New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 56

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

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Mr. Cockrell was born at West Point, Mississippi, in 1869, son of Alex G. Cockrell, a native of Ala- bama, who came to Texas as a young man, first lo- cating at Houston, later going to Crockett, then to Huntsville and then back to Houston. He was for forty-five years engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in this state. His mother, prior to her mar- riage was Miss Sarah Kone, a native of North Carolina.

Mr. Cockrell was educated in the public schools of Crockett, Huntsville and Houston, and entered Tulane University. Graduating from that institu- tion he returned to Houston and for a short time was with the George W. Heyer Drug Company. He then established his business and from his retail line he has launched into the wholesale field.

Mr. Cockrell was married at San Antonio, Texas, April, 1906, to Miss Edwina Duncan, a native of New Orleans. She was educated at St. Mary's College at San Antonio, Forest Park University and the Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Cockrell reside at 3803 Main Street. Mr. Cockrell is a member of the Elks Club, the Houston Club, River Oaks Country Club and the State Pharma- ceutical Association.

266

حسن

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

A. BOETTCHER came to Houston in 1903 and the following year formed a partner- ship with Mr. Charles L. Desel under the firm name of Desel-Boettcher Company of which he has since been active vice president and this company has become the largest wholesale pro- duce company in the Southwest. This large firm was established by Mr. Desel in 1901 and in 1904 Mr. Boettcher came into it as active vice president and their business has grown from a very small be- ginning to immense proportions, requiring the serv- ices of more than one hundred experienced people. In 1910 this firm completed their splendid, fireproof building of three floors and with a space on each floor of more than thirty-one thousand square feet, with all modern conveniences and one of the largest and best equipped sanitary cold storage plants in the state. In addition to this large plant in Hous- ton, the firm of Desel-Boettcher have six branch houses located at Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Vic- toria, Lufkin, Navasota and Palestine, Texas. They have thirty-five salesmen on the road, twenty of whom are out of the Houston establishment. This firm handles fruit, produce, poultry, eggs and other commodities in car load lots and sells at wholesale only. Other officers of the Desel-Boettcher Com- pany and who have contributed to the success of this large establishment are Charles L. Desel, pres- ident and general manager; L. H. Baskin, vice pres- ident and manager of the Corpus Christi branch house of this firm; H. W. Schaffer, vice president and sales manager Southwest Texas district, and Alvin Byers, purchasing agent and vice president. Mr. Fred Autry is secretary-treasurer.

A native Texan, Mr. Boettcher was born in Colo- rado County, March 6th, 1863. His father, F. Boettcher (deceased since 1894), a native of Ger- many, came to the United States with his parents when ten years of age, where he grew to man- hood in South Texas and during all his business life was engaged in the merchandising business in Colo- rado and Fayette Counties, where he was regarded as one of the staunch and progressive citizens. His mother was Miss Albertine Greeven, a native of Ger- many, and his father met her in the land of their nativity on one of his visits there, when quite a young man and later returned to the fatherland, and they were married by the United States con- sular officer in Brussels, Belgium, after which they immediately came to the United States. Mr. Boett- cher's education was obtained in the public schools of Colorado County and in Viersen, Germany. He was one of twelve children, seven girls and five boys, all of whom are living and with the exception of one who lives in Oklahoma, they are all residents of the Lone Star State.

After Mr. Boettcher had finished school, he en- tered his father's mercantile establishment at Wei- mar, Colorado County, where he remained until 1882, when he went to Galveston and became associated with a large cotton firm there, and remained in the cotton business until 1885. At this time, his father gave him an interest in the firm at Weimar, Texas, and he returned there with his father until his father's death in 1894, after which he and his brother continued to conduct the business until 1903, when he left his brother in charge, and came to Houston and entered the produce business under the name of Boettcher Produce Company. He continued this

business until June 19th, 1904, when he consolidated his business with that of Mr. Desel's and formed a partnership, and has been active in the business since that time as vice president. Mr. Boettcher was married in Houston, December 27th, 1887 to Miss Sophie Reichardt, a member of a prominent and pioneer family of Houston. They have three chil- dren, Marie, now the wife of W. T. Peckenpaugh of Houston; Fred C. Boettcher, captain of the Rice In- stitute football team of 1923, and Dorothy, at home with her parents. Mr. Boettcher is a member of the Glenbrook Country Club and the Turnverein Club. Mr. Boettcher has always been prominently identi- fied with all movements tending to promote the growth and importance of Houston, and is confident that its wonderful opportunities will cause it to become he leading city of the Southwest.

OUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER COM- PANY, one of the largest public utilities in the South, was first organized and incor- porated in 1906 under the laws of the state of Texas. Since that time it has continuously and successfully supplied the electrical requirements of the community it serves.

The Company operates without competition in the city of Houston, which includes Houston Heights and Brunner. Its field of operations extends to Magnolia Park, Harrisburg and other suburbs adja- cent to Houston. The Company's plant is of brick and concrete construction and has a capacity of 72,500 kilowatts. The most modern equipment and machinery is used to supply the needs of the city. A large force of skilled electricians is employed to maintain and operate the plant. Its distribution system is very extensive, consisting of approxi- mately five hundred miles of overhead and about fifty miles of underground lines conveying elec- trical energy through more than forty-five thousand meters. Owing to the rapid growth of Houston and the adjacent territory, the Company found it nec- essary to revise all its previous estimates. The revised estimates indicated the need for additional facilities and so construction for an immense power plant was begun March 1st, 1923. The site of this plant is on the ship channel and is conceded by engineers to be one of the best arranged plants in the country. The plant will be completed about September 1st, 1924 and because of its size will take care of the community's needs for some time to come.

The Company employs approximately 750 people, many of whom own stock in it which they can pur- chase either on the all cash or partial payment plan. In addition to the employee stock holders there are about fifteen hundred citizens of Harris County who also own stock. The company's stock is considered as a safe, sound investment and among the best of its kind offered to the investing public.

For the past nine years, the Company has been under the active management of Mr. S. R. Bertron, Jr., who is vice president and general manager. Mr. E. B. Parker is president and Mr. R. S. Dauncy secretary and treasurer. The directorate is com- posed of the following well known business men: Mr. A. S. Greiner, Mr. Abe Wagner, Mr. Denton Cooley, Mr. Kenneth Womack, Mr. E. A. Peden, Mr. Ben Reisner, Judge T. W. Ford, Mr. R. W. Weir, and Mr. Ralph Feagin.

269

MEN OF TEXAS

K. MORROW has been identified with the Standard Rice Company since its establish- ment in Houston, and as president of the company has piloted its growth and devel-

opment. The Standard Rice Company was estab- lished and incorporated in 1902 with a capital stock of $100,000.00 and its business has grown steadily, and the capital stock increased to the present cap- ital of $1,500,000.00. The Standard Rice Company is the largest company of its kind and handles about one-eighth of the entire rice crop of the United States, owning besides the large Houston estab- lishment, rice mills at Stuttgart, Arkansas, Crow- ley, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee, with east- ern sales offices in New York and Philadelphia. The combined capacity of the four mills runs up- ward from ten thousand bags daily. The Houston plant covers an area of ten acres, and the elevator capacity is four hundred thousand bushels, and one hundred people are employed at this plant. The ele- vator capacity and the number of employees are practically the same at the other three mills. The Standard Rice Company are manufacturers and sellers of the well known White House brand of rice, put out in attractive one-pound packages. In addi- tion to their large domestic trade, they do a large foreign business. The other officers of this com- pany are R. E. Paine, vice president, E. W. Gruend- ler, treasurer, and F. A. Farda, secretary.

A native Texan, Mr. Morrow was born in Lavaca County in 1867. His parents, W. H. Morrow and Martha (McCown) Morrow, came to Texas from Virginia, and were among the pioneer settlers of the Lone Star State. Mr. Morrow's education was obtained in the public schools of Lavaca County. Soon after leaving school, he started his business career in farming and in the mercantile store of W. F. Upton, one of the big men of Texas, and for whom Upton County is named. He remained with Mr. Upton for five years and then went to Sugar- land and engaged in the sugar refining business with the Ed H. Cunningham Refining Company. He remained with this company for twelve years, be- ginning with them as a bookkeeper. He was ad- vanced during this period to the position of general manager. In 1899, Mr. Morrow came to Houston and engaged in the wholesale grocery line, doing business under the name of Kirkland and Morrow. He remained in this line until 1907, when he sold the wholesale grocery concern to the Schumacher Company.

