of Irish stock. She and her husband had children as follows: Jack, who was a stage coach driver during pioneer days from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Council Bluffs, Iowa. with a station at Sidney, Iowa; James, who was a banker, died in Missouri ; Hugh Thomp- son, who became the father of Harry E .; and a daughter, who was the youngest.
Hugh Thompson Hann was married to Miss Jennie Jewett, of Indiana, who died three years before his death. She was the daugh- ter of one of the early settlers of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh T. Hann had the following children: Frank, Fred, Willie, Rose, Jessie and Josie, twins, and Harry E., who was the eldest. Frank is now a resident of Omaha. Nebraska. Fred is living at Bloomington, VOL. IV-20
Illinois. Willie died in childhood. Rose mar- ried W. I. Perkins, president of the First Na- tional Bank of Sheridan, Wyoming. Jessie and Josie live in Chicago, and the latter is now Mrs. Livingston.
Harry E. Hann was reared at Sidney, but, like a number of lads of his day, as well as some of the present time, he did not value an education, and left the public schools before he had completed the regular course, a movement he has oftentimes since regretted, although through close observation, reading and contact with men he has acquired a gen- eral store of information. At first he thought that farming would suit him, but after an experience of thirty days decided that a trade was preferable. It may be that his choice of an employer was unfortunate, for without doubt he was greatly overworked and his hours were very long. Returning home, he went into his father's harness shop and learned the trade of harness making, and after two years with him he went to Nebraska City, Nebraska, and entered the employ of N. Mc- Callum, with whom he remained for nine years. For the next six and one-half years he conducted a harness and saddlery business of his own on Main Street, Nebraska City, and then went to Kansas City, Missouri, where for three and one-half years he was in the employ of the Askew Saddlery Com- pany, the largest house of its kind in the West. Mr. Hann then moved to Denton. Texas, and from there to Sanger, in both cities being engaged in a harness and saddlery busi- ness. Since locating at Sanger he has devel- oped into one of the most prosperous men of the county. and enjoys a large and constantly expanding trade.
Harry E. Hann was married at Nebraska City, Nebraska, September 18, 1892, to Nellie Curtis, a native of Missouri, who was edu- cated at New York City, after which she took a stenographic course at Kearney, Nebraska, and became a stenographer and court re- porter. It was while living at Omaha. Ne- braska, that she met her future husband, and a sister of hers, Mrs. Scott is still in Nebraska, residing at Gillette. Mr. and Mrs. Hann have had the following children born; to them: Irma, who is the wife of Walter Batis, of Sanger, has a son, Walter, Jr .; Armour B .. who is associated with his father ; and Helen, who is attending the Sanger High School.
Mr. Hann cast his first presidential vote for Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and has given his
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support to the candidates of the republican party practically ever since. Even before that he was a strong believer in republican suc- cesses, and was so certain that James G. Blaine would be elected that he wagered all his earn- ings, at that time $3.50 and board per week, and a box of cigars that he bought on credit. When it was found that Grover Cleveland was the successful candidate he paid over his losses, totaling $27.50 and the cigars, and was taught so good a lesson that he has never risked anything again upon the outcome of an election. During the two times when Woodrow Wilson ran for the presidency Mr. Hann stepped out of the ranks of his party, but 1920 saw him in line again and voting for Warren G. Harding.
J. MIKE FERRELL, one of the members of the strong legal firm of Scott. Brelsford, Funderburk and Ferrell, of Eastland, has made a special study of that branch of his profession which concerns land titles and land litigation, and has become an authority in it. He has always allied himself with the progressive and really public spirited element of the com- munities in which he has lived, and by his influence and active efforts has helped to secure a considerable betterment of existing conditions.
The birth of J. Mike Ferrell occurred in Rockwell County, Texas, in 1878, and he is a son of W. B. and Nancy Adelaide (Luken- ville) Ferrell, both of whom survive and are living at Eastland. W. B. Ferrell was born in Georgia in 1851, and he came to Texas in 1867, first settling in Smith County, where he was married, and then moving to Dallas County. Subsequently he moved to Rockwell County, where he was engaged in farming, but left that section for Eastland County in 1889 and bought a farm four miles west of East- land, on which he lived for many years. When he retired from agricultural activities he located at Eastland.
