USA > Texas > Dallas County > Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas > Part 109
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J: S. Mills was born in what was then Law- renee district, South Carolina, October 16, 1827; son of Alexander and Naney (Power) Mills, natives of the same place. His father was reared on a farm and had only sneh edu- cational advantages as the common schools of his day afforded. He, however, improved his opportunities, gained mueh general informa- tion by reading, and was always well posted on the topies of the day. He was the father of nine children, all of whom lived to mature years. Of his two daughters, Mary, the older, is deceased, and Martha is the widow of John Perry, and resides in Mississippi. Three of the sons are living. Allen P. owns and resides on what is known as the More -. land Mill property, near Chester, Choctaw
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county, Mississippi. Henry lives in the same connty and four miles west of his brother, where he runs a blacksmith shop in connec- tion with his farn.
The subject of our sketch remained on the farm with his father until he reached his majority, receiving a common-school educa- tion. In his twenty-third year he began to farm for himself, having previous to this bought and paid for a small farm. Ile was married in the latter part of 1851, to Miss Mary Hedges, a native of Mississippi and a daughter of James Iledges, the Mills family having moved to Mississippi in 1844. The issue from this nnion was two children, both dying in infancy, and with the birth of the last one the mother also died. Mr. Mills was inarried a second time, December 25, 1856, to Catherine Fondron, a native of Chickasaw county, Mississippi, and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Fondron. Her parents came from Mississippi to Texas some time in the '40s, and took a headright about fifteen miles southeast of the city of Dallas.
Mr. Mills enlisted in the Confederate ser- vice in the spring of 1862, in General Ross' Brigade, Sixth Texas Cavalry, Company F, Captain Rawlins, and was in all the principal engagements east of the Mississippi river. He was with General Jackson until after the fall of Atlanta, and was then under General Forrest in his raid through Tennessee. After the general surrender he returned to his home without having ever received a wound or seen anything of prison life.
After the war he took up his trade, that of blacksmithing, which he had learned in his earlier days, and was thus occupied near Lancaster for seventeen years. Hle then bought the farm on which he now lives and where he is surrounded with all the comforts of life, his present prosperity being the result
of his own well directed efforts. By his hon- orable dealings and his upright life he lias won the respeet and esteem of all who know him. With his friends his word has always been his bond. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party.
B. GROSS, of Mesquite, Dallas county, Texas, was born in Tennessee, in 1856, the fifth in a family of ten children born to G. W. and Amanda (Wade) Gross, natives of Tennessee and Virginia. The father was one of the pioneer settlers of his section of Tennessee, where he died when our subject was quite young. The mother still survives, and resides with her son, A. F.
G. B. Gross, onr subject, received his early education in Tennessee, and in 1877 came to this State, where he commenced farming on rented land, on shares. In 1878 he commenced clerking in the store of J. W. Gross, and later for R. S. Kimbrough, and in both stores clerked about ten years. In 1889 he bought his brother's business, con- sisting of a large stock of dry goods and drugs, and is now doing a business of $25,000 an- nnally. Besides his mercantile interests, he is the owner of two large farms, consisting of 110 acres, which are under a fine state of cultivation. He has good box houses, fine water, etc.
He was married in 1855, to Miss Emma R. Chapman, a native of this State, and daughter of D. G. and N. C. (Coats) Chap- man, old settlers of this county. The father, one of the best known men of the county, has been dead about eight years; the mother still survives. They were the parents of nine children. Mr. and Mrs. Gross have two children,-Ernest and Robert O. The par-
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ents are members of the Cumberland Presby- terian Church, and Mr. Gross is a member of the A. F. & A. M., No. 269. He takes great interest in the growth and prosperity of his loeality, and is a thoroughgoing busi- ness man.
