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 52
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 52
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C. D. Hartnett received only a limited school training. After reaching a suitable age he engaged with his father in contract- ing for railroad grading through the States of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and Dakota, working on the Rock Island, the Union Pacific, the Chi- cago, Burlington & Quincy and other roads. Abandoning railroad work in 1878, he se- cured a clerkship in a grocery store at Whitesborough, Texas, at a salary of $40 per month, and became manager of the same establishment at the end of the first year of his connection with it. The stock
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was subsequently removed to Weatherford, and a short time afterward, in 1880, Mr. Hartnett became one of the proprietors of the same. Later Mr. A. F. Starr becarne a partner in this business, and the firm be- came that of A. F. Starr & Company, which was continued until 1890, when Mr. Starr retired from the firm, the name of which was then changed to that of C. D. Hartnett & Company. Mr. Starr returned to the firm again in 1893, the style of which re- mained as above, -C. D. Hartnett & Com- pany. For seven years this firm enjoyed a remarkable prosperity, and gradually drifted into the jobbing and wholesale trade ex- clusively, retailing being discontinued. Men were put on the road and an annual busi- ness of from $350,000 to $500,000 was transacted. They covered a territory of 100 iniles west and northwest from Weather- ford, including the counties of Wise, Jack, Young, Archer, Shackelford, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Hood, Erath and Eastland. In June, 1894, Mr. Hartnett disposed of his interests in the firm and became vice-president of the First National Bank of Weatherford, with which he had for several years been con- nected as a director, and to the affairs of which he gives most of his attention.
Mr. Hartnett has always taken an active interest in the building up and advancement of Weatherford, and has been connected with a number of important enterprises. He was one of the originators of the Weather- ford Water, Light & Ice Company, and has given other evidences of his enterprise and
public spirit. In political matters he has always affiliated with the Democratic party, but has never sought office, though he has served as a member of the School Board.
Mr. Hartnett was first married in 1878, in Whitesborough, Texas, to Miss Kate Byrne, who died in 1881, leaving two sons: Dan, who is now attending St. Edward's College at Austin, and Jefferson, deceased. In 1883 he was married to Miss Savina Byrne, and to this union four children have been born, as follows: Leo, Jefferson, Mary Gertrude and Lillian Agnes. Mr. Hartnett is a member of the Catholic Church, as are all of his family.
HOMAS AMBROSE WYTHE, a real-estate dealer and grower of blooded stock of Weatherford, also ex-County Clerk of Parker county, was born in Neshoba county, Mississippi, October 18, 1859. His ancestors were New England people during the pioneer history of our country, and in drifting about in search of new homes some of them came South through Virginia to South Carolina, and there T. D. Wythe, our subject's father, was born in 1810. In his youth he went to Mississippi and engaged in overseeing until he came to Texas. He was married in Neshoba county, Mississippi, to Miss Emily Brookshire, who died in Trinity county, Texas. Only three of their six children sur- vive, - Mrs. Matilda J. Fain and Mrs. Emily H. Roberts, besides the subject of this
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sketch, -all of Parker county. Mr. Wythe came to Trinity county, Texas, and engaged in merchandising and farming on a large scale. After the late war he moved his family to Weatherford, and, although not an active business man, was interested in the firm of A. S. Fain & Company, and an owner of a farm near the town. His death occurred November 6, 1886. The paternal grandfather of our subject, T. A. Wythe, was probably a native of South Carolina, and is supposed to have been killed in the battle of New Orleans, as he was never afterward heard fromn. The maternal grand- father, - Brookshire, was a prominent planter of Mississippi. One of his sons, William, is a leading citizen and business man of Meridian, that State.
Thomas A. Wythe, the subject of this memoir, attended his first term of school under Colonel and ex-Congressman S. W. T. Lanham. After a few years in the vil- lage school he began work an a farm, to earn money to maintain him in college. He entered Add Ran College at Thorp Spring, a standard institution for higher education, and many successful men of Texas are indebted to it for those attributes of character which bring about such suc- cess. Mr. Wythe economized in every way to make his small stock of funds last until his graduation day, in 1883. He was im- mediately elected to a Professorship of mathematics, but resigned his position after one year. In the fall of 1884 he became a candidate for County Clerk, and was
elected to succeed Judge B. L. Richy, was re-elected in 1886, and conducted the affairs of the office in a most business-like manner. At the expiration of his term, in 1888, Mr. Wythe formed a partnership with I. B. Tay- lor, and engaged in preparing a set of ab- stracts for Parker county, but sold his in- vestment in 1890. He has since given his attention to real-estate investments and im- provement. He was partly instrumental in obtaining the W. M. W. & N. W. Railroad, having purchased the coal lands which form the present Rock Creek coal mines, which led to the building of this road, the pros- pect of hauling the coal being the induce- ment for building the same.
