USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. 2 > Part 14
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
After the death of the Judge's father in 1854, his mother returned to Mt. Hebron, Green County, Als., where the subject of this sketch was reared to farm life and received a common school educa- tion. At the age of fifteen years he entered the Confederate service, enlisting in August, 1863, in Company A., Sixteenth Confederate Cavalry, and served until the close of the war. His command operated principally in Georgia, Alabama and Mis- sissippi. He was in every battle in which his regiment participated until April 2d, 1865, when Fort Blakely, opposite Mobile, Ala., was invested by the Federals and he was wounded and perma- nently disabled. When his command surrendered
صفة
463
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
in May of that year, he was at home on furlough and remained there until January, 1867, when he came to Texas, making his first stop at Crockett, where he lived for two years, elerking for his uncle, Dr. Frank Rainey, who was engaged in the drug business.
In January, 1869, he went to Bryan, Texas, at which place, and at Hearne, Texas, he elerked for Tabor & Luce, until September of that year, when he went to Delhi, La., at which place he engaged in the mereantile business until the spring of 1871, when his mercantile eareer ended. From early youth his ambition was to become a lawyer, so, when his mercantile eareer ended, he prosecuted bis legal studies under Capt. H. P. Wells, of Delhi. July 6th, 1871, he obtained license from the Supreme Court of Louisiana to practice law. He immediately formed a partnership with Capt. Wells, under the firm name of Wells & Rainey, and located at Delta, Madison Parish, La., where he practiced his profession until January, 1873, when he returned to Texas and located at Waxahachie, Ellis County, February 12 of that year. That place has been his home ever sinee. He praetieed in partnership with his brother-in-law, N. J. Nash, at Waxahachie, until in April, 1874, when he formed a partnership with Judge J. Ferris, the firm name being Ferris & Rainey. In 1880 he was elected to the State Senate, the distriet being composed of Dallas and Ellis counties, and served for one term, not appearing
for re-election at the end of that time. The firm of Ferris & Rainey continued until November, 1883, when it dissolved and Mr. Rainey associated with him Mr. G. C. Grose, the firm being Rainey & Grose, a connection that continued until July 6th, 1885, when Mr. Rainey was appointed, by Governor Ireland, Judge of the Fourth Judicial Distriet, composed of the counties of Ellis, Kaufman and Rockwall. He was twice eleeted to this position without opposition and was holding it when ap- pointed by Governor Hogg, in 1893, Associate Jus- tiee of the Court of Civil Appeals for the Fifth Supreme Judicial Distriet of Texas, which position he is now holding.
He is a member of the Christian Church and of the Masonic fraternity, of which order in Texas lie was Grand Master in 1883. His political affiliation has been with the Democratic party from his major- ity to the present time.
He was married in Houston County, Texas, Feb- ruary 17, 1874, to Miss Fannie Irene Merriwether, who was born in Harrison County, this State, Sep- tember 8th, 1848; a daughter of Dr. F. L. Merri- wether, a native of Alabama. Her mother, nee Edith Dunlap, was also a native of Alabama, a daughter of Samuel Dunlap, a planter of that State.
Judge Rainey has two children, Frank M. and Edna. The family are temporarily residing in Dal- las, where the Judge's duties require his constant attention.
O. H. P. TOWNSEN,
LAMPASAS.
