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 75

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 75
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 75

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"Our commerce has been enlarged; am- ple appropriations secured for deepening our bar; our manufactures have been diversified; our churches, schools, hospitals and charit- able institutions have increased in number and broadened in scope; our harbor im- provements have reached the point of as- sured success, and many handsome struc- tures of brick and stone have taken the place of old and dilapidated buildings.

"Public improvement has kept pace with private enterprise; miles of streets have been paved and other miles are under contract; water for fire and manufacturing purposes has already been provided, and an abundant supply of fresh water for all other purposes has been contracted for; many other im- provements, unnecessary to mention, have been completed, or are now under way. In- deed, I can truly say that the Galveston of to-day shows great advances in all direc- tions over the Galveston of ten years ago. Neither devastating storm nor death-deal- ing epidemic has visited us, and a smaller death rate than ever before reported attests the vigilance of our health officers and the healthfulness of our surroundings. Peace

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and order have prevailed. Life and prop- erty have been secure. Crime has been suppressed. The rights and privileges of all classes, without regard to condition, race religion or politics, have been respected. Financially, the city has never been in a healthier condition, as the books will show. The old debt has been reduced to the ex- tent of about $350,000. The interest on the public debt has been reduced from eight and ten to five per cent., and its payment has never been defaulted. We have had no difficulty in negotiating at par all the bonds required for works of public improvement. For the past eight years the city has been on a cash basis, and all salaries and other expenditures have been promptly paid at the close of each month. I hope these favorable conditions will continue, and that the administration now taking charge of affairs may have a successful and prosperous term.

"I cannot close without a word of grate- ful acknowledgment, shared, I am sure, by every member of the community, to our proud galaxy of philanthropists, whose benefactions have blessed us during the term of ten years of my official incumbency. "I vacate this chair with malice toward none, with charity for all, and I can wish my successor no better fortune than to be able to meet the close of his official career with a conscience as clear, a mind as quiet, and a spirit as unclouded as mine are to-day.

"I now take pleasure in introducing to you my successor, Mayor A. W. Fly."

Captain Fulton was married, October 7, 1870, to Miss Mary Eliza Newby, who is a daughter of Mrs. S. B. White, and with whom he had been acquainted from her early girlhood.

He is the father of four children, -two boys and two girls. Walter, the eldest, was born July 4, 1871; Ernest was born August 22, 1872; Minnie was born January 11, 1874; and Nellie was born April 9, 1878.

Captain Fulton is about six feet in

height, weighs about one hundred and seventy-five pounds, has hair and moustache that were originally as black as jet, but are prematurely gray. Fraternally he is iden- tified with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and Chosen Friends.

a ILLIAM ZABEL. - The man who has made his way to an honor- able position in life by the sheer force of natural ability, is well worthy the esteem and respect of all right- thinking people, and to this class belongs the subject of this sketch; for, upon his ar- rival in this country, his means were any- thing but ample, and he was totally unac- quainted with the customs of the American people. Notwithstanding these drawbacks he made the most of every opportunity that presented itself, labored faithfully and earnestly, and in due course of time bent the force of circumstances to his will and be- came well-to-do.

Mr. Zabel is a native of Prussia, Ger- many, May 19, 1831, being the date of his birth; was reared in his native land and re- ceived the schooling of the average German youth, that is, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the common branches; and there he continued to make his home until 1860, in which year he sailed for America, landing in Galveston on the 25th of June, of that year, after a nine-weeks voyage on a sailing vessel called the Iris. After spend- ing two days in the city of Galveston, he came to Houston and spent the first year working on the railroad, not disdaining to turn his hand to any honest and useful em- ployment. From 1862 to 1863 he con- ducted a coffee house in the market, at the end of which time he went to Matamoros,

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Mexico, where he successfully conducted a restaurant until the civil war of this coun- try had closed, when he returned to Hous- ton, and for two years thereafter was en- gaged in farming on Spring Branch, on land which lie had purchased prior to his removal to Mexico. The work of tilling the soil not exactly suiting him he came to Houston and opened a boarding-house on the corner of Travis street and Prairie avenue, and during the five years that he followed this business he was successful financially and gained a wide acquaintance and the good will of all.

