New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 139

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 139

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

Mr. McCormick was married in DeWitt County the twenty-fourth of December, 1896, to Miss Nora Emma Hutton, daughter of Alexander Hutton, a pioneer stockman and farmer of DeWitt County. Mr. and Mrs. McCormick make their home at Con- crete, and are the parents of six children, P. I. McCormick, W. W. McCormick, Jr., Alex McCormick, Mrs. Myrtle Fleming, Robert Lee McCormick and Miss Emma McCormick. They also have five grand- children, Murray Eloise Fleming, daughter of Mrs. Fleming, Emma and Theodore Fleming, twin son and daughter of Mrs. Fleming, and William Wallace and Willard Finley, twin sons of Mrs. Fleming, of whom they are very proud. Mr. McCormick is a member of the Retail Merchants Association.

P. I. McCormick, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Mc- Cormick, Sr., was born at Concrete the fifth of December, 1891, and educated in the public schools of Yoakum, later attending Baldwin Brothers Busi- ness College, after which he engaged in railroad work, and was with the San Antonio and Aransas Pass road for four years. In November, 1918, he enlisted in the United States Navy, and was in active service on a battleship until his discharge in June, 1919. He was married the twenty-sixth of December, 1919, at Cuero, to Miss Mattie Ruth Guthrie of Lavaca County. Mrs. McCormick is a granddaughter of the late Marion Guthrie, Civil War Veteran and pioneer settler of this section,

whose death occurred at Cuero at the age of ninety years.

W. W. McCormick, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. McCormick, Sr., was born the tenth of February, 1895, and was educated in the schools of San Marcos and San Antonio and also attended Texas A. and M. College, taking the cotton course. He enlisted in military service in 1918, serving overseas with the Fifty-fifth Infantry, Seventh Division, and was discharged in June, 1919, returning to Concrete, since when he has been engaged in business with his father. Both he, and his brother, P. I. McCormick, are members of the local American Legion Post.

ICHELSON BROS., for about fifteen years have been a leading factor in the business life of Gonzales, Texas, where the firm is well known as manufacturers and retail dealers in candy, soda, ice cream and restaurant operators. The large business of Michelson Bros. was started in 1911, on a small scale, as a candy kitchen, making their own candy and selling same at retail, to which they soon added ice cream manu- facturing, selling their products at the store. In 1913, Michelson Bros. established their manufac- turing plant and are engaged in the manufacture of ice cream, soda water, coca-cola, etc., on a large scale, all of which is under their own name-Michel- son Bros. This firm manufactures and sells more than forty thousand gallons of ice cream annually. Their trade territory extends throughout Gonzales and contiguous counties. Fifteen experienced peo- ple are employed at their manufacturing plant, be- sides they own and operate three distinct business establishments: No. 1, a candy kitchen and restau- rant, which is managed by Lawrence Michelson, who employs twelve people in the store and cafe. No. 2 is the factory, which is managed by Jacob Michel- son. No. 3 is a candy kitchen, which is managed by Harold Michelson, nine people being employed here. Mr. Harold Michelson was the founder of all the Michelson Bros. interests, in 1911, at Gonzales.

Mr. Jacob Michelson started his career in the business world at Marshall, Texas, where for a pe- riod of six years he worked for his uncle, after which he came to Gonzales and engaged in business with Harold Michelson. They were later joined here by Lawrence. Since coming to Gonzales, the Michel- son Brothers have identified themselves with the social and civic life of the city. Jacob is a director of the Gonzales Building and Loan Association, and the brothers have interests in other local enterprises.

A native Texan, Jacob Michelson was born at Mar- shall, on October 30th, 1891. His father, Lehman Michelson, came to Texas at the age of fourteen years, where he was continually engaged in business until his death, in 1923, at the age of sixty-three years. His education was obtained in the public schools of Texas.

Jacob Michelson was married, at San Antonio, Texas, in March, 1924, to Miss Yetta Tatar, a mem- ber of a well known San Antonio family. Jacob, Harold and Lawrence are all members of the Scot- tish Rite bodies of this order, and of the Shrine at San Antonio. All three are also members of the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Bottlers' Association, the National Bottlers' Association, and many of Gonzales' business and civic organizations, where they are numbered among the city's most en- terprising and honored citizens.

