New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 146

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

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

for the second time in 1894, to Miss Ida Caldwell, of Huntington, West Virginia, and the daughter of J. L. Caldwell, a banker, coal operator, and land owner of that State, and Mary O. (Smith) Caldwell. To this union were born three children: Mrs. Mamie Ward, William P. H. McFaddin, Jr., and Caldwell McFaddin. The family residence at 1906 McFaddin Avenue, is one of the finest homes in Beaumont, and is characterized by a gracious hospitality that makes a visit under its roof a delight. The family attend the Episcopal Church. He is a member of the Beau- mont, Beaumont Country, Neches and Rotary clubs, and is a director of the First National Bank. A city builder and captain of industry to whom Beau- mont owes much, Mr. McFaddin is also that sterling type of Christian citizen who feels a true sympathy with those less fortunate than he. His benevolences are without ostentation, and through him many have come to know the true meaning of charity. He has accounted well for himself in this world, and his life is an inspiration to all who know him.

AMES F. WEED, has for a quarter of a century, been actively identified with the development of Beaumont, and his name carries a prestige in engineering circles that is an asset to the community with which he is associated. Mr. Weed is a civil engineer, doing advisory work principally, and is also an oil op- erator, interested in the coastal fields. As an engi- neer, Mr. Weed has taken a prominent part in the building of Beaumont, especially in the develop- ment of the channel, and in railroad construction. Mr. Weed is the owner of the Weed Building, where he has his offices, and was the builder of the Alamo Block, in which this building is located. This block, one hundred and ninety-five feet, was built in 1906, with W. C. Averill, King Seale, of Jasper, and Seveny Blanchette as the other owners.

Mr. Weed was born in Northeast Missouri, the nineteenth of March, 1867, the son of Frederick F. Weed, an oil operator in California, and Mary Weed, now living and well past her eightieth year. Mr. Weed began his education in the public schools of Missouri, and after graduating from high school, entered the University of Missouri, where he at- tended three years, graduating in the class of 1887. He then came to Texas, going to the Pan-handle, where he was deputy surveyor for one and a half years. In 1889 he was made state surveyor of Texas, moving to Houston in that year, and holding this office until 1894, also acting as chief surveyor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. From 1894 until 1898 he engaged in private practice at Houston, in that latter year coming to Beaumont, as chief engi- neer for the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Rail- road, which is now the East Texas branch of the Santa Fe. He held this position until 1901, when he resigned to go in the oil business, drilling a number of wells in the Spindletop, and has since been active in the development of the oil resources of this section. Mr. Weed was the first man from Beaumont to invest money in the Humble oil fields, and was active in development there. From 1908 until 1915 he did special engineering work and built all the shell roads in Jefferson County. From 1909 until 1913 he was receiver for the Beaumont Trac- tion Company, later becoming vice president of the company, and rebuilt the new lines for the trac- tion company. He was consulting engineer for the

Beaumont Navigation District, and built the ship channel. With Governor Hobby he spent some time in Washington getting the ship channel bill passed, thus securing government aid for the project. Dur- ing the World War he was chairman of the War Savings Stamp campaign, and sold a million twenty- five cent stamps. During the last few years Mr. Weed has limited his work largely to advisory work, and to looking after his oil interests.

Mr. Weed was married at Beaumont, in 1903, to Miss Cora Louise Strobel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Strobel of California. They have three chil- dren: Mary and William, students at the University of Texas, and Margaret, a student at Southwestern University. Mr. Weed is a member of the Beaumont Country Club, and is an Elk. Few men have done more for the upbuilding and advancement of Beau- mont than he, and this city owes much to him for securing many important advantages, especially his work in the development of the ship channel.

OSEPH E. BROUSSARD has for three dec- ades been a factor in the development of the rice milling industry at Beaumont, and has during this time been associated with all progressive movements for the advancement of this city. Mr. Broussard is president and general manager of the Beaumont Rice Mills, which he es- tablished in 1892, and which was the first rice mill in Texas. Since that time he has worked for the advancement of this industry, expanding his mills to meet growing trade demands. The Beaumont Rice Mills have a storage capacity of two hundred thou- sand bushels, with a daily capacity in the mill of seventy-five hundred bushels. The industrial site on which the plant is located consists of seven acres, with frontage on the Southern Pacific Rail- road. The Beaumont Rice Mill buys, sells and ex- ports rice, handling a large volume of this food stuff annually.

