USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 37
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D. MeSloan, the subject of this sketch, was early innred to farm labor, and was educated in the subscription schools of his native connty. In 1853 he came by teams to Texas, bringing his family and a number of slaves, !
and located in the San Gabriel valley, Will- iamson connty. He purchased his present farm of 900 aeres, 340 acres of which are under a good state of cultivation, and the work is carried on by tenants. In 1861 he enlisted for service in a squadron in Company A, served in Missouri and Arkansas, and after a time the command was ordered to dis- mount, but after dne consideration was con- tinned as cavalry to the close of the struggle. Mr. McSloan took part against Bank's raid on Red river, followed him to Yellow Bayou, and the command then fell back to Texas. At the close of the war our subjeet held the rank of Lientenant of his company.
In 1854 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Easley, a daugliter of John and Elizabethi Easley, natives of South Carolina. The father was a prominent planter of that State. Mr. and Mrs. McSloan have had seven children, four now living: David, thie eldest child; Martha, wife of John Kritser, engaged in the stock business at Taylor; William, a farmer of Williamson county; Nannie, wife of Owen France, a farmer and stock-raiser of Williamson eonnty. Mrs. McSloan died No- vember 3, 1890. The family are members of the Methodist Church, and, politically, our subject affiliates with the Democratic party. Ile is now living with his son at the old homestead, engaged in looking after the de- tails of the farm.
AMES L. ROOT, of the firm of Simons, Root & Co., of Taylor, was born in Livingston, Missouri, in 1854, a son of C Daniel HI. and Martha (Alexander) Root, of English and Irish parentage. The Root family came to America after the war for independence, locating in Virginia. The
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grandfather of our subject, Daniel Root, was a soldier in the war of 1812, took part in the battle of New Orleans, and was Major of the State Troops in that engagement. Daniel II. Root moved from Virginia to Missouri in 1854, settling near where Livingston now stands, where he followed farming, and was also a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He remained there until his death, in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Root were the parents of ten children, viz .: William, who was killed at the battle of Vicksburg, while serving in the Confederate army; Sophia, widow of If. H. Bowler, a resident of Mon- tana; Maggie, wife of John J. Gray, of Missouri; Daniel, who was killed in the battle of l'ea Ridge; Jennie, deceased, was the wife of John Evans, of Columbia, Missouri; Mary, wife of Dr. George Potter, of St. Joe, that State; Martha, deceased; James L., onr subject; Annie, wife of M. A. Violett, of Sturgeon, Missouri; and Orra, a teacher in the schools of this city. The father died in 1881. The mother now resides with the subject of this sketch, aged seventy-nine years. She has been a member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, South, from childhood.
James L. Root received his early educa- tion in the common schools of his native county, and later attended the college at Fay- ette, Howard connty, Missouri, for one year. Leaving school at the age of about twenty years, lie went to California, remaining in the West ten years, and was engaged in teaming, mining and other employments. November 25, 1882, Mr. Root landed in Taylor, Texas, with a few hundred dollars, and for the fol- lowing five years was employed as clerk by Simons & MeCarty. In 1887 the firm of Root, Mills & Co. was established, and in 1891 the two firms of Simons & MeCarty and Root, Mills & Co. consolidated. Messrs.
Mills and MeCarty withdrawing, the present firm of Simons, Root & Co. was then formed.
Mr. Root was united in marriage in 1886 with Miss Sonth C. Easley, a danghter of Colonel Samnel A. Easley. To this nnion has been born two children: Florra and Dan- iel E. Mr. and Mrs. Root are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The former also affiliates with the A. F. & A. M., the R. A. M. and K. T., the 1. O. O. F., No. 240, and the K. of P., No. 53.
A W. STORRS, the leading merchant of Granger, was born in Lodi, Washte- naw county, Michigan, December 30, 1858, a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Taphouse) Storrs, the former a native of New York and the latter of England. The father left his home when only seven years of age, on account of a stepmother, and never returned ntil after reaching man- hood. Ile now resides with his family in MeLennan county, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Storrs had nine children: A. W., Alva, Clarence, Ella, Charley, James, Roy and Samuel.
