Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 64

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 64

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

1833, and married forty- three years ago Miss Eboline Parker, who still resides on the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Coyle reared a family of four children, viz .: Clemuel C., born December 23, 1848; Emily J., wife of R. J. Richards, was born February 18, 1852; Marion C., born November 10, 1855; and Henderson B., born September 13, 1858. The father was called out several times in de- fense of his country, but owing to the weak- ness of his eyes he returned to his home. The last time he was called to Shreveport, where he died, at the close of the war.

Henderson B., was only seven years old at his father's death, after which he lived with his mother and worked on the farm until the age of twenty-one. After his marriage he settled on his present farm of eighty-two acres, which was given to his wife by her father. Here he has built a fine residence, has the farm cleared and fenced, and in a fine state of cultivation. He was married December 1, 1878, to Miss Nancy M. Mills, who was born September 17, 1863, and daughter of Edward Mills. Mr. and Mrs. Coyle have had three children: Luvillia, born September 14, 1879; Norah Ebline, January 21, 1882, and Letha Matilda, July 6, 1884. The parents are bothi members of the Christian Church, and the father is also a member of the Masonic order, Duck Creek Lodge, No. 441.

ENRY NOETZLI, deceased .- This gentleman was a native of Switzerland, became thoroughly Americanized, and one of the most prosperous and useful citizens of Dallas county, Texas. Briefly given, a review of his life is as follows;

Henry Noetzli was born in Zurich, Swit- zerland, April 20, 1831. He remained there

engaged in farming, until he was thirty-five years old. In the fall of 1856 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Schmid, who was born there the same year he was. He emigrated to America in 1867, came to Texas and located in Dallas, and the follow- ing year he was joined by his wife and daugh- ter. For ten years he was engaged in teaming in Dallas. Then he purchased a farm of 110 acres, which he conducted and on which he lived ten years. During all this time he had been successful, had made money, and, what was more, had saved it. Finding himself advanced in life and in easy circumstances, he bought a choice location in Garland and built a house. His wife died on the 25th of Jannary, 1890, at the age of fifty-nine years, leaving an only child, Anna, who, with her little son, Henry Noetzli, resides at the home- stead.

Politically, Mr. Ncetzli was an ardent Re- publican. He voted with that party when there were but few Republicans in the county. At the last election there were fifty Republi- can votes cast here. Mr. Noetzii was ap- pointed Postmaster of Garland by President Harrison, and was filling that office most acceptably when he met with a fatal accident, his horse running away and upsetting the buggy. He died three days afterward, March 3, 1892.

In connection with this sketch, it should be further stated that Mr. Noeizli's father, Henry Noetzli, lived and died in Switzerland, passing away in 1890, at the age of eighty- seven years. His mother's maiden name was Margaret Shebley. She, too, died in her native land, her death occurring in 1876. They were the parents of five children, viz. : Barbara, wife of Henry Frick of Dallas; Anna, wife of John Lienberger; Henry; Jacob, and Regula, wife of Felix Albright.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

In company with his daughter and grand- son, Mr. Noetzli expected to spend the sum- mer of 1892 on a visit to his native land. He had already made one trip to Switzerland since locating in America. Although the old country and the scenes of his childhood pos- sessed charms for him, he preferred the land of his adoption for a hoine.

ILLIAM J. BORAH, of Dallas county, is a son of Lee and Catherine (Render) Borah, and is of German ex- traction. His paternal great-grandfather was a native of that country, and came to Amer- ica in Colonial times, settling in the Susque- hanna valley of Pennsylvania, where his son, our subject's grandfather, was born. The latter at an early day came by way of Pitts- burg, and down the Ohio river on flat-boats, and settled in Butler county, Kentucky, when that country was almost a wilderness. For many years he was engaged in rafting and flat-boating between points on the Ohio river and New Orleans, and died at an advanced age in the county of his adoption. Our sub- ject's father, Lee Boralı, was born in Butler county, Kentucky, February 10, 1808, and passed his early years in flat-boating on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He married Catherine Render, of Ohio county, Kentucky, a daughter of Joshua Render, a pioneer of western Kentucky. Ou account of his wife's health, Mr. Borah came to Texas in 1856, settling in Dallas county, where he purchased 320 acres of land lying on Grapevine prairie, which was then unimproved. He spent the remainder of his life on that farm, dying in 1877, at the age of sixty-nine years. His wife died at the same place, in 1851, and she and her husband are buried at the Bear creek cemetery, near by. They were both mem-

bers of the Baptist Church, and were the parents of six children, all but one of whom reached maturity, viz .: Christopher C., who enlisted in the Confederate army at the open- ing of the war, and died from cold contracted on a forced march at Arkansas Post, during his term of service; the next child, a daugh- ter, died in infancy; William J., the subject of this sketch; Jane, the wife of A. H. Boyd, Tax Collector of Tarrant county; Martha A., wife of Thomas Powell, of Grapevine prairie; Rosie A., wife of J. P. Terrill, of Elizabeth- town, Denton county, Texas.

