Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 116

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 116

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).

OSEPH W. JOHNSON, of Garland, Dallas county, was born in Cherokee county, North Carolina, March 28, 1840, a son of Wesley Johnson, a native of North Carolina. He was a farmer by occupation, and lived in his native State until 1865, when he moved to Yell county, Arkansas, where he died at the age of sixty-three years. His wife, nee Sallie Black, was born in Bun- combe county, North Carolina, and died in Yell county, Arkansas, at the age of seventy- seven years. She lived to see her children reach years of maturity, and all married except one, who is deceased. Their chil- dren were as follows: John; Robert; Susan, wife of Woodford Bumgomer; Burton, de- ceased; George; Jane, wife of M. D. Kini-

brough; Thomas; Joseph; Margaret, wife of Mansell West; James; Vandever, deceased; and Melissa, wife of Thomas Noblet, deceased.

Joseph W., our subject, moved to Georgia when a young man, where he remained until after the war. He enlisted in the Third Bat- talion of Georgia, and served from June, 1861, until the surrender of Lee, and was promoted Second Sergeant of his company. At the close of the war he returned home, and later moved to Yell county, Arkansas, where he engaged in farming eight years. He next moved to Texas, landing in Dallas county, March 5, 1878, and settled five miles east of Garland, on Rowlet creek. After one year he moved to near Garland, rented a farm two years, and afterward purchased ninety acres three miles northwest of this place. He has since added 106 acres more to his first purchase, and now has a farm of 200 acres of well improved land.

Mr. Johnson was married August 30, 1856, to Elizabeth Black, who was born in Coke eounty, Tennessee, June 1, 1846, the fifth in a family of twelve children of Alex- ander Black. The latter was born in North Carolina in 1820, and moved to Tennessee when a young man, where he was married to Miss Mary Clark, who was born in March, 18 -. He then went to Georgia, and later entered the army, in Company C, Twenty- Sixtlı Regiment, and served two years; next he went to Middle Tennessee, where he re- mained one year; then to Yell county, Ar- kansas, where he died, at the age of sixty-three years; his widow is still living, at the age of seventy-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had twelve children, viz .: Sidney, James K., Fannie (deceased), John W., Duke, Cord, Mary, Joseph, Columbus A. (deceased), Sallie, Samuel and Henry C. Mr. and Mrs. John- son are bothi members of the Baptist Church.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Mr. Johnson is now forty-one years of age, and has accumulated enough of this world's goods to enable him to spend the remainder of his days in comfort.

ILLIAM J. LITTLE, a farmer of Dallas county, was born in Shelby county, Illinois, October 25, 1834, a son of John Little, also a native of Illinois. The latter moved to Texas in 1835, landing in Montgomery county, but took a claim of 4,444 acres in Dallas county, and died on his way from Anderson county to this large tract of land. The farm was sold to the adminis- trator, and the children received but a small portion of this large body of fine land. Mr. Little died in July, 1854, and his wife, nee Bettie Bateman, born July 6, 1807, died at the age of fifty years. They were the par- ents of ten children, namely: Pressie A., wife of J. M. Spillers; Pollie, now Mrs. S. B. Owens; Abral; Elizabeth J., wife of William Grove; William J .; John M .; Nancy, wife of William Bryant; Riley T., who was killed in the war; Bertha M., wife of Bishop Compton; Sarah C., wife of Ed Herring.

William J., after the death of his father, brought the children to Dallas county, where he took care of them until their marriage. After his marriage Mr. Little pre-empted 160 acres of land, which he improved, but after five years sold this place and moved to where he now lives. Ile saved 197 acres out of his father's large tract, to which he after- ward added 160 acres more, and he now has 700 acres of well improved land. Ife also followed stock-raising, but of late years has abandoned that occupation, and his entire farm is now managed by his son. Mr. Little was married October 14, 1855, to Miss Rose

Amos, who was born June 6, 1842, in Vir- ginia. Her father, Joseph Amos, moved from Virginia to Texas in 1850, and died in Parker county, at the age of seventy years. His wife, nee Sophia Davis, died at the age of forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Amos had ten children, viz .: Thomas J., deceased ; Elizabeth, who died when young; Martha, who also died in infancy; Mary, wife of John Curtis; Rosana, now Mrs. William J. Little; Sarah, wife of James Milton; Jane; Eliza, wife of William Wheeler; Nancy, wife of William Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Little are the parents of seven children: Martha, wife of John Bolding; Riley T .; Mary, wife of Wilbor Williams; Rosa, wife of Fletcher Warren; Lillie, now Mrs. Perish Horn; Lula and Minnie. Mrs. Little is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