1983

MEN OF TEXAS

F. FLICK, member of one of the pioneer Cuero families, has extensive interests in Cuero and nearby towns, and is one of the leading merchants and business men of this section. Mr. Flick is part owner of the mercantile firm of R. C. Flick, established by his father, the late R. C. Flick, in 1887, and in contin- uous operation since that time. In the early days the store was a leather goods and saddlery estab- lishment, but in 1909 an automobile department was added, this being the first automobile sales agency to be established in Texas. For the past seven years the firm has sold Chevrolet cars, and has done much to popularize this car in this territory. Mr. Flick has the largest parts department between San An- tonio and Houston and is able to supply Chevrolet owners with any needed part at a moment's notice. He also has a fully equipped service department, in charge of expert mechanics, and has many spe- cial tools seldom found in garages outside the larger cities. Mr. Flick still continues in the leather goods business and has a complete line of harness, sad- dlery, trunks, and like commodities in this line. While the larger part of the trade is retail, some wholesale trade is handled, and the Flick saddles are shipped out of Cuero to various states where the Flick value is known and appreciated. Mr. Flick occupies a large and modern building, comprising nearly twenty-five thousand square feet of floor space, and which he owns. The Cuero store fur- nishes employment to around eight people. In addi- tion to the Cuero store Mr. Flick is president of the R. C. Flick Mercantile Company at Yoakum, a forty thousand dollar corporation dealing in hard- ware and saddlery, he and his mother owning con- trolling stock in this enterprise. This business occupies a large, modern brick building, and is one of the leading business houses of Yoakum.

R. F. Flick was born at Cuero, Texas, in 1888, son of R. C. Flick and Annie Laurie Flick. R. C. Flick, one of the real pioneers of Cuero, came here in 1873, when the town of Cuero was first started, coming from Indianola with his parents. He became an apprentice in the saddlery shop of F. A. Hake in 1879, and eight years later bought out the shop and went in business for himself. This business, begun in a small way, prospered, and, as Cuero grew, expanded to meet increased trade demands. In 1909 Mr. Flick added an automobile department, selling Studebaker and Buick cars at that time. In 1912, due to his greatly enlarged business, Mr. Flick built the modern building now occupied by the firm, and one of the finest business buildings in the city. This building, as is the business, is a monument to the business success and vision of its founder, and the name of R. C. Flick, whose death occurred the tenth of March, 1924, will be honored as that of one of the pioneer citizens and business men of Cuero, and one of the real builders of the city. R. F. Flick, his son, and the subject of this sketch, attended the public schools of Cuero, later entering West Texas Military Academy at San Antonio, where he grad- uated in 1907. He spent the following year at the University of Texas, after which he returned to Cuero, and in 1909 entered his father's firm, with which he has since been continuously connected.

Mr. Flick was married at Cuero the twenty-second of December, 1912, to Miss Annie Laurie Graves,

daughter of T. A. Graves, pioneer business man of Cuero. Mr. and Mrs. Flick reside in Cuero. Mr. Flick is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Cuero Chamber of Commerce and the Cuero Retail Merchants Association, and is president of the last named organization. Throughout his connection with the business world of Cuero Mr. Flick has taken a deep interest in the development of Cuero, and has always been ready to do his part and more to make any civic movement a success. Through the development of the large business which he now heads he has contributed to the prosperity of this section, and Cuero is justly proud of this busi- ness house which is known throughout this section as one where reliability and square dealing are the governing principles.

DWARD M. SWEENEY came to Gonzales several years ago and has since been en- gaged in the wholesale grocery business here. He is active manager of the firm of Sweeney & Company, a firm established in Gonzales in 1920, as a corporation. In 1924, the firm was changed to proprietary, and a complete reorganiza- tion effected. Sweeney & Company, although a new firm in Gonzales, is founded on one of the old estab- lished firms here, and which they bought out in 1920. Prior to that date, the firm had not been developed, but under the present management has expanded rapidly, extending the trade territory and building up one of the large wholesale grocery busi- nesses in this section. In addition to a complete line of wholesale groceries, the firm also roasts and packs coffee for the trade, putting this product on the market under two brands, Sweeco and Paloma. They import raw coffee from South America, through New Orleans, roasting the coffee in their modern plant, and have a very large trade in this commodity. In addition to the groceries and coffee, a line of drugs and staple hardware is handled. In connection with the house at Gonzales, branches are also maintained at Luling and at Seguin, each house covering a trade territory of a forty mile ra- dius, and two salesmen are on the road from each house, all executive work being done in the Gon- zales house. The business furnishes employment to around eighteen people, and a fleet of delivery trucks is maintained to meet the delivery demands.