William J. Borah, our subject, was born in Butler county, Kentucky, August 27, 1842, and was fourteen years of age when his par- ents came to Texas. His youth was passed on a farm, and in February, 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate army, in the First Texas Squadron, and saw his first service at Chatta- nooga, Tennessee. After that battle he was in Gano's command, and was with General John Morgan in his celebrated raid in Ken- tucky and Ohio, and participated in all the fights, marches, thrilling adventures and wild orgies which characterized that most wonder- ful military expedition. He was with Mor- gan at the time of his capture, and was near him when lie was taken. He was captured with the remainder of the command, and after spending a short time at Indianapolis, Indiana, was taken to Camp Chase, Colum- bus, Ohio, shortly afterward to Camp Doug- las, Chicago, after the expiration of twenty- one months was taken to City Point to be exchanged. They were then paroled under instructions not to go south of the north line of South Carolina, but Mr. Borah went over the line, and, being in the vicinity of his regiment, rejoined it, secured a furlough, and was on his way home at the time of the sur- render.

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

Mr. Boralı tells some interesting recollec- tions of the days when he served under Mor- gan, as well as of the days when he attempted to make his way back home to Texas without transportation or money. He reached home at the close of the war, wearing one shoe and with one foot tied up in a shirt, from the effects of a frost bite. He paid his last cent, $16 in Confederate money, to get across the river at Shreveport, Louisiana. Again at home and the war over, he settled down to farming on the old homestead, where he has since resided. Mr. Borah has one of the richest and best improved farms on Grapevine prairie, and it is the same his father bought in 1856, and has been in the family since. Al- though it was divided at the death of the father Mr. Borah bought his sisters' interests, and he now owns 292 acres of the original 320 acres, all of which is cultivated. He also owns other land in Tarrant county, ad- joining, and is one of the most successful farmers in the community where he resides. It is a notable fact that there has never been a failure on the Borah homestead since it was first settled in 1856. Mr. Borah has the reputation of being one of the most energetic men in the western part of Dallas county, and everything on his place shows that this reputation is well deserved. He is liberal- minded and a public-spirited citizen, and lends a helping hand to all deserving pur- poses.

December 12, 1868, he married Miss Lou Terrill, a daughter of John Terrill, then re- siding at Grapevine, Tarrant connty, but originally from Randolph county, Missouri, where Mrs. Borah was born, having come with her parents to Texas when a girl. The wife ‹lied August 6, 18-, leaving three cliil- dren: Lee; May, now Mrs. C. L. Dillon, of this county, and Susie. Mr. Borah afterward

married Miss Mary T. Bradley, a native also of Randolph county, Missouri, and a daughter of George W. Bradley, a resident of Taylor connty, this State. To this union has been born five children, three of whom still sur- vive, viz .: Jessie, Mand and De Graff. Mr. and Mrs. Borah are members of the Baptist Church, as were his parents before him, and he also takes an active interest in the moral and educational needs of his neighborhood.

ARION M. FARMER was born in Graves county, Kentucky, Septem- ber 20, 1840. His father, Berry Farmer, was a native of Virginia, born in 1811; came to Texas in 1875, and died here in the year 1878, at the age of sixty- nine years. His mother, who before her marriage was Arsena Paschall, died in 1875, aged sixty-five years. Following are their children, four of whom are living: Elizabeth, deceased; William; Marion M .; Forby, wife of William Williams; Myra, wife of Perry Mitchell, is deceased; Frona, deceased, was the wife of James Buck; Lo; and Nancy, wife of James Crnse.

Marion M. came to Texas when a young man, in 1860, landing here with only fifty cents in money, but with what is more than money, a determination to succeed in life Ile says he gave what little he had to a child, and began square with the world. He soon found employment on a farm at $8 per month, and worked in that way at different places until the war broke out. In April, 1862, he enlisted in the army, and served during the war, being in a number of im- portant engagements. He had the misfor- tune to have his foot broken, and, being thus

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

disabled, he was detailed to the commissary department, under John H. Hunter.