He then came to the conclusion that he had earned a holiday, and, with his family, started for Europe, not only visiting the old home, but also many other places of inter- est, and was gone about seven months. Upon his return to Houston he opened a furniture establishment on Travis street and the market square, and was in that business one year, when he began devoting his at- tention to the grocery business, which he found both profitable and agreeable; but in 1881 he was compelled to retire on account of ill health and has not since been able to engage in business, although he carefully looks after his real estate, being the owner of a business house at 912 Congress avenue, also one at the corner of Jackson and Mag- nolia streets, some vacant lots, and his residence at 2004 Prairie avenue.

Mr. Zabel was married March 23, 1860, to Miss Christina Larenz, who was born in Prussia, Germany, September 29, 1837, a daughter of Frederick and Mary Larenz. She has borne her husband two children: Emma, wife of August Baumbach, of Hous- ton, by whom she has had one child, - Larenz; and William, who is a plumber by trade and is a resident of Houston. Mr.

Zabel is a son of Siagmont and Elizabeth Zabel, who lived and died in Germany, the father passing away at the age of sixty, and the mother at the age of eighty-two. Mr. Zabel is generous in the support of worthy enterprises and is a man on whom one can at all times rely.

S ID . WESTHEIMER. - He whose name heads this sketch is a mem- ber of the firm of Westheimer & Michaels, undertakers, embalmers and funeral directors, at 104 San Jacinto . street, corner of Commerce avenue, Hous- ton, Texas.

Forms of burial have differed from the days of Adam to the present time. The people of various ages have run the entire gamut, from the work of putting demised persons in the ground to lodging them in the tops of trees, after the manner pursued by certain African tribes and North American Indians. The civilized manner of burial calls for the skill of expert undertakers, and this may be found in Messers. West- heimer & Michaels, who carry a full and complete line of the most modern appli- ances connected with their line of work. Their hearses are new, adapted to all ages and occasions, and they have the only church car ever introduced into the State, which dispenses entirely with carrying the coffin to the altar. Their caskets and coffins are handsomely finished and durably inade, and can be supplied at any price, and they are ready to perform their combined and respective duties, and see to it that the rule of integrity guides their operations in all business matters. They also have par- lor and church canopy for children, which has a pleasing effect, and these and their

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church car are furnished without charge. They have a handsome seven-light candle- stick, with Catholic attachment, which is unquestionably the finest in the State.

Mr. Westheimer is the senior member of the firm, and is a native of Germany, his birth occurring March 4, 1860. His parents, Joseph and Sophia Westheimer, still reside in the Fatherland. By trade Mr. West- heimer is a miller, having learned the details of that business in his native land, under the instructions of his father. At the age of fourteen years Mr. Westheimer came to the United States, landing at Galveston, from which place he very soon after made his way to Houston, and here, for some time after his arrival, clerked in a store, and later be- gan dealing in cattle. In 1883 he opened up a transfer business, and was the first man 'in Houston to load and unload cars with wagons, it having been previously done with two-wheel drays. This business was finally merged into the livery, feed and sale stable of which lie is the proprietor. Since the business was founded, in September, 1883, it has gained greatly in the favor of the resi- dents of Houston, which fact is due to the facilities it possesses and the inducements it offers to the public. This stable is a large two-story brick building, 100 feet square in area, and is a thoroughly well appointed establishment, and especially fitted up for the proper care of horses. All sorts of vehicles are kept, either for business or pleasure, and horses are also boarded at reasonable prices and are given the most careful attention. Mr. Westheimer is en- gaged in the buying, selling and exchanging of horses and inules, and usually has on hand quite a drove of Kansas, Missouri and Texas horses. Notwithstanding the un- savory reputation of the average horse-

