USA > Texas > Dallas County > Memorial and biographical history of Dallas County, Texas > Part 83
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While in Van Zandt, or in 1871, he was married to Miss Lula Robinson, a 'native of Alabama, and the daughter of J. M. and Elizabeth (O'Hara) Robinson, natives of Alabama. In 1866 Mr. Robinson and family
moved to Van Zandt county, Texas, where he followed farming until his death in 1880. The mother died eight years later. Mr. and Mrs. Kearby are the parents of four children: Victor P., reading law at Van Zandt; Maud, Jay and Fay. Mr. Kearby takes quite an active interest in politics and votes independently. He endorsed the Greenback movement, and in 1888 was that party's candidate for Congress. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs. Kearby and children are members of the Congregational Church.
AMUEL HUNNICUTT, of Dallas county, was born five miles east of the city of Dallas, February 26, 1848, a son of William C. Hunnicutt, one of the early pioneers of the State. He is a native of Illinois, bnt came to Texas in 1846, where he bought and improved land on White Rock creek, and there resided until his death in September, 1868. Samuel was reared on this farm, spending most of his time raising stock. In the spring of 1863 he joined Colonel Burford's Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, Company B, and while in the service he was mostly engaged in detached duty. He was engaged in the raid down Red river when Colonel Banks was forced back into Louisiana, and the following spring he re- turned home and resnmed work on the farmn. Mr. Hunnicutt lived near where his father had settled until three years ago, when, on account of the advantages of school facilities, he bought property in Cedar Hill, where he is now one of the most important stock dealers of the county feeding and shipping several thousand head yearly. He shipped this season some of the best grades of cattle
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ever shipped from this section of the county. Ile has property in the city of Dallas and Oak Cliff, beside his home in Cedar 1Iill, and he has by fair dealings with his fellow- mnen won their confidence to that extent that his word is as good as liis bond.
Mr. Hunnicutt was married March 5, 1868, to Miss Fannie M., a daughter of Mil- ton Merrifield, a native of Kentucky, and an early settler of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Hunnicutt are the parents of five children: Nannie Lue, Jack, Julia, Fannie and Samnel.
AMES B. BRYAN, a farmer of Dallas connty, was born in Harrison county, Texas, September 28, 1844, a son of J. B. Bryan. The latter moved to Dallas county in 1846, and opened the first hotel in the then small village where the city of Dal- las now stands. He lived here eight years, and then went to California, where he died. He was a native of Tennessee, and a brother of John Neely Bryan, who built the first cabin where the city of Dallas now stands.
James B., our subject has made farming his principal occupation through life, and re- ceived his education in the common schools. He entered the Confederate service in Col- onel Lane's Regiment, Company A, in the spring of 1862, and was in active service until just before the close of the war, when he was discharged on account of his eyes. He was in the battle of Prairie Grove, also at Van Buren, Arkansas, and after his return home he resumed work on the farm. He has gained by his economical living and hard work a good home of 110 acres of fine land, which he has well improved, and also has · property in the city of Oak Cliff. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church Soutlı, at Cedar Hill, and by his upright dealings has won the confidence of all who know him.
Mr. Bryan was married August 18, 1870, to Miss Susan E., a daughter of Milton Mer- rifield, a native of Kentucky. By this union there are seven living children: John A., Effie L., Maggie L., Walter S., Arthur C., Susie E. and Samuel C.
B F. MITCHEL, 214 Houston street, Dallas, is a farmer of Dallas connty, and has been identified with its inter- ests since 1873.
Mr. Mitchel was born in Montgomery county, Alabama, November 16, 1833, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Mitchel, the former a native of Georgia. His grand- parents were of Irish ancestry, and settled in Alabama when his father was ten or twelve years old. The mother was born in South Carolina, but was reared in Alabama. B. F. Mitchel grew up on a farm and received his education in the common schools. He re- sided with his parents until he reached his majority, after which he worked at the car- penter's trade, building gin houses and presses and running-gears, etc., and was thus employed until he came to Texas. At the breaking out of the late war, he enlisted, in January, 1862, in Captain Glasco's Company, or Hillard's Legion, and was in East Tennes- see and Virginia, serving on signal duty one year. He participated in the battle of Peters- burg, Virginia, on the evening of June 17, 1864. At the close of the war he returned to Alabama and continued work at his trade. Coming to Texas in 1873, he located on a farm about five miles south of Dallas, and remained there until 1878. He was married, September 3, 1878, to Mrs. Alzadia ,Jackson,
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widow of J. R. Jackson, and danghter of Rich- ard Maulding. She was born in Texas and reared in this county. After his marriage, Mr. Mitche! lived in Wise county two years. Ile then purchased of the G. L. Lennard head- right seventy-five and three-fourth acres, and liere he has since been engaged in farm- ing. He and his wife are the parents of four children: Susan Maud, John Presley, James Jefferson and Frank. By her former mar- riage, Mrs. Mitchel has two children, Lava and Ollie May. She is a member of the Christian Church. In politics, Mr. Mitchel affiliates with the Democratic party.
