New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 128

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

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Mr. Foley was married in Houston to Miss Annie Smith, a native of Michigan, but reared in Texas. They had two children, Pat Henry Foley and Mary Virginia. Mr. Foley's unusual foresight and judg- ment, coupled with industry, enabled him to amass a comfortable fortune consisting of farm lands in Harris County and business and apartment build- ings in Houston. During the World War he served on the War Board for one year, checking World War slackers. He was a member of the Houston Elks, Lodge No. 151; fourth degree Knights of Columbus, Houston Turnverein, and a charter mem- ber of the Houston Country Club. Mr. Foley saw Houston grow from a small town to a busy, thriv- ing city, and he was always prominently identified with all movements tending to promote the growth and importance of Houston and had an abiding faith in the future of his city.

BE M. LEVY, Merchant Prince of Houston, whose rise and success in the business world to the presiding genius of a mercantile es- tablishment that is the largest in the South and employs four hundred people, reads like romance. This great establishment was founded back in the uncertain business days of 1887 by Abe M. Levy and Leo Levy. A small stock of goods was purchased from an owner who had been in the habit of selling principally to peddlers, and the store was located at the corner of Main Street and Congress Avenue. On the morning of the opening of this establishment, after the purchase price had been paid, Abe Levy said, "Some day I'll be the greatest dry goods mer- chant in this town." That determination has never flagged. The ambition has long since been realized.

The two brothers were soon joined in the business by Hyman Levy, a younger brother. On June 15, 1891, exactly four years to a day after the business was started, death claimed Leo Levy, one of the founders. Shortly afterward, Haskell Levy came into the firm which continued its growth, and after six years the business outgrew the old location, and they leased and moved into the building now occu- pied by Foley Brothers. At this junction, Joe Levy, who had been connected with the Kiam establish- ment, joined the firm and the four brothers, Abe, Hyman, Haskell and Joe, constituted the firm of Levy Brothers for a number of years. In 1899 the firm purchased fifty-four feet on Main Street, pay- ing $1,000 a front foot, the highest price ever paid for Houston property up to that time. They erected a three-story white brick building on the fifty-four feet purchased. Incidently with the new building, a new member came into the firm in the person of Joseph Goldman, a brother-in-law. Shortly after Mr. Goldman entered the firm, he was followed by Ike Levy, the oldest of the six brothers, who sold his dry goods business in Waco to come with the firm. In August, 1900, the stock was moved to the new building on the present site, but hardly had it been occupied before it was obvious that more room was needed. In 1904, a four-story annex was erected, and it was only a short time until it was again necessary to expand; this time spreading out into two upper floors of the building adjoining on either side. In March, 1906, Joe Levy was called by the Grim Reaper, just as the firm was on the eve of incorporation. In July, 1906, the firm was incorporated under the present name of Levy Brothers Dry Goods Company, with a capi- tal stock of $300,000.00. A portion of this stock was allotted to faithful and trusted employees. Levy Brothers Dry Goods Company being the first insti- tution of its kind in the South and one of the first in the entire country to take employees into the firm on a co-operative basis. About three years after the original corporation, the capital was increased to $400,000.00 in order that some of the employees might be issued additional stock. On the eve of an- other expansion of the store, Hyman Levy met with an accident which culminated in his death on July 4, 1909, and plans were laid aside. In 1911, a space fifty by one hundred feet was secured fronting on Congress Avenue, and adjoining the main building at the rear, and on this site a fine three-story mod- ern structure was erected as an addition to the store, and at the same time the main establishment was remodeled throughout, making this institution abso- lutely modern in every particular.

A native Texan, Mr. Levy was born in Houston in 1859. His father, M. H. Levy, was among the pio- neer settlers of Texas, coming to Texas in the early 50's, and was a pioneer dry goods merchant. He died in 1876. His mother, Adeline J. Levy, was well known for her many deeds of charity, and died in 1889.