F. CARSON, Deputy Sheriff of Dal- las, was born in Greene county, Ten- nessee, a son of David and Margaret (Phillips) Carson, natives of Virginia and Tennessee. The family removed from Ten- nessee to Dallas in 1880, and in 1889 to Childress county. The father was a farmer by occupation, and was a soldier in the late war, having served as a private in the De- partment of the Gulf. He was well and favorably known as an upright and worthy citizen. He has done his part in opening up the frontier, and preparing the way for the race of a higher civilization and progress. He is now seventy-eight years of age, and his wife died at the age of sixty-seven years. They were the parents of nine children, six of whom still survive: J. A., who married Miss Jennie Simmons, and they now reside on a farm near Childer; T. F., our subject;

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

C. L., a farmer of this county; Porter, also a farmer by occupation; Sarah, wife of C. E. McArthur, of Dallas county; and Mattie, wife of J. F. Huffininer, of Potter county, Texas. The remaining children died in early childhood.

The subject of this notice was engaged in farming until 1886, when he began work in the Sheriff's office, under W. H. Lewis, where he still continues. He has discharged the duties of the office faithfully, and if elected to that position will undoubtedly render the county a faithful and honest service. Mr. Carson is in sympathy with the progress of the community in every line of advancement, and thus far has had a career marked by promising and commendable qualities.

AON. P. H. GOLDEN .- The varied ex- periences of this gentleman are inter- esting, and are a fine example of the ready adaptability of Americans, when they desire to do so, to fit themselves for any posi- tion. He is the present nominee for the Legislature, made so by both the Clark and Hogg divisions in convention assembled in Dallas, July 19, 1892. He is also president of the State Federation of Labor of the State of Texas.

This gentleman was born in New Orleans, July 19, 1846, and it is a coincidence that he received his nomination for the Legislature on the forty-sixth anniversary of his birth. His parents were Edward and Elizabeth (Hale) Golden, both natives of Donegal county, Ireland. They were born, reared and married in their native country. The father was a painter, and came to America in 1843, to New Orleans the following year, where he remained until the war. He then

enlisted as a private in the Fourteenth Louisiana Infantry, in 1861. He served until the battle of Gettysburg, when he was killed, aged forty-three. He served from the first until his death. His wife had died in 1859, aged thirty-six, and both of them were members of the Catholic Church.

Our subject is the only remaining member of his family, the others having died. He was educated in the public schools of New Orleans. He began learning his father's trade when he was but yet a boy, in 1860, and has followed that trade a good part of his life, although he has followed other call- ings, among which was that of locomotive fireman for three and one-half years.

He came to Texas in January, 1870, and to Dallas April, 1886, and has continued to reside here ever since. He has declined twice before to run for this same office, but the laboring classes would not be satisfied, and so unanimously nominated him, although he had made no personal canvass.

Mr. Golden was married November 23, 1878, to Miss Mary E. Scoby, daughter of Matthew Scoby, who was born in Texas in 1822, and whose father, Robert Seoby, was married in Brazoria county, Texas, September 5, 1821, to Miss Mary L. Fulcher, sister of Church Fulcher, of Texas, by whom he had five children, viz .: Andrew W., born August 12, 1824; Matthew, born January 2, 1826; Elizabeth, born January 2, 1828; Mary J., born August 6, 1832, and Robert Scoby. The grandfather died September 3, 1855, and his daughter Elizabeth is the only one of the family now living. Mr. Robert Scoby, Sr .. came to Texas with Austin and his first three hundred.

Mrs. Golden is one of five children, viz .: Matthew, a farmer, unmarried, residing in Gonzales county, Texas; Mary E. (Mrs. Gol-

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

den); M. E., wife of George E. Minnix, of Galveston, Texas; Anna, wife of S. A. Young, a farmer of Hale county, Texas; Robert, a farmer, married and living in Missouri county, Texas.

Mr. and Mrs. Golden have three promising and bright children, viz .: Henry Edmund, born November 20, 1879; Patrick Neil, born October 7, 1882; John Dempsey, born No- vember 30, 1887.

Our subject is a day laborer, a painter by trade, and has made much of opportunity, depending upon his own resources from an early age. At the same time he has been a close student, watching closely the trend of events. He is a ready writer and a fluent speaker on his favorite subjects, and has met the reward of industry, perseverance and a desire to improve himself and better the con- dition of the laboring masses. He has made the labor question a study for twenty-seven years. He joined the Painters' Union in 1865, and has been a member of the organi- zation ever since, and is also a member of the Knights of Labor. Ile has been an officer, was District Master Workman of the Texas Knights of Honor, and this is his fourth term as president of the State Federa- tion of Labor, having been elected unani- monsly, each time by a rising vote. He de- serves all the honors heaped upon him by his fellow-workmen.

