Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 50

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 50

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OHN HENRY BROWN, of Dallas, prominent in the annals of Texas as a pioneer, legislator, soldier and citizen, was born in Pike county, Missouri, October 39, 1820, five months before that Territory became a State. His parents were both na- tives of Kentucky, being, at the time men- tioned, well-to-do, owning a good farm, slaves and fine stock in horses and cattle.

The family is essentially one of patriots and historical worth. The originator of the family in this country came across the ocean in the time of Lord Baltimore. The father and grandfather of Colonel Edward Brown were born in Maryland, where the Colonel was born, in 1734, who commanded a Mary- land regiment in the Revolution, married Margaret Durbin, of the same State, removed to Kentucky in 1780, where he died in 1823. Ilis son, Caleb Brown, was also born in Maryland, in 1759, was a soldier in the Rev- olution, and married, int hat State, Jemima, daughter of Colonel Heury Stephenson, an officer in the Maryland line, and died in Kentucky in 1837. Captain Henry S. Brown, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Kentucky March 8, 1793, and won a fine reputation as a youthful soldier in the war of 1812, serving against the Indians in Mis- sonri and Illinois. From the close of the 30

war till 1824 he traded on the Mississippi to New Orleans. In 1814 he was married, in St. Charles county, Missouri, to Mrs. Mar- garet Jones, widow of Mr. Richard Jones, of Maryland, and a danghter of Eller James Kerr, of Danville, Kentucky, her mother being a daughter of Colonel Richard Wells, of Maryland, a Revolutionary officer. Her elder brother, James Kerr, for whom Kerr county was named, was well known as the first American settler of southwest Texas (in 1825), as the surveyor of De Witt's and De Leon's colonies, and as a representative man of great talent and patriotismn. Ile died in 1850, aged sixty years. In December, 1824, Captain Brown entered Texas as an Indian and Mexican trader, in which capacity he was chiefly engaged for ten years. Ile otten commanded companies against the In- dians, first defeating them where Waco now stands, in 1825, north of San Antonio in 1827, on the Nueces in 1828, at the mouth of Pecan bayou in 1829, and on the Medina in 1833. June 26, 1832, le commanded the largest company in the battle of Velasco, where Col- onel Domingo Ugartechea, of the Mexican army, surrendered the fort and 150 men to 130 Texans. He was a member of the con- ventions of 1832 and 1833, and served in tho latter year as a member of the ayuntamiento of Brazoria. He died suddenly in Brazoria, July 26, 1834. Brown county, created in 1856, was named in his honor, at the request of many old citizens. Ilis talented and de- voted wite survived him until April 30, 1861, when she expired at her home in Lavaca euunty, Texas.

John Henry Brown was but four years of age when he heard, with all the intensity of earnest childhood, of the charms of Texas, than which no other place, except his child- hood's home, has engaged his affections, this

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

partiality having increased with the flight of years, nntil now, at sixty-four, it is rendered sacred by a thousand ties. After working on the farm until he was twelve years old, he entered a printing office in his native county town, under the protection and guidance of the afterward distinguished A. B. Chambers, who so long and ably edited the St. Louis Repubican. In that noble-hearted gentle- man and his wife he found a kind and consider- ate father and a wise, ever tender and model mother. Under such anspices, in the purest moral atmosphere, his pupilage was passed, first through the printing office in the coun- try, and next in St. Louis, whither the family removed. Under the influence of this hon- ored and beloved couple his mind was di- rected to the acquisition of useful knowledge -mnuch from books- and inneh from asso- ciation with them and the educated and re- fined circle in which they moved.

His first residence in Texas was with his uncle, Major James Kerr, on the Lavaca river, where he mingled with the young men of the country and acquired practical knowledge of Texas border life.

When Austin was laid ont, in 1839, as the new seat of government, he, being then nine- teen years of age, repaired to that place in search of employment on one of the two news- papers to be established there. He was favor- ably introduced to President Lamar, Vice- President Burnet. General Albert Sidney Johnston, Dr. Branch T. Archer, Secretary of War; Judge Abner S. Lipscomb, Secretary of State, and nearly all the prominent men at the capitol, and had the good fortune to ob- tain their good will, and ever after to retain their esteem.

