New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 148

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

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Patrick G. Callahan was born in Kentucky, in 1880 and educated in the public schools of that state, graduating from high school, after which he took special courses in drafting and allied subjects. His entire business career has been spent in the plumb- ing business. Mr. Callahan came to Houston in 1912 and worked as a master plumber in this city until the beginning of the recent war. He enlisted in service and installed the plumbing on the first ship built in the Houston district, after which he was made traveling mechanical inspector of all ships built in this district. He served three years and shortly after his discharge from service, opened his present business.

Mr. Callahan was married at Oklahoma City, Okla- homa, in 1916, to Miss Anne B. Nolan. Mr. and Mrs. Callahan make their home at 1421 Oxford Ave- nue, in Montrose, one of the attractive residence sub- urbs of Houston. They have one child, Kathryn, and are members of the Catholic church. Mr. Callahan is a Knight of Columbus.

A. FENZL has been actively connected with the marine and industrial life of Houston for more than twenty years and since 1910 has been engaged in business in active asso- ciation with his brother, Gus J. Fenzl.

The two brothers are the owners of the Harrisburg Machine Company, Inc., located on the ship channel at Harrisburg. Gus J. Fenzl is president of the company while R. A. Fenzl is vice president and general manager of the concern, which is one of the largest industries of its kind on the ship channel.

Commencing in a small way in 1910, the business has gradually expanded until now it occupies a plot of ground facing two hundred feet on the ship chan- nel with a machine shop forty by one hundred and twenty feet in dimensions. The company also has, in addition to the machine shop, a large foundry for making castings of iron, brass and aluminum. From twenty to twenty-five men, including a number of skilled and highly paid mechanics, are employed in the machine shop and foundry and with expansions and additions to the plant commenced during 1923 it will be the largest marine machine shop on the channel. The business has enjoyed a steady and consistent growth and all departments have been

working to capacity.

R. A. Fenzl was born in Bohemia on February 22, 1888, a son of John and Mary Fenzl, and received his education in the schools of his native country. When thirteen years of age he started to America and in 1901 landed in Houston where he immediately secured employment as a machinist with the Hart- well Iron Works. He later was employed as machin- ist by the Dixon Car Wheel Company, Lucy Manu- facturing Company, Lane-Bowler Company and the Houston Car Wheel and Machine Company. With these various concerns he received a splendid train- ing which has enabled Mr. Fenzl to make a complete success of his own business. He is an expert work- man and thoroughly trained in every branch of marine repairs and machine work as well as the de- tails of the iron, brass and aluminum foundries oper- ated in connection with the machine shops.

In 1914, Mr. Fenzl was married in Houston to Miss Della Temme, daughter of Fred Temme, well known resident of Houston who died in 1918. They have two children, R. J., five, and Audrey, the baby, slightly over a year old. The family home is 8010 Avenue B, Magnolia Park, Harrisburg.

Mr. Fenzl is enthusiastic over the prospective growth of Houston and with further and more ex- tensive development of the ship channel, expects to see this the leading city and principal shipping cen- ter of the Southwest during the next decade. He believes that many more important industries will come to Houston and locate along the ship channel where attractive industrial sites are still to be had at reasonable price.

A man of splendid personality and an exception- ally hard worker, Mr. Fenzl is devoted to his busi- ness and his family but finds time to lend active aid and encouragement to many civic movements. He is a member of the Modern Order of Praetorians.

IETRICH A. SINGER, President, Treasurer and Manager of the Singer Iron and Steel Company, of Houston, has been a factor in industrial circles since coming here a number of years ago. The Singer Iron and Steel Company was established at Houston in 1918, and is one of the largest firms handling railroad equip- ment here, and the largest firm dealing in scrap iron. The yards are located on the Ship Channel, at the Turning Basin, and offices are in the First National Bank Building. The Singer Iron and Steel Company deals in rails, both new and relay, selling single cars or full cargoes. Scrap iron and steel, characterized as the "Steel industry's second line of defense," is also handled by this company. Many thousands of tons being exported annually. The Singer Iron and Steel Company has modern equip- ment for handling this scrap iron and steel, pre- paring it for open hearth furnaces, including cranes for loading and other equipment, the installation of which involves a large outlay of money. In organ- izing and conducting this business the Singer Iron and Steel Company is fulfilling an economic need, and the business handled is increasing annually. In addition to the plant at Houston a branch is also in operation at Galveston, Mr. Singer, as has been stated, is President and Treasurer of the company. J. Block, vice-president, and Maurice Epstein, sec- retary.

