Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 37

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 37

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M ATTHEW ERWIN, a farmer of Dallas county, was born in Maury county, Tennessee, March 15, 1825, a son of David Erwin, who was born in Abbeville district, South Carolina, in 1783, and died in 1855, at the age of seventy-two years. He was a farmer by ocenpation, and left South Carolina at the age of twenty-five years, going to Tennessee, where he served in the war of 1812, under General Jackson, and took part in the battle of New Orleans. His father, John Erwin, was born in South Caro- lina, in 1755, and served seven years and six months in the Revolutionary war. He had two brothers, Alexander and William, who also served in the war. William was wounded by the British at the battle of Sisters' ferry,

on the Savannah river, South Carolina. Da- vid Erwin had three brothers: Jolm, William and Matthew. John gave the pistols to Stewart, who captured the Jesse James of Tennessee, John A. Murrell, the great high- way robber of that day. He helped decoy the latter to his house for the purpose of capturing him. David Erwin was married at the age of twenty-five years to Mary Baird, a native of South Carolina. She was twenty years of age at her marriage, and lived to the age of sixty-five years. They reared a family of twelve children and lived to see all married except two daughters, who died unmarried. The names of the children are as follows: John; James; Robert; Elizabeth, who died unmarried; William; Joab, who died in the war; Matthew, our subject; David, who died in the war with Mexico; Milton L .; L. B .; Pauline B., wife of John Burgess; Mary A., who died unmarried.

The subject of this sketch left home at the age of eighteen years, going first to Missis- sippi, where he learned the earpenter's and millwright's trades, after which he began con- tracting for himself. He worked at his trade for thirty years, and in 1862 enlisted in the First Alabama Battalion P. Rangers, which consolidated with the Thirteenth Regiment, and afterward made the Fifity-sixth Regi- ment. Mr. Erwin served in many engage- ments, and was under fire eleven days at one time, and also participated in the battles of Guntown and Vicksburg. Ile served until the close of the war, after which he returned home and in the fall of 1870 moved to Texas. He rented a farm the first year, and the sec- ond year bought 110 acres where he now lives, which he has since improved.

Mr. Erwin was married February 14, 1855, to Miss Mary A. Stevenson, who was born in Alabama, December 25, 1835, a daughter of

& M Commas

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Ilumphrey Stevenson, who was born in Ken- tueky in 1809, married Mary A. Gordon, and died at the age of forty-five years. lle was the father of four children, but Mrs. Erwin is the only one now living. Mr. and Mrs. Erwin have had five children, viz .: Luey C., wife of D. R. W. Erwin; May N., now Mrs. Dr. K. H. Embree; Mattie E., wife of J. M. Spanlding; Panline B., wife of L. B. Ruyle; David S. The family are members of the Christian Church, and the father is a member of the Masonie order, Duck Creek Lodge, No. 441.

LISHA McCOMMAS .- Elder Amon McCommas was born in Kentucky. In early life he removed to Ohio, and married Mary Brumfield, successively lived in Ohio, Illinois, and from 1836 to 1844 in Wright county, Missouri. In the latter year he settled near Dallas, Texas, and died May 20, 1877-his wife, June 27, the same year. He was a preacher of the Christian Church. He preached the first sermon ever delivered in the then village of Dallas. In 1847 his brother, John C. and Burke, son of Stephen B., Sr., and also his sons, John and Stephen B., Jr., were soldiers in the Mexican war. Stephen B., Jr., died in the city of Mexico, December 24, 1847, and Burke within a day or two of the same time. The other children of Elder Amon MeCommas, were, James B., Elisha, Win. M., Amon, Jr., Rosa (Mrs. Jesse Cox), Armilda (Mrs. Benjamin F. Fleaman), and Mary E. (Mrs. John W. Herndon.)

Elisha MeCommas, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, in 1830, the fourth in a family of eight ehil- dren, and hence was fourteen years old when his father settled in Dallas county, and aided 24

in opening up his father's farm, and acquired an education chiefly by his own personal exertions. In August, 1849, he was one of a company of eighty men, on a gold hunting expedition to the Wichita mountains. From a camp on Red river, he was one of a scout of twenty sent aeross toward those mount- ains, on an exploring and scouting expedi- tion. When abont sixty miles ont, they discovered Indians herding horses. A detail of four mnen, being sent to reconnoitre, found that the Indians were painted and supposed they were hostile. The Indians, seeing them, immediately drove their herd toward a neighboring village. When on a ridge af- fording a view of the village, they left three men for observation, and moved on out of sighit, but very soon these three men dis- covered about 100 warriors approach- ing. Young MeCommas was sent by the other two to inform Lieutenant Wright of the fact, that he might prepare for defense. Ile started for timber about two miles dis- tant. The Indians turned their course as if to eut them off. Two paek horses stampeded when two Indians drove them back to the whites, and returned to their band, who had huddled together on a high point, almost within rifle shot, but showed no other signs of hostility; on the contrary, some of them came out from the party, giving signs of friendship, calling out, " How do!" and mak- ing friendly gestures. This led to an inter- view by some old hunters in the party, in which they were informed of the Indians being friendly and that there was then in their village a party of fifteen traders from Fort Washita. The party then proceeded with them to the village, where they found a young Indian woman who had been a prisoner and partly reared in an American family, and became their willing interpreter. This was

