New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 107

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1416

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661

MEN OF TEXAS

D R. GEORGE W. COLLIER, for two decades a leader in the agricultural development of South Texas, has directed his efforts toward the improvement and furthering of the rice raising industry and by his highly successful efforts has become a figure of statewide prominence. Dr. Collier directs his great business interests from Houston, which city has been his home and business headquarters since 1913. The Old River Company, Incorporated, of which Dr. Collier is president, was established in 1902 and operates one of the largest acreages devoted to rice raising in the state and one of the largest irrigation plants in Texas. The plantation of the Old River Company, at Mont Bel- vieu, includes the cultivation of fourteen thousand acres owned by the company, the irrigation plant covering forty thousand acres. This industry fur- nishes employment to a force of five hundred la- borers and is devoted exclusively to rice raising. D. C. Collier is vice president of the Old River Com- pany, Dr. A. R. Shearer, secretary and R. W. Ford, treasurer.

Dr. Collier also has interests in other enterprises directly connected with the rice raising industry and is vice president of the Pritchard Rice Milling Com- pany. For many years before coming to Houston he was active in rice growing, with its correlated irri- gation problems, and his name may also be found in the Gulf Coast oil history. At one time he and his associates owned six hundred and forty acres in the heart of the Saratoga field. He still owns valuable oil lands that will some day be developed. Dr. Col- lier was for twenty-eight years one of the leading dentists at Beaumont, and while in that city was president of the Texas Bank and Trust Company of Beaumont. He was also a member of the Twenty- fifth State Legislature, in 1897, impressing his in- fluence on much of the important legislation enacted during that time.

Dr. Collier was born in Tyler County, Texas, the eighth of December, 1860, son of Captain James G. Collier, one of the pioneers of that county and for- merly a large land owner there, and Elizabeth Wynne (Stewart) Collier. Captain Collier came to Texas in 1850 and died in 1896 at the age of 85 years. He served as a captain in the Indian wars in Florida and in the Civil War on the Confederate side. He was a member of the Texas Legislature, 1856-1857. He was a civil engineer by profession but farmed most of his life in Texas. Those who knew him say he was a man of highest character, unselfish to a fault and of a lovable disposition. His vision was unusual and most of his predictions as to the future greatness of Texas has come true. As early as 1876 he discovered several of the Gulf Coast oil fields and even then realized the future value of the Texas timber stand, but he was more interested in living the kind of life he liked than in making money.

The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools at Tyler, graduating from the high school, after which he entered the dental college at Atlanta, Georgia, for his dental course, taking his degree there two years later.

Dr. Collier was married in Hardin County, in 1895, to Miss Margaret Salter, daughter of Dugal Salter, pioneer lumberman, and Margaret McMillan Salter. Dr. Collier makes his home in Houston, living at

the Warrington Apartments. He has two sons, D. K. Collier and H. W. Collier, both of whom are prom- inent in the business world and Masons. D. K. Col- lier is in business with his father while H. W. Col- lier is vice president of the Willis Knight Sales Company. Dr. Collier is a York Rite Mason and a member of Elmira Shrine, Galveston.

E ROY C. TOWLES, senior partner of Towles and Taussig, cotton brokers, while still a young man, has had a wide exper- ience in the cotton business, which began in his father's cotton office in Houston when he was a high school student. Towles and Taussig are brokers of cotton and handle approximately 300,000 bales annually as brokers. Their office is located in the Cotton Exchange Building. The other member of the firm, E. H. Taussig, a native of St. Louis, came to Houston in 1915 and was engaged in the cotton business with the old firm, Inman, Nelms and Company until 1920 when the present firm was or- ganized. During his ten years experience in the cotton business, he has become an authority on the buying and selling of cotton. He was married in May, 1923, to Miss Renza, a native of Natchez, Mis- sissippi. He is the son of J. E. Taussig, president of the Wabash Lines, with headquarters in St. Louis. Mr. and Mrs. Taussig make their home at the Savoy Apartments and attend the Episcopal Church. Mr. Taussig is a member of the Houston Country Club, the Houston Club, the Houston Cotton Exchange and the Texas Cotton Association.

