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 72
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 72
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In April, 1863, Mr. Hutchins was united in marriage with Miss Lydia A. Forrester, a native of Mississippi and a daughter of Isaac Forrester, a native of Tennessee. He moved from that State to Mississippi, and afterward to Arkansas, where he subse- quently died. Our subject and wife have had eight children, namely: Thomas, of Wise county; Judge H., at home; Park E., who died September 26, 1894, aged nine- teen years; Harvey, at home; Luther, de- ceased September 10, 1891, at the age of ten years; and three who died in infancy. Mr. Hutchins is a member of the Presbyte- rian Church, and his wife is a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. He is a stanch Democrat but does not aspire to pub- lic preferment.
M. BRANTLY, an accomplished and successful attorney of Tarrant county, residing at Fort Worth, was born in Coweta county, Georgia, in
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October, 1853. In his youth his father, F. M. Brantly, Sr., moved to Marion county, same State, and still later changed his residence to Meriwether county, in that State.
Mr: Brantly obtained his elementary education in Senoia, in his native county, finishing his school days with a year's attend- ance at the high school there. Being fond of books he read much, and, as might be ex- pected, selected a profession for his life oc- cupation. He read law under the guidance of Major W. H. Hulsey, at Atlanta, Geor- gia, and was admitted to the bar before Judge Buchanan in 1879. ' Before launch- ing out in practice he took some pains to find a suitable location, -such a point as would enable a beginner to receive such patronage as his capacity as an advocate would merit and where new clients were an every-day occurrence. After investigation he selected Fort Worth from among all the Texas towns in which to locate, and his selection has proven to be a wise choice.
At first awhile he was in partnership with H. B. Powell, but for some years past he has practiced alone. He has a remunera- tive business, chiefly commercial. From his earnings, he for a while invested in city realty during the healthy condition of the growth of Fort Worth, and, when convinced that the depression following the boom of 1890 was passing slowly but surely over, he sold out at a good profit, and he has since then remained shy of speculative investments.
In his views of national questions he is a Cleveland Democrat. He takes a hand in campaign work, but is barely more in- terested than becomes any citizen in favor of good government. In his religious connections he is an exemplary member of the Missionary Baptist Church; and to be exemplary requires both intelligence and a self-denying perseverance, unflinching in- tegrity in adversity and time of temptation as well as in times of prosperity; and all these traits are exhibited by Mr. Brantly.
He has a wife and a daughter. In No- vember, 1878, in Georgia, he married Miss Minnie Ligon, an orphan girl, whose father was from South Carolina; and their only child is Margie, born in 1880. This worthy family seems to have sprung originally from the Old North State during the Revolution. Mr. Brantly's grandparents were assassin- ated by their Tory neighbors, because they, the Brantlys, were avowedly opposed to the royal house. By the death of these parents three small children were thrown upon the mercy of the cold world. One of them, Edward L. Brantly, became a Baptist preacher, married a Miss Brown and moved into Georgia, and finally died at Milledge- ville, that State, aged nearly 100 years. His children were: Dr. F. M. Brantly, the father of the subject of the foregoing sketch; Riley, who, with his three sons, entered the Confederate army and were all killed at the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia; and two daughters, deceased.
Dr. F. M. Brantly was born in Milledge-
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ville, Georgia, in 1821, educated there and in New York city, and his whole life has been spent in and about Senoia, where he is now retired. He served the Confederacy as a consulting surgeon during the Civil war. He married Miss Margaret, a daughter of Judge Henry Collier, of Fulton county, Georgia, and they had the following named children: Dr. A. H., of Atlanta; J. R., a cotton merchant in the same city; C. G., a railroad contractor in Florida; F. M., Jr .; Sallie E. Sibley, a widow residing at Senoia; B. H., an orange grower in Florida; Lucy, now Mrs. Forth, of west Georgia; W. H., a merchant of Senoia; S. B., engaged in the orange business in Florida; and E. L., con- nected with a railroad at Memphis, Ten- nessee.
Mrs. Brantly is also a sincere and con- sistent member of the Baptist Church.
O W. ARMSTRONG, a farmer of Tarrant county, was born in Henry county, Kentucky, in January, 1848, eldest son of Jessie and Merniva (Ladd) Armstrong, natives of that State. The grandfather, William Armstrong, lived and died in Shelby county, Kentucky, was a prominent fariner and slave-owner, and also owned a small woolen-mill. He was a Union man during the late war, and two of his sons served in that struggle, -both sup- ported the Federal army. One (Bobert) was a Captain; the other (Joseph) was a Lieutenant. The eldest son (Jessie), the
father of O. W., although not a soldier, supported the Confederate cause.
