USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 30
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W C. LAWHON, a wealthy farmer and enterprising citizen of Bastrop county, Texas, has had a nseful career here and is well known and highly respected. Of his life we present the fol- lowing resume:
W. C. Lawhon was born in McNairy county, Tennessee, March 21, 1829, and when he was an infant was taken by his parents to Alabama. When he was eight years old they moved to Texas, that being in 1837. Six years they lived in Red River county, from there moved to Sabine county, and in 1844 came to Bastrop county, settling on Young's prairie, where, from wild land, they developed a farm. On this farin the
subject of our sketch grew to manhood. Of his educational opportunities it may be said that he had two years of schooling. IIe re- mained under the parental roof until 1854, when he married. In 1851 he began mer. chandising near where he now lives, and car- ried on business four years, at the end of which time he lost all his earthly posses- sions. Without capital, but with renewed energy, he started out again, determined to succeed. Buying a tract of raw land in the woods, he settled down to hard work, and, ere long, his earnest efforts resulted in the development of a fine farm. He still lives on this place. As the years rolled by and prosperity smiled upon him, he purchased other lands, until, at this writing, he is the owner of 1,915 acres in three different farms. He has 650 acres under cultivation, most of which he rents. Cotton and corn are his chief crops. In 1880 he built a store and opened ont in business again, and for six years did a successful business, at the end of which time he closed ont. In 1876 he built a steam-power gin and mill for public ser- vice, and for some time was also engaged in the manufacture of shingles.
Mr. Lawhon was elected a Justice of the Peace in 1866, and served for more than a dozen years, being re-elected from time to time. He also served four years as Tax Collector, and at the same time was County Commissioner and Notary Public. During the " late unpleasantness " he volunteered and served seven months, when, his health failing, he was discharged and returned home. After his health improved he was detailed as freighter for the Government, continuing as such until the close of the war. The war over, he resumed farming. During ten years of the time he served as Justice of the Peace he held inquests over
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fifty-six dead bodies. Ile rendered 4,000 judgments, only two of which cases were ever appealed, and during that time he also married many couples. Few men in the county are better known than he, or stand higher in the estimation of the peo- ple. During his early life he did a great deal of hunting. The Indians were often committing depredations all around, but they never molested him.
Mr. Lawhon is a son of HI. M. and Ann (Young) Lawhon, the former a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and the latter of Georgia. The Lawhons are of Scotch-Irish descent. H. M. Lawson's youngest brother, David Lawhon, came to this State with Sam Ilouston, and with that noted pioncer edited the first paper in Texas, published at Nacog- doches. The father of our subject served throughout the Mexican war of 1846-7, and for many years was a Justice of the Peace here. He died at this place in 1876, at the age of seventy-two years, his wife having survived him until 1878. W. C. Lawhon was the second- born in their family of chil- dren, all of whom were in Texas, namely: Frances, who married Parson Rankins, is deceased; W. C .; Martha, wife of J. W. Whitaker, a Grayson county farmer; David, a farmer and Methodist minister of Burnet county : Mary A., wife of J. L. Wolf; Eliza- beth, wife of J. W. Stanifer, is deccascd; John M., a Baptist minister, resides in Grayson county; and Rachel, who died young.
Mr. Lawhon married Jane Stanifer, who was born in Bastrop county, Texas, Jannary 14, 1839, daughter of J. W. Stanifer. Iler father went from his native State, Illinois, to Alabama, where he married, and from whenee, in 1828, he came to Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Lawhon had a family of fifteen
children. two of whom died in infancy. The others are as follows: Mary E., wife of J. T. Sanders, a Bastrop county farmer; Eliza, wife of J. W. Daley, deceased; John T., a book-keeper at Elgin, Texas; Arinda, wife of J. M. Braughton, is deceased; W. A., Charles P. and James A., engaged in farm- ing in this connty; C. E. and A. J., at home; Frances E., wife of W. P. Bird, a farmer of this county, and Emma, Louis and Sidney J., at home.
Fraternally, Mr. Lawhon is an I. O. O. F .; politically, a " dyed-in-the-wool " Democrat. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
D AVID ALLDAY, of Jones prairie, Milam county, was born in Burke county, Georgia, September 7, 1831. His father, Peter Allday, was born in the same connty and State, February 5, 1794, and was there reared. December 23, 1824, he mar- ried Louisa Ward, daughter of the Rev. Frank Ward, of Georgia, whose wife was a Miss Baton, whose ancestors settled and named Baton Rouge, Lonisiana. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Ward were: James, Charles, Frank, Gus, Louisa and Amelia.
