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 71

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 71
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 71

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Louisiana and Congress streets, and now carries on a passenger, freight and baggage transfer business, taking charge of all the mail that enters Houston. In our subject's life is strikingly illustrated the force of well- directed energy, steadfast purpose and never- ceasing effort for the accomplishment of ends. He is upright and conscientious in business matters, and merits the success to which he has attained. As a business man he has been successful, and as a citizen he is well liked.

Mr. Baldwin selected for his wife Miss Ann Eliza Foot, who is known and always called "Lill," and their union was solem- nized on the 14th of September, 1859. Mrs. Baldwin, who is a lady of more than ordi- nary attainments, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father, Judge Horace Foot, was a prominent attorney of that city, and a man well and favorably known in his sec- tion of the State. Three interesting chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, but only one is now living,-Mary,-who is the wife of W. R. Huntington. Mr. Hunt- ington and wife reside in Cleveland, Ohio, and he is a a member of the firin of McIn- tosh, Huntington & Company, who have the largest wholesale hardware establishment in Cleveland and the third largest in the United States. He also owns the property of the Huntington Coal Company. Mr. Baldwin takes a deep interest in several secret organizations, viz .: The Chosen Friends' lodge, the Knights of Honor and the Elks, and is a prominent member of the same. For many years he has been a resi- dent of this city, and during that time his career has been above reproach. He is public-spirited and enterprising, and no worthy moveinent is allowed to fail for want of support on his part.

---

518

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

H. DOOLEY, a prominent real- estate dealer of Houston, was born in the city of New York, August 3, 1835, and is a son of Henry P. and Mary Dooley, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and who emigrated to this country, settling in New York city, where they sub- sequently lived and died.

The subject of this sketch was reared in New York city and began managing for him- self at the age of twelve, becoming a cash boy in the store of the once famous mer- chant prince, A. T. Stewart .. At the age of fifteen he decided to learn the hat finisher's trade, and learned it in the establishinent of John N. Genin, of New York, and was with him about three years. At that place he qualified himself to do good journeyman work and went to Newark, New Jersey, where he secured employment with Vail & Yates, hatters, remaining with them for about a year. He then went to St. Louis and pursued his trade in that city for something like a year, when in 1854 he drifted to New Orleans, in which place he worked at his trade and served as clerk until the fall of the same year, coming thence to Texas. For a year or more after coming to this State, he taught school in Washington county, after which he returned to Houston and went to work at his trade for C. A. Turley. He had been liere only a short time, when he bought a stock of goods and went to Dallas, where he remained something less than a year. Returning to Houston, he opened a hat and gentlemen's furnishing store on the corner of Main street and Preston avenue, where he was in business up to 1862.

At that date he entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Captain Andrew's com- pany of cavalry, with which he served a short time, when he was transferred to

Cook's regiment of heavy artillery as Ord- nance Sergeant. Passing examination he was promoted to the position of First Lieu- tenant of Artillery on ordnance duty, and was for awhile in charge of the pistol fac- tory and ordnance works near Anderson, in Grimes county, during which time he was also assistant to the chief of ordnance for the District of Texas, New Mexico and Ari- zona, at Houston, Texas. He was serving in this capacity at the close of the war. What means Mr. Dooley had succeed in ac- cumulating before the war was swept away, and at the close of hostilities he found him- self, in the matter of finances, where he had begun on first coming to Texas, eleven years before.

He went to a friend in Houston, and borrowing $5,000 for a few months engaged in buying and selling cotton, at which he made money rapidly, and by the close of the season of 1865 he was fairly on his feet again. On the recommendation of a num- ber of citizens of Houston Mr. Dooley was appointed by Governor Hamilton Assessor and Collector of Taxes of Harris county and served for the fiscal year of 1865-6. In 1866, under an election proclamation by President Andrew Johnson, James Toole was elected Assessor and Collector of Harris county, but was subsequently removed by the Commis- sioners' Court, which recommended to James W. Thockmorton, then Governor, the ap- pointment of Mr. Dooley. The appoint- ment was made; but Mr. Dooley, being un- able to take the oath of office as then pre- scribed by Federal authority, did not qualify, and accordingly in his place was appointed by General Griffin, military commander of this district, an ex-Federal soldier, Captain J. W. Wallace. This gentleman took the office, but inade Mr. Dooley liis deputy, to

