Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 49

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 49

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Mr. Lindsay votes with the Democratic party, but is not active in political circles. Socially, he is a member of Dallas Lodge, No. 70, K. of l'., and of Cœur de Lion Divi- sion, No. 8, of the Uniformed Rank. He and his wife are members of the Second Pres- byterian Church. He has always been iden- tified with the best interests, both material and moral, of the city of Dallas.

C. GARISON was born in Boone county, Missouri, Angust 22, 1844. His father, W. C. Garison, a native of North Carolina and of Irish aneestry, went to California in 1850, and died there in 1852. The mother was a native of Missouri and a daughter of William Huff, who went from Tennessee to Missouri among the pioneers of that country. The Iluff's were of English ancestry.

When J. C. Garison was nine years old he was left an orphan, and at that age was thrown upon his own resources. In 1859 he started across the plains to California, assist- ing in driving a large herd of cattle and be- ing from May until the following November in making the journey. After arriving in California he worked at various occupations

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

for eight years; attended school two years of the time; returned to Missouri, and in 1869 came to Texas, locating in Lisbon, Dallas county, where he engaged in farming. He was married July 9, 1874, to Miss Sally Pal- lord, a native of Virginia and a danghter of T. J. and Elizabeth Pallord, early settlers of Dallas county. After his marriage he lived near Lisbon for one year, then moved to Cedar Creek, near Oak Cliff, where he lived fourteen years, and in 1888 sold out and pur- chased his present farm. Ilere he owns 314 aeres of improved land, 200 acres of which are under cultivation.

Mr. and Mrs. Garison are the parents of three children: Nellie, Ida and Clyde. Mr. Garison is associated with the Masonic fra- ternity, being a member of the Tannehill Lodge. Mrs. Garison is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

W. EDMONDSON, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, has been identified with the interests of Dallas county since 1850. He is a native of Tennessee, born in Shelbyville, November 17, 1839, the oldest son of W. T. and Sarah A. (Davis) Edmondson. When he was eleven years old he with his father's family started for Texas and after spending one scason in Louisiana arrived in Dallas. Here he was reared and received his early education, com- pleting his studies at Baylor University, In- dependence, Texas. In 1860 he went to Tennessee to attend school, but the war came on and he returned to Texas, and in 1861 enlisted in Company C, Colonel Dannell's Regiment. He served in the Indian Nation, in Arkansas and Louisiana, and at the elose of the war came home with the rank of Captain.

December 23, 1865, Mr. Edmondson mar- ried Miss Bettie H. Miller, a daughter of William B. Miller, prominent mention of whom is made on another page of this vol- ume. After his marriage Mr. Edmondson settled at Cedar Springs and remained there one year. Then he located on the old place where Mrs. Edmondson departed this life September 5, 1872, leaving one child, John Franklin, born September 24. 1867, who now holds a position in the Ninth National Bank of Dallas. After the death of his wife Mr. Edmondson moved to his present farm and built the home he now occupies. Here he owns 8252 acres of land, which is devoted to general farming.

Politically he is a Democrat.

B ENJAMIN L. BRANSON, a member of one of the pioneer families of Dallas county, is a farmer and stock-raiser and lives in Preeinet No. 5, his postoffice being Wheatland.

Mr. Branson was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, October 7, 1850, son of Thomas and Lonisa (Cole) Branson, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. When he was three years old he was brought by his parents to Texas, and was reared on a farm in Dallas county. His education was ob- tained in the common schools and completed at Mansfield, Tarrant county, this State. His father died in 1864 and the following year his mother passed away. He, however, con- tinued to reside on the old homestead until 1875, at which time he engaged in farming for himself on a part of the land his father had owned. He now has a farm of 280 acres of well improved and highly cultivated land, on which he is engaged in general farming. IIe also owns twenty-five acres of timber land.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Mr. Branson was married, November 14, 1886, to Miss S. K. Davis, a native of Ten- nessee. Although born in Tennessee, she was reared in Tarrant county, having been brought here in 1858, when an infant, by her parents, P. G. and Caroline Davis. Their union has been blessed with three chil- dren: Carrie Louise, Tom and Ada Mozelle. Mr. and Mrs. Branson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Frater- nally he is associated with the A. F. & A. M.

