USA > Texas > Tarrant County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Tarrant and Parker counties; containing a concise history of the state, with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named counties, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 40
USA > Texas > Parker County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Tarrant and Parker counties; containing a concise history of the state, with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named counties, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74
Soon after his return from the war Mr. Tolliver married and settled down on a small farm which he bought. He traded his farm in 1881 for the land on which he now lives and which at that time had but few improvements upon it. He has since erected good buildings, made other improve- ments, and now has 160 acres of his farm under cultivation, his crops being corn and cotton. He also owns a tract of fine pasture land. His home farm adjoins Arlington.
Mr. Tolliver was the fourth ` born in a large family of children. His parents, Al- len and Susan (Finger) Tolliver, natives of North Carolina, emigrated to Indiana at an early day and settled in Lawrence county when that county was new. There the father developed a farm and was en- gaged in agricultural pursuits the rest of his life. He died on the old homestead in 1890.
308
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
His first wife died in 1846 and three years after her death he married Mehala Laswell. He had ten children by the first marriage and two by the second, their names being as follows: Frances, wife of A. Davis; John; Jesse, who came to Texas with Joseph in 1855, but returned, and is now a resident of Illinois; Joseph; Jacob, of Illinois; Riley; William D., of Illinois; Mary A., wife of John Franklin, Colorado; George W., of Illinois; Kate, wife of George Fields, Okla- homa; Henry, of Illinois; and Susan, wife of Thomas Fields, died in Kansas, she being the only one deceased in this large family.
The subject of our sketch was married in 1867 to Miss Rachel Finger, who was born in Indiana in 1845, daughter of Louis Finger, a pioneer of Tarrant county. Having no children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Tolli- ver reared an orphan girl, who is now the wife of John Moreland, and living in the West.
Politically Mr. Toliver affiliates with the Democratic party, and while he has al- ways taken a laudable interest in public affairs, he has never sought or held office. Both he and his wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
J W. HAMMACK, the leading mer- chant and business man of Arling- ton, and the most enterprising man of the community, is ready to take hold of any movement that will help build up his
town and the country around it. He was brought up in agricultural pursuits, and con- tinued in the same after his emigration to the Lone Star State until he became able to branch out and give vent to his enter- prising spirit. In his present business he carries a general assortment of merchan- dise.
He is a native of Arkansas, born Octo- ber 16, 1854, and at the age of twenty years came to Texas, locating in Tarrant county. He continued farming for ten years, on a farm which he yet owns, when, in 1884, he began merchandising in a small way. In mercantile life he started with groceries; and in 1889 he built a large and commodious brick store, and since then he has kept on hand a well-assorted general stock of about $10,000 worth of goods, and selling about $45,000 worth per annum. He is also one-third owner of the large cot- ton gin erected by himself and two others, with all the modern improvements and a capacity of about 70 bales a day or 5,000 per season. It is the largest and best gin in this section of the country. He buys cotton and grain, and he also has a large corn-sheller, which does a great amount of work. He also feeds a large number of hogs. He is the general hustler for this part of the country.
He is the eldest of the ten children of Charles and Mary (Granger) Hammack, - his father a native of Alabama and his mother of Georgia. His paternal grand- father, McDonald Hammack, a fariner of
1
309
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Alabama, is of Scotch descent; the first American forefather took part in the Revo- lutionary war. Charles Hammack served a short time in the late war, on the Confeder- ate side, and, with his wife, is yet living in Arkansas. Their children are: J. W., whose name introduces this sketch; J. E., C. C., M. D., Fredonia (now Mrs. W. Eads), Sally (now Mrs. W. Sanders), C. R., Thomas, Henry and Elizabeth.
Mr. Hammack, our subject, was married in 1879, in this State, to Miss Lela Thomas, who was born March 1, 1860, a daughter of M. V. and Rebecca A. Thomas, of Arkansas; the last mentioned came to Texas in 1871, locating upon a farm in Tarrant county. Mr. and Mrs. Hammack have had five children, namely: Dora, James W., Benjamin H., Fayann and Charley R. Mrs. Hammack is a woman of intelligence, and is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church; and Mr. Hammack, a Republican in politics, served, since his residence here, as Postmaster under Harri- son's administration ..
