Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 111

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 111

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He was married May 4, 1859, to Mrs. Martha Angeline Smith, a widow of Patrick P. Smith, and a daughter of Thomas M. Ellis, whose history will be found in the sketch of Thomas M. Ellis. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsby have never had any children, but Mrs. Ramsby has four by her former mar- riage,-William P'. and Thomas, deceased; and John F. and Mary Lou, the latter the wife of James M. Bachelor, and both reside near the old homestead.

LIVER P. BOWSER, real-estate dealer at Dallas, was born in Mont- gomery county, Ohio, March 21, 1842. His parents, David and Mary (Bookwalter) Bowser, were also natives of the Buckeye State. The father was a farmer of a high de- gree of taste, a public-spirited citizen, hon- est and upright, and well and favorably known. He died in 1882, aged seventy-two years, a member of the Christian Church, as is also his wife, now aged seventy-eight years, and residing in Dallas county, where the family settled in 1856. Mr. Bowser moved

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from Ohio to Shelby county, Illinois, in 1849, and thence to Texas. Of their ten children five are still living.

Mr. Bowser, whose name leads this sketch, the fourth-born in the above family, followed farming until 1867, and then merchandising until 1885, in Dallas county, and then began business in real-estate, brokerage and invest- ments, which he has continued to the present time. He has been a resident of Dallas since 1877, and here he has been connected with all the enterprises of the city, being public- spirited.

He was married August 16, 1867, to Miss Jennie E. Murray, daughter of Prof. W. E. Murray, deceased, of Missouri, who was a noted educator of that State. Mr. and Mrs. Bowser have one child, David Watt. Mr. Bowser is a member of the Christian Church, and is an active worker in religious matters and a leader in the Sunday-school. In politics he takes a lively interest in behalf of the Democracy.

REDERICK C. POLVOGT, a business man of Dallas, being a partner in the firin of F. W. Pellenz & Co., at the corner of Poydras and Commerce streets, was born in Galveston county, Texas, July 29, 1867, a son of Frederick William and Eliz- abeth Polvogt, natives of Germany, the father of Beiderfeld and the mother of Saxony; and they were married about 1850. The father, a baker by trade, conducted a business of his own in Galveston, where he lived until his death. He came from Germany in 1844, and settled at Galveston in 1866. For a time he was cook on a boat, and for three years he was a sailor in the United States navy, serving his time of enlistment during the late war. He 1

was a member of the Catholic Church, while his wife was a member of the Lutheran Church. He died in 1867, with the yellow fever, which all the family had, but fatal only with him. Of his eight sons and three daughters three are living: Lonisa Clara Pellenz, wlio is re- ferred to in the sketch of F. W. Pellenz, in this work, and Willamena, wife of W. H. Boyd, resides in Galveston and has three children living: Frederick, Catherine Eliz- abetli and Willie H. The mother is still liv- ing, at the age of sixty-four years, an honored resident of Galveston, where she has lived for the past twenty-six years.

Mr. Polvogt, whose name introduces this sketch, has been eminently successful in business, being an excellent, skilled work- man. He operated in Galveston a short time, then in Dallas, coming here in June, 1887. The firm of which he is a member probably do as much as any other in the city.

Mr. Polvogt was married June 5, 1889, to Miss Mary Wilson, a daughter of Pauline Wilson of Galveston, who has three sons and two daughters, all in Galveston excepting Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Polvogt have two chil- dren, Clara Henrietta and Mary Panline. Mrs. Wilson is a member of the Catholic Church.

LBERT STANDLEY, a successful farm- er of Dallas county, is a son of Ramey and Lucinda (Atnick) Standley. The father was a native of Tennessee, but was reared principally in Missouri, to which State his parents had moved at an early date. Mr. Standley came to Texas in 1852, settling near Farmers' Branch, Dallas county, where he bought 420 acres of prairie and timber land. He cultivated 200 acres of this tract,

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erected good buildings, and remained there until his death, which occurred in Austin county, while there in search of health. He died in 1868, at the age of sixty-five years. Our subjeet's mother was a daughter of David and Bettie Amick, both natives of North Carolina. They moved to Missouri at an early date, settling in Howard county, where Mrs. Standley was born and reared. She died at the old homestead in Dallas county, in 1855, at the age of forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Standley were members of the Christian Church, and both are buried in the cemetery at Farmers' Branch. They had the follow- ing children: David, who died at Hempstead, Austin county, this State, in 1867, leaving a family; Wiliam Harrison, who died in this county in February, 1890, also leaving a fam- ily; Albert, our subject; Lizzie, who be- came the wife of James Thompson, of Rock- wall county, this State, and is now deceased; Alvin, who died at Boggs Depot, while in the Confederate service; and Enoch, a resi- dent of Jack county, this State.