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

whom he turned over all the business of the office, and the latter managed the same un- til the death of Captain Wallace, who was taken off by the yellow-fever epidemic of 1867 and before the expiration of his terin of office. Upon the appointment of Cap- tain Wallace's successor Mr. Dooley refused to serve longer in the office, and at once turned his attention to real estate. H tlius became one of the early real-estate dealers of the city and has been steadily en- gaged at it since. He gives attention to the handling of farm, ranch and timber land, and is a large operator in city and suburban property. Besides this he represents a number of Eastern and foreign capitalists and places loans on real estate. He owns a great deal of real estate in this and other counties of Texas, and valuable lots in and around Houston. He is a contributor to all of the churches and to all worthy purposes. .

Mr. Dooley was married in the fall of 1860 to Miss Frances F. Bowman, of Hous- ton, a daughter of Charles and Catherine Bowman, and by this marriage has nine children : Charles M .; Jennie G., wife of C. W. Cahoon; Willie B., Frederick, Harry H., Eddie, Arthur, Claude O. and Lillian M.

RS. EMILIE BERTALLOT. She whose name heads this sketch has been a resident of the Lone Star State for over half a cen- tury, and, although she has attained to the age of seventy-three years, she is still in the enjoyment of fair health, is very intelligent, and retains her mental faculties to a remark- able degree. .

She is a native of France, and there first opened her eyes to the light of day July 10, 1821, her parents being Charles and Mary

Ann (Steiser) Ettlinjes, who also were born in that country, where they lived and died, the father at the age of seventy-nine years and the motlier when eighty-five years of age. Mrs. Bertallot came to the United States with a cousin in 1843, and arrived in the city of Galveston on May 2 of that year, and in March of the following year she was imarried to Fred Sherman, a native of Ger- inany, and a follower of that calling around which Longfellow and Schiller have thrown a vail of romance, - blacksmithing, - at

which he was an expert and from which he derived a comfortable income. To their union three children were given: Mary, Charles, and Louis. Mary was married to Gus Tipp, and has four children, -Robert, who married Mamie Conen and has two chil- dren (Robert and Julia L.); Gus, Eddie and Louis. Charles died at the age of thirty- seven, and Louis is a master mechanic on the Mexican International Railroad in Mex- ico. In 1858 the subject of this sketch was left a widow and her three children father- less, but she bravely put her shoulder to the wheel and cared for them faithfully and well without aid from others until her mar- riage in 1859 to Adolph Bartallot, a native German, who had arrived in this country in 1850. He was a machinist by trade, was a peaceful, honest, law-abiding citizen, for many years in the employ of the late Judge Alex. McGowen. He died in April, 1880. Besides his widow he left two chil- dren: Louisa, wife of A. Stude, by whom she has five' children, - Henry, Einilie, Adolph, Henrietta and Louis; and Emma, wife of Charles Weiss, who is a son of J. F. Weiss, Sr., a sketch of whose life may be found in this volume, by whom she has three children, -Charles, Monday, and Stella.

Mrs. Bertallot has seen the country

520

HISTORY OF TEXAS

grow from a primitive wilderness to its pres- ent settled condition, which result has been brought about only by great labor. She has possessed considerable strength and force of character to face, asshe has done, the pri- vations of pioneer life and to instill into her children principles of truth and right. She has borne her part in life's battles faithfully and well, and, being a church member, she has found much consolation and comfort in the Scriptures. She was in the early days of the State well acquainted with General Sam Houston.

J UDGE F. LEE SCHWANDER .- The younger Pitt, had his lot been cast in the United States in this day and generation, would not have found . it necessary to defend himself against the "atrocious crime of being a young man," as charged against him because of his pre- cocious mental development. In this Re- public there is no prejudice against a man merely because he chances to develop in ad- vance of the conventional idea as to time of maturity, but on the contrary it is more likely that the fact will be used as a cause for rewarding his ability by promoting him to places of honor and trust. The subject of this sketch, Judge F. Lee Schwander, of Houston, is a young man who has demon- strated over and over again that the wisdom of age rests upon his shoulders and the judgment of tried experience guides his ac- tions; yet, so far from this being a bar to his advancement, his friends point to the fact with pride and as convincing proof that man ought to be weighed by his sagacity and not by the duration of his days upon earth.

