New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 165

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

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Mr. Stolz was born at La Grange, Texas, the sec- ond of October, 1896, the son of Otto E. Stolz, in the marble and granite business at La Grange for more than thirty-five years, and Alma Stolz. Mr. Stolz was educated at the West Texas Military Academy, Castle Heights Military Academy, at Lebanon, Ten-

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nessee, and at Rice Institute, at Houston. In March, 1918, he enlisted in military service, with the motor transport, and was stationed at Camp Fort Sam Houston and Camp Mabry, serving as non-commis- sioned officer until his discharge in February, 1919. He came to Beaumont immediately afterward and established his present business.

Mr. Stolz was married at La Grange, in 1921, to Miss Agnes Frede, daughter of Leo Frede, pres- ident of a bank in La Grange, and a resident of that city for four decades, and Bertha Frede. Mr. and Mrs. Stolz have two children, Marion and Leola, and reside at 1236 Pennsylvania Avenue. Mr. Stolz belongs to the Rotary Club and the Beaumont Club, and fraternally is a Mason, York Rite. He is active in civic work, and is one of the best liked and most popular of the younger business men of Beaumont.

JARVIS TILLERY, oil operator of Beau- mont, Texas, is the executive head of one of the most successful oil companies which has been organized in South Texas during the past decade. Mr. Tillery is president and gen- eral manager of the L. J. Tillery Oil Company, Inc. and while this is a comparatively new oil company, it has some of South Texas' biggest oil men as stock- holders and directors. This company was organized in 1922 and is an operating and producing company, with activities in the coastal fields only, and owns much proven and unproven oil lands in the coastal section. It has its own drilling rigs, and has big production in the Orange field, and a bright future is predicted for this oil company. Other officers of the Tillery Oil Company, Inc. are Charles G. Hooks, vice president, and Henry Mathis, secretary and treasurer, and their offices are located at 546 Keith Building. Prior to engaging in the oil business, Mr. Tillery was for about four years active in the real estate and insurance business in North Carolina and was with the Chino Copper Company when he en- tered the World War. In 1917, Mr. Tillery attended the Officers' Training Camp at Leon Springs, for three months and was commissioned a lieutenant and was assigned to the infantry, with special duties, mostly in various ports and shipyards. He was dis- charged in February, 1919, after which he became associated with the Humble Oil and Refining Com- pany in the lease and land department and remained with this company for three and one-half years, when he organized the L. J. Tillery Oil Company, Inc., with headquarters at Beaumont, Texas.

Mr. Tillery was born at Rocky Mount, North Caro- lina, on March 19th, 1892. His father, Luther F. Til- lery, was a well known banker of Rocky Mount. His mother was Miss Minnie Vyne, a member of a well known North Carolina family. Mr. Tillery's educa- tion was obtained in the Preparatory School at War- renton, North Carolina, Culver Military Academy, where he was a student for one year, and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, where he was a student for a period of three years.

Mr. Tillery was married in Tennessee, in 1913, to Miss Evye Palmer, a daughter of H. G. Palmer, who for many years was engaged in the wholesale business and was well known in the business circles of Tennessee. They have two children, Joyce Pal- mer Tillery, ten years of age, and Marilyn Vyne, aged three years. Mr. and Mrs. Tillery reside at 2345 Liberty Avenue. Mr. Tillery is a member of

the Knights of Pythias, the American Legion, and the Beaumont Club, in all of which he takes an ac- tive interest. Mr. Tillery is popular in the business and social circles of Beaumont, and is regarded as one of the most practical oil men of the coast coun- try, where he has a host of friends.

S. MASKELL, one of the recent recruits to the oil fraternity at Humble, in the inter- val that has elapsed since his coming here, has taken a prominent place among petro- leum men of this section, and is directing the devel- opment of leases in the Humble field. Mr. Maskell came to Humble in February, 1923, to take charge of the operations of the Burleigh Oil Company, of which he was vice president and superintendent, and so continued until December 15th, 1924. While he still has an interest in this company, he is de- voting his personal attention to the development of the W. W. Fondren, and other leases. He has drilled several wells on these leases and has a sub- stantial production. Mr. Maskell has his office in the Humble field, directing all operations from here.

C. S. Maskell was born at Fairfield, Maine, the eighth of April, 1873, and attended the public scitools of that state. As a young man he left Maine, going to Washington, where for twenty years he was en- gaged in the lumber and shingle business, having business interests at Seattle and Bellingham. Dur- ing the years he spent in the lumber business Mr. Maskell invested in the Burleigh Oil Company.

Mr. Maskell was married at Houston the twenty- ninth of May, 1924, he and Mrs. Maskell making their home at Humble. Mr. Maskell has directed the work at Humble with a sureness that suggests a sound working knowledge of the oil business, as well as ability as an executive, and is regarded among oil men of this section as one of the coming leaders here in the petroleum industry.

OHN L. FRIED, whose business career has been spent in the foundry business, has attained a commendable reputation in this important industry. Many years devoted to this field of activity has made him expert in this line and at this time he is numbered among the valued members of the Hughes Tool Company.

