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 86

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 86
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 86

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viser and counselor in all their affairs, Her case affords an excellent illustration of what a woman may accomplish against great odds, and is a wholesome, cheering example to the ambitious youth of her sex.

AVID AYERS, a soldier of the war of 1812, married and settled in Morristown, New Jersey, his na- tive place, where he resided until 1832, when, becoming dissatisfied, he de- termined on making a business venture in the Republic of Mexico. Procuring a stock of merchandise, he set out for the nearest Province of that Republic, the States of Coahuila and Texas. He landed at the mouth of the Brazos river in Texas, and there sold part of his stock of goods to local merchants, after which, proceeding into the interior, he exchanged the rest for a tract of land near the present site of the town of Longpoint, in Washington county. He at once began improving this place in order to provide a home for his family. He erected a stone dwelling-house and other substantial improvements, and returned to New Jersey in 1833.

He, with other intending settlers, char- tered a vessel in New York, and, loading it with household effects and provisions, set sail. They arrived off the Texas coast dur- ing a gale, which drove them to the west- ward and ultimately wrecked their vessel on Padre island, south of the entrance to Corpus Christi bay, in June, 1834. The passengers and crew were rescued with a portion of their household effects by Mexicans, and conveyed by them to the Irish-American settlement of San Patricio on the Nueces river. Going to Longpoint, then Austin's Colony, now Washington county, Mr. Ayers

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procured wagons and teams and returned for his family and effects, which he moved to his place on the Brazos, a distance of 160 miles, as the crow flies. He resided there until the trouble of 1835-6 between the American settlers and Mexican author- ities broke out.

Colonel William B. Travis, the hero of the Alamo, was a personal friend of Mr. Ayers, and, before leaving to assume com- mand of the Texas troops at San Antonio, he placed his son, Charles Travis, in Mr. Ayers' care, in whose family he resided for nearly two years thereafter. Upon the or- ganization of the Texan army, he, with other volunteers, joined the patriot band. His deafness forbade him serving in the ranks, and he was on that account detailed by General Houston to look after the families of soldiers during the " Run Away Scrape." He accompanied these as far as Robertson's ferry on the Trinity river, where the news of the battle of San Jacinto was received. He returned, and, after the excitement liad abated, settled at old Washington-on-the- Brazos, where he resided over a year, when he purchased a place at what is now Center Hill, near Bellville, in Austin county, to which he moved and there engaged in farm- ing and merchandising until 1847, when he removed to Galveston.

Having acquired considerable land and stock interests during the preceding ten years he devoted his attention chiefly to their management, serving also as United States Deputy Marshal for a time. He made Galveston his home until the opening of the late war. The period of 1861-5 he spent in the interior of the State, mostly in Bell and Milam counties. Returning to Galveston at the close of the war, this city continued to be his home until his death.

He and his wife had six children, all of whom they saw live to be grown and mar- ried. These were Mrs. L. P. Moore, who died in April, 1893, in Temple, Texas; Mrs. Eliza Alexander, wife of the well-known Methodist divine (Mrs. Alexander dying at Chapel Hill, Washington county, in 1874); Mrs. Sarah S. Park, widow of Moses Park, now residing in Galveston; Mrs. Caroline Campbell, of Burton, Washington county; Captain Frank H. Ayers, who died at Temple, Texas, in December, 1892; and D. The. Ayers, of Galveston.

Mr. Ayers was a prominent and con- sistent member of the Methodist Church all his life. His house was a home for every minister of that faith that traveled through that part of the State in the earlier days, and so continued to be as long as he lived.

He was a liberal contributor to Method- ism. His last donation was for the erection of the Methodist church on Post Office and Fourteenth streets, Galveston. He died in 1878, full of years, and honored by all who knew him, his wife laving preceded him to the great beyond four years earlier.

0 THE. AYERS, son of David and Ann M. Ayers, was born in Ithaca, New York, July 21, 1828. When he was in his sixth year his parents moved to Texas and settled at Longpoint, in Washington county, at which place, and at Center Hill, in Austin county, to which they subsequently moved, the carly years of the subject of this sketch were passed.