Judge Schwander was born in the city in which he now lives, March 8, 1868, his par-

ents being Peter W. and Adele J. (Gagne) Schwander, the former of whom was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and when a lad was brought to the United States by his parents. In 1858 he took up his residence in Houston, but after a number of years' residence here went to New Mexico, where he was engaged in mining up to the time of his death, in 1889. The mother of the subject of this sketch was a daughter of Joseph and Clementine Gagne and was born in Louisiana. She died on the 23d of De- cember, 1872.

The youthful days of Judge F. Lee Schwander were marked by many hardships, for, owing to the residence of his parents be- ing away froin Houston, he decided to begin the hard battle of life when but eleven years . of age, and did odd jobs about the town, or in the store of G. B. Grassis. When the schools were in session, he worked in the morning, at night and on Saturdays, and he was thus enabled to pursue his studies dur- ing the day, for, boy as he was, he realized that a good education was a most necessary adjunct to a successful career, and he deter- mined to have it at all hazards. By the judicious saving of his earnings he was en- abled to attend one term of school at Sher- man, Texas, and one term at Osage Mission, Kansas, and wisely made the best use of these opportunities. In 1884 he went to Silver City, New Mexico, to assist his father, but at the end of one year he returned to Houston, and for two years thereafter was a clerk in the store of Gagne Brothers, and later was with C. T. Renne. He deserves the greatest credit for the manner in which his life was spent at this time, for although his services were required in the store until nine o'clock at night, he seldom retired to rest until he had devoted two hours to the

من

52 1

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

study of law, in his room, and this course he pursued for four years. For a time he was a clerk in the Southern Pacific Railroad office at Houston, but no matter how arduous had been his duties during the day, or what the hour that he reached home, his Black- stone was brought forth and two hours at least were devoted to its perusal. He pur- sued his studies under the direction of G. W. Tharp, and in July, 1889, entered the office of Gustave Cook, with whom he read until the following November, when he was admitted to the bar. He at once hung out his " shingle," but after a few months' prac- tice he entered the office of Henry F. Ring, and assisted him up to the 14th of Novem- ber, 1890, when he was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, and to this position he was re-elected in November, 1892, the · duties of which office he is still discharging.

In June, 1894, he was made the Demo- cratic nominee for the office of County At- torney, which is equivalent to an election.

ETER PAUL FLOECK, deceased. -There is no power greater or more effective than the silent influence of a life well spent. This truth is fully illustrated in the career of every good man, and especially in that of the subject of this sketch, who was formerly prominent- ly connected with the business and social in- terests of the city of Houston. His career affords an illustration of the comnion obser- vation that honesty and industry, coupled with economy and business methods, are the surest means of winning success.

Mr. Floeck was a native of Germany, having been born at Millheim, on the Rhine, August 11, 1834. His parents were Michael and Catherine Floeck, both of whom were 34

also natives of Germany. The family emi- grated to America in 1848, sailing direct for Texas, the soil of which they first touched at Galveston. They settled on Cypress creek in Harris county, where the senior Mr. Floeck engaged for a year in farming. He then moved to Houston, and here he and his wife passed the remainder of their days, honored and respected by all who knew them. In this city their son, Peter Paul Floeck, the subject of this notice, began his career. He received little or no educational advantages during his youth. At the age of sixteen he began to manage for himself, working at whatever honorable employment he could find. He followed this some six years, when, in 1856, he secured a position as porter in the wholesale dry-goods and grocery house of Henry Sampson, of Houston.