trader, Mr. Westheimer is the soul of honor in his business transactions, and his word can at all times be relied upon, and no wrong impressions are ever made. The large measure of success which has attended his efforts is due in no small measure to the honorable course which he has pursued, as well as to his energetic and enterprising business methods. This, together with the undertaking business, which has later been added, fully occupies his time and attention, although the latter establishment is under the direct management of C. W. Montgom- ery. Mr. Westheimer is an extensive real- estate owner of Houston, and has found this to be a profitable business in this thriving and growing city. All those who have had business dealings with Mr. Westheimer are his friends, hence it can safely be inferred that he is a reliable and honorable man of business, and one who thinks of the welfare of his patrons rather than any small or temporary advantage which he may gain by dishonest methods. He has been the archi- tect of his own fortunes, and is a shrewd, practical and far-seeing business man, a useful citizen, and one who has every reason to be honored. He is a member of the Jewish congregation and is unmarried.

UGUST BLAU .- A daily provision for the material wants of life, which means an appeasing of that craving nature of man known as the appe- tite, is one of the most important neces- sities of existence. Without the aid of the tradesman the whole public would find itself in a tangled dilemma from which extrication would be impossible. The mission of the merchant is so important that he is an indispensable member of so-

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ciety at large. The meat inarket is one of the prime necessities of life, and one of the important establishments devoted to this business is that of August Blau, who is con- ducting a successful butcher's business in the city market-house at Houston, where he has been established since 1867.

He is a native of Saxony, Gerinany, born April 28, 1839, a son of Christian F. Blau, who was a minister of the German Lutheran Church. In 1846 the family em- barked on a vessel for the United States, landing at Galveston, Texas, where they made their home for about one year, prior to coming to Houston. The mother died when the subject of this sketch was about seven years old, and his father when he was ten years of age, and he was thus left to shift for himself. Until he had attained his majority he made his home with John Coleman, then started out to fight life's battle for himself, without a dol- lar. He learned the butcher's trade un- der George Frank, at which he worked until the opening of the civil war, when he made a trip to Mexico, and also went to New York city as cabin boy on a vessel, but returned to Galveston, on deck as an able seaman. After the war closed, he, in part- nership with William J. Settegast, opened up a butcher's shop in Houston, which part- nership existed for about eight months, when Mr. Blau opened an establishment of his own, and in 1867 secured a stall in the city market, where he has since conducted a successful business. Through all the busi- ness changes, trade depressions, fires and financial disturbances, he has steadily pur- sued the even tenor of his way, and by in- dustry, economy, and methodical business habits, his possessions have gradually ac- cumulated from year to year, until he

now owns a valuable tract of land, com- prising forty-two and a half acres adjoining Houston, other valuable real estate, and about 800 head of cattle. Through a busi- ness experience of twenty-seven years, his good name has remained untarnished, and he is at all times and in all sorts of weather to be found at his place of business, ready to supply cheerfully and courteously the wants of his patrons, and, as he deals only in the best articles the market affords his goods command good prices, and his patrons are among the elite of the city. He has made his way to his present honorable busi- ness and social position over obtacles that at first seemed almost insurmountable, but his energy and determination carried him safely over the shoals and quicksands of mercantile life, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that his present possessions are the result of his energy rightly applied.

He was married in 1867 to Miss Mary Nitze, a daughter of Christian and Fred- ricka Nitze, further mention of whom may be found in the sketch of E. H. Nitze else- where in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Blau have seven children: Caroline, Herman, John, August, George, Sophia, and Char- lotte. Mr. Blau is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Honor and of the German Lutheran Church.

APTAIN MILTON G. HOWE, for thirty-odd years connected with the railway interests of Texas, having held a number of important posi- tions and contributed largely to railway de- velopment in this State, is a native of Methuen, Massachusetts. He was reared in his native place and received the advan- tages of the best schools in the old Bay

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HISTORY OF TEXAS.

State, completing his education at Dart- mouth College. Prepared for the calling of a civil engineer, he began his career as such on the Saratoga & Sackett's Harbor Railroad in northern New York, assisting in making the preliminary surveys for this road, which, however, was never completed. In 1857 he went to Illinois and became assistant engineer on the Illinois Central, then being built westward from Chicago, and two years later, in 1859, he came to Texas.