Dietrich A. Singer was born at Galveston, Texas,

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Q.B. Callahan

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

the twenty-sixth of October, 1887, son of Jacob Singer and Adeline Glicksman Singer. Mrs. Singer was a native Galvestonian. Mr. Singer came to Galveston in the seventies. Dietrich A. Singer was educated in the schools of Galveston, graduating from the Ball High School there. He then began work in a cotton and freight office at Galveston, three years later going with an export log and lumber company, and later with the Phoenix Iron and Steel Company of Galveston, and was, after a few years, transferred to the New Orleans office of that firm. After ten years with the Phoenix Company, during which time Mr. Singer learned the steel business from every angle, he organized the company he now heads, at Galveston, moving to Houston the following year.

Mr. Singer was married at St. Louis, Missouri, the seventh of April, 1919, to Miss Gladys Flar- sheim, of St. Louis, Missouri. They have two chil- dren, John and Gail Singer, and reside at 720 Kip- ling Avenue. Mr. Singer is a Mason, Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, and has done much at Houston to advance the steel industry, particularly in the handling of rails and the exportation of scrap iron and steel ready for furnaces.

HELLBERG, pioneer resident of Houston, and veteran in the manufacturing industry here, has been for many years directing head of one of the largest manufacturing enterprises in the city. The Myers-Spalti Manufac- turing Company, of which Mr. Hellberg is Treasurer and Manufacturing Manager, is the largest manu- facturing company, engaged in the manufacture of furniture, mattresses, springs and general house- hold furnishings in the city. Their plant covers an area of six acres of ground at 2118 Runnels Street, where they have fourteen big buildings housing the various phases of this extensive industry and employ two hundred operatives. A new building,

costing around three hundred thousand dollars, has just been completed. This building is a five-story structure, of concrete construction, each floor one hundred and fifteen by one hundred and seventy feet. All the buildings are modernly equipped and every facility provided for the efficient management of the business. The firm also acts as the whole- sale distributor for some of the leading makes of household furniture, such as the Challenge line of refrigerators, the Gunn and Imperial desks, Nach- man spring-filled mattress. This mattress is so well thought of that the Statler Hotels are using three thousand. The officers of the company are W. S. Myers, President; M. D. L. Martin, Vice-President; J. A. Grieves, Secretary, and A. Hellberg, Treasurer and Manufacturing Manager.

Mr. Hellberg came to Houston in 1889, a short time after he came to America, seeing in this city a business future unequalled in the country. He was an expert machinist, wood and iron machinery, and worked at his trade here for a short time. His skill brought almost instant recognition and he was made foreman of a furniture company in Houston Heights, holding this position for seven years, then coming with the Myers-Spalti Company. When he came with this organization it was a small con- cern, with only forty employees. At that time Mr. Hellberg was Superintendent of manufacturing, and later was made Treasurer and Manager of Manufac- turing. His work with this company has been

largely responsible for the present state of develop- ment and expansion, and is instrumental in the fur- ther additions to the business that are rapidly go- ing forward.

Mr. Hellberg is a native of Germany, where he was born the twenty-eighth of January, 1861, coming to the United States at the age of twenty-eight, and spending a short time in New York prior to coming to Houston.

Mr. Hellberg has been twice married, his first marriage occurring in the old country. He had two children by his first wife, now deceased. These children are, Henry, well known cotton man of New Orleans, who is married and has one son, and Philip Hellberg, of Marshall, Texas, who is married and has four children. Mr. Hellberg was married at Houston in September, 1920, to Miss Ottilie Schneck. Mr. and Mrs. Hellberg make their home at 73 Live Oak Street. Mr. Hellberg has been a member of the Sons of Hermann for twenty-eight years, and is President of the Houston Lodge, a position he has held for the past eighteen years. He is also a mem- ber of the Houston Turnverein.