J. Mike Ferrell was reared on the farms of his father in Rockwell and Eastland counties, and remained at home until he attained his majority. Prior to this, however, he had begun to study law in the office of Judge T. E. Connor, and at the same time did stenographic work. After he passed his twenty-first birth- day he went to El Paso, Texas, and there con- tinued his legal studies in the office of Patter- son & Buckler, and while there was admitted to the bar in 1906. Mr. Ferrell took a year's course in the University of Texas at Austin,
and at the same time provided for his living expenses by working as a stenographer and law clerk in the law office of Hogg & Robert- son. He then returned to El Paso, but remained in that city only a short time. going from it to Matador, county seat of Motley County, where he was appointed county attor- ney and served as such for about a year. Going to Los Angeles, California, Mr. Ferrell formed connections with the legal department of the Title Guarantee & Trust Company and maintained them until 1917, in which year he became a member of the legal staff of the Federal Land Bank at Berkeley. California. Returning to Texas in 1918, Mr. Ferrell took under serious consideration an excellent offer made him by the law firm of Scott & Brels- ford, of Eastland, with the result that he accepted it and became a resident of Eastland. This firm was reorganized November 1. 1920, and Mr. Ferrell became a co-partner in the new organization of Scott. Brelsford, Funder- burk & Ferrell. Judge Homer P. Brelsford, of this firm, is a member of the advisory board of this history. The firm is of the highest standing and one of the strongest in Western Texas. The practice handled by it is general in character. and exceedingly large and valuable. While Mr. Ferrell is eminently fitted for all branches of his profession. his specialty is land titles and litigation, for which work his experience, study and inclinations eminently fit him for expert counsel and inves- tigation work.
Mr. Ferrell was married to Miss Imogene Gilmore, who was born in Ohio. She died some years after marriage. leaving two chil- dren, namely : John Sidney and Imogene Ade- laide. The Christian Church holds his membership and benefits by his generous sup- port. Fraternally he is a Royal Arch Mason and a Knight of Pythias. A leader of men, and at the same time an able and industrious lawyer, it is not surprising that his name is connected with so much of the constructive history of his own times. To the legal pro- fession he is known as a man of superior skill and resourcefulness, whose vigorous mind never seems to need rest or to become dull, while his fellow citizens accept him as the exemplar of civic virtues. He has always worked for the creative joy of accomplishing something worth while. and through his own efforts has made himself truly and highly fit for whatever life may see fit to bestow upon him.
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GEORGE W. REED, one of the leading general merchants of Sanger, who has also devoted a part of his residence in this locality to farm- ing, came to Texas as a child, in 1880. He was brought here by his parents, who settled near Hillsboro and engaged in farming. They came from Central Tennessee, where George W. Reed had been born November 18, 1878. After spending about a dozen years in Hill County, Texas, they moved to Collin County, and continued as farmers near Prosper, and there rounded out their active lives, save for the modest efforts which they made around Sanger after their settlement here. The father, Ben A. Reed, died at Sanger in 1899, when fifty-nine years of age.
Ben A. Reed was born in Central Tennes- see, and was reared as a farmer's son, his educational training being somewhat limited owing to the necessity of his spending the greater part of his boyhood in hard work. When the Civil war came on he enlisted in the Confederate army, and subsequently saw much heavy fighting, but succeeded in passing through the war without being wounded. He voted as a democrat and was always interested in public affairs, but at no time in his career was he the incumbent of public office. He and his worthy wife were Baptists, and their chil- dren were reared in the faith of that church. Mr. Reed married Laura M. Hayes, a native of Central Tennessee, who survives her hus- band at the age of eighty years. residing at Sanger, at the home of her son, George W. They became the parents of eight children : John, who died in Hill County, Texas, leaving a family ; Mary, who is now Mrs. N. J. Mc- Clure, of Hill County ; Charles B., who met an accidental death at Hillsboro and left a fam- ily ; Ellen E., who married H. T. Twitty, of Lubbock, Texas; William A., of Sanger ; Hugh E., of Twin Falls, Idaho: Elizabeth J., who died at Hillsboro as Mrs. Fred A. Jones ; and George W.
George W. Reed secured his early education in the country and supplemented this by at- tendance at the high school at Sanger. He was married when he was only eighteen years of age, and at that time commenced his inde- pendent career as a renter of land near San- ger. Subsequently he became a trader in lands, town property and live stock, and through this medium secured the means with which to establish himself as a farm owner and developer. Mr. Reed has built a number of homes about Sanger, and his various activ- ities have caused him to be justly accounted
one of the leaders among the town's develop- ers. In 1905 he entered mercantile affairs at Sanger, when he established a store of his own, and ever since then has been a merchant. with constantly growing success, having also owned stores on occasions at various other points. The present firm is known as George W. Reed & Son, and embraces two separate stores, carrying dry goods, groceries and clothing.
Mr. Reed has served his school district as a trustee, but has declined to become connected with any political office. He votes as a demo- crat, and his first presidential ballot was cast in favor of the candidacy of William Jennings Bryan in 1900. His fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, he being a member of Sanger Lodge of Odd Fellows and formerly clerk of the local lodge of the Woodmen of the World for several years. He is popular in all three orders, as he is likewise in business circles.
