History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families, Part 67

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 67
USA > Texas > Galveston County > Galveston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 67

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William L. Macatee is a product of Maryland, born in Harford county, thirty miles from Baltimore and four miles from the Pennsylvania line, May 14, 1827. For inany years he has been a resident of Hous- ton, Texas, and although now approaching

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the average limit of man's age, three score years and ten, he has the satisfaction of knowing that he is not only blessed with a fair share of this world's goods, but that he is enviably rich in the esteem of a host of citizens. His parents, Ignatius G. and Te- resa (Butler) Macatee, also were natives of Harford county, Maryland, where the father followed agricultural pursuits all his life, dying in 1875, when seventy-five years of age, having been born in 1800. He was an excellent citizen and one whose character was above reproach. His father, Henry Macatee, was also born in the State of Mary- land, and was a Revolutionary soldier, being Captain of a company. The mother of our subject died in Harford county, in 1831, when our subject was but four years of age. Her father was Clement Butler. Of the three children born to this estimable couple, our subject was second in order of birth. The other two were Henry and Teresa. After the death of our subject's mother, the father was inarried again, this time to Miss Margaret Johnson, who bore him six chil- dren, as follows: Josiah, Samuel, Ignatius G., George, Charles Augustus, and Ann Maria.

The incidents in the early life of our subject were not materially different from those of other boys living on farms. He was taught to work at anything necessary for him to do, and to make himself useful around the home place. In common with other boys, young Macatee attended school winters, and in summer assisted his father on the farm, in this manner securing a fair common-school education. Until twenty- one years of age he remained under the parental roof, and then went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was einployed as clerk in a clothing store for about two years.

There he laid the foundation for his subse- quent prosperous career. From that place he went to New Orleans, and after filling the position of clerk in a dry-goods store for some time, he went to Shreveport, Louis- iana, where he clerked in a store for some time. Here he had the yellow-fever, in 1853, and after recovering sufficiently from this dreadful disease, he returned to the old homestead to rest and recover his accustomed health and strength. About four months later he went to New Orleans, and for some time clerked for D. H. Holmes. Leaving that city, he came to the flourishing city of Houston, Texas, in 1855, but only remained here a short time, when he went to Rich- mond, Texas, and engaged in the hotel business. This enterprise not proving very profitable, he returned to Houston, in 1857, and secured employment as bookkeeper and salesman for T. W. Whitmarsh, who was in the cotton commission business. The duties of this position he discharged in a very sat- isfactory manner until 1860, when, in com- pany with I. C. Stafford and E. B. H. Schneider, associate clerks, he bought Mr. Whitmarsh's interest and forined the firm of Macatee, Stafford & Company .. When the war broke out Mr. Stafford and Mr. Schnei- der each raised a company for service in the Confederate army, -and this left the inter- est of the firmn to be looked after by Mr. Macatee. This he did until the unsettled condition of the country necessitated the closing of the establishment.

After the war he and E. B. H. Schnei- der and T. W. Whitmarsh formed a part- nership in the same business, cotton com- mission, but at the end of one year Mr. Schneider retired, and Mr. Macatee and Mr. Whitmarsh continued the business until 1870, when the former purchased Mr. Whit-

IRDavil

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marsh's interest, and has continued thie business alone up to the present. He does a cotton and general commission business, and also imports Portland and Rosendale cement, lime, plaster and fire-brick. His place of business is located at the corner of Washington and Fifth streets, and he is not only endowed with all the qualities which make a man a social favorite, but also with those characteristics which render him popu- lar as a business man. Upright and consci- entious in all his transactions, he merits the success to which he has attained.

The marriage of Mr. Macatee occurred in 1860, when he and Miss Henrietta Wilson united their fortunes. She was one of a family of children born to Peter and Mary Wilson, who were natives of Maryland, but who came to Houston in 1840. To Mr. and Mrs. Macatee have been granted five living children, viz .: George P., who re- sides in New York city; Leonard, who is in business with his father; Cora B, wife of J. M. A. McEnnis; Mary T., wife of C. Grunewald; and Joseph I., in business with his father. Although his hair is white with the frost of years, Mr. Macatee is remark- ably well preserved for his years, and is a most agreeable man to meet:

J OHN PARKER DAVIE was born in Norfolk, Virginia, August 12, 1816. His parents were John and Margaret Davie, the father being a native of Wales, the mother a native of Virginia. He was reared in Norfolk, where, at the age of thirteen, he was put to the trade of a tinner and coppersmith, and served a four years' apprenticeship. In March, 1835, be- ing then in his eighteenth year, he left Nor- folk, and making his way overland to Pitts- 32

burg, Pennsylvania, there took a boat and descended the Ohio river as far as Mays- ville, Kentucky, where he resided some three years, working at his trade. Having attained his majority, he returned to his native place to settle up his father's estate, his parents both having died when he was young. He converted his property into money, and left for Texas by way of New York. At New York he purchased a small stock of goods, with which he landed at Galveston on November 19, 1838. He found here a number of settlers living in tents, but very little in the way of a town. Houston was at that time the temporary seat of governinent of the new Republic, and the scene of considerable commercial activity. Thither Mr. Davie went, and, forining a partnership with Stevens & Conk- lin, soon entered on what promised to be a prosperous business career; but the climate did not agree with him, and he was advised to leave the place.

Selling out his interest to his partners, he went to Southwest Texas, where he spent several months on horseback, after which he returned to Houston, completely restored in health, but much the worse in for- tune, having expended all his means. He worked his passage on a steamer from Houston to Galveston, intending to take a vessel at this point for New Orleans, but, having no money with which to pay his passage and being unable to make arrange- ments to work his way, he decided to re- main a while in Galveston and look up something to do. He soon secured employ- ment at his trade, and, in a short time get- ting on his feet in a financial way, he con- cluded to locate here permanently. Forin? ing a partnership with W. R. Wilson he opened a tin-shop in a small building, which

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was erected for that purpose on the corner of Mechanic and Twenty-second streets. The partnership lasted about eighteen months, when it was dissolved by the with- drawal of Mr. Wilson, Mr. Davie retaining the stock and premises, and continuing the business at that place until he purchased the lot and built the brick store, at the point where now stands the Washington Hotel, to which he inoved in 1845. That building, the second of its kind in Galves- ton, was for the times a very creditable structure, and stood until it was replaced by the present building, in 1874.

In 1844 Mr. Davie built his residence on the corner of Church and Twentieth streets, and on December 20th of that year mar- ried Miss Emma F. Bailey, of Galveston, and there they took up their abode. At that time his home was considerably be- yond the settled portion of the city, there be- ing very few buildings south of Market street. In 1849 he sold his hardware store to E. S. Wood, intending to go to Cali- fornia; but having to make a business trip to Mexico he was detained there much longer than he had anticipated, and on his return to Galveston he gave up his contemplated removal to. California, and again, in 1850, began the hardware business in this city. On the breaking out of the war in 1861 he moved to Houston, where he carried on a hardware store till 1865, when he returned to Galveston, where he resumed business in his old stand and there continued until his death, October 5, 1892. Besides his mercantile business Mr. Davie also founded a brick-yard at Cedar bayou in Harris county, from which he furnished a great deal of the material that went into the buildings that were erected in Galveston at an early day. He also owned stock in

different local enterprises, the principal of which was the Galveston Wharf Company, whose stocks constituted a valuable part of his estate at the time of his death. He as- sisted in organizing Hook and Ladder Com- pany No. 1, one of the earliest fire com- panies of the city; he was a volunteer in Captain A. C. Crawford's company, raised for the protection of Galveston island during the threatened invasion by the Mexicans, from 1846 to 1848, and he was twice, a member of the City Council, being once acting Mayor.

While attending the Centennial Exposi- tion at Philadelphia, with his family, Mr. Davie lost his wife, her death occurring in that city July 17, 1876. On June 2, 1879, he married Miss Maggie P. Boyd, of Galves- ton, wlio, with two daughters by his former marriage, Mrs. Margaret Griffin and Mrs. Agnes Griffin, survives him. A son and daughter by his first wife and a daughter by the last died young.

