New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 141

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

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Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Conklin was married at Galveston in 1899, to Miss Sallie Frosh, daughter of Lawrence Frosh, one of the big merchants in the early days of Galveston's history. Mr. Frosh conducted a large wholesale merchandise business, buying and selling everything, and also did a large business supplying ships com- ing into the Galveston Harbor. He was located for thirty-five years at the corner of Strand and Tremont Streets. Mrs. Conklin was born in the house where she now lives, at 920 Twenty-third Street, this fine old home, built in 1830, being one of the first mansions to be built at Galveston, and the first house here to have gas. This historic home, for almost a century the seat of Mrs. Conklin's family, is widely known for its hospitality and Mrs. Conk- lin is a charming hostess and very popular in social circles at Galveston. Since Mr. Conklin's death she has also proven herself to be a business woman, and has handled the estate in a way indi- cative of her qualifications in this field. Mr. and Mrs. Conklin had two children, William T. Conklin, and Matthias Dayton Conklin, who reside with their mother in the old Frosh home at 920 Twenty-third Street.

Mr. Conklin's death occurred the seventh of Feb- ruary, 1916, at his home in Galveston. A man who had accomplished much, he had even more compre- hensive plans for the future, and his death took from the business center one of the most progres- sive business men of Galveston, and a man who had done much, both commercially and in a civic way, to insure the growth of the city.

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L. MOODY, JR., well known capitalist of Galveston, throughout his life has been prominently identified with financial, civic and commercial affairs and has played an important part in the upbuilding of the city. He came to Galveston with his parents when one year old and grew to manhood here where few industrial and financial institutions have had their beginning without the aid and influence of this progressive citizen. He is a man of large affairs, sound busi- ness judgment and a builder who has contributed generously to that spirit which has made Galveston one of the great commercial and industrial centers of the Southwest. Mr. Moody is president of the City National Bank which he organized and estab- lished in 1907. The directors of this bank are strong business men of the city, and it is housed in a modern banking structure, where the spirit of service and helpfulness is always found. Courtesy and service are the watchwords in all the activities with which Mr. Moody is connected. His son, W. L. Moody, 3rd, is senior vice president of the City Na- tional Bank, whose capital and surplus and share- holders liabilities are more than $600,000.00. Mr. Moody is president of the American National Insur- ance Company, which have their home office on the tenth floor of the American National Insurance Building, Galveston. This company has a capital stock of $1,000,000.00, surplus of $2,500,000.00 with insurance in force to the amount of $300,000,000.00 with over 1,000,000 policyholders and an income of $30,000.00 per day. The American National Insur- ance Company is the largest life insurance company in the entire South. The company was founded by Mr. Moody in 1905 and the magnificent building, known as the American National Insurance Build- ing, was erected by him and the company in 1913, and is the most complete modern and pretentious office building ever erected in the Island City. Shearn Moody, son of Mr. Moody, is vice president of the American National Insurance Company, and in addition to his other interests is president of the Security National Fire Insurance Company, organ- ized in 1924, having at this time a capital and sur- plus of $500,000.00 Mr. Moody is president of the W. L. Moody Cotton Company, which was estab- lished by his father in 1866 and which does one of the largest cotton businesses in Texas. He is presi- dent of the Galveston Cotton Compress and Ware- house Company, which is one of the largest plants of its kind in the state, and has a capacity of 100,- 000 bales of cotton and employs three hundred people in its operation during the busy season. Mr. Moody is chairman of the board of directors of the Security Trust Company and president of the Gal- veston News, which is the oldest newspaper in Texas and is one of the best. Mr. Moody is presi- dent of the Galveston Dry Goods Company, the largest wholesale establishment of its kind in Gal- veston and a leader in its line. He has very exten- sive real estate holdings, which consist of apart- ment houses, hotels, office buildings, including the Woolworth Building, City National Bank Building and the American National Insurance Building. While he has centered most of his business activi- ties in Galveston, his interests reach every section of the state, and he and his family own upward of 300,000 acres of grazing farm and oil land in the Lone Star State. Mr. Moody and his commercial

enterprises are probably the largest employers of skilled and unskilled labor and have the largest pay rolls in the city of Galveston. He is a partner with Shearn Moody in W. L. Moody and Company, Bank- ers, Unincorporated, established in 1866 by W. L. Moody, Sr., and housed on the ground floor of the American National Insurance Building. The Hous- ton Gulf Gas Company, of which he is president, was organized by W. L. Moody, 3rd. This company owns extensive gas fields in Texas and is engaged in gas distribution.