February 28, 1857, he married Miss . Elizabeth Schultz, then residing in Hous- ton, but a native of Prussia, Germany, and, with the counsel and assistance of a good wife he entered upon the busi- ness career which is here outlined. With their combined means, about $600, he and his wife opened a bakery, confectionery establishment, restaurant and coffee-house in this city, at which they prospered steadi- ly from the beginning, and, notwithstanding their establishment was destroyed by fire at the end of the first year, they persevered, until at the end of twenty years they found themselves the possessors of considerable means, wrung from fortune by hard and persistent effort and the most economical business-like management. In 1876 Mr. Floeck gave up the bakery and confection- ery business and engaged in banking, which he followed, however, only about five years, when he again put his funds in more

522

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

active pursuits, embarking in the sash, door and blind business, at which he continued up to the time of his death, November 6, 1887. It was Mr. Floeck's policy through life to keep his funds invested in his own business; yet his enterprising disposition led him to lend his aid to whatever promised legitimate returns, and on this account he was more than once induced to invest in things which turned out disastrously for him. He lost over $80,000 in one such investment, but this did not impair his credit. He paid dollar for dollar on his in- debtedness as long as he lived, and left a handsome estate unincumbered at his death. Mr. Floeck's walk through life was charac- terized by honorable business methods, by his devotion to his family and by the inter- est he took in his fellow-men. He was warm in his temperament, firm in his con- victions, and true in all the relations of life. He took very little interest in anything out- side of liis business pursuits, and yet he gave his support to every measure set on foot for the benefit of the community in which he resided. He served as Alderinan of the city a term or two before the war, but could never be induced to accept any other public trust.

Surviving him he left a widow and eight children. Since his death his widow has had charge of his estate, and the busi- ness training which she got during his life in assisting him has enabled her to handle his business interests successfully since his demise. Mrs. Floeck, who, as has been stated, was born in Germany, came to the United States in 1852, with her parents, Christof and Elizabeth Schultz, and resided on Bear creek, in this county, where they settled, until her marriage to Mr. Floeck. Her parents both died in Harris county.

Two sisters of hers are now living in this county: Dora, now Mrs. Henry Gla- bow; and Louisa, now Mrs. Frederick Wiess, of Houston. To Mr. and Mrs. Floeck ten children were born, eight of whom are still living: Kate, the wife of William Hempstead; William; Paul; Annie, wife of Charles Maurice; Clarence; Jesse; Edna, and Peter, -all of whom reside in Houston,, most of them remaining with their widowed mother.

3 OHN FREDERICK WEISS .- The industries of Houston, Texas, are of an important character, ably and successfully carried on, the products being such as have secured for the place a reputation of which any city might be proud. Prominent among thie leading citizens and foriner manufacturers of the place is John Frederick Weiss, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 3, 1823, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth Weiss, who were also natives of Germany, where they lived and died. The father was a wheelwright by trade and under his able instruction his son, John Frederick, obtained a thorough knowledge of the work, and in 1849 decided to ply his trade beyond the Atlantic, and accordingly boarded the "Mary Florence," a sailing ves- sel, and after a voyage of six weeks landed at New Orleans, at which place he at once secured work at his trade. He continued to labor faithfully and earnestly there until the spring of 1851, when he came to Hous- ton, of which city he has since been a resi- dent. In 1855 he embarked in business here for himself as a worker in wood, in which he was very successful, and in addi- tion to pursuing this calling he also, in 1874, opened a store here, which he conducted,

523

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

with his usual far-seeing judgment, up to 1892. He is one of the substantial men of Houston, and by his correct mode of living has gathered about him a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

July 8, 1854, he was married to Miss Louisa Schultz, who was born in Prussia, Germany, September 16, 1835, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Freyer) Schultz, who took up their residence in the United States in 1851, landing at Galveston. From that place they proceeded at once to Hous- ton and settled on a tract of land about five miles south of the place, where the father was successfully engaged in farming until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-four years, his wife also dying at that age. To Mr. and Mrs. Weiss a family of seven children have been given: John F., Jr .; Louisa, Charlie, Emma, William, Eddie, and Mary.

The eldest son, John F., Jr., was born in Houston, August 31, 1854, and at the age of sixteen years began learning the baker's trade, under John Springer and others, at which he worked up to June, 1893, when he became a partner in the bakery, confectionery and coffee house of J. J. Weiss, the style of the firin being J. J. Weiss & Company. Their place of business is at $14 Preston avenue, and, under the able management of these wide-awake and intel- ligeut gentlemen the enterprise is thriving. John F. Weiss, Jr., is a "chip off the old block," for he is proving himself a substan- tial, law-abiding and public-spirited citizen, and that he will one day be a wealthy citi- zen cannot be doubted when the success which has already attended his efforts is taken into consideration October 19, 1880, witnessed the celebration of his mar- riage with Miss Bertha C. Meier, a native of

Galveston and a daughter of John and Mary Meier, and by her he has three interesting little children: Johnnie, eleven years of age; Barbara, who is eight years old; and Anna, aged three.