Albert, our subject, was born in Howard county, Missouri, May 10, 1852, but was reared to farm life in Dallas county, Texas. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army, in Captain Witt's Company, Colonel Dar- nell's Regiment, and served one year in Ar- kansas and three years in Louisiana. He took part in the battles of Prairie Grove, Pleasant Hill, Mansfield, Yellow Bayou, Milliken's Bend, etc. He served as a private from the time of his enlistment until the sur- render, and was discharged at Honston, in June, 1865. After the close of the war Mr. Standley settled down to farm life, and now owns a fine place of 100 acres, lying on the west side of Elm fork of the Trinity river, sixty- five acres of which is in enltivatiou. He has neat and comfortable buildings, and the farm

is one of the most desirable places in the county.

Mr. Standley was married in August, 1867, to Cassie Riggs, a daughter of Stephen Riggs, then of Denton county, this State. They had three children: Charles, Susan and Lucinda. Charles and Lucinda both died when young, and Susan is now the wife of Walter Ward, of Alabama. Mr. Standley lost his first wife by death, and he was again married, October 12, 1877, to Mrs. Susan Caroline Grace, widow of Squire Grace, of Denton county, Texas. Mrs. Standley was born and reared in Jefferson county, Missouri, but came to Texas in 1859, where her former husband died, in Denton county, in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Standley have had no children, but have adopted two: Cambo Crawford and Isaac Thomas, to whom they are much devoted. Mr. and Mrs. Standley are members of the Baptist Church at Farmers' Branch.

ACOB METZGER, a prosperous dairy farmer of Dallas county, Texas, was born in Switzerland in 1855. He came from his native land to Quebec, Canada, in 1873, and after remaining in that country two years came in 1875 to Dallas county, Texas. His father, Joseph Metzger, is a farmer in Swit- zerland. His mother, whose maiden name was Anna Erne, died many years ago. They had a family of six children, namely: Carl, Mary, Joseph, Pauline, Elizabeth and Jacob, mostly all married and settled in life, and all in Switzerland except the subject of this sketch and his brother, Joseph. The latter is supposed to be in this country.

Jacob Metzger was married, in Dallas, in 1878, to Bertha Thofern, of this place. They have five children: William, Lena, David, Bertha and Carl.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

When Mr. Metzger first came to Texas he was employed at farm work for three years. The following two years he cultivated rented land on Duck creek. Then he bought land there which he subsequently sold and invested the proceeds in 167 acres of land on Duck creek, in Precinct No. 3. This he farmned for ten years. At the end of that time he came to his present location, leased the prop- erty, started a dairy, and here he has been successfully conducting the same for the past three years. He has about 100 head of cat- tle for dairy purposes, chiefly Holsteins and Durhams; also keeps two Holstein males.

Mrs. Metzger is a member of the Presby- terian Church. Of her family we record that August Thofern, her father, is deceased. Her mother, Lonise (Roffing) Thofern, is still living. The father was born in Prussia, Germany, and was brought to this country in infancy. He and his wife came from Moniteau county, Missouri, to Texas; he was a farmer all his life. Their family con- sisted of six children: Bertha, wife of the subject of this sketch; Carrie, who married Thomas Tinsley, of Dallas; and Henry, Lonisa and Gussie.

EV. CHARLES N. RIGGAN, the pres- ent pastor of the Second Methodist Epis- copal Church South, Dallas, was born of English and French parentage, in Monroe county, Mississippi, December 10, 1856. His grandparents on both sides were long-lived, honorable and substantial citizens of the same county. His early training came in the field in the dark days following the war of 1861- '65. This brought a developed muscle and power of endurance rather than a cultivated mind. At the age of eighteen he threw

down the plow handles to take up the pencil, and, after eight years of struggle with pov- erty, gradnated in the literary course at the University of Mississippi, with credit to him- self and the institution. During his four years' stay at the university he was never before the faculty as a court of correction. His talents were more marked in polemic and oratorical than other lines. He was awarded two first medals for elountion and one for essay writing. Dr. H. R. Withers granted him license to preach at Hope, Ar- kansas, in October, 1884. In January, 1885, he went as a supply to Caledonia station, Missouri, and the next year to Eden chapel (now Mt. Auburn), St. Louis.

