New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 128

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

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ENRY LAWRENCE CLAYTON, well known in the oil circles of South Texas, came to West Columbia in July, 1922, as general superintendent of the Gulf Production Company. In the West Columbia field, the Gulf Production Company has twelve producing wells, which make about one thousand barrels per day, however, at this time they have curtailed their production temporarily. This company owns many valuable leases in the West Columbia field, many of which were purchased soon after the first well came in here, at a very conservative price, and these leases have increased in value as the field has in- creased in all directions. The Gulf Production Company have between twenty-five and thirty warehouses here, containing a large and com- plete stock of all kinds of oil equipment, casing, etc. This company is one of the largest producers in this field and employ between twenty-five and thirty people here. Mr. Clayton began his business career in the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad, and after a few years became associated with the Hous- ton and Texas Central Railroad in various capacities. He left the railroad service in order to enter the oil business and has had a wide experience in this great industry. His first experience in oil was at Humble, Texas, where he remained for a period of nine years, after which he went to Blue Ridge, Texas, where he remained for one year and then went to Pierce Junction and remained in that field for one year and then came here. He has been,

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

associated with the Gulf Production Company prac- tically all the time, and is regarded as one of the best practical oil men in the business and a valuable asset to his company.

A native Texan, Mr. Clayton was born at Hearne on April 10th, 1882. His father, James Clayton, was for many years a locomotive engineer for the Hous- ton and Texas Central Railroad. His mother was Miss Carrie Orleans, a member of a well known Texas family. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Houston, after which he attended a business college there.

Mr. Clayton was married at Wylie, Collin County, Texas, in 1903 to Miss Ethel McCarty, a native of the Lone Star State and a daughter of Frank McCarty, for many years engaged in the general merchandising business in Collin County. They have six children: Maxl, Mogene, Fayelva, James Monroe, Paul and Carl. Mr. Clayton is a member of the Knights of Pythias and is active in this organization. He has been very successful in the oil business and has a host of friends in South Texas, and is liked by the officers of the company and by the men employed by him, and to both he is known as a real oil man, successful, conscientious and progressive in his line of endeavor.

HOMAS F. SWEENEY is one of the pio- neers of the oil industry, and has been ac- tively engaged in this field of endeavor in various States for more than thirty years. He has for almost two years been general superin- tendent of the Sun Oil Company's operations at West Columbia, Texas, and has been with his pres- ent company for many years, where he is regarded as one of the leading men engaged in drilling and production in the entire country. In the West Co- lumbia field, the Sun Oil Company has four pro- ducing wells with upward of one hundred and seven- ty-five barrels of oil as a daily production and one well drilling. They own many valuable leases in the proven field here and plan in the near future to do a vast amount of development work. Mr. Sweeney has devoted his entire business life to the oil industry, which he began when nineteen years of age in the oil fields at Bolivar, New York, where he remained for four years. He then went to the Finley oil fields in Ohio and remained in this field for five years, after which he went to Indiana and for three years was employed in the fields at Marion and Gas City. When oil was first discovered at Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he went to that field, where he remained for one year and then returned to Illi- nois and for three years was in the fields at Robin- son and Bridgeport. In 1913 he came to Electra, Texas, and remained in the Electra field for one year, after which he came to South Texas and to Humble, and remained in the Humble field for two years. Mr. Sweeney then went to the Vivian, Louis- iana, field where he remained for almost two years, and came back to Texas and went in the Hull field, where he remained for two years, after which he came to West Columbia, and for many years his activities in the different oil fields was in the in- terest of the Sun Oil Company, who regard him as one of their most valued employees.

Mr. Sweeney was born at Wellesville, New York, on August 21st, 1874. His parents, Thomas Sweeney and Mary Sweeney, were large land owners and

extensive farmers in New York State. His educa- tion was obtained in the schools of his native State.

Mr. Sweeney was married at Robison, Illinois, in 1912 to Miss Katherine Wonderley, a native of Illi- nois and a daughter of John Wonderley, a well known drilling contractor and oil operator of Illinois. They have one son, Joseph Francis Sweeney, two and one-half years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney are at present making their home in West Columbia. Mr. Sweeney is popular with the officials of the Sun Oil Company as well as the employees, and since coming to West Columbia has made a host of friends here. Mr. Sweeney is one of the best known, prac- tical oil men in South Texas, and is held in the high- est esteem by the various big oil companies by whom he has been employed.

