New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 11

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1262

USA > Texas > New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2 > Part 11

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).

John Dollinger, Jr., was born at New Orleans, Louisiana, the twenty-first of September, 1871, the son of John Dollinger, a merchant of that city, and Margaret Dollinger. He attended the public schools of New Orleans, and first engaged in business in that city, in the metal business. Later he went to Donaldsville, Louisiana, where he was in business for himself for four years, later spending four years at Placquemine, Louisiana, after which he moved to Beaumont, establishing his present business.

Mr. Dollinger was married at Placquemine, Louis-

1106

Fauzy

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

iana, in 1904, to Miss Cora Rouse, daughter of Charles Rouse, an old resident of that place and a grocery merchant, and Nancy Rouse. Mr. and Mrs. Dollinger have six children, Charles, Meyerer, Paul- ine, John, Cora Lee and Francis, and make their home at 1120 Avenue D. Mr. Dollinger is a mem- ber of the Rotary Club and is a Mason, York and Scottish Rites, and a member of El Mina Temple.

USTEN F. JAKOWICZ came to Port Ar- thur, Texas, in 1917 in order to take over the management of the Consumer's Ice and Coal Company, which is located at 945 Houston Avenue. In 1921 Mr. Jakowicz purchased the plant and has been the owner and manager of same since that time. This plant was built in 1915, and has a capacity of thirty tons of ice daily, and sells to both the wholesale and retail trade. Since Mr. Jakowicz has had the management of this plant, he has built up a wonderful business, not only in the wholesale and retail sales of ice, but in coal and building materials, consisting of brick, cement, lime, roofing, etc. He has made the Consumer's Ice and Coal Company one of the leading plants of its kind in this portion of the state, and plans to increase the capacity of the plant at an early date. Mr. Jakowicz has had an experience as an engineer and ice manufacturer that has taken him to practically all portions of the United States, and he has gained a practical experience that few men are fortunate enough to obtain. He came to the United States at the early age of sixteen years and began his business career immediately, and for a period of twelve years was employed as an engineer at New- ark, New Jersey. With this experience as a founda- tion, he has followed engineering and kindred lines up to the present time, and a good portion of his life has been spent in the ice and brewing lines of this business. He was for many years trouble man for plants of this kind, and this line of work carried him to all parts of the United States. He was regarded as an expert and his services in this field of activity were constantly in demand. He came to Beaumont, Texas, in 1919 on a mission of straightening out the ice plant at that place, and it was his intention to only remain a few days, but he liked the Lone Star State better than any place he had visited, and he concluded to make this his future home, and has never left the environs of Texas. He was associated with the Consumers Ice and Coal Company at Beaumont in 1909, and later was made manager of this plant, and still later was made general manager of Beaumont and Port Arthur plants, and in 1917 came here as man- ager and in 1921 bought out the plant, which he has since conducted successfully.

Mr. Jakowicz was born in Poland on January 7th, 1873. His parents, natives of Poland also, never came to America. Mr. Jakowicz was married in Chicago in 1906 to Miss Hedwig Janis, a native of Poland, but who had spent nearly all her life in America. They have two children: Eugene and Frances. Mr. and Mrs. Jakowicz reside at 3456 Sixth Street. Mr. Jakowicz is a member of the Knights of Columbus and has attained to the fourth degree in this order. Mr. Jakowicz is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Young Men's Business League. He is loud in his praise of Port Arthur, and believes that this city will become the leading shipping point of the Southwest.

C. LOVE is well known in Texas and Louis- iana as an engineer, where he has been in charge of some of the most important work in this line which has been carried out in this portion of the country. Mr. Love came to Beaumont, Texas, four years ago to make this city his perma- nent home, but had resided here for some time before, and had left this city on account of his work calling him to other parts of the state. Mr. Love is county highway engineer of Jefferson County, with headquarters at the court house in Beaumont. More than $2,700,000.00 worth of new roads and highways have been completed under his direction. Mr. Love has charge of all highway construction in this county and is recognized as one of the most competent engineers in the state. His office here is located at the county court house. In addition to his work as an engineer, Mr. Love is regarded as one of the most capable instructors in engineering of Texas and many of the younger engineers of this and other states have received their knowledge under the able tutelage of Mr. Love. He has had a wide and varied experience in engineering and kindred lines, which he began as an instructor in drawing at the A. and M. College, covering the full subject, for a period of four years. He then entered railroad service, in the construction and maintenance departments and was located in South Central Texas and Louisiana, where he remained for four years- 1903-1907, during which time he was associated with the Southern Pacific lines and the Santa Fe Railroad. He then came to Beaumont as general superintendent of the Beaumont Irrigating Com- pany, and was in charge of the work of this com- pany for four and one-half years, after which he engaged in private work for one year. He then returned to the A. and M. College, on the request of the board of that institution, and for seven years was professor of engineering at that Texas College. He then became division engineer for the state highway department and remained in this position for a period of two years, when he returned to Beaumont in order to accept his present place as county highway engineer.