At Conference time he came to Texas, and has since been in the regular itinerancy in the North Texas Conference, except last year, when he taught Latin, logie, rhetoric and mental and moral philosophy in the North Texas Female College at Sherinan, Texas, and was Chaplain to the school.

On July 7, 1886, at Brookhaven, Missis- sippi, Mr. Riggan was joined by Bishop Gal- loway, in marriage to Miss Helen E., the beautiful and accomplished daughter of Mrs. Sallie and Dr. W. Y. Gadberry of Yazoo City, Mississippi. Dr. Gadberry was a leader in his profession, having been lecturer on sur- gery in the Louisville Medical College, Super- intendent of army and State hospitals, head- quarters at Oxford, Mississippi, and First Vice-President of the American Medical As- sociation. Two beautiful and promising children have blessed their union: Bernie Helen, five years, and William H., two years old

Floyd Street Church, located at Cantegral and Floyd streets, is a beautiful building of modern style, with a seating capacity, when well arranged, of 900. It is within a block

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of the geographical center of Dallas, in a re- sidence section. It is accessible to more homes convenient to no other church than any other Protestant American white church in the city.

AVID FRANKLIN CAMERON, a farmer and stock-raiser, Dallas, Texas, needs no introduction to the people of Dallas county, for he is one of the oldest and inost esteemed pioneers of the same, having been a resident since eight years of age. He was originally from Missonri, his birth oc- curring in Jackson county of that State, July 9, 1836, and he was the son of David and Susan (Wilburn) Cameron; the father is a native of Virginia, born in 1806 and the mother of Tennessee, born 1812. Both par- ents were of Scotch.Irish descent. The elder Cameron moved to Missouri at a very early day and assisted in building the first house in Independence. He was married there and followed farming until 1844, when he came to Texas. The family at that time consisted of six children. Mr. Cameron made the jour- ney from Missouri to Texas with ox teams and was six weeks in making the jonnrey. He took up a headright of 640 acres at Eagle Ford, but afterward purchased 480 acres where his sou David F. now resides. Here he followed agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, for which he found a market at New Orleans and Kansas. In 1857 he took a herd of cattle to Pike's Peak and disposed of them quite profitably. To Mr. and Mrs. Cameron were born ten children, nine of whom lived to be grown and seven still sur- vive. They are named in the order of their births as follows: Nancy, deceased; Chris- topher C., deceased; David F .; Sarah A .; Ed- ward W .; Deborah, deceased ; Thomas H., born

in Texas; Rachel, born in the Lone Star State and died when six years of age; Aaron A. and John Henry. Mr. Cameron served as Justice of the Peace for many years and was one of the foremost citizens of the county. He and his wife were exemplary members of the Baptist Church. She died January 20, 1880, and he followed her to the grave January 29, 1887, after a long, useful and successfu life. He accumulated in this county 2,100 acres and other property.

Mr. Cameron, whose name heads this sketch, was but eight years of age when his education was obtained by attending school three months in the year and walking a distance of five or six miles. Thus it may be seen that his advantages were not of the best. When ten years of age he began driving a six yoke ox team, breaking prairie, and while he was yet a boy his father gave him an oppor- tunity to accumulate stock, so that when he was grown he had a large herd of cattle.

On the 22d of March, 1862, he enlisted in the Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, and served in Missouri, Arkansas and Lonisiana. He par- ticipated in Bank's raid on Red river, also on grand raid and served on scouting expeditions. During the latter part of the war he was de- tailed for duty in the Quartermaster Depart- ment and while serving in that capacity the war closed.

On the 3d of October, 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Lazane Pilcher, a native of Cass county, Missouri, and the danghter of Enos and Margaret (Miller) Pilcher, natives of North Carolina and Kentucky respectively. Mrs. Cameron was left fatherlesss when two years of age and in 1854 the family came to Texas, settling in Dallas county, where the mother and children now reside. Since his marriage Mr. Cameron has been engaged in farming in Dallas county, where he owns 675

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

acres in high state of cultivation. He is one of the substantial and progressive men of the county and by his good judgment and ex- cellent management has accumulated a com- fortable competency. His marriage resulted in the birth of two children: Emily, wife of W. B. Price of Grier county; and Deborah J., wife of Dr. W. D. Evans of Oak Cliff. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron have adopted a boy, David Rogers, whom they took when an infant. Socially Mr. Cameron is a Mason and politi- cally he advocates the principles of Democ- racy.