In addition to the dry goods establishment Mr. Levy is interested in various other business and social enterprises. He is Vice-President of the Un- ion National Bank, and is one of the first citizens interested in educational matters. He is the edu- cator of many merchants of this section of the State, many having been schooled in his store. He spends a great part of his time in the interest of

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the welfare of his employees. Many of the firm's employees look to him for counsel and advice in matters concerning both their business and private affairs, and seldom it is that he has not the right solution to offer for their problems. There is no door to his office and he is always accessible to his employees and gives a hearing to every one. Mr. Levy is a leader in civic matters having to do with the progress and advancement of Houston, where he is regarded as one of the city's most influential business men, and most progressive, public-spirited and highly honored of citizens.

Note: Since the above sketch was written Abe M. Levy died on November 10, 1924.

R. BERNARD BUNNEMEYER of Houston, Texas, was for a period of thirteen years observer of the Weather Bureau in this city being in charge of Houston's first regular bureau of weather observance. He came to Texas in 1906 and prior to his regime here he was sta- tioned at Galveston with the United States Govern- ment in charge of the Southern Division Weather Bureau of the Island City. There are few men who had a more varied or interesting career than Dr. Bunnemeyer, whose life had been one of adven- ture, study, travel and service and various expe- riences feature the life of this man who came to America as protest at German system. For more than half a century he served the country of his choice in various military and civilian capacities.

Dr. Bunnemeyer was born at Oldenburg, Germany, on May 1st, 1854, the son of a judge and spent the first seventeen years of his life in the Fatherland, attending school and college, where a splendid foun- dation was laid for his future education. Then came the desire to come to America in order to escape compulsory military service. The trip was planned with a college chum, but when the time of depar- ture arrived his friend backed out and Dr. Bunne- meyer came on alone, with high spirits and hope for the future in this free country. Landing in New York, friendless and jobless, he experienced real suffering before he was able to earn any wage to sustain himself in that great city. Although he had left Germany to escape military service, he had not been in America long before he was wearing the full uniform of a United States soldier. He enlisted in the signal corps, which was the beginning of his long service with the government. In those days the weather bureau was a part of the signal serv- ice and the young soldier learned the rudiments of his later wide knowledge of meteorology while a member of the American Army. In the late '70s he was stationed on the frontier of Dakota, where the campaign was being waged against the Ute and Sioux Indians. He saw but little actual warfare at this time, but learned much of frontier life, be- came a close friend of General Lawton, a friendship that continued until the latter's death at the battle of San Mateo in the campaign against Aguinaldo in 1899. When General A. W. Greeley, chief of sig- nal corps, was slated in 1882 to head an Arctic ex- pedition, young Bunnemeyer was selected as one of the party. He did not, however, join the expedi- tion for family reasons and thus escaped the hard- ships of that ill-fated enterprise. Later, Dr. Bunne- meyer left the army and entered civilian service in the War Department. Here he finally became Chief

Clerk to General J. C. Breckinridge, inspector gen- eral of the United States Army. He was in this service when the Spanish-American War broke out and accompanied General Breckinridge to Chica- mauga and later to Florida. At the close of the war, he returned to Washington and was active in the investigation into the beef scandal growing out of war contracts. About that time he decided to enter the medical profession and in preparation for this work he studied nights at Columbia University (now George Washington University), retaining his position with the War Department. In 1892 he graduated from this institution at the head of his class with the M.D. degree. He never actively en- gaged in the practice of medicine, and a little later re-entered the weather bureau service, which in the meantime had been transferred from the War De- partment to the Department of Agriculture. He was sent first to Jacksonville, Florida, as an assistant observer, but after a short while he was transferred to Pensacola as observer in charge. After two years spent there he was ordered to Providence, Rhode Island, to establish a weather station at Brown University, where he remained until he was trans- ferred to Galveston, Texas, in 1906. Houston's stren- uous efforts to obtain a regular weather bureau sta- tion led, in 1909, to the moving of the Texas section headquarters to this city, and Dr. Bunnemeyer, who conducted the investigation for the service, was placed in charge, where for thirteen years he di- rected the Texas section from his Houston office and became widely known throughout the State. Dr. Bunnemeyer was a lover of free institutions, and it was not difficult for him to quickly become thor- oughly Americanized. He applied for and was given citizenship papers and from the moment he set foot on American soil was loyal to the country of his choice. Fifty years of faithful service would in themselves prove his loyalty, but on top of this came his activities during the World War. He was one of the first members of the Harris County Protective League, who bought liberally of government securi- ties to prosecute the war against the land of his birth, and in every way proved that no tie bound him in sympathy to the Fatherland, and no native born American could have been more loyal to their country than was this American by choice.