A native Texan, Mr. Moody was born in Freestone County, January 25th, 1865. His father, W. L. Moody, Sr., who died in 1920, was born in 1828 and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1848. When he first came to Texas, he settled in Free- stone County, and came to Galveston in 1866, during the reconstruction days following the Civil War in which he was severely wounded. He organized the first company from Freestone County and became a lieutenant colonel of Texas troops. He was a member of the Texas legislature and sold the first bonds from Texas that were sold in New York, and was later appointed a financial officer by Governor Coke. During the days of his activity, he was one of the most progressive and enterprising citizens of the Island City and much is due him in the upbuild- ing of Galveston, where at all times he was promi- nent in business and financial circles. He was for many years president of the Galveston Cotton Ex- change and in addition to being a keen business man, he was blessed with an unusual memory, which time seemed not to affect. At the age of ninety years, he could conjugate Latin and Greek, which he had learned in college, and was a great Bible stu- dent, and was one of the really brilliant men of Texas. When he died in 1920 at the age of ninety- two years, Texas lost one of its greatest men and Galveston one of its builders and substantial citizens.

His mother was Miss Elizabeth Pherabe Bradley, who came to Freestone County in 1856, and is re- siding in Galveston. His education was obtained in the state of Virginia, where he was a student for nine years, after which he attended the law depart- ment of the University of Texas, where he finished, but never engaged in the practice of law. When twenty-one years of age he began his business ca- reer as a member of the cotton firm and learned the various branches of the cotton industry. Mr. Moody has done a great deal in upbuilding his city and is ever planning further developments and im- provements. His confidence and faith in his city has never waned and he built the first building on the beach following the great storm of 1900. He is considered one of the keen business men of Texas, yet is fair in all his dealings with his fellow men.

Mr. Moody was married in Massachusetts in 1890 to Miss Libbie Rice Shearn, a native of Houston, Texas, and a member of one of the pioneer families of that city. The Shearn family have been active in the upbuilding of Houston, where members of the family still reside and are leaders in their various lines. Mr. and Mrs. Moody have four children, Mrs. Mary Northen, W. L. Moody, 3rd, Mrs. Lillie Moody Thompson and Shearn Moody. Mr. Moody is a mem- ber of the Galveston Country Club and is a staunch member of the Methodist Church. He is a true type of the Southern gentleman, in whose personality are mixed the gallantry and chivalry of the South, to-

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

gether with the aggressive, purposeful and construc- tive business instincts of the modern Southwest. His mature experience, wise counsel, sterling quali- ties of character and high ideals have always been an inspiration to his children and his friends and business associates.

As banker, capitalist and business man, W. L. Moody, Jr., is one of the most honored of his pro- fession in the Lone Star State. He has had much to do in the past history of his city and will continue yet a leading factor in its future.

LARK W. THOMPSON, although one of the younger members of the business fraternity of Galveston, is the executive head of one of the largest mercantile establishments in

