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 70

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 70
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 70

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But, his attention having beon attracted to the South, he came to Texas, in 1878, and located at Houston, where he has since resided. For the past sixteen years he has been successfully engaged in his profession in this city,, during which time he has come to be well and favorably known in connec-

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tion with the building interests of the city of Houston and vicinity, having drawn the plans for and supervised the erection of many of the public buildings of this city, as well as many of the dwellings that beau- tify and render attractive its thoroughfares and suburbs. Without attempting to give a full list of the buildings put up under Mr. Dickey's supervision, the following may be mentioned: The Grand Central depot, the Capitol Hotel, the Armory, the Shearn Methodist church, the First Baptist church, the Presbyterian church, and most of the fine residences in the city, and H. A. Landes' residence in Galveston. He was also the supervising architect for the United States postoffice building at Houston. Mr. Dickey's qualifications for the successful pur- suit of his profession, -accurate, technical knowledge, practical experience, devotion to his calling, and faithful attention to the interests intrusted to his care, -have been fully demonstrated; and account for the large amount of work which has always found its way to his office. Identifying himself with the business and social life of the city on casting his lot here, he has al- ways taken a becoming interest in everything relating to its welfare, being a inember of that body of representative citizens, the Cotton Exchange, and of the usual number of social orders. He is also a member of the Presbyterian Church, having held a member- ship in this church for a number of years.

Mr. Dickey has been twice married, in 1862 marrying Miss Mary Messer, of New London, New Hampshire, and after her death, some years later, Miss Maria Watier, of Montreal, Canada. He has had six chil- dren, three by each marriage: Dura A., Annie, and Della, by the first; James, Nel- lie and Georgie, by the last.

A LEXANDER C. MORIN .-- There is no greater pleasure for the hand and pen of the historian or biogra- pher to perform than to record the life achievements of a inan who has begun life's battles under adverse circumstances, and through his own unaided efforts has se- cured the general acknowledginent of being an honest man, and has acquired a profitable and lucrative business.

Such a man is Alexander C. Morin, con- tractor and builder. The average citizen, interested as he may be, in the progress of the city in which his interests are centered, pursues the even tenor of his way with little thought of the wonderful improvements that are going on about lim, or of the men in whose brains the plans for these projects originate. There is no more important in- dustry in a growing city or in one in which its exponents are in greater demand than that of the builder and contractor. Houston's mas- sive business buildings and fine residences have proved this, while the builder may with truth be designated as one of the fore- most developers of a vicinity. Mr. Morin was born in the city of Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, March 4, 1827, and was sixth in order of birth of seven children born to Al- exander C., Sr., and Mary (Harwood) Morin. The senior Morin was a native of Paris, France, and when but twenty years of age came to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, where he met and married Miss Harwood. She was born on the Em- erald Isle, but was brought to Philadelphia when a child and here became a woman. He was a skilled artist, being an engraver, and most of the time he was engaged in en- graving dies for the Government. He was a fine workman and was never out of em- ployment. He and wife passed their last

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days in Philadelphia, the mother dying when but forty years of age, the father reaching the advanced age of ninety-eight years. Our subject has a card made from a die engraved by his father which took the premium at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. He was also an engraver on steel and wood, etc., Only three of the children born to this es- timable couple are now living, our subject and two sisters, Louisa and Mary Ann, both of whom reside in Philadelphia, ummarried. Caroline, Margaret, John, and Anthony are deceased. The last named was a soldier in the Union ariny during the Rebellion and held the rank of Captain. He was severely wounded, a bullet passing through his cheeks just as he opened his mouth to give a com- mand. His death occurred in Philadelphia about 1892.

Alexander C. Morin, of this sketch, was educated in the schools of Philadelphia, and at an early age served an apprenticeship at tlie carpenter's trade, following the same in that city until twenty-one years of age. From there he went to Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, and later to Louisville, Kentucky, working as journeyman at both places, and then, in November, 1852, he came to Houston, Texas, where he continued his trade as a journeyman for three years. Af- ter that he began contracting and building on his own account, and was so engaged until the breaking out of the civil war. While hostilities continued Mr. Morin was in the employ of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company as a car-builder, but re- sumed his trade on the return of peace. Since that time he has had steady employ- ment, and has erected many of the principal buildings in Houston. Among them are the Grand Central depot, four of the principal public-school buildings, the Milby & Dow

building at the corner of Congress and Louis- iana streets, besides many residences. All of these are monuments to his handiwork, and there are many other fine buildings he could point to with pride. He is fully awake to the great progress of the city of Houston and has won and kept the confidence of his patrons as none but a man of honorable antecedents and continuous trustworthy operations could do.