Edward M. Sweeney was born at Bonham, Texas, the eighth of August, 1897, son of D. W. Sweeney, a banker of that place. He was educated in the public schools, later attending Rice Institute at Houston, and had his first business experience in the cotton mill at Bonham. Later he came to Gon- zales to take charge of a local cotton mill, and was engaged in that work a short time, after which he established his present business.

Mr. Sweeney was married, at Gonzales, in 1920, to Miss Annabelle Dilworth, daughter of R. S. Dil- worth, Gonzales banker, and one of the prominent men of this section. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney reside at Gonzales. Mr. Sweeney is a member of the Gon- zales Chamber of Commerce, the Gonzales Fair Association, and is a Mason, Scottish Rite, at San Antonio. He belongs to the American Legion, and during the World War served as second lieutenant, aviation, flying overseas at Issoudon, France. Since coming to Gonzales he has taken an active part in all civic work, and is a leader among the younger business men.

1984

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

ALTER K. BREEDEN, for nearly two score years has been active in the development of Cuero and the Cuero section, and has many and varied interests here the growth of which have been closely allied with the growth of Cuero. Mr. Breeden is a member of the firm of Breeden Brothers, one of the largest mercantile houses at Cuero, which was established in 1889 by Mr. Breeden and his brother, Charles C. Breeden. Since that time the firm has maintained a promi- nent place in the Cuero business world, and as Cuero has grown and expanded the firm has also expanded to keep pace with the development of the city. The Breeden Brothers' store is well located in the heart of the business district, in a building owned by the firm, and in addition three fireproof ware- houses are also maintained. A complete line of groceries and implements is carried, and the firm also deals extensively in cotton, buying and selling a large volume of this commodity annually. A force of fourteen people are employed in the store in addition to Mr. Breeden, and his son, Paul H. Breeden, who in recent years has been assuming much of the active management of the business. Mr. Breeden is also vice president and one of the directors of the First State Bank of Cuero and is secretary and treasurer of the Cuero Packing Com- pany.

Walter K. Breeden was born at Victoria, Texas, in 1858. His father, one of the pioneers of that section, died shortly after the close of the Civil War, and his mother is also deceased. At the age of fourteen years Mr. Breeden came to Cuero, going to work with H. Seeligson and Company as a clerk. He remained with that firm until they went to Galveston, subsequently working for others, leaving H. Runge and Company to go in business for himself as a member of the firm of Breeden Brothers.

Mr. Breeden was married at Cuero, in 1882, to Miss Margaret Pleasants, daughter of Judge Pleas- ants, eminent Texas jurist and former judge of the Court of Civil Appeals at Galveston, and now suc- ceeded by his son, Judge R. A. Pleasants. Mr. and Mrs. Breeden reside at Cuero and have four chil- dren, Paul H. Breeden, associated with his father in business, and who married Miss Bessie Philpot, and has four children-Bessie, Dorothy, Margaret Jane and P. H. Breeden, Jr .; W. K. Breeden; Mrs. H. P. Mabe, who has two children-Hugh Prescott and Walter Breeden Mabe; Mrs. S. E. Kesler of San Antonio, who has one child, Walter Ewing Kesler, and Mrs. Arthur Jones of Kansas City, who has one child, Jane Breeden Jones. Mr. Breeden is a member of the Cuero Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club and throughout the period of his association with the business world of Cuero has been active in everything that has made for the advancement and prosperity of this section.

ALTER D. KLEINE, identified with the fur- niture business at Gonzales throughout his business career, is the owner of the firm of Kleine Brothers, a retail furniture establish- ment dating back to the early fifties. Kleine Broth- ers carry a full line of house furnishings, offering a wide range of price and selection for every room in the house. They have an exceptional line of kitchen furniture, including ranges and cabinets, and also feature attractive furniture for every room. The

stock has been carefully chosen, due attention being given both to quality and style, and purchasers make their selections at Kleine Brothers with the assur- ance that there will be no disappointment when the transaction is completed. Kleine Brothers sell re- tail only, and in addition to their large trade in Gonzales have an extensive rural trade. An under- taking establishment is operated in connection with the furniture store, with a licensed embalmer in charge, and facilities for conducting funerals. Kleine Brothers was established in 1853, by A. Kleine, Sr., father of the present owner. Later, the three sons, Walter D., the subject of this sketch, and two others, now deceased, came into the firm, but with the death of A. Kleine, Sr., in 1900, and his two sons, in 1913 and 1920, Walter D. Kleine is now the only member of the firm.