Peter Allday enlisted for service in the war of 1812, but made only two days' march toward reinforcing Jackson, near New Or- leans, when the news of that battle reached his ears. IIe returned to the farm, and there engaged in farming till 1855, when he came to Texas, settling in Milam county, where he died May 21, 1867, still engaged in farming till his death. Ile possessed good judgment. but never accumulated a great deal of property. lle was a consistent mem- ber of the Methodist Church, and was much
AShilling
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
noted for his piety. Ile never used an oath in his life nor indulged in strong drink. His father, grandfather of the subject of this notice, was at one time Sheriff of Burke county, Georgia, in the days when branding criminals was in vogue.
Peter Allday's children were: Absalom Pryor, born September 20, 1825, now a phy- sician of Robertson county, Texas; Francis Asberry, who was born July 5, 1829, and who is supposed to have died in the Confed- erate army; David, the subject of this notice; Ann, deceased, was first married to Daniel Moore, and had twochildren, and secondly mar- ried J. R. Jones; Richard Arnold, who was born July 7, 1836, and was killed in Arizona during the late war; James Augustus, who was born September 25, 1838, died in the Confederate ariny; Charles, born February 5, 1841, now a Methodist minister in Ala- bama; Peter R, who was born April 30, 1844, and died November 25, 1861, in the Confederate army; Mary B., born November 18, 1845, is now the wife of William M. Taylor; Amelia F., born December 1, 1847, is the widow of Anderson Jones; Lonisa Lo. dema, born July 29, 1850, is now the wife of James Jones, of Davilla, Milam connty.
Just before Christmas, 1855, David Allday came to Texas, having left Georgia and pro- ceeded overland, crossing the Mississippi river at Natchez. The seven wagons of the company were bound for Waco, but the party were induced by Doctor Allday, who was then living at Port Sullivan, Milam county, and who was familiar with the country, to settle near the mouth of Pond creek, in this county. The land was bought of the Rev. Rufus C. Burleson, the eminent Baptist min- ister, who for many years was president of the Baylor University. Mr. Allday en- gaged in farming from 1855 to 1861, when
he entered the Confederate army, enlisting in a company raised mainly in Robertson county, which was attached to the Eighth Regiment, under Colonel Young. The com- miand operated west of the Mississippi, and participated in a number of engagements in Arkansas and Louisiana, among thie series of figlits following Banks' Red river campaign. In the spring of 1865 the army returned to Texas, and at the close of hostilities was dis- banded at Hempstead. Mr. Allday's first real-estate purchase was in Milam county, and consisted of 132 acres. He now owns 275 acres, and is cultivating 125. The average annual yield of his farin is from twenty-five to thirty bales of cotton, and other products in proportion.
Ile was married December 14, 1865, to Miss Sarah L., daughter of McClem Taylor. This union was blessed with eight children: James, born September 28, 1866; Emma, born December 11, 1868; Peter McClem, born November 18, 1870; John, born Sep- tember 20, 1872; William D., born August 4, 1876; Janie, born April 14, 1878; Roxie, born January 3, 1883, and Charles, born March 31, 1888. Mrs. Allday died April 9, 1892. The family are connected with the Missionary Baptist Church.
R EV. JAMES H. STRIBLING, D. D., was born in Tuscaloosa county, Ala- baına, September 27, 1822. Ilis pa- rents, Benjamin H. and Ruth B. Stribling, were natives of South Carolina, but married in Alabama in 1820. Benjamin II. was a brother of the distinguished admiral, C. K. Stribling, of the United States Navy. James II. was reared on a farm and among the hills, forests and streams of Piekens
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
county, Alabama. At about six years of age he entered a country school, where two years were spent learning to read, write and spell. After this, three months in the summer of each year, when the crops were laid by, until he was grown to manhood, afforded his early educational advantages. The benefit of the three months and meager training were nearly lost in the other nine, so that no great pregress could be made. Ilis fondness for reading was developed at an early age, with
very limited means for its gratification.
A
weekly paper, a history of the United States, Pintarch's Lives, and snch books as conld be had at a neighborhood library, made up the supply in reach, and these had to be read by pine-torch light. Lamps and candles were luxuries not to be thought of. A neighbor- hood debating society for boys and young men, in which he took a lively interest, more than anything else served to direct his read- ing and awaken thought. He early aspired to engage in public life as a lawyer or poli- tician. Political campaign discussions, in which he took great interest, were to him a valuable educational factor. From all these sources, limited as they were, and an effort to study such school branches, as English grammar, and so forth, at home, were gath- ered the golden grains of knowledge that be- came the seeds of a perpetual harvest from which all along in after life he made large and valuable distributions from the pnlpit, the press, and the social circle.