Mr. Wythe was married July 19, 1883, to Belle Oglesby, a daughter of L. W. Oglesby, of Plano, Collin county, Texas. Mrs. Wythe graduated at the Thorp Spring University the same year as her husband. They have five children, -- Thomas A., Mary- lou, Bessie, Louis and George. Mr. Wythe is a member of the First Christian Church of Weatherford.
AJOR J. J. JARVIS, one of the leading citizens of Tarrant county, was born in Surry county, North Carolina, April 30, 1831, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather, Daniel Jarvis, was born in New Jersey, of Irish parents. His grandmother, Nancy (Anderson) Jarvis, was also a native of that State. At the close of the Revolutionary war, in which
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Daniel Jarvis had taken an active part, he moved to Surry county, North Carolina, and engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis had the following children: John, James, Daniel, William, Stephen, and Nancy. The latter married Ambrose Jones, of North Car- olina. It is related of the wife of Daniel Jarvis that, being offered a pension as a re- ward for her husband's service in the Revo- lution, she replied that her husband had fought for love of his country, and she could not accept a pension. Her neighbor, Will- iam Burch, a battle-scarred veteran on crutches, replied: "I did not fight for money, but for my country, and I will use my crutch on the man who proposes to pen- sion ine." This stamp of patriotism pre- vailed in old Revolutionary times. Daniel Jarvis, father of our subject, continued to reside in Surry, his native county, many years. He was there married to Lydia, a daughter of James and Lydia (Bramlett) Jones. Their children are: Clementine, widow of William Robertson, and resides in Fort Worth; Elizabeth, deceased in 1858, was the wife of Elias Riley, of Carlinville, Illinois; Mary, wife of George N. Richards, of Warrensburg, Missouri; and James J., the subject of this sketch.
The latter was reared on a farm, and early cultivated a taste for literature. When a boy he decided to study law, and never relaxed this purpose amid the many phases of his life's work. He acquired a fair Eng- lish education in his native State, and emi- grated with his parents to Tennessee, but
three years afterward they located at Ur- bana, Illinois, where, at the age of twenty years, young Jarvis began reading law with Judge W. D. Somers, an able and promi- nent lawyer of that city. The law school to which he ascribes his legal education is the office of the clerk and master, T. R. Webber, in which he copied papers and drafted decrees for three years. These were among the best and strongest mental im- pressions of his life, and remained with him throughout his long career as a lawyer. Mr. Jarvis was admitted to the bar by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1855. In 1857 he moved to Quitman, Wood county, Texas, purchased the Quitman Herald, published the same two years, and was his own editor, printer and devil. As an editor he was brilliant, firm and fearless. His well-dipped pen won for him the applause of admiring friends. Adjudicated by the attics of jour- nalism, he struck with vim the offenders of public policy. For two years he dictated to the public through the medium of the press, after which he took a short vacation, and returned with ardor to his first love, the law.
When the war between the States burst upon the country Mr. Jarvis enlisted as a private in Company A, Tenth Texas Cav- alry, and at the organization of the regi- ment was appointed Sergeant Major and subsequently Adjutant, which position he held while he remained in service. He par- ticipated in the battles of Farmington, Rich- mond, Murfreesborough, Jackson, and other
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minor engagements near Big Black river, in the vicinity of Vicksburg. Sickness pre- vented his remaining in service until the close of the war, and he returned home in 1864. He was a brave, gallant and com- manding officer. He was opposed to seces- sion, but when Texas withdrew from the Union he felt it his duty to go with her, and enlisted in the first company from his county for service under the stars and bars.
