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 54
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 54
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Dr. Haney was married at Jasper, Ala- bama, in the fall of 1883, to Cornelia, a daughter of Frank Garner, who resides in Mississippi. They have had two children, --- Mattie A. and Clyde (deceased).
R. WILLIAM B. MILLER, de- ceased, the pioneer druggist of Weatherford, is frequently refer- red to as the father of the town. He was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, July 21, 1819, a son of George P. Miller, a native of the same county, who died there aged fifty years. William secured a village school training, and at an early age began serving an apprenticeship in the drug business in his
native town. He subsequently went to Owingsville, Bath county, where he clerked in a general merchandize store for a brief period, and a fondness for the drug trade then led him to open a drug store in the same town, being the first store of the kind in Owingsville. Mr. Miller conducted his little establishment until the opening of the Mexican war, when he joined McKee's Sec- ond Kentucky United States Infantry, and went to the Rio Grande country. With
many others of his regiment he fell a victim to the ravages of malaria in that country, and was sent home after only three months' service. Regaining his health, Dr. Miller resumed charge of his drug store at Mount Sterling, Kentucky; from 1848 to 1860 was engaged in the same occupation at Shreve- port, Louisiana and in the latter year re- moved to a farm in Hopkins county, Texas. During the late war he was detailed to duty in the medical department of the Confeder- ate service, as Hospital Steward, and was stationed at Tyler, Texas, during the last years of the struggle. The Doctor was worth probably $40,000 at the opening of the war, but after settling his affairs in 1866 he had only $5,000 left. With that sum he came to Parker county, and engaged in the general merchandizing business with R. E. Bell, in accordance with arrangements pre- viously made. The Doctor's desire to re- turn to his old occupation terminated this partnership in a few years, and he opened a. small store on South Main street, in a frame building, which gave place in 1876 to his present commodious structure.
Dr. Miller was first married to a Miss Crooks, who died, and in 1864 he was united in marriage with Miss Kate Bell, a sister of R. E. Bell, and her death occurred in 1890, without issue. The Doctor has an only brother in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. Our subject organized the first Sunday-school in Weatherford after the late war, and all through life took a great interest in that class of work. He served on the Weather-
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ford School Board, and was instrumental in erecting the Central High School, and also served as a member of the City Council. He was made a Mason in 1846. His death oc- curred in Weatherford on July 4, 1894.
LMON ARMSTRONG, of Fort Worth, is a member of the Collins & Armstrong Company, the largest wholesale dealers in pianos and organs in the State of Texas. . He is prominent and active in both business and political circles, and it is fitting that some personal mention be made of him in this work.
Elmon Armstrong was born in Bell coun- ty, Texas, in November, 1865, son of Dr. A. M. and Mary (Grimes) Armstrong, and grandson of William Armstrong. The Armstrong family originated in Ireland, but for many generations they have been resi- dents of America. William Armstrong was a cousin of President Monroe. Dr. A. M. Armstrong was reared in Tennessee and long before the war with Mexico came to. Texas. He was a great Indian fighter. Finally he located in Bell county, where he practiced his profession for many years and whence he removed to Crawford, Texas, his present home. For some time he had charge of the hospital at Galveston. He is a prominent member of the State Medical Association and holds an official position in the Central Medical Association. Ever since the organization of the Republican party he has been one of its stanch
supporters. Indeed, he helped to or- ganize the party in this State. He was Chairman of the State Committee on Reso- lutions, and at this writing is a member of the State Executive Committee. His family is composed of five sons and three daugh- ters: Oscar, who is connected with a whole- sale music. firm in Dallas; Elmon, whose name appears above; Alexander, a druggist; Dee, auditor and superintendent of the Sugar Land Railroad Company; Thomas, at home and attending school; Nora, wife of W. D. Anderson, a merchant at Crawford, Texas; and Manie and Lola, at home.
Elmon Armstrong attended school until he was fourteen, and while his school days stopped at that time his studies were not discontinued. Indeed, he has been a student all his life, and few there are who' are better posted on the topics of the day than he. His early life was spent in farm work. In 1885 he and Mr. Warren Collins established their present business, beginning with a small cash capital which they had saved of their earnings while working for others. Both being young men of marked ability and perseverving energy, their enter- prise prospered from the start, and in 1890 they incorporated as a company, with a capital of $100,000. This amount was afterward increased to $140,000. Mr. Armstrong is also connected with the F. H. Collins Company, dealers in bicycles and artists' supplies, of which he is president, and he is a director in the American National Bank.