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HISTORY OF DALLAS OOUNTY.

evidently the little girl Maria (Mareah) who was returned to the Indians, under the authority of President Sam Houston in 1843 by commissioner Joseph C. Eldridge with Messrs. Thomas Torrey and Hamilton P. Bee.

General H. P. Bee in his notes of this expedition, says in substance that this little Indian girl, named Maria, was taken at the council house fight, at San Antonio, March 19, 1840. She had been carefully trained, spoke English well, and had entirely lost her own language. Describing the parting scene of the unsuccessful mission, General Bee wrote for his children many years ago: "Now Captain Eldridge tendered to the chief little Maria, a beautiful Indian child, neatly dressed. A scene followed which brought tears to the eyes of not only the white men but also of the Delawares. The child seemed horrified, clung desperately and imploringly to Captain Eldredge, and screamed most piteously. It was simply heart-rending. She was taken up by a huge warrior and borne away, uttering piercing cries of despair. For years afterward she was occasionally heard of, still bearing the name of Maria (Mareah), acting as interpreter at Indian councils."

They remained near the village two days, prospecting for gold in the surrounding country, and soon afterward left for home, which was reached at the end of an absence of nearly two months.

In December, 1850, in Dallas county, Mr. McCommas married Miss Rhoda Ann Tucker. His brothers, John and Win. M., married sisters of the same lady. She was the daugh- ter of John S. and Agnes (McNew) Tucker, natives of Virginia, while their children were born in Missouri. They settled on a farm in Dallas county in 1848. Mr. Tucker left the

county on business and was never heard of. The widow resides with Mr. McCommas. In 1862, Mr. McCommas volunteered in Com- pany B., Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, under Colonel Nat. M. Burford, and served in Arkansas, Missouri and Lonisiana. He was with Marmaduke's expedition into Missouri, and in the Red river campaigns later. At the close of the war, he returned to his farm in Dallas county-a splendid tract of 270 acres, well improved and command- ing a fine view of Dallas and the vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. McCommas have had ten children, eight of whom survive, viz .: Stephen B. of Hill county; Sarah Ann, who died at the age of thirty-three years; Alex- ander, of Hill county; Lon V., wife of D. B. White of Ilill county; Mary A., now Mrs. B. F. Burgess of Dallas county; Martha E., wife of L. B. De Ford of Hill county; Rhoda M. (deceased), wife of R. L. White; George E., Walter G. and Wallie E. are still with their parents.

Mr. McCommas has been for seventeen years an active member of the Dallas County Pioneer Association, and almost continuously one of its officers, doing all in his power to make it what such an association ought to be. He is justly regarded as one of the most upright, honorable and useful citizens of the connty, in which he has lived forty-eight years, and blest with a wife worthy of such a man, and now at the age of sixty-two ap- pears as youthful as most men at forty.

C. McCORD & SON, brick contractors and builders, located in Dallas in 1875. and have erected the Boykin & Shook building, known as the Herald building, Snyder & Davis' wholesale store with annex

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

on Elm street, Flippen, Adone & Lobit's bank, corner of Elm and Poydras streets, Gould's system of offices (since burned) on Commerce street, the building (200 fect front) of Mar- eellns Tilman and Dr. Crowdus' Drug Com- pany on Commerce street, the Christian church at the corner of Patterson avenue and Maston street, the North and South Dallas school buildings, the power-house at the terminus of Elm street, besides many residences, etc.,-among them, that of W. C. Connor, in 1876.

Mr. McCord was born in Edgefield, South Carolina, February 11, 1842, the second of the eleven children of S. R. and Martha (Newman) MeCord. His father was born in New York and his mother in Augusta, Georgia. His father was a briek builder and contractor, who in 1840 emigrated to Ala- bama, going the entire distance on foot, aver- aging forty-five miles a day, and locating at Wetumpka. After a stage line had been established his family joined him. Later he moved to another point in Alabama, Pratt- ville, established by Daniel Pratt (great cotton gin manufacturer); after the war he went to St. Louis and Chicago, and finally, in 1874, he came to Dallas, where he died, in October, 1875. His wife had died in 1867, in Mont- gomery, Alabama.