The boyhood life of young Stribling was greatly stirred by the exciting events of the Seminole war. The gathering of sqnads, companies and regiments around his native home in Alabama, the news of the massacres, atrocities and battles in Florida by the In- dians fired the whole conntry with martial spirit that aroused the boys as well as the
men. About the same time the indepen- dence of Texas had been declared and the glow- ing descriptions of this new found, paradise were attracting much attention. This be- came, after a while, the news of the day, and the theme of the family circle at night. By 1840 the father, mother and James, the eldest of the twelve children, had become so interested in Texas that a removal was deter- mined on, and in the following year they turned their steps toward the Lone Star Re- public. Their destination was Washington county, the garden spot of the conntry. In September, 1842, James entered the Texas army to repel the Mexican invasion of that year, and remained till Jannary, 1843. After a three years' residence in Washington conn- ty the family moved to Lavaca county, where they settled, and the father died seven or eight years later. James remained and tanght school for a few months in Washing- ton connty. Early religions impressions, which were renewed and deepened from time to time by the piety and life of a Christian father and mother, Bible readings, preaching and revivals, culminated during this year (1843) in a determination on his part to de- vote liis life to the ministry. In September he was baptized by the Rev. W. M. Tryon, and united with the Providence Baptist Church in Washington county. About a year after this lie was licensed and began to preach. The need of more education was constantly impressed on his mind, and in May, 1846, his name was enrolled among the first twenty-four students that entered Baylor University. He remained in school till De- cember, 1849, when he was ordained to the ministry. He spent the year 1850 as a mis- sionary west of the Colorado river in south- west Texas. In Jannary, 1851, he began his first pastorate with the Baptist Church at
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Gonzales. This continued about seven years. It was during this pastorate, September 21, 1852, on a bright, happy evening, that Rev. J. T. Powell, at the residence of Colonel L. Cleveland, celebrated the rites of matrimony between Rev. J. H. Stribling and Miss J. L. Cleveland. During this time a house of worship was built, among the best in western Texas at that period, costing $5,000. Against repeated entreaties to remain, this pastorate was resigned and that of Wharton and Caney churches, near each other, was accepted. After two years here duty pointed to a change, and the pastorate of the first church at Galveston was accepted and entered upon in May, 1860. This was a congenial field, bnt the commotions of the war and the block- ade compelled a resignation and the return of Mr. Stribling to his former field for a time.
In September, 1863, Mr. Stribling ac- eepted the pastorate of the chinreh at Ander- son, and labored there with much success for ten years. Not only Anderson, but many neighboring fields and churches shared his labors during this period. At the elose of the war in 1865 he was one of the only three Baptist ministers in the State who were re- lying entirely on the ministry for a support. Declining health made a change of field necessary. He was called to Tyler and en- tered npon his labors there in September, 1873. It was here at his suggestion and earnest instance that Major W. E. Penn be- gan his labors that have sinee been blessed in Texas and other States. But, notwithstand- ing the rich spiritual harvest in this pastor- ate and its congenial surroundings, it was here that the darkest shadow fell upon Dr. Stribling's pathway. The companion of his yonth, his helper, stay and comfort all along the journey of life was called from him. For
over twenty years she had been the light and joy of his heart and home, and the guardian angel of his household. Hospitable to strangers, kind to all, an example of piety and faith, she had not only been a companion to him but a benediction to every church and community where they had lived. But here also another eame to fill the empty void, to be a mother to his children, and one who comforted, cheered and encouraged him in every good word and work. He married Mrs. S. A. IIand in Tyler, in 1874.
Dr. Stribling spent over seven years in Tyler, and did a great work for the people of that city and community. Ilis next pastor. ate was his shortest, but ocenpied most of the year 1881 at Calvert. He located at Roek- dale and began regular service with the church in January, 1882. He held this charge mutil his death, somewhat over ten years later. He thus gave to the ministry nearly fifty years of his life, during which time he held charges in widely scattered lo- ealities, and performed all the multifarious duties devolving on one in his position. He preached, as nearly as can be estimated, 4,000 sermons, and delivered as many exhortations and addresses. He held over 200 protracted meetings, in which over 3,000 persons pro- fessed conversion. He soleinnized over 300 marriages and baptized over 1,200 persons, and traveled in every mnode 30,000 miles in Texas. Among his published sermons was one on "Sunday Sehools," one delivered at the funeral of T. J. Jackson, a memorial discourse before the Masonie fraternity, and a sermon on " Enture Punishment," that attracted wide at- tention at the time, and these are deserving of a place in the archives of the church. Besides, many newspaper articles appeared from his pen from time to time,-among them a dis- enssion on " Human Depravity," " Sketches
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
of Travel," and essays on "The Reciprocal Dnties of Pastors and Churches," and " How Ministers Should Treat Each Other."