ILLIAM M. KINNARD, postoffice, Lisbon, Dallas county, Texas, was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, September 30, 1849, son of W. M. and Elizabeth C. (Smith) Kinnard. His father, a native of Pennsylvania and of Scotch an- cestry, went to Tennessee and was there mar-

ried, his wife being a native of that State. Her father, Thomas Smith, went from Vir- ginia to Tennessee and was among the first settlers of Nashville. Mr. Kinnard followed farming there until 1851, when he emigrated to Dallas county, Texas. Here he followed the saddler's trade for five years in Dallas. In 1856 he purchased 200 acres of wild land, which he improved, and on which he was engaged in farming the rest of his days. His death occurred in 1867. To him and his wife three children were born, William M. being the only surviving one. Mrs. Kinnard still resides on the homestead with her son, who manages the farm. They are members of the Christian Church.

HALEM E. SCOTT, a member of the firm of Beaver, Scott & Williams, of Garland, was born in Shelby county, Tennessee, in 1833, a son of E. G. and Cynthia (Elkin) Scott. The father moved to Illinois in 1838, settling at Mount Vernon, where he engaged in farming; in 1858 he removed to Dallas county, Missouri; in 1868 to Oregon county, same State, and remained there until his death, which occurred in 1886, at the age of sixty-eight years. He was blind for thirty years and for the last eighteen or twenty years of his life conducted a successful mercantile business at Pinckneyville, Oregon county, Missouri. He was three times married, first to the mother of our subject, and by this nnion there were four children, viz .: W. F., deceased; Elizabeth, deceased, wife of David Taylor, of Missouri; S. E., our subject; and Angeline, deceased. The mother died in 1836, and two years later the father married Lucy, a sister of his first wife, and to this union was born one child, Harriet, now de-

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

ceased. Mrs. Seott died in 1844, and about 1847 Mr. Scott married again, and had one ehild, Virginia, now the wife of Mr. Crnmb, of Kansas. During his life Mr. Scott was a striet Democrat, and was aetively identified with that party, but would never accept an office at the hands of his friends. His son, W. F. Scott, M. D., was a soldier in the war with Mexico, and served in the division that went to Santa Fé, New Mexico, and partiei- pated in several engagements with the Mexi- eans. He differed from his father politically during the late war, as he was First Lieuten- ant in the United States army, and served throughout the war.

At the elose of the war he returned home and commeneed the study of medicine, and before his death had secured a large and lucrative praetiee at Elbia, Illinois, where his family now reside.

T. DUNCAN, a prominent stoek-dealer, who has been a resident of Dallas county, Texas, since the fall of 1874, was born in Anson county, North Carolina, May 24, 1844. His parents, John and Eliza- betli (Cayson) Duncan, were deseendants of Scotch and English ancestry, and were na- tives of North Carolina. The Dunean family moved to Mississippi in 1848, and settled in De Soto connty, where the father engaged in farming, and where he and his wife lived the rest of their days. Of their eleven children ten lived to be grown, and seven still survive. During the war, in 1862, the father died while on his way to see his son who was wounded in Denmark, Tennessee. The father and three of the family died within four weeks. He was fifty-six years old at the time of his

death. The mother survived him one year, dying at the age of fifty, her death being lastened by tronbles caused by the late war. J. T. Dunean was reared on a farm, and received his education in the common schools. He remained at home until June 1, 1863, when, at the age of eighteen years, he enlisted in Company 1, Duff's battalion. Going ont with a scouting company, he was captured near Bolivar, Tennessee, and was confined in prison in Alton, Illinois. During his im- prisonment his mother died. He was there about six weeks. Then, on account of illness, he returned to his home for a short time. Rejoining his command, Duff's battalion, at Chulahoma, Mississippi, he participated in many important engagements and served until the elose of the war. Of the family, three brothers were in the army, one died and the others were wounded.

After hostilities ceased, Mr. Dunean re- turned to Mississippi and engaged in farming. He was married Jannary 12, 1869, to Miss Mattie A. Terry, a native of Tippah county, Mississippi, and a daughter of Asbury and Winnie (Graton) Terry, who were from South Carolina and of Irish, Scotch and English descent. He continued farming in Missis- sippi until 1869. Then he went to Drew county, Arkansas, and resided there until 1874, when he came to Dallas county, Texas. He purchased eighty-six acres of partially improved land, three miles west of Dallas, where he lived until the spring of 1889. Besides his home, he has a landed estate of 293 aeres. In 1889 he sold his home and purchased three acres, where he now resides. His residenee, a commodious two-story one, 30 x 38 feet, with 92 feet of gallery, he ereet- ed in 1889. It is built in modern style and contains ten rooms.

Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have had two ehil-

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

dren: Charlie Percie, deceased, and John Asbury, who is now attending school at Georgetown. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

ENERAL R. M. GANO, a worthy and influential business man and minister in the Christian Church; director in the Bankers and Merchants' National Bank, also vice president in the Estado Land and Cattle Company, was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, June 18, 1830. His par- ents were John A. and Mary C. (Conn) Gano, both natives of Kentucky. The father was a minister of the gospel for fully sixty years. He had a remarkable good record as an active, popular, devont minister and worthy man. He baptized fully 10,000 per- sons, laboring chiefly in Kentucky, but also in Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee and Ohio. He was widely and extensively known in the greater portion of the above States, especially in Cincinnati, Ohio. Upon conversion, which occurred in early manhood, he immediately took a working place in the church of which he became a member. His manliness, deep religious sense of duty, his truthfulness, his practical skill in conducting whatever might be entrusted to him, his magnetic cheerful- ness and beautiful self-renunciation all com- bined to make him almost the idol of his par- ishioners, acquaintances and family. He died in 1871, aged eighty-two. His wife was the daughter of Captain William Conn, who was reared in Kentucky, and fought through all the Indian wars of that State, also in the war of 1812, and was a man of popularity, wealth and ability, dying from the effects of a fall in the eighty-eighth year of his life. He had been a member for over sixty years of the 61

Christian Church. His daughter, mother of our subject, died in 1891, at the age of eighty years. She was also a devoted member of the Christian Church for sixty-five years, and was a model woman of deep religious pi - ety and great breadth of usefulness. She en- tered into the work of her husband with all the strength of her cultivated intellect, and with all the fervor of her warm, loving heart. For years she proved herself a helpmate, in- deed. Her hand was ever open to give help, while hier warm heart was ever ready to be- stow sympathy on those who needed it. These parents had twelve children, three of whom died in infancy, and only two are now living, our subject and John A., a younger brother who resides at Taylor, Texas, engaged in the real-estate business.

Our subject received his literary education at Bethany College, Brooks county, West Virginia, graduating from there in 1847, and graduated in a medical course from the Medical College at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1849. He practiced medicine for about eight years in Kentucky, Baton Rouge, Louis- iana and Texas, coming to the last named place in 1857, settling in Tarrant county. He represented that county in the Legislature during the sessions of 1860-'61. He intro- duced and carried through an important bill on frontier protection, and was quite active in the floor discussions relating to the stock interests and other important measures. Ile resigned his seat in the Legislature to enter the Confederate States army, enlisting Janu- ary, 1862, and served during the war, act- ively until the surrender. Ile started as a Captain of a squadron of cavalry and served in the army of the Tennessee with Colonel John H. Morgan, and rose through the ranks of Major and Colonel to that of Brigadier General. He was in forty-two engagements

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

while in the army of the Tennessee, com- mencing in the spring of 1863, with the bat- tle of Chattanooga. He was removed to the Mississippi department, under General Kirby Smith, and was placed in command of the Texas cavalry, on Red river, with two bat- teries of artillery. He was in seventy-two engagements, but was never taken prisoner. His left arm was broken by a gunshot wound, his body grazed and his clothing pierced by half a dozen bullets. While in service he had five horses shot under him, three of whom were killed. In all his engagements he was successful, except in four. He was recommended to General Breckenridge, Sec- retary of War, for the rank of Major General, but Richmond fell before the commission, which had been ordered, had been issued.

The war closing, he settled in Dallas county in 1865, and embarked in farming and stock-raising. He made a profession of his faith, in 1840, and has been a member of the church for over fifty-two years. In July, 1866, he began his labors in the ministry of the Christian Church and has been very suc- cessful, having baptized about 4,000 people, besides establishing a large number of churches. He has been successful, also, in worldly matters, making a success of what- ever he touched, as he made money in real estate, farming, stock-raising and banking. He has probably imported more fine blooded stock into the State than any other one man. He now owns an interest in one of the finest ranches of the county, and is building up a harness-horse ranch in Dallas county.