W. HOUSTON .- This gentleman, a fariner and stock-raiser, residing in Precinct No. 5, Dallas county, Texas, postoffice Ka, was born in Madison county, Tennessee, July 6, 1831, a son of Martin P. and Eliza Drucila (Garnett) Houston. The Houston family were among the early set- tlers of North Carolina, and were of Irish ancestry, while the Garnetts were also of North Carolina, and were of Welsh descent. His parents were reared in North Carolina and there married. At an early day they re- moved to Tennessee where they passed the rest of their lives.
Mr. Houston grew up on the farm. He was the third-born in a family of nine chil- dren, and when he was twelve years old his father died. The father's death was followed soon afterward by that of the oldest son and daughter, thus leaving the care of the mother and younger children on him. February 8, 1853, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Jordan, a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of A. J. and Martha (Useny) Jordan, her people also having gone to Ten- nessee from North Carolina.
In 1856 Mr. Houston and his wife canie to Texas and located in Rusk county, where he followed farming until 1860. Then he re- moved to Wise county, this State, and until the war broke out was there engaged in the live-stock business. Moving his family back to Rusk county in the fall of 1861, he left them and entered the army. He enlisted in Company C, Colonel Norris's regiment, and served on the frontier of Texas, from the Red river to the Colorado. In 1863 they were reorganized into Colonel J. S. McCoy's regi- ment, and served on the frontier until the close of the war.
After the war Mr. Houston engaged in freighting from Rusk county to Shrevesport, Louisiana, until 1871, when he came to Dal- las county. He took up his abode here in June of that year, and for three years rented land, after which he purchased his present farm. His home place comprises 220 acres, and besides this he owns a farin of 100 acres, all improved land and in a high state of cul- tivation.
Mr. and Mrs. Houston are the parents of eleven children, all living, namely: Mary Laura, Salenia Jane, Amanda, Martha, James, Samnel, Henry W., Alice, Lyda, Bettie and Emma D. Mr. Houston is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Lancaster Lodge, No. 160, and also of the Chapter. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
ILLIS W. ROBERSON, a farmer of Dallas county, was born in Bienville parish, Lonisiana, September 14, 1852, a son of Lewis and Rachel (Andrews) Roberson. The father was a native of Ala- bama, but moved to Louisiana, where he died, September 28, 1862. The parents liad
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six children, viz .: Willis, our subject; Will- iam, a resident of Van Zandt county; Lu- cinda, who died when young; Nancy, wife of Jackson H. Creagle; and Green, also a resi- dent of Van Zandt county. After the death of the father the mother married James Darby, in May, 1869.
Willis W. lived with his mother until twenty years of age, after which he rented land three years, and later bought a farm of 175 acres of partly improved land. He now has this place under a good state of cultiva- tion, and also lias a good house and barns. He was a poor boy when he commenced life for himself, but he has attended strictly to business, and now he can truly say the wolf has been driven from the door.
Mr. Roberson was married in 1872, to Miss Georgia Florence, who was born December 17, 1855. (For history of Mrs. Roberson's family see sketch of D. Florence.) Mr. and Mrs. Roberson have had three children, viz .: David, born February 15, 1875; Julia, Octo- ber 29, 1878; and Ella, August 26, 1890. Both parents are members of the Baptist Church.
ANIEL TITTERINGTON, farmer and stock-raiser, 214 Houston street, Dallas, Texas, is one of the prominent citizens of Dallas county, and has been identified with its interests since July 19, 1859.