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His father being interested in politics, . Mr. Armstrong also began in early life to take an interest in political matters, and long before he was a voter he made a few politi- cal speeches. Although an ardent Republi- can, he differs from his Republican friends as to methods of managing the party in Texas. He is strongly opposed to the party being controlled by the ignorant and irre- sponsible colored element. He favors the rights of all legal voters to cast the ballot, and believes that the colored voters should not monopolize everything to the exclusion of the white men who made them free citi- zens. This difference caused him for a time to abstain from taking active part in politics. In 1889, however, he took an active interest in the county convention, and in 1893 he was chosen Chairman of the Republican Executive Committee of Tarrant county. That same year the State Executive Com- mittee convened at Fort Worth, and this committee requested Mr. Armstrong to ap- pear before it and expound his position on matters at issue in the party, which he did.
Mr. Armstrong was married in Novem- ber, 1889, to Jennie, daughter of Charles Stewart. Her father had come to Texas from England a number of years ago. Their happy married life was of short duration, her untimely death occurring in 1893. She was a member of the Cumberland Presby- terian Church, and was a woman of many estimable qualities.
While Mr. Armstrong is prominent in business and political circles, he is no less
active in religious and benevolent work. He helped to organize the Y. M. C. A., of Fort Worth, is a director of the association, and has given much of his time and money to it. He also contributed largely to the Benevo- lent Home of this city.
EORGE N. PICKARD, Weather- ford, Texas, has for over three dec- ades been a resident of Texas, and, as one of Parker county's representative men, is entitled to personal mention here. George N. Pickard was born in Tennes- see, February 12, 1833, and was reared to farm life, his education being limited to that of the common schools. During his early life he was for some time employed as clerk. It was in 1860 that he landed in Texas, and his first stop here was at Paris, where he remained six months. In April, 1861, he enlisted in the State service, was on guard duty two months, and at the end of that time entered the Confederate service. He was in the army until the close of the war, was on the frontier most of the time, and participated in numerous engagements. He was at the siege of Mansfield, was at Yellow Bayou, and was on the Banks raid. At the time the army disbanded, about the first of June, 1865, he was in Navarro county, Texas. From there he came to Parker county, and here he has resided ever since.
Mr. Pickard's father, A. L. Pickard, was a native of North Carolina, and was a famrer by occupation. He came to Texas
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in 1856, and first located in Lamar county. The following year he came to Parker county, where his death occurred November 9, 1866, at the age of sixty-one years. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Craig, was a daughter of Johnson Craig, who removed from his native State, North Carolina, to Tennessee at an early day. A. L. Pickard and wife had a family, as follows: Eliza A., James W., George N., W. S., Charles E., Thomas J., S. C., and Alexander J. Alexander J. died August 2, 1888, and with this exception all the fam- ily are still living.
George N. Pickard was married in 1868 to Miss Eliza J. Brown, daughter of F. C. and Harriet (Vincent) Brown. Her parents came from Tennessee to Texas in 1852, and their first settlement was in Cherokee county. A wind storin destroyed their house at that place, and was the cause of their moving to Collin county, and from there, in 1855, they came to Parker county. In 1859 they removed to Palo Pinto county; but on account of Indians at that place they returned to Parker county, and here they settled down on a farm. In 1862 Mr. Brown entered the Confederate service, sup- posing he had left his family in a place of safety. The Indians, taking advantage of the absence of the most of the men, made frequent raids upon the unprotected settlers and caused them great trouble by killing and stealing their stock, and by even taking the lives of the settlers themselves. At one time, on the 10th of August, 1863, to be ex-
act, a band of ten Indians appeared at the home of Mrs. Brown, who was alone with her eight children. They shot her eight times with arrows and also wounded some of the children. One of the daughters died from the effect of wounds. The same band of Indians killed two boys of another family that same day. Although the neighborhood was aroused and a party started in pursuit of the Indians, the latter made their escape. Until after the close of the war the red men were more or less troublesome. The news was conveyed to Mr. Brown in the army, and as he could not get a leave of absence, he camne to his family without it. The names of the Brown children are Sarah A., Martha, Eliza J., Margaret E., Joseph S., Moie, Virginia S. T., and Tennessee P. Sarah A. was the one who died from the effects of the wounds received from the In- dians. Margaret E. was captured by the In- dians and escaped.