LEMENT LETOT, a farmer, merchant and stock-raiser residing eight miles north of the city of Dallas, was born in the Province of L'You, France, October 22, 1835, a son of Sylvan and Colombe Letot, natives of the same place. The father, a farmer by occupation, came to America in 1857, accompanied by his wife and two danghters, and settled in La Salle county, Illinois. He served seven years in the reg- ular army in France, and four years in the late war in this country, as a member of Battery No. 24, which went ont from La Salle county. He died on his farm in that county in 1881, at the age of seventy-five years. Mrs. Letot is still living on the old homestead in La Salle county. Our subject's sisters, Pauline, wife of Leon Hay, and Catherine, wife of Martin D'Veore, also re- side in that county.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native place, where he learned the trade of a machinist. He served in the French army for three years, from 1856 to 1860, was in the Crimean war, where he was a machin- ist on a large ship. spending most of the time during that war on the Black Sea. He

came to America at the expiration of his term of service, his father's family having preceded him to this country by three years, and made his first stop at Chicago, where he worked at his trade. Three years later he went to La Salle county, where he purchased a farm of 640 acres of land lying on Fox river, about twelve miles north of Ottawa, the county seat. He had one of the finest farms in the county, but in December, 1876, he sold out and came to Texas, settling in Dallas county. He first bought 640 acres of land, to which he has since added until he now owns 1,200 acres, 900 acres of which is cultivated and well improved. He has a handsome two-story frame honse, which cost $4,000, barns and ontbuildings, and also a gin, which he runs during the ginning sea- son. Mr. Letot has a store on his farm, which he has been running since 1879, and which is stocked with general merchandise.

He was married in La Salle county, Illi- nois, in May, 1861, to Nathle, a danghter of Martin Barnard, a native of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Letot have had the following chil- dren: David, who resides on his place ad- joining his father's; Engenia, wife of M. K. Williamson, of Birmingham, Alabama; Eliza, wife of John Worley, of Weatherford, Texas; Oliver; Mattie; and May, at home.

ERMANN R. NEWMAN, farmer, was born May 28, 1836, in Tuscaloosa county, Alabania, son of Thomas New- man, who was born in Georgia, in 1798, and was a small boy when his father moved to the State of Mississippi. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812. After the war he went to Mississippi, where he married Miss Mary Sparks, who was born in Mary-

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land and died at the age of forty-five years. Mr. Newman then moved to Tennessee, when Herman R. was but a very young boy. He brought up six children, namely: Harvey; Bird C., who went to California at an early day and has not since been heard from; Her- mann R., our subject; Eliza, the wife of Daniel Herrin, who died, and she afterward married Dow Everton; Susan, who died un- married; and Sarah, yet unmarried. Mr. Thomas Newman moved from Tennessee to Missouri in 1848, and in 1856 eame to Texas, where he died, iu 1863.

Mr. Hermann R. Newman married Miss Carolina MeDonald, July 28, 1857; she was born in 1838, the daughter of William Mc- Donald, who came from Missouri to Texas in 1852. His children have been: James Frank; William; John; Betsy, wife of Ben- jamin Kirby; Sallie, wife of Harvey New- man; Parthena, wife of Sham Hatts; Martha, wife of Mr. McClain; Mary, wife of Smith Compton.

Mr. Newman, our subject, rented fifty- seven acres of land, and afterward, as fast as he was able from time to time, purchased more land, until at one time he had 738 acres; but he has since sold all but 200 aeres. On this farm he has built and now occupies a good residence. By diligence and wise judgment he has aceulumated a suffi- eient fortune for his declining years.

In April, 1862, he enlisted in the Southern army, in Colonel Burford's Regiment, the Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, and served during the war, being on detached duty most of the time. Was in the battles of Pleasant IIill, Mansfield and a number of minor en- gagements. During his absence in the army his wife managed the farm, raising wheat and corn. She had to give a tenth of all she raised to the Confederate Government.

Three yoke of oxen were taken away by cotton haulers who claimed to be officers of the army, but were only speculators from the South, hanling cotton to New Mexico. Mr. Newman is a Royal Arch Mason, belonging to Plano Chapter, and also to the Knights of IIonor.

His children are: Mary, wife of Augustus Peavey; Parthena, wife of Mark Rainey; George; Sallie, wife of Henry MeCallum; James; Emma; Dorotha; Willie and Samuel.