AYETTE R. ROWLEY, a prominent citizen of Dallas, was born in New York State in 1840, son of Robert S. and Sophia (Taylor) Rowley. His father, a native of Connecticut, moved to Ohio early in life, was married there and returned to New York and afterward to Ohio again. He finally died in Texas, in 1885, at the age of seventy years. By ocenpation he was a farmer and stock-raiser. His wife, a native of Ohio, is still a resident of that State.

Mr. Rowley, whose name heads this sketelı, received a good education, followed clerking for a while, taught school two years, and in 1876 came to Dallas as a representative of Russell & Co., of Massillon, Ohio, with head- quarters here, having as his territory the States of Texas and Louisiana, Indian Terri- tory and old Mexico. In his extensive trav- els in the interest of his company he saw many queer and startling scenes in pioneer lite. His engines and threshers were often moved over 100 miles by eight or ten yoke of oxen, that had brought in loads of buffalo hides. Ill health at length compelled him to abandon his hard, itinerant work. In 1889 he was unanimously chosen by the City Council of Dallas as Auditor, which position he filled

with greater fidelity, perhaps, than they had ever before. Ile had three and a half years experience as Alderman, being Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Municipal Affairs. In the discharge of his official du- ties he was careful, conseientions and ener- getic.

For his home he purchased eight acres of the Eakin tract, adjoining the city park, and on that lovely spot built an elegant residence, which he now occupies. The premises are embellished with flowers and furnished with all that culture could dietate. It is indeed an ideal home-one of the kind that trains the best class of citizens, and to which his chil- dren will ever turn with pleasure.

Mr. Rowley has been a member of the Masonic order for twenty-eight years, and of the order of the Knights of Pythias for ten years; he has represented the last named sev- eral years in the grand lodge. On national questions he is a Republican, but locally he votes for the " best man." No man in Dal- las county is more popular than Mr. Rowley.

He was married in 1862 to Miss Maria S. Ensign, of Ohio, a woman of sterling worth, than whom no one is more highly esteemed. The children by this marriage are: Robert E., who died at the age of thirteen years; Sophia E., now Mrs. P. G. Gordon, of New York; Emma E .; Mary E., who died in in- faney, and Fayette Robert, Jr.

W. FLEMING, farmer and stock- raiser, Dallas, Dallas county, Texas, dates his birth in Knox county, east Tennessee, September 2, 1827. Ile is the oldest of the family of eight children born to Washington S. and Ruth (Brown) Fleming, natives of Tennessee and Virginia respeet-

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

ively and of English and Scotch ancestry. When he was fourteen years old his par- ents removed to Montgomery county, Illinois, where he was reared on the farm and edu- cated in the subscription schools, held in prim- itive log schoolhonses, remaining a mem- ber of his father's household until he reached his twenty-fifth year.

In 1854 Mr. Fleming came to Texas, traveling through with teams and being thirty days en route. For two years he rented land, after which he went to the western part of the State and spent one year in what is now Jack county, then unexplored and in- habited chiefly by Indians and wild animals. From that place he came back to Dallas connty and purchased ninety-six acres of wild land, at once beginning to make improve- ments on it. He was married September 30, 1856, to Miss C. J. Britain, daughter of Joseph Britain, of whom prominent mention is made elsewhere in this volume. After his marriage he settled on his present farm, which, from its wild State he has brought to a high standard of development. An attract- ive feature of his place is a fine grove of shade-trees which lie planted. As a curiosity we may mention here that Mrs. Fleming adorns ber house with a beautiful hair wreath, consisting of locks of hair taken from 117 different members of five generations of the family.

To Mr. and Mrs. Fleming, three children were born, two of whom are still living: Rachel Anna, the eldest daughter, was born December 5, 1857 in 1881, was united in marriage to Mr. C. E. Logan (son of Dr. A. R. Logan), of Davenport, Iowa; five children blessed this union, four of whom are still living: three girls and one boy. Mrs. Logan is a member of the Christian Church. Lee Fleming, second child, a son, born De-

cember 25, 1866, in Dallas county, Texas, died in Pana, Illinois, July 13, 1868, aged one year and seven months; Shular V. Flem- ing, the youngest son, was born in Dallas county, Texas, April 9, 1871, and resides with his parents on the old home place.

Mr. and Mrs. Fleming have twice made the trip back to Illinois with teams since they took up their abode in Texas. In poli- tics he is independent. Mrs. Fleming is a member of the Christian Church.