Mr. Broussard was born at Beaumont, the eight- eenth of December, 1866, son of Elois Broussard, a native of Louisiana, who later moved here and was a land owner and stockman until his death in 1868. His mother, whose maiden name was Miss Azema Hebert, is a native of Beaumont. Mr. Brous- sard was educated at St. Mary's Academy, at Gal- veston, and after finishing his education, went in the cattle and stock business, in which he still has large interests, owning around fifteen thousand acres of pasture land, and herding around three hundred head of cattle, which included a herd of one hundred and fifty highly bred Brahma stock. Mr. Broussard also owns around ten thousand acres of rice land, and in addition to being president of the Beaumont Rice Mills, is a director of the City National Bank, and is president and manager of the Beaumont Irrigating Company, that has a capacity of two hundred thousand gallons a minute, and facilities to irrigate thirty thousand acres.

Mr. Broussard was married at Beaumont, in 1888, to Miss Mary Belle Bordages, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bordages. Mr. Bordages is a general merchant of Taylor's Bayou and a pioneer here. Mr. and Mrs. Broussard have a family of nine chil- dren, Clyde E., Marie, Ruth, Bertha, Genevieve, Lor- etta, Estelle, Regina, and Joseph E. Jr. They reside at 1614 College Street. Mr. Broussard is a mem- ber of the Beaumont Club, the Beaumont Country Club and the Knights of Columbus and the Elks.

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MEN OF TEXAS

ILLIAM WIESS, son of Simon and Mar- garet Wiess, was born at Wiess Bluff on the Neches River in Jasper County, Texas, October 23rd, 1842, where his parents had settled in the early days of the Texas Republic and resided until their death.

William Wiess had four brothers: Napoleon, Mark (a twin brother) Valentine and Massena, all of whom lived most of their lives in Beaumont and passing to their reward left behind them a record of achievement that honors them and their home city. A sister, Mrs. P. W. Coffin, still resides in the family home at Wiess Bluff.

At the beginning of the Civil War, William Wiess, then a lad of eighteen years, enlisted in the Southern army, becoming a member of Captain Marsh's com- mand at Sabine Pass, and remained in the service until the close of the war. The war over, he returned to his home and shortly thereafter began at Beaumont the business career that was to link his name inseparably with the development of the natural resources of his section.

Captain Wiess was married in 1866, to Miss Lou E. Herring of Beaumont. Of this union there were three children: Nena, the wife of W. A. Priddie of Beaumont; E. C. Wiess of Mineral Wells, and Perry M. Wiess of Beaumont. In 1880, several years after the death of his first wife, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Carrothers of Georgetown, Texas, a native of Austin, and a daughter of Samuel D. and Harriett Perry Carrothers, natives of South Carolina, who came to Texas in the early forties. Samuel D. Car- rothers was a large planter and slave owner in pre- war days and after the Civil War was engaged in the lumber business at Georgetown and active in lumber circles until his death in 1878. Of this union two chil- dren were born: William Wiess, Jr., who died in infancy, and Harry C. Wiess, who resides at Hous- ton, and is a vice president of the Humble Oil and Refining Company. Mrs. William Wiess, a cultured, Christian woman, after the death of her husband, established a home at Houston where she now re- sides.

Among the early business ventures of Captain Wiess, was a mercantile business at Beaumont, and a line of steamboats on the upper Neches River, in both of which he was successful but soon abandoned to engage in the manufacture of pine lumber, in which he was eminently successful and one of the outstanding leaders of the industry for almost a quarter of a century. Early in life he had the rare foresight to purchase and hold East Texas pine timber lands and this, perhaps more than anything else, was the foundation of the large fortune built up by him.

