Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 106

Author: Lewis publishing company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1128

USA > Texas > Dallas County > Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas > Part 106

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But it is as the builder and chief owner of the Dallas cable street railway that his busi- ness ability is best shown. This enterprise is the first of its kind in the South. The track extends from the river to the Fair grounds, and it is built on the newest and best models. Its cost is $400,000. The offi-

cers of the company are: A. W. Childress, president ; J. T. Gano, vice-president ; Charles W. Guild, secretary; T. J. Wood, assistant secretary, and E. E. Kelley, superintendent. The power-house is one of the finest, and, taken as a whole, no enterprise in the city has a fairer prospect. The track was built in 1890, from April to September inclusive. Mr. Childress has also owned some of the most desirable property in Dallas, and is probably the best business man in this part of the country.

For his wife he married Miss Mary Ruth- erford, in 1881, a daughter of Colonel R. Rutherford, of Brenham, one of the heavy planters of that section, and their children are, Hazel and Olive,-beautiful and inter- esting.

ALHOON KNOX, a merchant of Mes- quite, Texas, was born in Carroll parish, Lonisiana, in 1857, the seventh in a family of nine children, born to William L. and Emily (McCarroll) Knox, natives of Tennessee and Louisiana. Calhoon received his education in Marion county, this State, and also attended school three months in Dallas county. At the age of twenty-two years he commenced life for himself, his first work being with Wollas & Wagner, of Dallas, in the grocery business. After one year he removed to Mesquite and engaged in the mercantile trade with T. B. Bunnett, and later sold his interest to his partner and en- gaged in clerking. He was appointed Post- master during Hayes' administration, and held the office six years, or until the election of Harrison. Mr. Knox next clerked for R. S. Kimbrough for some time, and January 10, 1891, formed a partnership with William Kimbrough, in the general mercantile busi-

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ness, and they are now enjoying a fine trade.

Mr. Knox was married March 5, 1887, to Miss Elsie Vanston, a daughter of James T. and Anna A. (Roarke) Vanston, natives of Ireland. This union has been been blessed with two children: Rodger C. and Eveline. Mr. Knox is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Seyene Lodge, No. 269.

OA SPEARS, one of the prominent business men of Dallas, cashier of the Bankers and Merchants' National Bank of Dallas, is a native of Bourbon county, Ken- tucky, born March 7, 1829. Ilis parents were Solomon and Margaret (Kerfoot) Spears, the former a native of Kentucky, the latter of the Shenandoah valley, Clarke county, Vir- ginia. Solomon was a good farmer who was ever alive to the interests of his finely improved farm, which was one of the finest among a number of very good places. He had the satisfaction, as he looked over his broad acres, that all this comfort had been wrought by his own hands. Mr. Spears was a prosperous man and very popular among his neighbors, being most highly esteemed for his business ability, urbanity of character, social qualities and in fact all attainments that are brought into requisition to make a manly eharaeter complete. His honor and integrity was sueli that he became the arbitrater in disputes and even in cases of litigation ; and when Solomon Spears gave a decision it was as final, and in many cases more satisfactory than if done by the Supreme Court of the State. He refused office, giving all his attention to his farin and home, in both of which he took more than ordinary interest. This gentleman was a na- tive of Bourbon county, born March 1, 1790, and he departed his life Angust 21, 1830,

aged forty-one years. His life, a native of Brooke county, West Virginia, born Septem- ber 20, 1796, died of cholera, as did many others of that county, June 30, 1833, aged thirty-six. She entered into the work of her husband with that devotion and sympathy that might be expected of so devoted a wife as she was, putting all the strength and fervor of a warm, loving heart into her work; but she quietly passed, in her life's early morning, to that world where there is no night. The grandfather of our subject was Jacob Spears, who came to Bourbon county from Pennsyl- vania, being of German and Welsh extrac- tion. He was one of the early pioneers in Kentucky history, and was noted for his quiet perseverance, great industry, integrity and business character. He became the owner of one of the finest farms, near Paris, Ken- tucky, and was the first man who erected a distillery in Kentucky. Distilling was a very common thing among the farmers of Penn- sylvania and later in Kentucky. Butter, whisky, cheese and other home products were to be found at the residence of nearly every farmer in those days. The famons Bourbon whisky received its name and celebrity from this gentleman and his friends. Those were the days of honest men and honest whisky as well.