Mr. Titterington is a native of Kentucky, born in Christian county, May 28, 1828. His father, Adam Titterington, was born in Ireland, spent his early boyhood days in the north of England, and at the age of twelve years came to America, landing in the United States a stranger and alone. He went to the mountains of Pennsylvania and was employed in herding hogs, nsing his leisure moments
for study and thus obtaining a fair educa- tion; finally drifted into Kentucky, where he lived for many years teaching school and farming. He was married in Cumberland county, Kentucky, to Miss Catherine Smith, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier who fought under Washington, and who lived to be over 100 years old, dying in Kentucky. Her death occurred in 1837, and Mr. Titter- ington subsequently wedded her sister, wlio died in 1868. By his first wife he had eleven children, and by his second, two, the subject of our sketch being the fifth son and the ninth child, and being nine years old when his mother died. Adam Titterington died in 1856, aged seventy-three years.
Daniel was reared on the farm and edu- cated under the tutorship of his father. He remained at home until eighteen years of age, when he began to learn the wagon and carriage-making trade, and served one year. About this time the California gold fever broke out, and, like many another ambitious youth eager for adventure and wealth, he left his trade and crossed the plains to the new El Dorado of the West, making the journey with ox teams and landing in Sacramento September 15, 1852. He was successfully engaged in mining and lumbering there until 1858, when he returned East and the follow- ing year located in Dallas county, Texas. During the late war he enlisted in Company I, Thirtieth Texas Mounted Troops, and served in the Indian Nation and in Arkansas until the close of that sanguinary struggle, after which he returned to Dallas county and continued his stock-raising and agricultural pursuits. To his first purchase, 3413 acres, he has since added other lands and is now the owner of 1,301} acres.
Mr. Titterington was married in 1862 to Miss Catherine Bentley, a native of Danville,
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Kentucky, daughter of James M. and Amanda (Carpenter) Bentley, natives of Kentucky, who came to Texas in 1852. They are the parents of three children: George A., of Paris, Texas; Dr. James H., a graduate of Bellevue Medical College, New York; and Jesse B., Dallas.
Mr. Titterington is a self-made man. His present position of prominence and affluence is due to his own industry. He is a man of good judgment and sound business principles. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Tannehill Lodge, and of the Dallas Chapter. Mrs. Titterington is a member of the Chris- tian Church.
OSEPH O. RICKETTS .- The subject of this sketch has been identified with the interests of Dallas county, Texas, since 1847. A brief biography of him is as fol- lows:
Joseph O. Ricketts was born in Warren county, Kentucky, December 16, 1832, a son of Zedekiah and Margaret (Dews) Rieketts. His father was born and reared in Maryland, and in Virginia was married, Mrs. Ricketts being a native of the latter State. After his marriage he moved to Kentucky, where he engaged in farming, continuing there until 1847, when he came to Texas, landing in Dallas county on the 5th of April. He came to Shreveport, Louisiana, by water, thence to Dallas by wagon. He located a headright ten miles south of Dallas, improved the prop- erty and lived there until June 10, 1856, when his death occurred, at the age of sixty- three years. His wife died in 1878, aged eighty-two. They reared a family of eight children, three of whom still survive. This worthy conple were members of the Chris-
tian Church, and were held in high esteem in the community where they resided.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and received his education in the sub- scription sehools. He was fifteen years old when the family came to Texas. Here he assisted in improving their frontier farm, and continued to reside on the old homestead until after his mother's death. He was married September 27, 1876, to Miss Mary Ann Hustead, who was born in Clark county, Illinois, a daugliter of Harrison and Pru- dence (Bartlett) Hustead. Her parents were natives of West Virginia. They went from there to Illinois, where they lived several years, and in 1845 came to Texas and settled on Duck creek, in Dallas county, having a homestead of 640 acres. Mr. Hnstead after- ward moved to the vieinity of Lisbon, and here spent the rest of his days, and died in 1852. After his marriage, Mr. Ricketts took his bride to the old homestead and lived there until 1884. That year he purchased his present property, twenty acres, where he has one of the most beautiful and attractive homes in the county. He is a member and an Elder in the Christian Church, and his wife is a Baptist.
During the war Mr. Ricketts was in the Thirty-first Cavalry and served in Arkansas and Louisiana, participating in the battles of Prairie Grove, Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, and serving until hostilities ccased.