At the close of the war Mr. Farmer re- turned home no richer, as a matter of course, than when he entered the service. With renewed energy he went to work, and in due time saved money enough to buy 220 acres of wild land. On the 8th of February, 1866, he was married to Miss Emma Hanght, and after his marriage moved to the land he had bought in Kaufman county. In improv- ing his place and making a home he mnet with many difficulties and endured hardships untold, but finally success crowned his earn- est efforts. His wife, born June 7, 1850, departed this life in 1868, and her untimely death was a source of much bereavement to him. She left one child, Emma, who be- came the wife of John Mason, and after his death married Frank Henryshot. After his wife died Mr. Farmer grew somewhat dis- conraged, and went to Kentucky and remained there a short time. Coming back to Texas, he again gave his attention to agricultural pursuits on his farm. He now owns one of the prettiest farms in Dallas county, consist- ing of 409 aeres of fine land, all well im- proved. He has a beautiful home and is sur- rounded with all the comforts of life. Two hundred aeres of his land are under cultiva- tion, all is fenced, and the rest is in pasture, with the exception of eighty acres of timber land.

For his second wife Mr. Farmer married Miss Golden M. Haught, a sister of his first wife. She was born in Dallas county, April 27, 1846, a daughter of Samuel and Isabella J. (DeVall) Haught. Her father was born November 20, 1814; was married in Pike county, Illinois, in 1844, and in 1845 moved to Texas, becoming one of the pioneers of this State. He and his wife are now resi-

dents of Arizona. Of their family of nine children, Mrs. Farmer is the oldest and is one of two who are still living.

Mr. Farmer has had six children by his present wife, namely: Emma Ermin, Eva, Ethel, Hattie J., Valta and Alfa O .; all liv- ing except Eva and Alfa ().

ILLIAM L. CAMPBELL dates his arrival in Texas in 1851, having come to this State with his parents and settled in Dallas connty. He was born in Jefferson county, East Tennessee, April 23, 1832. being nineteen years old at the time the family emigrated to Texas. After remaining on the farm with his father for some years, he took up the carpenter's trade and worked at it. At the breaking out of the Civil war he was in the Indian Nation work- ing on a Government sawmill. The camp broke up on account of the war, and the mill was never finished. He came home and soon afterward enlisted in the Eighteenth Texas Cavalry, Colonel Darnell. Reaching the command, he found his brother sick and was detailed to wait on him. The command left and was captured before he and his brother could join them. In the spring they re- ported at Little Rock and were sent to Pine Bluff, remaining at the latter place until June. There he was taken with typhoid fever and was moved to the country. In August he came home, reported at Dallas, and was ordered to Shreveport. There he was put on guard duty; was subsequently detailed as carpenter in the ordnance depart- ment and was sent to Tyler, where he re- mained until the close of the war. Return- ing home, he worked on the farm for awhile and afterward turned his attention to the

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

carpenter's trade again. In 1872 he com- menced surveying, and at that, as in other lines of work, he has been successful. He has done private surveying and has been deputized by the court to do work, but never ran or served as county surveyor. Although of late years he has given his attention chiefly to farming, he still does some surveying. Mr. Campbell has three farms, having two rented and living on the other. He has eighty acres of his home farm nnder cultiva- tion, and everything about the premises indi- cates the owner to be a man of thrift and en- terprise. Mr. Campbell lias given some attention to fruit culture, with partial suc- cess. He has the largest peach orchard in this part of the county, and also has some apples. The black land he thinks is not suited to fruit culture.

Robert F. Campbell, father of the subject of our sketch, was a native of Tennessee, and while a resident of that State served as Jus- tice of the Peace. He was engaged in agri- cultural pursuits all his life, his death occur- ring in this State November 18, 1881. By his first wife, nee Jane C. David, of Tennes- see, he had six children, William L. being the oldest. The names of the others are Lodemia A., Sarepta A., James W., and Mar- garet E. The mother departed this life about 1842. In March, 1850, the father wedded Miss Mary Hoffer. Her paternal ancestors were Swiss, and from her mother's people she inherited some Choctaw blood. By his sec- ond marriage Robert F. Campbell had ten children, all having died except three. His widow is now a resident of Plano.