His honorary title of D. D. was conferred by Baylor University at Independence abont 1871. During a ministry of forty-eight years Dr. Stribling never turned aside to any other pursnit or calling for support, but de- voted his entire life to his one great work. This work, however, was not restricted to the narrow circle of pastoral duties, but took in the wide field of denominational endeavor and extended to all lines of Christian nseful- ness. He was a regular attendant on all the associational and general meetings of the church and was especially active in behalf of the educational interests of the localities where he labored. He was for four years Moderator of the Sunday-school and Col- portage Convention, and very often Vice- President of the State Convention and Pres- ident of the Ministers' Conference.
Dr. Stribling was regarded as an able and eloquent preacher, an active and effective worker in whatever he undertook, and a man who by his piety, his honest, gentle ways, endeared himself to all with whom he came in contaet. One noticeable thing about his conduct was his uniformly genial manner and his disposition to spread happiness wherever he went. His life, taken in all its bearings, was a sermon more radiant with beauty than any he ever preached, eloquent as he grew at times in the pulpit, for it was the perfection in practice of those virtnes and graces which form the flower of Christianity and command for it respect even among those who deny the teachings of the Bible. After a life su spent, and, as one may say, fully rounded out in Christian grace and usefulness, Dr. Strib- ling died on the 12th of August. 1892. while on a visit to Eureka Springs, Arkansas,
whither he had gone for the benefit of his health. ITis remains were brought to his home at Rockdale, where they were laid to rest. His loss was deeply mourned by the people of this place, who testified to the esteem in which he was held in this com- innity by a large attendance at his funeral and by numerons expressions of condolence with his bereaved family. The local orders with which he had been connected passed ap- propriate resolutions.
Dr. Stribling, as has been stated, was twice married. He had six children by his first marriage who reached maturity, there being none of the second union. These in in the order of their ages are: Mrs. Kate Gentry, wife of W. A. Gentry, of Rockdale; Mrs. Ruth Witcher, wife of Hugh L. Witcher, of the same place; James H., who died Jan- nary 15, 1891; Cleveland, of Rockdale; Mrs. Fannie Morrison, wife of W. A. Morrison, of Anson, Jones county, this State; and Cor- nelius K., of Rockdale.
Rev. Dr. F. M. Law, who had known Dr. Stribling for more than thirty years, said of of him not long before his death: " In the earlier years of his ministry his preaching was full of unction and pathos. When I came to Texas in 1859, there was no more popular preacher in the State. Universal confidence in his piety and purity of life gave special emphasis to his preaching."
Rev. Dr. Rufus C. Burleson, who had known Dr. Stribling an even greater length of time, and who preached a sermon of ex- ceptional strength and pathos on the death of his old friend, said; " What man or angel can estimate the value of the life of such a man spent in the formative era of an empire State like Texas. When he began to preach in 1844, there were only abont 1,000 Bap- ti ts in Texas; when he elosed his glorious
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
career, Angnst 12, 1892, he left a grand army of 218,000 Baptists, all thoroughly or- ganized for effective work in missions, Sun- day-schools, colportage, Christian education, homes for orphans and our aged preachers. No man living or dead did more to attain this glorious increase than did Brother Strib- ling."