W. WINTERS has been identified with the interests of Dallas county since 1867. He is a native of Tennessee, born near Nashville, August 6, 1816, a son of Moses and Elizabeth (Pool) Winters. His father was a native of Tennessee and served
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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
as a soldier under General Jackson in the war of 1812. His grandfather Winters was born in England and was probably married in France, as his wife was a native of that country, and they came to this country pre- vious to the Revolutionary war, settling in Tennessee. The mother of our subjeet was a native of Georgia. Her father, Ephraim Pool, a Baptist minister, was a pioneer of Tennessee and a Revolutionary soldier. He was wounded in that war.
When L. W. Winters was eleven years old the family moved to Illinois and located in St. Clair county. After living there four years they moved to Missouri, moving in 1832 and on the day that General Jackson was elected President. They settled in what was then Greene county, and there the father continued his farming operations. In their family were eleven children. L. W. was the fifth born and is the only surviving member. The father died in Missouri, at the age of sixty-six years, and the mother at about the age of sixty.
His father, a farmer, Mr. Winters was reared in the rural districts of Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri, and he resided with his parents nntil he was twenty-five years old. He was married in 1840, to Miss Emily Campbell, a native of Vermilion county, In- diana. She went to Missouri with her brother- in-law. By this union nine children were born, six lived to be grown and three still survive. Their names are as follows: Will- iam G .; Elizabeth S., deceased; Emily, de- eeased; Steven L., who was killed in the army; Fanny, Thomas L .; Lonis, deceased; Joshua, deceased; and Stephen Campbell. In 1868 Mr. Winters eame to Texas and settled near Lisbon, where he engaged in farming. His wife died in 1871. In Jan- uary, 1873, he married Zebie Ann Mellenry.
Her maiden name was Jackson and she is a daughter of Jerry and Susan (Rice) Jackson. She came to Dallas county in 1861. By her former marriage she had five children, only one of whom is now living: Sidney MeHenry.
Mr. Winters owns 150 aeres of land in Dallas county and eighty aeres in Eastland county, this State. His home is near Oak Cliff, and he is regarded as one of the sue- cessful farmers and stock-raisers of his vi- einity. Politieally, he is a Demoerat. Mrs. Winters is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.
OHIN SIMPSON, a farmer and stock- raiser of Dallas county, postoffice Lis- bon, is a native of Ireland. He was born in county Meath, Angust 6, 1822, son of William and Jane (Shackleton) Simpson. When he was sixteen years old his father died, and three years later his mother passed away. The homestead in Ireland has been for many generations, and is to-day ocenpied by the Simpson family. After the death of his parents, the subject of our sketeh settled on one of the farms that his father had rented and remained on it until he emigrated to America in the fall of 1849.
In March, 1849, Mr. Simpson was married to Miss Margaret Ann Cox, a native of county Monaghan, Ireland, and a daughter of Will- iam and Sally (Young) Cox. Their voyage to New York comprised forty-five days, and from there they went directly West to Mar- quette county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Simp- son entered a traet of Government land. He improved that property and resided there un- til 1858, the year he came to Dallas county, Texas. Ilere he purchased a partially im-
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proved farm of 340 acres, which he continued to improve and from time to time added to until he had a landed estate of 1,600 acres. His beautiful and attractive home, surrounded with shade and ornainental trees, is situated eight miles south of Dallas.
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have had seven chil- dren, viz .: Sally Jane, wife of John Gillis- pey, of Johnson county, Texas; William, who died October 27, 1886, at the age of thirty- five years; Robert Y., John, Margaret Ann, Ellen and Joseph.
B
0 M. BRADFORD, Postmaster of Mc- Nairy, Dallas county, Texas, has been a resident of this county since March, 1860. For many years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, but is now retired from the active duties of farm life.
Mr. Bradford dates his birth in Bedford county, Tennessee, February 26, 1815. His father, Theodrick F. Bradford, was born in Virginia, of English ancestry and a deseend- ant of Governor Bradford who came to this country with the Pilgrims. His mother was a native of Tennessee, her ancestors having been residents of South Carolina.