December 11, 1881, William L. Campbell was united in marriage with Miss Catherine R. Rankin, daughter of Patrick M. Rankin, of East Tennessee. To them have been born five children, viz .: Robert E., born Septem-

ber 10, 1882; Emily J., May 14, 1884; Car- rie M., October 7, 1885; LaFayette R., June 26, 1887; Lney E., July 28, 1889, and Archi- bald Ray, born November 17, 1891. Lafay- ette R. died July 3, 1888.

Politically, Mr. Campbell is a Democrat, and believes in prohibition. IIe was a member of the Grange before that organization broke up here. The Campbell family are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

OHN W. HOPKINS, deceased, came to Dallas county, Texas, with bis parents, when he was abont eight years old and for many years he was an honored resident of this county.

Mr. Hopkins was born in Polk county, Missouri, November 16, 1839, son of John Hopkins. He was reared on a farm and re- sided with his mother until he reached his majority. October 28, 1869, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Hight. She was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, daughter of Robert A. and Martha (Jordon) Hight, natives of Tennessee, of French and Scotch-Irish ancestry. She came to this county in 1860. After their marriage they settled on a farm previously purchased by by Mr. Hopkins, or, rather, it was a part of the headright his mother had bought. He improved this place and was engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising until the time of his death. He left an estate consisting of 1,000 acres of improved land. Mrs. Hopkins now manages the property.

To our subject and his wife were born nine children, of whom six are still living, namely: Elvira, Lillie, David, Josie, Maggie and John. Robert died at the age of four years, William at the age of two years, and James

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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.

at the age of eighteen months. Mr. Hopkins departed this life on the 7th of June, 1887. He was a member of the A., F. & A. M., and was held in high estcem by all who knew him.

Mrs. Hopkins is a member of the Baptist Church.

A. GARY, brick contractor and builder, of Dallas, came to this city in 1886, engaging at his trade, and afterward formed a partnership with Mr. Abbott, under the firm name of Abbott & Gary. Among the principal buildings they erected are the Leachman building on Live Oak street, Central National Bank, police headquarters on Commerce street, a wholesale building on Main street, etc. The partner- ship was dissolved in July, 1890, and since then Mr. Gary has put np a three-story and basement building on the corner of Ervay and Marillo streets, a three-story building opposite the city park, a three-story building at the crossing of Ervay street and the Santa Fe rail- road, etc. On an average he employs seven skilled masons, besides the attendants.

Mr. Gary was born in West Virginia in 1856, the sixth of the thirteen children of D. R. and C. O. (Everhart) Gary, natives of the Old Dominion. His father was born in Richmond and mother at Harper's Ferry. Mr. D. R. Gary moved to West Virginia, commencing in life as a carpenter. For thirty years he was superintendent of construction of bridges and tunnels on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad from Wheeling to Cumber- land and from Grafton to Parkersburg, hav- ing 300 miles under his supervision. At length he retired from active business life, and he now lives in Columbus, Ohio; his wife also is still living. The subject of this sketch

was reared in West Virginia, learned his trade in Bloomington, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, serving an apprenticeship of four years. Next he followed his trade awhile at St. Paul and subsequently returned to Colum- bus, whence he came to Dallas.

He was first married in Wheeling, West Virginia, March 19, 1882, to Amnelia Hankey, a native of Virginia and a daughter of Charles and Amelia (Crumbacker) Hankey. Her father was born in Germany and her mother in Virginia, and they reside in Wheeling, where Mr. Hankey is a cigar manufacturer. Mrs. Gary died in Wheeling, in 1883, and Mr. Gary was again married, in Dallas, in 1889, to Clara Hilliard, a native of London, England, and a daughter of Edward Hilliard, now of Shreveport, Louisiana, and by this marriage there is one ehild, by name Nelie May.

Mr. Hilliard married Mrs. C. M. Packin- ham, who was born in England in 1841 and died in Dallas December 23, 1886, leaving ten children-seven sons and three daughters.

Mr. Gary is zealously interested in the welfare of his country, voting the Demoeratie ticket. As to the societies, he is a member of Joseph Dowdell Lodge, No. 144, K. of P., at Columbus, Ohio, and of Cœur de Lion Lodge, Uniformed Rank, K. of P., of Dallas.