In the winter of 1839-40 he was one of a company of volunteers who pursued the In- dians, who had made a night raid on Ans-

tin. Early the following summer he returned to his uncle's, on the Lavaca, where he joined in the "Archer campaign," after which sev- eral other expeditions followed in quick snc- cession, all in defense of the raided frontier. After one of these, with his brother, Rufus E. Brown, he aided in opening a farm for their mother in what is now Lavaca county, which was the outside house in that imme- diate section and entirely open to Indian raids. In 1841 he was First Sergeant of a company of "minute men." which made sev- cral expeditions. The winter of 1841-'42 was comparatively quiet, proving to be the "calin before the storm." He was one of the volunteers who, under Captain John C. Hays, in chief command, evacuated San Antonio, after which he served as a scout and a picket against Mexican and Indian surprise, west of that city, under the same commander. Ile participated in the battle of Salado, on Sep- tember 18, 1842, in which Lientenant Brown received a wound in the hip joint, which he did not then regard as serions, but which has annoyed him more or less ever since. He also participated in a severe skirmish with the Mexicans on the 22d. He afterward participated in the unfortunate Somervell expedition, in which the returning volunteers suffered greatly from hunger and the inelem- ency of the weather, reaching San Antonio January 7, 1843, where they were honorably discharged. Lieutenant Brown, with a single companion, reached his mother's home late at night, barefooted and nearly naked, after traveling all day in a cold, wet norther, and would have perished had not shelter been soon found.

After assisting in planting the crops the following spring, Mr. Brown left, on the 4th of April, 1843, on a trip to Missouri, and at his native place met, and on the 9th of July

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

married, Miss Mary Mitchel, of Groton, Connecticut, an educated and accomplished young lady of one of the oldest and most highly respected families of New England. The next winter was spent in Missouri, where Mr. Brown lay at death's door with the ma- lignant disease called " black tongue," which fastened upon his Inngs and rendered him unfit for active labor for several years, and the effects of which yet manifest themselves under exposure. Returning to Texas he re- mained for a time at his mother's, where his first child, Julius Rufus, was born, on the 1st of February, 1846.

Later in the same year, when the Victoria Advocate was started, he removed to that place and was employed on that paper, assist- ing in its editorial department.

When the militia of the new State was organized in 1846, about the commencement of the Mexican war, he was appointed Brigade Major of the Southwest, with the rank of Colonel, which position he held four years.

In February, 1848, he removed to the new town of Indianola, and until 1854 was an active and zealous worker in the interests of that place, holding various positions of trust. Ile also founded and edited the Indianola Bulletin, a widely circulated and influential journal. During this time he was a contrib- ntor to De Bow's Review, under the general title of " Early Life in the Southwest."

During the time from annexation in 1845- '46 to 1854 he became a thorough disciple of States' rights, as held by the great sage and apostle of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, which beliefs were the corner stones of his political actions from that time until seces- sion occurred.

In 1854 he purchased an interest in and beeame co-editor of the Galveston Civilian; but Mr. Hamilton Stuart, his senior associate,

the founder of the paper and an able writer, held the position of United States Custom- house Collector, and the chief editorial labor devolved on Colonel Brown. He manifested such ability that he was nominated for the House of Representatives, and began his career as a publie speaker with such effect that he was considerably the foremost man when the votes were counted.

Colonel Brown was an active, laborious and conscientious worker in the Legislature- never speaking over five minutes and only on subjects on which he could throw light- always watchful for the interests of his eon- stitnency, yet an attentive listener, anxious to understand the bearing of every question discussed upon the permanent good of Texas. That his course was eminently satisfactory to his constituency was proven by his unanimous nomination before his return home and his triumphant election a few days after his arrival, as Mayor of the city, a position he neither sought nor desired.

Under his first year's administration the streets were improved, the laws of the city revised and published, so that each voter could have a copy, many abuses were cor- rected, one of which was giving the mayor a fee of $2.50 for each conviction before him, and none for acquittal, of which he had never heard, and which he denounced as a bribe, refusing to touch money thus received, and induced the council to strike this law from the municipal code.

At the expiration of his term in March, 1857, he was re-elected without opposition. During his second term public improvements continued. His editorial labors continued during all this period, though his health re- mained precarious as it had been for thirteen years. As the time approached for another election, he was unanimously nominated by

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY-

the Democratic party for the Honse of Rep- resentatives. and elected iu September. 1957. withont opposition.