He entered the employ of the Houston & Texas Central immediately on coming to this State, and, with the exception of the period covered by the civil war, he was for twenty-six consecutive years with this road. He assisted in surveying this pioneer line from Bryan to Calvert during the year 1860, and in rebuilding it from Houston to Mil- · lican, from 1865 to 1868. Then, in 1869, he became chief engineer of the road, and as such had charge of the construction of its main line to Denison and of the branches to Austin, Waco and Terrell, building, in all, about 500 miles. He severed his con- nection with the Central, in 1885, to accept the receivership of the Houston, East & West Texas, with which he has since con- tinued, having been vice-president and gen- eral manager of this road since its reorgan- ization, in June, 1893.

Such is a briefly sketched outline of Captain Howe's railway career. To fill it in with dates, figures, details of construction and description as to the magnitude and im- portance of the interests intrusted to his charge and with which he has liad to. do, especially in Texas, would be to give a his- tory of the Houston & Texas Central Rail- road almost from its infancy until the time of liis quitting its service, and a long sketch of the Houston, East & West Texas for the

past ten years,-a task which the nature and scope of this brief personal notice will not allow; for Captain Howe has seen almost the entire growth of one of these roads and the rehabilitation of the other; and, without having made any noise as to his connection with either, he has assisted to a large extent in the development of both. He has given his time wholly for the past thirty-seven years to railway matters, and knows thoroughly the railroad business as it pertains to Texas.

Coming South before the war, Captain Howe naturally came to view the questions involved in the great contest of 1861-5 from a Southern standpoint, and accordingly, on the opening of hostilities, he entered the Confederate army, enlisting in a regiment. of cavalry. He subsequently received a commission to raise a company of engineer troops, of which he was elected Captain and with which he served along the Gulf coast during the war.

Captain Howe has never figured in politics except in a general way. He be- longs to the Democratic party and has rep- resented his ward in the City Council of Houston three terms. Public enterprises, educational interests, the cause of good government and the welfare of the commu- nity in general receive his prompt advocacy and assistance, but it is only the claims of these that ever call him even for a brief time from his business interests and pursuits.

On the 11th day of September, 1873, Captain Howe married Miss Jessie Briscoe, of Houston, a daughter of Judge Andrew Briscoe, the first Chief Justice of Harris county, and a grand-daughter of John R. Harris, for whom the county was named, full biographies of each of whom appear in this volume. Captain Howe has one child.

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HISTORY OF TEXAS.

J OHNC. NICHOLS. - There is prob- ably no line of business in which a man can engage that requires a inore thorough scientific knowledge, coupled with the best of judgment, than bridge en- gineering. The man who follows this pro- fession must meet and overcome new difficul- ties in every piece of work that he undertakes, and, while he may be able to apply some general rule to his dicisions on many points, he must largely depend upon his own good judgment after all the circumstances liave been carefully considered. That John C. Nichols is a bridge-building engineer of more than ordinary ability can not be denied when the fact is taken into consideration that he has for the past twenty-seven years been in the employ of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad as superintendent of bridges, and that his work has met with the highest approval of the. road.

He owes his nativity to Portland, Maine, where he was born November 20, 1839, a son of John C. and Margaret (Williams) Nichols, the former of whom was a skillful stone and brick mason, which occupation he followed the most of his life. He moved with his family to New York city in 1845, and three years later to Galveston, Texas, where he was called from life at the age of forty-one years, and his wife when she had attained the age of fifty years. Of their three chil- den, the subject of this sketch was the eldest, the other two being Maggie, who is the widow of William McDonald, a Lieu- tenant in the British Navy, and died in 1882 at Constantinople, and Charles who is a resi- dent of the city of New York. At the age of fifteen years John C. Nichols entered the navy yards of Brooklyn, New York, where he apprenticed himself to learn brick and stone masonry; and, after his terin of four

years had expired, and he had thoroughly mastered the trade, he went to San Fran- cisco, California, with the Government of- ficers at the time they laid out the navy yards of that city, Benjamin F. Prime being the civil engineer. Mr. Nichols worked at Golden Gate and also on Bird island for some time, then went up the bay and was for some time, employed in the Benicia navy yard. The entire time spent on the Pacific coast was about two years, after which he returned to New York city, and from there he went to the navy yards at Pensacola, Florida, thence to the Gosport navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia; from there to Cuba. In the last place he had charge of the masonry work of several large boilers for an extensive sugar house, and after completing it he came to Houston, in 1866, and here has since made his home.