this city. Mr. Thompson first came to Galveston during the World War as a private in the Marine Corps, and after the close of the war, settled here and organized his present company. Mr. Thompson is president of the Clark W. Thompson Company, which was established in July, 1920, and this firm is the successor to the Fellman Dry Goods Com- pany, which was one of the oldest establishments of its kind in this city. During 1923, the new store building of the Thompson Company, which is an ad- dition to the original building, was completed and since then this firm has been a potent factor in the mercantile business of Galveston. As an evidence of the vast increase in their business, their sales in 1923 showed an increase of more than 20 per cent over the previous year. The store building is attractive and substantial, being five stories in height with a two- story annex and all floors and space of the building is occupied by the Clark W. Thompson Company. They have modern equipment in every department. The department of ready to wear for women is ar- ranged in such a manner that the visitor's first im- pression is a pleasing one and the fixtures in this section is ultra modern. In the misses department, special sales women are employed and their special fitting rooms in this department are a great depar- ture from anything of the kind in this portion of the state. Another special feature of this firm is the complete infant and expectant mother section, where everything to be desired in this line is to be found and experienced and careful women attendants shop in all sections of the store while the mother rests in comfort with all purchases brought for her personal approval. The main floor of this establishment is attractive and roomy and an unusually friendly atmosphere prevails throughout all departments. An average of one hundred and twenty people are employed by the Clark W. Thompson Company and loyalty is an outstanding feature of these employees. The stock of the firm has a valuation of approxi- mately $190,000.00. Great co-operation exists be- tween the heads of the various departments and the president, who in turn is generous and appreciative. The Clark W. Thompson Company is strictly a young men's business, all officers and department heads being young men.

A native of Wisconsin, Mr. Thompson was born on August 6th, 1896. His father, Clark W. Thompson, was engaged in the lumber business during his en- tire business career, and removed to Oregon when young Thompson was five years of age. His early education was obtained in the public and high schools of Oregon, after which he attended the University of Oregon, where his courses were directed along prac-

tical lines which would be of benefit to him later on. Before entering college, Mr. Thompson had some business experience at Carson, Washington, where he was employed by his uncle in a country mercan- tile store and says this experience was invaluable to him for future work. Mr. Thompson enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1917 and served in the United States forces at the Mare Island Training Station in California, and was also at Quantico, Virginia, and later at Galveston. At the Officers Training Camp at Quantico, he was commissioned a second lieu- tenant and assigned to Galveston, where he was dis- charged in January, 1919.

Mr. Thompson was married at Richmond, Virginia, on November 16th, 1918, to Miss Libbie Moody, a daughter of W. L. Moody, Jr. of Galveston, banker, financier and one of the leading business men of Texas and a member of one of the pioneer families of the Lone Star State. They have two children, Clark W. Thompson, Jr. and Libbie Moody Thomp- son. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson reside at 2910 Broad- way. Mr. Thompson is a member of the A. F. and A. M. with membership in Harmony Lodge No. 6 of Galveston; is a member of the Scottish Rite body of this order and a member of Consistory No. 1, and is a Shriner of El Mina Temple. He was Worship- ful Master of Harmony Lodge during 1924 and '25. Mr. Thompson holds membership in all the commer- cial associations of the city and is a member of the Advisory Committee, Galveston Chamber of Com- merce, and is also a member of the Texas Retail Dry Goods Association. Mr. Thompson is a member of the American Legion, with membership in Ar- gonne Post No. 20, and is active in this organiza- tion. While Mr. Thompson is a comparatively re- cent addition to the business circles of Galveston, he has made a host of friends and has succeeded in building up a splendid business. He is popular in the business and social circles of this city and also with all his employees, with whom he is directly and continuously associated.

ALVESTON DRY GOODS CO, INC. is the succession of a private firm that began busi- ness early after the Civil War and has oper- ated continuously since. Beginning as Greenleve-Block & Co., it became Block-Oppenheim- er Co., after the death of Mr. Greenleve, Mr. Louis Block being a leading factor in these firms and their successors, until his death in December, 1922. Green- leve-Block & Co. were succeeded by Weis Bros., a firm composed of Mr. Louis Block and Messrs. Al- bert and Robert Weis, pioneer Galvestonians. In 1894, their business was incorporated as the Gal- veston Dry Goods Co., with Mr. B. Adoue, of the banking firm of Adoue & Lobit, its first president, and Mr. Robert Weis, its first corporated general manager.