Mr. Morin married Miss Emma De Wees, of Philadelphia, this lady dying in that city in 1866. On the ist of January, 1867, Mr. Morin married Miss Bettie Slocumb, of Houston, and the daughter of John R. and Sarah (Shoat) Slocumb. Six children were born of the second union, and five now sur- vive, as follows: Bettie, wife of George P. Brown; John; Alexander F .; William R, and George. All these children are in Houston, and most of thein are still under the parental roof. The child deceased was Celia.

Socially Mr. Morin is a member of the Knights of Honor and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He is one of the good, honest, hard-working, successful and unpre- tentious men of Houston, and is adjudged a most worthy and honorable citizen.

ILLIAM D. ALEXANDER. - No other country can point to a great army of self-made inen, the United States standing alone in the pre-eminence of having an array of citi- zens, who, without adventitious aid or acci- dent of birth, attain to wealth or distinction in public affairs. This is the glory of the country, that every one has an opportunity to make and prove himself a man, if he has it in him.

William D. Alexander, of Houston, one

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of the successful cotton factors of the South, and a high authority on cotton, wool and hides, is a product of Randolph county, North Carolina, where he was born on the 15th of August, 1827, a son of Abner and Mary Alex- ander the former of whom attained to the ad- vanced age of ninety years and the latter to fifty years. A family of seven children blessed this worthy couple, five of whom are living at the present time : William D., Nancy, Jane, John Wesley, and Mollie. When three years of age William D. Alexander was taken by his parents to the vicinity of Louis- ville, Kentucky, and thence, after a short residence to Owen county, Indiana, where he was reared and educated, becoming thoroughly familiar with the duties of agri- cultural life on his father's farin. Although he was compelled to work hard in his youth, he thereby learned lessons of industry and perseverance, which proved the stepping stones to success in after life. At the age of seventeen years he started out for him- self, and for about two years thereafter clerked in a store in Gosport, Indiana, after which, in company with his father, he open- ed a general mercantile establishment at that point under the firm name of Alexander & Son, which was successfully carried on from 1847 to 1858. Mr. Alexander then spent a few months in Washington, District of Columbia, after which he removed to Gal- veston, Texas, in the early winter of 1859. and a month later to Sabine Pass, where he opened a real-estate office and general mer- cantile store, and was doing a profitable business when the war came on.

On the opening of hostilities he at once went to Beaumont, Texas, and until Lee's surrender was in the Quartermaster's Depart- ment at that place, rendering valuable ser- vice to the cause of the Confederacy. Shortly

after the close of the war he came to Hous- ton, and began buying cotton, and owing to the numerous fluctuations of the cotton mar- ket he made several fortunes and lost them. For the past three years he has been en- gaged in the purchase and sale of cotton and hides for John Finnigan & Company, who value his services highly, for during the long term of years that his attention has been given to this line of business he has gained a thoroughi knowledge of it and is a recog- uized authority on cotton, wool and hides.

He is a man of unblemished reputation, honest, and at all times to be relied upon, and his friends are numbered by the score. . About 1845 he wedded Miss Eliza J. Sher- ley, of Indiana, a daughter of John L. Sher- ley, and to their union six children have been given: Alice A,, wife of G. A. Gibbons; Edgar, Josephine, wife of J. A. McKnab, and Lelia M., wife of Edward Katwan, being the only ones living. Mr. Alexander and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.

a ONRAD ALBRECHT was born in west Prussia, Gerinany, May 15, 1824, and is a son of John and Catherine Albrecht, who were na- tives of Germany, and who spent their lives in their native country. The subject of this notice is one of fifteen children, but two of whomn, himself and a sister, Mrs. Caroline Angerhoffer, of Houston, are now living, the others dying in their native coun- try, Germany.