ENNETH FOREE, Judge of the City Court of Dallas, was born in Henry county, Kentucky, in 1859, and is a son of Silas H. and Elizabeth (Kyle) Foree, honored citizens of Dallas county, whose his- tory will be found on another page of this volume. He received his literary education in Waco University, and having chosen the profession of law for his life work, he began

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its study under the direction of Judge Burke. He was admitted to the bar in 1887, and at once entered upon a successful practice. He has been a close student, and has evinced such an aptitude for legal work that he was the choice of the Democratic Convention in 1890 for City Judge. He was elected by a large plurality, and is the youngest man in north- ern Texas serving in this capacity. He has entered upon the discharge of his duties with an honesty of purpose and a strict im- partiality which thoroughly justify his selec- tion. He is quick to discern a legal point, prompt in ruling, and fearless in his adminis- tration of justice. He is one of the most promising young lawyers of Dallas, and his friends anticipate for him a bright and suc- eessful future. He is a member of the Knights Templar, and belongs to the Baptist Church.

A. WOODS, a farmer of Grapevine prairie, Dallas county, was born in Cole county, Missouri, April 17, 1839. a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Witten) Woods, the former a native of North Caro- lina and the latter of Virginia. The paternal grandfather, Archibald Woods, was born in Ireland, and came to America when a young man, settling first in North Carolina, where he married, and moved thence to Wayne county, Kentucky, where he subsequently died. Andrew Woods was reared mainly in Kentucky, and after his marriage he moved to Fayette county, Missouri, in 1830, settling where the town of Lexington now stands. He was a carpenter and cabinetmaker by trade, and erected the first house ever built in Lexington. He died in Cole county, Mis- souri, in 1841, at the age of forty-three years. Our subject's mother, nee Elizabeth Witten,

was born in Tazewell county, Virginia, a daughter of Samuel Witten. Her parents moved to Kentucky when she was twelve years of age, settling in Wayne connty, where she grew to womanhood. She was married in that State, and accompanied her husband to Missouri, in pioneer days, where she died, in Cole county, in 1853, at the age of fifty- two years. Her people were originally from Maryland, her parents, however, being Vir- ginians by birth, and were pioneers of Ken- tucky and Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Woods had five children: Mary, the wife of C. A. MeCarty, of Tarrant county; Emeline, who became the wife of Thomas Greenup and lived several years in Wise county, where she after- ward died, leaving a family; Margaret, for- merly Mrs. James A. Jenkins, died in Cole county, Missouri, several years ago; Archi- bald, our subject; and Andrew Macky Lu- cetta, the wife of Bryant Harrington, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native county, and when a young man, in October, 1857, he came to Texas, first stop- ping in Denton county. One year later he moved to Wise county, where he enlisted in the Confederate service, in February, 1862, in Company B, Fifteenth Texas Cavalry. He was actively engaged in the service until in January, 1863, when he was taken pris- oner at Arkansas Post, and after his exchange he went to New Mexico, where he entered the employ of the old Santa Fé Stage Line Company. Mr. Woods was in the employ of that company in New Mexico and the western plains of Texas until the close of the war, and after the surrender he returned to Wise county, where he gathered together what was left of his horses and cattle and traded them for a piece of land in that county. He subsequently traded this land for another tract in Tarrant

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county, which he afterward sold, and, mov- ing to Dallas county, purchased the place where he now lives, on Grapevine prairie, near the Tarrant county line. He first pur- chased 135 acres of prairie land, but he has since added to this tract until he now owns 520 acres, also eighty aeres of timber land in the same vicinity, and a farın of 120 acres in Denton county. In addition to his farming Mr. Woods buys considerable stock, which he fattens, keeping from ninety-five to 100 head on hand at all times, and sells when the market is favorable.

He was married December 17, 1884, to Mrs. Mary Gatewood, a daughter of J. F. Morris, of Denton county, Texas, and born in Moniteau county, Missouri. To this union has been born three children: Alexander, Isabella and Mary. Mrs. Woods had one child by her former marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Woods are members of the Christian Church, and the former has been a Mason since 1864 and is now a member of Estelle Lodge, No. 570.

ABRIEL A. KNIGHT was born in the county of Bedford, State of Tennessee, in 1842, and is a son of Obadiah and Martha Ann (Knight) Knight. The mother was not related to her husband's family. Obadiah Knight was a native of Virginia, and when a young man removed to Tennessee, where he engaged in agriculture, which he pur- sued until 1846. In that year he came to Dallas county, Texas, and settled in Precinct No. 1, within four miles of the village. He purchased 1,000 acres of land, which he placed under cultivation, and was the owner of slaves, although he was opposed to the principle of bartering in flesh and blood. He died April 1, 1868, at the age of sixty years. Mr.

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Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas, Part 64

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