Walter D. Kleine was born at Gonzales in 1878, son of A. Kleine and Babette Pfeuffer Kleine. A. Kleine, a native of Germany, came to the United States as a young man, going direct to San Antonio, where he engaged as a cabinetmaker for some time. In 1852 he came to Gonzales, making furniture from wood grown here, and was persuaded to make this city, then a tiny village, his home. A year later he established the furniture store that his son now runs, and continued to live in Gonzales until his death, in 1900. He was married to Miss Babette Pfeuffer, at New Braunfels, in 1867. Walter D. Kleine attended the public schools of Gonzales, and after school assisted his father in the store, later going in the firm, and has so continued to the present.

Mr. Walter Kleine has been and is very active in all oil activities of Gonzales and was one of the first to start oil interest in this section.

Mr. Kleine was married, at Gonzales, to Miss The- resa Johnson, in 1909. They have one child, Walter D. Kleine, Jr. Mr. Kleine is a member and director of the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Home Mutual Life Insurance Company, and belongs to the Gonzales Fair Association, helped organize and was president of Federal Farm Loan Association, and a member of the Episcopal Church of Gonzales. He has contributed in many ways to the development of Gonzales, and as one of the leading merchants here has an influential position in the business world.

O. NEWMAN has been a resident of Gon- zales far around a quarter of a century, and has built up one of the large industrial plants here, the Gonzales Cement Works, of which he is president and general manager. This plant was established in 1907, on a small scale, with a capital of some six hundred dollars. As the cement industry grew, this plant has grown to keep pace with the industry, and in September, 1923, was capi- talized and greatly enlarged, and is now one of the leading industrial enterprises of Gonzales, doing a large and rapidly increasing business. The Gon- zales Cement Works manufactures a general line of cement products, selling to a territory extending south to the coast, north to Cameron and east to Columbus. Mr. Newman also handles a contracting business, contracting for general building, concrete work and bridges and similar constructiton work. A force of ten operatives are employed in the cement works, and an additional twenty men are employed in the contracting business. The Gonzales Cement

1985

MEN OF TEXAS

Works occupies a modern building, completed in 1922, and has modern machinery to manufacture anything that can be made from cement. R. A. Remschel is vice president of the Gonzales Cement Works, and W. P. Newman, son of A. O. Newman, is manager.

A. O. Newman was born at Shelby, in Austin County, Texas, the twenty-second of October, 1880, son of Oscar Newman and Ida (Holzmann) New- man; the former, a native of Saxony, came to Texas at the age of sixteen, just at the close of the Civil War, the latter a native Texan. A. O. Newman received his education in the public schools, and in 1901 came to Gonzales, where he worked as a car- penter's helper and learned the construction busi- ness, also studying cement work, and later began contracting for sidewalk work. Out of this latter grew his present business.

Mr. Newman was married, at Gonzales, in 1902, to Miss Martha Ehrig, a native of Germany. They have three children, W. P. Newman, a graduate of Bhim Memorial Acadamy; E. A. Newman and Miss Elvira Newman. Mr. Newman is a member of the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, the Gonzales Fair Association and the Texas Contractors' Association, and has taken an active part in the development of Gonzales as an industrial city.

E. STEPHAN of Yoakum, Texas, has spent his entire life in the various branches of the electrical business, beginning this work when eighteen years of age. He inherited a liking for this work from his father, who was a pioneer in Texas in this field of activity, and Mr. Stephan served his apprenticeship under the able guidance of his father. He came to Yoakum in 1920 as resident manager of the Public Utilities here which is operated under the name of the Yoa- kum Light and Water Company. The power is generated from oil engines for the manufacture of light, the plant of which is located at Yoakum. This city has an abundant water supply which is obtained from deep wells, being pumped from these wells by air pressure, and is carried to the mains by electric power. There is also an auxiliary steam plant in connection with this, making it one of the most complete industries of its kind in this part of Texas. Fifteen experienced men are employed in the operation of the Public Utilities here. As- sociated with Mr. Stephan is Mr. L. L. Stephenson of San Antonio, Texas, who is the owner of the company, which operates the utilities here. Mr. Stephan has been with this company since it was purchased by Mr. Stephenson and he is regarded as one of the most efficient men in his chosen profes- sion to be found in this part of the state.

A native Texan, Mr. Stephan was born at Gon- zales on March 23rd, 1882. His father, August Stephan, was for many years engaged in the cotton ginning business, but later entered the electric in- dustry, and was one of the pioneers of this field of activity in the Western part of the state. He retired from active business pursuits at the age of seventy- two years. Mr. Stephan's education was obtained in the public schools of Shiner, Texas.