The maternal grandfather, J. H. Ladd, supported the Confederacy. He resided on a farm, was a slave-owner; also a dealer in pork and tobacco. During the war he speculated in gold; he was very successful, financially.
Jessie Armstrong and wife had ten chil- dren, viz .: O. W., the subject of this sketch; Curtis, who was a railroad contractor, was killed in Mexico; John, a resident of Dallas, Texas; Julia, wife of Frank J. Smith, of Dallas; J. T., a stone-mason at Weather- ford, Texas; Annie and Mollie (twins), the former being the wife of T. Johnson, of McGregor, Texas, owner of a roller flouring mill; and the latter married James Hendrix, a merchant of Dallas; J. E., contractor and carpenter, of Weatherford, Texas; Sidney, grain-dealer and cotton-buyer at Plano, Texas; Carrie, the youngest, married Will- iam Horten and died about a year afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong reside at Plano, Texas, having retired from the farm; are stockholders in the Plano National Bank.
O. W. Armstrong spent his boyhood days on a farm, attended the common coun- try schools in winter and worked on the farm in the summer; took one course at Eminence College, after which he was clerk and book- keeper in a store at Louisville, owned by an uncle. In the fall of 1863, in company with a number of other boys, he went to George Jessie's camp, a recruiting officer, . went South and became a part of John Mor-
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gan's reorganized command. After Morgan was killed, at Greeneville, Tennessee, he was attached to Marshall's command. Mr. Armstrong participated in a number of skirmishes and minor engagements, but was never wounded or captured, and was sur- rendered or paroled. He then went to Oil City, Pennsylvania, engaged in flat-boating during summer. Returning home he worked on his father's farm until 1868.
During the fall of that year Mr. Arm- strong and two brothers, Curtis and John, came to Texas overland. His parents, with the remainder of the family, came later by water; all settled in Collin county. He then engaged in farming and teaming, removed to Parker county, taught school, worked at carpenter's trade in Fort Worth. Since 1874 he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits southwest of Fort Worth, in Tar- rant county. He now owns 561 acres of land, -all under fence; 175 acres in a fine state of cultivation, -- which contains a large two-story residence.
Mr. Armstrong was married in 1874 to Nancy J. Frankling, who was born in Hen- derson, Texas, in 1852, a daughter of R. L. and Nancy (Monteith) Frankling, natives, " respectively, of Alabama and Tennessee. Both came to this State in an early day, where they were married; and they located in Tarrant county in 1856. The father was engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. and Mrs. Frankling had nine children, viz .: Mary, Melissa, Aaron. Nancy, Jennie, Goodman, Moses, and Rosella. The father
enlisted in the Confederate army at the first call of his country, and was killed in a rail- road accident, at a Virginia point, Decem- ber 20, 1861. The mother survived un- til 1882.
Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have had eleven children: Willis C., Robert E., Mosses L., Eddie C., Orrin O., Lena M., Sidney R., Leslie S., Lilla W., and two deceased in in- fancy. Our subject and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
Mr. Armstrong was raised in the belief of Democracy, and is still a Jeffersonian- Jackson Democrat, but is opposed to Eastern (modern) Democracy, -the wing of the party now in power.
S. EVANS, a prominent pioneer and farmer of Tarrant county, was' born in Garrard county, Kentucky, September 12, 1843, a son of Jesse and Boena (Willis) Evans, natives also of that State. The mother died in 1859, but the father still survives, residing in Johnson county, Texas. They were the parents of nine children, viz .: Mary, widow of Hugh Guinn, and a resident of Tennessee; Lucin- da, of Johnson county, is the widow of Henry Toler; Rebecca, of Arizona, is the widow of Warren Douglas; John W., who was a soldier in the late war, resides in Denton county, Texas; Mark, who died while serving his country in the Civil war; E. S., the subject of this sketch; Margaret, deceased, was the wife of Ed. Higgins;
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Elizabeth married C. C. Dunwoody, a farmer of Tarrant county; and Eliza, wife of Julian Umbenour, of Fort Worth.