EORGE W. JOHNSON, a ginner and farmer of Tarrant county, was born in Jefferson county, Ken- tucky, October 7, 1865, and reared on a farm, receiving a good education. He first came to Texas in 1882, locating in Tarrant county. He was employed as a faim hand until March, 1891, when he rented for a
season, and the next fall he purchased a cotton gin and a small farm three miles . west of Johnson's Station, in a good farm- ing community; to this gin and farm he has since given his attention. He has only one gin stand, with which he gins ten bales per day, which is an average of 500 bales per season. He is the man for the place, as he is a natural mechanic, doing all his own re- pairing, and runs the gin himself. He is bound to enjoy success, and he well de- serves it.
He is the son of James N. and Eliza (Wyatt) Johnson, both natives of Kentucky. His mother's parents were English. James Wyatt, maternal grandfather, came from England, and was a successful merchant at Taylorsville, Kentucky, in which State he died, in 1881. Mr. James N. Johnson had six children, as follows: Kate, wife of Henry Markwell, and yet living in Ken- tucky; Lilla, who married Andy Miller, and is deceased; William, yet in Kentucky; George W., whose name heads this sketch; Sally, who married Ben Brandon; and Ida, still unmarried. Their parents are still res- idents of Kentucky.
Mr. George W. Johnson was married, in Texas, to Miss Ada Russell, a daughter of James Russell, of North Carolina, who came to Texas about 1870, locating in Tar- rant county, and is a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had three children, all of whom are deceased. In his political views Mr. Johnson is a Democrat, taking an inter- est in public affairs.
1
--=
التـ
310
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
J OSEPH A. ELLIOTT, of Arlington, Texas, was born in Tarrant county, near Johnson's Station, March 25, 1860, son of John H. and Sarah (Baker) Elliott. His parents had a family of seven children, namely: Susan J., wife of M. L. Meek; Amanda C., wife of J. C. Roy; Will- iam F .; Sarah J., wife of James Watson; John M. ; Ellen, wife of F. R. Wallace; and Joseph A., whose name heads this article.
Joseph A. was reared to farm life and the stock business, and he may be said to have grown up in the saddle. Since 1883 he has confined his efforts entirely to the stock busi- ness, and from 1884 until 1894 ranged his cattle in Taylor county. During the past few years he has fed for market, which he finds a paying business and which he expects. to continue.
Mr. Elliott was married on December 11, 1879, to Miss Eliza M. Collins, who was born May 20, 1861, daughter of R. W. Col- lins. Mr. Collins removed from Alabama to Texas in 1873, and the following year came to Tarrant county. Here he bought 400 acres of land and improved the same, resid- ing on it until 1879, when he located in Arlington and turned his attention to mer- chandising, beginning on a small scale and gradually extending his operations. He has since taken in a partner and is now doing an extensive business, dealing in general mer- chandise and also buying cotton and grain.
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have had seven children, viz .: Minnie S., who died Octo- ber 15, 1882; John W., born July 9, 1882;
Sally B., January 25, 1885; Mattie G., March 11, 1887; Amanda O., December 24, 1888; William T., January 30, 1891; George T., October 22, 1892.
Mr. Elliott is identified with the Masonic fraternity, and his wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.
J OHN W. KELLY, a highly re- spected farmer of Tarrant county, Texas, was born November 11, 1859, the eldest of seven children of S. D. and Louisa (Roy) Kelly, who came from Mis- issippi to Texas in the early settlement of this State. Nothing is known of the an- cestry of the Kelly family. Mrs. Louisa Kelly was a native of Missouri, and her people are among the earliest settlers of Tarrant county. Mr. S. D. Kelly had the following named children: John W., the subject of this brief outline; Catherine J., wife of D. P. Rogers, a trader at Fort Worth; Julia F., wife of I. L. Bales, a Tarrant county farmer; Joseph and Thomas E., farmers of Tarrant county; and Eliza- beth and Samuel, yet unmarried. The mother of these children died in March, 1880, and their father in November follow- ing.
Mr. Kelly, our subject, had his interest in a small estate, but the most of what he has, he has made by his own industry and good judgment. Mr. Kelly owns 113 acres of land, or four out of the seven shares of his parent's estate, which embraces ninety-
0 LIT
1
311
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
three acres of good farming land on the prarie, improved, and 108 acres of timber land.
He was married in 1881, to Miss Amanda Collard, who was born August 31, 1863, a daughter of Oscar Collard, of Missouri; the latter, a farmer, came to Texas in 1878, settling in Tarrant county, and died in 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have six children, viz. : William, Ernest, Cecil, Ally, Eunice and an infant daughter unnamed.
Mr. Kelly, having always been a close student of public affairs, holds to Demo- cratic principles, and has always voted with that party until, recently, he finds the prin- ciples better represented by the so called "Populist " party.