' Galveston never had many men of more persevering industry, more strict integrity or more resolute goodness of heart, than John P. Davie. Although he sustained three dis- astrous fires, each occurring without a dol- lar's worth of insurance, he died leaving an estate valued at from $1 50,000 to $200, 000. After making reasonable provision out of this for his family and descendants to the second generation, he left bequests to the second generation, he left bequests to the Presbyterian Church of Galveston, of which he was a member; to the Protestant Or- phans' Home; to the Catholic Orphans' Home; and to the struggling poor of the city. The provision of his will creating a trust fund for the poor is a peculiar one, but strongly indicative of the practical side of his nature. The fund is bequeathed "in

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trust to the city of Galveston, to be held and loaned by said city to such needy and wor- thy citizens in small amounts, no single loan to exceed $1,000, until the orginal fund shall have trebled itself, and upon good security at not more than five per cent. per annum interest, as the Mayor and Board of Alder- inen of said city shall deein worthy and sufficient, giving preference to young me- chanichs." Coming to Texas so carly Mr. Davis endured many hardships, sustained some losses and met with not a few thrilling experiences, the most notable of the last named probably being what befell him on the occasion of the explosion of the steamer "Farmer," on which he was a passenger and one of the few survivors.

HE NOBLE FAMILY. - More than a century ago three brothers of the name of Noble came from England, and settled in Virginia. One of these had a son, named Stephen, who after marriage moved to Georgia, and subsequent- ly to the Mississippi country, settling on Pearl river near the present town of Gallatin. He was a pioneer in that region, a man of means, an Indian fighter, one of those stalwart, sturdy characters, to whom civilization on this con- tinent is so greatly indebted. He was twice married and the father of a large family of children, five of whom, three sons, -- Ed- ward P., Stephen F. and Abram W., -and two daughters,-Bitha and Asenith (Till- man), -became early settlers of Texas and have inany descendants now living in this State.

Stephen F., the first of the number to Texas, came out in 1836, being then on a tour of investigation. After looking over the country he decided to locate, and, trad-

ing his horse for a league of land, he re- turned to Mississippi for his family, which he brought out in the fall of the following year and settled near Nacogdoches. He resided in Nacogdoches county until 1842, when he moved to Chocolate bayou in Bra- zoria county, and thence in December of the same year to Houston, reaching this place on Christinas day. Thus, though not one of the first, he was one of the early set- tlers of this city, and the forty remaining years of his life which he spent here entitles him to a fair share of space in this work.

Stephen F. Noble was born in Georgia, in 1806, and was reared in Mississippi. In 1833 he married Martha P. Bohanon, then residing in Hines county, Mississippi, but a native of the Crab Orchard country of Ken- tucky, and with her and their two children, Curtis W. and Frank, moved to Texas in the fall of 1837, as noted. He came to this coun- try with some means, his father having left him several slaves and some personal prop- erty, to which he had added by his own in- dustry and good management. Afterlocating in Houston, he purchased lands on the Trin- ity river and opened plantations, which he conducted profitably with slave labor for several years before the war. He was also a contractor on the Houston & Texas Cen- tral Railroad, building most of that road froin Houston to Hempstead, and grading it from Hempstead to Navasota. Like many others, he lost heavily by the late war, but his last years on earth were passed in peace, and in the enjoyment of the con- fidence and good will of those among whom he had so long lived. On settling in Hous- ton, Mr. Noble purchased property on the north side of the bayou, in what is now the Fifth ward, and there he lived during the forty years of his residence in this place.

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At the time he settled in that locality, how- ever, there was no Fifth ward. That sec- tion of the city was a wilderness of pine trees and thick undergrowth, having but little around it or about it suggestive of its present condition. There are old settlers still living who used to hunt wolves and deer in the heart of what is now the Fifth ward. Mr. Noble saw the city grow from a strag- gling village, skirted with such pine thickets, to one of the largest and best cities in the State. Literally emerging from the mud, he saw it assume such proportions as gave abundant evidence of what it is destined to be: the railway center and chief commer- cial emporium of Texas. He witnessed many changes, political, social and material, in the country, and was not an uninterested spectator in what was going on around him. He had but little to do with public matters, his attention centering chiefly in his business pursuits, but like all old Texans, he watched the political aspect of the times with great interest, and was always solicitous for the welfare of the country. '

Mr. Noble lost his wife in this city, in 1852, after having had ten children: Curtis W .; Elizabeth died young; Frank; George died young; Annie died young; Mary; Cor- nelius; Emily; Martha P. died young; and Jackson B. But two of these, the eldest and the youngest, Curtis W., and Jackson B., are living. The father died in 1882.