Oliver Hazard Perry Townsen, or, as he was more familiarly known, " Uncle Perry Townsen," was an old settler of Lampasas County and, according to general report, was for many years one of that county's best citizens. He was born in Carroll County, Tenn., in 1826. Ilis father was John Townsen of Virginia, and his mother, before mar- riage, Tamar Ilolt, of Kentucky. He Was descended from English aneestry on his father's vidle. Ilis mother was of German descent. His patronymic was originally Townsend. The final d in the name was dropped by the American repre- tentatives of the family to distinguish them from their relatives in the old country who were especially active against the colonists in their struggles for
freedom. John Townsen and Tamar Holt were married in Kentucky and moved thence some years later to Tennessee, settling in Carroll County. There most of their children, five in number, were born, these being Jolin Garrett, James Madison, Stephen Copeland, Elizabeth, and Oliver Hazard Perry. The mother died in Tennessee. When he was advanced in years the father returned to Ken- tucky, where he died. The subjeet was the young- est of the family and was not grown at the time of his parents' death. He left his native county when about seventeen years of age and went to Missis- sippi, where he worked as a farm hand and later learned the milling business, on Cold Water Creek, in De Soto County. While there he formed the
-
464
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
acquaintance of Dr. J. C. Nowlen, with whom he entered into a partnership arrangement to engage in the milling business, and in company with that gentleman went to Missouri in the spring of 1853 in search of a location. Not finding a place to suit them they left Missouri a year later and came to Texas and stopped at Gonzales. There Mr. Nowlen located, but Mr. Townsen left that place in the spring of 1855 and went to Lampasas County and settled. He bought land about twenty miles north of the present town of Lampasas and erected a grist-mill, on the Lampasas river. A two years' drought followed and he sold his mill machinery in 1857 to parties living in San Saba County, and turned his attention to stock-raising. In the mean- time his nephew, Lafayette Jasper Townsen, had come to Texas and was residing in Smith County. Mr. Townsen paid him a visit and induced bim to join in an enterprise to establish a ranch in Lampasas County. The two put their funds together and purchased some stock, with which they began in a small way near where the senior Mr. Townsen had first located. The country was very sparsely settled at that time, and that portion of it was subject to Indian depredations; which, with the hardships and privations otherwise connected with the settlement of a new country, made the first few years of their life in Texas anything but pleasant. Still they bore it with fortitude, and applied them- selves industriously to the task which they had set before themselves. The war interfered very seri- ously with their operations, but after the return of peace, they gathered up the remnant of their cattle and in 1866 moved to the vicinity of Fort Chadron, where they hoped to enjoy for a number of years an open range, and freedom from those annoyances with which ranchmen have to contend in a rapidly settling country. But in this they were disap- pointed, for they had been there but a short while when the Indians and United States soldiers began making trouble, and after keeping up the unequal struggle for some time, the Messrs. Towusen were forced to abandon it, and returned to Lampasas County. In 1868 they bought 610 acres of land on the Lampasas river, where they had formerly lived aud, locating on that, began farming and stock- raising on a limited scale. They had all their property in joint ownership, but about this date the farming and stock business was turned over to Mr. J. L. Townsen, while Mr. Perry Townsen again took up the milling business. He erected a saw and grist inill on the Lampasas river in 1871, and soon developed a large milling interest. The saw mill part of it was never pushed to any great extent, but the other was, and for a number of years he manufactured a high grade of flour and
other mill products, for which he found a ready sale throughout the surrounding country. He gave his attention actively to this business until his death, which occurred January 30, 1891, being caused by an accident in the mill. He left & con- siderable estate (consisting mostly of lands), and a reputation of which any man might be proud. His thorough-going business methods united with sound habits, strict integrity and a reasonable amount of public spirit won bim the esteem and friendship of all those with whom he came in con- tact, and made him for more than thirty years one of the leading citizens in the county where he lived. He never held any public offices, but took more or less interest in public matters and was very well informed on public questions. In an earlier day he was a .Whig in politics, but after the war he joined the Democratic party and always afterward voted with that party. He was a high Mason and made Masonry his religion.
Mr. Townsen was never married, though a man of domestic habits and fond of children. He made his home with his nephew, L. J. Townsen, whose family looked upon him as a second father, and are greatly devoted to his memory.
Lafayette Jasper Townsen, mentioned in the fore- going memoir and whose life was so intimately con- nected with that of his uncle, was also born in Carroll County, Tenn., in 1833. His father was John Garrett Townsen, eldest son of John and Tamar Townsen, and his mother bore the maiden name of Mary A. Mitchell. He was reared in Tennessee, and came to Texas in 1856. Joining his uncle the following year he went to Lampasas County, which has practically been his home since and with the history of which he has been connected as an active, earnest, law-abiding citizen. As the outcome of his early struggles along with his uncle and good management in later years he has accu- mulated an estate ample for his wants, and he is spending his time now in the supervision of his prop- erty and the rearing of his children. He married Miss Mary A. Stanley, of Lampasas County, in January, 1865, whose father, Jolin Stanley, moved from Mississippi to Texas, and settled in Lampasas County in 1854, the issue of which union has been seven sons and three daughters, all are living.
