Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 43

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 43

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He was married in 1856, the year of his arrival in this country, to Isabelle Pimpare, a native of France and a daughter of Rene Pimpare. Her father, a native of that country, came with Mr. Bonlay to America. Mr. Boulay has one child, Adolphine, now Mrs. Armand, of Dallas.

R. THOMAS II. D. STUART, of Ellis county, is a son of Dr. R. J. Stuart, who who was born in Princess Anne county, Maryland, in 1812. The father emigrated from his native State to Georgia, and in 1873 to Texas, settling on a farm where a portion of the city of Oak Cliff now stands, and thence to the southern part of Dallas county, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1883. He was thoroughly edu-

cated, having taken a literary course at Balti- more, and also a medical course at Atlanta, Georgia. For several years he practiced successfully in Georgia and Louisiana. Our subject's mother, nee Melvina Coker, was a daughter of Thomas and Precious (Lovejoy) Coker. Mr. and Mrs. Stuart were married in 1833, and were the parents of four children : Susan A., widow of Caldwell Bishop, a farmer and merchant by occupation; Thomas H. D., our subject; Mary L., deceased, was the wife of A. S. Blythe, Sheriff of Miller county, Ar- kansas; and Jefferson A., general agent for Curtis & Co., of St. Louis, and a resident of Aberdeen, Mississippi. The father was mar- ried a second time, in 1853, to Miss Sarah E. Simmons, a native of Georgia.

Thomas Stuart was born in Georgia, in 1839, and at the age of fifteen years he re- moved with his parents to Lonisiana, where he remained until the breaking ont of the war. He enlisted in the Seventeenth Lonis- iana Regiment Infantry, Company D, was at at the battle of Shiloh, and served to the close of the war. He then returned home and resumed the study of medicine under his father, and in the fall of 1866 he began a course of lectures at Philadelphia Medical College, and graduated at that institution in 1868. Dr. Stuart at once began the practico of medicine in Ouachita parish, Louisiana, where he remained until coming to Texas, in 1871, locating in Dallas county, where ho continued his practice in connection withi farming. He remained there until 1889, when he bonght and settled where he now lives. In 1874 he was married to Florence T. Palner, a native of Dallas county, and a daughter of Dr. A.B. and Francis A. (Dick- son) Palmer. To Dr. and Mrs. Stuart have been born six children, namely: Francis L., Robert J., Nellie Blythe, Jessie B., Mary

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

and Charlie P. Mr. Stuart began life for himself at the close of the war, with compar- atively little assistance, and, notwithstanding his having met with heavy losses, he is now in good circumstances, owning 276 acres of well improved land. He is a kind, hospi- table man, of refined tastes and good habits, and the golden rule is exemplified in his every day life. In politics he is a Democrat, and has been a delegate to county and State conventions for years; and socially is a Master Mason.

OBERT MURPHY dates his birth in Daviess county, Indiana, March 18, 1845. His father, John L. Murphy, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1852, in company with his brother-in-law and others, he went to California, leaving his wife and children in Indiana, and never re- turned. His family remained in Daviess county until 1860, when they moved to Washington, same State. At the latter place Robert engaged in the tobacco business. Their next move was to Union county, Illinois, where they turned their attention to fruit raising. Five years later the family moved to Dallas county, Texas, arriving here in the fall of 1870.

Mr. Murphy's mother was before her mar- riage Miss Pauline J. Cross. She wedded John L. Murphy in 1841, and by him had four children, viz .: Marion, Robert, Monroe and Johanna. Monroe died, leaving a widow and one child. Johana is the wife of Matthew Gillmore. Mrs. Murphy now lives with her son at Mineral Wells, Texas.

On their first arrival in Texas, they settled near Dallas, rented land and began raising cotton. Roberts worked until he had money

enough to buy some land in the eastern part of Dallas county, about five miles south of Garland and fourteen miles northeast of the city of Dallas. He and his brothers bought 615 acres. They subsequently divided it, and the share which fell to Robert is that on which he now lives-a fine farm of 200 acres. He also owns other land, making in all 254 acres, worth, at the lowest figure, $40 per acre. Besides this he owns valuable property in Dallas. Starting out in life a poor boy, Mr. Murphy has worked his way up to his present position of prosperity.

October 15, 1885, he wedded Miss B. L. Shawver, who was born in August, 1867, daughter of James Shawver. She has one sister, Miss Edna. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, whose names are Robert C. and Carl Thompson Murphy.