Dr. Bunnemeyer was married in 1876 to Miss Helen Heyde, a native of Baltimore, and a member of a prominent family of that city. Two children were born of this union, Fred M. Bunnemeyer of Newark, N. J., and Mrs. L. C. Talmadge of Houston. Dr. Bunnemeyer died at Houston, Texas, on Septem- ber 1st, 1922. He had since early manhood been a member of the A. F. and A. M. and had been active in all the work of this order. At the time of the organization of Temple Lodge of Houston, he trans- ferred his membership to this city and became a charter member of the new lodge. Later he joined Ruthven Commandery, Knights Templar, and was one of the earlier members of Arabia Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. During his years of residence in Houston, he was closely identified with the social, civic and commercial life of this city, where he had occupied a place of leadership. Dr. Bunnemeyer's attributes had endeared him to a wide host of friends and made his name illustrious in the life of a great community.

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MEN OF TEXAS

OUIS JOHN TUFFLY, one of the venerable and honored pioneers of the city of Hous- ton, for more than half a century took a deep interest, not alone in his own private affairs, but in the advancement and welfare of his community. Mr. Tuffly came to Houston as a young man, at the time of the yellow fever epidemic, in 1867, and for a short time thereafter was on the road with a travelling photographer. After this brief experience he worked for Mr. John Crook, until 1883, in which year, in association with Mr. John Krupp he bought the small shoe store of Max Stu- benrauch located in the old Capitol Hotel Building. The firm of Krupp and Tuffly proved very success- ful, and years of conservative growth have marked the progress of this firm, now the largest exclusive shoe store in South Texas. In this success, Mr. Tuffly was the determining factor, and with char- acteristic enthusiasm he launched his business and managed it until his death. Mrs. Tuffly is now president of the business, and their son, Louis F. Tuffly, vice president and manager.

Louis John Tuffly was born the ninth of Novem- ber, 1851, and came to the United States in 1867, at the age of eighteen. He came directly to Houston, entering at once upon his business career.

Mr. Tuffly was married the nineteenth of Sep- tember, 1883, to Miss Mattie M. Baulard, a native of Galveston, and daughter of V. L. and Clothilde Gillette Baulard, both natives of France. Her father came to Galveston in 1836 and was associated with the progress of that city for many years, making his home there until his death, while her mother came to Galveston in 1838. Mr. and Mrs. Tuffly had a family of four children, Blanche, wife of J. O. Zilker, and who has two children, A. J. and Francis; Louis F., who has two children, Mary Ann and Louis Edward; Joseph B., who has three children, Joseph B. Jr., Lillian and Betty Mae; and Louis C., wife of T. F. Ellis, who has one child, Margaret Mary.

Mr. Tuffly, whose success in the business world was entirely by his own efforts, was a man of keen business ability and determination. He was, while primarily a business man, interested in the welfare of his community and fellow citizens, and always ready to do his share and more of public duties. Much of his time he gave to his city, serving as al- derman of the Fourth Ward. For a time he held the office of mayor pro tem, during the Sam Brashear administration. Much credit is due him for securing the Houston Park, the first real city park of Hous- ton. He was generous and contributed freely to all worthy causes and enjoyed nothing more than to be of assistance to those less fortunate than him- self. Mr. Tuffly, who passed away September 19th, 1907, held a high place in the esteem of his business contemporaries, who found his integrity and ideals of the highest, and his memory will be held in high- est respect.