Mr. Morrow was married in Houston in 1900 to Miss Josephine Burton, a daughter of Charles Bur- ton, who was for many years general manager of the H. and T. C. Railroad, and later general man- ager of the T. and N. O. Railroad, and had the distinction of bringing the first locomotive to Texas, which was purchased by and used on the first rail- road operated in the state, the Houston and Texas Central. They have two children, Josephine, a graduate of Columbia University, New York, and W. Kyle Morrow, Jr., a student in the Houston schools. Mr. Morrow is interested in other enter- prises and industries of Houston, and is a director in the Houston Land and Trust Company. In fra- ternal and social organizations he is a member of the A. F. and A. M., a Knight Templar and a Shrin- er of Arabia Temple, of which he is a life mem- ber, the Elks Lodge, the Houston Club, the Houston

and River Oaks Country Clubs. Mr. Morrow has always been active in the business, social and gen- eral community life of Houston, and gives liberally of his time to all projects tending to the welfare and advancement of this city.

W. SHELOR, veteran automobile dealer of the Lone Star State, and well known in Houston automotive circles as distributor for Dodge Brothers cars, has since coming to this city several years ago attained an enviable repu- tation for his activities in this important industry. Mr. Shelor is President and General Manager of the Shelor Motor Company, Incorporated, distributors for Dodge Brothers cars in the Houston territory. This firm is the result of a reorganization of the Dodge dealership, established in Houston in 1914, and taken over by Mr. Shelor the first of March, 1921. Since assuming the management of the business Mr. Shelor has materially built up the organization, and has done much to popularize this car, his sales showing an annual increase that is very gratifying. All departments are in charge of capable men, the service department especially being well managed and satisfactorily, with facilities for servicing Dodge cars now in use. A force of ten salesmen look after the selling end of the business, with a total employ- ment of forty men. The sales rooms occupy a well arranged building at 520 Louisiana Street, where some twenty thousand square feet of floor space affords adequate room for the attractive display of cars. The repair, parts and service departments are on Silver Street, where an additional twenty thousand square feet of floor room insures the routing of cars with a minimum of delay. In addi- tion to Mr. Shelor as President, the officers of the Shelor Motor Company are A. J. Harris, Vice-Presi- dent and Sales Manager, and R. W. Bush, Secretary.

Mr. Shelor was born at Calhoun, Georgia, in 1876, son of R. J. Shelor, a native of South Carolina, who has for many years been a farmer in Georgia, and is now retired, living on his farm there. His mother, before her marriage, Miss Emma Bruce, is also a native of South Carolina. Mr. Shelor was educated in the public schools of Calhoun, and after finishing there took a business course. He then went to Ari- zona, where he was for five years Private Secretary to a large mine owner. He then came to Dallas as Branch Manager for the American Multigraph Com- pany, a position he held for four years. He then became Branch Manager for the United States Mo- tor Company, at Dallas, holding this position until 1913. In that year he became District Representa- tive for Dodge Brothers and began to organize Dodge Brothers dealerships all over Texas. When he resigned this position to take over the Houston dealership, he had established one hundred and sixty- five dealerships in Texas.

Mr. Shelor was married at Dallas, the first of June, 1918, to Miss Alice Lynn Harris, a native of the Lone Star State. They have one child, Alice Lynn, and make their home at 1501 Marshall Street. Mr. Shelor is a Mason, Blue Lodge No. 761, Dallas, Thirty-Second degree Scottish Rite, and a member of Hella Temple, Dallas. He has recently taken out a demit to transfer to Arabia Temple Shrine at Houston. He also belongs to various social and civic organizations, such as the Houston Club, the River Oakes Country Club and the Kiwanis Club. He is also a Director of the Better Business Bureau.

270

Ir. Av. Morron.

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

J. SETTEGAST, JR., cattle man, real es- tate owner, capitalist and native Houston- ian, has spent practically all of his life here, where he is known as one of the city's most progressive and public-spirited citizens. Mr. Settegast has been active in the business life · of Houston for many years and is identified with many of the city's enterprises. Mr. Settegast, with his brothers and sisters, built the Stratford Hotel, which they own, with a great deal of other city property. He built the Hermann Building on Travis Street and another building of the same name, lo- cated at Main and Dallas Streets. Mr. Settegast is President of the Houston Car Wheel Machine Com- pany, manufacturers of car wheels, and are en- gaged in a general jobbing business. Mr. Settegast is Secretary and Treasurer of the Tel Electric Com- pany of Houston. The Binz building is owned by Mr. Settegast's wife, Melange Binz Settegast, and A. J. Binz.