A M. VANDIVERE, a farmer of Jones prairie, Milam county, was born in Calhoun county, Georgia, March 31, 1847, and is a son of Imorene E. Van- divere, who was born in South Carolina in 1816. Imorene E. Vandivere was a son of Matthew Vandivere, who was born in South Carolina in 1785. Matthew Vandivere mar- ried a Miss Nelins of South Carolina, who bore him six children, four sons, Alplionzo, Almorene, Alford and Albert, and two daugh- ters, Artimesia, who was married to Joseph Williams, and Desdemona, who was married to Blair Echols. The elder Vandivere was a Baptist minister, as were also two of his sons, Almorene and Albert, and devoted most of his life to the service of his church, having also served in the war of 1812. He moved early in this century to Georgia, where he labored till his death, which occurred in 1857. Al- morene E. Vandivere was reared in Georgia and received his education in the select schools of that State, enjoying the privilege of a three years' course at Mercer University, then lo- cated at old Penfield and the chief educational institution of the State. He became conver- ted and joined the church at the age of twenty- two, ond three years later entered the inin- istry. In 1838 he married Sarah McDow of Cass county, Georgia, and in 1855 moved to Alabama, where he joined the Alabama Asso-
ciation and was assigned by the Missionary Board of that association as missionary to the Creek Indians. He continued actively en- gaged in gospel labors in the Creek territory until the opening of the late war, when he came to Texas. Settling his family at Waco, he entered the Confederate service, and from 1861 to 1865 was variously employed in the commissary and transportation departments in this State, continning his gospel labors among the soldiers, to whom he preached whenever and wherever occasion offered. After the war and until his death he held. regular charges, being the pastor at Hunts- ville, Walker county, and at Independence, Washington connty, and at Port Sullivan, Cameron, North Elm, Little River Church and Rockdale, Milam county. He became a resi- dent of Milam county in 1868 and remained a resident of this county till his death, which occurred ten years later. He was a zealons minister and excellent citizen, and many of the people of this county, especially in the vicinity of Little River Church, where he was longest stationed, have occasion to remember him with gratitude for his faithful services. He was buried at Little River Church, which marked the field of his most earnest labors. His wife died in 1875 in Milam county, and was also buried at Little River burying ground. Their children, five in number, are: Fannie, the wife of Rev. W. J. Glazener of this county, who has been a minister of the Baptist Church thirty-eight years; Artimissia, who was married to Rev. H. F. Buckner, who was a missionary among the Creek Indians for thirty-eight years, and died and was buried among the people; Desdemona, who died at the age of fourteen, and was buried in Clark county, Arkansas, in 1860; Alcidamons M., the subject of this sketch, and Alford B. R., who lives in the Indian Territory.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
A. M. Vandivere was reared mainly in Alabama. Accompanying his parents to Texas in 1861, he entered the Confederate service here two years later, enlisting in May, 1863, in the Fourth Arizona Cavalry for frontier service in Texas. He served on the border from that date till the close of hostil- ities. For three years after the war he was varionsly engaged, attending school part of the time at Baylor University, then at Inde- pendenec. He came with his parents to Mi- lam county in 1868, and settled on a farm near Maysfield, where he engaged in agricul- tnral pursuits, first with his father, and later alone, and there he has since resided. In 1868 Mr. Vandiverc was nited in marriage to Miss Annie McKinney, a dangliter of Jasper Mckinney, one of Milam county's old citizens, and a sister of Hon. J. M. Mckinney, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. To this union one child has been born: Bulah, now the wife of I. R. Gleun.
Mr. and Mrs. Vandivere are members of the Baptist Church, having held a member- shid in the Little River Baptist Church abont twenty-two years. He is also a Mason, as was his father, both being active, zcalons members, belonging to Little River Lodge No. 397. Mr. Vandivere is a Democrat, as was his father before him, stanch in the support of the principles of the party and loyal to its nominees.
enlisting in Company A, Fifty-first Alabama Cavalry, with which he served during the re- mainder of the war. From 1865 to 1867 hic resided in Alabama, engaged in farming and other pursuits. IIc then came to Texas, and stopping at Bryant's Station, Milam county, clerked for the firm of Hale & Evans, mer- chants of that place, nutil 1870. At that date Hale & Evans moved to Hearne, Mr. Scarbrough accompanying them and remain- ing in their employ for about four years. With the arrival of the International & Great Northern Railway at Rockdale, in February, 1874, the firm of Hale & Co. which had been formed a few months previous, opened a store in Rockdale, Mr. Scarbrough taking an in- terest in the business and becoming the silent partner of the firm. The partnership lasted until the death of General HIale, in 1882, when, his estate having been wonnd np, the firm of Scarbrough & Ilicks was formed, Mr. R. H. Hicks, who had been with Hale & Co. for some years as book-keeper, becoming a partner in interest. Mr. Scarbrough gave his attention actively to the business with which he was connected at Rockdale until 1889, when, for reasons other than of a busi- ness nature, he moved to Austin. For about four years he lived somewhat in retirement, but in February, 1893, opened a dry goods and men's furnishing house in Austin, to which he is now devoting his time and atten- tion. The honses of Searbrough & Hicks at Austin and Rockdale, are two of the strong- est mercantile establishments in central Texas, and stand, each in its respective place, at the head of the business interests of those cities.
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