He was educated in the local schools, chiefly at Rutersville Academy in Fayette county, and left home at the age of fourteen to go to live with his married sister, Mrs. Moses Park, whose husband then conducted

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a store at Independence, in Washington county. He lived with Mr. Park some four years or longer, assisting him in the store, when, in 1847, he enlisted in Ben McCul- loch's company, Hays' regiment, for service against Mexico, and was with the forces operating under General Taylor until the close of that confict. Returning to Indepen- dence, he again clerked in the store of his brother-in-law a short time, when, becom- ing discontented and hearing of the discov- ery of gold in California, he decided to join the overland tide of emigration and try his fortunes in the gold-fields of the Pacific slope. Mounting his horse, one of the best in the country, he rode to Corpus Cliristi, at which place he had heard that numbers of emi- grants from the Eastern States were con- stantly landing and outfitting for the journey across the plains. He took with him a letter . of introduction to Thomas H. Kinney, then, the chief man of means in southwestern Texas, whom young Ayers took occasion to call on and ask some advice concerning his contemplated move. Mr. Kinney advised against the trip and suggested in its stead that Mr. Ayers turn his attention to the horse trade, just at that time a particularly remunerative business at that place, on account of the demand for teams by those daily leaving for California. Buying mus- tangs from Mexican ranchers from the southwestern frontier, young Ayers resold them at a good profit to the intending gold- seekers, and followed this for some time. Later he brought a considerable band of wild ponies and took them into the interior for the purpose of trading with the settlers, and was equally fortunate in this as in his former operations. Being now fully launched in the stock business on his own account, for several succeeding years he engaged in

handling horses, sheep and cattle, owning at different times ranches at Goliad and in Refugio county.

In 1855 Mr. Ayers sold his stock, and, marrying the same year, moved to Galves- ton, where he embarked in the mercantile business as a member of the firm of Riddell & Ayers, and was in business in this city under that partnership for about a year, when he disposed of his interest here and moved to La Grange. There he formed a partnership with James A. Hanie, and was in business in that city for about a year and a half, when he sold out, and, returning to Galveston opened a grocery store in con- nection with John D. Perry, under the firm name of Ayers & Perry. He was success- fully engaged at this when the war came on in 1861, and he closed on account of the general stagnation in trade. Retiring to a ranch in Goliad county, he remained there till 1864, when he entered the Confederate army as a member of Captain A. C. Jones' company, Ford's regiment, with which he served on the Rio Grande until the close of hostilities, taking part in all the operations in that vicinity up to the firing of the last gun, which happened to be, as history re- cords, the final act in the great military drama of that period.

Returning to Galveston after the war Mr. Ayers again embarked in mercantile pursuits, and, guided by keen practical sagacity, rapidly made money in the then favorable condition of trade. He built up a large grocery business, which after several years' successful operation he sold, in 1880, to Moore, Stratton & Company. Since that time he has been engaged in the commission business first as a member of the firm of Miller & Ayers, and latterly as the head of the firm of Ayers, Gardiner & Company.

42.

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Thus for a period of over fifty years Mr. Ayers has been connected with the business interests of Texas, and has met with note- worthy success. By the exercise of indus- try, strong practical sense and straightfor- ward business methods he has accumulated a handsome fortune and won an honorable name.

Mr. Ayers has lived many years on Texas soil, has known many eminent Texans, and has witnessed the making of a great deal of Texas history. In all that he has been called on to do he has striven to dis- charge his duty honestly, fairly, and intelli- gently, and that he has succeeded in fulfill- ing his ideal of wliat a citizen, man of busi- ness, husband, father and friend should be, is an honor universally accorded him by those who have known him well in all the various relations of life.

Mr. Ayers married, in 1855, Miss Mary E. Hall, of Goliad county, Texas, a daugli- ter of Campbell Hall, and the offspring of this union has been eight children, three of whom, two sons, Theo. C. and Walter F., and one daughter, Emily, are living.