LINTON JACK is a widely-known and highly respected eitizen of Oak Cliff. He is engaged in the flour and feed business in this charming suburb of Dallas, and is also Alderman at large for that place. He was born in Bradley county, Tennessee, on November 6, 1844. His parents were David and Mary Jane (Hall) Jaek, both of whom were natives of Cocke county, Ten- nessee. His father was an intelligent farmer, who espoused the eause of the North at the time of the war, serving as a private for a year in the eause of the Union. He was taken prisoner at Cumberland Gap and taken to Rielumond, where he languished from November 1, 1862, to January, 1863, when he joined liis eommand at Nashville, Tennes- see. He was also at one time a prisoner in the famous, or infamous, Libby prison. He belonged to the Fifth Army Corps. He stood the service quite well until he was eap- tured, when the hardships and privations of the Southern prisoners sowed the seeds of disease which eventually eaused his death. He died of ehronie diarrhea, contracted while in prison, at the age of forty-five years. He was honored and respected by all who knew him for his many noble traits of character. He was honest, sober and uprightin his deal- ings with his fellow men, and civil and kind to all, and many warm, personal friends mourned his loss. His wife died in 1879, aged fifty-six years. They were both mem. bers of the Baptist Church. They had be-
longed to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which demonination her father, John Wesley Hall, was for years a loeal minister, but for the last ten years previous to their death had belonged to the Baptist Church. Her father was a well-to-do farmer and an intelligent meehanie. There were seven children: Clinton, our subjeet; Adaline, widow of G. M. D. Shelton, of Bradley county, Tennessee; Flora, widow of John E. Shelton, brother of G. M. D. Shelton, and both farmers in the same county; Hamilton died in early life; Jane died aged eighteen; Emily, formerly a school-teacher for several years; Florence, wife of Jo. Le Veque, resid- ing on a farm in Arkansas; John II., living in Bradley county, Tennessee.
The subject of this sketeh was raised on a farın, where he remained until he enlisted in August, 1862, in Company A, Eighth T'en- nessee Volunteers, United States Army. He served until June 30, 1865. He was in the battle and siege of Knoxville, and partici- pated in the Georgia campaign from Buz- zard's Roost to Atlanta. He was skirmish- ing or fighting every day from April 14 to August 6. When in front of Atlanta, he was wounded in the right wrist, which still dis- ables him : his hand is erooked and the ten- dons eut. He was at home during one for- lough, and met his eommand at Raleigh, in April, 1865, when the war was elosed. He was afterward taken prisoner in Bradley county, Tennessee, and taken from his own home to Charleston, Tennessee, where he was held for two days and then dismissed. The order was given by Major Goode, of Georgia. Ile stood the service very well, but is glad it is all over. After this he went to farming: his father being dead he took his place in charge of the farm until 1889. Hle went to Tarrant county, Texas, in February of 1880,
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where he located on a farm, which he sold in 1888. Since 1889 he has been engaged in contracting and doing street work in Oak Cliff. His many admirable traits of char- acter have made him very popular, and in the spring election of 1892, he was elected Alder- man, and is now serving his first term. He is also a member of the school board.
He was married on September 30, 1866, to Miss Tabitha J. Hooper, daughter of Henry and Mary Hooper, of Bradley county, Tennessee. The have had nine children, of whom five are living: Mary died, aged seven months; Charles H. is a farmer of Tarrant county; Oscar O. is in the Oak Cliff paper mill; Fred H. died, aged three years; Frank L. is in the paper mill; Lillie E .; Mande T .; David A. died, aged three years, and one died unnamed.
His wife isa member of the Baptist Church. He is a member of the George Thomas Post of Dallas County, No. 6, Knights of Honor, the Knights and Ladies of Honor and the Mystic Circle, and is in politics a liberal Re- publican. His popularity is sufficient gnar- antee of his worthy traits of character, but we hasten to contribute our endorsement of everything favorable to this cordial, honest, and honorable, whole-souled citizen of the magnificent suburb of Oak Cliff.
RCHIBALD B. LANIER .- This ven- erable pioneer dates his arrival in Texas in February, 1846, and during all the years that have elapsed since then he has acted well his part in helping to develop the resources of Dallas county. He at once lo- cated 320 acres of land, the amount allowed a young man, in the southeastern part of the county, and improved the same and lived on
it for several years. He then sold out and located on his present property near Haught's Store, never having moved more than once since 1846. Here he bought 433 acres of land, and after his children grew up he divided it among them, retaining only 100 acres for himself. During the early years of his residence here he experienced many of the hardships and privations incident to pio- neer life, and he is loaded with reminiscences sufficient in themselves to make an interest- ing volume of no small proportions. Game of all kind was plenty, and it was no unusual thing for him to kill a bear. The bears were very troublesome, frequently making a raid on his hog pen. His chief difficulty in those days was to secure bread. He had to go sev- eral miles for corn, and had to grind it in steel mills or beat it in mortars. For the past twenty-seven years Mr. Lanier has been acting as Postmaster of Haught's Store, for several years has been Justice of the Peace, and is now a Notary Public. During the war he was in the State service, and was de- tailed by the State to furnish the supply of beef at Dallas.