He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church.

Mr. Murphy is well known throughout this part of Dallas county as an enterprising and progressive farmer and stock-raiser. On' his farm are found some fine specimens of Jersey and Durham cattle and Clydesdale horses.

ENRY B. BENNETT, a successful farmer of Dallas county, was born in Freco, Arkansas, May 12, 1843, a son of Pleasant and Docia (Simpson) Bennett, the former a native of Alabama.

The parents settled in Polk county, Ar- kansas, many years ago, where the father died during the war, at about the age of fifty-five years, and where the mother still lives, being well advanced in years. They were the parents of twelve children, namely: Fannie, deceased, married a Mr. Allen; Sallie, the wife of James Mays, resides in

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Frio county, Texas; Rena, deceased, married Andrew Johnson; Thomas, deceased; Mar- garet, who married Daniel Williams and is now deceased; Mary Emily, deecased, mar- ried Rafo Turner; Parolee, deceased, was the wife of William Williams; Henry B., our subject; Matthew, a resident of Montagne county, this State; Carroll who resides in Frio county; Lucinda, the wife of John Por- ter, ot Frio county; Laura, deccased, was the wife of Doek Hopkins, of Frio county.

The subject of this sketch came to Texas, and resided successively in Titns, Davis, Cherokee and Tarrant counties. He re- moved to the latter county in the fall of 1872, where he was engaged in milling at Grapevine. In 1878 he came to Dallas county, and bought the place of 150 acres where he now resides, sixty acres of which is under cultivation. Mr. Bennett was married in December, 1866, to Susan, a daughter of J. M. Stringfellow, of Frio county. She died April 26, 1885, leaving eight children: Mollie Lee, the wife of Cal Prewett, of Choe- taw Nation, Indian Territory; Docia Aun, now Mrs. John Galbert, of this county; Will- iam Madison, John Henry, Rufus Edward, Jesse Carroll, Jennetta and Snsan at home. Mr. Bennett was again married in November, 1885, to Mrs. Mary Walls, the widow of Berry Walls, of Tarrant county. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and five children are members of the Freewill Baptist Church.

OHIN LOUPOT has been a resident of Dallas county, Texas, since February, 1856, but was born in Ardennes, France, in the month of February, 1836, to Nicholas and Adaline Gilet, also natives of France. The elder Lonpot was a mason by trade and

accumulated a fair competency. John Loupot obtained his knowledge of masonry under his father, prior to the sixteenth year, at which time he went to work at Sedan as a grocery-keeper, and until his removal to America in his twentieth year, he was en- gaged in various occupations. During this time his edneation was not neglected and be- sides attending the common schools he has also attended, for some time, a commercial college. November 11, 1855, he sailed for America from Anvers, Belgium, to Liverpool, England, and there took passage in n sailing vessel bound for New Orleans, the distance being covered in thirty-one days. He came to Galveston, Texas, by steamer, thence to Houston, but not being able to find a con- veyance to Dallas he returned to Galveston and came up the Trinity river, which oceu- pied three weeks. He was accompanied by his unele, Francis Loupot, who returned to France in 1869. At Newport he could not come further and the rest of the journey was made on foot, a distance of 150 miles. He and his companion, being unable to speak English, were unable to obtain food, some- times two days elapsing before their fast was broken. The settlers' honses were few and far between, there were no bridges across streams, and at last Mr. Loupot's companion broke down and he was compelled to leave him at Palestine. With $1.50 in his pocket made the remaining 100 miles alone, swim- ming the swollen streams with his clothes tied to his back with a grapevine. Ile reached his destination February 24, 1856, his sole capital being 15 cents. The first week he secured employment at herding sheep and for one year he farmed with the French colony. Hle then went to Kaufman county and worked on a farm four months, then re- turned to Dallas and began improving the

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

farm which he now owns but which belonged to his uncle. He followed various occupa- tions until his marriage October 4, 1869, to Miss Rosina Getzer, a native ot Switzerland, who came to this country in 1867, when sixteen years of age, a daughter of Andrew Getzer. After the celebration of liis marriage he re- sided in Dallas for four years, conducting a bar and bakery business, and also erected many buildings in the city, one of which was the Odd Fellows' Hall in 1872. During the Civil war he was in Mexico, engaged in freighting cotton and remained in that coun- try for four years. In 1875 he moved to his present farm, and although he at first followed general farming he has since made a spe- cialty of gardening and dairying. His land comprises 160 acres and is well and carefully tilled. lle and his wife are the parents of five children: Rosina, John, Ema, Maxime, and Emile. Mr. Lonpot is a member of the 1. O. O. F., and politically is independent. He is a self-made man, in the fullest sense of that oft abused phrase, and by his own ef- forts has accumulated a comfortable com- petency, notwithstanding the fact that in early life he met with many reverses and dis- couragements.