Reared on the farin and educated in the subscription schools of the period, Mr. Brad- ford remained with his parents until he was twenty-three years of age. He was married April 3, 1838, to Miss Charlotte Jones, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, January 31, 1819, daughter of Charles Jones by his marriage with a Miss Lucus, people of Eng- lish descent. He soon afterward moved to Chariton county, Missouri, where he was en- gaged in farming for some years, subse- quently moving to St. Louis, where for ten years he acted as deputy sheriff. In the
spring of 1860 he came to Texas and settled in Dallas county; first rented a farm and afterward purchased land of William Coom bes -one of the oldest places in the county. He bought forty acres, which he has divided into town lots. Six children were born to them, all of whom are deceased. His wife died August 22, 1879. For his second companion he chose Miss Nellie Luella Druse, whom he wedded Jannary 24, 1888. She is a native of McHenry county, Illinois, and came to Texas in February, 1886. Her parents, Druse and Antonnett (Bowen) Drnse, were natives of New York and of French ancestry.
Mr. Bradford's war record is a remarkable one. He enlisted in the Quartermaster's de- partment, under General Price, and served all through the war. For four years he neither slept a night in a house nor ate a meal in a house, and during that time did not take a dose of medicine. He has always enjoyed the best of health and is yet a strong and vigorous man. He received his appointment as Postmaster under President Cleveland's administration.
W. SCRIPTURE was born in Norfolk, Virginia, August 7, 1843, oldest son and child of Charles B. and Elizabeth F. (Wright) Scripture, His father was a native of New Hampshire, as also was his grandfather, they being of English descent. His mother was born in Norfolk, Virginia, . daughter of William Wright, a sea captain who followed the sea all his life. Her brother, William Wright, was also a sailor, and while on a voyage in a sailing vessel the crew ran out of provisions. The sailors drew lots to see who should give up his life to sustain that of the others. The lot fell to Mr. Wright. His life was sacrificed,
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HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
and on the following day a ship came in sight. At the age of eighteen years, Charles B. Scripture went to Virginia and engaged in the mercantile business. He was there mar- ried, October 3, 1842, to the above named lady and in 1844 emigrated to Missouri. At Arrow Rock, Saline county, Missouri, he engaged in the wagon and carriage manufact- ure, supplying emigrants with wagons with which to cross the plains. He followed this business until 1855, when he moved to Howard county and turned his attention to the lumber business, continuing it until 1860. In 1862 the Federal sokliers burned his mill and lumber and surrounding buildings, con- sisting of a flouring mill, blacksmith shop, etc., to the amount cf $15,000. In 1864 he was forced to leave that part of the country and returned to his former home in Saline county.
In 1867 Mr. Scripture came to Texas and located in Kaufman county. His coming here at that time was for the benefit of his health. In 1872 the family came to Dallas and engaged in the hotel business, running what was then known as the City Hotel, now the St. Charles Hotel. The parents died in Dallas, the mother, September 18. 1880, at the age of sixty-three, and the father, Sep- tember 15, 1883, aged sixty-six. Of their eleven children, six grew to adult age, four of them are in Texas and one is still in Missouri. Mrs. Scripture was a member of the Episco- pal Church. A. W. Scripture was only a year old when his parents mnoved to Missouri, where he was reared, assisting his father in his business, and receiving his education in the subscription schools. He remained with his parents until the breaking out of the late war, when in June, 1861, he enlisted as a inember of William Brown's Company, the first cavalry regiment organized in Missouri,
subsequently known as Colonel William Brown's regiment. He participated in many important engagements and served faithfully until the close of the war, being surrendered at Shreveport, Louisiana, May 26, 1865. After the war he returned to his home in Saline county, Missouri, and engaged in work at the carpenter trade, following that until 1869, when he turned his attention to farming.
He was married, April 27, 1869, to Miss Melinda Jackson, a daughter of Thomas and Polly Ann (Marshall) Jackson. She was born in Missouri and her parents were natives of Kentucky. By this union one child was born, Clara. In 1873 Mr. Scripture came to Dallas county and purchased an unimproved farm of seventy-two acres of timber land, located four miles east of Dallas. This he cleared and on it resided until 1885, when he moved to Taylor county and purchased 1,096 acres of wild land. He improved the property and was extensively engaged in the stock business there for three years, after which he returned to Dallas county. He, however, still owns that land. After coming back to Dallas county he bought his present home property, which consists of twenty acres, and here he is engaged in the dairy business. He keeps forty cows and dis- poses of his product in Dallas.
Mrs. Scripture died March 8, 1872, and in 1873 he was united in marriage with Miss Melissa Jane Moore, a native of Saline county, Missouri, and a daughter of William and Caroline (Chapple) Moore, who were among the first settlers of Saline county and were of German ancestry. By his second marriage Mr. Scripture had one child. Orrin, who died at the age of ten years.
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