Our subject is the youngest and only liv- ing member of a family of six children. The others reached mature years, had families and then died. Onr subject was orphaned at a tender age, losing father and mother at the age of one and four years respectively. He re- ceived his early education in the public schools of Bourbon county and finished his literary course at Bethany College, West Virginia, under the tutelage of the great Alexander Campbell, the noted educator and divine. After graduating, in 1848 Mr. Spears em-

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

barked in the merchandise business in Paris, Kentucky. He had not yet attained his ma- jority. In two years' time he retired from business and engaged in farming, in Bourbon county, continning until 1853, when he again engaged in the sale of dry goods, boots and shoes, at Georgetown, Kentucky. This he carried on, successfully, for some time. In 1860 he was appointed elerk in the Farmers' Bank at Georgetown, Kentucky, thus drift- ing into banking business, and there remained until 1883, when he with others organized the First National Bank of Georgetown, Ken- tucky, and he was elected cashier. Under his careful management for seven years, the value of the stock of the bank was doubled. In 1890 he was indueed to take the position of second vice-president in the Bankers and Merchants' National Bank of Dallas, Texas, a new bank then being organized. In 1891 he was elected cashier, which position he still holds. He was one of the prime movers in the erection of the bank building, which is one that the city of Dallas may well feel proud of.

During the war Mr. Spears felt it his duty to support the Union: his sympathies were, neverthless, thoroughly Southern. Being un- able to resist the natural course of events he took no active part in the struggle, but was afterward arrested, owing to an overstraining of a Federal order, and was lodged in prison. In a short time he was released, upon the solicitation of friends, who were both numner- ous and serviceable.

Mr. Spears is a member of the Christian Church and takes an active interest in church work and religious matters, doing much toward the spreading of the gospel.

He was married, February 29. 1849, to Miss Fanny C. Gano, of Bourbon county, daughter of John A. and Mary (Conn) Gano,

also a sister of R. M. Gano, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere. Her death oceurred, Feb- ruary 4, 1850. She was born in Bourbon county, March 24, 1832. She was a devoted, earnest member of the Christian Church. Mr. Spears was married for the second time, in 1852, to Miss Georgia Croakelle, born in Scott county, Kentucky. December 12, 1833, daughter of Thomas Croakelle, a native of Kentucky. Two of the children of this mar- riage were raised to mature years: Sue, wife of Milton Bureh, married in 1874, and died in 1888, leaving one child, Nash Spears; she was a devoted and leading member of the Christian Church. Her mother held the same relation in the Baptist Church. Both were model, Christian women. Mrs. Bureh was a woman of splendid business qualifica- tions. At the time of her death she was Post- mistress under President Cleveland and ex- press agent at Georgetown, Kentucky. The other child of Mr. Spears is Jacob V., resi- dent of Dallas, Texas, and one of the promising young business men of that city. He is the junior member in an insurance firm. He married Miss Julia Buckner of Paducah, Ken- tucky. Their five children are: Noa S., Sue Burda, Bessie P., Marie Payne and Miles Buckner.

The second wife died May 13, 1863. She was a relative of David Crockett, famous in Texas history, and our subject was married for the third time, in 1864, to Miss Mary Chapman Stefflee, daughter of George C. and Susan Stefflee. She is a native of George- town, Kentucky, born September 26, 1846, and is a half sister of Mr. Spears' second wife. They have had three children, namely : George M., who is individual bookkeeper at the Merchants and Bankers' National Bank, and is a boy of temperate habits, good traits of character and fine business qualifieations. He

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

is a graduate of the class of 1890 in the Bap- tist College of Georgetown, Kentucky. The second child, Edna B., is a graduate of the same college as her brother, and Mary C. is still in the Dallas Academy. The daughters are aged, respectively, twenty and twelve years, and are bright, loving girls, the pride and joy of their parents. The mother and chil- dren are members of the Baptist Church.

Mr. Spears, though a Democrat in politics, takes very little interest in political matters. He is a man of very fine traits of character, is of a commanding height and proportions, genial nature and is the embodiment of those qualities which go to make up honorable man- hood, energy, probity, tact, perseverance, good nature and zeal. Mr. Spears is an es- teemed citizen of Dallas and the results of his labors are most creditable, as a church- man and citizen. He was Mayor, for some years, of the city of Georgetown, Kentucky. At another time he was president of turnpike roads, an important and responsible position, and was also president of several important corporations of Georgetown. He is a well educated man, having graduated with first honors, with a scholarship of 100 all around in his studies, at Cincinnati Commercial College, in 1848. Combined with his other accomplishments is that of being a fine pen- man.