With his brothers and H. W. Potter he organized in 1880 the Reliance Lumber Company and built a mill on the banks of Brakes Bayou within a short distance of the present business district of Beau- mont, which was operated by that company con- tinuously and successfully until absorbed, together with the large timber holdings of the company by the Kirby Lumber Company in 1901. Besides his identification with the yellow pine lumber indus- try, Captain Wiess was interested in many other lines of business. Naturally he participated in the great oil boom occasioned by the bringing in of the Lucas gusher at Spindle Top in 1901. He was one of the chief owners of the Paraffine Oil Com-

pany, the discovery company of the Batson oil field in Hardin County in 1903. The successful operation of this company added greatly to his already large fortune. He was also one of the largest stock- holders and a director of the American National Bank of Beaumont, a director of the Gulf, Beau- mont and Kansas City Railroad; the Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company and other Santa Fe properties in that section. In fact, few business concerns of Beaumont but that secured his support and financial assistance.

Captain Wiess was intensely interested in public affairs and let his influence be felt in all matters of public welfare. One of the original promoters of a deep water port at Beaumont, he gave un- sparingly of his time and money to the project, the successful completion of which has contributed largely to the steady growth of that city and section. He took a keen interest in politics, although he never sought public office for himself. He was primarily responsible for the law now on the Statute books of Texas, which abolished gambling on horse racing at the track side or in poolrooms. He was always aligned on the side of moral reform and progress in commercial or industrial matters. His opinions were expressed freely, succinctly and em- phatically; and immediately an issue was up for public consideration he announced his views there- on without hesitation and labored with all his might for the success of the side he elected to support. He was a staunch and active member of the Methodist Church and contributed liberally to the Methodist cause generally. The liberal contributions of Captain and Mrs. Wiess to the building fund of the First Methodist Church of Beaumont, made possi- ble the erection of the handsome church edifice that has for many years been a source of pride to Beau- mont Methodism. He was a substantial contributor and ardent supporter of Southwestern University at Georgetown. He was deeply interested in and aided greatly in a financial way the Y. M. C. A. of his home city. In fact he was identified with every movement and institution in his home city of Beau- mont which had in hand the upbuilding of the city in a material or moral way. No worthy cause ever appealed to him without enlisting his material and moral support and although a man of large busi- ness affairs, he always found time to follow his financial support with active and interested personal assistance and encouragement.

It can be truthfully said of him that in his public and private relations he never made a truce with wrong and that he met and discharged every public and private duty in accordance with the highest standard of honesty and fair dealing. His death occurred at Beaumont on June 12th, 1914.

LEXANDER MORTLAND HOLMES-The name of Alexander Mortland Holmes, pio- neer of Richmond and Fort Bend County, stands out as that of a citizen who not only made the welfare of his community his first thought, but as a business man who through his in- terest in important commercial enterprises made possible the present prosperity of Richmond. Mr. Holmes began his interesting business career in Richmond as a young man, in the years that follow- ed rapidly advancing from a clerical position with local cotton and mercantile firms to one of the sub- stantial business men of the city and a factor in

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

the mercantile and banking world. Mr. Holmes also had extensive farming interests in Fort Bend Coun- ty, being among the large land owners of this sec- tion, and also did his share of public duties as a pub- lic official, serving both as district clerk and as county commissioner. At various times Mr. Holmes bought and sold land in Fort Bend County, and at all times used his influence to further development in this section.

Alexander Mortland Holmes was a native of Mis- sissippi, where he was born in the year 1859, the son of A. M. Holmes, for many years a merchant and cotton man of that State. Mr. Holmes spent his early years in his native State, attending the public schools, and later pursued his studies at Louisville, Kentucky. As a young man he came from Missis- sippi to Texas, locating at Waco, where he gained his early business experience. After a few years at Waco he came to Richmond, beginning as book- keeper for a local cotton firm, and for several years following this vocation, during which time he was connected in a clerical capacity with various mer- cantile and cotton firms. After several years thus spent Mr. Holmes began to engage in business for himself, and owned and operated various mercantile stores, including general merchandise, grocery, hard- ware and like establishments among his interests in this section. He was also active in the banking world for many years, and was one of the founders of the First National Bank of Richmond, Texas, of which he was a director and vice president from its organization until his death. Mr. Holmes was also one of the directors of the National Bank of Com- merce at Houston, and was known to bankers of that city as a banking executive of wide experience and definite financial ability. At various times Mr. Holmes bought up land in Fort Bend County, and although he from time to time sold his farm and ranch holdings, it was usually to make other in- vestments in this line, and at the time of his death he owned some twelve hundred acres of land, all under cultivation, and cared for by tenant farmers. Mr. Holmes was elected clerk of the district court of Fort Bend County, holding that office for eight years, and was later elected county commissioner of Fort Bend County, holding that office for four years.