Both the gentlemen mentioned in this article had many cneounters with the Indians at an early day in Lampasas County, and suffered the loss of a great deal of property from Indian depredations, but their experience in this respect was of that character which fell to the lot of all the first settlers, a full account of which will be found in the historical por- tion of this work, illustrated at intervals with inci- dents of blood, daring and personal heroism.
465
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
WILLIAM HAUSSER,
EAGLE PASS,
Was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, May 24th, business of Martin & Schriever, at the latter place, 1817 ; the son of a vineyardist and gardener. Ile and has sinee continued the business with marked success, shipping large quantities of building ma- terial to Mexico. He is one of the solid men of his town and greatly esteemed. learned the earpenter's trade in his native country ; came to America in 1867, and worked at his trade in Louisville, Ky., until 1873, when he eame to Texas and continued his oceupation at Fort Clark, He married, in 1881, Miss Amelia Mayer, of Eagle Pass. Six children, William, Albert, Amelia, Frederick, Emma, and Charles, have been born of this union. Texas, for two years, after which he went to Eagle Pass and worked at his trade and as contractor until 1887. He bought, then, the lumber yards and
LOUIS STEIN,
BULVERDE,
Is well known in Comal County, Texas, as a pio- neer settler. He was born in Germany, April 2, 1833, where he learned the cooper's trade under his father, and followed the same until 1869, when he took passage for New York City, where he remained for some time, after which he made a tour through many of the Eastern and Middle States, and then, in 1871, eame to Texas. He settled first in Blanco
County, where he built a number of dwellings under contract for various persons, and then, in 1889, located on 200 acres of land near Bulverde, where he now lives, He was united in marriage to Miss Mary Otto, in 1873, and has seven children, viz. : Louise, Dora, August, William, Ida, Clara, and Bertha. Mr. Stein is advanced in years, but hale and hearty, still possessing much of the vigor of youth.
CARL ROMPEL,
BULVERDE,
Was born in Prussia, January 24, 1836. His father, Dr. Benjamin Rompel, eame to America in 1×16, and located at New Braunfels, where he practiced medicine until 1852, and then secured Aty acres of land in Comal County, on the Bexar County line, and established a farm, on which he afterwards resided. Dr. Rompel brought seven behren with him to this country, viz. : Wilhemine, Carl, Victor, Edward, Frank, Charlotte, and Alvin. Vin, Frank and Victor are deceased. AAlvin died st New Orleans in 1863. while a soldier in the
Union army. Carl and Edward served for three years in the First Texas Cavalry during the war between the States. After the war, Carl Rompel, subject of this notice, returned home, engaged in farming, and in 1873 married Miss Pauline Wiel- bacher, daughter of the late Christian Wielbacher, of New Braunfels. Mr. and Mrs. Rompel have six children: August, Lena, Freda, Julia, Emil, and an infant. Mr. Rompel bas a fine home, and is a successful farmer.
166
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
JOSEPH C. WEAKLEY,
BROWNWOOD.