A native Texan, Mr. Towles was born in Houston, April 7th, 1888. His father, Churchill Towles, came to Texas from Virginia in 1869, and in 1871 came to Houston and started in the cotton business, which was among the first of its kind to be opened here. He was a veteran of the Civil War, and was a mem- ber of the old Houston Exchange. Mr. Towles' mother was Miss Mary T. Alden, a native of In- diana who came to Texas in 1875. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Houston, and his first cotton experience was gained in his father's office at Houston while attending school. After leaving high school, he was employed by Felix P. Bath for one year as a buyer, after which he was associated with various firms, and has had an experience of sixteen years in the cotton business, buying, classing, brokerage, shipping, etc., and is considered one of the best posted men on cot- ton in the city.

Mr. Towles was married at Port Lavaca, Texas, March 15th, 1911, to Miss Lillian Lawrence, a na- tive of the Lone Star State and a daughter of C. A. Lawrence, owner of all the amusements and conces- sions at the Port Lavaca resort and a member of one of Texas' oldest families. They have two chil- dren, Lawrence and Le Roy C. Towles, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Towles reside at 505 West Main Street. In fra- ternal and social organizations, Mr. Towles is a member of the B. P. O. E., Houston Country Club and the Glenbrook Country Club. He is a mem- ber of the Houston Cotton Exchange and takes an active interest in the workings of this organiza- tion. He is also a member of the Texas Cotton Association. He is a consistent member of the Epis- copal Church. Mr. Towles has great faith in the future of Houston and believes that the city has just laid the foundation for the growth of the port and the city.

662

Gro Ht. Collier .

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

W. HORLOCK has spent a life time in the ice business and in point of continuous service is one of the oldest ice men in the State today. Mr. Horlock came to Houston in 1920 and is the owner of the South End Ice Com- pany, located at 1501-1531 West Webster Street.

The big new plant of the South End Ice Company, comprising an entire city block in area, was com- pleted and began operation early in 1923. It is the most thoroughly modern ice plant in Houston and is equipped with the latest and most highly im- proved machinery for the manufacture of ice. The first unit of the plant has a daily capacity of fifty tons and is located in a modern brick and concrete building sixty-three by eighty-six feet in size. Work on a large cold storage plant was commenced in the summer of 1923 and will be completed and in opera- tion in a few months.

Besides the manufacture of ice the South End Ice Company maintains a complete organization for wholesale and retail distribution of its product. A large fleet of delivery trucks serves the retail con- sumers and considerable quantities of ice is shipped to various towns of South Texas.

Mr. Horlock is a native of Texas and was born at Navasota, in 1873, son of R. A. and Ella Lyon Hor- lock. He attended the public schools and high school at Navasota and then engaged in business with his father, who has operated an oil mill at Navasota since 1872. In 1886 his father established an ice plant and becoming associated with his father im- mediately after finishing high school Mr. Horlock learned the details of the manufacture and distribu- tion of ice from the ground up.

In 1906 Mr. Horlock associated himself with Mr. Hugh Hamilton of the Houston Ice and Brewing Company and remained with him until his death in 1922. They operated electric light plants in San Benito, Harlingen, Somerville, Bryan, Mexia, Teague, Groesbeck, with transmission lines to Thornton, Wortham and Cooledge. In addition they had ice plants at Bryan and Groesbeck. Since Mr. Hamil- tons' death the above properties have been sold by Mr. Horlock.

His years of experience has enabled him to take advantage of every saving possible in the manufac- turing department and by giving the business his personal attention he has achieved an exceptional degree of success.

In 1893 Mr. Horlock was married at Navasota to Miss Eula Knox, daughter of T. J. and Elizabeth Knox. They have four children, Frank, Robert, Vera, now Mrs. Carl Eckhardt, and Sue Ella.

Mr. Horlock is a stickler for the very best in qual- ity and service and probably works harder than any man employed by his company. When he came to Houston it was with the determination to give to the people of this city the best and purest ice pos- sible at the lowest price consistent with good busi- ness principles and in this he has abundantly suc- ceeded. While one of the youngest ice companies in the city, his establishment already ranks, in volume of business, with most of the older companies. That this is so is indicated by the fact that in order to supply the demand for Mr. Horlock's product it has been necessary to double the capacity of the plant. A unique feature of the new plant is the addition of a large cooling tower.

While devoting almost his entire time to his busi-

ness, Mr. Horlock maintains an active interest in many of the civic activities of the city. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Rotary Club.

EE LA FERNEY, while still a young man, has become well known in the oil industry and occupies an important position with one of the largest independent companies in Houston. He has practically grown up in the oil business, having spent most of his business career in this line of work.