HE DIRKS FAMILY, Galveston. - Frank Dirks was born in Westpha- lia, Germany, in 1822, and at the age of eighteen (1840) came to Texas and settled at Galveston. During the earlier years of his residence in this city he was engaged in different occupations, beginning, as did most of those in his condi- tion, as a laborer, but rising with his oppor- tunities and eventually coming to possess some means. He was in the commissary department, Confederate service, part of the time commanded a company of local militia, but was not off Galveston island, being en-

gaged in defense of the city and island. He served as Sheriff of Galveston county front 1866 to 1871, and after that, until 1877, fol- lowed mercantile pursuits, having a grocery store at Eighteenth street and avenue M, where he lost his property by fire in the year just named. In 1840, he married Maria Franklin, then of Galveston, but a native of Germany, who came to Galveston in 1840, being a daughter of Casper Franklin and a sister of the present attorney, Joseph Frank- lin, of Galveston. Mr. Dirks died February 10, 1887, and his wife on the 13th day of September, 1892. For a time in later life Mr. Dirks was active in the politics of Gal- veston county, and being a man of genial disposition, free with his money, was not without friends.

The offspring of Frank and Maria Dirks was five sons,-Henry, Philip and Albert, living; and Joseph and George, deceased; and four daughters: Wilhelmina, deceased, wife of Joseph Koester; Theresa; Frances, wife of Louis Endell; and Josephine, wife of Fred Durst. All of these were born in Gal- veston, and four of them, -Theresa, Henry, Philip and Albert,-still reside here, Mrs. Endell being a resident of the city of Mexico, and Mrs. Durst a resident of Denver, Col- orado. Henry was born March 27, 1855, married Nellie Shook, July 19, 1894, and is Deputy Sheriff of Galveston county; Philip was born February 16, 1867. Albert was born August 17, 1860, learned the plumber and gas-fitter's trade, which he followed a number of years; married Johanna M. Jacobs, of Galveston, December 25, 1863, by whom he has had three children: Ger- trude, now deceased; Albert J., and May.

He was elected Sheriff of Galveston county in November, 1894, which position he is now holding, and the duties of which

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he is discharging with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of those interested in the same. Mr. Dirk's election to the office of Sheriff was a merited recognition of his worth as a citizen, and may be also taken as in some measure showing the apprecia- tion of the people of Galveston county of clean, clear-cut business methods in politics; for it is well known that Mr. Dirks con- ducted his candidacy during the late election upon strict business principles, refusing on all occasions to barter for votes, even by the commonly accepted means, or to toady to those supposed to be in high favor with the sovereign people.

EPHAS B. ADAMS .- When the measure of life has reached its ultimate limit of years, as well as its perfection in fulfilment of duty, a title to distinction is earned that men are naturally impelled to recognize and respect. One may not have aspired to public honors, may even have shunned all recognition of his gifts and achievements, yet, if his life- work is closed, and he has in his day added his share to the sum total of humanity's possessions, it is right that a proper summary of his services be made and his memory honored for the good he has done.

Cephas B. Adams was one of the first settlers of Galveston, -in a sense one of its founders. He was born in Cayuga county, New York, in 1813, was reared there, and came thence to Texas in the fall of 1836. For a time he lived at Houston, but in the spring of 1837 he located in Galveston, with the history of which he at once becaine iden- tified, and ever afterward in some capacity had to do. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace ever elected in Galveston

county, and has served twice as a member of the City Council, -in 1849 and 1852. He was a member of the firmn of Close & Adams, owners of the first foundry estab- lished on the island, and one of the first in Texas. He assisted in organizing the first fire company, Hook and Ladder Com- pany No. 1, and was a charter member of Union Fire & Marine Insurance Company,- the pioneer insurance company of Texas.

Mr. Adams was a large investor in real estate, owning property in Galveston and other cities of Texas, and large bodies of land, improved and unimproved, in different portions of the State. He also held stock in several local corporations and lent money to help develop public and private enter- prises. He can hardly be said to have been a man of strong constructive ability, but was a great conservative power in all undertak- ings, and, on account of his means, was serviceable in carrying on the development of the country. His judgment on matters of business was good. He possessed a clear perception and a sound intuitive knowledge of the essentials of success in financiering. He lived up to the letter of his contracts and endeavored, under all circumstances, to meet the requirements of good citizenship. There was no sentiment in anything he did, his idea being to do a thing in the plainest, most practical way and with the least possi- ble noise, ado and friction. He was imbued with a strong attachinent for his family, and when not engaged in business spent his time at home.