A record of Mr. and Mrs. Pickard's chil- dren is herewith given: Margaret E., wife of John Baker; James K .; Samuel E., who accidentally wounded himself with a knife, died from the effect of said wound July 9, 1892; and George N., Robert F., William M., Elvin B., Alpha L., Joseph S., Ben- jamin A., Virgil L., Ethel V., Arlie, John, and Porter L. With the exception given, all are still living. .
Mr. and Mrs. Pickard have long been members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and are highly esteemed residents of their community.
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6 R. BAILEY, of Parker county, Texas, has been identified with this county since 1872, and is ranked with its wealthy and influential farmers. For a few years after he settled here he lived on rented land. Then he purchased property and from time to time added to it until he now has a fine farm of 400 acres, 130 of which are under a high state of cultivation, devoted to a diversity of crops. He also raises some stock.
Mr. Bailey was the sixth born in the family of ten children of Benjamin H. and Malinda (Bailey) Bailey, natives of North Carolina, who removed from there to Georgia at an early day. His father died in Georgia in 1856. He was of English de- scent. Following are the names of Mr. Bailey's brothers and sisters: James; Mary, wife of D. J. Morrow; Joseph A .; Sarah, wife of Henry Morrow; B. H .; William J .; Z. W .; Mack B., who came to Texas with our subject and still lives with him; and Millard W.
B. R. Bailey resided with his parents until their death, after which he made his home for some time with a relative. In July, 1861, he entered the Confeder- ate service and became. a member of the Twenty-first Georgia Infantry, under Col- onel Mercer. He participated in many of the principal engagements in Virginia. At Strawsburg, September 19, 1864, he was taken prisoner and was carried to Point Lookout, Maryland, where he was confined for six months, at the end of which 12
time he was exchanged, and saw no more service. During all his army life, although he was often in the thickest of the fight, he never received a wound. At the close of the war he returned home, and was engaged in farming in Georgia until 1872, when, as above stated, he removed to Texas.
In December, 1865, Mr. Bailey married Miss Harriet E. Thedford, a daughter of John H. Thedford. Her father was born in South Carolina and died in Georgia. As the years rolled by sons and daughters came to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, nine in all, a record of whom is as follows: William A .; Deborah, wife of Grundy Crow; Lelah, wife of George Vaughan; Lilla, who died in 1886; Adam Q ; Callie; Robert B .; Benjamin H .; and Emma.
Politically Mr. Bailey is a Populist. He takes an active interest in public affairs, but has never aspired to official position. Both he and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
Such is a brief sketch of the life of one of Parker county's valued citizens.
a APTAIN DAVID YEARY, of An- neta, Texas, is one of the prosper- ous and highly esteemed farmers of Parker county.
He was born in western Tennessee, September 19, 1824, and was reared to farm life, receiving only limited educational advantages, and remaining with his parents
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until he reached his majority. When he was fourteen years old the family removed to Arkansas, and from there in 1839 came to Texas, locating first in Lamar county, and a year later removing to a place near Bonham in Fannin county. David remain- ed in Fannin county, engaged in farming, until 1855, when he moved to 'Goliad coun- ty. There he purchased land and farmed the same until 1859. That year he came to Parker county. Here he bought 320 acres of raw land, the saine on which he now lives, this tract being located on Clear Fork of Trinity river. All the improvements on this farm have been placed here by him. At first he gave the greater part of his attention to the handling of cattle and horses.
For a few years before the war Mr. Yeary and his brother-in-law carried on merchandizing at Weatherford. In 1862 Mr. Yeary entered the State service, was commissioned as Captain, and was on duty in Texas until the war closed, guarding against the Indians, looking up deserters, scouting, etc. From 1863 till 1866 the Indians were hostile in various parts of the State, and several years before that time they were even worse. When Mr. Yeary was a boy in Fannin county he frequently went out with the men on Indian raids, and on one occasion was in battle with the red men. The Indians at one time attacked his father's house and wounded both his father and mother. His father was pierced with two arrows and his mother with four. Both recovered. Those were exciting times.