Edward P. Noble, the eldest brother of Stephen F., came to Texas in 1838, and, accompanying Stephen F. to Chocolate bayou in 1842, came the following year to Houston, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1880. He was married in Mississippi previous to his removal to Texas, and left two sons and two daughters: Edward P., of Velasco; Stephen F., of Fort Worth;

Mrs. Kate Fredericks, of Velasco; and Mrs. Mary Graves, of Houston.

Abram W. Noble, the younger brother of Stephen F., came to Texas in 1840, set- tling in Nacogdoches county, whence after a residence of a few years, he moved to Billum's creek, in Tyler county, thence in 1849 to Houston, and in 1865 to Kaufman county, where he died in 1893. He left one son, Edwin A. Noble, of Houston, and four daughters: Araminta, who was married to A. Wettermark, of Nacogdoches, Texas, and is now deceased; Mrs. Emily Spence, of Mont- gomery county; Mrs. Eugenia Drew, wife of O. C. Drew, of Houston; and Mrs. Louisa Marsden, wife of Charles Marsden, also of Houston. Mrs. Asenith Tillman, the sister of Edward P., Stephen F. and Abram W. Noble, died at Corsicana, in this State, where her descendants reside.

The three Noble brothers, Edward P., Stephen F. and Abram W., were men of plain ways, honest, earnest and industrious, faithful in all the relations of life, all of them having served their country in times of war, Edward P. and Stephen F. in the early days in Texas, taking part in the Cherokee war of 1838, and Abram W. in the late civil war, being a Captain in the Confederate army.

Curtis W. Noble, eldest son of Stephen F. and Martha P. Noble, was born at Jack- son, Mississippi, October 29, 1835, and was only about four years old when his parents came to Texas. He was reared mainly in Houston, in which place he has also spent his entire life. His boyhood and youth were passed about the old homestead, and the labors of his youthful days were inter- spersed with many a wolf hunt and deer drive, in the heart of what is now the Fifth ward. He remembers when the pine trees were cut from around his father's house for

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saw-logs, and when the largest business house on the public square was a one-story frame shanty, twenty-five feet front by fifty feet deep.

In August, 1861, Mr. Noble entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Company D, Second Texas Infantry, with which he served for six months on the coast of Texas, when his command was ordered, in February, 1862, to join the army forming in western Tennessee. Beginning with the battle of Shiloh, he was in all the engagements fought by the Western army in Tennessee and Mississippi, under Johnston, Price and Van Dorn. He escaped capture at Vicksburg by being absent from his command on ac- count of sickness, and soon afterward join- ing Company E, Ninth Texas Regiment, First Texas Brigade, General Ector, he en- tered on the Georgia campaign with Joseph E. Johnston's army, joining it at Cassville, and was with it down to Lovejoy's Station. He was with Hood on the return into Ten- nessee, being wounded at Nashville, and sur- rendered at Mobile, Alabama.

Returning to Texas, Mr. Noble married Miss Laura Coleman, of Liberty county, in this State, in December, 1865, and settled in Houston, where he has since resided. By the marriage here mentioned he had four children, one daughter, Laura M., wife of Harry Andrews, and three sons: Robert F., Wallie L., and Willie S., -all of whom are residents of Florida, the daughter residing at Glenwood, and the sons at DeLand. Mr. Noble lost his first wife in 1874, and Decem- ber 5, 1882, he married Mrs. Hattie Plum- iner, widow of William Plummer, and a native of Cleveland, Ohio, there being no issue of this last marriage.

Jackson B. Noble, youngest son of Stephen F., and Martha P. Noble, was born

at the old Noble homestead, in the city of Houston, May 13, 1851. He was reared in this city; married Mollie E. Lord, a native of Georgia, and a daughter of Hon. I. C. Lord, ex-Mayor of Houston, September 16, 1874; was in the mercantile business in east Texas from 1879 to 1889, when he retired on ac- count of ill health, since which time he has lived in retirement. Mr. Noble has had seven children, five of whom are living, the full number being: Emely Ada, Edna Fay (deceased), May Elna, Grace Blair, Jennie Allyne, Jackson B., Jr. (deceased), and Cornelius L.