Almost immediately he secured work on the Houston & Texas Central Railroad as foreman of the masonry work on the bridges, and he also built all their shops and round- houses, -work that required no little expe- rience and good judgment. He has done considerable contracting for the road, and during the long term of years that he has been connected with the same, his relations with the officials have been of the most har- monious character, and he lias always en- joyed their confidence and esteem. He has worked his own way up from the position of ordinary laborer to his present responsible position of general foreman of mason work on all lines of the Houston & Texas Central Railway. He is honest, conscien- tious and faithful in the discharge of his du- ties; has the satisfaction of knowing that he has made his own way in the world without adventitious aid, and that his present pros- perity, both worldly and professional, has

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HISTORY OF TEXAS.

been. but the natural sequence of years worthily and usefully spent. He has accu- mulated a competency, and is the owner of three business houses and considerable val- uable real estate in Houston and Galveston.

He has been married twice, first to Miss Eliza Lucas in 1876, who died in 1882, leaving him with two children: William H. and Fred R., and the second time to Miss Dora Keiser.

ILLIAM A. POLK, County Sur- veyor of Harris county, was born in Morehouse parish, Louisiana, January, 1860, and is a son of Thomas R. and Lucy (Cocke) Polk, his father being a native of North Carolina, and a son of Thomas I. Polk, who was also a . native of North Carolina, a planter by call- ing, and one who reached the great age of 100 years. Thomas I. Polk was a cousin of President James K. Polk. All of the Polks were people of distinction, the branch to which the subject of this sketch belongs, as well as the President's branch. Thomas I. Polk had three sons: Horace T., who was for many years a State Senator in Tennes- see; Charles B., a prominent planter; and Thomas R., father of the subject, also a planter. The mother of William A. Polk died when he was only a few months' old, and his father when the son was seven years old.

The boy was taken into the family of his uncle, Charles B. Polk, and reared on a farm in Morehouse parish, Louisiana. His educational advantages were above the aver- age. At the age of sixteen he made up his mind to have a good education, and having some taste for mathematics, he turned his attention to surveying. Qualifying himself 36

from the books for this calling, he joined an engineer corps as a chain carrier, and, by unremitting attention to his duties, he rose rapidly to the position of division engineer, which he was holding within six moths from the time he entered the corps. He held this place about a year, when he entered the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tennes- see, where he remained four years, taking a full course, giving special attention to civil engineering, and graduating with a degree of Bachelor of Science and in civil engin- eering.

He came to Texas in 1881, locating at Houston, where he received the appoint- ment of division engineer of the Houston, East & West Texas Railroad at a good salary. He was subsequently promoted to the position of adjuster of claims and live- stock and fuel agent, and remained with the road till April, 1893, when the management, having changed hands, he quit its services. He was elected Surveyor of Harris county in November, 1892, while still in the em- ploy of the railroad company, and, having already entered on the discharge of the duties of this office, he has given his atten- tion exclusively to the same. He is a popular gentlemen and a thoroughly com- petent official.

Mr. Polk was married in February, 1885, to Miss Gracie Taylor, of Nacogdoches county, Texas, a daughter of Daniel T. and Mary L. Taylor, and by this marriage has had three children, two of whom, Arthur C. . and Jessie Andress, are living, and one, Eloise, is deceased. Mr. Polk is the young- est of three children, having one brother, J. Cecil, a civil engineer, now Deputy Surveyor of Harris county, and a sister, Lulu, now Mrs. J. S. Green, residing in Nashville, Ten- nessee.

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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