In 1849 the subject of this article came to the United States, landing at Baltimore, Maryland, after a voyage of six weeks on the ship Louisa. He had $14 in money and was master of a good trade, -that of tailor,

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-and with this as his capital he began life in the New World. After a brief stay at Baltimore he went to New Orleans, where he secured work at his trade, following this in that city until 1852. At that date he came to Houston. For six months after his arrival in this city he worked at his trade, at the end of which time he opened a shop for himself. He was engaged in tailoring on his own account for about three years. Having been successful he found himself the possessor of some means, which he invested in a coffee house and restaurant on Congress avenue. He conducted this for two years, when he sold it at a good profit, and, moving to the country, engaged for a period of three years in farming and garden- ing. At the opening of the war, in 1861, he went to Germany, but soon returned to the United States, and, after great difficulty in running the blockade, took up his residence again, in July, 1863, in Houston. From that date until the close of the war, he was section boss on the Columbia & Brazoria Tap Railroad. He then became a clerk in a grocery store in Houston, and in 1869 he engaged for himself in the liquor busi- ness, which he followed for twenty-one years, up to 1890, when he was stricken with paralysis and retired. His funds are invested in Houston real estate and yield sufficient revenue to support himself and family in a modest way. During his long residence in this city Mr. Albrecht has watched its growth with much interest, and has always had a good word to say for every enterprise of a public nature and for every honest, deserving individual who has come to this place to make a home and add his mite to the common welfare. He has al- ways borne a good reputation for honesty and for the faitliful discharge of his obliga-

tions, and wherever he is known he is re- spected for the possession of these qualities.

In October, 1852, Mr. Albrecht married Catherine Pashaw, and they liave two chil- dren: Conrad William, who lives in Victoria, Texas, and Emma, who is now the widow of Robert Schmidt, of Houston. Mrs. Al- brecht died in 1865, and on May 1, 1867, Mr. Albrecht married Desetta Haag, who was born in-Germany and who is a daughter of Michael and Catherine Haag, also natives of that country. The second Mrs. Albrecht came to America in 1866 and settled in Houston. By this marriage Mr. Albrecht has had eight children: Henry; Edward; Katie, wife of Felix H. Marks; Adolph, Caroline, Prince Albert, Lily and Maria. Two of these, Caroline and Prince Albert, are deceased; the remainder live in Houston.

J OSEPH KOCH, a retired farmer, living at Chaney Junction, in the suburbs of Houston, is a native of Germany, where he was born Novem- ber 22, 1829. His parents were John and Elizabeth Koch, also natives of Germany, who emigrated to the United States in 1846, sailing from Bremen for Galveston, which they reached in December, after a voyage of eleven weeks .: They settled at once in Harris county, the father purchasing a small piece of land two miles from Houston. After a residence of two years on this place, he exchanged it for a farm of 177 acres on Bear creek, to which he moved, and on which he lived until his death, in 1854. Here the mother also died, two years later, and of their seven children the subject of this sketch is the only one now living, most, or all of their offspring dying since the fam- ily's removal to this county.

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Joseph Koch was in his eighteenth year when his parents came to Texas. His youth was passed on his father's farin, on Bear creek, and was unmarked by any experience worthy of record. After attaining his ma- jority he worked for a time in the timber business, then purchased a small place near his father's, on which he settled and engaged in farming up' to 1888. At that date he moved to Houston, having bought a tract of land near the city, and on this he has since resided. He still retains his farming interest, and insists on being numbered among the yeomanry of Harris county, al- though he has given but little attention to agriculture during the past six years. His farın holdings are up to the average of Har- ris county farm lands, while his suburban property, lying between the city of Houston . and the new suburb of Houston Heights, is a choice piece of property, and is daily grow- ing in value.

Mr. Koch married Susan Madzgie, in 1850, and by this union has one child, John. Mrs. Koch was born in Prussia, Germany, and came with her parents to this country when about sixteen, settling in Harris county, where her parents subse- quently lived and died.

The religious connection of Mr. Koch's family is with the Lutheran Church, in which his parents held membership for many years.