These brave pioneers ever held themselves in readiness for a surprise, and many were the dangers, both seen and unseen, through which they passed.
Mr. Yeary was the fourth born of a family of eight children of John and Mary (Chinault) Yeary, natives of Tennessee, and of Irish descent. John Yeary was captain of a command that helped to move the Indians from Georgia and Florida to their reservation west of the Mississippi. He was a prominent planter and a slaveholder. The names of their eight children are as fol- lows: Walter, deceased; Melvina, wife of Martin Hawick; David; James M., deceased; Cassie, wife of King Bailey, is deceased; Amanda, wife of Jefferson Reagan; John; and Elizabeth, deceased, wife of Dr. Hen- drix.
The subject of our sketch was married in 1845 to Miss Nahala J. Kiser, daughter of Parson J. K. Kiser, a native of Tennes- see, who died in Kaufman county, Texas. He was a minister of the Christian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Yeary are the parents of fourteen children, two of whom died when young. The others are: John, who died in 1891, leaving a widow and six children; James, whose whereabouts are unknown; Walter, married, and a resident of Parker county; Wade, of this county, married a Miss Fife; Thomas, at home (single); Cor- delia J., wife of E. Pipkin, Weatherford; Cassie, widow of A. S. Froman; Lucinda, deceased wife of D. Kile; Polly, wife of Mart Carr, of Parker county; Virginia,
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wife of M. Price; Elizabeth, wife of C. Williams, of Parker county; and David, Jr., who married a Miss Black.
Mr. Yeary has always taken a commend- able interest in public affairs and has affili- ated with the Democratic party. He has not, however, aspired to official position, and the only offices he has filled have been those of Justice of the Peace, County Com- missioner and Assessor. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
ILLIAM CHEW, who resides on his farm one mile from Anneta, Parker county, Texas, was born in Georgia, November 12, 1825.
His parents, John and Ann S. (Mum- ford) Chew, were natives of Virginia and New Jersey respectively. John Chew kept a hotel in Greensborough, Georgia, for many years and was prominently known throughout the State as a genial landlord. He passed his life and died in that town. Grandfather Chew lived and died in Loudou county, Virginia, and throughout that coun- try there were many families of Chews. During the Revolutionary war there was a battle fought at the house of one of the Chews. The Mumford family was of Swiss origin, and many of them were among the prominent settlers of New Jersey. John Chew and his wife had a family as follows: Margarette A., wife of James Willis; Mary L., wife of T. Grout; John P. H .; Eliza-
beth Jacobs, wife of William Morrison; Robert M .; Adeline, who died when young; William, whose name heads this sketch; Caroline V., who married W. G. Mobley; Thomas J .; and John T. H., who went to California during the gold excitement of that State, has not been heard from for many years.
The subject of our sketch was reared in the town in which his father kept hotel, and previous to the war was variously em- ployed, -farmed, worked at the carpenter's trade, clerked, traded, and always made a good living for himself and family, he hav- ing married in 1854. During the war he was detailed to make salt on the sea coast of Georgia, and was thus occupied until the war closed.
In 1871 Mr. Chew moved to Texas and rented land in Hill county, where he lived one season. He then came to his present location, one mile from Anneta, where he is still engaged in farming, now having seventy- five acres under cultivation. Some of it he rents, and with the aid of hired help he culti- vates the rest himself. His crops are prin- cipally corn and cotton.
Mrs. Chew was before her marriage Miss Fannie E. Miller. She is a daughter of William R. and Elizabeth (Sanders) Miller, of Georgia, and of whom but little is known, more than that their family was composed of four children, viz .: James T., Mrs. Chew, William H. and Charles A. Charles A. came to Texas and mysteriously disappeared. Mr. and Mrs. Chew have had six children,
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whose names are as follows: Annie E., who died at the age of fourteen years; Rob- ert S., a merchant of Anneta; William A .; George H., who died at the age of fourteen years; Calotta; and Helen.
Mr. Chew takes no leading part in po- litical matters. He was reared a Whig and since the war has been a Democrat.