AMES B. LOWREY whose sketch is given below, is a son of Mark Lowrey, who was born in the blue-grass region of Kentucky in 1791, but at an early day re- moved to White county, Tennessee, where he died in 1879. The following article is taken from the press where he was known for four- score years: "Mark Lowrey was a gallant and true soldier in Murdock's company in the Creek and Seminole war. He was married the first time to Miss Margaret Barger, about 1813; he then settled on a farm near Sparta, Tennessee, where he lived till the honr of his death; and by industry he reared a large family of respected and intelligent children, four boys and fonr girls, two of whom have long since passed away to their reward. He was a devoted husband, kind father and as a neighbor he was always ready to lend a help- ing hand; he was the poor man's friend and there was nothing he could do for the needy but he was always at his post ready to supply their wants. He was a prominent citizen, and an enterprising farmer and stock-raiser. He was for many years an exemplary member of the Christian Church, in which he lived until death called him home to rest with friends long since gone before, to rest prepared for

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the people of God. In 1817 he was married to the widow of the late Colonel Bunch of East Tennessee. There was something very remarkable in the history of Mr. Lowrey : for eighty-eight long years he lived without pain with one exception, which was caused by his horse stepping on his foot. He never had even the tooth-ache or headache in all his life, and never, since he could remember, did he lose a meal of victuals on account of sick- ness until a short time ago, when he was at- tacked with a cancer which eaused his death. Just before his death, while some of his chil- dren and friends were standing around his dying bed, he told them he had no pain whatever, and calmly closed his eyes in deatlı and passed away, and 'heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, right blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from hence forth, yea, saith the spirit. that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.'"

The paternal grandfather, Alexander Low- rey, was born in North Carolina and removed from there to Kentucky and from there to Tennessee. He was a Revolutionary soldier. Mark Lowrey and his wife became the par- ents of eight children: Barger came to Texas in 1851 but without unloading his wagon re turned to Tennessee, but in 1888 returned to this State and here is now living; Finnette (deceased) was the wife of James M. Carrick; Amanda is the widow of James Scott; Amy (deceased in 1876) was the wife of Dudley Hunter; Charles died in 1883; Bettie, the wife of Wayman Clark is a resident of Sparta, Tennessee; James B. and Vance C., who died in 1885. James B. was born in Tennessee in 1823, and remained with his father until twenty-two years of age, when he engaged in merchandising, farming and stock-raising on his own account. In 1859 he emigrated to Dallas county, Texas, and for about two years

was engaged in farming near Lancaster, but during the war carried the mail from Dal- las to Waco. Succeeding this he followed merchandising in Lancaster for about eight years, after which he moved to the farm where he now lives

He was married in 1845, to Elizabeth Hunter, who was born in Tennessee, in 1829, the daughter of Dudley and Henriette Hun- ter. Mrs. Lowrey's paternal grandmother was a niece of Daniel Boone. To Mr. and Mrs. Lowrey five children have been born: Dudley B., who died in 1886, was a soldier in the Confederate service, enlisting between the ages of fifteen and sixteen years, in Com- pany F, Darnell's regiment, but was sent home on account of his age. Hle afterward joined Captain Baylor's company, but was again sent home on account of his age. Be- ing of a determined disposition and possess- ing much youthful enthusiasm, he started to join Ross's regiment, but on his way heard of the surrender and returned home. For a number of years he was chief clerk in the Comptroller's office under A. Bledsoc. Seth C. comes next in order of birth, then Nick O .; Henriette, who died in 1876; Ida H .. the widow of Dr. Thomas Little. At the close of the war Mr. Lowrey was the possessor of five cents and five children, but to day has about 2,500 acres of land well improved and and well stocked. He is a Democrat politi- cally.

P. CORNELIUS, deceased, was born in Kentucky, July 27, 1828. He lived in that State until he came to Texas, in 1848, settling where he lived until his death, in May, 1887. His parents lived in Kentucky until their death. Onr subject was married November 23, 1855, to Miss E. M.

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Horn, who was born March 26, 1836, a daughter of William and E. M. Horn, natives of Tennessee. The parents came to Red River county, Texas, in 1844, where they lived nntil 1849, and in that year they moved to Dallas county, settling about eleven miles south of where the city of Dallas now stands. Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are now living: J. W., Martha A., Maggie, A. L., P. J., Charles C. and Henry M. Four of the chil- dren are now married and live in Texas. Mr. Cornelius was a firm believer in the Bible, and was at one time a member of the Chris- tian Church. IIe devoted his life to the rearing of stoek and farming, and at his death left each of his children a good farm and his widow well provided for.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 111

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