USTAVUS C. STREET. - No mat- ter how crowded may be the mar- ket in any particular calling, every person who possesses original and practical ideas, with the enterprise to push his ideas to a successful termination, is bound to win success, both as regards repu- tation and the accumulation of wealth,

Gustavus C. Street, manager of the National Cotton Oil Company's mill at Houston, is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, where he was born May 25, 1853, his parents, Gustavus and Mary (Calder) Street, being also natives of that State, born in 1822 and 1833, and died in 1858 and 1860, respectively. The subject of this sketch is one of two surviving members of a family of three children born to his par- ents, the other member being his sister, Cecelia C., who makes her home with her brother. He was left an orphan at the age of seven years, after which he made his home with his father's sister, Mrs. Gustavus LeRoy, who resided in the vicinity of New Orleans, and his literary education was com- pleted in the State University of Louisiana, at Alexandria, which institution he left, after a four-years course, before graduation. He shortly afterward secured a position with Cochran & LeRoy, who were in the ware- house business, and after remaining with them he accepted a situation, in 1872, in the office of the Union Oil Com- pany at New Orleans, with which he re- mained up to 1876. He then came to Houston for this firm, opened an office at this place, and, up to 1879, was extensively engaged in buying and shipping cotton seed to them. He then decided that a bone mill and fertilizer works at Houston would be a paying investment, and, after erecting a building and conducting this business for one year, sold his interest in this and accepted a position as traveling salesman for William D. Cleveland, of Houston, and one year later entered the employ of Zuberbier & Behean, of New Orleans, in a like capacity .. As agent for these extensive dealers in gro- ceries Mr. Street made a record for himself and attained popularity among the patrons

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of the houses, owing to his sound and prac- tical views, his strict integrity, his adherence to all his promises, and to his genial and social disposition. After leaving the employ of Zuberbier & Beliean, he became asso- ciated with the Howard Oil Company, of Houston, the name of which was changed several times, and finally, in 1889, became known as the National Cotton Oil Company, of which Mr. Street has been the manager since 1889. In business, as well as in social relations, he has always been a man of his word, his friends are legion, and the respect which he commands is universal.

In September, 1883, he was wedded to Miss Ella Richardson, of Houston, a daugh- ter of A. S. Richardson, a sketch of whom may be found in this work. Gustavus C., LeRoy and Marguerite are the names of their children. The wife and mother died November 21, 1890, since which time Mr. Street has remained a widower. He is a member of Houston Lodge, No. 151, of the Order of Elks.

ENRY MICHAEL DE CHAUMES. -The sixty-six years that have passed over the head of the gentle- man whose name introduces this sketch have witnessed a wonderful transfor- ination in Southern Texas, and during all these years he has been an active observer of the trend of events. He has not been merely a "looker on in Venice" but a citi- zen who has, in his quiet and unostenta- tious way, contributed his share to the development of the section in which he re- sides.

Ile comes of worthy antecedents, and was born in Paris, France, January 24, 1828, a son of Michael and Marie De Chaumes,

by whom he was brought to the United States a year after his birth, their landing being made at. Norfolk, Virginia. Shortly afterward, however, they moved to Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, and from there to Washington, District of Columbia, the father successfully following his profession, that of an architect. In 1837 he took up his residence in Houston, Texas, and con- tinued to follow his calling up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1871, at the age of seventy-five years. He designed and erected the old county courthouse, designed and built the old academy that was recently torn down, and numerous buildings that stand as monuments to his skill and knowl- edge of his calling are scattered throughout Harris and surrounding counties. He also superintended the erection of the first capitol built at Austin. He was left a widower in 1866, at which time his wife had attained the age of seventy-five years.

In 1838 Henry Michael De Chaumes came to Texas with his mother and the chil- dren, but in 1846 left Houston to learn the tinner's trade in Galveston, at which he served three years' apprenticeship. Return- ing to Houston, he worked for J. R. Morris till 1851, when he removed to Bastrop, Texas, where he made his home up to the opening of the Civil war. During the prog- ress of the great struggle he was in the employ of the Confederate govern- ment, detailed to the gun-inanufactur- ing department, but when hostilities had ceased he returned to Houston, and in 1866 formed a partnership with Messrs. Dunn and Hale in the hardware and tinware business on Preston avenue, between Travis and Main streets. This firm was known as one of the leading ones of the kind in this portion of the State, and was in existence