ERDINAND L. JUNEMAN .- Al- though he whose name heads this sketch has been dead since 1872, his life here on earth was marked by an earnest desire to do his duty, and his memory is still cherished by many who knew him and respected him for his many worthy traits. He was born in Hanover, Germany, November 6, 1833, and upon leaving his native land came direct to Gal- veston, in 1850, and here followed the call- ing of an architect and builder, a calling for which his practical mind and superior judg- ment eminently fitted him, as well as the fact that he thoroughly fitted himself for his calling while in his native land, his uncle, Louis Juneman, being his teacher. His uncle preceded him to Galveston several years, and after his arrival here they erected many of the substantial buildings of the city, among which were the Tremont Hotel and others of that class. He was married here to Miss Dorothy Dreyer, who was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1836, and came to Galveston, Texas, in 1854, she being the only member of her family to make this country her home.

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A family of six children were given them, as follows: Louis; Eliza, wife of Paul Auer- bach, of Galveston; Henrietta; Lena; wife of William Smith; Ida, wife of William Roark and Ernest, deceased. In 1875 Mrs. Juneman was married to George June- man, half-brother of her former husband. He died March 3, 1892. The children of this union are Ella and George. The June- mans have a very comfortable and pleasant home in Galveston, which is presided over by Mrs. Juneman, who is a woman of excel- lent mind and possessed of considerable exec- utive ability. Mr. Juneman was a man who was universally respected, and he left the heritage of an honorable name to his children, which is far more highly prized by them than if he had bestowed upon them great riches.

J ACOB METZGER, deceased .- The scythe of time cuts down all; noth- ing of the physical man is left. The monument which his children or friends may erect to his memory will crumble into dust and pass away; but his life, its achieve- ments, the work he has accomplished, which otherwise would be forgotten, is perpetuated by a record of this kind. Jacob Metzger was a well-known member of the German colony of Galveston, and an industrious, conscientious, frugal citizen.

He was born on the banks of the celebrat- ed river Rhine, Germany, in 1828, and left his native country for this in 1845, when about seventeen years of age, and with his parents and brother and sisters came direct to Galveston. Of these children, four in num- ber, our subject was next to the youngest. The father, Jacob Metzger, was soon followed to this country by a sister, now Mrs. Anna

Burges, a resident of Galveston, and a brother, Antone, who likewise settled and still lives in Galveston. Fritz Metzger, a Mexican veteran, is a brother of our subject, and now resides in Houston, Texas: After locating in Galveston, our subject embarked in the grocery business at Sixteenth street and avenue L, and continued the same until about 1860, when failing health caused his retire- ment. He made a trip to Germany in quest of a restoration of the same, but failing in this he started on his return home and suf- fered a severe relapse, and died when four- teen day's out from Galveston. His remains found a grave in the great deep. Mr. and Mrs. Metzger were married January 22; 1853. The latter, whose maiden name was Frederica Reiners, was born in Oldenburg, Germany, January 22, 1824. She has three living children: George, Caroline and Fritz. George Metzger was born in Galveston, July 8, 1855; and married Sophia Zeh, by whom he has two children : William and Agnes. Caroline, born July 20, 1858, was married to Mr. George Apffel, a painter by trade, by whom she had the following chil- dren : August, born December 11, 1885, Hampton, September 11, 1888; Fredrick, March 30, 1890; and Dora, born January 21, 1892. Fritz Metzger married in 1886, and has three children: Herman, Ireine and Freda.

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a APTAIN L. M. HITCHCOCK .- Lent Munson Hitchcock was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in the year 1816, descending from good, old New England stock, being connected with the family of Ethan Allen, Joshua Newhall, the Hawleys and Burroughs. His father, Lent Munson Hitchcock, was also

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born in Bridgeport, and followed the ocean all his life.

The subject of this sketch grew up in his native place, whence he went, at about the age of fourteen, to sea, shipping as a cabin-boy. His followed the life of a sailor many years in various capacities, visit- ing during the time all of the important seaports of the world. He served mostly in the merchant marine, but was also in the general Government service, being at one time mate of the United States Government vessel Potomac. As carly as 1828 he was in the waters of Galveston bay and visited Galveston island. At that time there was no one living on the island, though there were plainly to be seen the signs of its former occupancy by the plotters and pirates who had made this the place of their rendezvous.

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Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895 Number of Pages: 1532

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532