E. S. Evans, our subject, came with his parents to Texas in 1856, locating in John- son county, where he grew to manhood. In 1862 he entered the Confederate army with Griffin's battalion, which afterward con- solidated and went with Speight's regiment of infantry, Walker's division, Trans-Missis- sippi Department, into Louisiana and Texas, and continued until the close of the struggle. He participated in the battles of Galveston, Calcasieu and Sabine Pass, but was never wounded or captured. Mr. Evans was at Galveston at the time of the surrender, after which he returned home and farmed on his father's place until 1866. In that year he was married and located on a rented farm, and in 1871 came to his present place. His first purchase was 300 acres of partially im- proved land, which contained a house of clapboards. He now owns 440 acres, with 125 acres under cultivation, and 240 acres two miles west, also with 125 acres culti- vated, where he is engaged in general agri- cultural pursuits.
Mr. Evans was united in marriage with C. E. Dunwoody, a daughter of D. H. Dun- woody, a native of Tennessee, and now deceased. In 1856 he located in eastern Texas, but afterward removed to Johnson county. He served through the late war. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have had nine children, namely: Flora, wife of W. T. Clifford, a farmer of Callahan county; Lelia, wife of
N. I. Wilson, a farmer of Tarrant county; and Walter, John, Margaret, Angus, Effa, Enoch, and Lizzie, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Evans are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Evans was for- merly a Democrat, but now casts his vote with the Populists.
J AMES. I. WRIGHT, a successful farmer and dairyman, of Tarrant county, was born in Owen county, Kentucky, August 14, 1836, a son of Corne- lius and Sarah (Southard) Wright, natives also of that State. The father was a son of James Wright, a native of Virginia, but located in Kentucky in an early day, where he was a prominent farmer. Cornelius Wright served through the late war, and was also a prominent planter before that struggle. He is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Wright had ten children, viz .: James I., our subject ; John, of Indiana; Benjamin, de- ceased, was a soldier in the Civil war; Sarah, wife of John Jacobs, who was the son of William Jacobs, of Kentucky ; Nancy, de- ceased, was the wife of Mr. MacBaldwin ; Cornelius, of Indiana ; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Joe Hernden ; Joseph, deceased; and George, a resident of Kentucky. The mother died in 1891, having been a consist- ent member of the Baptist Church.
James I. Wright, the subject of this sketch, remained on the farm with his parents until twenty-two years of age, and during that time he also worked at lathing and plaster-
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ing. After his marriage, in 1858, he worked at his trade and farming on his own account until the opening of the late war, when, in 1862, he entered the Confederate army, Company F, Sixth Regiment of Mounted Infantry. He was consigned to the Army of Tennessee, was also in Virginia, took part in a number of battles and skirmishes, and was afterward transferred to General Morgan's command. He remained with that General until he started on his raid through Indiana and Olio, when Mr. Wright was left at Sparta, sick with the measles at a hospital. On recovering he went to Ab- ington, Virginia, next he went with the Gen- eral's baggage to Danville, that State, where he remained until the arrival of the general. Then he was sent to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined his command, which was then ordered to east Tennessee and to West Vir- ginia, thence to Mount Sterling, Lexington, Georgetown and Cynthiana, Kentucky. In a battle at the latter place he was cut off from the command and captured, and taken to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was held until the close of the war.
Mr. Wright then remained about that city and Greenfield four years, was then en- gaged in farming in Harrison county, Mis- souri, until 1873, and in that year came to Texas. He first engaged in the grocery business in Dallas county, but in 1875 pur- chased his present farm in Tarrant county, then unimproved land. He now owns 320 acres, 220 acres of which is under a fine state of cultivation, where he is extensively
engaged in general farming and dairying. Mr. Wright also owns a block and other property at Seymour, Baylor county.
Our subject was first married, in 1858, to Miss Evaline Sebra, who died in 1861, and her children are also deceased. In that year, as was requested by his first wife, he married Miss Melvina Giles, a daughter of Willian Giles, a farmer of Kentucky. To this union were born two children, -James W., engaged in the dairy business ; and Cornelius, a 'boiler maker and merchant of Fort Worth. This wife and mother died in 1869, and in the same year Mr. Wright was united in marriage with Lulu Mitchell. In 1873 he married Miss Julia McCasson, whose father was a native of Scotland. They had six children, -Janetta, Lee, Gilbert, George, John and Harvey. Mrs. Wright departed this life in 1884. In 1885 our subject mar- ried his present wife, formerly Miss Ada Drasdal, a daughter of John R. Drasdel, a farmer by occupation. To this union have been born two children, -Roy and Ruby. Mr. Wright takes an active interest in politi cal matters, and is a stanch Democrat. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
J OHN F. LONG, another one of the representative farmers of Parker county, Texas, dates his birth in North Carolina, August 14, 1829.