Mr. Adams married at Galveston, in January, 1849, Miss Martha Ann Close, a daughter of his partner in business, Hiram Close, and a native of Cayuga county, New York. By this union he had one son, Charles C., and two daughters, Martha J.

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and Dora P., who, with his widow, survive him, and reside in Galveston.

Mr. Adams' death occurred at Galveston, November 15, 1885.

RS. ANSON JONES .- On July 24, 1819, in Lawrence county, Arkansas Territory, Mary Smith was born, the first in a family of five children. Her father was John Mc- Cutcheon Smith, a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia, and her mother, Sarah Pevhouse, of west Tennessee. When Mary was three years old the family moved to Conway county, Arkansas, where they lived five years, and where the early childhood impressions of the beautiful scenery of that section were deeply engraved upon the little · girl's memory. From the year 1827 until October 23, 1833, their home was near Little Rock, where such school advantages 'were enjoyed as the condition of the new country afforded.

Here the father died, and at the date mentioned the widowed mother, with her little family, resolved to come to Texas, as there was a large emigration from Arkansas at that time. On the 18th of November they reached the Sabine river, and found it swollen from recent heavy rains. A raft, constructed of mulberry logs fastened to- gether with wooden pins driven into auger holes, was made by the immigrants, who were there waiting to cross into the promised land, and on this they all crossed, about twenty families, together with their house- hold goods. The journey was attended with inuch delay and suffering in consequence of excessive rains and cold weather, so that they did not reach their destination, Brazo- 41

ria county, until near the first of Janu- ary, 1834.

In 1835 Mrs. Smith married John Wood- ruff, of Brazoria county, a widower with six children. The family was farther augmented by the birth of four children, all girls, the fruit of this marriage. Mary, being the eldest, naturally shared with her mother the care of the other children, and upon the mother's death in June, 1845, and the step- father's in March, 1847, the whole respon- sibility of caring for the little ones devolved upon her. She cherished tender recollec- tions of her stepfather, and always regarded the sisters by her mother's second marriage with the same tender affection bestowed upon those of her own father; she raised two of them, one lived with her five years, and one until married.

Settled in Brazoria county, where a large number of colonists of Stephen F. Austin had made homes, there was little incident to disturb the routine of family life. The ordinary condition of the colonists was their's; they encountered inany hardships, and suffered many privations common to life in a new and unsettled country. They had few comforts, no luxuries, but life had its pleasures, and each day brought its in- terests and duties. "A true pioneer does not think, nor care, mnuch for money or luxuries."

But before the close of the year 1835, a storm which had been long gathering burst upon the colonists. The invasion of their homes by armed Mexican forces excited anxiety, but the success which attended all the early engagements between the troops of Texas and Mexico was reassuring, and, until the fall of the Alamo, there was little apprehension that the colonists east of the Brazos river would be disturbed. After

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this terribly disastrous siege, followed closely by the massacre of Fannin and his men at Goliad, panic spread throughout the coun- try. One division of Santa Anna's army had advanced to within six miles of the home of Mr. Woodruff. Most of the colonists prepared to move their families to the other side of the Sabine river. Many of the men who were in the Texan army returned home to provide places of safety for their dear ones. Mr. Woodruff's family, in company with others, set out on the inarch toward the Sabine. Having learned that Santa Anna's army had reached the crossing on the San Jacinto river where they intended to cross, they left the road and sought temporary shelter in the timber on Clear creek, where they remained until after the battle of San Jacinto was fought and won.

In their hasty departure from home they were able to take with them only the actual necessaries of life, and were considered fortunate in having an ox team for transpor- tation; on this were loaded the bedding, or rather bed covering, and ticks which could be used for filling with straw or whatever could be had for that purpose, a few cook- ing utensils, the clothing of the family, and bacon, coffee, corn and a steel mill for grinding. All along the roads were to be seen vehicles of every kind, followed by women and children, many of them on foot. Some hastily put a few provisions and cloth- ing on sleds or slides, sonie wagons con- sisted of wheels cut out of solid tree trunks with an axle; often camps seemed to have been hastily abandoned. In one instance, an open trunk that had been hastily rum- maged for some essential article, a looking- glass fastened to the side of a tree gave testimony of the recent possession and hasty departure of campers. The news of the

Texan army having crossed the Brazos river warned them that unless they made all possible haste they were in danger of being left a prey to Mexican rapacity. So they fled as if fleeing for their lives.