EORGE L. GLASS, a native Houstonian and prominently identified with the business in- terests of the city, and one of Houston's best known citizens, where he has given many years of his life to public service, and is known as one of the most ardent workers for the good of the city of his nativity. Mr. Glass, with his sons, James H. and John T., compose the firm of George L. Glass and Sons, located at 1000-2 Travis Street,

and own and operate the largest service station in Houston. They also carry a full and complete line of auto accessories, vulcanizing of all sizes of tires, sell tires and operate a filling station. The build- ing occupied by the George L. Glass and Sons was constructed especially for this business and have two floors with large warehouse and storage rooms on the second floor, where they also have elaborate offices. The building fronts seventy-five feet on Travis Street and runs one hundred feet on McKin- ney Avenue. They also have two branch service stations, six service cars and employ about thirty men at all times. This business was established by Mr. Glass and his sons in 1916 and has grown steadily since that time.

A native Texan, Mr. Glass was born in Houston March 6th, 1866, at the old Glass homestead which was located at the corner of Congress Avenue and Chenevert Street. His father, John R. Glass, a na- tive of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, came to Texas many years before the Civil War, and joined the Confed- erate Army from this city. He was a pioneer rail- road man of Texas and prominent in the business circles of the State during his time. His mother was Miss Annie Jane Owens, a native of Clear Creek, a village near Houston. Her parents were among the early pioneer settlers of the Lone Star State and came here with the Austin Colony. His education was obtained in the public and private schools of Houston, and when a mere boy, Mr. Glass entered the employ of the Houston East and West Texas Railroad, which was built in the early days, owned and operated by Ed. and T. Bremond. He later went with the International and Great Northern Railroad as general yardmaster and terminal superintendent, and held this position during the last eleven years of his railroad career. In 1898, Mr. Glass was elect- ed State and County Tax Collector, and was re- elected to this office for the next seven terms. In 1916, he left this office and entered the oil business, operating in the Caddo and Red River parishes of Louisiana as manager and trustee of an oil com- pany. He then entered his present business, on a small scale, at the corner of Main Street and Walker Avenue, but soon outgrew this location, and had this fine building erected and moved his business here during the first part of 1922. The George L. Glass and Sons is the best known and most popular tire and service station in Houston, and is the larg- est place of its kind in this portion of the State, and through the wide acquaintance and popularity of Mr. Glass and his sons, their business is still growing.

Mr. Glass has been twice married. His first mar- riage was in Houston in 1887 to Miss Hattie Gam- mon, a native of Houston and a member of a pioneer family. Of this union six children were born, James H. Glass, married and in the business with his fa- ther; George G. Glass, married and has one son, George G. Glass, Jr .; John, married and has two children; Mrs. Jennie Glass Allen; Alice, wife of E. H. Hall, has two children; and Florence, wife of Arnold Smith, has two children. His second mar- riage was to Miss Nina G. Elfer, a native of Louis- iana, but parents removed to Houston when she was a child, and was reared and educated in this city. They have one daughter, Inola E. Glass, a graduate of the Central High School of Houston, and was

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president of her class. Mr. and Mrs. Glass reside at 505 Stuart Avenue. Mr. Glass is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a thirty-second de- gree Scottish Rite of that order and a Shriner of Arabia Temple. His membership is with Blue Lodge No. 1189, and also belongs to the Allen Consistory No. 2 at Shreveport, Louisiana.

Mr. Glass is a member of all the civic organiza- tions of Houston and is an earnest worker for any movement having as its object the improvement, de- velopment, progress and advancement of his city. Mr. Glass organized the Houston Yacht Club, and is the owner of one of the finest yachts on the bay, the Inola, named for his daughter. He is one of the best known, and most popular men in Houston and Harris County, where he has lived all of his life. Their business grew so rapidly after its beginning in Houston that they established the two branches, one at Harrisburg and the other at Sylvan Beach. These two stations were established for the convenience of his patrons and friends who go to the bay, and the business at both of these places has grown in proportion to the place in the city, which is known to every motorist in Harris County-George L. Glass and Sons.

Note: Since the above was written Mr. George L. Glass passed away on February 22, 1925.

WALDO. The name of J. Waldo will ever be associated with the early days of the Lone Star State, as a pioneer who by his sincere belief in, and untiring efforts for, the development of his state, was largely respon- sible for many advancements. Especially in the rail road world, as an official and railroad builder, was his name prominent. He was one of the best author- ities on railroad rates and did much toward estab -- lishing a uniform system of rates. He was a leader in all of the activities of that time directed toward the expansion of the gulf coast section, and while Houston claimed him as a citizen, his activities were not localized to any one community, but the entire Southeast felt the trace of his influence.