Mr. Settegast was born in Houston, January 15th, 1875. His father, W. J. Settegast, was a pioneer cattle man and real estate owner of Houston and Harris County. His mother was Miss Annie Scholi- bo, a member of a well known Houston family. Mr. Settegast's early education was obtained in the pub- lic schools of Houston, after which he attended col- lege for three months. When he was fifteen years of age his father's health failed and he was forced to return to Houston and assist in looking after his father's affairs, and in 1897 he opened a livery stable, which was his first business venture alone. In 1901 he disposed of this business, and entered the real estate business and other lines of endeavor, with office in the Binz building, and since that time has been interested in the business enterprises of Houston. During Mayor Campbell's administra- tion Mr. Settegast was Chairman of the Good Roads Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and built the beautiful Main Street Boulevard and Street, which is one hundred and twenty feet wide out of the city, and in order to do this it was necessary to have a law passed through legislative proceed- ings to condemn one hundred and twenty feet wide streets. At this time Mr. Settegast is advocating that streets and roads be one hundred and twenty feet wide in order to take care of future traffic. Mr. Settegast has been active in the civil affairs of Houston all his life, and during the World War he was a member of the Exemption Board, and was active in all drives for the good of the govern- ment, and was a tireless worker throughout the entire period of the World War. His offices are located at 325-6 Binz building, and is a constant worker for the interests which he represents.

Mr. Settegast was married in Houston, June 20th, 1898, to Miss Melange Binz, a native Texan and a daughter of Jacob Binz, pioneer Texan and real es- tate owner of Houston and the builder of the Binz building, one of the first office buildings to be erected in Houston. They have one son, B. J. Sette- gast. Mr. and Mrs. Settegast reside at 2512 Brazos Street. In fraternal, social and technical organ- izations Mr. Settegast is a member of the B. P. O. E., Houston Club, Chamber of Commerce, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers' Association, in which organization he was until recently a director. Hav- ing been born in Houston and lived practically all his life here, Mr. Settegast is in a position to note

and appreciate the many changes that have taken place in the city of his nativity during this period of time. It is not a difficult matter for him to re- call the early days of Houston when it was a vil- lage on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, and to note the periods down to the busy, thriving city of today with the world's commerce brought to her doors by ocean-going vessels, and believes that the end is not in sight; that Houston will soon become the great metropolis of the Southwest. This has been Mr. Settegast's sentiments in reference to the future of Houston for many years, and his faith has never faltered, but has grown stronger each year, until now it is plain to be seen that Houston is destined to become the industrial and financial center of the Southwest within the next few years.

HOMAS E. SWANN, who has recently be- come a resident of Houston, has since his arrival in this city been identified with musical merchandising as the distributor for Victor Talking Machines. Mr. Swann is Presi- dent and General Manager of the T. E. Swann Com- pany, Victor Distributors, doing a wholesale business exclusively. This company was established in Hous- ton in 1912 as the Talking Machine Company of Texas, and later, in 1921, when Mr. Swann assumed control, became known as the T. E. Swann Com- pany. The firm has charge of Victor distribution in Texas and Louisiana, with a force of twenty em- ployees, and four men on the road making monthly trips to the Victor dealers in these States. They occupy a modern business building, at Wood and Willow Streets, a two-story, fireproof structure, with more than twenty thousand square feet of floor space. The Swann Company carries complete stocks of all the Victor machines and handles an exception- ally large volume of business annually. The officers of the T. E. Swann Company are T. E. Swann, Pres- ident, E. S. Swann, Vice-President, L. M. Willis, Treasurer and W. B. Callaway, Secretary.

Mr. Swann was formerly in the furniture busi- ness, beginning in a small way, and later opening stores in all the principal cities of Central and East Texas. The firm, known as the Swann Furniture Company, Incorporated, operated stores in Tyler, Marshall, Palestine, Crockett, Austin and Corsicana. The company is still in force, and Mr. Swann is in- terested in the store at Tyler. In 1914 he became interested in the Victor distribution, buying an in- terest in his present business, then the Talking Ma- chine Company of Texas. In 1919 the business was moved to Austin but a year later was brought back to Houston, as offering greater facilities as a ship- ping point on account of the water frontage afforded by the Houston Deep Water Channel.