Mr. Long was reared on a farm and re- ceived only limited educational advantages.
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When he was about ten years of age he re- moved with his parents to Georgia, where he grew to manhood, and where, in 1850, he was married. The year following his marriage he came to Texas and located in Cherokee county, where he resided fourteen years. Then, in 1866, he sold out and came to his present location. Here he bought 233 acres of partially improved land, to which he has since added 160 acres, alto- gether making a fine farm. He has 120 acres under cultivation, devoted to a diver- sity of crops, and he has all these years pro- duced his own pork, lard, etc.
In 1862 Mr. Long enlisted in the Seven- teenth Texas Cavalry, and at first was with the forces that operated in Arkansas. At Arkansas Post he was captured, was taken to Petersburg, Virginia, and soon afterward was exchanged. About this time he was taken sick, and it was not until forty- three days later that he was able to start for his command. At Chattanooga he was transferred to Dalton, Georgia, and finally joined his command in Louisiana. At the time the war closed he was on duty in Texas. During his services he received no wounds of any importance, but suffered greatly from sickness. It was immediately after the war that he came to his present location.
Of Mr. Long's family we make record as follows: James Long, his father, was a native of North Carolina, and a son of John Long, who was born in Virginia of English parents. John Long was a veteran of the
Revolution. The mother of our subject was, before her marriage, Miss Sarah Whitesides. Her father, William Whitesides, of North Carolina, was wounded in the Revolutionary war, and after the war he learned the trade of shoemaker, which he followed the rest of his life. James Long and his family came to Texas in 185 1 and settled in Brown coun- ty, where he died in 1883. His family was composed of seven sons and one daughter, and all came to this State. They are as follows: Alford; John F .; William A .; James B .; George W., who died while a soldier in the war, at Chicago; Sarah E., deceased; Andrew B .; and Jacob W. The mother passed away in 1866.
John F. Long, as above stated, was married in Tennessee in 1850. Mrs. Long's maiden name was Miss Angeline Bell, and she, too, was a native of Tennessee. Her father removed to Texas, but subsequently returned to Tennessee, where he died about 1878. Mrs. Bell now resides with her son- in-law, Mr. Long. Following are the names of Mr. and Mrs. Long's children: William C., Martha A., Mary A., Wylie H., Andrew B., George W., Joseph E., Thomas J., John F., and Epsie M .; Martha A. and Mary A. were twins. The latter died at the age of nine years. Mrs. Long passed away Feb- ruary 6, 1892, at the age of sixty-two years. She was a life-long member of the Mission- ary Baptist Church, and her beautiful Chris- tian character was admired by all who knew her.
Mr. Long has been identified with the
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Missionary Baptist Church since he was a young man, and his political affiliations have always been with the Democratic party.
HOMAS J. PICKARD, a well-to-do farmer of Parker county, Texas, dates his birth in Tennessee, De- cember 21, 1838, he being a son of A. L. Pickard, further mention of whom is made in this work, in the sketch of G. N. Pickard.
He was reared on his father's farm, and in 1856 came with the rest of the family to Texas, their first location being near Paris, in Lamar county. After they had made one crop at that place they came to Parker county and settled on a partially improved tract of land on Spring creek. Here, with the aid of his sons, the elder Mr. Pickard developed a fine farm. One year before the opening of the Civil war the subject of our sketch left home and commenced doing for himself. In 1861 he enlisted in the State service and reported for duty at San An- tonio, he being a member of one of the first companies formed in this county. At San Antonio he was mustered in, was assigned to Colonel Ford's regiment, and was sent to Fort Clark for frontier service, where he re- mained eighteen months. He was then sent to Houston, then to Galveston and finally into Louisiana. On account of sickness he went home on a furlough in 1864, and never returned to join his command, instead of which he joined the State militia and scouted Indians until the conflict was over. When 22
the army was disbanded he returned home. Between 1863 and 1866 the Indians were very troublesome in this part of the country, frequently making attacks upon the unpro- tected settlers. Mr. Pickard was one of the first men who arrived at the home of Mr. Brown after Mrs. Brown had been massa- cred, as narrated in the biography of G. N. Pickard. He helped to take the arrows from the wounded children, and he also went out in the search for the children of Parson Hamilton. Two of the Hamilton children were found after they had met a horrible death at the hands of the Indians.