Mr. Holmes was married to Miss Anna E. Wessen- dorff the twenty-eighth of October, 1885. Mrs. Holmes was the daughter of the late Antone Wes- sendorff, who came to Richmond from Europe as a young man of eighteen, and who resided here until his death, which occurred in his fiftieth year. Mrs. Holmes was an ideal helpmate and wife during the years of her married life, and to her Mr. Holmes gave a large share of the credit for his business success.

Alexander Mortland Holmes died at Richmond the eleventh of March, 1924, his death being a deep loss to the community. He had been for many years a member of the Presbyterian Church and was an ac- tive member of the Chamber of Commerce. A busi- ness man with a genius for making things go, his labors were crowned with success, but far above that success was the integrity which was ever at- tached to his name.

HARTON BRANCH-A resident of Hous- ton but a few years at the close of a richly lived life, Wharton Branch, one of the pioneer attorneys of Texas, was neverthe-

less an interested participant in legal activities here during those few years, and added prestige to a name that had already won honors in the legal profession. Beginning the practice of law in 1870, Mr. Branch early gave evidence of a legal talent that was more than average, and rapidly advanced to a place of leadership in his profession. The earlier years of his career were spent in Galveston, where his brilliance made him a familiar figure in the courts, and where he built up a large and lucrative practice. He figured in many of the out- standing and hard-fought legal battles of that time, and was appointed by the governor and chosen by the bar to preside at different times throughout the years of his professional career. Later Mr. Branch spent some years at Liberty, where in addi- tion to his law practice he also became interested in timber lands, acquiring large tracts of timber in West Texas, and also extensive farm lands in that section, and also in East Texas, in and around Liberty. He did a great deal of work in land titles and getting titles and right-of-ways for the rail- roads. Mr. Branch later returned to Galveston, re- suming his former prominent place at the bar of that city, and engaged in practice there up until 1889, when he removed to Dallas. He made his home there for a number of years, and continued to add laurels to his name as an attorney. In 1902 Mr. Branch came to Houston, entering the practice of law here, and was subsequently a factor in legal circles until his death, which occurred some six years later.

Wharton Branch was born at Liberty, Texas, on the fourth day of March, 1848, the son of Edward Thomas Branch and Ann Wharton (Cleveland) Branch, the former a native of Virginia, the latter a native of Kentucky, and a ward of Colonel William H. Wharton. His father, Judge Edward Thomas Branch, was in the battle of San Jacinto and served in the first congress of the Republic of Texas and on the committee that wrote the Constitution of Texas and was also author of the Homestead law. Wharton Branch attended the schools of Liberty, and later too a course at Colorado College, at Colum- bus, Texas, completing his education under private instructors, and obtaining his law course under the tutelage of E. B. Pickett. He was admitted to the bar in 1870, at Galveston, and began his practice there as stated in the sketch of his professional career in the preceding paragraph.

Mr. Branch was married at Galveston, on the fourteenth of March, 1872, to Miss Lula M. Loomis, a daughter of James M. Loomis and Mary E. (Wooten) Loomis, the former a native of New Jer- sey, the latter of Kentucky. They resided in Colo- rado County a number of years, that county being Mrs. Branch's birthplace. Mr. and Mrs. Branch had four children: Miss May Branch of Houston, Ed- ward Thomas Branch of Houston, Miss Nellie Branch of Houston, and Olive, now Mrs. T. F. White, also of Houston. Mr. Branch was prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to Galveston Lodge, No. 297, and serving several times as senior warden in that lodge. He was a member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Branch died in Houston on the third day of March, 1908, just one day before he would have celebrated his sixtieth birthday. His death ended a career that had many distinctions, and was a deep loss to the legal profession of Houston and the state.