A. W. Storrs, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farm life, and remained under the parental roof until reaching the years of maturity. In 1878 he came with his father and family to McLennan connty, Texas, where they farmed on rented land one year, and they were then enabled to buy a team. In 1883 Mr. Storrs had sufficient money to purchase a team for himself, and he con- tinned at different kinds of work until 1885, when he bought a cotton gin, operating that in connection with his other interests. In 1887 he began merchandising at Rosenthal,
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McLennan county, and early in 1882 sold his store and gia. came to Granger, William- son county, and erected a large gin and mill, which is run by steam power, with all mod- ern improvements, and is said to be the best gin in the connty. He will probably make about 2,000 bales of cotton this season. Mr. Storrs also erected a large store building, where he opened a fine stock of general mer- chandise, and has a large and remunerative trade. In addition to these interests, he still owns his farm in McLennan county.
Our subject was united in marriage with Miss A. Brown, a daughter of D. H. Brown, a native of Illinois, who came to MeLennan connty, Texas, in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Storrs have one child, Arthur. They are members of the Christian Church, and our subject also takes an interest in politics, hav- ing served as Postmaster four years at Rosenthal.
Harvey, Bradley, Samuel, Daniel, Ruth, Jane, Ann. Mary, James and John, all of whom became grown and most of whom were married and had families. Thomas Newton Mayes, the father of the subject of this no- tice, was reared in Alabama, and moved from there to Texas in 1853, settling in Milam county, in the vicinity of Maysfield, which was named for him, and there spent the re- mainder of his life. Ile was a farmer and stock-raiser, and, while not rich, was the pos- sessor of some means and passed his years in peace and comfort. The only public func- tions he ever performed were in connection with the office of Justice of the Peace, which preferment he held both in Alabama and Texas. He was for many years an active member of the Presbyterian Church and lent his influence to all moral and religious works. Ile was three times married and was the father of a large family of children, whom he reared to be useful men and women. His first marriage was to Catherine, a daughter of Joseph Alexander, by which union he had nine children: Cynthia Ann, who was married to William Sharp and is now deceased; Alexan- der, who died in 1862; Robert Bruce, of this notice; David, who lives at Maysfield, Milam connty; Elizabeth, the deceased wife of James Bradley: Daniel, who died in 1873, at abont the age of thirty years; Albert, a resi- dent of Milam connty; James, who lives in Wilson county, this State, and Jane, the wife of Jolin Hobson of Milam county. The wife and mother died in 1858, and in 1860 Mr. Mayes married Mrs. Eliza MeKinney, widow of William MeKinney. This lady died in 1869 and he then married Mrs. Naoma Teel, of this county. Mr. Mayes died in 1890.
R B. MAYES, the subject of this sketch, a representative of one of the early-settled families of Milam county, an old soldier with an honorable record, and a prominent and prosperous farmer, is a native of Greene county, Alabama, where he was born December 12, 1838. His father was Thomas Newton Mayes, who was born in Union district, South Carolina, Jne 16, 1812, and was a son of Anthony Mayes, born in Sonth Carolina in 1778. Anthony Mayes, a blacksmith and farmer by ocenpation, moved from Sonth Carolina early in the pres- ent century, to Alabama, settling in Greene county, where he resided for many years, dying there in 1844. Ilis wife, whose maiden name was Cynthia Otterson and Robert Bruce Mayes was a lad of fifteen when his parents moved to Texas and settled whom he married in the old State, bore him twelve children: Lucinda, Thomas Newton, ! in Milam county. His youth was spent in
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this county near Maysfield, where his father settled. What education he received was ob- tained in the schools of that locality. In 1861 he entered the Confederate army, enlist- ing in Company G. (commanded by Captain J. C. Rogers), Fifth Texas Infantry, com . manded by Colonel Archer. The Fifth Texas being ordered at once to the army then form- ing in Virginia, Mr. Mayes was in most of the engagements that were fonght during the early days of the war in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Later his command was sent West, nnder Longstreet, to the relief of the forces about Chattanooga, and at the bat- tle of Chickamauga, in November, 1863, he was captured and taken to Camp Douglas, at Chicago, where he was held in prison till the spring of 1865, being exchanged about June 1st of that year, at the month of Red river. He served as a private, and was once captured, as just noted, and once wounded, receiving a flesh wound in the left leg at the second battle of Manassas.
