Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 34

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 34

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Lake Avenue Church was organized in 1891. Present pastor, Rev. Mr. Millican.

Christian Churches .- In 1846 Elder Thacker B. Griffin organized the first "Chris- tian" Church in Dallas county, and in 1852 Dr. B. F. Hall organized the first "Christian" Church in the city of Dallas.

This First Christian Church of Dallas has grown very rapidly here in the city and has erected a large and handsome edifice at the corner of Bryan and Pearl streets. They have no regular pastor at present. In this interval, while the church is seeking a pastor, General R. M. Gano, an eloquent and influ- ential preacher in the city, who has retired from the active service, preaches occasionally.

[ The Central Christian Church, organized in 1875, is the largest church of this denom- ination in the city. Elder M. M. Davis, an able and eloquent preacher, is pastor. It has one of the finest church buildings in Dal- las, costing $65,000; membership, 600. It is situated at the corner of Patterson avenue and Mastin steeet.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

OAK CLIFF.

This beautiful residence city is situated . southwest of the city of Dallas, beyond the Trinity river, about three quarters of a mile fron the courthouse square, on an elevated plateau over looking the city and surrounding country. Its superior elevation presents to the vision most charming and varied scenes of beauty over the sweeping prairies, and the cross timbers that cluster on the banks of the Trinity, and to the inhabitants the coolest and most desirable dwelling places in all Texas. The cool breezes are continually wafted from the bosom of the Gulf over the rolling prairies, making the days and nights in the most heated seasons cool and delight- ful and Oak Cliff a place greatly songht after.

The founding of this city was in 1887, by the enterprising and gifted T. L. Marsalis, a a much admired, wealthy business man, who for some time was an extensive wholesale groceryman of Dallas. Discerning far the future of Dallas, and seeing her rapidly at- taining the proportions of a great city, this gentleman bought here, at a cost of half a million dollars, 2,000 acres of land so propi- tiously located, especially for residences, and had it in a large measure platted, streets laid out and paved with elegant sidewalks. It now, in this short time, since 1887, possesses a population of 7,000, and most attractive residences, some costing $50,000. Some of the most prominent and wealthy men of the city and State have moved here and have lovely homes.

A railroad costing $400,000 sweeps around from the city of Dallas through Oak Cliff, returning to Dallas almost in a circle, every few minutes, thereby affording most ample and happy accommodations to the public. This is the only railroad in the South operated on the same plan as the New York elevated railroad. Many manufacturing es- tablishments of various kinds are located here. Among the number is E. G. Patton & Com- pany's great patent medicine laboratory and the Texas Paper Mills, the only mills of the kind in the State; also several business houses to supply the demands of the inhabitants. There is also an electric light plant, costing $25,000, and waterworks costing $50,000, operated here for the benefit of the population of this city.

All religions denominations have places of worship here. Some of them have erected elegant churches. There are the very best educational advantages offered the public. A $30,000 public-school building is now being erected. Besides the several private schools, a female institution of learning, called the Oak Cliff Female College, will open a most lovely and attractive, as well as commodious, building, in the coming fall season, with a large number of students already enlisted un- der the efficient management of Prof. M. Thomas Edgerton, president, a distinguished educator from Tennessee, and lately presi- dent of the Waco (Texas) Female College. The handsome building in which this college will open cost $100,000. The Catholic de -

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

nomination has an orphans' home in an at- tractivo buikling.

There are beautiful and charming lawns, drives, parks and lakes skirting this city, making as has been very appropriately said, "Oak Cliff to Dallas what Brooklyn is to New York." As a means of pleasurea sum- mer theater is located in one of the large parks, at which summer opera companies and amateur plays entertain the public.

In 1890 this city was incorporated by a special act of the legislature and made a sep- arate government within itself, The follow- ing are the present officers: F. N. Oliver, mayor; W. F. Daugherty, secretary; W. H. II. Smith, marshal; C. R. Buddy, treasurer. Aldermen: J. W. Roach, J. L. Means, W. D. Henderson, R. P. Toole, Clinton Jack.

OAK CLIFF COLLEGE FOR YOUNG LADIES.

Among the many enterprises that will add so much to the prosperity of this beantiful little city is the Oak Cliff College for Young Ladies.