In connection with the history of Mr. Fleming's parents, it should be further stated that his father died in 1864, aged sixty-one years, and his mother is still living, in Illinois, having reached the advanced age of eighty-six years. She retains her mental and physical powers to a remarkable degrec. Seven of their eight children still survive. She has forty-six grandchildren, twenty-eight of whom are living, and she has twenty-four great-grandchildren, of whom twenty-one arc living.

M OSES GOODFELLOW, of Dallas county, was born in Meigs county, Ohio, Jannary 12, 1820, a son of Peter B. and Annie (Crow) Goodfellow. The father, a native of New York, moved to Meigs county, Ohio, at an early date, later to Mason county, Virginia, and in 1841 to Randolph county, Missouri, where he died in 1869, at the age of eighty-five years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, for which he received head-warrants in Arkansas. Mr. and Mrs. Goodfellow were married in New York, and the wife accompanied her husband in all his moves, sharing his fortunes, and survived him eight years, dying in Randolph county, Missouri, in July, 1877, at the age

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

of eighty-four years. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Goodfellow are: Melancthon, Susan, Moses, John, Peter, Adam, James and Mary. All the children are now deceased except the subject of this sketeh and a sister, Susan, who is now the widow of Francis Wolf, and resides in Randolph county, Mis- souri.

Moses, the subject of this sketch, settled in Missouri when a young man, and in the fall of 1860 he came to Dallas county. Be- fore coming to this State he traded for 205 acres of land in Dallas county, and to this he has since added nutil he now owns 276 acres on Grapevine Prairie, about one-half of which is in cultivation, and the remainder in pasture. Mr. Goodfellow also owns ninety acres of timber land near his homestead, and forty-five acres on the West Fork of the Trin- ity. He has done all the improving on his home place, having fenced the entire tract, cultivated about 100 acres. set ont a fine orchard, and erected a comfortable, two-story frame honse.

Mr. Goodfellow was married in Missouri, November 25, 1846, to Naney Beale, who was born in Boone county, Kentucky, De- cember 16, 1828. She was taken by her par- ents, Thomas and Lncy Beale, to Missouri when ten years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Good- fellow have reared a large family of children, all of whom are now grown, and most of whom are married. They are as follows: Orillia, born February 7. 1848; Lney Ann, January 20, 1850; William B. May 16, 1852; Sarah Nancy, June 29, 1854; John James, August 11, 1856; Thomas Peter, February 15, 1859; Mary Frances, August 26, 1861; Mosettie, March 12, 1864; and Robert, March 26, 1867. Lncy Ann died October 11, 1870; Sarah Nancy, September 17, 1880; Mary Frances, October 22, 1882. William B.

married Sarah E. Jasper, of Dallas county; John James was married December 20, 1882, to Lou Swan, of Tarrant county ; Mary Frances was the wife of Isaac D. Houston, of Tarrant county; Mosettie was married to William Lucas, of Dallas county, October 20, 1886; Thomas Peter was married February 27, 1889, to Idelia Burgoon; and Robert married Fannie Foster, of Coleman county, Texas, March 26, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Goodfellow are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, the former having been baptized at Sweet Springs Church, Randolph county, Missouri, October 12, 1849, and the latter at Bear Creek Church, Tarrant county, July 27, 1875.

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OHIN B. MAY was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, November 1, 1847, and was seven months old when his par- ents emigrated to Texas. They first settled in Bonham and after remaining there two years moved to MeKinney. They soon after- ward located in Dallas county, and there John B. was reared on a farm and received a com- mon-school education. When a boy he was full of energy and push, and since grown has been engaged in varions enterprises, always making a snecess of whatever he undertook. After his marriage, which occurred JJanuary 6, 1869, he engaged in farming. Ile sub- sequently turned his attention to the grocery business and conducted a store two years. IIe afterward ran a market house at Dallas. Next we find him in Palo Pinto county, west Texas, conducting a cattle ranchi. In 1881 he re- turned to Dallas, farmed one year and then sold groceries two years. In 1884 he moved to Farmers' Branch, where he has since re- mained and is now the leading merchant and produce dealer of the place. During the

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

season of 1890 he bought about 400 bales of cotton, fully one half of all that was sold at this market. The grain crop of 1890 being a failure, he shipped corn from Kansas and sold to farmers here for their stock. Mr. May has recently built a fine residence. He also owns his store building.