Returning home at the close of the war Mr. Mayes spent two or three years in an effort to gather means to embark in some sort of profitable business. By the spring of 1868 he had saved enough from his earnings to purchase a small place, and that year bought forty acres of land near Maysfield, where, having married, he settled and en- gaged in farmning. Two years later he pur- chased the 160 acres where he now lives. To this place he then moved and here he has since resided. The intervening years from that date to the present he has spent in farm- ing and stock-raising, and his holdings, by industry and economy and by judicions in- vestment, have , grown to be something like 800 acres, 400 acres of which are in cultiva- tion and give good yields of the staple prod- pets of the farm.
In 1868 Mr. Mayes married Miss Mollie Smith, a daughter of Darling M. and Eliza Tyson Smith. who were natives of North Carolina. The parents moved to Texas in 1853 and settled in Milam connty, where they died, the father in 1880 and the mother about 1854 or '55. Mrs. Mayes was born in North Carolina and was abont ten years old when her parents moved to Texas. She was reared in Milam county.
Mr. and Mrs. Mayes have seven children: Josie, Enla, Emmett, Ethel, Robert B., Jon- nie and Minnie, the three eldest being now deceased.
The religions connection of the family is with the Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. Mayes is an Elder, holding a membership in the church at Maysfield.
In politics he is a Democrat.
A J. EILERS, a member of the wholesale firm of Mckeon, Eilers & Co., Austin, Texas, is a native of this State, born in Bastrop county, January 23, 1864. He is a son of the venerable pioneer merchant, Louis Eilers, whose history appears in this connection. Mr. Eilers received his literary education in the common schools of his native town, and at the age of eighteen years entered the well-known business college of Poughkeepsie, New York, where he finished the prescribed course in fonr months, receiv- ing the diploma of this institution. His first business engagement was with the firm of Crow, MeKean & Co., with whom he re- mained four years. In March, 1886, this firm was changed to MeKeon, Eilers & Co., Mr. Eilers becoming a member of the firm. This relationship continued until January 1, 1893, when George W. Massie retired.
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When this house opened for business the stoek comprised dry goods and groceries, but as the trade increased boots and shoes and hats were added to the list. The patronage is drawn from central and southern Texas, and an annual business of $250,000 is transacted. The firm is a strong one and enjoys an en- viable reputation in commercial circles throughout the Southwest.
Mr. Eilers was married in March, 1887, to Miss Maggie, a daughter of Captain Thomas Cater, a worthy pioneer of Travis county and an old merchant of Anstin. Mrs. Eilers is a niece of Jolm D. McCall, present Comp- troller of the State of Texas, and is one of a family of five. Our subjeet and wife have one ehild, a daughter named Bessie. Mr. Eilers possesses the business sagacity of his esteemed father, and promises to attain a place of equal importance in the commercial world.
L OUIS EILERS .- Forty years of con- tinuons and successful mercantile life in one place is the statement of a faet to which rhetorical effort adds little force. The name of Louis Eilers long ago became the synonym of honor, and has proven a powerful influenee for good in the community. He is the son of Joseph S. and Julia (Brueck) Eilers, and was born in the eity of Amsterdam, Hol- land, February 1, 1828; his father was a mer- chant of that city, and he was given a thorough training in all the details of the business. In 1852 he sailed for America, and spent the first year here prospeeting, his observations resulting in his selecting Bastrop, Texas, as a location for his operations. In 1853 he opened a store there, and although it was a somewhat primitive beginning the patronage
was encouraging. Obstacles and reverses both attended these early efforts, and in 1862 the entire stock was destroyed by fire with the building, and there was not a dollar of insurance. After this calamity Mr. Eilers went to Matamoras, Mexico, and there par- chased a stock of goods that were confiscated in transportation and were a total loss to the purchaser. Nothing dannted he made an- other effort and soon made his way to the front again.
The firm name was changed to Louis Eilers & Son in 1891, his son Lonis being admitted a member of the firm. They carry a stock of $20,000, and do an annual business of $60.000.
Mr. Eilers was married the year following his establishment in business to Caroline Johnson, of Albany, New York, who became the mother of five children; she died June 23, 1885, at Austin, Texas, whither she had been taken for medical treatment; she was a woman of many virtues, and was deeply mourned by her family and friends. Julia, deceased, was the eldest daughter and the wife of A. H. Crow; Lanra is the wife of A. T. MeKean, of Anstin; Mary L. married George W. Massie; Louis, Jr., the eldest son, was born August 22, 1861, and was a student at Biekler College, Austin, and at Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating at the latter institution in 1880. Upon his return from New York he assmined practical control of his father's business and has since devoted his attention to the interests of the firm. In 1892 the firm name was changed to Louis Eilers & Son, and the son is a worthy de- scendant of the father.