Mr. La Ferney is secretary of the Crown Oil and Refining Company, and superintendent of its re- fining plant that was erected in 1919, actual opera- tions beginning early in 1920. The plant is located at Pasadena and occupies a tract of land comprising seventy-five acres located in the heart of the ship channel industrial district and has a frontage of twelve hundred feet on the ship channel. Modern docks are provided for loading and unloading tank steamers carrying cargoes of crude and fuel oil and other petroleum products and the plant is complete and modern in every detail with a daily capacity of three thousand barrels of crude. A total of one hun- dred and twenty-five employees are engaged in the manufacture of lubricating oil, gas oil, fuel oil and other by-products of coastal crude, which is used exclusively in the Houston plant of the Crown Oil and Refining Company. A large tank farm located a mile from the refinery provides eight hundred thousand barrels of storage with a pipe line running to the plant. The company has an exceptionally large export trade, and supplies fuel oil for many ships touching at the port of Houston. The other officers of the company are: Jesse Stickel, president, and F. C. Clark, vice president and treasurer.

Mr. La Ferney is a native of Missouri and was born at New Madrid on August 1, 1889. He is a son of Louis and Julia La Ferney and received his edu- cation in the public schools and high school at New Madrid and at a commercial college where he special- ized in accounting. His father is a well known far- mer and land owner at New Madrid and has resided there for many years.

After completing his studies, Mr. La Ferney was employed as an accountant in the auditing depart- ment of the board of equalization at Saint Louis, Missouri, for several years and was also connected with other large institutions there in a similar ca- pacity. In 1909 he came to Texas and was asso- ciated with the Pierce Oil Corporation at Texas City for twelve years. In 1920 he came to Houston and became identified with the Crown Oil and Re- fining Company and in the same year was made superintendent of the Houston plant, later becom- ing secretary also.

Mr. La Ferney has had many years experience in the refining business and is thoroughly posted in every detail of the operation of a modern refinery. He has also been thoroughly trained as an account- ant and is an expert in this line of work, which en- ables him to determine the actual cost of every de- tail of operations, an indispensable requisite of suc- cessful refinery operation.

Mr. La Ferney has won the respect and confidence of men many years his senior and his future is as- sured in the refining industry. He is a consistant booster for Houston and predicts that the city will become the greatest oil center of the Southwest.

665

MEN OF TEXAS

ENRY HARRISON FORD, better known to his friends as Harry Ford, has been for many years a resident of Houston and a factor in commercial and civic activities here as well as an authority on questions concerning the hay industry of more than local prominence. Mr. Ford has been more than a decade a wholesale hay dealer, handling prairie hay exclusively, and has built up an extensive trade in this commodity. He sells in car load lots only, and supplies many large industrial concerns, such as the Freeport Sulphur Company, a large user of hay in connection with the mining of sulphur, as well as selling to the commer- cial dealer and to the United States government. Mr. Ford has become well known as an expert in all matters pertaining to the hay business and is tho- roughly conversant with every phase of this great industry. He has perhaps done more for the de- velopment of the hay resources of the Lone Star State, especially in South Texas, than any man in the state.

Mr. Ford was also for a number of years active in the oil business, first with the Mound Oil Company, as manager and it was largely through his efforts, aided by his father, that the first well was drilled at Hoskins Mound. Following this he was inter- ested in drilling some twenty-five or thirty wells in Brazoria County, and while drilling these wells dis- covered the sulphur in Brazoria County, the mining of which is now one of the leading industries there. After more than a decade spent in developing the oil resources of the state he became interested in the hay industry, and has since been active in this line.

Henry Harrison Ford was born at Jasper, Texas, the sixth of June, 1881, son of T. W. and Mary Ford, his father, a prominent attorney of Houston until his recent retirement. Mr. Ford began his education in the public schools of Jasper, later, when the fam- ily removed to Houston, in 1890, attending the Hous- ton public schools. After graduating from the Hous- ton high school he attended the University of Texas for two years, at the expiration of which he began his active business career,