A hotel, costing upwards of $100,000 was constructed two years ago, and was designed to accommodate both summer and winter visitors, and it is casily heated by steam and and thoroughly comfortable in winter and airy and well ventilated in the summer. It is four stories high. In the matter of ap- pointments and furnishings, it is unsurpassed by any other in the State. This magnificent building, with its entire equipments, have been leased for a term of years by a corpora- tion, the Oak Cliff College for Young La- dies, with M. Thos. Edgerton, president; S.

H. Landrum, secretary; A. G. Reichart, treasurer; and the first floor of this hotel has been re-arranged and furnished elegantly for a chapel, recitation rooms, music, art and elo- cution schools, while the three upper floors are left nnchanged for the young ladies of the boarding department.

The Oak Cliff College, into which this hotel will be converted September 7th, is chartered exclusively for the graduation and accomplishment of young ladies, and is des- tined to be the leading college in the South. The leading and salient features of this col- Jego are its high standard of excellence ex- pected to be attained and the non-sectarian character of its religious influence. In these respects it will occupy a vacant field in Southern education, and take the leading place among the colleges for young women in the educational system of Texas.

The Oak Cliff College is not designed to be local or sectional or sectarian. It is es- tablished not for Dallas alone, but for Texas and the South; not for denomination or scot, but for society and God. The institution ig chartered with full powers from the State to confer degrees, award diplomas and certifi- cates.

So sure is the writer that this will be one of the permanent institutions of Dallas county, and that in after years coming gen- erations will be glad to read the names of the teachers from whom their mothers received their education, we give its first faculty:

General Officers: M. Thomas Edgerton, president; S. H. Landrum, secretary and A. G. Reichert, treasurer.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Literary department: M. Thomas Edger- ton, mental and moral sciences; Miss Annie Nichols, natural science and history; Miss Elizabeth Mason (of Toronto University). modern languages; A. Sumpter Laird, A. B., mathematics and ancient languages; J. H. Gillespie (principal Hill's business college), professor of penmanship and superintendent of business course, and Mrs. Dickey Land- rum, intermediate work.

Conservatory of music: A. G. Reichert, director piano and violin, and W. E. White, piano.

S. Il. Landrum (German school) principal.

Eloention and physical culture (Delsarte system), Mrs. Z. H. Lasseter, principal.

Boarding home: Mrs. V. Bolle Edgerton, proprietor and manager; Mrs. C. C. Collins, assistant manager, and R. S. Gilbert, family physician.

Board of trustees: B. Blankenship, Jno. F. Elliott, P. Sanger, J. B. Adoue, J. T. Dar- gan, T. L. Marsalis, E. G. Patton, A. H. Fields, F. N. Oliver, J. W. Crowdus and A. T. Watts.

We copy from the Oak Cliff Weekly Jour- nal an account of the reception given by the president, Professor M. Thomas Edgerton, including the speech of welcome made by Mayor Oliver.

In response to invitations sent out by Prof. M. Thomas Edgerton and the management of the Oak Cliff College and Conservatory of Music, which open on September 7, some three hundred of the citizens of Oak Cliff and Dallas were present and most magnifi-

cently entertained at the Oak Cliff on Tues- day night. The genial manager, Mr. Las- seter, Mrs. T. L. Marsalis and other guests of the hotel extended a most cordial welcome to the visitors and made all feel at case. Not a little enthusiasm was manifest on the part of the visitors at the great proportions of the building, its comfortable appointments, and thorough adaptability to the purpose for which it will soon be dedicated and used.

The spacious and elegant dining hall was thrown open and twice filled by the visitors and iced confections and dainties were served by a trained corps of waiters. After refresh- ments had been enjoyed, an adjournment to the chapel in the basement was had. Here long rows of school desks were filled with the audience who listened to addresses by Colonel John F. Elliott and Mayor Oliver, in which Oak Cliff's future was pictured in roseate hue, and the citizens of the two cities con- gratulated on the good future of scenring such a school with such a faculty as is promised in the Oak Cliff College and Conservatory of Music.

Professor Edgerton was introduced by Colonel Elliott, and responded in a short ad- dress, in which he spoke of the faculty as be- ing selected for their experience, their refine- ment and their proficiency. Ile promised a home more than a boarding school to the young ladies entrusted to their care and said that the school would be strictly non-secta- rian.

Sweet music was rendered on the violin and piano by members of the music faculty,

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

and the visitors were shown over the entire building.

The accommodating Oak Cliff railway management placed an extra train at the dis- posal of the visitors without cost.

ADDRESS OF MAYOR F. N. OLIVER.