J. PACK, who has recently established his home and business headquarters at Houston, has since his arrival in this city been active in manufacturing and jobbing circles, tak- ing his place among the business men of the city who have at heart not only their private business in- terests, but the progress of their city. Mr. Pack is secretary and treasurer of the National Bag and Bagging Company, Incorporated, and is manager of the Houston branch of this company. The Houston office, opened in October, 1921, was located in this city after Mr. Pack had gone over the opportunities offered by various Southwestern cities, selecting Houston as offering greater opportunity for business development. Mr. Pack has since that time made this city his home, devoting himself to the develop- ment of this business, and building up an extensive trade territory. The National Bag and Bagging Company, manufacturers burlap bags of all kinds, cotton patches and sugar bag cloth for covering cot- ton. The plant here comprising fifty thousand square feet of floor surface, is located at Cedar and Baker Streets, and furnishes employment to fifty men and women. A number of salesmen are also em- ployed on the road, covering the entire state and Oklahoma. Herman Pack of New York City, is president of the National Bag and Bagging Com- pany, Incorporated.

S. J. Pack was born in New York City, in 1900, son of Herman Pack, president of the National Bag and Bagging Company, and for a quarter of a cen- tury identified with this industry. He is a native of New York State. His mother, prior to her marriage, Miss Anne Lieb, is also a native of that state. Mr. Pack was educated in the public schools of New York City and after graduating from the High School there he attended Columbia University of New York City, taking his B. A. Degree from this institution in 1920. He then entered his father's business, and after a short time in the New York Office came to Houston, establishing the branch here.

Mr. Pack was married in New York City, in April, 1922, to Miss Leila Sperber, a native of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Pack make their home in Hous- ton, at 408 Pierce Avenue.

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MEN OF TEXAS

B. KETTERSON has for more than thirty years been active in the cotton and financial circles of Houston, and is the manager here for Weatherford Crump and Company, who are numbered among the largest exporters of cotton in Texas. This firm exports an average of 350,000 bales of cotton annually and their staff is organized for this amount of business. During the season of 1922-23 they shipped 75,000 bales of cotton through the port of Houston. They have a staff of forty people at Houston and maintain offices in Dallas, Taylor and Brownwood with a permanent corps of buyers over the entire state. The cotton from Texas, Oklahoma and West Louisiana is handled through the Houston office. Weatherford Crump and Com- pany export to all cotton-buying countries of the world, and do a very large business with Italy. This firm owns and controls the Turning Basin Compress Company, which is located on the north side of the turning basin, and from which cotton can be loaded direct to ships. This compress has a handling capacity of 250,000 bales, and a storage capacity of about 50,000 bales. Mr. Ketterson is the vice pres- ident of the Turning Basin Compress Company, and the other officers are R. E. Goree, president, and L. H. Bullard, manager. The cotton firm of Weather- ford Crump and Company maintain and are develop- ing a large farm in Harris County consisting of 2,500 acres, called the Brazos Farm, Inc., of which Mr. Ketterson is the vice president.

Mr. Ketterson was born at Greenock, Scotland, August 31st, 1875. His father, Thomas Ketterson, was a well known merchant and grocer of Greenock. His mother was Miss Ann Boyd, a member of a prominent family of Scotland. His education was obtained in various schools of Scotland, and he came to America and to Houston in 1891 to take a position with Inman and Company in order to learn the cot- ton business, and began with this firm as office boy. His brother, John B. Ketterson, was at that time manager for E. H. Cunningham and Company at Sugarland in their sugar manufacturing business. He was with King, Collie and Company, at Dallas, from 1908 to 1912. He came with Weatherford Crump and Company in December, 1922, as man. ager, after the re-organization of September, 1921, when the present firm succeeded Hubbel, Slack and Company. Prior to coming with the present firm, Mr. Ketterson was for about three years with the cotton firm of Dorrance and Company. During the entire period covering his business life he has been engaged in the cotton business, and has had ex- perience in every branch of this great industry. Dur- ing the World War, and for a short time following the close of the war, Mr. Ketterson was in charge of the American-Italian Commercial Corporation, which was the American representative of the Blan- ca Commerciale Italiana war activities, and sold sup- plies for Italy and Poland.