About the first of November he resigned the mayoralty and took his seat for the third time in the Legislature. and throughout its long session was so occupied with its labors that he was bnt twice in the business portion of Austin. During the session he received an injury from a fall, destined, several years later. to require a surgical operation. His health continued to decline. and on returning home in March. 185S. he sold his interest in the Civilian and his home in Galveston and removed to Belton. with the view of convert- ing his means and recovering his health in stock raising.

About the last of 1559 the Belton Demo- crat was founded. and Colonel Brown became its editor and so continned until secession was accomplished, in February. 1861. He was elected a delegate to the secession con- vention from the district of Bell and Lam- pasas. withont a single vote being cast against him. The convention met and organized on Jannary 28, 1861, and on February 2 the ordinance of secession was passed. He con- tinued an active member of this body nntil final adjournment. March 25.

By this time he was in such a condition from the injury previously mentioned that a surgical operation was performed, in Belton, in July. and late in August he left for the headquarters of General Ben McCul- loch, in the southwest corner of Missouri. and served on the general's staff through the fall and winter, nntil the death of the gen- eral. He was immediately appointed Adju- tant General on the staff of General Henry E. McCulloch. Owing to ill healthı he re- turned to his home in Texas. in 1863. In

the summer of 1864 another surgical opera- tion was performed.

Soon afterward he removed with his family from Austin to Mexico. and was appointed chief Commissioner of Immigration by the Imperial government. He received a similar commission in March. 1866, to explore and report npon the country along the Panuco river. In the spring of 1569. he visited Texas. proceeding thence to New York and to New England on a mission in re- lation to the purchase of improved arms for the Mexican government. On his return he remained nine months in Mexico. In March. 1570. he left Mexico by steamer. re- joined by his family in New Orleans, and two months later they proceeded to Indianola. Texas. He was occupied from April nntil November in delivering over 100 addresses in the Northern States and New England in aid of the reform society in Mexico, from which a liberal amount was raised in aid of the canse. He declined further service for the cause. and rejoined his family in Indian- ola. in January. 1871. On July 17. 1571. he located in Dallas.

In 1872. he was unanimously nominated by the Democratic party for the House of Representatives from the district of Dallas, Collin and Tarrant, and was elected by a ma- jority of over 2.000. It was said by his asso- ciates that he never seemed to sleep, during the session of the Legislature, being erer at work for the good of the country. He re- turned home. careworn and wearied. but re- lieved of a long-felt anxiety, on the 7th of June. 1873, to find his eldest son, Julius, re- cently returned from Mexico, very sick, and witnessed his death on the 9th. This first death in the family was a shock from which he was long in recovering. and he withdrew

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as much as possible from the public to the quiet of his family.

In 1875, he was brought forward as a can- didate for the constitutional convention for the counties of Dallas, Tarrant and Ellis, and was elected by a large majority. As in for- mer deliberative bodies Colonel Brown was a laborions worker in this, and wasted no time in useless debate. A constitution was drawn up, which was ratified by a majority of the people, and went into effect April 18, 1876.

The death of his other son, on May 19, 1876, was another severe blow to him and ho again withdrew for a time into seclusion. In 1877 and again in 1879 ho was on the front- ier, his wife and daughters accompanying him in the foriner year. In 1880-'81 he was em - ployed as revising editor of the “ Encyelo- pedia of the New West." In the autumn of 1881 he was appointed by the Governor, Com- missioner to superintend for the State the survey and location of school lands, and en- tered on his duties in 1882. In 1884 he was Alderman and Mayor pro tem. of Dallas. In 1885-'86 -- '87 he was Mayor of that city and in 1888 -- '89 and 1890 was a local judge.

During all this time his pen has never been idle, and his prodnetions will be scru- tinized in vain to find a deliberate utterance antagonistic to publie or private virtue, or unfaithful to the glory of Texas. He has labored to cultivate fraternal feelings between the North and South, to encourage immigra- tion, and, holding the negro blameless, has championed all his rights under the amended constitution.

The result of his life work is now in press, and may be published before this history is issued. It consists of two works: first, the history of Texas from 1685 to 1892. This is a large work of two volumes. Secondly, a large and handsome volume entitled " The

Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas." In the latter at least 3,000 names of early pioneers who largely clothed, fed and in war mounted themselves, for their unpaid services will ap- pear, to prove that no country was ever set- tled, reclaimed, populated and defended by a braver, more unselfish and patriotic people.