OSEPH BLAKENEY, City Assessor of Dallas, was born in Kildare county, Ire- land, March 29, 1856, a son of Hugh and Mary (Kehoe) Blakeney, also natives of Ireland. The father died June 11, 1892, aged sixty-five years. He was a member of the Board of Trade, and a member of the Equalization Board for four years, and a member of the Catholic Church. Ile was highly respected by the community, having always been identified with every enterprise

that tended to the advancement of the city. The mother of our subject died July 28, 1885, aged fifty-three years. She was a de- vout Catholic from early girlhood. The par- ents reared a family of seven children, four of whom are still living: Mary, wife of C. F. Bohonon, resides in Nashua, New Hamp- shire, and has one child, Lillie; Joseph, our subject; Thomas James, who attended the celebrated college at Carlow, Ireland, three years, the Allegany college, New York State, four years, was ordained priest in 1892 by Bishop Brennen, of Dallas, and is now lo- cated in St. Patrick's Church as cnrate; and Hugh J., who married Annie Foy, and they have four children: Thomas, Mary, Annie and Sophie.

Joseph Blakeney our subject, graduated at the Boston high school in the class of 1875, and the following year came to Dallas, where he successfully conducted a bakery for ten years. He was then connected with the Blakeney Manufacturing Company 1888 to 1891, having been secretary of the company during the latter part of the last year. His brother Hugh was vice-president of the same two years, and his father president three years. April 5, 1891, onr subject was elected to his present position, on the Demo- cratic ticket, and in a most hotly contested election. His opponent, E. R. Fonda, re- ceived 1,900 votes, and our subject 3,030. Mr. Blakeney is a member of the Catholic Church and takes an active part in the Democratic party.

Hc was married July 13, 1880, to Miss Ellen Griffin, a daughter of John Griffin, of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Four children have been born to this union: John J., Hugh, Ellen and Edith. The latter died at the age of seven months. The mother died at New Castle, Pennsylvania, having gone

ON Sedbetter

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IHISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

to her old home to improve her health, September 30, 1891. aged thirty years. She was a member of the Catholic Church, was a woman of eminent devotion and signal usefulness, and in the prime of life was called upon to act in another sphere. She had many warm friends, was a worthy and devoted woman, a loving wife, a fond mother and a cherished friend. The family have ever been active in business, have shown enterprise in helping forward the best interests of the city, and stand well in church and business circles. Mr. Blakeney is a man of good business qualifications, and will do honor to his pres- ent office, or any position of trust, as he ear- ries the confidence of the people.

V. LEADBETTER, Oak Cliff, Dallas county, Texas, is one of the prominent pioneers of the county, having settled here in 1848.

Mr. Leadbetter was born in Overton county, Tennessee, May 30. 1827, the second son and third child of Arthur Leadbetter. His father was born June 3, 1798, son of Arthur Lead- better, a native of England, who came to this country before the Revolutionary war and served as a soldier in that conflict. Ile first settled in North Carolina, and during the Revolution moved to Jamestown, Virginia, coming at an early day to Tennessee, where he died when his son Arthur, father of the subject of this sketch, was a child. Grand- mother Leadbetter was nee Frances Brooks, a native of Ireland, who lived to an advanced age and died in Tennessee. Arthur was reared on the farm by his mother, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the old homestead. At about the age of thirty he became a Baptist minister, having charge of 27