Mr. Ketterson was married at Temple, Texas, in 1901 to Miss Will-Eleanor Gooch (deceased since February 13th, 1922), a member of an old Texas family and a daughter of C. M. Gooch, well known in the business circles of Bell County. Mr. Ketter- son resides at the Savoy Apartments. In fraternal and social organizations, Mr. Ketterson is a mem- ber of the B. P. O. E., Houston Club, and the Hous- ton Cotton Exchange, in which organization he has been active in various committees. He is a loyal

member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Ketterson believes that Houston is destined to become a great city and that the growth of the city as a port is limited only by the extent that the capacity of the channel and docks can be extended.

ENRY FALK, well known in the financial and cotton circles of Houston, and member of the firm of Evans and Company, cotton exporters, has for the past fifteen years been an active figure in his line in this city. Mr. Falk is also the official classer for the Texas Cot- ton Association, an organization for the purpose of taking care of disputes among shippers. Associated with Mr. Falk is J. W. Evans, for many years well known in the business circles of the country. This firm was organized in 1908 and export from 65,000 to 70,000 bales of cotton annually. They have seven men in their Houston office and maintain another office in Belton, Texas, in order to more closely look after the West Texas business. Mr. Falk has been engaged in the cotton business since 1892, and was formerly with Knoop-Ferichs and Company of New Orleans and came to Houston from the Crescent City in 1895 and for several years was associated with Dorrance and Company. He later went with Dar- row-Vick and Company at Temple, Texas, where he remained for one and one-half years and then came to Houston.

A native Texan, Mr. Falk was born in Austin County, March 17th, 1877. His father, Gus Falk, came to Texas from Illinois in the early forties, and lived in this state practically all his life, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising. His mother was Miss Alexa Byers, a native of the Lone Star State and a member of one of the pioneer fam- ilies. His education was obtained in the public schools in various places in Texas.

Mr. Falk has been engaged in the cotton business during all of his business life and is considered one of the best posted men in this great industry, and knows cotton as few men know it. Since coming to Houston, Mr. Falk has become interested in many of the city's industries, and numbered among these are the Shippers Compress, Houston Harbor Transporta- tion, Seaboard Cotton Company and numerous others. Mr. Falk was married in Galveston, Texas, in 1901 to Miss Margaret Dirk, a native of the Island City and a daughter of J. J. Dirk (deceased) for many years engaged in the wholesale crockery business in Galveston. They have one daughter, Ethel Mar- garet. Mr. and Mrs. Falk reside at 5202 La Branch Street. Mr. Falk is a member of the B. P. O. E. and was Exalted Ruler of this Order for the years 1920 and 1921, is a member of the Glenbrook Country Club, Commodore of the Houston Launch Club, and is a member of the appeal board of the Houston Cot- ton Exchange. Mr. Falk is a staunch and consistent member of St. Paul's Methodist Church. He has great faith in the future of Houston and believes that this city will become the leading port of the South in a few years. Mr. Falk is interested in all civic matters and gives of his time and means to all projects for the purpose of furthering the progress and advancement of his adopted city. Among these may be mentioned the fact that Mr. Falk donated the complete playground equipment for the South- more School, and this is considered one of the finest in the city.

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

EE R. MILLER, native Houstonian, has de- voted his entire business life to the produce business, and as owner of the Miller Brok- erage Company and Sales Manager of the Farmers Strawberry-Vegetable Co-operative Auc- tion Company, Inc., with headquarters at Hammond, Louisiana, is taking an active part in the distribution of produce throughout the United States and Canada. The Miller Brokerage Company, in which Mr. Earl M. Burkett, is active, handles carlots of fruits and vegetables, eggs and merchandise, dealing in the Houston trade territory. The Farmers Strawberry- Vegetable Co-operative Auction Company, Inc., was organized in 1922 by Mr. Miller and his associates, and during the first year of its existence shipped eleven hundred and fifty-six cars of strawberries to various points in this country. During the year 1924 fourteen hundred and eighteen cars were ship- ped, and six hundred cars of vegetables and other produce was also sent out by this company. This is the only organization of its kind in this section of the United States and has a record for shipments of strawberries. It has been a great aid to the growers, of strawberries particularly, securing mar- kets and better prices.