AMES M. GROSS, a retired merchant and farmer of Mesquite, Texas, was born in Tennessee, in 1844. Ile was educated in the county schools of his native county, and at the age of sixteen years joined the Confederate army, Company C, Twenty-sixth East Tennessee Regiment, commanded by Colonel John M. Lillard. He was in the battle of Fort Donelson, where he was cap-

tnred and sent to Camp Morton, and there retained seven months, after which he was exchanged to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Mr. Gross was then sent to Knoxville, Tennessee, and discharged, and after remaining at home three months he again entered the service, joining Company 1, Fifth East Tennessee Cavalry. While serving in this company, he was in the battles of Missionary Ridge and Richmond, Kentucky, and in numerous skirmishes. He was wounded slightly in the foot at Fort Donelson, and also at Missionary Ridge, and was captured in East Tennessee, at a place called London. He was then sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, for three months, thence to Rock Island, Illinois, seven months, where he was afterward paroled. He next joined Company E, Second United States In- fantry Volunteers, commanded by A. P. Car- rier, then first Colonel of the Ninety-fourth New York. When Mr. Gross joined the United States forces he was sent to the States of Kansas and Colorado, where he was mostly engaged in escort duty, guarding the United States mail. The headquarters for some time was Fort Dodge, and while stationed there the Indians made a raid on the fort and captured all the horses but three, but did not fire on the camp. The first grave dug at Fort Dodge was while Mr. Gross was there, and was for a German who was supposed to have jumped into the river from the Indians and was drowned. Mr. Gross was discharged in October, 1865, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

At the close of the war he returned to his home in Tennessee, where he engaged in con- tracting for Chattanooga parties, following this occupation seven or eight months. Oc- tober 10, 1866, he landed in this county, and at onee engaged in farming on leased land, continuing one year. He next engaged in

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

mercantile business, at a little place nine uniles east of Dallas, called Scyene, where he continued successfully two and a half years. He then moved to this place, continuing the same occupation four years, and during the first twelve years here was rated at from $40,000 to $60,000. On coming to this State he had $160, and afterward collected $100 due him from home, making in all $260, which was his start. He now owns some of the finest farms in the county, a handsome village residence, and a number of business houses in the village.

Mr. Gross was married in 1869, to Miss Margaret Riggs, a native of Tennessee, and daughter of Martin and Delia (Blake) Riggs. Mr. and Mrs. Gross are the parents of six children, viz .: George M., Charles E., and four who died in childhood. Mrs. Gross is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

ACOB D. WADLEIGH, general agent for the St. Louis & Southern Railroad, is one of the early settlers of Dallas and in every way was an acquisition to the town. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1849. His parents were Elisha and Lydia (Banks) Wadleigh, both natives of Maryland. The father was a contractor and dealer in ship timber, lumber and like goods. He was an industrious, honest, extensively and favor- ably known eitizen, dying in 1866, aged forty- nine. His wife, a deserving and popular woman, departed this life in the year 1858. Our subject is the oldest of three children, the others being Frank and Georgia, both of whom reside in San Francisco, California. The latter is the wife of M. T. Chadman, one of the business men of San Francisco.

Our subject began life for himself in steam-

boating on the Mississippi river in 1865, filling various positions of trust and respons- ibility until 1870. At the latter date he took a position on the St. Louis Iron Moun- tain railroad, filling various positions with this company also, for thirteen years and nine months. His long time in the em- ploy of this road speaks well for the efficient service he rendered the company and shows that they appreciated his work. IIe was division freight agent of the road when he left and located at Little Rock, Arkansas, in the fall of 1883. He had had headquarters at Dallas, in 1876, but there was very little of the prosperous city then in existence. He next engaged with the Cotton Belt Rail- road, and later lived at Pine Bluff, but removed to Dallas in 1888, where he has re- sided ever since. £ He has rendered excellent service to the roads by whom he has been employed for the past twenty-two and one- half years, speaking well for the employer and the employed. In every position he filled he gave the most entire satisfaction and ful- filled his duties very successfully. He has gained his present position in life by his own efforts, and he is an example of what patient perseverance will do when it is combined with strict integrity and honesty. Since he was a very small boy he has not wanted for employment, nor been without work for a single day.