The Galveston Dry Goods Co., through its many years of contact with the interior merchants of the state, has come to be recognized as an institution in the business affairs of the state. It does a whole- sale business exclusively, confining its operations largely to the state of Texas. It has throughout all these years maintained a regular field force of solicitors, many of their road representatives hav- ing been with the firm for more than twenty-five years. The line carried comprises everything known to the dry goods, notions and furnishing goods job- bing trade.

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MEN OF TEXAS

UGH BENTON MOORE, American railway and steamship official; organizer of the Army Transport Service of the American Expeditionary Forces, was born in Hunt- land, Tennessee, January 11th, 1874, the son of Horatio R. Moore, who was born May 9th, 1833, and for many years practiced law. The elder Moore was an officer in Forrest's Cavalry in the Confederate army, 1861-65. Colonel Moore's mother was Annie Hunt, the daughter of Clinton A. Hunt. The ear- liest American ancestor of Colonel Moore was Pat- rick Moore, who came to this country from Ireland in 1770 and settled in Moore County, N. E. He was commissioned lieutenant in the Colonial army and was killed in the battle of Guilford Court House, N. C., in 1776.

The subject of this sketch received a common school education and began work as messenger boy on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1889. There- after he was successively clerk, superintendent, gen- eral manager, vice president and president in rail- way and steamship service, and at the present time is president of the Texas City Terminal Railway Company. He was married to Miss Helen Edmunds in Kansas City, Missouri, September 5th, 1905.

The name of Colonel Moore is best recalled to his countrymen through his services in the great Euro- pean War. There has been a great deal written re- garding Army Transport Service of our forces in Europe, of which service Colonel Moore was the head. Beginning this work in May, 1917, as an officer on Pershing's staff in Washington, where for ten days he was in conference with the Joffre and Balfour missions that had been sent to this coun- try immediately after America declared war to con- fer with our military establishment about America's war plans. Fifty-one officers composed this original staff. Colonel Moore was the selection for transpor- tation officer.

For twenty-seven years he had been in active trans- portation work. In 1914 when Funston's expedition was hurriedly moved into Mexico and certain assist- ance was asked by the war department of American railway and steamship interests, he was selected and detailed by the secretary of war to assist the army in connection with the transportation of this expedition and moving the men and supplies there- for. As soon as a law was passed creating an of- ficer's reserve corps, Colonel Moore was commis- sioned into this reserve corps as a captain, and on May 16th, 1917, was called into active service, and on May 28th, 1917, sailed with General Pershing to France.

His first duty was superintendent of Army Trans- port Service at Saint Nazaire, France, which port was used for the handling of our first troops and materials. As soon as the army transport work was organized at that port he put in charge another superintendent and went to Bordeaux and organized that port for army transport service. After this he was made general superintendent of Army Trans- port Service and began taking over the railroad terminal properties and port facilities at various ports in France and operating same with United States army personnel, and as this service went fur- ther than the use of the harbor and dock facilities and extended to certain railroad operations at the seaboard in France and the operation of canal boats in the canal system of France, also the operation

of steamship lines between the allies' countries, the position of director of Army Transport Service was created January 1st, 1918, and he was promoted to this position, first with rank of major and later lieutenant colonel. This operation from June, 1917, to November 11th, 1918, is known and recorded as the most gigantic transportation work that was ever conducted under one control in the history of the world, and not only do the war histories of ours and the allied countries give credit for this great service having been handled efficiently, but greater credit is given by the technical marine and steam- ship men of the world who have a better appre- ciation of the complex and complicated problems that had to be overcome. The United States up to that time had not been a maritime nation and the majority of the steamship agents and operators in the United States were foreigners, but the Ameri- can citizenship connected with this service was im- mediately called to military duty and all of the American railway men who had had practical ex- perience in transportation work in American port terminals were also called into service and these forces were divided, about half of them retained in America and about half were sent to France. The personnel of Army Transport Service in France on November 11th, 1918, was 883 officers, 27,224 en- listed men, 1,770 civilians and 1,500 German prison- ers. The service was operating at seventeen dif- ferent ports and was handling an average of 20,000 troops per day and 40,000 tons of supplies. The performance of this work Colonel Moore says is the only thing connected with his life in which there could be any public interest, and he modestly says that he does not see how anything could be said about him in a biographical way without dealing with the history of the Army Transport Service in Europe. In addition to handling of troops and sup- plies from America to France this service also op- erated a line of steamers between the allied coun- tries in Europe, which in itself was the largest sin- gle steamship line ever operated under one manage- ment. It carried one-quarter of the American army's supplies and this part of the Army Transport Service had no connection with the United States.