Mr. Miller was born in Houston November 20, 1892. His father, A. R. Miller, also a native of Hous- ton, and always a resident of Houston, has held many public offices, and has the distinction of never having been defeated for office. His last position as a public official was that of Tax Collector, from which office he retired January 1, 1923, and has for more than a quarter of a century been prominent in the affairs of Houston. Lee R. Miller's mother was Miss Margaret Perry, a native of England, and came to America with her parents as a child. His early education was obtained in pri- vate schools of Houston and later attended A. and M. College of Louisiana, where he specialized in the study of agriculture. In 1914 Mr. Miller left school and became associated with the Desel-Boettcher Company, one of the largest produce concerns in the Southwest, selling at wholesale, and remained with this company until 1917, when he was selected by this firm to take charge of their branch house at Yoakum, where he remained until the latter part of that year, when he went to Washington and entered the service of the United States Government in the perishable division of the Bureau of Markets, as an investigator. In this position he traveled in every portion of the United States. Among the reports he made to the Government was the one covering the potato industry in Colorado for the thirty-year period up to 1920. In 1920, while in the Govern- ment service, in association with Mr. L. E. Hagan, he organized the Miller Hagan Company, dealers in produce at Yoakum. In 1921, he left the service of the Government and came to Houston and organized Miller, Hagan and Forney Company, Inc., produce dealers, in which he was active until he closed out the business March 1, 1924.

Mr. Miller was married in Houston January 12, 1914, to Miss Ruth Florence Shelby, a native of Missouri, and a member of a well known family of that State. He is a member of the Houston Cham- ber of Commerce, the Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. Mr. Miller is regarded as one of the most progressive business men of Hous- ton, and has accomplished much in his chosen field

of endeavor, and never loses an opportunity to speak a good word for the city of his nativity, which he believes will soon become the leading city of the Southwest.

ARRY R. TOUCHY came to Houston when seventeen years of age in order to attend business college, and liked the South Texas metropolis to the extent that he has re- mained here since that time. Mr. Touchy owns and operates the two furniture establishments located at 1507 Congress Avenue and the corner of Milam Street and Rusk Avenue, respectively. In 1916, he established in a very modest way a small furni- ture store across the street from the present Con- gress Avenue store, with a floor space of twenty feet by forty feet. In 1917, he moved to his present commodious quarters at 1507 Congress Avenue, and since that time, on account of the growth of his busi- ness, has found it necessary to make two enlarge- ments, and now has a floor space of 8,000 square feet. Mr. Touchy opened his second store in June, 1923, at Louisiana and Rusk Avenue, and this splen- did store has a floor space of 5,000 square feet. In both of these stores, Mr. Touchy carries a full and complete line of furniture, ranging from expensive period furniture and the richest of tapestry uphol- stering to the medium grades of furniture for the people of moderate means. He maintains a quick delivery service for the convenience of his many patrons, and everything to be found in a modern, up- to-date furniture store can be found in both of the Touchy stores, where fourteen experienced people are employed.

Mr. Touchy was born at Lake Charles, Louisiana, October 11th, 1888. His father, L. V. Touchy, also a native of Louisiana, is a resident of Houston. His mother was Miss Addie Lyons, a native of Orange, Texas, where she belonged to a pioneer family. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Lake Charles, Louisiana, after which he came to Houston and attended the Massey Business College and liked this city so well that instead of returning to Louisiana, he had his parents come to the South Texas metropolis, and to this day, they all agree that no mistake was made in removing here. He began his business career here by working in a cloth- ing establishment, where he remained for one year, after which he entered the employ of the Haverty Furniture Company, where he remained for four years, first as a collector and later as a salesman. He then went with the Southern Furniture Company, where he remained for almost two years and then returned to the Haverty Furniture Company, where he remained for two years. Mr. Touchy was then made manager of the W. H. Stower Furniture Com- pany and remained with this company for one year, when he established his first furniture store in 1916.

Mr. Touchy was married at Galveston, Texas, on July 27th, 1910, to Miss Maude Geen, a native of the Island City and a daughter of John Geen, who for fifty years was a resident of Galveston, but is now a resident of Houston, where he is associated with the Touchy Furniture Company. They have two children-Hazel and Harry R. Touchy Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Touchy reside at 310 Park Avenue in the Oakwood Addition. Mr. Touchy has been prom- inently identified with many movements tending to promote the growth and importance of Houston, and has an abiding faith in the future of his city.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 148

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