His father, Andrew J. May, was a native of Kentucky. He taught school in his carly life, and after he was able to buy a farm he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. After an active and nseful life he died, near the city of Dallas, in February, 1863. Dur- ing the war he served from 1861 until the time of his death. He was detailed to im- portant branches of the Confederate service, his duty being chiefly in the vicinity of his home. His wife was before her marriage Miss Mary White. Her father was one of the earliest pioneers of Texas. After his death his daughter returned to Kentucky, where Mr. May met and married her, and they then came back to Texas, as above stated. Their union was blessed with seven children, three sons and four daughters, all of whom are liv- ing and filling honorable positions in life. Their names are as follows: John B., the subject of this sketch; Eliza J., wife of B. F. Jones, an ex-Sheriff of Dallas county ; Benjamin A., who resides in Dallas; Bell, wife of J. B. Slanter, resides in Colorado City; Davis W., who is engaged in the real- estate business in San Antonio; Lulu, a resi- dent of Dallas; and Sally, who married Thomas Scurlock and is now living at Cle- burne, Johnson county, Texas.

John B. May married Miss Sally A. Thomp- son, daughter of M. M. Thompson of Ten- nessee. IIer father came to Texas before the war and was prominent in many enteprises here. Ilis death occurred in 1886. This happy uniou has resulted in the birth of

eight children, seven of whom are still liv- ing. Their names are Byron, Allie, Minnie, Jennie B., Lela, Edward, Lee and Annie May. Lee died in 1889, at the age of two years; Allie is the wife of M. W. Cox, a Dallas county farmer. The others are all at home with their parents.

Politically, Mr. May affiliates with the Democratic party.

ONTIOLLION SHAWVER, a farm- er of Precinct No. 3, also interested in a large cattle ranch in Baylor county, Texas, was born in Missouri, a son of John and Caroline (Walker) Shawver, natives of Virginia and of English parentage. The father came to Missouri in an early day and settled in Macon county, eight miles from the city of Macon, where he engaged in farming. He served as Justice of the Peace of his pre- cinct, and became prominently identified with the growth and development of his county. The parents had ten children, namely: Ben- ton, deccased; Amanda, the wife of L. C. Ebrite, of Mesquite; Daniel, deceased; Elisha, deceased; John, who resides in Baylor county, Texas; George, a resident of this township; Nannie, the wife of Richard Mathews; Mon- tiollion, our subject; Lora, in Dallas county ; and Robert, who resides in Baylor county. The father came to this State in 1869, locating north of Dallas for two years, and in 1871 bought 260 acres of land east of Mesquite, paying from $5 to $10 per acre. His death occurred in 1880, at the age of eighty years, and his wife died in 1872, at the age of fifty years.

The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools of his native county, and at the age of twenty-one years commenced life

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HISTORY OF DAL.LAS COUNTY.

for himself. He remained on his father's farm until 1883, when he removed to Baylor county, and in company with his brothers, Robert and John, condueted a ranch, owning one section of land. Thirty acres of this land is improved, and part is sown in Johnson grass and the remainder is in pasture. The brothers also own about 4,200 head of cattle of all ages.

Mr. Shawver was married in 1881, to Linnie Rowe, a daughter of William and Emily (MeDaniel) Rowe, natives of Tennessee and Illinois. The parents came to this State about the same time, where they were mar- ried, in 1845, and the next year settled on the place now owned by our subject, consisting of 160 acres. Mr. Rowe first erected a log house, not having built a frame dwelling till after the war. Before the war he owned 550 acres of land, one of the finest tarms in the county, where he erected good buildings, etc. He died July 21, 1888, at the age of sixty years, and his wife died in 1889. They were the parents of three children: Linnie, wife of Mr. Shawver; W. S., of Dallas; and Einina, the wife of A. F. Cross, also of Dallas. Mr. and Mrs. Shawver are the parents of three children: Emma L., M. R. and Veda C.

UDOVIC C. LEEDS, one of the most enterprising and energetic of Dallas eity's business men, was born in Now York city, in 1842, and is a son of Alexander and Susan E. Leeds. The father is a native of Hartford, Connecticut, but was reared to agricultural pursuits. He emigrated to Mich- igan, and for many years held offices of honor and trust in Berrien county. Ile still resides there, and is one of its most highly respected citizens. The mother of our subject was born

in the West Indies, and was the daughter of a physician. She died in 1860. They reared a family of three children, all of whom are living at the present time.