churches near his home. Ile chose for his wife Miss Elizabeth Robbins, who was born in Tennessee March 18, 1802, daughter of Isaac Robbins, a native of Scotland. He continued farming in connection with his church work in Tennessee until 1832, when he emigrated to Illinois, then the border-land of civilization. In less than a year, however, on account of sickness, they returned to Ten- nessee, making that State their home until March 7, 1848, when, with their six children, they came to Dallas county, Texas. Mr. Leadbetter first settled on East fork, where he resided till 1850, when he located in what is now known as the Leadbetter neighbor- hood. He organized five churches in this county, having charge of four at one time in connection with his farming pursuits, and during the latter years of his life he devoted his whole time to the ministry. He took a headright of 640 acres, and located it four miles north of Cedar IIill, on what is known as the Cedar mountain, on the waters of Mountain creek. Ile improved a farm of seventy-five acres, where he lived at his death. By his first wife he had eight children, seven of whom lived to be grown, viz .: Mary A., (deceased), Isaac I .. , O. V., Lewis B., Martha (deceased), Cynthia (deceased), and Arthur Brooks. Mrs. Leadbetter died of small-pox, in 1848, three months after her arrival in Texas, having contracted the disease while en route to this State. Mr. Leadbetter was subsequently married to Mrs. Elizabeth Pier- son, nee Ogle, and by this union had five children: Francis, James, William, Eliza- beth and George. After a most activo and useful life, Arthur Leadbetter passed to the reward beyond, November 7, 1859.

O. V. Leadbetter, whose name heads this biography, received his education in the sub- seription schools of that period, and remained

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

on the farmn with his parents until his mar- riage, which occurred March 4, 1848, to Miss Margaret Fox, a native of Alabama. Her parents, Joseph and Lucy (Evans) Fox, were natives of Tennessee, her birth occurring while they were sojourning in Alabama. They subsequently moved to Texas, and lo- cated in Dallas county. Mr. Leadbetter took a headright in Mercer's colony, in the east- ern part of the county, remained there three years, and in 1851 exchanged his right for one in Peters' colony, where he has since lived. The land was wild and he began im- proving it, at the same time working at the blacksmith's trade, being a natural mechanic. 'In July, 1862, he became a soldier in the Twenty-second Texas Infantry, and was a participant in the battle of Galveston. Ile was detailed in the Commissary Department, and took charge of the Government shop at Beau- mont, Texas, and remained in the service until the close of the war, receiving his dis- charge at Houston. The war over, he re- turned to his farm and agricultural pursuits, where, as the years glided by, prosperity attended his honest and earnest efforts, and to-day he is the owner of 254 acres of well- improved land, all under a high state of cultivation. The water supply of this place comes from a spring, over which the friendly branches of a large elm tree casts a most de- lightful shade. This immense tree was but a sapling five feet high when Mr. Lead- better took up his abode here. Changed is the scene now. A two-story residence, erected in 1876, has taken the place of the primitive log cabin, 12 x 14 feet, with its dirt floor, in which Mr. and Mrs. Leadbetter es- tablished their home. Sons and daughters have grown up around them. Two have passed to the other world and eight are still living. Thomas J. died at the old home, and

Nathaniel B., a civil engineer, while acting as Deputy County Surveyor and locating land in Brown county, was drowned in Pecan bayou, near Brownwood, aged twenty-four years. Those living are Wesley C., Minerva, William O., Linnie, James J., Arthur L., Thomas J. and Carroll E.

Mr. Leadbetter is a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church, and his wife of the Christian Church. In politics he affiliates with the Democratic party.

OBERT P. TOOLE, a prominent citi- zen of Dallas, Texas, office in the Bank- ers & Merchants' bank building, dates his birth in Blount county, Tennessee, Novem- ber 18, 1854. Of his life and ancestry the following facts have been gleaned:

Mr. Toole's parents, James M. and Loucilla H. (Patton) Toole, were natives of Tennessee and Georgia, respectively. His father was a merchant in Maryville and Knoxville, was successful in his business enterprises, and acenmulated large possessions. He lost heavily, however, during the war. He was well and favorably known both in business and social circles; was for many years an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and also served as Sabbath-school Superintendent for a number of years. Grandfather William Toole, a native of North Carolina, was a sad- dler and had a large establishment in Mary- ville, employing a large number of hands. This was the leading industry of the place. He was a very devout member of the old- school Presbyterian Church. His death occurred in 1861. For a number of years he served as a Justice of the Peace in Maryville. Matthew Toole (the grandfather of Colonel Keller, of Dallas) was his brother, their

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

father being a native of the Emerald Isle. Matthew moved to Mississippi from North Carolina, and died there many years ago. William Toole's wife was before marriage a Miss Berry. James M. Toole was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Wallace. Their two children were George A. and Eliz- abeth. The latter is now the widow of Stew- art N. Fain, and lives in East Tennessee. The subject of our sketch is the oldest of the four children by his second wife, the others being Matthew M., Albert J., and Annette.