Before Major Jarvis had recovered from the illness which compelled him to abandon military service, he was elected Judge of Wood county, receiving all the votes of the county excepting eleven. He held that of- fice until appointed by Governor A. J. Ham- ilton Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District, composed of five counties. This appoint- ment, at a time when confusion was to be transformed into order, necessitated onerous duties for Major Jarvis, but faithfully and well did he serve his district for two years. In 1872 he came to Tarrant county, and soon after became associated with Messrs. Smith & Hendricks. The firm of Smith, Jarvis & Hendricks was of short duration, however, Mr. Hendricks dying in about two months, after which the firm of Smith & Jarvis became a prominent and historic one, and was, with the addition of Mr. Jennings, styled Smith, Jarvis & Jennings. Their first office was a small frame building on the present site of the Fort Worth National Bank. Their practice reached beyond the confines of Tarrant county, and clients from Parker, Wise, Hood, Clay, Montague and
Denton counties sought their counsel. They also practiced in the Federal courts. Major Jarvis is a prominent real-estate owner in Fort Worth, and also has land in surround- ing counties. He is a Democrat in his po- litical views, as was his father, and in 1886 was elected to the State Senate, serving four years. He was a leading man in that body and did much important work. He retired from law practice in 1889, and is now President of the Board of Trustees of Add Ran Christian University, of Thorp Spring, to which he gave $10,000. Major Jarvis is a man of sterling worth and strict integrity, and cannot be swerved from the performance of duty. He possesses great power as a lawyer, is zealous in his client's interests, and as a criminal lawyer he has few superiors. In all the relations of life he is regarded by those who know him as one of the State's best men.
June 26, 1866, at Marshall, Harrison county, Major Jarvis was united in marriage with Ida C., youngest daughter of Isaac and Frances C. VanZandt. Mrs. Jarvis was born in Washington, District of Columbia, May 20, 1844, while her father was minister from the Republic of Texas to the United States. She was partially educated at Franklin, Tennessee, but graduated at the Masonic Institute at Marshall, Texas. She is a superior woman, of fine culture and ac- complishments, and of excellent literary tastes. Isaac VanZandt was an eminent lawyer, was one of the framers of the con- stitution of Texas in 1845, was a member of
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the Texas Congress, and assisted in nego- tiating the treaty for the annexation of Texas to the United States while serving as minister. He was a candidate for Governor of this State in 1847, but died at Houston while making his canvass. His wife, née Fanny Cook Lipscomb, was born in Louisa county, Virginia. Their children, besides Mrs. Jarvis, are: Major K. M., Dr. J. L., Mrs. L. V. Clough and Mrs. Dr. Elias J. Beall, -all of Fort Worth. Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis have had four children, viz .: Van- Zandt, born March 21, 1873; Mattie Beall, born March 19, 1875, died February 22, 1877; Lennie, born January 20, 1877; Fan- nie Cook, born December 5, 1878; J. J., Jr .; Mary and Daniel B. Major and Mrs. Jarvis are devoted and consistent mem- bers of the Christian Church, and are noted for their liberality and piety.
J UDGE B. L. RICHY, one of the most universally known and highly esteemed citizens of Parker county, was born November 11, 1832. His grand- father, Daniel Richy, was a Pennsylvania German, who moved to Kentucky in a very early day. His brother was at one time editor of the Congressional Record. Daniel Richy married a North Carolina lady, and one of their sons, William Richy, was the father of our subject. William was a car- penter by occupation, and taught his trade to all his sons. He was born in Kentucky, but moved to Greene county, Indiana, in
1818, and in 1846 came to Texas, crossing Red river at Colbert's Ferry July 4, of that year. His wife fwas formerly Nellie Ram- sower, who died at Paris, Texas, in 1851, leaving the following children: William L., deceased at Mineral Wells in 1892; Jane, now Mrs. Hines; Mrs. A. H. Brawley, of Brown county; B. L., the subject of this sketch; and - A. J., of Paris, Texas. The father died in the latter city in 1886, aged eighty-six years.
B. L. Richy received about six months undisturbed schooling during his boyhood. He is one of the oldest settlers of Parker county, John and William Moody, H. S. Sisk and a few others being here when he came. Our subject came to the county September 19, 1856, and found a small vil- lage where the pretty city of Weatherford now stands, then containing about six fami- lies. They were as follows: John H. Prince, whose family is almost extinct, Mrs. Carson being the only one left; D). O. Norton, whose family are also deceased except the youngest children; Robert and Mrs. Van Pelt, Joshua Barker, Mahala Hart, James Murphy and J. W. Johnson, the last three families being now entirely gone. The
town site was covered with a thicket of scrub oak, but the public square was soon grubbed by Mr. Sisk, father of ex-Sheriff Sisk, who laid his land certificate on the en- tire town site, and had it surveyed by Lew- ellen Murphy, the first surveyor in the county. Berry Pistole owned a small gro- cery, and could be called the first merchant
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of Weatherford, but as his stock of goods and his household furniture were under the same roof and his time was divided between the store and various other occupations, it is necessary to mention William Beckwith as the first merchant of the city. The first Postmaster was James Beeman, commis- sioned by James Buchanan.