J T. NICHOLS, a prosperous farmer of Mansfield, Tarrant county, was born in Maryland, November 21, 1832, a son of George and Mary A. (Beavans) Nichols, natives also of Mary- land. The father was a tailor by trade, and was also Postmaster and toll-gate keeper at Ridgeville, Frederick county, Maryland. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Walter Beavans, was a native of Pennsylvania, a farmer by occupation, and his death occurred in Maryland. George Nichols and wife had seven children, namely: George, deceased; J. T., subject of this sketch; Ann R., deceased, was the wife of O. Burall; Thomas F. E., a miller by occu- pation, located in Dallas county, Texas, in 1858, entered the army as First Lieutenant, and died from the effects of a wound received at the battle of Mansfield, Louisiana; and Frances and Sadonia, deceased when young. George Nichols died in 1842, and ten days afterward his wife departed this life, leaving the family to be raised by relatives.
J. T. Nichols was raised by his grand- father Beavans and an uncle, who taught
him the milling business. He spent his boy- hood days on a farm, and at the age of eighteen years began work at his trade. In 1860 he began the journey to Texas, stop- ping a short time in Kansas, where he pur- chased a team and came to Dallas county, this State. He took charge of a mill, and remained there until 1863, when he located in this city. On account of being a miller, Mr. Nichols was exempted from service in the late war, and after locating in this city spent one year as a miller in the Govern- ment service, and from that time until the close of the struggle was detailed to gather cattle for the Confederacy. He then pur- chased a small farm, and in addition to agricultural pursuits, followed freighting. In 1869 he bought 305 acres of timber land, 200 acres of which is now under a fine state of cultivation, and he also gives special at- tention to the raising of good horses.
Mr. Nichols was first married in Vir- ginia, to Miss Martha E. Riley, a daughter of Hiram Riley, who conducted a woolen factory in Virginia, but afterward became a farmer of Kansas, and his death occurred in the latter State. To this union were born seven sons, viz. : Charles E., now in Pecos valley, engineering for an irrigating company; George R., a farmer of Tarrant county; Theodore E., of Mansfield; Thomas A., a druggist of this city; John C., a fariner of Tarrant county; and Willie H. and B. M., at home. The wife and mother died Sep- tember 19, 1876, having been a consistent inember of the Presbyterian Church. In
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1888 Mr. Nichols married Mrs. Elizabeth J. Nichols, a daughter of Mr. Spain, who moved from Illinois to Texas, where he followed farming in Dallas county, and his death occurred in this State. She had one child by her former marriage, D. A. Nichols, who was raised by our subject. To this union were born two children, -Walter B. and Claude S., at home. Mrs. Nichols de- parted this life December 7, 1888, having also been a member of the Presbyterian Church. In the following year Mr. Nichols was united in marriage with Mrs. Susan C. Pryor, a daughter of a Mr. Myrick, Lin- coln county, Tennessee. She died Decem- ber 24, 1893. Mr. Nichols is a member of the Presbyterian Church, as was also his last wife. He has served as Secretary and Treasurer of the Masonic lodge a number of years, was President and County Treas- urer of the Alliance eight years, and in 1886 was elected by the Populist party as County Commissioner, serving in that position two years.
OWELL M. HUDSON, better known as "Bud" Hudson, is a prosperous farmer and prominent citizen of Tarrant county, residing near Ren- don.
He was born in Shelby county, Texas, January 8, 1844, and was reared to farm life, receiving a common-shool education only. Some time after his father's death, which event occurred in 1853, his mother
married again, and in 1860 the family re- moved from Shelby to Tarrant county. When the great war between the North and the South broke out, he tendered his services to the Confederate cause, going out in 1862 as a member of the Fifteenth Texas Cavalry, under Colonel George H. Sweet, and remaining in the Trans-Mississippi De- partment until the close of the war. He was in numerous skirmishes and battles, but was never wounded or captured. A part of the time he served as courier. He had been sent with provisions to Tyler, Texas, and was there at the time of Lee's surrender, returning home from that place.
After his marriage in 1869, Mr. Hudson rented land and settled down to farming in Tarrant county. Two years later he moved to northern Arkansas, where he made his home for three years, returning at the end . of that time to Tarrant county. Here he bought and sold some land, and in 1877 purchased his present farm, 100 acres, then all unimproved. He now has eighty-five acres of it under cultivation, cotton and corn being his chief products. He also raises some stock, and makes his own pork and lard.
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