In 1870 he was married to Miss Nellie Robbins, whose parents died when she was quite young. Her brother, Edward Robbins, and sister Kate, are the other members of her family. The former resides in Texas and is engaged in railroading: the latter is the wife of Z. T. Knoll of Dallas.

Mrs. Wadleigh is a member of the Catholic Church and is one of the most charming ladics of Texas. Mr. Wadleigh is a member

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

of the Knights and Legion of Honor. He is in thorough sympathy with the progress of the city and lends his aid to anything calcu- lated to advance the interests of the city of his adoption.

ROF. W. F. CUMMINS, Assistant State Geologist for Texas, was born in Webster county, Missouri, June 13, 1830. His parents were John and Rebecca (Poper) Cummins, of Missouri and Tennessee, respectively. The father was a physician, farmer and local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. He had a very large country practice as a physician. He died in 1864, over sixty years of age. His wife died in 1849, having been a life-long member of the same church as her husband. They had seven children, five of whom are still living, the others dying in early child- lood.

Our subject was educated at St. Charles College and from there came to Texas in 1860, joining the Conference of the Method- ist Episcopal Church Sonth, serving nine years in the itinerancy work. He was stationed one year at Wallaceville to take charge of the Wallaceville Mission. He then was given the Van Zandt circuit for one year, the Palestine, St. Augustine and then Liberty circuit for one year each; then to Lampasas circuit for two years, and was then made Pre- siding Elder over the Lampasas district for one year, in 1869. He was then obliged to re- sign on account of failing health, and so began to publish a political paper at Waxahachie, called the Waxahachie Argus, and con- tinued it for one year. He was then employed on the Houston & Texas Central railroad as right-of-way agent and land agent as well, remaining with them two years, and then en-

gaged in the real-estate business for one year, in Dallas, locating land certificates as well. This he continued until 1881, when he was employed by the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia to make scientific collections in Texas. He continued in this position until his employment by the State of Texas, in which position he has continued ever since, that is for the last four years, the appoint- ment having been made in 1888. While in the employ of the Academy of Philadelphia his business was to collect the fossils, and while thus engaged he discovered both verte- brate and invertebrate specimens by which the fact of the existence of the Permian for- mation of the United States has been estab)- lished. Prior to the collection and discovery of these fossils, the existence of the Permian formation in the United States had been dis- puted by the highest authorities in the country, and it was only after several years of continu- ous controversy that the fact was finally established. At the meeting of the Inter- national Congress of Geologists at Wash- ington, District of Columbia, delegates from the Hartz mountains, where the Permian was first discovered, after hav- ing examined Prof. Cummins' collection in the national museum at Washington, con- firmed his statement and said that the fossils from the formations in Texas were identical with those from the original locality in the Hartz mountains. This decision gave the professor a very pleasant notoriety as a geolo- gist and scholar among the members of that body. These specimens came from along the Big and Little Wichita rivers. Prof. Cum- mins has made greater investigations of coal deposits in Texas than any other person. There is not a mine nor a proposed mine in the Carboniferous formations in the State of Texas that he has not passed judgment upon

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and made a report to the State in regard to. He has selected the land for all the mines that are being worked at the present time. He has been, an expert in the coal regions ever since 1881 and has rendered great ser- vice to the State. Since his connection with the geological survey of the State, he has dis- covered and described leads filling np a hia- tus in the Tertiary period. These beds lie between the Loup Fork and Equus beds of the Tertiary, and are designated as the Blanco beds, having been first described by him, our subject, from Blanco cañon in Crosby county, Texas. The Professor's determination of these beds, heretofore unknown to science, has been confirmed by Prof. E. D. Cope of Philadelphia, the most eminent vertebrate palæontologist of the United States. Prof. Cope and our subject have just completed a tour of these beds, taking three months to make investigations in the locality.

Our subject was married in 1870, to Mrs. Minnie C. Darnell, daughter of M. D. Bullion of Dallas, Texas. They were married at Weatherford and they have three children, - Dunkin, Nettie May and Allie Dean. Mrs. Cummins is a devout member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church South. Her father, M. D. Bullion, is an old resident of Texas, coming here before the war. He was married twice, having three children by the first mar- riage, to Mrs. Cummins, whose first husband was Captain N. H. Darnell, who died of yellow fever in 1868, at New Orleans. He was Cap- tain in the war of the Rebellion and served from first to last. The second child, Denia, is the wife of S. W. S. Dunkin of Dallas, and the third child was John T. Mrs. Bullion died and her husband was married the second time to Miss S. T. Davis. They had two living children, T. A. and C. A. Mr. Bullion was in the mercantile busi-

uess for many years and was quite successful. Later engaged in real estate and located land certificates, but is now retired, and he and his wife are enjoying the comforts of life.