A native Texan, Mr. Love was born at Calvert. on April 1st, 1876. His father, B. F. Love, was one of the pioneers in surveying and engineering in Central Texas. His mother was Miss Amelia M. Weir, a member of a well known Texas family. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Calvert, Texas, after which he entered the A. and M. College and remained a student of this institution for three years, and then attended Cornell University, pursuing the courses which would fit him for his life work.

Mr. Love was married at Houston in 1899 to Miss Laurel Sronce, a daughter of E. C. Sronce, for many years engaged in the furniture business at Colum- bus, Texas, and well known in the business circles of South Texas. They have two children-Jeane, twenty-two years of age, and Alan, aged fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Love reside at 1455 North Street. Mr. Love is a member of the York Rite body of the Masonic Fraternity, the B. P. O. E., the Rotary Club and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is popular in the business and social circles of Beaumont and in all portions of the state, where he is regarded as a man at the top of his profession, and his services along engineering and educational lines are in constant demand.

1109

MEN OF TEXAS

ARRS McLEAN, who for about two decades has been associated with the development 5 of the coastal oil fields as an independent operator, has made his headquarters at Beaumont, and is widely known to the oil fraternity of this section. Mr. McLean operates under his own name, maintaining offices in the Gilbert Build- ing, and has limited his operations to the coastal fields. He has production from royalties in most of the fields of the coastal region, and is one of the largest royalty owners in South Texas. Mr. Mc- Lean has been unusually successful in buying un- developed leases, securing the capital to develop them, and retaining a part of the royalty, a form of operation that has proven profitable. Two of his most notable successes was in the development of the deep sand fields at Spindle Top and High Island. In both of these fields he secured large lease acreage on which he promoted the successful development, retaining a substantial over-riding royalty on his leases.

Mr. McLean's operations have not been confined to royalties, as his activities are also directed to the producing end of the oil business. He has interest in substantial production in a number of the coastal fields of Texas and Louisiana, with well equipped lease and drilling machinery. While he has asso- ciates in some properties, for the most part his operations are in an individual capacity.

Mr. McLean was born at Sherman, Texas, the twentieth of June, 1883. His father, Judge E. C. McLean, is one of the prominent attorneys of Sher- man. His mother, prior to her marriage, was Miss Rena Wilson Marrs, a member of a well known family of Kentucky.

Mr. McLean received his early instructions in the public schools of Sherman, later attending Aus- tin College, in that city for three years, after which he went to Austin and attended the University of Texas for three years, receiving the LL. B. de- gree from that institution in 1904. He was a "T" man in football team, and a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He came to Beaumont in 1908, and be- gan in the oil business as an independent operator, and has so continued to the present time.

Mr. McLean was married at Beaumont, in 1917, to Miss Verna Hooks, daughter of J. L. Hooks, land owner and cattle man of this section. Mr. and Mrs. McLean have one child, Ruth, and reside at 1262 Calder Avenue. Mr. McLean is a member of the Beaumont Country Club, the Neches Club, and is an Elk. A business man whose sound and versatile knowledge of the petroleum industry has been a fac- tor in his success. Mr. McLean has won the re- spect and confidence of the business world at Beau- mont, and has taken an active part in the develop- ment of this city.

E. PIVOTO, one of the most careful and conservative operators in the Sour Lake field, has in the two decades of his activity in the petroleum industry concentrated his attention on development in this locality, and has established the reputation of an independent opera- tor thoroughly familiar with this field and its possi- bilities. Mr. Pivoto, who operates independently, has two fine tracts in the Sour Lake field, one of ten acres owned in fee, and one of eight acres in lease. He has around a score of producing wells, with close to a hundred barrels daily production, and his lease

is one of the best in the field. He has one of the finest power plants in the Sour Lake field, and has all modern equipment for operating his lease. Mr. Pivoto is also vice-president and a director of the Hull State Bank at Hull, Texas, and vice presi- dent and director of the Sour Lake State Bank, at Sour Lake, Texas, and as a banker is thoroughly familiar with the soundest financial policies, tak- ing an active interest in the management of the two banking institutions with which he is connected.