EORGE SHEPERD PATRICK, for more than a decade a resident of Houston, and a factor in building activities as one of the leading painting and decorating contractors in the city, has had many years experience in this business and is one of the most capable men in his field. Mr. Patrick is a member of the firm of Hamilton and Patrick, leading painting and deco- rating contractors in Houston, and a firm foremost in building activities. The business was established in 1921, as a partnership, by T. B. Hamilton, for many years a painting and decorating contractor of Houston, and Mr. Patrick, who came here in 1911, and has since been in the painting and decorating business. The office of the firm is located at 213 Larendon Building, and the business is operated on a business like basis, placing it in the ranks of in- dustrial activities. They have equipment for handling any kind of work, including painting, pa- pering, and interior decorating of all kinds. A force of from twenty-five to thirty workmen is maintained, many of them artisans of unusual skill in the deco- rating craft. The firm gives special attention to fine residence work, and has had charge of all deco- rating work on such homes as those of John C. Crotty, Kenneth Womack, H. V. Neuhaus and many others.

George Sheperd Patrick was born at Chicago, Illinois, the eleventh of October, 1879, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar A. Patrick, of that city. His father is a fresco decorator and contractor of Chicago. Mr. Patrick was educated in the public schools of Chi- cago, and graduated from the high school there, after which he entered preparatory school. After leaving school he began in the painting and deco- rating business, and spent a number of years in Chicago as a painter and decorator. He has also been in several other cities, in this line of business, coming to Houston in 1911. He engaged in a con- tracting business here until forming the partnership with Mr. Hamilton, as Hamilton and Patrick, in which firm he is now active.

Mr. Patrick was married at Janesville, Wiscon- sin, in 1904, to Miss Maude Adams, the daughter of John Adams, a manufacturer of wagons and wagon parts, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick make their home at the Glen Ellen Apartments. Mr. Pat- rick is a Mason, Scottish Rite, 32nd degree. He be- longs to the Builders Exchange, and takes a deep interest in all community activities. Mr. Patrick has attained the reputation in the business world of a conservative man, thoroughly versed in his line, and has made many friends in Houston.

1915

MEN OF TEXAS

LAUDE W. SMITH, since coming to Goose Creek several years ago has been actively identified with commercial interests, and has been a factor in the distribution of Magnolia products, both wholesale and retail, in this city and the adjoining territory. Mr. Smith represents the Magnolia Petroleum Company, sell- ing gas and oil in wholesale quantities in this ter- ritory, and supplying the trade in Lynchburg, Cros- by, Cedar Bayou, and Mont Belvieu. Mr. Smith operates one big drum truck, in the distribution of gas to the various stations he supplies, and employs three people. He annually handles more than two hundred thousand gallons of gas, about seventy-five thousand gallons of kerosene, and seven thousand gallons of lubricating oil. Mr. Smith operates the Central Filling Station at Goose Creek, which his wife manages, and in addition to selling oil and gas, has a good line of accessories and supplies. This sta- tion combines all the modern equipment, with pro- gressive management, and gives efficient service to a large patronage. Mr. Smith also operates his own stations at Baytown, Mont Belvieu, Cedar Bayou, Crosby and Elena. He is familiar with the distribu- tion of oil and gas and his activities in the supply business have won for him a commendable reputa- tion. He is thoroughly appreciative of the problems of the filling station operator and as a wholesale dealer, co-operates with him to the advantage of all concerned. In his retail trade he has done much toward creating good will by his consistent ef- forts to give the best possible service, and in this he is aided by Mrs. Smith, who is a business woman of ability. Mrs. Smith took up business after her marriage and has shown every attribute of the suc- cessful business woman. Mr. Smith handles Mag- nolia gas and oil exclusively and has done much to build up trade in this superior product in this sec- tion.