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until 1868, when Mr. Hale retired and his interest was purchased by S. C. Timpson, after which the store was moved to the ground on which Kiam's building now stands. At the end of three years Mr. Timpson re- tired, and Mr. De Chaumes and Mr. Dunn continued alone up to 1880, at which time Mr. De Chaumes disposed of his interest to Mr. Blake and started an establishment of his own on Travis street, opposite the mar- ket, where he continued to hold forth for two years. At the end of that time he entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was in the tin department of their shops in Houston for some time. In 1887 he went to Smithville, Texas, where "he opened a tin and hardware store, con- tinuing successfully to conduct the same for six years. At the end of this time he re- turned to Houston, and now has a pleasant and comfortable home at 2203 San Jacinto street. He is the owner of an entire block in the city, which is a valuable piece of property, and from the three houses which are erected thereon he derives a respect- able sum of money annually.

Mr. De Chaumes is a shrewd, practical and far-seeing man of business, well quali- fied to discharge the necessary duties of life, and well adapted to the active life he has led. He has seen many important changes take place in Texas, and after various ups and downs is now in good circumstances. He was married January 3, 1855, to Mrs. Susan (Anderson) Morris, who was born in Pike county, Missouri, July 4, 1831, a daughter of Carter and Margaret (Lair) Anderson, and widow of Samuel B. Morris, whom she married in 1847, and by whom she became the mother of three children: Robert, who died after reaching manhood, leaving one son, Charlie; Laura and Mary, the

last dying at the age of fifteen. Mr. and Mrs. De Chaumes had nine children, four of whom are living: Henrietta; David S., who is married and has two sons, -Harry F. and J. Orman; Helen and Hortense. Mr. De Chaumes, his wife and children are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.

ONAS C. BALDWIN. - Life is a com- plex fabric, each shuttle of the mov- ing thousand drops a thousand threads, every one of which represents an element of power in the world. Some of these parts are high, some low, in the scale of progress. Probably the most potential of these is man's ability to help hinself. His- tory shows it to be the parent ingredient in all forward movements. It is the Phoenix that holds within itself the germs of individ- ual growth and development. The events and phenomena of a civilized existence reaches back with it to reverence. In these days of money-making, when life is a .con- stant struggle between right and wrong, it is a pleasure to lay before an intelligent reader the unsullied record of an honorable man. To the youthful it will be a useful lesson and an incentive to honest industry.

Like a goodly number of the representa- tive citizens of the county, Jonas C. Baldwin is a product of the Empire State, born in Baldwinsville, Onondaga county, twelve miles north of Syracuse, October 10, 1829, and is a son of Horace and Mariah (Wal- lace) Baldwin. The parents were honest, upright citizens and lived to be fifty and sixty-four years of age, respectively. Four children were born to their union, as follows: Ann, wife of J. S. Brown, who resides in Los Angeles, California; Elizabeth, wife of

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William M. Rice, who resides in New York; and Charlotte, wife of F. A. Rice, of Hous- ton. The subject of this brief biography came to the Lone Star State in 1845 and stopped in Galveston. The following year young Baldwin returned to his home in New York State and remained there until 1850, when he came back to Texas, this time lo- cating in Fort Bend county, where he entered actively upon his career as a horse and mule raiser. He continued this business in Fort Bend county until 1855, after which he moved his stock to Williamson county, where he remained until 1857. Selling out he came to Houston and became a sales- man in a furniture store for his brother- in-law, F. A. Rice, continuing with him until 1861.

Then, when the war cloud hung darkly over the nation, he enlisted and was placed in the Quartermaster's department, where he remained until the cessation of hostilities. Afterward he formned a partnership with William Christian, under the firm name of William Christian & Company, and opened up a wholesale grocery store on Congress, be- tween Main and Fannin streets. From there they subsequently moved their busi- ness to Main street, between Franklin and Congress avenues, and still later moved to Main, between Franklin and Commerce streets. This business continued very suc- cessfully from 1865 to 1873, after which Mr. Baldwin became interested in a flouring inill in Houston, and was actively engaged in this industry for two years. After that he bought the livery stable that stood where Capital Hotel now stands, and when the proprietors began building that hotel Mr. Baldwin bought the Fannin street stable, which he carried on for some time. Later he bought his present place at the corner of

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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