Mr. Pivoto was born at Nome, Texas, seven miles from Sour Lake, in May, 1875, the son of J. M. Pivoto, a farmer and stockman of this community. He attended the public schools at Nome, later engag- ing in farming until 1903, when he began his oil field experience. He started at the bottom, work- ing for others, and while learning the business saved his money with the view of operating inde- pendently. In 1911 he began for himself, drilling his own wells, and operating his lease in the Sour Lake field, and has made a big success here.

Mr. Pivoto was married at Nome, Texas, in 1900, to Miss Ella D. Peterson, the daughter of G. J. Peterson, a farmer in Jefferson County. Mr. and Mrs. Pivoto reside at Sour Lake, and are active in the social life here. Mr. Pivoto is an Elk. He has for many years been deeply interested in the civic development of Sour Lake, and has held public offices, at various times, serving as justice of the peace and as county commissioner.

Note: Mr. Pivoto has, since this sketch was written, moved his family to Beaumont, Texas, resi- dence, 1620 Victoria Street.

UNCAN M. HALL, for around a decade one of the progressive business men of Beau- mont, has been a factor in the development of this city as a shipping center, and is one of the best informed shipping and transportation men in this locality. Mr. Hall is the owner of the Hall Shipping Company, one of the leading and oldest shipping companies at Beaumont, and one which has built up a large and prosperous business. The Hall Shipping Company acts as steamship agents and freight forwarders, representing nine of the leading steamship lines. The leading merchan- dise shipped is lumber, rice, and oil well supplies, and a large proportion of the business handled is to coastwise ports and to Mexico and South America. The office in Beaumont is in the San Jacinto Build- ing, and an office is also maintained in Port Arthur.

Mr. Hall was born at Rockwall, Texas, the third of February, 1889, the son of A. R. Hall, who is with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad at Rockwall. He was educated in the public schools, attending the schools of Fort Worth, where he graduated from high school. He then went with a railroad company in Fort Worth, in the trans- portation department, remaining there until 1916, when he came to Beaumont, as general agent for the Gulf Coast Lines, a position he held for two years. He then became traffic manager of the Gulf Export and Transportation Company, remain- ing with that organization for three and a half years, and resigning to establish the shipping com- pany he has since headed.

Mr. Hall was married at Fort Worth, in 1911, to Miss Eva Susan Sharp. They reside in Beaumont, at 2598 South Street, and have two children, Duncan M. Hall, Jr., and Helen Elizabeth Hall. Mr. Hall

1110

Mars mleau

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

is a member of the Rotary Club, and is a Mason, Scottish Rite, and a member of El Mina Temple Shrine at Galveston. He keeps in close touch with shipping and transportation activities, and is an expert in this line. Mr. Hall is also deeply inter- ested in civic affairs, particularly those which have to do with the advancement of Beaumont as an inland port.

C. GRIFFING, whose name is of special significance in the horticultural world, has for a number of years past been associated with the nursery business at Beaumont, and has established here one of the largest nurser- ies in the entire Southwest. Mr. Griffing is the owner of the Griffing Nurseries, an organization that saw its beginning in a small nursery estab- lished in Florida nearly four decades ago by D. C. Griffing, and later managed by his five sons, of whom the subject of this sketch is one. The com- pany at Beaumont was established nearly two de- cades ago, as a partnership between John W. Gates and the Griffing Brothers, and capitalized at that time for five hundred thousand dollars. After Mr. Gates' death the partnership was dissolved, and W. C. Griffing became the sole owner of the business. The tract formerly owned at Port Arthur, consisting of three hundred and sixty-five acres, has been made into one of the most modern sub-divisions in the South, and is known as Griffing Residential Park. The land holdings of the company include two hun- dred and twenty-four acres at Rosedale, Texas, and one hundred and twenty-six acres near Kountze, with fifteen houses on the Rosedale property and six buildings on the Kountze property. Also around twenty thousand feet under glass at Griffing Resi- dential Park, that is used for florist business.