Friends of Dallas and Oak Cliff:

It affords me boundless pleasure to see and meet so many of you on this auspicious oc- casion. It confirms the long cherished hope that there is a feeling here that the time has come when we should educate our daughters at home; that by founding first-elass insti- tutions of learning it will enable a great many of our citizens of Texas to educate their daughters who could not send them to distant colleges. There is no reason why we should not have better colleges in Texas than in Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, or any other State. Virginia stands in American history as the model of intellectual prowess and civil government. What did it? Echo rolls back the answer: Her colleges, her uni- versities! What gives Virginia the golden title of " the mother of statesinen," of great and scholarly women? Echo rolls down the pages of history both in peace and war, the answer: The charitable and grand character of her people in founding and maintaining her own institutions of learning.

Proper education of woman is the safe- guard of nations, and the guiding star of our best civilization. We possess nothing of virtue that does not owe its character to woman. To her education is what the sun

is to nature-life, development, the com- mnnieation of knowledge, the discipline of the intellect, the establishment of principle, the enthronement of character, and the regu- lation of the heart. Upon her development of mind and heart, the wisdom and charity of mankind should forever dwell.

Dallas, the metropolis of Texas and the Southwest, has given her attention in the past chiefly to business, and I feel duty bound to say that we can increase hier great business and financial importance by making her the seat of learning of Texas and the Southwest.

Boston is recognized as one of the largest financial, commercial and manufacturing cities of the world, and at the same time it is admitted to be the seat of learning and enlturo of the United States. In this respect she gets her reputation from her neighboring residence city of colleges, Cambridge-thie home of the immortal Longfellow, Holmes, and others sacred in history and song.

The good people of our little city, Oak Cliff, desire to join hands with its great com- mercial neighbor in the building of institu- tions of learning in our midst. One great college should do well at Oak Cliff; yes, five well appointed colleges should do well, and there is no reason why we should not have them. They are the power and ballast of all that are good.

Texas is estimated to have about 100,000 girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty years. One thousand of these girls should be edneated here, each year, at five colleges, with 200 in each college. We hope to open

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY-

this college on September 7th with at least 250 young ladies of Oak Cliff, Dallas, and other parts of Texas. This is only the com- mencement of an era of educational institu- tions at Oak Cliff, which is Dallas, one and the same.

This magnificent building, sitting as it does like the eagle of forethought on its prairie apex, kissed by the healthful breezes in their grand ascent from the sca, dedicated to-night by the providence of God and the wisdom and co-operation of the people, is complete in all its appointments for a great college for young ladies provided with a faenlty under Prof. Edgerton, equal to any in our country. And the people of Texas may feel assured that this will be a college for the education of their daughters in fact as well as in namc.

From the mind and heart of this splendid faculty both pupil and patron will learn that,

These struggling tides of life that seem In tireless onward course to tend, Are eddies of the mighty stream That rolls to its appointed end.

Now, with the earnest co-operation of ns all, the twin cities at the head of navigation of the Trinity will march forward in their grandeur, the counterpart of Boston and Cambridge, the greatest commercial, financial and manufacturing center and seat of learn- ing of the Southwest.

Oak Cliff Methodist Episcopal Church, South, called St. Paul's, was organized in 1888 by Rev. C. G. Shutt, with a mem- bership of twenty-five or thirty. Pres-

ent pastor, Rev. Mr. Arınstrong. Mem- bership, 350. Sunday-school membership 150.

SOCIETIES AT OAK CLIFF.

Altar Society of St. Patrick's Church, or- ganized 1889. Membership thirty-one. Catholic Ladies' Aid Society, for the benefit of the poor, organized 1890. Meniber- ship 100.

Children's Meeting of Central Christian Church, organized 1888. Membership 150.

Earnest Workers' Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church, organized May, 1891. Mem- bership fifteen.

Home Mission and Church Extension So- ciety of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Dallas, Texas; chartered December 3, 1890.

Ladies' Missionary Society of the First Bap- tist Church. Reorganized 1884. Mem- bership fifty.

Ladies' Benevolent Society of the First Bap- tist Church. Organized 1884. Member- ship forty.

Ladies' Aid Society of Oak Cliff Church. Organized December, 1890. Member- ship sixteen.

Ladies' Aid Society of Washington Avenne Baptist Churelı. Organized 1884. Mem- bership forty-four.

Ladies' Missionary Society of the Central Christian Church. Organized 1887. Membership seventy-five.

Ladies' Aid Society of the Church of the In-

HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

329

carnation. Meets monthly at the rec- tory.