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MEN OF TEXAS

APTAIN WILLIAM ANDREW FLETCHER. In the history of Southeast Texas no man has won a surer place than Capt. William Andrew Fletcher. In the history of lumber in the United States his name is nationally recorded. Each of the lumber states of the South, as well as those of the North had their pioneers, and Capt. William A. Fletcher, with one or two others blazed the path that has made the lumber industry one of great importance in Texas today. Capt. Fletcher not only was a great business man and executive, but was a kindly, generous, honest and upright citizen who placed the interests of his city and country al- ways foremost.

William Andrew Fletcher was born April 3, 1839, in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. In 1856, the family moved to Wiess' Bluff, on the Neches River, north of Beaumont, and in 1859, when W. A. Fletcher was twenty years old, the family moved to Beaumont. Captain Fletcher secured employment in a saw mill owned by James Long. He worked there for $9.00 a week. When his section called to arms at the out- break of the civil war he responded to what he con- sidered a patriotic duty. Captain Fletcher went by steamboat to Niblett's Bluff, on the Sabine River, and thence to Richmond, Virginia, and became a member of Company F, Fifth Texas Regiment of General Hood's Brigade. He saw active and vig- orous service. He was wounded in the hip in the battle of Manasas; was in the battle of Fredericks- burg, the battle of Gettysburg, was wounded in the foot in the battle of Chickamauga. He was by this time so disabled that he could no longer serve in infantry, and he sought and obtained a transfer to Terry's Rangers, that intrepid band of cavalry- men who made brilliant history during the war. He was three years in Hood's Brigade and nearly a year in the rangers. He was captured by the enemy in Georgia, was imprisoned, escaped from prison and was present at the surrender and then returned home. Shortly after this he was given a working partnership with James Long, in what afterward became Long and Company, who operated a saw and shingle mill. He afterward joined with J. Frank Keith and S. F. Carter in the organization of the Village Mills Company. Later Captain Fletcher headed a group of men who purchased the old Eagle saw mill. The Texas Tram & Lum- ber Company was organized and took over the Vil- lage Mills Company and became the largest yellow pine manufacturing concern in the South for many years. On January 1, 1902, the entire property was transferred to John H. Kirby, and thus Captain Fletcher retired from active business with approxi- mately half a million dollars to show for his splendid judgment, his untiring labor and upright and straight-away dealing. After his retirement from the lumber business he devoted most of his time to the development of his theories of agriculture on his twenty-two hundred-acre farm known as Park Farm, located about nine miles from Beaumont. Captain Fletcher was one of the trio of giants of whom the other two were Captain William Wiess, deceased, and John N. Gilbert. Together these three worked hand in hand and their combined wisdom, individual integrity and forcefulness were respected through- out the land where yellow pine was marketed.

Brought up in a wilderness, as it were, without

advantages which the average youth has to attend school, Captain Fletcher's career is all the more re- markable for that he was a vigorous thinker, a close student, an investigator, a daring adventurer into the realm of things then unknown. He took a deep interest in the affairs of his country, his State, his county and his city. He never desired a public of- fice or to pose in a public way. He was foremost in all affairs of community interest, serving loyally and actively in all capacities, but he resolutely held out against holding any public office.

Besides being a practical workman, Captain Fletcher was original and forceful in his business methods. He had a splendid foresight and was one of the first to realize the increasing value of timber lands in which he invested heavily and from which he reaped a rich profit. In a business way he was a dominating factor in the yellow pine lumber indus- try when it was in its inception and afterward when it developed into a great Texas industry. He was a leader among the manufacturers and some of his methods of doing business were then revolution- ary, although they have since been universally adopted. He was a pioneer in all things. He in- vented numerous useful devices of a mechanical nature and he pointed the way for other lumber manufacturers to widen the market and extend the distribution of yellow pine.

His business career was characterized by a cour- age which amounted almost to daring for others, but to him it meant a mind made up on a judgment of which he never entertained a doubt. He sought new lines of thought, investigated new methods, studied conditions, and subsequent events have paid tribute to his remarkable foresight. His career as a lumberman was a model for many who are today the heads of lumber concerns. The Texas Tram & Lumber Company, under Captain Fletcher, was the right guide of the rank and file of yellow pine man- ufacturers, and Captain Fletcher was a recognized leader, who refused the nominal title and place, but was, nevertheless, the actual pathfinder for his fel- low lumbermen. He was the single largest factor in the yellow pine trade during his active career.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 146

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