Mr. Stephan was married at Yoakum, Texas, in 1919, to Miss Nena Beatrice Perry, a native Texan and a daughter of J. P. Perry, well known in the business circles of Southwest Texas. They have three children, Marguerette, Edwin and Leonard

Perry Stephan. Mr. Stephan is a member of the A. F. and A. M. with membership in the lodge and chapter at Yoakum. He is also a member of the Yoakum Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the South Texas Public Service Association, and many other fraternal, business, social and civic organiza- tions of Yoakum and Southwest Texas. Since lo- cating in Yoakum, Mr. Stephan has made many friends, both in the business and social circles and has also succeeded in building up the public utilities of this city to a point where it is second to none in the state. Mr. Stephan's watchword is service, and as he believes all citizens are entitled to this, he puts forth every effort to furnish same to the resi- dents of Yoakum. He has an efficient staff of as- sistants, who work for the good of the utilities company and the public at large, giving their best thoughts and efforts to their work along this line.

F. McELROY, resident of Gonzales for many years, and a member of the firm of the Gonzales Horse and Mule Company, also has extensive farming interests in the Gon- zales locality, and is regarded as one of the most progressive agriculturists of this section. The Gonzales Horse and Mule Company was organized at Gonzales a number of years ago, and was discon- tinued and reorganized on January 1st, 1925, as Stahl and McElroy. The company sells horses and mules in the Gonzales district and also ships carload lots to any point in the United States. The policy is to buy stock when market conditions are favorable and later sell to advantage. Local sales are made on the basis of one-third cash, with varying arrange- ments on the balance, and a big business is handled in the Gonzales district, in addition to the large sales in carload lots. The firm is now known as Stahl and McElroy. -

Although Mr. McElroy has made a distinct suc- cess of this business venture, it is as a progressive farm operator that he is best known. Mr. McElroy began as a boy and grew up to agricultural pursuits, and gradually took a place among the more suc- cessful farmers of his neighborhood. He now has around twelve hundred acres of land under culti- vation, making cotton and corn his principal crops. He employs Mexican labor to cultivate the farm, around twenty-five families being located on his place. Mr. McElroy knows how to direct men to secure results, and his management of Mexican la- bor has been a factor in his success in the field of agriculture.

J. F. McElroy was born in Georgia, the thirty- first of May, 1880, and was brought to Gonzales as a child of three years of age, growing up here. He attended the Gonzales schools, and at an early age began farming for himself, and has so continued to the present, his interests gradually increasing until he is one of the most substantial farmers in this section.

Mr. McElroy was married, the fifteenth of Feb- ruary, 1903, at Gonzales, to Miss Minnie Lee Plouck, whose father, now deceased, was during his lifetime a prominent attorney of Gonzales. Mr. and Mrs. McElroy reside at Gonzales. Mr. McElroy belongs to the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, the Gon- zales Fair Association, in which he is a stock- holder, and is in every way an influential and public-spirited citizen.

1986

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

0. BOETTCHER of Weimar, Texas, has always been a leader in the business cir- cles of this city and has also taken an active part in the development of Colorado County. Mr. Boettcher is the owner of "The Boettcher Industries" and is interested in prac- tically every business enterprise of Weimar. He is the owner of the Boettcher Company, dealers in wholesale country produce and jobbers in car lots and less than carloads, and is one of the largest concerns of its kind in South Texas. He is the manager of and is a large stockholder in the Weimar Ice and Cold Storage Company. This ice plant has a capacity of six tons per day and in connec- tion with the ice plant, has a cold storage plant of eighty thousand cubic feet capacity. Mr. Boett- cher is the owner and manager of the J. O. Boettcher Insurance Company, and has been engaged in the insurance business here for more than forty-seven years, which makes him one of the pioneers in his business of South Texas. He is also the manager of the Weimar Bottling Company and the Weimar Creamery Company, both of which are successful enterprises. He is engaged in the cotton business here on a large scale, and buys the greater portion of the cotton on this market. He has done much toward keeping a market here for cotton with the best prices to farmers and in keeping this a mar- ket for farmer's produce of all kinds. Mr. Boettcher, in his efforts to encourage every worth-while in- dustry in this portion of Texas, furnished the capi- tal to one of his employees for a chicken ranch here, which has an incubator capacity of thirty thousand eggs per setting, and this has proved a successful venture. He ships his output in all lines to open markets, and deals almost entirely in carload lots. Mr. Boettcher is one of the most progressive cit- izens of South Texas, and is deeply interested in the development of this portion of the state, and is a constant worker for the betterment of his community.

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 139

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