Mr. Waldo was born at Oceola, Missouri, the elev- enth of September, 1839, son of Calvin Waldo, a native of Missouri, and whose death occurred there when the subject of this sketch was a boy of four- teen. His mother was Matilda Waldo, also de- ceased. He attended the schools of his native state, after which he studied law with his cousin, Judge Waldo P. Johnson, and was admitted to the bar. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted under Gen- eral Price, as a private, later becoming a captain and still later was promoted to the rank of major, serving throughout the conflict with distinction.

Mr. Waldo came to Houston in January, 1866, and went to work as freight clerk for the H. & T. C. Railroad, holding that position until the first of August, 1868, when he was promoted to local freight agent. The first of March, 1872, marked a further advance in the railroad world, this time to general freight agent, which office he held until 1873, when further distinction awaited him and he was made general passenger agent. In 1881 he became traf- fic manager, serving in that office until April, 1883, when he became vice president of the H. & T. C. line, also acting as general manager. While in this office Mr. Waldo demonstrated many times his ex- ecutive ability and his real qualifications as a rail-

road executive. In 1885 he left the H. & T. C. Rail- road and became traffic manager for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, giving to the duties of this office the same characteristic energy that had marked his previous career. In 1891 he became vice president of the M. K. & T. line, and while in this office was largely responsible for the building of the Galveston, La Porte and Houston Railroad, of which he was president and manager until 1896, in which year the road was taken over by a receiver. In that same year came a final mark of distinction and expression of the esteem with which Mr. Waldo was held, and he was made vice chairman of the Southwestern Traffic Association, leaving his home in Houston to assume the duties of that office in St. Louis, remaining there until his death November 7th, 1896. One of Mr. Waldo's outstanding char- acteristics was his generosity and his interest in young men who showed promise. Many high offi- cials in the railroad world today owe much to the aid and encouragement of Mr. Waldo early in their career.

Mr. Waldo was married to Miss Mary Virginia Gentry the twenty-third of January, 1873. The Gen- try family was one of the prominent pioneer fam- ilies of Texas, and Mrs. Waldo's father, A. M. Gen- try, was a leader in the railroad world. He came to Texas as a young man and was for many years iden- tified with the T. & N. O. Railroad. He was also a prominent Mason, of Texas, and well known throughout Masonic circles. Mrs. Waldo's mother, before her marriage Miss Mary Frances Rather, was a native of Alabama.

The Waldo home, one of Houston's early man- sions and a beautiful, vine-covered home, stands at 201 Westmoreland Street, on the corner of Gar- rott Avenue, and is one of those residences of which the city is justly proud. This home was originally built at the corner of Rusk and Caroline, where the federal postoffice now stands. In 1904 the site was sold to the government and the home was built on the present location of the same material and similar design as the original mansion. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo spent an ideal married life, rearing a family of six children, Gentry Waldo, with the Union Pacific Rail- road at Omaha, Nebraska, and who is married and has three children; Wilmer Waldo, a civil engineer and oil man of Houston; Cora, wife of Pierce But- ler, of New Orleans, and who has three children; Miss Mary Waldo; Miss Lulu Waldo and Miss Vir- ginia Waldo, who reside in the old home, their moth- er, Mrs. Mary Virginia Waldo, having died January 1st, 1922.

Mr. Waldo died at St. Louis, Missouri, to which place he had gone to assume the office of vice chair- man of the Southwestern Traffic Association, the seventh of November, 1896. Mr. Waldo's career was distinguished by achievement, over difficulties, and entirely through his own efforts, and the story of his life has many incidents that are well worthy of record.

Believing that success in itself is not the aim of man, but that service to humanity, and the render- ing of something of lasting value, is alone worth striving for, he early formed the ambition to thus direct his career. And measured by this standard, as well as by the monetary standards, Mr. Waldo was preeminently successful, leaving many memo- rials of lasting worth as tribute to his ideals.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 128

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