Mr. Swann was born at Tyler, Texas, the eigh- teenth of August, 1875, son of Thomas R. Swann, who came to Texas in 1855, and until his death was a factor in the cotton industry. His mother, before her marriage, Miss Alisica Evans, in a native of Georgia, Mr. Swann began his education in the pub- lic schools of his native city, and after graduating from the high school there attended the University of Texas. He began his business career in the furni- ture business in Tyler.

Mr. Swann was married at Tyler, Texas, to Miss Carrie Rowland, a native of that city. They make their home at the Rice Hotel. Mr. Swann is a mem- ber of the Houston Country Club.

273

MEN OF TEXAS

UDGE R. E. BROOKS, capitalist, oil opera- tor, lawyer, is one of Houston's leading citizens and business men. Judge Brooks maintains offices at 310 Humble Building, and while retired, is now busier than ever before. With others, Judge Brooks was active in the organi- zation of the Texas Fuel Company, in December, 1901, that in 1902 became The Texas Company. For many years he served as director and treasurer of the company. With others he was also one of the or- ganizers of the Producers Company, of which he was president until 1917, when it was taken over by The Texas Company. In 1920 he retired from The Texas Company to look after his personal affairs. Since coming to Houston, Julge Brooks has become interested in many of the city's financial and com- mercial organizations. He is a director in the Union National Bank, and has been with this insti- tuition since its organization, and became a direc- tor of the Guardian Trust Company a few months after its organization.

A native Texan, Judge Brooks was born in Bas- trop County, August second, 1864. His father, C. W. Brooks, came to Texas from Alabama in 1852. His mother was prior to her marriage, Miss Elizabeth Burleson, who was born in 1835 in Bas- trop County, Texas, and was the youngest sister of General Edward Burleson, who fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. His mother lived in the time in Texas when Indian raids were frequent and dis- astrous and three of her brothers were killed by the Indians. She belonged to the real pioneer families who came into the wilderness of Texas in order to pave the way for the modern methods of living which we are enjoying today, and endured all the privations and hardships incident to coming here at that early date. Judge Brooks' education was obtained in the Southwestern University at George- town, Texas, and he graduated from this institu- tion in the class of 1883, with the degree of A. B. and in 1884 received from this university the degree of A. M. Soon after leaving college Judge Brooks began the study of law in a law office, and was admitted to the bar in 1885, and he immediately began the practice of his profession in Williamson County, and remained there until 1895, when he was appointed district judge, which included the counties of Travis and Williamson. He was twice elected to succeed himself in this office, and resigned in 1901, in order to enter the oil business, first at Spindle Top and then went with The Texas Company, and con- tinued with this company until 1920, when he re- tired.

Judge Brooks was married at Georgetown, Texas, November 28th, 1889, to Miss Fannie Booty, a member of a prominent Texas family. They have two children: R. E. Brooks, Jr., who is prominently identified with the oil industry in South Texas, and a daughter, Edwina Brooks. Another son, Clarence Brooks, died at the Camp Pike Arkansas officers training school, during the influenza epidemic of the World War. Judge Brooks takes an active in- terest in the civic affairs of Houston and often makes addresses and writes for the press in the interest of Houston. He believes that Houston, with an unlimited trade territory, and low freight rates, will soon become the leading city of the Southwest. Judge Brooks is regarded as a keen business man, with a brilliant mind, and no man in Houston is more highly honored and respected.

ENERAL JOHN A. HULEN has for more than fifteen years been well known as a popular railroad official in the State, but is probably better known in military circles, where he has been active for more than thirty years. In 1919 General Hulen was made President and Receiver of the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway Company, and has continued in this official capacity with office at 301 Union Station, Houston. This railroad consists of 303 miles of its own tracks, which with the leased lines amounts to 368 miles in operation. Six hundred people make up the organi- zation. Terminal points of the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad are located at Houston, Fort Worth and Cleburne. Ten trains are operated daily, con- sisting of six freight and four passenger trains be- tween Waxahachie, Cleburne, Teague and Houston.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 56

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