Robert P. Toole moved with his parents to Knoxville, Tennessee, when he was ten years old, Knox being an adjoining county to Blount, and was educated at the Univer- sity of Tennessee, located at Knoxville. He read law in the office of W. P. Washburn, Esq., and was admitted to the bar in 1876. In that year, when only twenty-one years of age, lie was made a snb-elector for Knox and adjoining counties, and became prominent in politics through his canvass for Tilden. In 1880, he was elected City Attorney of Knox- ville, but in the fall of that year resigned his position and came to Texas. Settling at Dal- las, he assumed an editorial position on the old Dallas daily Herald, of which Colonel John F. Elliott was the editor-in-chief, and one of the proprietors. In 1884, upon the adoption of Olin Welborn, member of Con- gress from the Dallas district, as chairman of the IIonse Committee on Indian Affairs, hie selected Mr. Toole as the Secretary of the Committee, and Private Secretary of the Chair- man. This appointment called him to Washı- ington, where he remained for three winters. Ile afterward was connected with various newspapers in the capacity of editorial writer, special reporter, and legislative cor- respondent, among them the Memphis Ava- lanche and the Houston Post.

In consequence of impaired health, Mr. Toole gave up his newspaper work in 1890, and, returning to Dallas, took charge of the Dallas Land Title Abstract Company's busi- ness, the management of which he has at the present time. In 1890, he purchased a home in Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas, where he now resides. In April of this year (1892) he was elected one of the Aldermen of this magic little city, leading the entire ticket by a flat- tering margin. In response to a call signed by over 400 of the leading and representa- tive citizens of Dallas, in May of this year, Mr. Toole announced himself as a candidate to represent Dallas county in the Twenty- third Legislature of Texas, and was nomin- ated by acclamation for the position by the Democratic County Convention of Dallas county, on the 19th of July. His ability to fill this honored position, and his great popu- larity with all classes of people, render him a strong man for the race.

Mr. Toole is a man of family. Ile was married in 1883, to Miss Clemmnie Parker, who was born and reared in Dallas. Their only child is Cora McCoy Toole.

BRAM MeCOY HORNE, deceased. one of the earliest settlers of Dallas county, had the distinction of being the first white person born in Lexington, Missouri, the date of his birth being July 31, 1819. Ile was a son of the Rev. William Horne, a native of East Tennessee, and a minister of the Cum- berland Presbyterian Church, who removed to Missouri in 1817 and was among the pio- neer settlers there; he died while on a journey to California in 1857. Ile married Elizabeth McCoy, a native of east Tennessee and a member of one of the oldest families of that

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section. She died in Texas, in her eighty- fifth year.

Abram McCoy received a fair education for those early days, and was trained to the occupation of farming. He followed the plow for thirty-five years in his own State, and then went to Kansas, where he engaged in freighting goods across the plains for two years. He then returned to agricultural pur- suits, and in 1866 he came to Texas, settling in Dallas county. The county was then thinly settled, and business in Dallas city was confined to the public square. He embarked in the dry-goods and grocery trade, the firm being Horne & Blake, and conducted a very successful business. It was too confining to snit his naturally rural tastes, and he accord- ingly sold out and invested in a plantation. This land he never occupied himself, but bought eleven acres from Judge N. M. Bur- ford in the heart of the present site of Dal- las, and built a residence there. He had to cut the timber to clear a spot for the house, and thus has witnessed a wonderful trans- formation in the surroundings of his early home.

Mr. Horne was married in 1842, to Miss Elizabeth J. Johnson, and six children were born to them, one of whom survives, Mrs. Ernest, a resident of Dallas. The mother died in 1874 and her remains were buried in the old cemetery. In 1875 Mr. Horne was married a second time, to Ruth Ann Ross, a native of Tennessee. She died March 2, 1891. Three grandchildren until recently made their home with our subject: Annie L. Kelly, John M. Ernest and Arthur M. White. December 3, 1891, in Dallas, Mr. Horne married Miss Clara O. Ramsey, of Norwood, Louisiana. January 29, 1892, his horse ran away, throwing him from his buggy and so injuring him that he died two days after-

ward, January 31, 1892, at 6:30 M.

Mr. Horne was a faithful member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for forty- eight years, and politically was an old Jack- son Democrat. While he was a resident of Kansas he was County Judge for a time, and while on the plains held a Captain's commis- sion from the United States Government, having charge of fifty men. He was the old- Missourian in Dallas county and took prece- dence on Missouri day at the State Fair. Mrs. Ruth Ann Ross Horne was a charter mem- ber of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dallas, and Mrs. Elizabeth J. Horne be- longed to the same society.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 43

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