On October 30, 1883, he was nnited in marriage to Miss Emma Dunean, a daughter of the Rev. J. Duncan, a prominent rector of the Episcopal Church. Mrs. Eilers has
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been given excellent educational advantages, and is a graduate of the Millersburg ( Ken- tucky) Female College. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Eilers: Julia Dunean, aged eight years, and Louis A., who survived but nine weeks. Politically Mr. Eilers supports the issnes of the Democratic party; he is an honored member of the Knights of l'ythias, and is one of the most reliable and highly esteemed citizens of his county.
YOHN WAHRENBERGER. - Every community has its unusual characters who give it some little distinction, and stand ont in history like the foremost figures in a bas-relief. Such a unique individual was Jolin Wahrenberger, now deceased. He was widely and familiarly known as "Dutch Jolin," and was one of the first permanent settlers of Austin. He was born in Switzer- land in the month of April, 1812, and emi- grated to the United States in 1836, landing in the city of New Orleans; three years later he came to Austin and secured a small place on Walter creek, where he engaged in garden- ing.
At this time the Indians were intensely hostile, and Mr. Wahrenberger came near losing his life one day near the spot now oc- cupied by the Governor's mansion; a small sack of meal he was carrying served as a shield and received the arrows intended to pierce his heart. One arrow struck his arm and permanently crippled his finger. Ile participated in both the Indian and Mexican wars.
Gardening with so small a market as Anstin was not profitable, so he did not continne this industry, but concluded to establish a |
bakery in Austin, as he knew something of the business. This was a satisfactory venture and was attended with marked snecess. The profits were invested in real estate, both in town and country, and in time yielded a handsome income. Preferring a life in the open air he disposed of his city interests and removed to the country, intending to engage in agriculture, but this change failed to re- store his failing energies, and in the month of March, 1864, he passed to the great be- youd.
To this worthy man is due the credit of saving Austin from being sacked of her archives in 1842. The fact, although not widely known, is a matter of history and should be properly accredited. Mr. Wahren- berger was in the village and overheard the conspirators discussing the plan of taking the archives from Austin. Ile at once set out to give the alarm. Feeling inse- cure with their small force for resistance, it was decided to dispatch a courier to aronse the citizens of Washington county. Volun- teers were called for, and our hero was the only man to respond; he covered the dis- tance of eighty miles in thirty-six hours on foot, secured the aid of the settlers, and placed Austin on the defensive; but General Woll never made the proposed attack.
Mr. Wabrenberger was united in marriage May 8, 1848, at Austin, by Chief Justice Cummings, to Caroline Klein, a daughter of Charles Klein, who emigrated from Switzer- land to the United States in December, 1846. Arriving in Galveston Mr. Klein placed his two daughters in an English school, and con- tinued with the remainder of the family by ox teams to Anstin. He was very successful in all his business ventures, and accumulated a handsome competency. His first wife, Barbara Sehubiger, was the daughter of a
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Swiss farmer. They had three children: Caroline, Albertine, widow of JJacob Stenssy. and Arnold. Mrs. Wahrenberger was born Jannary 28, 1834; she was well educated in both German and English. Complying with the request of her husband, after his death she went to Europe for the purpose of finisli- ing the education of their children; the son was placed in the polytechnic school at Baden. and the danghters in a private school of Zurich; Elizabeth, deceased, was born June 5, 1853; James was born August 9, 1855; Bertha, deceased, was born February 19, 1860; Josephine. born March 9, 1862, is the wife of William Cullen and the mother of three children; Mary was born December 5. 1857, and is the widow of Ernest Linderman. The mother now resides in Austin, surrounded with all the comforts of the present civiliza- tion. Her father, now eighty years of age, is a member of the household, receiving all the care and attention prompted by a loving heart.