Mr. Lanier was born in Sussex county, Virginia, February 3, 1819, son of John and Mary A. (Parker) Lanier. He was the only child his mother had, and she died when he was quite small. The father was born in Sussex county, Virginia, abont 1775, and died at about the age of sixty-five years. After the death of his first wife he was mar- ried to Rosa Clements, by whom he had four children: Lucy, wife of Enoch Horton; Josie, wife of John Horton; and L. C. and O. F. Lanier.
Archibald B. Lanier has been married four times. He was first married to Miss Julia Birchfield, in 1849. She was a daughter of Adam Birchfield, a native of Alabama, who
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came to Texas in 1854. The children by his first marriage are: Lucy A., wife of John Cates; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Clunn; and John Lanier, the last named dying when quite small. His second union was with Miss Lavina Halford, daughter of William and Margaret (Dnvall) Halford. Their oldest child, Sarah F., is now the wife of George W. Crnse. Mrs. Lanier gave birth to three chil- dren at one time, and mother and children all died. For his third companion Mr. Lanier wedded Mrs. Letha Williams, a native of Virginia. His fourth wife was Mrs. M. A. Clunn, and he married her in 1878. She was born in Alabama, a daughter of Henry Berry. By his last two wives Mr. Lanier has had no children.
R. A. P. KEEVER. physician and sur- geon, was born in Lincoln county, North Carolina, and was reared in Catawba county. The date of his birth was October 22, 1854. His parents were James and F. C. (Goodson) Keever, both natives of North Carolina, and the father was a mer- chant, miller and farmer, and was well known throughout the Carolinas. He was exempt from serving during the war on account of ill-health. None were more prompt to re- spond to the calls of the country upon them than he, and as he was a good business man had funds at hand to aid financially any en- terprise that arose. He was a devoted mein- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over forty years, and was an officer in the church nearly all of that time. His death occurred September 4, 1888, when he was about sixty years old. His wife died June 2, 1892, aged fifty years, having been a lov- ing and faithful wife, devoted mother and
good church member. She and her husband had six children, namely: Martha, wife of W. G. Jarrett, a resident of Indian Territory; Maggie, wife of Rev. C. A. Gault, deceased, now resides with our subject; Mary J., wife of M. A. Poston, residents of Oak Cliff; our subject; Daniel C., married to Clara Jarrett, resident of Hickory, North Carolina; and James H., proprietor of the Alamo Phar- inacy, Dallas, Texas.
Our subject took a literary course at Rutherford College, North Carolina, and graduated in medicine at the Jefferson Medi- cal College at Philadelphia-class of '81 and '82. He practiced for six or eight years in Lincoln and Catawba counties, North Carolina, with very good success, making a good rec- ord for himself. He changed his residence to Dallas, Texas, in 1888, and there opened an office, where he has continued the practice of his profession ever since. His practice, which is a large and very paying one, is not confined to Dallas, but extends to Oak Cliff also. He numbers some of the best people among his patients, and he has his hands full.
The Doctor was married in 1886, to Miss S. Warlick, daughter of Professor Eli War- lick, of Newton, North Carolina. Mrs. Kee- ver has borne her husband three children, who are the pride and joy of the household. Mrs. Keeveris a cultured and refined lady and she and her linsband are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Dr. Keever is a member of the Fraternal Mystic Circle of Oak Cliff. He is a member of the North Carolina Medical Association, also of Dallas County Medical Association. He is Chief Examiner for Oak Cliff for the Equitable of New York, etc.
In public, professional and social affairs the Doctor is well known in this community.
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He has been enterprising in promoting the best interests of the eity, and has contributed very liberally to all enterprises tending to improve the condition of his fellow citizens. He is a well read man and has a most en- eouraging outlook.
HARLES R. BROTHERTON, one of the representative and most prosperous farmers of Dallas county, was born on his father's farm near Wheatland, eleven miles southwest of Dallas, December 6, 1851. His parents, Henry K. and Rachel (Melvin) Brotherton, were natives of Ohio. His father was reared in Columbus, that State, where he elerked in a drug store until he was of age. He was married in 1851, to a daughter of Dr. Minor, of Lithopolis, Ohio, and soon thereafter emigrated to Texas, settling near Wheatland. In March, 1869, Mrs. Brother- ton died. Six of the children in the above family are living, and all married. The youngest remains on the old homestead, with whom the father now resides. On settling in Texas the senior Brotherton improved several traets of land, buying and selling them. A few years after locating ;upon his present farm a violent storm destroyed all his movable property and outbuildings.