When Prof. Cummins came to Dallas in 1872, he made the trip by rail with the pre- liminary surveyors.

Our subject is a member of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery, A. F. & A. M. He is High Priest of the Chapter and was Prelate of the Dallas Commandery for many years.

It is with a great deal of pride that we mention the great services rendered our State by Prof. Cummins. He has had perseverance in holding to his convictions, as was shown in the International Congress when the dis- cussion arose with regard to the Permian formations. He would not yield one single step, and finally convinced that body that he was right. While in that discussion he estab- lished his theory, he also established his own reputation on so firm a basis that nothing can disturb the faith of any scientist in Prof. Cummins, the State Geologist of Texas.

J. ECKFORD, attorney at law in Dal- las, was born in Wayne county, Mis- sissippi, March 1, 1861. His parents were Captain William Joseph and Belle (Gates) Eckford, both natives of Mississippi. The father was admitted to practice law at an early age. He raised a company of Mis- sissippi Wayne Rifles, a company in the Thirteenth Regiment of Mississippi Volun- teers. He went out and was engaged in the seven days' fight aronnd Richmond aud was killed at Malvern Hill. He was leading the regiment at the time in a fierce charge and was shot through the heart, the ball entering

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the left breast and passing through the heart. He died instantly and was buried in Holy- wood cemetery at Richmond. He was brave and patriotic, an intimate friend of Jeff Davis, was a graduate of Princeton College -class of '52, a schoolmate of Don Cameron, of Pennsylvania, and an intimate friend of his. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. His age was twenty-nine years. He was admitted to the bar, but had intended to be a planter His wife is still an honored and highly respected resident of Atlanta, Georgia, to which place she moved in 1869, with her four boys, viz .: Charles Gates, married a Miss Hill, of Greene county, Georgia, resides in Atlanta, and is in a hardware firm; William H., who is in the dry- goods business with Marsh, Smith & Marsh, one of the largest houses of the kind in Georgia; Marshall T., in the carriage hard- ware company with his brother, constituting the Atlanta Carriage Hardware Company.

Our subject, the youngest, was educated in Atlanta by a private tutor, studied law under Judge Marshall J. Clark, Judge of the Superior Court of the State. He entered his office when sixteen years of age, and was admitted to the bar of the State when seven- teen years of age. He practiced there for a time, and in 1885 came to Dallas, and has been practicing here ever since, and is one of the firm of Watts, Aldredge & Eckford.

He has kept out of office, refusing to be a candidate of any kind and has devoted his en- tire time to his practice. The mother is fifty-six years of age. She was quite a belle in the State of Mississippi. Her parents were Charles and Ruse (Reed) Gates. He was a pioneer of South Carolina, and a native of that State. He is a large planter in Mis- sissippi and very wealthy, a great advocate of home enterprises, and is a very public-

spirited man who has made much of oppor- tunity, and is well-known and highly re- spected throughout the State.

Mr. Eckford's parents were married in 1853, in Mississippi. The father died July 2, 1862; he was born in 1833.

OHIN R. UMPHRESS, a farmer of pre- cinct No. 4, was born in Florida in 1847, the eldest son of Mitchell B. and Martha (Horton) Umphress. John R. came to this State in 1872, settling in Scyene, where he rented land in that neighborhood and engaged in farming. When he came to this county he had but $2 in cash and a wife and two children. In 1875 he bought a portion of his present homestead, for which he paid $6, unimproved. Hle immediately erected his residence and opened his land for cultivation, and in 1879 bought forty acres more on White Rock creek, for $10, and later 125 acres for $25 per acre. Besides this he has 160 acres of timber land, for which he paid $5, and all is now under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. Umphress certainly deserves great credit for the energy displayed since coming to this State. The opportunities for an education afforded him in his boyhood days were very limited, he having only attended common schools a short time. His father died when he was small, and being the eldest son the care of the family largely devolved on him.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 106

Author: Lewis publishing company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1128

Author: Lewis publishing company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1128