Ludovic C. was educated in the common schools and began life as a clerk in his father's office. He remained there three years and then enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Company C, August 8, 1862. He saw service in Kentucky, Teu- nessee, Georgia and North Carolina, and was with General Burnside on the Knoxville cam- paign, and was with General Thomas at Nashville, Tennessee. He was in many forced marches, and participated in some of the most noted battles of the war.

After the declaration of peace he returned to Michigan, and went thence to Omaha, Nebraska, where he secured employment with the Union Pacific Railroad Company. In 1869 he came to Jefferson, Texas, and opened a hotel, which he conducted until 1875. In that year he came to Dallas and embarked in the lumber business. He began at the bottom of the ladder, and mastered every detail of that industry, profiting by the experience of older heads. After several years of service under the direction of excellent business men he formed a partnership with Mr. Conkling, under the firm name of Leeds & Conkling, and purchased the plant of one of the oldest and most reliable firms in the county. They do a general lumber business, and have con- ducted their affairs with inneh success. They have met with some adversities, the most severe being the destruction of their mill by fire. They have rebuilt, however, and are fairly re-established with their old customers.

Mr. Leeds was married in 1875, to Miss Mattie Bartholomew, of Michigan, and they are the parents of six children: Alexander B .; Ludovic; Mary, who died at the age of

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

one year; Will L., and Jessie M. and Carlos W., twins. Our subject is an active member of John A. Dix Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and holds one of the offices of the post. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and takes an interest in all the en- terprises that have for the object the elevation of humanity.

ILLIAM E. BEST, who is actively engaged in mercantile trade in Dal- las, Texas, has been a resident of the city and prominently connected with her commerce since 1874. The lot where his handsome residence stands was then in the suburbs. He purchased this land and a small grocery store located on the corner of Caroline and Mckinney streets, where he had his first experience in mercantile life; he continued in business there until the end of eighteen months when he found his quarters were too small for the growing demands of his trade, and established himself in the con- modious quarters he now occupies at 161 Ross avenue. Here he has by fair means, industry, and an intelligent comprehension of the conditions of the markets, built up a trade of which any man might well be proud.

Mr. Best is an American citizen by adop- tion, his native land being the Emerald Isle, connty Armagh, where he first saw the light of day May 26, 1839. He is the second of a family of nine children born to Robert and Sarah (Thompson) Best, natives of Ireland; the father was a land owner in that country, residing in county Armagh; he died in 1867, and his wife survived him two years. In 1854 our worthy subject bade farewell to home and friends and native land, and crossed the sea to America, landing in New York city; he started West at once,

and stopped in Hillsboro, Illinois, where he remained until the beginning of the Civil war. In September, 1862, he went to Springfield, Illinois, and there enlisted in defense of the flag of his adopted land. He joined Company A, Ninty-seventh Volun- teer Infantry, and was transported to Vieks- burg. To trace the Ninety-seventh through all the varying fortunes of warfare would be an oft-told tale. Suffice it to say, that Mr. Best bravely and gallantly participated in the engagement at Arkansas Post, the siege of Vicksburg, the attack on Fort Gibson, at which place he was commissioned First Lieutenant, the battle of Edwards Station, Black River Bridge, Jackson, Mississippi, and many of less note. Mr. Best was mustered out of the service at Galveston with the rest of the Ninty-seventh in August, 1865, and honorably discharged at Spring- field, Illinois.

In January, 1865, during the war, he was united in marriage to Miss Isabella Otway, a daughter of John A. Otway, of New Or- leans. Mr. Otway was the owner of a fine line of steamers on the Mississippi, and he was otherwise interested in the transpor- tation lines of New Orleans. He was well known in business circles throughout the South; his death occurred in New Orleans in 1876.

After his return from the war, Mr. Best settled down to the more peaceful pursuit of agriculture, cultivating his farm near Hills- boro, Illinois. There he lived until 1871, when he removed to Louisiana; he purchased a plantation near St. Martinsville, and made it his home for three years. Not being satisfied with the results of this operation, he sold out and moved with his family to Dal- las county, Texas; he settled near the pres- ent city on rented land, and in one year

John Henry Brown

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

moved into Dallas. Ile has been one of the energetic workers in commerce, and has largely aided in establishing the present reputation of Dallas as a business center.

Mr. and Mrs. Best are the parents of nine children: Katie, the wife of Dr. Hieks; Flor- ence is the mother of one son, Hugh; Philip K., Mand, Zoe, Bessie, Willie, Rob- ert, Edward and James.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 49

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