Claude W. Smith was born at Cedar Bayou, the seventh of January, 1894, son of E. G. Smith, a contractor and farmer, who came to Cedar Bayou from Wood County. His mother, before her mar- riage, Miss Mattie Hunt, was reared at Cedar Bayou, and lived there until three years before her death, in November, 1922. The last three years of her life were spent in Houston. Mr. Smith attended the public schools of Cedar Bayou, and later took a business course at Houston, and also attended the business college at Galveston. After leaving school he assisted his father in the contracting business for several years, until he started in business for himself. He began in the oil business in 1919, with the Humble Oil and Refinery Company, remaining with that corporation until 1922, when he went with the Magnolia Petroleum Company, in charge of their wholesale and retail distribution in Goose Creek and neighboring towns. Mr. Smith also owned and operated the Claude W. Smith Lumber Company for a time, but sold this interest and confines his time to his filling stations and oil business.

Claude W. Smith was married the thirteenth of July, 1921, to Miss Lilah Lawrence, daughter of A. B. Lawrence, well known cattleman of Chambers County, and granddaughter of one of Chambers County's most honored pioneers, who came here about 1820 when the country was under Mexican rule. Her mother, Mrs. Varuna Hartman Lawrence, is a well known writer of songs and short stories,

which she publishes under her maiden name, Varuna Hartman. Mrs. Smith has taken an active interest in her husband's business and has under her manage- ment the Central Filling Station at Goose Creek. Mr. and Mrs. Smith make this city their home, and take an active part in the life of the community. Mr. Smith is a member of the Odd Fellow's. As a business man he has made rapid progress along the road to success, and a prosperous future is indi- cated.

C. CAIN has seen many of the important events in the life of the city of Houston and during the years he has resided here has witnessed many changes that bore directly upon the development of the present modern city. For more than thirty years he has lived in Houston and nearly all the time has resided at his present address, 3916 Chenevert Street. Mr. Cain was for- merly engaged in the dairy business here but for the past three years has been retired from active participation in business affairs, retaining, however, an undiminished interest in anything pertaining to the development of Houston.

Mr. Cain was born in Mississippi in 1860 and passed his boyhood in that state during the trying days of the reconstruction period following the close of the Civil War. Coming to Texas at the age of twenty-five, he located at Richmond, but remained there for only a few months when he removed to Alvin. He established a dairy business at Rich- mond which he removed in 1890 to Houston. Sig- nificant of the remarkable advance in the value of Houston property is the fact that seven lots were purchased by Mr. Cain on which he built his res- idence on Chenevert Street shortly after coming to Houston at a price of one hundred dollars each. These same lots could be sold today for more than a thousand dollars each.

A son of a Mississippi farmer who had a very large family, Mr. Cain was forced to work his way through school. After attending the public schools at his home, Mr. Cain was a student at Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College at the time General S. D. Lee was president of this institution.

Mr. Cain was married at Richmond to Miss Fan- nie Cochran, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Coch- ran, a member of a well known family of Georgia, who moved to Mississippi and later to Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Cain have four daughters and a son, Car- rie Anita, Mrs. Sara Alva Conway, Mrs. Tom Hol- land, former director of domestic science in the schools at Beaumont, Mrs. Winnie Mae Reed, a teacher in the Houston schools for several years, and Virgil H., in business at Main and Stewart Streets, Houston.

Some years ago Mr. Cain purchased 370 acres of land at Pierce Junction for pasturage for dry cows and young mules and later bought fifty acres more. He sold out his dairy business when oil was dis- covered at Pierce Junction. The first well on his land was brought in on July 12, 1921, and develop- ment work is still in progress there. The Gulf Com- pany leased 210 acres of Mr. Cain's land.

An interesting talker, Mr. Cain relates many in- cidents of early life in Houston that have had im- portant bearing on the city's progress. Very few, if any, of the pioneer citizens of Houston have par- ticipated in and witnessed more of the important

1916

Claudel Smith.

Aus Claude w Sauce

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

changes here than he has. While retired from active business life, he retains a keen interest in any move- ment that is for the betterment of his home city.

UDSON L. TAYLOR, M. D., M. Sc., F. A. C. S., has been a resident of Houston for about fourteen years, where he has suc- cessfully practiced his profession.