Ladies' Aid Society of the Central Church. Organized Angust, 1881. Membership 100.

Ladies' Aid Society of the Floyd Street Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Organized 1885. Membership twenty. Ladies' Aid Society of Oak Lawn Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Organized March, 1890. Membership twenty-five. Ladies' Aid Society of the Second Presby- terian Church. Organized 1886. Mem- bership thirty-five.

Ladies' Aid Society of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Chureb. Meets the first Friday in each month, at the church. Ladies' Aid Society of Oak Cliff Presby- terian Church. Organized September, 1890. Membership twenty-five.

Ladies' Missionary Society of Exposition Park Presbyterian Church. Organized April, 1891. Membership eleven.

Olive Branch Society of the Second Baptist Church. Organized 1888. Member- ship fifty.

Sisters of the Christian Church. Organized 1889. Meets every Wednesday at 3:30 P M., at the church.

Society of the Apostleship of Prayer, of St. Patrick's Church, Organized 1888. Membership fifty.

Sodality of the Children of Mary. Organized 1880. Membership thirty-five.

Sodality of the Iloly Angels. Organized 1889. Membership sixty,

Texas Tract Society of Seventh-Day Ad- ventist Church. Depository off Mid- way station, Oak Cliff.

Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal Church. Organized 1890; membership twenty.

Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Meeting and reading rooms, 113 South St. Paul street, corner of Commerce.

Woman's Missionary Society of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Meets the first Friday of each month, at the church.

Young People's Society of Christian En- deavor of the First Cumberland Presby- terian Church. Meets the first Friday of each month, at the church.

LANCASTER.

This is one of the largest and most inter- esting towns in the county. It is located fourteen miles south of the city of Dallas, on the banks of Ten-Mile creek, in one of the richest agricultural countries in the State. It has the advantage of two lines of railroad: the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, running from the city of Dallas by it to Hillsboro, joining the main line at that point, and a trunk line of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad, extending from Hutchins. These two lines have each a depot in the town, thereby giving easy access to the commercial world. It has twelve or fifteen business houses, representing all lines of merchandise. Some of the lead- ing establishments are: W. P. Johnson, gen- eral merchandise ; J. Il. Moffett, general

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

merchandise; W. P. Coolidge & Co., general merchandise; R. E. Taylor & Co., druggists; John A. Rogers. druggist.

Lancaster has two roller mills and three cotton gins, which turn out the very best quality of work. The religious denomina- tions, Methodist, Baptist, Christian and Presbyterian, are represented here. Each has a large and handsome church building, and large and flourishing congregations.

Lancaster boasts of two of the best schools of all the towns of its population in the State, namely, the Lancaster Masonie Institute and the Lancaster Female Institute. Each has a superior faculty, a high curriculum, and a very extensive patronage. They are institu- tions of which any town may well feel proud.

The Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities each have an organization here and a large membership.

Lancaster is one among the oldest towns in the county, but had never made any rapid stride of improvement until a few years of late. It was incorporated in May, 1886, and since then has rapidly grown in every respect.

The following are the articles of incorpor- ation in full, as made by the county judge on the minutes of the Commissioners' Court of Dallas county :

WHEREAS, on the 20th day of April, 1886, P. N. Taylor, J. W. Baskin, J. A. Lindsey and more than twenty others, residents of the village of Lancaster, in Dallas county, Texas, filed an application in the office of the county judge of said Dallas county, Texas, asking that an election be held to determine whether or not the town situated upon the land hereinafter described, to wit, the town

of Lancaster, Dallas county, Texas, should be incorporated under the general laws of the State of Texas with the following limits, to wit: Beginning at a point 1,244} yards south 45° east from the center of the public square in said town of Lancaster; tlience north one mile, a stake, Thenee west one mile, a stake; thence sonth one mile, a stake; thence east one mile, to the place of begin- ning, and

WHEREAS, on said 20th day of April, 1886, an clection was ordered by me for the above stated purpose, and J. A. Lindsey ap- pointed to preside at the election, and

WHEREAS, on the 1st day of May, A. D. 1886, said clection was duly held in accord- ance with the statute in such cases made and provided, and resulted in a majority of the qualified voters in said boundaries voting in said election to wit: Sixty voters in favor of incorporating said town of Lancaster, and no votes being cast in opposition thereto.

It is therefore ordered that the inhabitants of the town of Lancaster within the bound. aries hercin before described, be and the same are hereby incorporated under the pro- visions of Title No. 17, Chapter 2, of the Revised Statutes of the State of Texas.