Mr. MeCord, whose name heads this sketch, learned his trade at Prattville and was mar- ried there. In 1861 he enlisted in the war, in the Prattville Dragoons, commanded by Captain Cox, and was in the service from April, 1861, to May, 1865, being engaged in the battles of Shiloh, Santa Rosa Island, Pen- sacola. Tupelo, Mississippi, Bragg's invasion of Kentucky, siege of Knoxville, etc., in Wheeler's corps. A horse was shot from under him and he received a gunshot wound on the skirmish line at the siege of Knoxville.

After the war he returned to Prattville, and then went to Cairo, Illinois, working at his trade. He returned to Alabama again, whence he came to Dallas.

He was married in Prattville, in 1863, to Miss Georgia Haynie, a native of Coosa county, Alabama, and a daughter of Martin and Amanda (Haynie) Haynie, natives of South Carolina. Her father died in 1887 and her mother in 1882, in Birmingham, Alabama, at the residence of her son. In 1887-'89 Mr. McCord was two years in California, at San Diego and Santa Barbara, working at his trade. Politically, he is a Democrat, and religiously he and his wife are members of the Christian Church. They have five children, namely: Ella Clifford, wife of Mr. Baker, an architect in Dallas; D. C., who married Miss Margaret Jellison, in Nebraska, and now resides in Dallas; Hora- tio C., at home; and Charles L., who died in Chattanooga, Tennessee. One child died in infaney.

R. D. A. PASCHALL, a prominent and well-known physician of Dallas county, Texas, was born in Trigg county, Ken- tucky, December 14, 1837. A sketch of his life will be found of interest to many, and is as follows:

G. R. Paschall, the Doctor's father, was born in Caswell county, North Carolina, No- vember 19, 1813. At the age of twelve years he moved with his father to Tennessee, and lived in Weakley county until he reached his majority. On the 15th day of Novem- ber, 1835, he was united in wedlock with Miss Elizabeth Williams, who was also born on November 19, 1813. Her father, Daniel Williams, was one of the first settlers of Illi- nois, and fought the Indians all over that

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

State. After Mr. Paseball was married he moved to Trigg county, Kentucky, where he lived until 1840. 1Ie then moved to Spring- field, Missouri, and a year later to Arkansas. In the fall of 1844 he came to Texas and settled in Red River county. The follow- ing spring he located near Willow Springs in what is now Rockwall county. A year later he moved to Dallas connty and settled near Barnes' Bridge, buying land there. He subsequently sold out and located in Fannin eonnty. In 1847 he enlisted in the Mexican war, and after serving twelve months was discharged on account of a wound he re- ceived by being thrown from a horse, receiv- ing his discharge in February, 1848. From the effects of that wound he is still a sufferer. In the fall of 1848 he moved to Terrell, Kanfman county, where he still resides, now at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife died November 11, 1882, aged sixty-nine. The names of their nine children are as fol- lows: James C., Daniel A., Isaae A., Susan P., Josiah N., Mary E., Sarah J., Nancy A., Georgia Roberts. The Doctor was the second born, and only he and his two sisters, Mary E. and Georgia Roberts, are now living. The former is the wife of A. A. Laroe, and the latter is now Mrs. Charles Brady.

The subject of our sketch was only six years old when his father came to Texas. At the age of sixteen he began the study of medieine under Drs. Hawkins and Paschall, of Fulton, Kentucky. In 1859 he graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, after which he began the practice of his profession at Hanght's store, Dallas county, and was thus engaged there when the war came on. He enlisted in Colonel Greer's regiment and served in it until July. 1862. He then re- turned home and enlisted under Colonel Bass in the Nineteenth Texas Regiment, and served

four months as a private. He was then de- tailed as assistant surgeon of a hospital in the northern part of Arkansas, and stayed there until January, 1864. He was then sent back to Ilaught's store to practice, remaining at that place nntil 1868. That year he moved to Turner's Point.

Dr. Paschall was married on the 23d of February, 1865, to Miss Virginia Haught, who was born October 29, 1848. She died November 4, 1884, at the age of thirty-six years. Her parents, Samuel and Isabella (Duvall) ITaught, reared a family of nine children, namely: Jane, wife of Mote Golden, and after his death of M. M. Farmer; Emma, wife of M. M. Farmer, is deceased: one will see, M. M. Farmer married two sisters; Al- fred; S. A .; Isabella, deceased; Juliette, wife of S. H. Cumley, and Louisiana, deceased.