Mr. Reed was married March 7. 1897, in Denton County, Texas, to Miss Alice Sulli- van, a daughter of Bart Sullivan and a mem- ber of the old-time Sullivan family whose members were among the early settlers of Den- ton County. Mrs. Reed was born in 1879, in Denton County. Texas, and was educated as a country girl. She and her husband have had the following children : Herman D., a gradu- ate of the Sanger High School and Denton State Normal School, who taught school for several years and then entered merchandising with his father, being at present a member of the firm of George W. Reed & Son: Edna Pearl, a graduate of Sanger High School, who attended the C. I. A. at Denton, and is now a first grade teacher at Francis, Oklahoma : Maydell, who died at the age of eleven years : Julia, who is attending high school: and Eu- nice, Ben Bartlett, Geraldine and Nanette.
J. D. MORRELL was for a number of years identified with the real estate business in Chi- cago, but recently moved his headquarters to Fort Worth, where he is head of the Manor Realty Company in the F. & M. Bank Build- ing, dealers in city and ranch property.
Mr. Morrell was born at Lexington, Ken- tucky, February 22, 1882, and was left an or- phan and from the age of nine was dependent upon his own exertions for a living. He con- trived in the intervals of employment to at- tend the public schools of Chicago and Ot-
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tawa, Illinois, and the successful station he has achieved in business affairs is a credit to his self-reliance and energy.
After employment in varied lines Mr. Mor- rell engaged in the real estate business at the age of twenty-one in Chicago and his head- quarters remained in that city until 1920. In 1921 he removed to Fort Worth and through the Manor Realty Company has extensive operations throughout the Southwest as a dealer in farms, ranches and city property, to which he now devotes all his time.
Mr. Morrell is affiliated with Lodge No. 855 of the Masons. He married Miss B. Renafox of Fort Worth.
JAMES A. BEARD was born about the year Eastland was founded, has lived in that city since he was eight years of age, and has been progressively identified with its fortunes as a business, civic, religious, educational and, lat- terly, as a great oil center.
Mr. Beard was born in Fannin County. Georgia, in 1875, a son of J. H. and Josephine (McClure) Beard: His mother is still living. J. H. Beard, a native Georgian, served in the Confederate army throughout the war between the states, held the rank of a first lieutenant, and was with General Johnston's army at the final surrender at Greensboro, North Carolina. Following the war he looked after his exten- sive farming interests in Fannin County and also conducted a large business as a merchant at Blue Ridge, in that county. In 1884 he brought his family to Texas and settled at Eastland.
James A. Beard continued his education in the grammar and high schools of Eastland, and in early manhood entered the drug business. a line he followed for many years. For about four years he was assistant postmaster and for another period of four years was deputy tax assessor for Eastland County. For nearly fourteen years Mr. Beard was cashier of the Texas & Pacific Railway at Eastland Station.
This position he resigned in 1918 in the con- sequence of the oil discoveries which proved a factor in his personal fortunes and also gave such a tremendous impetus to the growth and development of the city. For a number of years he has owned a farm four miles north- east of the city, and this land was in the area of oil production, and both as landowner and as a capitalist he has been prominently iden- tified with oil production. Mr. Beard was president of he Security Petroleum Company,
one of the important enterprises of the East- land field, subsequently consolidated with the Texas Producers Oil Company. He still owns some valuable oil interests. In former years he was president of the Eastland Ice Cream Company. He is owner of the Beard Building, a modern business block on the west side of the square on Lamar Street.
It has been an ambition of Mr. Beard to see that the educational facilities of the city were of the best, and since 1913 he has served as secretary of the Eastland Board of Education. He has been untiring in his efforts to build up the school system and particularly in recent years to keep the school facilities apace with the great increase of wealth and population. Eastland now has a fine high school and two ward schools, with a total scholarship enroll- ment of about twelve hundred and a staff of between thirty-five and forty teachers. Edu- cational authorities consider it one of the best city school systems of the state, and all of that is a matter of great personal satisfaction to Mr. Beard. He is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and belongs to the Christian Church.
He married Miss Willie E. Tidwell, a native of Grimes County, Texas. She has lived since childhood in Eastland, where her father, the late John W. Tidwell, was at one time presi- dent of the City National Bank, also a leading merchant and tax collector for Eastland County. Mr. and Mrs. Beard have three chil- dren, Wesley, Dean and Wilma Louise. The sons, Wesley and Dean, are students in the Texas Christian University at Fort Worth, and all the children are being given every advan- tage at home and in school.
WALTER EDMUND SMOOT. Many success- ful men in Texas. leaders in their respective communities, are thinking, acting and planning not primarily in terms of their own immediate advantage, but in terms of larger achievements and more widely distributed benefits to their section of the state in general. Such men de- serve the highest degree of commendation. In Denton County the Smoot family has done much to deserve all the praise involved in this statement. They have been farmers and busi- ness men, and their activities have been of a constructive nature. Their influence has counted strongest in the direction of making Denton County a diversified agricultural re- gion, where the best grades of live stock and the most advanced methods of farm manage- ment will prevail.
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