HOMAS H. GUTHRIE has for the past four- teen years been engaged in the real estate business in which his firm specializes in business and industrial sites and South End better homes and home sites.

Mr. Guthrie has been instrumental in locating many of the largest industries in the South and is one of the fathers of the Country Club Estates Company.

Mr. Guthrie's real estate business is conducted under the firm name of Thomas H. Guthrie Company and is located on the eleventh floor of the Union National Bank Building. His firm deals only in high class property, listing nothing in First, Second, Fifth and Sixth Wards, nor Brunner, Houston Heights, Woodland Heights, Eastwood, Magnolia or Central Parks unless it is adaptable for warehouse or factory locations.

Mr. Guthrie and his associates located the Ford plant in Houston, also Moncrief-Lenoir Manufactur- ing Company, Harris-Hahlo Dry Goods Company, and the Woolworth Company in seven different points through Texas and Oklahoma.

His company is sales manager for and conceived the plan of the Country Club Estates Company and River Oaks Country Club. He and his associates bought 362 acres of land in fee and utilized 188 acres most adaptable for club purposes and the remainder, which was most adaptable for home sites, was planned in a very advantageous way to the ad- vantage of both club and home surroundings. The restrictions placed on the home sites were most un- usual and have the most high protective interest to home owners of any addition ever placed on the market in Houston or South Texas. One of these restrictions being that the purchasers must be eli- gible to membership in the club.

The membership of River Oaks Country Club, ad- joining the Country Club Estates, was limited to five hundred members and each of the members of the club became a stockholder in the Country Club Estates Company.

The total amount of stock sold was $249,750, of which $125,000 was taken by club members, there- by confining the control of the company in the club membership.

The total amount of stock subscribed, i. e., $249,- 750, was first used to develop a high class golf course, club building and general improvements on club property before actual development or improve- ments were started on the Home-site Addition of Country Club Estates. Improvements on the es- states are of the very highest type, having storm and sanitary sewers, hard surface streets, curb, gut- ter and sidewalks, city water, lights and telephone connections. There was no watered stock or promo- tion fee in this enterprise. When the Home-sites are all sold, the Country Club Estates will be liquidated and control will then rest in the River Oaks Country

Club. This addition is beautifully wooded and is lo- cated just west of Montrose Addition and less than two miles of the intersection of Montrose and Lov- ett Boulevards.

It is ideally located, as 95 per cent of the club members live within ten minutes' auto drive of the club. There are no railroad tracks or any undesir- able neighborhoods to pass en route to the club. The entire property has sandy soil and perfect drainage. This club has natural hazards and is considered by golf experts to be the finest golf course in the en- tire South.

Mr. Guthrie was born in Louisville, Kentucky, July 17, 1881. His father, T. J. Guthrie, was for many years established in the general merchandise business at Bloomfield, Kentucky, and in later yeant of his life was in the insurance business in Louis- ville and was well known in business circles through- out the state of Kentucky. Mr. Guthrie's education was obtained in the public schools of Louisville and soon after leaving school, which was at the age of fourteen years, he started his business career in St. Louis with Ely Walker Dry Goods Company, where he remained four years and moved to New York to become associated with an importing firm who were dealers in laces and embroideries. He was later sent to Europe to assist in creating styles and de- signs in laces and embroideries and was factory representative for his firm of Leumann, Borsch & Weingart, the largest people in this line of busi- ness at that time in the world. After fourteen years of service with Leumann, Borsch & Weingart, he associated himself with Douglas & Green of Belfast, Ireland. manufacturers and exporters of hand-em- broidered handkerchiefs and linens. Their New York firm name was S. W. Mangus & Company. He was in the Irish linens and handkerchief business for six years and was interested in the importing busi- ness for some years after moving to Houston in 1907, while developing his real estate business.

Mr. Guthrie has been interested in some of the big land companies in Houston, among which were the Frank C. Colby, Houston Land Corporation, owners and developers of Montrose Addition, and he person- ally was responsible for the sale of a large portion of this addition. Mr. Guthrie was married in Hous- ton on May 14, 1907, to Miss Mary Virna Colby, the only child of Frank C. Colby of the "Eat at Colby" Restaurant fame. They have five children, Sarah Frances, Frank Colby, Thomas H. Guthrie, Jr., Mary Virna and Robert Stewart. Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie reside at 3804 Main Street.