ERY REV. DR. JOIIN F. COFFEY, of Dallas, Texas, was born in the prov- ince of Ontario, Canada, April 5, 1855, a son of Thomas and Bridget (Me- Keogh) Coffey, both natives of Tipperary county, Ireland. The father was a grain, provision and lumber merchant of Ottawa, Canada, and held various offices of public trust. He was one of the leading men in the liberal party in his part of the province, and was foremost in all the good works of the church. His wife has ever been a good help-mate for such a worthy man, full of energy, ready for every good word and work, and possesses many of those qualities that aro beautiful and amiable anong women. Their children are: Bridget, wife of the late l'at- rick Kelly, and now resides with her seven children in Ottawa, Canada; John F., our subject; Charles, who resides with his mother, engaged in looking after her es- tate; Thomas died in 1889, at the age of thirty years. Ile held a responsible position in the Government, in the department of the Indian affairs, and his death was a very severe blow to the friends as well as the family; Patrick is Registrar of Deeds in Carleton county, being one of the youngest persons in the country ever appointed to that responsible office. At the age of eighteen years he was secretary of the Liberal As- I sociation. His wife was Mary A. Tierney, a

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

lady of estimable qualities, and a relative of some of the best families of Ottawa. They have three promising children.

Dr. John F. Coffey was educated in the University of Ottawa, and was the first to receive the degree of A. B. at that university, which was in 1871, at the age of sixteen years. lle then studied law for a brief period, and since his sixteenth year he has been connected with the press, religions and secular. Having studied theology in the university, our subject was ordained priest by the Most Rev. John Walsh, Archbishop of Toronto, December 19, 1877, and imme- diately afterward was appointed to important pastorates, such as Onslow and Almonte. Dr. Coffey subsequently resigned his pas- toral charges to take editorial charge of The Catholic Record, published at London, On- tario. This paper was almost worthless when he took charge, and it soon became the leading Catholic journal in Canada. Later, he resigned that position to become editor of the The Canadian Freeman, published at Kingston, Ontario. In 1888, at the re- quest of leading public men of Canada, he founded the journal known as United Can- uda, but his advocacy of liberal principles incurred for him the enmity of influential persons, and, seeing little hope of the down- fall of Canadian Toryism in the early future, Father Coffey decided to retire forever from Canadian editorial and public life. In 1891 he resigned his editorship of the United Can- ada, and, at the invitation of the Right Rev. Bishop Brennan, came to lend his energies to the building up of the Catholic interests in northern Texas. He immediately assumed the editorship of the Texas Catholic, which had just been founded by Bishop Brennan. A few weeks later Dr. Coffey was appointed Secretary to the Right Rev. Bishop, and

now has charge of several important mis- sions in the diocese. He enjoyed the esteein and friendship while in Canada of snch ster- ling men as Hon. Edward Blake, Sir Richard Cartwright, Hon. Wilford Laurier and others. IIe received the degree of LL. D. of Man- hattan College, New York, in 1885. Father Coffey is a man wide awake to the interests intrusted to him, is in the prime of vigorous manhood, has a level head and a large warm heart, and is evidently the right person in the right place for the times and territory. On the twenty-first day of July, 1892, the Right Rev. Bishop Brennan appointed him Vicar General of the diocese of Dallas, the highest honor a Catholic bishop can bestow on one of his clergy.

SAAC C. WEST, M. D., is an honored member of this profession and is worthy of the space that has been accorded him in this record of the progressive and success- ful men of Dallas county. He is a native of Maryland, born in 1843, a son of Isaac C. and Nancy H. (Derickson) West, natives of the State of Delaware. The father was a blacksmith by trade. The mother of the Doctor still survives. Dr. West has been a student all his life, and there are few profes- sional inen who have devoted more time to painstaking research then he has. He received his literary education at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he took the degrees of A. B. and A. M. Afterward he studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He abandoned the law because of a throat trouble which interfered with speaking or reading aloud, and took up the study of medicine, under the preceptorship of his brother. After a course of reading he en-