Mr. C. R. Brotherton, whose name intro- duees this sketch, completed his school days at Mansfield, under Professor Collier. No- vember 25, 1879, he married Miss Josie, daughter of Harvey and Aleena Taylor, natives of Kentucky who came to Texas in 1852, settling first near Wheatland, and two years afterward near Laneaster, where Mr. Taylor still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Brother- ton have one child, named IIenry Taylor Brotherton.
On Mr. Brotherton's place are to be found all the modern improvements. His residence is beautifully located on an elevated spot, whenee one can obtain a full view of the sur- rounding country. Mr. Brotherton is a great admirer of fine stock, as evidenced by the selection on his place. He has been a member of the Masonie order for the past thirteen years.
ILLIAM KIMBROUGH, of the mer- cantile firm of Knox & Kimbrough, Mesquite, was born in Missouri, Jan- nary 16, 1862, the son of William and Sarah (Lowery) Kimbrough, natives of Tennessee. The father moved to McDonald county, Mis- sonri, in 1860, where he died in 1871. The family consisted of seven children, namely: Mary, the wife of George Hill; Cynthia, now Mrs. George W. Kelly; John D .; William, our subject; Robert G .; James D .; Anna, the wife of Mr. Wilson.
The subject of this sketeh ran away from home at the age of sixteen years, and located in Hunt connty, Texas, where he received his education. In his first venture he took a contraet for buying a lot of cattle, from which he eleared considerable money, and with this he attended school two years. After leaving school he visited his mother three months, and then returned to this State, settling in Collin county, where he engaged in farming two years. In 1882 he came to this locality and elerked for his brother, R. S. Kimbrough, a short time, and then returned to Collin county, where he engaged in the cattle busi- ness two years. He next went to Hillsboro and worked for Brown & Turrett two seasons, in the grain and cotton business; then he re- turned to this county and worked for R. S.
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Kimbrough three years, and January 16, 1891, he formed his present business.
Mr. Kimbrough was married in 1887, to Miss Lula Rose, whose parents died when she was small. To this marriage has been born two children,-William and Emma C. The mother is a member of the Methodist Church South, and the father of the K. of H. He is a Democrat politically, and takes an active interest in polities.
HOMAS BERNARD, one of the most prosperous citizens of Dallas county, is to be found on his farm of 1373 acres, situated sixteen miles sonthwest of the city of Dallas.
Mr. Bernard was born in Robertson county, Tennessee, October 15, 1825, son of W. S. and Lavertia (Cunningham) Bernard, natives of Virginia and North Carolina respectively. His father owned and operated a farm in Robertson county. During the war of 1812 he served under Old Hickory Jackson, and was with him on his raids against the Indians when the latter were driven west of the Mis- sissippi river. He was in the famous battle of Horse Shoe Bend. To him and his wife fifteen children were born, twelve grew to maturity and eight are still living, scattered over various portions of the United States.
Thomas was reared on the farm, and when lie was eleven years old he had the misfortune to lose his father. He remained with his mother till be reached his twenty-second year. Soon after the loss of her husband, Mrs. Bernard moved with hier family to Adams county, Illinois. In the fall of 1847 the subject of our sketch left his home, and with a caravan of fourteen wagons and four families, accompanied by several young men,
set ont for Texas, landing in Dallas county, November 5, 1847. The following spring several members of the company-some of them with families-started to return to Illi- nois by the way of Shreveport, taking a boat at that point. On their way down the Red river the boat took fire, and a number of the party were burned and drowned.
Soon after coming here, Mr. Bernard, then a single man, took up a halt seetion on Ten- mile ereek, where he now resides. He was married to his first wife, Miss Mary C. Raw- lins, December 24, 1850, she being a native of Iowa and a daughter of William and Nancy (Sharp) Rawlins, who came to Texas from Iowa. Her father was a son of Rodriek Raw- lins, who was among the earliest settlers of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Bernard had three children, two of whom, Henry M. and William E., are married and have families. Henry M. resides in the Indian Territory. William E. married Miss Emma E. MeCarty, and now lives on his father's headright.