Mr. Guthrie is a member of the A. F. and A. M. with membership in Gray Lodge, is a member of Scottish Rites body of this order and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine. He is also a member of River Oaks Country Club, Houston Club, Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, and is also a mem- ber of the First Presbyterian Church.

Houston has many loyal citizens who have worked hard for the progress and advancement of their city, but there is none who has striven any harder for his city than has Thomas H. Guthrie. His success is attributed to his diligence in his work, and to his fair business methods. It is a known fact that he will not tolerate a misrepresentation of any kind, and the absolute truth must be told in all deals. It is his opinion that Houston will soon become the leading city of the Southwest.

1919

MEN OF TEXAS

B. LAWRENCE, representative of one of the real pioneer families of Chambers County, and one which for the past century has taken a leading part in its prosperity and development, has for upwards of three decades been a factor in the cattle industry and one of the largest land owners in this section. Mr. Lawrence has in past years taken a leading part in the ranch- ing activities of Chambers County, and the annual round-up on his ranch was one of the events of the year. More recently his interest in the cattle business has been slowed down by unfavorable mar- ket conditions and he now has but around fifteen hundred head of cattle, which he grazes on his own land, tracts aggregating eight thousand acres, and an additional thousand acres of pasturage which he holds under lease. Mr. Lawrence, unlike many of the cattle men, has not been discouraged by the present unfavorable conditions. but believes that in the near future the cattle business will come into its own, and that the man who can hold his cattle will come out ahead, although it now costs more than the market value of a cow to raise it. Dip- ping, one of the factors causing much dissatisfac- tion, he sees in an advantageous light, especially if it is properly handled. Mr. Lawrence does no farm- ing, giving his entire time to looking after his cattle and his ranch interests. He is assisted by his sons, and with them has handled the entire work of the ranch for some years.

A. B. Lawrence was born in Chambers County the seventh of January, 1865. His father, Joseph Lawrence, was also a native of this county, his birth occurring here in 1832. His father, and the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, had come to Chambers County in the early twenties, and the land he secured then, from the Mexican govern- ment, is still in the family, and Mr. Lawrence, as a cattle man, is upholding the traditions of a family which has been in the industry for more than one hundred years. His mother, before her marriage, was Miss Elizabeth Barrow, a member of one of the real pioneer families of this section of the State.

Mr. Lawrence spent his boyhood on his father's ranch, and while only attending school for a few months of each year, at such times as opportunity presented itself, obtained a good education. He helped about the ranch from an early age, and it was but natural that when he chose his career he should, like his father and grandfather, become a cattle man. For many years his herds were among the largest in Chambers County, and he kept a reg- ular outfit busy, holding round-ups and looking after the routine of raising cattle. About three years ago he sold off most of his steers, and has practically quit buying and selling stock since that time, re- taining a herd of about fifteen hundred head of cows.

Mr. Lawrence was married in Chambers County the twenty-seventh of May, 1885, to Miss Varuna Hartmann, the daughter of Edward Hartmann, a well known resident of Chambers County. Mrs. Law- rence is a gifted writer of songs and poems, and has attained an enviable reputation in this field of writing under the name of Varuna Hartmann. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence make their home on their ranch near Cedar Bayou, and have a family of eight chil- dren. These children are: Cecil V. Lawrence, a well known farmer of this section; Fay M. Lawrence,

Valda E. Lawrence, Pearl G. Lawrence, Elva A. Lawrence, Lilah R. Lawrence, J. Fenton Lawrence, with his father in the cattle business, and A. Bel- mont Lawrence, also associated with his father. The family attend the Presbyterian Church and are prominently identified with various social and civic affairs. Mr. Lawrence has been for many years a member of the Cattlemen's Association and has a wide acquaintance among the cattle men of Texas. He is typical of the cattle men of the early days- genial, generous, and kind-hearted. His home offers a genuine hospitality to a host of friends, and for those less fortunate than himself he offers a benev- olence, simple and unostentatious, but indicative of his true character.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 128

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