HE RICHARDSONS,-Stephen, Alfred Stephen and Walter Ra- leigh. - The Richardson family, though by no means large, is one of the first settled families of Texas. Stephen Richardson, the father of Alfred Stephen and Walter Raleigh, and the one who brought the name to the Southwest, was a native of Mount Desert island, Hancock county, Maine, where he was born June I, 1794. He landed in Texas December 22, 1822, having been shipwrecked near the mouth of the Brazos river while on his way from New Orleans to Tampico, Mexico, whither he was bound with a cargo of mer- chandise. Cast ashore by the angry winds and tides, his vessel and merchandise lost, he had no choice but to seek safety and the means of livelihood in the nearest friendly settlement. South Texas was then a wil- derness country and the nearest and only American settlement of any consequence was that established just twelve months previous, by Stephen F. Austin, at San Felipe, the Jamestown of the Southwest. To this place Mr. Richardson made his way. From 1822 to 1828 he resided at San Felipe, engaged in teaching school and in helping administer the affairs of the colony in dif- ferent civil capacities. He married, at San Felipe, in 1828, Miss Lucinda Hodge, a daughter of one of the colonists, and the same year settled on a farm in what is now Austin county, near the present town of Wallis. For four years he resided at this

524

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

place, and in 1832 he moved to Chocolate bayou, settling near the present town of Alvin, in Brazoria county, where he began the erection of a sawmill, to be run by wa- ter power, but before it was finished the floods of that spring swept it away, and in the summer of the same year he moved to a point lower down on Chocolate bayou, where the town of Liverpool stands, and here put up another sawmill, the motor power of which was an inclined plane, operated by oxen on the principle of gravitation. Here he was residing when the trouble broke out, in 1835, between Mexico and the Texan col- onists. He joined the patriots in the fall of that year, took part in the "Grass Fight," November 26, and in the storming and cap- ture of San Antonio December 5th follow- ing, being a meinber of Captain Frank W. Johnson's company. He was near Colonel Milam when he fell, and was probably the last one to whom that gallant soldier and patriot ever spoke. After the battle of San Jacinto, and when the peaceful order of things had in a measure been restored, Mr. Rich- ardson moved, in January, 1838, to Harris- burg, where he erected a steam sawmill, which he operated for a period of about ten years. In 1849 he moved to Houston and here passed the remainder of his life, dying July 6, 1860.

With the exception of the minor local positions which he held at San Felipe, he had but little to do with public matters, de- voting all the best years of his life to busi- ness pursuits. He was a man of patriotic spirit, however, well read in the history of his country, and firmly attached to the prin- ciples of self-government. He always took an active, though not a partisan interest in public affairs, and was fond of political dis- cussion when conducted ex foro. His late

years were passed quietly with his family and among his friends, to whom he was fond of recounting his early experiences and observations; for he had not only seen much of Texas' early history but had served in the war of 1812-14 with Great Britain, under Colonel (afterward General) John E. Wool, and had traveled over a good portion of the Central and Southern States in pioneer days, having taught school in Illinois and flat-boated on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers as far south as New Orleans, and had re- peatedly visited Campeachy, Tampico, and other seaports in Mexico. He had enjoyed reasonably good educational advantages in youth, and improving on these as he grew up he came to possess a large fund of valuable general information. He was an enthusiast in the matter of education, and never lost an opportunity to render the cause such assistance as he could. Mainly through his exertions at school, whose at- tendance aggregated between seventy-five and one hundred, was built up and maintained during the years 1834-5-6 at Liverpool, in Brazoria county, thus mak- ing that one of the principal educational points in Texas at that time and a power for good, under the existing conditions of society. His wife, a woman of warm heart and bright, receptive mind, fully shared his views and feelings in this matter, and ably seconded and assisted him in his efforts in behalf of education, she herself having been a pupil of Henry Smith, the first provisional Governor of Texas. She died in Septem- ber, 1880.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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