ARSON HENRY L. THOMAS, a farmer and for many years a noted minister, was born and reared upon à farm in Georgia, educating himself mostly by the light of pine knots. February I, 1849, he was married, and in 1862 he be- gan preaching, in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of which he was a member ever since he was sixteen years old. He was ordained in 1869, at Magnolia, Arkan- sas. He yet holds services occasionally, being called upon especially to conduct funer- als; and he has married probably as many couples as any other minister in this section of the country. Being a minister during the late war, he was exempt from military duty, and he took no active part in the secession
movement, although he was in symyathy with his countrymen during the struggle, and seemed to anticipate truly what the re- sult of the conflict would finally be. Before the war he owned slaves, and after that period he moved to Tarrant county, purchas- ing 245 acres of unimproved prairie land, where he yet lives. He at once began im- proving the place and extending his agricul- tural operations. Since then he has sold ninety acres and bought 245 acres more, all of which he owns in two tracts; and he has two improved farms, of 270 acres, of which he has 160 acres in cultivation. All his land is of the black, waxy variety. He now rents it, and diversified crops are raised upon it.
His parents, Archibald and Rhoda (An- thony) Thomas, of North Carolina, were reared in Georgia. Archibald's father, Micajah Thomas, of North Carolina, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and a prominent, pub- lic-spirited man. Archibald Thomas was a large slave-owner, and interested in a cotton factory, and was a prominent citizen. He died in Arkansas, April 9, 1891. His ma- ternal grandfather was Louis Anthony, a farmer of South Carolina. A maternal uncle, Samuel Anthony, was a minister for over sixty years, -itinerant for many years. Both his maternal grandparents died in Geor- gia. Mrs. Rhoda (Anthony) Thomas was born July 1, 1804, made a profession of re- ligion in 1819, joined the Methodist Episco- pal Church in 1824, married in 1825, and died April 2, 1884. She learned to read
00 51
-
312
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
after she was sixty-five years old, and be- fore she died she had read the Bible through, and the Psalms five times. She was a de- voted, consistent Christian.
She and her husband had twelve chil- dren, one of whom died young, the other eleven growing up to years of maturity. Six of the sons entered service in the late war, for the Confederacy, and only three of them returned home alive; a brother-in-law also died in the service, from wounds at Fort Donelson. The names of all the chil- dren in order were: Henry L., our subject; Alexander B., Louis M., Martin V. B., William S .; Mary, who married first George Shepard, and, after he was killed in the army, Martin Alexander; Sarah C., who married Samuel Jordan and resides in Ar- kansas; Eliza J., who became the wife of Henry Heath and are both deceased; Fanny A., who married Ransom Owen, of Arkan- sas: he died and she afterward became the wife of Tobias Ransom; John W., Samuel E. and Louis. Of the above only four are now living.
Mr. Henry L. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, married Miss Sarah J. Strahan, daughter of Neill and Anna M. (Moore) Stra- han, a prominent slave-owner and farmer of North Carolina, who died in Arkansas, in 1866. Of his eight children five came to Texas, and two of the sons died. Dr. J. A. Strahan went to Mexico after the war, and in 1868 came to this State, locating upon a farm, where he followed agricultural pur- suits and also practiced his profession. He
died in 1881. The children of the subject of this sketch are seven in number, as fol- lows: Julia E., who married Thomas J. Heath and died October 15, 1877, leaving four children; Bascom G. H., a minister in the Northwest Texas Conference, who is married and has five chilren; William A., a farmer of Tarrant county; John N., a phy- sician practicing at Mansfield; Samuel W., a member of the Northwest Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and now stationed over the University Hill Church at San Antonio, Texas; Louis A. and George L., both of whom died at the age of seventeen years.
Our subject served as County Surveyor in Arkansas and is a zealous Prohibitionist, taking some interest in public affairs, al- though he aspires to no office. Both he and his wife are zealous members of the church.
O LIVER S. KENNEDY, a well- known attorney of Fort Worth and a gentleman of education and culture, was born in Lauderdale county, Alabama, January 24, 1841, and was taken to Tippah county, Mississippi, in his child- hood, on the removal of his parents there, where his father engaged in farmning. At the age of eighteen young Oliver returned to Alabama and.entered the Wesleyan Uni- versity at Florence, being placed in the sophomore class, -a remarkable fact when it is remembered that he had received no advantages beyond the primitive country
1
Oliver S. Kennedy.