Today the Griffing Nurseries ship to practically every state in the union, and as far off as Lima, Peru, filling each season around four thousand or- ders, with approximately two million trees and plants used in supplying the demands of their trade. The general organization consists of Mr. Griffing as general supervisor, with the offices of secretary, auditor, landscape architect and nursery manager filled at each separate tract. The entire force em- ployed in the Griffing Nurseries is around two hun- dred. In planning the Griffing Nurseries first con- sideration was given to securing a perfect system of irrigation and drainage, and the plant was built at Rosedale around these two important points. The plant, in its entirety, is one of the best planned, most efficiently operated, in the South, and is a concrete example of the executive ability of Mr. Griffing.

Since Mr. Griffing took complete charge of the business, a period of expansion has marked the en- tire business, and the territory served has been materially extended. Landscape men from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana are coming to the nursery in ever increasing numbers to select their material in car load lots. The mail service carries the nurseries to many thousands of smaller pur- chasers, and the attractive catalogue of the com- pany is distributed to around two hundred thousand people, while thousands of other pieces of small mail go out carrying the Griffing message. In addition to this an ever increasing volume of land- scape work is being done by the Griffing Landscape Department, in Beaumont, Part Arthur, Orange, and nearby cities, as well as in cities of Louisiana.

Among the attractive grounds planned and executed by this department are V. Wiess Park, Pecos Boule- vard, the Beaumont High School, and the homes of John N. Gilbert, W. M. Crook, Ed. Linn, E. Con- way Broun, J. E. LeBlanc, B. R. Norvell, W. R. Priddie, William Saenger, W. C. Keith, M. F. Yount and others in Beaumont; the Port Arthur Hospital, business college, library and many other finer homes of Port Arthur, and many public buildings, apart- ments and residences in other cities in this section.

Mr. Griffing has spent many years in developing the Satsuma orange, the early market orange of the coast states, and an ideal eating orange. The trees supplied by the Griffing Nurseries begin bearing th second year after planting, and are a hardy, per- fect example of this fruit, free from disease, and supplying orange growers of this section with a tree that they can grow without risk. Mr. Griffing also specializes in figs, roses, palms and general landscape material, and has one of the finest stocks in the entire Southwest. The Griffing system of B. and B. shipping is successful and popular. This means baling and burlapping. By this method (B. and B.) the plants are carefully dug with a gen- erous amount of the soil about their roots, and then tightly sewed up in burlap, and so are ready for ship- ment. Some of the especially successful products of the nursery are the Moserianum or Goldflower, Lauretinus, the Privet group, the beautiful broad leaf evergreen, Red or Griffing's Crimson Crepe Myrtle. Everblooming Roses, tens of thousands of which have been grown here and in which field the nursery is supreme. Griffings' Hardy Palms, Ari- zona Ash, Papershell Pecans, Commercial Figs, Mul- berries and Improved Bud Selected Satsuma Or- anges.

Mr. Griffing was born at Norwich, New York, the ninth of May, 1873, the son of D. C. Griffing, who established the Griffing Nursery in Florida around four decades ago. As a boy Mr. Griffing spent much time in the nursery, and after finishing his education he took up horticulture as his life's vocation. He came to Texas in 1906, to establish the Griffing Nurseries in this state, and has been at Beaumont for the latter years of his residence in Texas.

Mr. Griffing was married in New York in 1902, to Miss Nellie R. Bacon, daughter of I. G. Bacon, a farmer and land owner of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Griffing have one child, Ralph C. Griffing, and re- side in Beaumont. Mr. Griffing with his family attend the First Baptist Church. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont, and the Business Men's Club, and fraternally is a Knight of Pythias, an Odd Fellow, and an Elk. He is past president of the Texas Horticultural Society, and of the South- western Nurseryman's Association. He is also a member of American Nurseryman's Association, the Texas Florists Society and the Southern Nursery men's Association. Mr. Griffing is a director of the Tyrell-Combest Realty Company, to whom he re- cently sold 16,000 fig trees. Mr. Griffing has been especially interested in the development and beauti- fication of Beaumont, and has done much to advance this city and make it a perfect residence city. His nurseries and his position as a nurseryman, is point- ed to with justifiable pride by Beaumont, and this city is indeed fortunate in having this large en- terprise, and a man of Mr. Griffings calibre located here.