The subject of this sketch comes of pioneer an- cestry. His father was John Weakley, and his mother bore the maiden name of Mary Williamson, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, where their parents, George and Mary Weakley, and John and Ellen Williamson, were settlers in the days of Daniel Boone. Both families were from Virginia, and had been identified with the history of that State from early Colonial days. John and Ellen Williamson died in Kentucky, as did also Mary Weakley, but George Weakley left there at an advanced age and went to Indiana, and later to Illinois, settling on the present site of Monmouth, in the latter State, where he spent the closing years of his life; a type of his kind, full of the spirit of the pioneer, impatient of the restraints of civiliza- tion, and earing but little for wealth or the applause of the world. His son, John, father of Joseph C., was of much the same character. He moved from Kentucky in the latter part of the 30's, and set- tled in Tippecanoe County, Ind., near the fa- mous battle field of Tippecanoe, where he died in 1841. Near that historic spot, Joseph C. of this sketeh, was born in 1839. He was the youngest of a large family of children, the eare and mainte- nanee of whom bore heavily on the widowed mother in a new and unsettled country, the better to dis- charge which duties she left Tippecanoe County in 18-16, and settled in Indianapolis, then a town of some 2,000 inhabitants. In that town the boyhood and youth of Joseph C. were passed and in the public schools of the same lie received what education fell to his lot. He was early apprenticed to the trade of a tinner, which he mastered and followed in Indianapolis till the open- ing of the Civil War. In 1861 he enlisted in the Union army as a volunteer in the Thirty-ninth Indiana Infantry, Col. John F. Harrison, with which he served in the Army of the Cumberland for three years. On the expiration of the term of his enlist- ment he returned to Indianapolis and again taking up his trade followed it there till the close of the war. In 1866 he went West and for four years worked at his trade as a journeyman in different parts of the country, finally in 1871 coming to Texas. After a residence of some eight months in Galveston, three years in Waeo, and a year in Comanche, he settled April 15, 1876, at Brownwood, which has since been his home. From the date of
his first settling at Brownwood, Mr. Weakley has been actively identified with the history of the place, and to-day perhaps has as large and diversified in- terests in the town as any man living there. He began business there on a capital of $1,000, opening a small tin shop on the east side of the square. His tinshop has expanded into a large hardware establishment, where all kinds of metal manufae- turing is done and all sorts of hardware, mill machinery, implements and vehicles are sold. The house is one of the largest in Western Texas, doing an annual business of about $50,000. Mr. Weakley has given this business almost his exclu- sive attention, and it represents in the main the best efforts of the last twenty years of his life. He has considerable real estate investments in and around Brownwood, and some interests represented by local enterprises. In 1883 he assisted in organiz- ing the First National Bank of Brownwood, of which he then became vice-president and a director and has been such sinee. In 1891 he assisted in organizing the Brownwood National Bank, of which he was made president, and holds that position now. In 1894 he assisted in organ- izing the banking business of Brooke Smith & Co., of Brownwood, and is a member of the board of directors of the same at this writing. In 1885 he subscribed stock to the Brown County Milling Company, which was organized that year and of which he became president, and has held that posi- tion sinee. And he is a stockholder and director in the Brownwoed Cotton Compress Company. His subscription to the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway was $1,000 and to the Fort Worth & Rio Grande, $2,200; and he has contributed to the two principal educational institutions of Brownwood, Daniel Baker (Presbyterian ) College, and Howard Payne (Baptist) Col- lege, over $3,000, all of which subscriptions and contributions being matters of common knowl- edge and falling within the scope of this article are thus stated, but are to be taken as showing only in part what Mr. Weakley has done for the eom- munity in which he resides. His sympathies and personal efforts have gone forth on all proper occa- sions and his private charities have been bestowed with a liberal hand. Constantly absorbed with his business interests, he has held aloof from politics, taking only such part in publie matters as has been
D. CALL.
467
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
demanded of him as a citizen. He has served as a ley married Miss Helen C. Colmer, then of that place but a native of Cape Girardeau, Mo. This lady died, leaving three children, Mary, now Mrs. Lee Watson, of Brownwood, Alice, and Frank.
member of the school board, and as Mayor of Brownwood, but has allowed his name to be used no further. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Brownwood Lodge No. 41 and Brown- wood Commandery No. 22 Knights Templar, and of the Knights of Pythias.
In 1872, while residing at Galveston, Mr. Weak-
Mr. Weakley's second marriage was to Miss Helen Young, and the issue of this union has been four children, Vivian, Itylene, Harry, and Eugenc.
DENNIS CALL,
ORANGE.
Mr. Webster in his memorable speech, delivered in 1825 upon the occasion of the laying of the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill monument, called attention to the wonderful strides that the country had made in material development during the half century that had elapsed since that day in 1775, when a few patriots under the leadership of the lamented and immortal Warren consecrated their devotion to the cause of liberty upon the first real battle-field of the Revolution. In his still more notable oration delivered in 1842, upon the com- pletion and unveiling of the monument - an oration that has never been surpassed for strength, breadth of sweep, stately cloquence or prophetic prescience in ancient or modern times - he again called atten- tion to the progress the country has made and in commenting upon that progress made a forecast for the future which must have been listened to by his more than fifty thousand auditors, with sentiments. of admiration for the glowing colors and the grand outlines of the picture drawn by the pencil of his matchless fancy and of doubt as to whether it would ver be realized in those days that were to come after them - when their hearts should be stilled in death, when their moldering forms should rest beneath the " mossy marbles" of many church- vards and when other generations should move about in the marts of trade, the halls of legislation, in the forum and through all the varied avenues of social life, and when other hands should guide and control the destinies of a Republic whose mighty life should have grown richer and fuller and stronger with the flight of years. Yet the picture that Webster drew has fallen far short of what has already come to pass.