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
315
school and self-instruction. From boyhood he was fond of books and kept his youthful mind stored with such knowledge as would prepare him for college. He graduated in 1861, taking the first honors of his class, - the class of 1861, -when he had five com- petitors for the valedictory oration; and he received also all the honors that his literary societies could confer, -those of annivers- ary speaker and editor of the college maga- zine. The university suspended about a month before the June commencement be- cause of the feeling of unrest and anxiety of the "boys" to go into the Confederate army before the war should close.
Mr. Kennedy enlisted as a private in Com- pany C, Sixteenth Alabama Infantry, and was elected Third Lieutenant upon the or- ganization of the company. This regiment went at once to Cumberland Gap and fought the battle of Fishing Creek, during which engagement Mr. Kennedy arose out of a sick-bed to perform his part. At Knoxville, 1861, he was made Adjutant of his regi- ment and the next year was promoted Cap- tain, just before the battle of Shiloh, in which famous contest he participated, com- manding the left wing of his regiment as Lieutenant Colonel, the field officers being absent. Soon after this he left the army be- cause of ill health, and was not again able for field duty. Twice afterward, however, he tried the commissary department, but could not remain.
When the war was over and peace again reigned, Mr. Kennedy engaged in civil pur-
suits, and began active preparation for law practice. He studied under the preceptor- ship of Judge W. B. Wood, and was ad- mitted to practice by that gentleman, then circuit judge. At length he entered politics, at once allying himself with the Democratic party, and was active in its resurrection in his county and State, placing. himself in front when the old men of the party would not take the initiatory for fear of being im- prisoned by the Federal authorities and of losing their. property by confiscation. He was the first chairman of the Democratic county committee after the war, and was a member of the State executive committee for eight years. He made an open fight and carried the Democratic ticket through in his county, taking a prominent part in the discussion of all the political issues of the day in the State. He attended the State conventions at his own expense, and without any understanding as to official pre- ferment; has been active in public matters in Texas; has always been found on the side of honesty, fairness and purity of the ballot; does his share in every cam- paign, proclaiming his fealty to the Democ- racy, and expounds its principles unmistak- ably and vigorously.
He is a Trustee of the Polytechnic Col- lege and a Steward in the Methodist Church, South.
He arrived in Fort Worth April 13, 1877. His forefathers came from Scotland to North Carolina in Colonial days. From this old stock came William W. Kennedy,
-
316
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
the father of the subject of this sketch. He was born in 1815, and about 1830 moved into Alabama and resided there and in Tippah county, Mississippi, until he came to Texas, in 1877. He died in Fort Worth, in 1881, closing his life as a teacher. He was a son of Hiram Kennedy, a native of South Carolina, who died in Lauderdale county, Alabama, in 1863. He married Mary Spinks. Mr. Oliver S. Kennedy's mother before marriage was Cynthia Palmer, a daughter of Randolph Palmer, who came originally from South Carolina to Alabama in 1842, and died in Mississippi in 1875, aged seventy-five years. Like Hiram Ken- nedy, he was wealthy, a man of sterling honesty. The subject of this sketch was the first born of his father's family, and the other children in order were: Panthea N., wife of J. W. Campbell, of Lewisville, Texas; Adelia, who married M. Danaher, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Mollie, wife of W. J. Bowling, of Allen, Texas.
Mr. O. S. Kennedy was married in Flor- ence, Alabama, January 27, 1863, to Geor- gia C., a daughter of William 1 .. and grand- daughter of Ephraim H. Foster, prominent in Whig politics in Tennessee before the war. Her mother was a daughter of General Cheatham, of Springfield, and a cousin of General Frank Cheatham, of the Confeder- ate army. Mr. Kennedy's children are: Susan, wife of J. S. Davis, of Fort Worth; Jennie, who became the wife of J. E. Moore; J. S., the next; Mary E., who married R. H. Orr; Oliver S., Jr .; Georgie Pearl; and
Narcissa White. The last two, Misses Pearl and Narcissa, are now in the Polytech- nic College at Fort Worth, to remain until graduation, and from there they will go to the best schools of music and elocution in this country to acquire all the accomplish- ments possible. Pearl took first medal for elocution at the commencement of 1894.
J AMES A. ROARK, a prominent farmer of Tarrant county, is a na- tive of Hamilton county, Tennessee, born February 15, 1840, and was reared to farin life till the opening of the war, receiv- ing but little "book" education.