The Doctor's second marriage oeeurred April 28, 1889, to Mrs. Maud Bounds, nee Thompson. She was born November 18, 1864, daughter of Tipton and Evaline (Coon) Thompson. She has six brothers and sisters: Lillie, wife of John Rupford; Nellie, wife of F. L. Watterson; and May, Willie, Clifton and J. Wellington.

By his first wife the Doctor had nine ehil- dren: Idaho, wife of J. M. H. Chisholmn; Jesse P., Samuel A. H. and Nettie being the only ones now living. By his present eom- panion he has one child, Daniel A., who was born June 20, 1890.

In 1871-'72 Dr. Paschall took a course at the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, and graduated. Returning to Haught's store, he continued his praetiee there till 1877, when he bought a farm of 570 aeres at Ter- rell, and engaged in agricultural pursuits, also continuing his medieal praetiee. He still owns that farm. In 1885 he left his farmi at Terrell and located again in Dallas

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

county, at Mesquite. He has had an extensive and successful practice, and here he is re- garded not only as a skillful physician but as one of the most prominent and leading citizens. He discovered a eure for malignant congested fever or spotted fever, and in the treatment of that dread disease has met with unusual success.

lle and his wife are members of the Chris- tian Church, and he is a Mason and a Knight of Honor.

B ENJAMIN T. DAVIS, a farmer of Dallas county, was born in Mononga- lia county, Virginia, September 17, 1828. His father moved to La Porte county, Indiana, in 1835, and to Texas in 1847, when Benjamin was but nineteen years of age. The latter learned the carpenter's trade in Indiana, which he also followed in Texas. At one time he took a claim of 320 acres of land, which he improved and cultivated, and at the same time also worked at his trade. IIe afterward sold this farm, and bought the one on which he now resides. He then owned 500 acres, but this he afterward divided and gave all but 288 acres to his children. Mr. Davis enlisted in the war in 1861, in Colonel Hawpe's regiment, and served until the close of the war, being discharged at Hempstead May 26, 1865. Being a musician, he was put in charge of the field band, and held that position until the elcse of the war. He also participated in the battles of Spring River, Mansfield, Yellow Stone, Utona, and was under fire forty-two days in going to New Orleans. He was slightly wounded three times with shell. Mr. Davis saw the war was coming to a close, and wisely exchanged his Confederate seript for greenbacks, and

after reaching home had over $200 in green- backs. He had lost all his horses and cattle in the war, but had enough money to com mence anew. Ilis brother and himself, John W., engaged in the hedge seed business, in which he was very successful, selling the seed as high as $21 per bushel.

Mr. Davis was married July 4, 1836, to Miss Lydia J. Mills, who died October 14, 1890, at the age of fifty-four years. 'They were the parents of thirteen children, only teu of whom reached maturity, viz. : Eugenus A .; Ruth Ann, wife of Joseph E. Erwin; Benja- min T .; Tiddy J., wife of E. M. Colwell; Sarah A., wife of H. M. Ramsey; John W., Mariah E., wife of Thomas Lanford; Hanson C., Cora L. and Caleb B. Mr. Davis is a well educated man, having attended some of the best sehools in Indiana. He attended the Asbury University, now the De Pauw Uni- versity, two years, which is one of the leading schools in the United States. He is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., Plano Lodge, No. 114, and at one time was a member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, of which his family are nearly all members.

EORGE H. SHAWVER is a native of Macon county, Missouri, born Decem- ber 28, 1848. John Shawver, his fa- ther, was born in Monroe county, Virginia, November 20, 1800, and was married in the Old Dominion to Miss Caroline Walker. They moved from Missouri to Texas in 1869, and the father bought 255 acres of land near Mesquite, where his son George H. now lives. Ile improved his property and resided on it a number of years. He returned to Missouri ou a visit, and while there was taken sick and died, his death occurring in

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

July, 1880. Ilis wife departed this life March 12, 1872, at the age of forty-five years. To them were born ten children. The names of each and a more extended mention of the family will be found in the biography of M. T. Shawver, in this volume.

George II. Shawver was married, May 16, 1889, to Miss Dora A. Smith, who was born in Indiana, March 4, 1865. Iler father, Abraham Smith, was born in Indiana in 1825, and her mother, who before her marriage was a Miss Greene, was born in 1832. The names of the children composing her father's family are as follows: Sella, wife of Seymour llosa; Marshall; Alice, wife of John Rockey ; Ellet; Dora, wife of George H. Shawver; Lawrence; Ehner, and Gordon. Mr. Smith came to Texas in 1888 and settled near Mes- quite, Dallas county. Mr. and Mrs. Shawver have two children: Otto, born July 29, 1890; Anna, born December 30, 1891.