1113

MEN OF TEXAS

LIVER J. TODD, one of the foremost law- yers of Beaumont, began the practice of his profession in this city in 1901, steadily ad- vancing to a position among the leading lawyers of the state. Mr. Todd's practice is of a general nature, and carries him into all the courts, where his connection with many important and hard fought cases has made him a prominent figure. Mr. Todd has a large and modern suite of offices with a complete library in the San Jacinto Building. He has a force of assistants and his firm is one of the leaders in the city. Mr. Todd gives special atten- tion to corporation practice and is a director in and attorney for the San Jacinto Life Insurance Com- pany, and vice president and director in the Security State Bank and Trust Company. He also represents many of the leading industrial concerns and larger corporations in this part of the state, and is re- garded as an authority on corporation litigation.

Mr. Todd was born at Charleston, Illinois, the twenty-seventh of September, 1877, the son of David P. Todd, a native of Ohio, and a farmer and land owner, and Virginia C. Todd, a native of Virginia. As a boy Mr. Todd attended the public schools in Coles County, Illinois, and later of Valparaiso, In- diana, after which he entered the University of Mich- igan, completing the law course in three years, and graduating in 1901 with the L. L. B. degree. He then came to Beaumont, where he began his practice and has so continued to the present time. He has always taken a keen interest in education and for over two years has served as a member of the Board of Edu- cation. In 1924 he was elected president of this board. He has also become interested in agricul- ture and owns a 5,000 acre rice farm, twenty-five miles from the city.

Mr. Todd was married in Illinois, in 1906, to Miss Carrie Mason, daughter of K. Mason, a farmer of that state, and Mary Mason. Mr. and Mrs. Todd have three children, John D., a student of the Uni- versity of Michigan, Oliver J. Jr., and James W. Charles M., another child, died in May, 1924. They live at 2325 Broadway. Mr. Todd is a member of the American and State Bar Association, the Beau- mont Club, the Beaumont Country Club, and is a Mason, York and Scottish Rites, and a member of El Mina Temple Shrine at Galveston. He repre- sents the highest type of Christian citizenship, and has taken a deep interest in the accomplishments of his city. His masterly handling of corporation problems, and his legal ability has won for him the respect of the bench and bar of this state, and his merited success is in just proportion to his qualities as a citizen and professional man. Notwithstanding his exacting professional and business duties, Mr. Todd has taken an active interest in all constructive public affairs, and is especially concerned with the upbuilding and development of the city.

RINCE A. DOWLEN, attorney at law, Beau- mont, Texas, has for more than a quarter of a century practiced before the Texas bar, and is one of the most successful law- yers of this portion of the state. He began the practice of his profession in this city in 1897 and while he is engaged in a general practice of law, he specializes in land title work and is regarded as an authority on this branch of law. Judge Dowlen has been the recipient of many positions of honor

and trust at the hands of his fellow man, and for two years was justice of the peace here, from 1897 to 1899. He was elected to the office of alderman of the city of Beaumont, in 1906, and served with distinction in this office three consecutive terms. He has always taken a keen interest in educational matters and is a champion of education along all lines. He was a member of the Beaumont school board for about sixteen years and exerted an influ- ence for good and usefulness as a member of that body. He is active in political matters of his city county and state, and has held the office of sec- retary of the County Democratic Executive Com- mittee since 1920, and for more than four years has held the place of chairman of the City Demo- cratic Committee. Judge Dowlen was admitted to the bar in 1892, and immediately began the prac. tice of his profession in Randle County, Texas, where he remained until 1894, when he came to Beaumont to accept the position of superintendent of the pub- lic schools of this city. He remained as superin- tendent of the Beaumont public schools until 1897, when he resigned in order to again take up the prac- tice of law, and has remained here since that time in the practice of law. After leaving school, Mr. Dowlen began his career in the business world as a school teacher, and taught for several years. His first experience in educational work was in Cheath- am County, Tennesseee, and later he taught in Da- vidson and Robertson Counties of that state, after which he removed to Texas and located at Farmers- ville where he was one of the organizers of the Farmersville Academy and was an instructor of . mathematics in this institution until 1889. He then went to Canyon City, Texas, where he was principal of the school at that place, and during the entire period in which he was engaged in teaching, Mr. Dowlen studied law and continued his study of law until he was admitted to the bar.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 11

Author: Davis, Ellis A. Publication date: 1926 Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?] Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1262