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JOHN WOLF .- Among the various nationalities that have songht homes in the New World none have proven more desirable citizens than the sturdy Germans. They bring with them good health, robnst constitutions, energy and industry; they have also a most landable desire to acquire prop- erty and become independent honsehollers.
same time did a good business at his trade, blacksmithing. Upon ariving at his major- ity John, Jr., married and with a small capital began an independent career that has been attended with gratifying success and reflected credit upon his worthy parents. Ile was enabled in early life to purchase 200 aeres of his present farm, which he has increased to 450 acres. He has placed nuder cultivation 175 acres, and has the remainder in fine pasture land, where he feeds some fine specimens of live stock for the market. Besides this valuable tract on which Mr. Wolf resides he owns 5,000 acres elsewhere, in a body.
When the Civil war threatened disaster to the land of his adoption Mr. Wolf joined the Confederate service, but a serious bodily injury received soon after prevented his giving any active aid.
John Wolf, Sr., married Catharine Bern- bach, and John, Jr., was their third-born child. He was nnited in marriage to Anna Catharine Meners, and they are the parents of ten children : John M., born in 1866; F. Joseph, born in 1870; Henry M., in 1872; Mary Agues, in 1874; Katie, in 1877; Aloese, in 1879; Peter, in 1881; Charles, in 1884; Annie, in 1886 and. Alice, in 1888. The family are devont members of the Ro- man Catholic Church, and highly esteemed members of the community.
A worthy representative of the Father- land is John Wolf, an honored citizen of A RNOLD KLEIN, one of Travis county's enterprising citizens, is a son of Charles Klein, whose history is briefly outlined in the sketch of John Garfield, Travis county. He was born in Prussia, June 24, 1843, and was a lad of twelve years when his parents crossed the sea to America. His father, John Wolf, Sr., Wahrenberger, appearing on another page of settled in Bastrop county, Texas, and there , this volume. Switzerland is the native land carried on an agricultural business and at the | of our subject: there he was born in the
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town of Wazen, February 15, 1840, and was a child of six years when his father sailed with his family to America. Soon after their arrival in Austin, Texas, young Klein was placed in school, where he remained until he had secured a good English educa- tion. At the same time he was cultivating his mind he was exercising his muscle in performing necessary labor upon his father's farm; he also had some experience in the bakery owned by his father.
Upon attaining his majority he took an interest in a restaurant with his father, and condneted the business nntil 1871. Having conelnded to engage in farming, he invested the nice sum he had accumulated in a tract of choice land, consisting of 240 acres; he at once set abont making improvements and placing the land nnder cultivation. Ile has added to his first purchase until he now has a tract of 800 acres, 200 acres being under enltivation, and the balance in meadow and timber. Among the modern improvements on his place are to be found a gin and mill," that were erected at an ontlay of $4,000. Fine herds of cattle graze upon the pastnre land, and the whole place has an air of thrift and prosperity, the just reward of every industrious man
Mr. Klein enlisted in the Confederate serv- ice in 1862, and was first stationed at San Antonio: he was afterward at Corpus Christi, Houston and Liberty, but was in no regular engagement; the command disbanded on the Red river.
In the month of March, 1870, Mr. Klein was nnited in marriage to Miss Minnie Clonehbache, a native of Germany, born in ; driving cattle to Kansas, and is justly min. 1852. IIer father, a blacksmith by trade, emigrated to the United States in 1859, but die soon after his arrival in this country. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Klein
a family of six children: Arnold C., Eda, wife of Henry Holey, Elizabeth, Josephine, Rudolph and Awald.
It is the presence of such men as Mr. Klein that give character to a community, and to snch men is dne the credit of developing the resources of this great nation.
HOHN B. DARLINGTON, of Travis county, Texas, a large landholder, stock- raiser and farmer, was born near the Colorado river, his birth having occurred in 1848. Ilis parents, John W. and Ellen (Love) Darlington, removed, soon after his birth, to a place three miles south of Manor, and when he was twenty-one years of age, they settled in Brushy Creek, Williamson county, whence they later moved to Taylor, Williamson county, where they now reside.
The subject of this sketch began life for himself when twenty-one years of age, pre- vions to which time he had accumulated some property. When twenty-four years old, he purchased his father's farm of 420 acres, paying for it 85,000 cash. He now owns considerable land, 1,040 of which is located in Travis county, 300 of the latter being under a fine state of cultivation. IIe has 565 acres in Williamson county, 200 of which is enltivated, besides property in San Antonio, Manor, and other places. Until 1891, with the exception of two years, he resided on the old homestead of his parents, which he had purchased from his father. During these two years he was engaged in bere'l among the substantial men of his vicinity.
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