Judge Richy served as Deputy Postmas- ter from 1861 to 1862. He has erected many of the first houses of Weatherford, among them being the first frame dwelling, the first temporary courthouse, and the first permanent courthouse was also completed by him. It was built in 1858-9, was of brick, and James R. Campbell was the con- tractor of mason work. During the erec- tion of a new courthouse in 1876, at a cost of $21,000, our subject was serving as Coun- ty Judge. When the last and present fine county building was erected in 1888, Mr. Richy was again County Judge. In the general election of 1860 he was made Coun- ty Treasurer of Parker county, but resigned that position to serve in the Confederate army. He was mustered into service March 31, 1862, in Company E, Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, Colonel Burford's regiment, Par- son's brigade, and served in the Trans-Missis- sippi Department. Mr. Richy was made First Lieutenant of his company. He served in General Price's command to Cape Girardeau, was in a fourteen days' raid of continuous fighting in Arkansas, terminat- ing near Helena; next went to Vicksburg, but could not get to the relief of Pemberton 11
before he was forced to surrender; fought several engagements at Milliken's Bend, Lake Providence and De Soto's Mound; and after taking part in Banks' raid returned to east Texas, and was soon afterward dis- charged at Navasota.
Judge Richy was elected District Clerk in 1866, but was removed during the follow- ing year by General Reynolds, as a menace to reconstruction. In 1876 he was elected County Judge, and refused a re-election. In 1882 the Commissioners' Court appoint- ed him County Treasurer in the place of J. E. Britton, deceased; in 1884 was appoint- ed to fill the unexpired term of County Clerk Batton, deceased; in 1884 was elect- ed County Judge. In 1886 he was elected County Tax Collector, his term of office ex- piring in 1888, since which time he has de- voted himself to light farming and looking after his affairs generally.
Judge Richy was married in 1854, to Miss Adaline, a daughter of Joseph Little, of Tennessee. They have two daughters,- Mrs. Fannie Jordon, `and her children are Barney and Clara; and Mrs. Lulu Black- well. The latter also has two children, Percey Allen and Terrell.
3 OHN T. MONTGOMERY, the capa- ble and popular City Secretary of Fort Worth, was born in Anderson county, Kentucky, November 27, 1850. His father, Thomas Montgomery, was born in Lincoln county, Kentucky, and is a descend-
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ant of the Montgomery family who went to Kentucky with Daniel Boone. Thomas B. Montgomery was a member of the State Legislature and afterward of Congress. They were also related to the family of Governor Bell. The father of our subject was a prom- inent slave owner, and was a man of the most undoubted integrity. His death occurred in his native State in 1889. His father was a native of Virginia. The mother of our sub- ject, née Rebecca Derr, was a daughter of a German immigrant, who located in Mercer county, Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Montgomery had six children, three now living,-John T., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Eliza Thacker, and Clayton.
John T. Montgomery was obliged to seek employment out in the world in early life, independent of paternal guidance. He was appointed to a deputyship in the Circuit Court Clerk's office, which he filled most acceptably for many years. He was next employed as bookkeeper for H. A. Hughes & Company, wholesale druggists of Louis- ville, Kentucky; spent the following two years as Deputy Assessor under J. A. Krack; in 1878 went to New York city and secured the position of traveling salesman for the Keep Manufacturing Company; and was next with the firm of I. Frank & Company, hav- ing been assigned Texas territory with other portions of the South. Mr. Montgomery soon afterward made his home in Fort Worth, and continued with that firm until 1890. In that year he embarked in the clothing business in this city, which he con-
tinued until the latter part of 1892, and was then appointed secretary of construction of the new Federal building. In 1891 he was elected Alderman from the Fourth Ward, and was re-elected by almost a unanimous vote, the opposing party receiving only fifty out of 504 votes. In 1893 Mr. Montgomery resigned that position to accept the office of City Secretary, to which office he was elect- ed by the council to fill out an unexpired term.
In 1870, in Kentucky, Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage with Miss Cichrane, and they had two children, -Annie and Ella. He was again married, in Tarrant county, in 1885, to Sallie Vaughan, a native of Clarksville, Tennessee. Their children are: Paul, James, Ruth and Maude. Politically Mr. Montgomery votes with the Democratic. party; and socially affiliates with the Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor and the Ancient Order of United Workmen; he is a Past Grand Chancellor in the order of Knights of Pythias.