Mr. Bernard was married the second time, March 18, 1862, to Miss Mary Luek, a native of Virginia. Her father was a native of Ger- many, and came to the United States when a young man. He married Lney Garris, and for many years lived in Virginia and followed the trade of blacksmith, a trade he had learned in the old country. He moved to Texas abont 1855 or 1856, and settled in Ellis county, where he continued to work at his trade until the time of his death in 1863.
In March, 1863, Mr. Bernard enlisted in the Confederate service as a member of Col- onel B. Warren Stone's Second Regiment of Texas Rangers, and was in the service from that time till the general surrender in 1865. Ile was with the forces that operated along the Mississippi and Red rivers, and was in the battle at Mansfield, Louisiana, when the
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Confederates drove General Banks baek from his raid np Red river. He was in the charge on the Federal eamps at Fort Donelson. He returned home at the elose of the war, never having received a wound or having been captured.
By his last wife Mr. Bernard has eight children: Mary C., wife of J. L. Caunts, lives in Erath county, Texas; John Thomas, a graduate of the St. Louis College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons, married Miss Stella Stieanka, daughter of William and Lizzie Stieanka of Illinois, and is now a praetieing physician; Luey Franees, wife of I. E. Bum- pas and lives in Dallas county; and Rutia Jennette, Jesse Virgil, Celeste May, Eva Monenda,-all living.
Mr. Bernard is surrounded with all the comforts of life. He and his family are members of the Christian Church, and oceupy honored and useful positions in society.
ILLIAM. J. RAINEY, special loan agent for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Milwau- kee, Wisconsin, is one of the enterprising business men of Dallas, Texas.
He was born in Algonae, Michigan, May 1, 1865, and began his business career in Detroit as a fire-insurance agent. Later, he went to Lansing, Michigan, and engaged as agent for S. L. Smith, land-owner and eapi- talist, by whom he was employed one year. Then he went to Baraga, in the upper pen- insula of Michigan. and engaged in the real- estate business; thenee to Iron Mountain, Michigan. He was one of the men who got up the boom in that iron-mountain country. He sold 360 acres of lots in the city of Iron Mountain; was there two years. He was
next engaged as secretary and treasurer for the Loek-Stave Company, of upper Michigan, plant now located at Duluth. Subsequently returning to Iron Mountain, he again en- gaged in the real-estate business, and six months later sold his interests there. He has been in the real-estate business in various parts of the country since that time, until recently. At the present writing he is em- ployed by the Northwestern Mutual Life In- snrance Company, and by his business push and tact renders himself a valued agent. This company loans money in large amounts on real estate. The assets of the company are over $50,000,000. It has done a lending business for over three years; in that time it has leut over $90,000,000, and now has loans outstanding to the amount of $50,000,- 000. The company buys Government, county and municipal bonds; has bought over half a million of Texas bonds since the fall of 1891, and is constantly putting in more money in the State than it takes out.
Mr. Rainey is a man of marked business ability, takes a deep interest in city and eounty affairs, and is progressive and publie- spirited. He is popular not only in business eireles, but in social eireles as well.
LBERT CARVER, a farmer living in Preeinet No. 4, Dallas county, Texas, dates his birth in Illinois, in 1827, he being the third of the five children born to George and Sallie (Hoover) Carver, natives of North Carolina. He was reared on a farm and edueated in Missouri, to which place his father had moved when Albert was a boy. At the age of twenty-one, young Carver com- menced farming in Newton county, Missouri, and in 1849 he came to Dallas county, Texas,
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remaining here, however, only nine months. Ile then went back to Newton county and made his home there until 1852, returning to Texas in the spring of that year and settling on the farm on which he now lives. He bought 260 acres, partly prairie, but the most of it timber land, and to his original purchase he has since added forty-seven acres. When he came here in 1849, Dallas contained only two general stores, one hotel and a saloon, the latter being in a rail pen and the others in clapboard buildings. In connection with his farming operations Mr. Carver is also en- gaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of breeding Durham cattle.
He was married, in 1852, to Miss Mary Markham, a native of Newton county, Mis- souri, and a daughter of Willison and Eddie (Baker) Markham. Mr. and Mrs. Carver are the parents of five children, George, John, James, Thomas and Edward.
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