The United States extend from ocean to ocean, from the British possessions on the north to the
Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of cities dot the hills and valleys and plains of this vast territorial ex- panse. Thousands upon thousands of new indus- tries have sprung into existence to furnish employ- ment to a largely inereased population. The progress of the development of internal resourees ; the advances made in inventions, in the arts and sciences and in the means and processes of popu- lar education since 1842 have had no parallel in preceding ages. In the past century has been crowded more startling changes, more real and permanent advancement along all lines than in all the ones of prior times combined since the day- dawn of the race. It has been an advancement that has gathered dynamic force from year to year, each result proving but a means for the ac- complislnnent of still more wonderful and trans- forming results. The past quarter of a century has been a period of intense activity. The con- ditions have been such as to offer unexampled opportunities to men of superior abilities and to stimulate and develop those abilities to the full limits of their possibilities. They have been such that timidity, incapacity, or even medi- ocrity has had little to expect. This has been especially true in the commercial world. A race of financiers has been evolved, remarkable for their sagacity, cool and daring judgment and the success that they have achieved ; many of them building up princely fortunes from the smallest of beginnings. We do not refer to reckless speculators, but to sound business men who have made their fortunes by sound business methods and have benefited and helped to build up every material interest of the communities and States in which they live.
Among the best known members of the latter class, can be truthfully numbered the subject of this
468
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
memoir, Mr. Dennis Call, Jr., now, and for many years, a leading citizen of the thriving town of Orange.
He is secretary and treasurer of the Orange Terminal Railroad; viee-president of the Gulf & North Western Railroad, and president and treas- urer of the Cow Creek Tram Company. He en- tered the tram business in Salem, Newton County, Texas, in 1890, and was then elected president and treasurer, positions which he has since beld. At that time he owned one-third, and now owns one- half, of the net eapital ($178,350) of the company. It owns over twenty miles of railroad, laid with steel rails, fifty-four ears, three locomotives (the road extending through Newton and Jasper Coun- ties) and about 20,000 acres of long leaf yellow pine timber, and at this time is furnishing three of the saw-mills at Orange with their logs. The eom- pany is now (1895) building a double saw-mill on their road, with a daily capacity of at least 125,- 000 feet, and hope to increase it to 150,000 feet. The cost of the ereetion of this mill will be about $50,000.00.
Mr. Call was born in Orange, Texas, September 20, 1855, attended local schools and, in 1874, en- tered Eastman's Business College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1875. He then returned home and entered upon his business career as junior member of the firm of D. Call & Son, his father (D. Call, Sr. ), being the senior member. In 1880 George Call was admitted as a partner in the firm of D. Call & Son, and the firm name changed to D). Call & Sons. After the death of D). Call, Sr., the business was continued under the same firm name under the management of the surviving sons. The firm engaged in the regular banking business in 1880, which continued without ehange until the death of D. Call, Sr., October 17, 1883, after which the subject of this memoir assumed control. The firm, besides the banking business, was also engaged in milling and steam- boating and owned a line of schooners that ran between Texas and Mexican ports. Mr. Call is a member of the Orange Fire Departinent; Orange board of trade; Knights of Pythias, Legion of Honor, Woodmen of the World, Elks, T. P. A., II00-1100
and Masonie fraternities, of the latter for the past eighteen years, joining Madison Lodge No. 126 at Orange, in 1877. He has been a member of Orange Chapter No. 78, A. F. & A. M., for fifteen years and was High Priest for two years. He is also a member of Ruthven Commandery No. 2, Knights Templar, of Houston. He has been a staff officer of the Texas Volunteer Guard for ten years and in 1882 distinguished
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.