R. TURNER, a pioneer of Park- er county, and the best known liveryman west of Fort Worth, was born in Christian county, Kentucky, December 8, 1836, but was reared on a farm in Ballard county, Kentucky. His father, J. B. Turner, was also a native of Kentucky, and a son of Robert Turner, of Lynchburg, Virginia. The latter emigrated to Kentucky during its early pioneer days. J. B. Turner
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came to Texas in 1856, and died in this county in 1870, aged sixty-two years. He married Miss Mary W. Young, a native of South Carolina, and they had nine children, six now living, viz .: Elizabeth, wife of Ed- ward Gholson, of McCracken county, Ken- tucky; Cynthianna, widow of William Stokes, and a resident of Wise county, Texas; Mary Ellen, widow of J. G. Smith, now a resident of Weatherford; W. R., our subject; and A. P., a prominent stockman of Hale county, Texas.
W. R. Turner, the subject of this sketch, came to Parker county, Texas, in July, 1858. He engaged in freighting in the manner common in those days, covering the territory between Houston, Jefferson, Shreve- port and Weatherford. He followed that occupation until the spring of 1861, when he enlisted in the Confederate service, in the Eighth Texas Infantry, Wall's brigade, Walker's division, Captain Tomlinson's company, E, was sent to Little Rock, Ar- kansas, and participated in Banks' raid. Mr. Turner enlisted as a private, but at the reorganization at Hempstead in 1862 he en- listed for three years, or during the war, and was elected First Lieutenant. After the close of Banks' campaign, the conflict was continued on Sabine river, against General Steele.
After the close of the war, Mr. Turner immediately returned to this county, with- out money or good clothes. For the fol- lowing three years he was employed by William Mosely to run cattle on the Clear
fork of the Brazos river. He next assisted in driving many thousand head of cattle to the Union Pacific Railroad at Abilene, Kan- sas, through a country over-run with hos- tile Indians. Since 1870 Mr. Turner has been engaged in the livery business in Weatherford. His first barn was a small frame building on the lot now occupied by his fine stone barn, 100x 150 feet, which was erected in 1886, but rebuilt in 1893. after its destruction by fire. For many years before the western country was visit- ed by railroads, Mr. Turner's teams did the greater portion of the commercial work, in which he made money rapidly, and is still a leader in the business. He is a director and was vice-president of the First National Bank of Weatherford.
In 1869, in Parker county, Mr. Turner was united in marriage with Miss E. C. Power, a daughter of J. C. Power, who came to Texas from Arkansas dur- ing the late war. Of their seven chil- dren, five are now living, namely : Kate, Robert, William, Eddie and Jesse. Mr. Turner is a member of the Masonic order, of the K. of H. and of the Tom Green Association of Confederate Veterans.
3 OHN WOODY, a farmer of Parker county, is a son of Samuel Woody, the first settler of this county. The latter was born in Roane county, Tennessee, in 1795, and remained there until 1848, en- gaged in farming and blacksmithing. He
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then started on his long westward journey to Texas. He was obliged to stop and re- plenish his purse on reaching Massac county, a point on the Illinois side of the Ohio river, and remained there two years. Mr. Woody resumed his journey in the spring of 1850, in company with Mat Tucker and family, who remained with him until his des- tination was reached. They embarked on board the boat at Paducah, Kentucky, went down the Mississippi river and up Red river to Shreveport, Louisiana, requiring six days to complete the trip, and drove across the wilds to Fort Worth, then a military post. Locating two miles north of this city, Mr. Woody made his first crop, and during the following year located at the mnouth of Ash creek, Tarrant county. ` A portion of the land in the eastern part of Parker county had been surveyed, but the Indians informed the new settlers that fine tracts existed fur- ther up the creek, which they explored, and had them surveyed by L. Murphy. W. T. Reynolds joined the settlement at the mouth of Ash creek, and by common consent occu- pied a portion of the fine valley on the north side of Ash creek, east of Samuel Woody's claim. The latter secured 320 acres, and probably built the first house in the county, a log cabin containing one room, a door and no windows. This rude structure accommodated his large family, and was frequently used as a tavern and a place of worship. The Western Hotel was known for many miles, and numerous stories are told of the hospitality of Samuel Woody,
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