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tered Jefferson Medical College, Philadel- phia, where he graduated in 1868. He prac- tieed for some time before he located in Bal- timore, Maryland, and remained there until 1877. In that year he came to Texas, be- lieving there were greater opportunities in the Southwest than existed in the East. IIe settled in Ovilla, Ellis county; while living there he attended a course of lectures at the University of Louisiana, and later removed to Waxahachie. The success of the homeo- pathie school attracted his attention, and he determined, with the disposition of a true scientist, to investigate the system. For this purpose he went Chicago, and entered the Hahnemann Medical College, and was grad- uated from that institution. He then returned to Texas, and located in Dallas, where he hns won large patronage, and met with marked snecess. He is a member of the Homeopathic Medieal Society, and is deeply interested in the success of the entire brotherhood. In his political opinions he adheres to the prin- eiples of the Democratie party, but he is wholly independent in his voting. Ile be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been a member of the I. O. O. F. for a number of years.

The Doctor was married in 1870, to Miss Mary E. Slay, a native of Delaware. Their marriage was celebrated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One child was born to them, Sadie C.

M. FURGARSON, retail groeer .- Nothing so visibly shows the strength and prosperity of Dallas' trade as the number of large concerns engaged in han- dling the staple necessaries of life. Promi- nent among them is the pushing grocery house of Mr. Furgarson, which is located in

West Dallas. He was born in Carroll county, Mississippi, July 2. 1846, being the eldest of nine sons and four daughters born to .J. T. and Sarah (Stovall) Furgarson. J. M. Furgarson was reared ona farm in the county of his nativity and remained with his parents until the war-cloud burst in 1861. On the 4th of May, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Fourth Mississippi Infantry, Sears' Brig- ade, French's Division and Stewart's Corps, and served under General Joe E. Johnston in the Georgia and Alabama campaigns, partici- pating in the battle of New Hope Church, Atlanta, Lovejoy, Kenesaw Mountain, Frank- lin, Tennessee, and others of less importance. He was wounded at Franklin, Tennessee, and was disabled for sixty days, this being the only time he was off duty during the war. He served until the elose, and honorably surrendered at Fort Blakely, Florida, in April, 1865. After the war he returned to his Mississippi home and for a short time thereafter attended school and assisted in tilling the old homestead. His marriage to Miss Ruby C. Lane took place December 29, 1870. She was a native of Carroll county, Mississippi, a daughter of Simon T. Lane, who was from North Carolina, and Caroline M., nee Marshall, both of Seotch ancestry. For one yoar after his marriage Mr. Furgar- son resided on a farm in Choctaw county, the three subsequent years being spent in his native county. At the end of this time he went to Le Flore county and there remained until he came to Texas, in 1878, locating near Wheatland, Dallas county, where farm- ing occupied his attention until August, 1885. He then purchased his present home in West Dallas, containing two and seven- tenths aeres. November 13, 1886, he became Deputy Sheriff under W. II. Lewis and served as such for three years. In 1890

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he made the race for Sheriff but was beaten by about 130 votes. March 3, 1891, he opened a grocery and feed store in West Dallas and in this short time has built up a trade and founded a reputation ranking him in every way but in age with the oldest houses of the city of West Dallas. A family of six children has been born to himself and wife, five of whom are still living: Sarah Alice, Willie Hugh, Montague, Homer and Robert Chappell. Lonnie died at the age of thirteen months. Mrs. Furgarson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, an exemplary Christian and a noble and thoughtful wife and mother. In his polit- ical views Mr. Furgarson affiliates with the Democratic party.

ILLIAM II. BENNETT was born in Franklin county, Georgia, April 30, 1825, son of Iliram Bennett, who was also a native of Georgia, born in 1798. The senior Mr. Bennett went from Georgia to Tennessee when he was a young man, and after remaining there a while returned to Georgia and married Dosia Dobs. She was born in Georgia, in 1805, and died in camp soon after their arrival in Texas, in 1845, aged forty years. She bore him nine children, namely: J. Madison, who died at the age of sixty-eight years; Delilah, wife of Redrick Manning, and after his decease in 1843 married John H. Barlow; Sarah A., wife of James Cole; W. H .; Clark and Elisha, both deceased; David; Josiah; and Mary J., wife of William Cole. For his second wife Mr. Bennett married Sarah Dougan, in 1846. Following are children of that union : John C .; Solomon M .; Emily E., wife of Isaac Wilkinson; Martha N .; and A. Stephenson

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 50

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