General Pershing bears eloquent testimony as to the character of the service rendered by Colonel Moore: "American Expeditionary Forces," Office of the Commander-in-Chief, France, December 7, 1918. Lieutenant Colonel H. B. Moore, Director, Army Transport Service. "My Dear Colonel Moore: -General Harbord has informed me of your early departure from the American Expeditionary Forces. I cannot let you go without an expression of my appreciation of the loyal services which you have rendered here during the last eighteen months. Your technical knowledge of the steamship business and your practical and energetic direction of the Army Transport Service have contributed very ma- terially to the success of the American army in France. With best wishes for your success and hap- piness, believe me, Very sincerely yours." (Signed) John J. Pershing.

L. CHILDS for the past several years has been a factor in the industrial and com- mercial world at Houston. He is active vice president and general manager of the Reed Roller Bit Company, manufacturers and dis- tributors of the Reed roller bits and other oil field

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specialties to the rotary fields throughout the world. Mr. Childs is one of the most widely known men connected with the oil industry. Beginning in the purchasing department of the Gulf Company in January, 1907, he has been actively engaged in the industry until the present time. He left the employ of the Gulf Company to assume the duties of secretary and treasurer in charge of sales of the Hughes Tool Company, later becoming acting general manager, and remaining with this company until October, 1921, when he organized the Boykin- Childs Tool Company, of which he was president. This company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing oil field specialties, which are sold in connection with the Greyhound products manu- factured by the Boykin Machinery and Supply Com- pany of Beaumont, of which Mr. Childs was the distributing head.

Mr. Childs was born at Morrison, Illinois, the 17th of June, 1882, son of J. C. Childs, a native of Illinois, who now makes his home at Morrison. Mr. Childs was educated in the schools of Morrison and Fulton, and is a graduate of the North Illinois College. He came to Texas in 1905 and was for two years with the Southern Pacific Railroad in the western part of the State.

Mr. Childs was married at Joliet, Illinois, the 28th of December, 1908, to Miss Estella Steiger- wald, a native of Illinois. They have two children, W. L. Junior, and Phyllis, and make their home in Houston, at 4412 Mount Vernon Avenue. Mr. Childs belongs to various clubs and organizations, such as the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, the Houston Country Club, the Houston Club, Houston Polo and Riding Club, the Purchasing Agents' Association, the Knights Templar, and is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of Arabia Tem- ple Shrine.

Mr. Childs has a wide acquaintance among oil operators in all the Texas fields. As representa- tive of the Reed Roller Bit Company he is a factor in the development of the oil industry, giving sat- isfactory service and establishing a record for con- siderate treatment.

BROWNE BAKER has for the past few years been identified with the banking fra- ternity of Houston. Mr. Baker is vice president and trust officer of the Guardian Trust Company, with banking headquarters and offices in the Niels Esperson Building. The Guar- dian Trust Company, organized in 1917, has had probably the most rapid growth of any trust com- pany during the past decade. It began business in two offices in the Commercial National Bank Building, with a floor space of four hundred square feet, and with a force of two employees. The lease in the Niels Esperson Building covers space in the basement, main floor and mezzanine floor, with a total area of twenty-two thousand square feet. Today sixty-two people are employed.

The Guardian Trust Company meets practically every banking requirement of the public. It not only makes loans upon real estate and collateral, but also it operates a Trust Department, providing for the Trust Company acting as executor or trustee under will, or as trustee for living trusts. A Bond Department, handling and distributing bonds of local and eastern corporations, municipalities, states and

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 141

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