And it is further ordered that an election be held in said town of Lancaster by the qualified voters residing within the corpor- ate limits of the same, for the purpose of electing a mayor, a marshal and five alder- men for said town, on the 22d day of May, A. D. 1886, at the office of the justice of the peace in said town, J A. Lindsey is hereby appointed presiding office to hold said elec- tion and make due returns thereof. Witness my hand this 5th day of May, 1886.

E. G. BOWER, County Judge.

Attest: by

W. M. C. HILL, Clerk, W. A. HUDSON, Deputy.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

The first officers of the incorporated town, as above set out, according to the returns of the election ordered in said articles of incor- poration, were: E. T. King, mayor; J. A. Lindsey, marshal; R. P. Henry, L. B. Howell, W. Y. Perry, A. H. Rawlins and J. W. George, aldermen.

GARLAND.

Among the most prominent towns in the county outside the city of Dallas, is Gar- land. It is situated on Duck creek, about seventeen miles in a northeasterly direction from the city of Dallas, at the junction of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe railroads, and near the site of the old town of Dnek Creek.

In 1886 the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe railroad was located, and its line run abont one mile east of the town of Duck Creek, and a town was at once laid out on the railroad and called Embree, after Dr. K. II. Embree, one of the leading physicians of Duck Creek, which latter adopted the name of the new town and ere long began moving near the railroad, and within a year's time all the business houses of old Duck Creek were doing business in a live little railroad town called Embree.

But the quiet of the new town was soon disturbed by the advent of another railroad. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas located a line from Dallas to Greenville, running through the county near Embree, and another town was begun under the name of the old town that was over on the creek, and then sprung

up a rivalry between the two new towns, Duck Creek and Embree. At first Embree had the advantage, as that was the name of the post office, but Duck Creek was fighting for it, while Embree was fighting to retain it. Many interesting scenes and cireninstances attended this scramble for a name, including midnight rides to Dallas and back with an officer to restrain one or the other of the towns from incorporating and thus more firmly fixing its name, and giving it prece- dence over the other. After a brief period of time, though the efforts of Hon. Thomas F. Nash and several other prominent citizens of Duck Creek, the name of the post office was changed from Embree to Garland (after the then postmaster general), and at once Duck Creek adopted the name of the new post office, and " on the home-run Garland gained on her adversary and passed under the wires a full length ahead." Then com- menced the decline of the Embree end of the new town, and ere many months those same houses which had been moved from old Duck Creek to Embree were moved down to Garland, and Embree is now numbered among the things of the past.

In 1891 Garland incorporated, and now does business in a city-like manner, with M. Davis Williams as mayor (1892). The fol- lowing is the charter :

" WHEREAS, An election was held in ac- cordance with law, on the 18th day of April, 1891, to determine whether within the terri- tory embraced within the hereinafter described limits should be incorporated under the name of the 'Town of Garland;' and

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

"WHEREAS, At said election seventy-one qualified voters residing in said territory voted ' corporation,' and one qualified voter voted ' no corporation;' and whereas a major- ity of the votes were cast in favor of incor- poration of said territory, to wit: Situated in the county of Dallas, State of Texas, and beginning at southwest corner of W. A. Tinsley's farm; thence north with his line to the southwest corner of J. II. Moss' lot; thence east with said lot to the southeast corner of same; thenco north to the east line of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe right of way; thenee northeast with said right of way to the north line of the right of way of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railway; thence west with the north line of said right of way to a point due north of the northwest corner of C. L. Brunton's lot; thence south to the north line of the old town of Embree, as shown on the town plat; thence west to a point due north of northwest corner of the Garland College block; thence south to the northwest corner of A. J. Beaver's block; thence west to the northwest corner of Dr. K. H. Embree's lot; thence south to the north side of the road running between K. II. Embree and H. Noetzli; thence west with the north side of said road to the sonthiwest corner of G. W. James' pasture; thence north, G. W. James' west line to the Dallas and Greenville dirt road; thence north with east line of said road to a point east of J. D. Robinson's northeast corner; thence west eighty-five (85) yards; thence south to the east bank of Dnek creek; thence south with the east bank of Duck creek to the northwest corner of James Capp's land; thence in an easterly direction with the meanderings of James Capp's line to the northeast corner of James Capp's farm; thence north with Mrs. H. E. Pace's west line to her northwest cor-

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 34

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