Mr. Ford was married at Alvin, Texas, in 1915, to Miss Natalia Wellborn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Wellborn, formerly residents of Temple, Tex- as, but now retired and living at Alvin. Mr. and Mrs. Ford live at 705 Hathaway Avenue, and have three children, Henry H. Ford, Jr., Kenneth B. and Frank Goss Ford. Mr. Ford is a member of the First Meth- odist Church, and takes an active part in Church and Sunday School work as president of the Men's Bible Class. He is a director of the Dispatch Publishing Company and The Mound Company, owners of sul- phur and oil land in Brazoria County, was formerly general manager and treasurer of the Texas Hay Association, and fraternally is a Mason, both York and Scottish Rites and is a member of Arabia Tem- ple Shrine. He is also a member of the Rotary Club, the Houston Club and the River Oaks Country Club. Mr. Ford is the type of business man whose influence in the community is beneficial, and he is a firm believer in the future of his city. His activi- ties in the hay industry have made him known throughout the state and he has many friends, both in Houston and elsewhere.

K. SAUNDERS has since 1919 been an ac- tive figure in the business and manufactur- ing circles of Houston, Texas, where he is the executive head of one of the most important plants of its kind in this part of the State. As President of the Southwest Furniture and Manufacturing Company, Inc., he has had much to do with the success of this organization. The Southwest Furniture and Manufacturing Company, Inc., the plant of which is located at 6300 Harris- burg Boulevard, are manufacturers of bed springs, coil springs, metal coat hangers, mattresses, auto- mobile seats and kindred merchandise. The main offices are located at Commerce and Hamilton Streets. The manufacturing plant occupies about ten thousand square feet of floor space and an average of eighteen experienced people are em- ployed there. The company has a modern, fire- proof building, three stories in height, covering about forty-five thousand square feet of floor space, at 1901 Commerce. This building is new and up- to-date in every particular, built for this firm and their offices; display rooms and warehouse facili- ties are of the very latest in efficiency for the han- dling of their large stocks of merchandise. The territory covered by this firm consists of all of South Texas and Western Louisiana. Mr. C. D. Miller, well known in the business circles of South Texas, is the Secretary of the Southwest Furniture and Manufacturing Company, Inc.

A native Texan, Mr. Saunders was born at Gal- veston on September 11th, 1886. His father, J. H. Saunders, was a native of Louisiana, where he was a member of a well known family. His mother, Mrs. Ann (Blair) Saunders, was a member of a prominent family of the State of Mississippi. His early education was obtained in the schools of Gal- veston, after which he became a student of the Uni- versity of Missouri. After leaving college, Mr. Saunders studied law, was admitted to the bar and practiced this profession for a period of three years. He later became associated with the Royal Indem- nity Company in their Texas office and a few years later was promoted by this company and went to their New York office. He remained with this or- ganization until he entered the World War. In 1916 he enlisted in the French army, remaining with this branch of the service until June 16th, 1917, when he entered the United States army, and remained until May, 1919, when he was discharged and re- turned to Texas, becoming associated with the pres- ent organization during that year.

Mr. Saunders was married at Waco, Texas, on May 20th, 1919, to Miss Mabel Chambers, a daugh- ter of John Chambers (now deceased), and her mother, now Mrs. Tom Padgett of Waco, was a member of a pioneer Texas family. They have one child-Mary Frances. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders re- side at 111 Branard Street. Mr. Saunders is a member of the A. F. and A. M., is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, with member- ship in Arabia Temple Shrine of Houston. He is also a member of the Houston Country Club, the University Club and many other of the city's social, civic and commercial organizations. He believes Houston is destined to become the greatest city of the Southwest.

666

ford

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

AMES H. B. HOUSE. Ambition and deter- mination, coupled with strict attention to business and devotion to duty are the char- acteristics which have marked the success- ful business career of James H. B. House, of Hous- ton, Texas. He is Water Commissioner of this city, by which he is held in high esteem for his work covering a period of four years. Mr. House was first elected to this office in 1920 and in 1922 was re-elected, and during his regime in this office many changes have taken place in this important city de- partment for the good of the entire citizenship. All the water supply for Houston is now obtained from deep wells, no surface water being used. Five large pumping plants, includin1/4 one colossal central plant, are constantly in use to supply the city with good water, and during the summer months the amount used per day is about 17,000,000 gallons. Twenty- four thousand meters have been installed in the city and Mr. House has eighty-five employees in his present departmental work who read meters and mail bills ot the users, and at present the entire city is piped with water. It is said by experts that the Houston water works system is among the best and most complete to be found in the entire coun- try, and the pressure even in emergencies has al- ways been found to be adequate. The House name is inseparably interwoven with the various municipal improvements of the city, and Mr. House is no ex- ception to the rule of the family in this particular.