He enlisted in the Confederate service, in Company B, First Tennessee Cavalry, under the command of General Wheeler and Major-Generals Longstreet and Early, finally at the time of the final surrender. Mr. Roark continued faithfully in the service to the close of the war, suffering many hardships and engaging in many dangerous skirmishes; was in the Army of Tennessee from the Mississippi river to the coast of Georgia; was once slightly wounded; once his horse was killed under him, and once he was captured, namely, at Calhoun, Tennes- see. He made his escape, however, during the night following, leaving his horse and all he had with the enemy. He had to "skirmish" around for three weeks before he could get to his command again. After that he was in Virginia, in front of Sheri- dan's army, at the time of the surrender.
1
1
317
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
He returned home without being paroled or sworn.
During the next autumn he married and continued to follow farming, on his father's place, till 1878, when he came to Texas, locating in Tarrant county. On arrival he left his family at Johnson's Station and looked over the State some, and finally purchased this farm, 210 acres of fine land. This place he has improved, and has erected upon it good buildings, his residence being both commodious and handsome. He has 100 acres in cultivation, which he takes great pride in cultivating in the best man- ner, with diversified crops.
Mr. Roark is the son of Joseph and Juda (Carr) Roark, of Tennessee. Joseph was the son of Timothy Roark, of Virginia, who served in some of the early wars, was a Captain, and on one occasion was a pris- oner among the Indians for about twelve years. He moved to Tennessee in early day, and spent the remainder of his life in that State. Joseph Roark was a farmer throughout his life, dying in Tennessee, in 1875; his wife died in 1878. They had six children, as follows: Elizabeth, who mar- ried Joel Talley and after his death H. Kil- lain, and moved to western Texas in 1892; Mary, who married Robert B. Scott and moved to Arkansas; Margaret, now Mrs. William Swaford, in west Tennessee; James A., the subject of this sketch; John and William, at the old home.
Mr. James A. Roark married Miss America J., a daughter of William Magill,
of Tennessee, who was a prominent citizen there, serving the public in many official positions, and being a leader in politics, assisting the Confederacy in the late war, etc., but was too old for military service; he did more for the cause than any other man at home. Mrs. Roark was born in October, 1839. By this marriage there were nine children, two of whom died young. Those who grew up are: Nannie, who married H. W. Smith, and died at Alvarado in 1891, leaving no children; Joseph, now in the Indian Territory; Mitchel Leonidas, who died on January 12, 1891; Belva, who died December 22, 1894; Laura, at the paternal home; Frank, engaged in mercantile busi- ness at Alvarado; and Walter and Maud, at home.
Mr. Roark is an intelligent and zealous Democrat, advocating its principles, but not aspiring to office. He is a Master Mason, and both himself and family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
J AMES D. COOPER, a prominent and prosperous farmer of Arlington, Texas, was born near Crawfordsville, Georgia, October 12, 1841. His father's farm joined that of the eminent statesman, Alexander H. Stephens. When he was ten years of age the family removed to Alabama, where he grew up to manhood. His first busi- ness was that of clerk in a mercantile estab- lishment, and at the age of twenty-one he
.
.
n
318
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
engaged in merchandising on his own ac- count, at Dadeville, Alabama.
In 1862 he entered the army and con- tinued to. serve within its ranks until the close of the war, in Company A, First Al- abama Infantry, General Walthall command- ing. He saw hard service, being in many fights, such as the bloody battle of Franklin, Tennessee, and the bombardment of Island No. 10, in the Mississippi river, opposite Tennessee. At the latter place he was cap- tured and taken to Springfield, Illinois, and six months afterward was exchanged at
Vicksburg. Subsequently he participated in the bombardment of Port Hudson. After leaving this place he laid aside artillery and went to Dalton, Georgia, to meet Sherman, and had a hard fight there, and he was also at Kenesaw mountain afterwards. In a short time he took sick and was sent to Al- abama. As soon as he was able he rejoined his command and remained in active service till the close of the war. At Port Hudson he was again captured, and this time was paroled home; but he. soon joined his com- mand, with which he continued until the final surrender, he being at Atlanta, Georgia, when that event occurred.
Returning from the scenes of war he re- sumed clerking in Alabama. In 1867 he married. In 1868 he opened a store for himself, which, however, he closed in 1873, and the next year came to Texas, first stop- ping two years at Dallas, where he engaged in an auction and commission firm for a short time. At the end of two years he
purchased an unbroken tract of black land in Tarrant county, which he improved and made into a fine farm. At first he had 400 acres, and has since added to it 400 more, and he now has altogether 400 acres in cultivation. After living there six years he purchased a small tract adjoining Arlington, erected upon it a large frame house, and has since bought 100 acres more here, of which eighty are in cultivation. Besides, he has purchased 160 acres on the river, of which fifty are in cultivation. He also deals in livestock, -horses and mules, - formerly cattle also.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.