General Gano is one of the honored pio- neers of Dallas, Texas, and one of the streets of that beautiful city is named for him. From this sketch it will be seen that he is a man of successful business tact, ever lending aid to anything tending to improve the | but was compelled to leave college, April,

lovely city of his adoption. He is intensely loyal to the church of his choice, steadily upholding her doctrines and usages, giving liberally, both in time and means, to her in- stitutions.

He was married, in March, 1853, to Miss Margaret, daughter of Dr. Thomas Welch, of Crab Orchard, Kentucky, who was a prac- ticing physician for many years. He is the father of Dr. Samuel and Colonel W. G. Welch, both prominent in their professions of medicine and law, respectively, the former of this city, the latter of Stanford, Kentucky.

Mrs. Gano is a cheerful, generous, intelli- gent lady. She graduated in 1851, from the Greenville Institute, with class honors and valedictorian's essay. This institute was un- der the presidency of Prof. Samnel C. Mul- lins, a noted educator of the State.

General and Mrs. Gano have had twelve children, to whom they have given their best attention and of whom they are justly proud. They are, William B., John T. (deceased) and Clarence W., sketches of whom will be found in this volume; Samuel W., deceased; Katie M., wife of Dr. H. L. McLaurin of this city; Fanny, deceased; Maurice, graduate of the Kentucky University and of the law department of Texas University, has entered the practice of law in Dallas, Texas; Emna, graduate of Hamilton College, Kentucky, has taken lessons in voice enlture in the Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati, and is an accomplished vocalist; Robert Lee and Sidney Johnston, twins: the former has just entered a partnership with his brother Man- rice, being a graduate from the same univer- sities as that gentleman, and thoroughly con- versant with all legal points. He is a young man of fine ability and was chosen orator of his class at the Texas University, June, 1891,

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

1891, on account of poor health. The other twin, a graduate of the Philadelphia Medical College, recently entered the practice of med- icine in Dallas, Texas; Frank, deceased: Mat- tie is the youngest of the family, and is an accomplished musician. She and her sister, Miss Emma, are faithful members of the Christian Church, as are also the parents of the surviving children.

The success in life which the General has attained, is due to the energy and industry of his nature. He is numbered, socially, re- ligiously and financially with the leading men of Dallas county.

ON. W. W. LANG, president of the Texas Paper Mill Company, was born in Wayne county, Mississippi, May 15, 1829. His parents were General William A. and Temple (Thurman) Lang, natives of South Carolina. The father was a cotton planter, and was an enterprising and well known man throughout the State. He was a member of the Legislature of Mississippi for some years, was Captain in Robert F. Haynes' regiment, in the war of 1812, and his death occurred in 1849, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife died in 1857, aged sixty-seven years. They were the parents of five children, of whom our subjeet is the fourth child. A sister, Janie, widow of Dr. Edward A. Miller, and W. W. Lang, are the only ones of the family now living. She re- sides in Marlin, Falls county, Texas. Cap- tain Willis L. Lang, the youngest child, was shot during the war, at the battle of Valverde, having been killed in a desperate cavalry charge. General Lang was an active, pro- gressive and thoroughgoing man, and carried the respect of all who knew him. His name

was almost a synonym for honesty, integrity and square dealing. He was a man of intense energy, quick in preception, of ready wit, of positive opinions and decisive action.

W. W. Lang was prepared for college by the celebrated Dr. John N. Waddle, and he afterward graduated at the Oakland College, Mississippi, in 1848. His brother, Captain Willis L., graduated in the same class, and the first honor was divided between these brothers. In college Willis was better in mathematics than any professor there. He was a man of great intellectual power. After his college days onr subject engaged in cotton planting in the South, and in 1860 came to Falls county, Texas, locating on the Brazos river. In September, 1861, he enlisted as First Lieutenant in Company B, Bert Adams' Mississippi regiment. Ile took part in Wheeler's cavalry, was in most of the battles in the Western army until 1863, when he re- signed and came to Texas. Mr. Lang was promoted to Captain of the company during his services, and many times was in command of the regiment. In 1863 he came to Falls county and joined Elinore's Texas regiment, and was discharged in April, 1865. After the close of the war he superintended his farm until 1874, and in that year was elected Master of the State Grange of Texas, which position he held until 1880. In 1875 he was appointed by Governor Coke to locate the East Branch penitentiary, and the follow- ing year was elected a member of the Texas Legislature, in which he took an active part in debate. In 1880 he was elected Presi- dent of the Southwestern Immigration Company; in 1881 he went to Europe in the interests of that company, and remained until 1884; and in 1885 was appointed Con- sul to Hamburg by President Cleveland, in which position he served until September 1,

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 116

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