Houston is the city of Mr. House's birth, which occurred November 9, 1879, and he is a member of one of the oldest, most highly respected, and pro- gressive families of this city and State. His grand- father, T. W. House, Sr., came to Houston in 1837, where he continued to reside until his death in 1880, and during this period has been threaded through the history of this city the sheen of accomplish- ments, financial, industrial, charitable and educa- tional that are accredited to the members of the House family. Mr. House's father, T. W. House, Jr., also a native of Houston, was born in this city on February 2, 1846, and died in August, 1923. He attended the private schools of Houston and when sixteen years of age was sent to England to finish his education. In his business activities Mr. House repeated the successes of his father, and later he purchased the interest of his brothers in the bank founded by his father, T. W. House, Sr., and de- voted his entire time to this bank until it became one of the largest financial institutions in the State. During the panic in 1907, the bank failed, after which Mr. House devoted the remainder of his life's activities to the raising of sugar cane on his plan- tation at Arcola, Texas. During the Wilson adminis- tration he was Postmaster at Houston. His wife was Miss Ruth Nicholson, of Bastrop, Texas, a member of a prominent Texas family, but of English paren- tage. Col. E. M. House, of New York and Washing- ton, one of the most prominent citizens of the United States, is an Uncle of the subject of this sketch. Mr. James H. B. House's early education was ob- tained in the private schools of Houston, after which he attended Webb School for Boys, at Bell Buckle, near Nashville, Tennessee. He later became a stu- dent at Princeton University and graduated from this college in the class of 1902 with the B. A. de- gree, after which he returned to Houston and en- tered his father's private banking establishment,

known as the T. W. House Bank. He started at the very bottom of this institution, but before entering the service as a regular employe, he had worked at the bank during spare hours while attending school and during vacation periods. He worked in the different departments, and was later made As- sistant Cashier, holding this position up to the time of the failure of the bank in 1907, when he found himself without money or position. With persever- ance, which has ever been a dominant feature of Mr. House's character, with a host of friends added to this, he started his business life anew. He was appointed Receiver by the Court for the Aqua Pura Bottling Company, and later became Manager for this company. He remained in this position for two years, and then with his brother, T. W. House, Jr., engaged in the real estate and fire insurance busi- ness, and continued in this line of activity until he was elected to the office of Water Commissioner of the city of Houston in 1920. Before the failure of the T. W. House Bank, Mr. House was connected as officer and director of many of the largest finan- cial institutions in the city.

Mr. House was married at Sherman, Texas, in April, 1904, to Miss Ethel Cook, a daughter of George Cook, well known in the business circles of North Texas. Mr. and Mrs. House reside at 811 Richmond Street. Mr. House is very active in the B. P. O. E., being a Trustee of this organization, and Past Exalted Ruler.

ALBERT HAMBURGER, pioneer resident of Houston, and veteran laundry owner of this city, has been identified with this im- portant industry for more than a quarter of a century, taking part in all public spirited move- ments and in the development of the laundry indus- try. Mr. Hamburger is secretary and treasurer of the Model Laundry Company, established at Houston in 1896 as a partnership, with Mr. Ham- burger and Gus Dreyling as proprietors. In 1912 this business was incorporated with Mr. Dreyling as president, Mr. Fox as vice president, J. W. Lock- ett, second vice president, and Mr. Hamburger as secretary and treasurer. Mr. Fox and Mr. Lockett own one share each. Mr. Hamburger, with Mr. Dreyling, built up this industry, from a small be- ginning, until now the Model Laundry ranks as one of the largest in the state, occupying a modern, three-story and basement plant at 602 Prairie Ave- nue, with eighty-two by one hundred and fifty feet of floor space on each floor. They employ from one hundred and fifty-five to one hundred and sixty- five employees at all times and run twenty-three delivery routes in Houston, operating twenty-six cars. The Model Laundry is equipped throughout with the latest type of power machinery, and uses much special equipment, giving a number of sepa- rate services to the housewife. Each of these serv- ices, designed to meet a special need, meets with the approval of the customers, and has a large patronage.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 107

Author: Davis, Ellis A. Publication date: 1926 Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?] Number of Pages: 1416

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1416