After the war Mr. Pickard returned home and was married the following year, and set- tled down to farming. He is, in every sense of the word, a self-made man. In 1870 he purchased 160 acres of the land where he now lives, and to this tract he has since added until it now comprises 550 acres, seventy acres of which are under cultiva- tion. He gives his chief attention to stock- raising. At the head of his stud he keeps a fine bay Clydesdale stallion and a good jack. He also owns a ranch of 1,000 acres in Palo Pinto county, where he has a well-graded herd of cattle.
Mr. Pickard has been married four times. He was first married to Miss Mary Black- well, a native of Bedford county, Tennessee, who came to Texas with her widowed mother and family, settling first in the eastern part of the State, and afterward coming to Parker county. She died in July, 1868, and her only child died in infancy. In April, 1869,
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Mr. Pickard married Miss Lucretia Boils, daughter of William Boils, a native of North Carolina, who came to Texas in 1854. They had nine children, three of whom died in infancy, the other six being as follows: William A., Thomas N., Charles Lee, Ida May, Mary L., Archie. The mother of this family died May 9, 1888, and December 21, 1888, Mr. Pickard wedded Miss Jennie Mc- Mekin, daughter of A. J. McMekin. Mr. McMekin was a native of Georgia, from that State moved to Kansas, and in 1885 came from Kansas to Parker county, Texas. This third marriage resulted in the birth of three children, -Lucy, Mary L. and Wallace, January 19, 1892, death again took from him a loving companion, and November 9, 1893, he married his present companion, Mrs. Ellen Pierce, widow of Jefferson Pierce. She had one child by her first husband. The present Mrs. Pickard's maiden name was Blake.
Mr. Pickard has always affiliated with the Democratic party, and has taken a com- mendable interest in public affairs, but he has never been an office-seeker.
J OSIAH A. BAKER, whose postoffice address is Centre Mill, Hood county, Texas, is ranked with the earliest pioneers of this part of the country and lias been a prominent factor in its development.
He was born in North Carolina, April 5, 1822, and was reared on his father's farm in
a settlement where there were many Chero- kee Indians, his educational advantages being very limited. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-three years of age. In 1845 he married and moved to Kentucky, and some years later went from there to Iowa, where he remained eighteen months, from which place he emigrated to Texas, landing here in 1854. Upon his ar- rival here he settled at the place where he now lives, took a homestead claim and developed the first farm in the neighborhood. This country was then a sea of grass. Wild game of all kinds abounded, and the Indians were all friendly. Parker county was not yet or- ganized, Dallas could boast of only one little grocery, and the only inhabitants of Fort Worth were a few .soldiers. The most of his milling Mr. Baker did with a steel mill at home. About once a year he went to a horse or ox inill in Dallas county, and he obtained his supplies from Houston and Gal- veston. At first he gave all his attention to the stock business. The Indians stole many of his horses, never, however, disturbing his cattle. He helped to organize the county, was a member of the committee that select- ed the location of the county seat, and helped to select the first county officers.
About 1860 a man by the name of Gar- lin came to the country, prospecting with a party of men, and in their drives came upon an Indian, who was employed by the Gov- ernment to carry mail to Fort Sill, passing through an Indian country. Garlin and his men killed the Indian and that was the cause
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of all the Indian troubles which followed. Bands of hostile Indians began roving over the country, stealing stock and committing other depredations, and from 1863 to 1866 they killed men, women and children, and took many children into captivity. At one time they carried off a boy named Wilson, and a girl, Anna Hulsey, and in the raid af- ter them Mr. Baker took part, recovering the children eighty miles away. He was also on numerous other raids, but was never in any battle with the Indians.
Mr. Baker's first claim was 160 acres, which he secured at fifty cents per acre. From time to time he acquired other tracts of land, here and in other places, and be- came a large land-holder. He has given considerable land to his children and still has 400 acres left at the home place, 150 acres of this being under cultivation. Formerly his crops were diversified, but of recent years his chief product has been cotton, now having about 100 acres in cotton. He has all his land rented. During the forty years he has resided here he has never failed to make a crop of some kind, and has always had plenty of home consumption.
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