Mr. Shawver is a Mason and a Knight of Honor, belonging to the lodges at Mesquite. HIe and his wife are members of the Moth- odist Episcopal Church.

ILLIAM STULTS, M. D., deceased, was for many years a physician widely and favorably known among the citizens of the western part of Dallas county. He was born in Hamilton county, Tennessee, and, having been left an orphan, received only a meager odneation. He was an industrions and self-reliant boy, and made his own way from the beginning of his career. At the age of seventeen years he went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he appren- tieed himself to the carpenter's trado, and fol- lowed the same for about two years. He then returned to Tennessee, settling in Rutherford

county, where he read medieine for two years, mostly under Dr. J. W. January, a successful physician of that day. Mr. Stnlts came to Texas on a prospecting tour in 1856, and decided to locate in Dallas county, Decem- ber 3, 1857. Ho returned to Tennessee and married Miss Lou S. Wilson, of Gibson county, after which he came again to Texas, taking up his residence in the western part of the county, on a farm of 320 acres, lying on the west fork of Trinity river. He at once began farming and the practice of his profession, and followed these occupations assiduously as long as he lived. He sold his first purchase in 1860, and bought a place on Grapevine prairie, where he lived about fourteen years, and at the end of that time he again sold out, and purchased another farm adjoining. Ile remained on the latter płace until his death, which occurred May 17, 1877. At the time of his death he had considerable landed interests, owning 738 acres, where he has successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising. He also had an extensive practice, riding for miles in every direction, and this was at a time when there were no roads in the county, having had to make his way by bridle paths. Mr. Stults was highly esteemed, both as a physi- cian and a citizen. He was a life-long mem- ber of the Baptist Church, and was always active in all church work, of which most of his children are also members. His widow is a member of the Methodist Church.

Mrs. Stults was born in Gibson county, Tennessee, June 15, 1834, a daughter of Samuel and Lou (Sharp) Wilson, natives of Maryland and North Carolina. The father emigrated to Kentucky when a young man, where he was married, and then moved to Rutherford county, Tennessee, and afterward to Gibson county, that State, where he died

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in 1854, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife died in Rutherford county, Tennessee, in 1834, at the age of thirty years. They were the parents of nine children, as follows; Mary, Martha, John, William, Emaline, Belle, Eliza, Caroline and Lou S. The only one of these children now known to be living is Mrs. Stults. Dr. Stults and wife reared to ma- turity a family of eight children, all of whom are still living, viz .: William Wilson, a mer- chant of Ballinger, Runnels county, this State; Fannie, the wife of B. S. Taylor, also of Ballinger; Carrie S., the wife of J. E. Murray, of Fort Worth; John S., of Dallas connty; Charles W., of Wilbarger county, Texas; Lou Belle, the wife of L. S. Sher- wood, of Mckinney, Collin county Texas; Sallie S., the wife of J. C. Farley, of Ballin- ger; and Ida, unmarried. The old home place has been divided among the children, and Mrs. Stults makes her home among them. The part on which the house stands belongs to John S., who may be said to have taken his father's place in a certain sense.

Ele was born within a short distance of where he now lives, June 29, 1864, on the place where his father first settled after mov- ing to Grapevine prairie. He received a com- mon-school education, finishing with an aca- demic course at the high school of Grapevine, Tarrant county. He selected medieine as his profession, and began reading about 1886, spending considerable time over his books at home before taking up the study under a preceptor. Ile took one course of lectures at the Tulano University, at New Orleans, in 1889-'90, read for a short time under Burtis, Fields & Duringer, of Fort Worth, then under Dr. D. W. Gilbert, of Sowers, Dallas county, and has taken one course of lectures at the Missouri Medical College, St. Louis, Missouri. He expects to complete his

medical education at an early date, and enter regularly on the practice of his profession, in which he has every assurance of success. The Doctor was married March 18, 1891, to Miss Pearl Price, a daughter of Mrs. L. A. Price of this county.

COTT BEEMAN, a farmer and stock- raiser of Preeint No. 1, was born in Bowie county, Texas, May 23, 1841, the tenth in a family of twelve children born to John and Emily ( Hluunieutt) Beeman, na- tives of South Carolina. The father emigrated from his native State to Calhoun county, Illinois, and thenco to Bowie county, Texas, in 1829. In 1841 he came to Dallas county, and took up 360 acres of land, and was the first man to cultivate any soil in this county. His death ocenrred here in 1856, and his wife still survives, living near De Soto, at the advanced age of eighty-six years.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 37

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