While encamped at this place the corn- mill, which had been so providently placed in their wagon, furnished grinding power for thirty families. On the road from Brazoria to this point for eight miles there was a constant stream of people, many on foot, on horse- back and progressing by every kind of rude conveyance that could be hastily devised.

From the retreat on Clear creek, eight miles from the battlefield, the booming of the cannon could be distinctly heard by the camped colonists, but their hearts never for an instant faltered as to the certainty of a successful issue. When the news of certain victory came, they all returned to their deso- late homes, to find that everything left there had been carried away or destroyed, and again the early hardships, which had begun to lessen with the rapid settlement of the country, were renewed.

In the fall of this year, 1836, the city of Houston was laid out, and in December of the same year, Mr. Woodruff and family moved to the new city. At that time there were no houses, not even tents; so they camped, where the city of Houston now is, until a house could be built for them. There was no house of any kind for the use of men of business, who were obliged to be there. At first houses were so few that it was a singular sight to look abroad in the morn- ing and see so many people moving about; the wonder was where they all had accommo- dated themselves with shelter during the night. The first church service was held under the shade of a grove, where benches, which had been sawed by a wliipsaw, were

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arranged for seats. Lyttleton Fowler and Mr. Hose were among the early preachers here. There was soon a town full of people, and all went to work with a hearty good will to build suitable shelter for the numbers daily arriving and settling.

Here, in the spring of 1837, Mary Smith became acquainted with Hugh McCrory, who had come to Texas with General Felix Houston's volunteer command to aid Texas in her struggle for liberty. In July, a mar- riage license issued to them was the first in the book of records of Harrisburg, now Harris county. They were married July 23, 1837. Within seven weeks the bride- groom was taken ill and died, leaving Mary a widow at the early age of eighteen. She continued to reside in Houston with her parents until the early part of June, 1839, when, the seat of government having been established at Austin, they moved to the new town.

Here, far from any other settlements, the citizens were in constant danger from hostile Indians, who almost every full moon would visit the settlement, killing or carry- ing off some citizen, or perhaps capturing one or two children. On account of the terri- ble cruelties to which they subjected prison- ers this fate was regarded as worse than immediate death at their hands.

In the fall of 1839, an acquaintance began between Mrs. McCrory and Dr. An- son Jones, in Houston; in the sunnner of 1838 was renewed at Austin, and in May, 1840, they were married, at Austin

Dr. Jones was a native of Massachu- setts. He came to Texas in 1833 and be- gan the practice of medicine at Brazoria. From December, 1835, when he took part in a public meeting at Brazoria, being clair- man of a committee which drew up and

offered resolutions advocating a declaration of independence from Mexico, till the day of his death, January 9, 1858, he was prominently connected with the public affairs of Texas. He was Representative from Brazoria county in the Congress as- sembled at Houston in 1838, and at about the same time was appointed Minister to the United States, and was absent at Washing- ton in this capacity for about eleven months. During his absence he was nominated and elected Senator fromn Brazoria county to the Texas Congress for a terin of two years to fill out the unexpired term of Hon. William H. Wharton, who had been accidentally kill- ed after serving only a portion of his term. This brought Dr. Jones to the new scat of government at Austin, where he and his wife continued to live until after the expira- tion of his term of office, when they moved to Columbia, twelve miles from Brazoria, in the edge of Oyster creek timber, Brazoria county, his former home, and he there re- sumed the practice of medicine. From the time of her marriage Mrs. Jones' life be- came closely identified with the leading events of the country, particularly with every measure in which her husband took part, and he was continually holding im- portant positions under the government of the Republic of Texas. A soldier as well as surgeon at the battle of San Jacinto, from the first organization of the government he was alinost continually in its service until the final act of annexation to the United States. Annexation was a pet scheme of his, long before the nieasure became sufficiently popular to become a public measure of government policy. As Secretary of State under General Houston he fostered the measure, and finally it was nnder his adınin- istration as President of the Republic that

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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