John L. Fried was born at San Antonio, Texas, in 1886, son of J. C. and Lydia Fried. He was educated in his native city, and after finishing his education entered the iron and steel foundry bus- iness. He spent three years in San Antonio, en- gaged in this industry, then going to Houston, where for two years and a half he was in the shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad. A year at Monterey, Mexico, followed, and then a short time spent at San Antonio and St. Louis, where he was engaged in various phases of iron and steel foundrying work. He then returned to Houston in 1918, and spent a year with the Lucy Manufacturing Corporation, and then two years with the Gray Engineering Company, resigning this position to organize the Fried Foundry Company, which he conducted until making his present connections.

Mr. Fried was married at San Antonio, 1904, to Miss Tena Augusta Richter. They have seven chil- dren-Gladys, Lydia, Flossie, Morris, Leafy, Wilmot and Roy. Mr. Fried is a member of the Association of Iron Moulders of North America.

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DWARD BECKER, cattleman, farmer and business man of Hockley, whose name has for many years been of special significance in this locality, has taken a constructive interest in the development of the resources of his community and enjoys the highest esteem of his fellow citizens. Mr. Beck has a well improved ranch, about three and one-half miles northeast of Hockley, comprising around one thousand acres of deeded land with an additional seven hundred acres of leased land. His herd averages around three hundred head of cattle, with sixty-five head of horses and mules. Mr. Becker also buys and sells cattle as well as raises them and has in recent years given special attention to shipping young stock to cattle- men in West Texas. Mr. Becker raises his own feed, his farm crops including sufficient corn, hay and other feed stuffs for his stock. Mr. Becker manages that part of his father's estate that is lo- cated at Hockley, a brother, F. H. Becker, managing the Becker Cedar Post Company at Austin, which the elder Mr. Becker founded and built up. The estate at Hockley consists of farming lands and business property. A second brother, O. P. Becker, lives in Houston Heights, where he is road inspec- tor, and also has property interests at Hockley.

Edward Becker was born at Cypress, Texas, the fifteenth of November, 1885. His father, J. H. G. Becker, a native of Germany, came to Texas as a young man and was for many years one of the most prominent men in his community. He was interested in enterprises of wide scope, and has a large real estate business, and also was well known as a cattle dealer. Mr. Becker also served as coun- ty commissioner and was one of those public-spirited business men of outstanding business qualities and sound integrity who are the backbone of any com- munity. His death occurred in January, 1922, since which time his sons have had charge of his estate, looking after his extensive business interests. Mr. Becker's mother was, before her marriage, Miss Emily Roeder, a native of Cypress, to which place her father, Edward Roeder, a native of Germany, came in 1854, and engaged as a stockman and farm- er until his death in 1888, her mother's death oc- curring in 1902. Edward Becker was reared by his grandmother, Mrs. Roeder, his mother, Emily Roeder Becker, having been an invalid for many years prior to her death, which occurred in January, 1923, a year following the death of her husband. As a boy Ed- ward Becker attended the schools of Cypress, and later went to school at Brenham and Houston. After finishing his education he began in the cattle busi- ness, building up one of the best of the smaller ranches of this section, and has continued in that line to the present time.

Mr. Becker was married the twenty-fourth of Jan- uary, 1915, to Miss Aurelia Hegar, the daughter of L. Hegar, a native of Harris County, where his birth occurred in 1861. Mr. Hegar now makes his home near Hockley, but has practically retired from the cattle business, in which he engaged for many years. He was a large land owner in Harris County, and still owns much valuable farm and ranch property. Mr. and Mrs. Becker reside at their ranch home, a modern and attractive residence, located on the Becker ranch, three and one-half miles northeast of Hockley, on the shell road leading from that city. Mr. Becker is a member of the Sons of Hermann at

Hockley, and the Farmers' Home Insurance Com- pany. Mr. Becker is especially interested in the more progressive ranching methods, and in building the cattle business along constructive lines until it shall again reach its former place of importance.

ALTER NICHOLS KUNTZ, veteran automo- bile supply man, at Houston, and for many years a factor in the business world of this city, has for the past several years been identified with wholesale merchandising in the auto supply field. Mr. Kuntz is President and General Manager of the Houston Auto Supply Company, In- corporated, a firm established in March, 1920, and located at 509 and 511 Louisiana Street. This firm, one of the largest wholesale auto supply houses in this section of the State, handles a wholesale busi- ness exclusively, carrying a full line of automobile supplies, garage equipment and machinery. The building occupied affords around thirteen thousand square feet of floor space and provides for the effi- cient handling of the business, with ample storage space for the reserve stock. Eight salesmen repre- sent the Houston Auto Supply Company, Incorpo- rated, on the road, covering the territory in the Southern part of the State, and produce a record volume of business. A force of employees, totaling more than twenty, are in the house in Houston, and give careful attention to maintaining high service standards. In addiiton to Mr. Kuntz as President and General Manager, other members of the corpo- ration are W. A. Archer, Vice-President,, and A. V. Gerard, Secretary and Treasurer.

Walter Nichols Kuntz was born at Galveston, Texas, the twelfth of April, 1884, son of the late William Kuntz, also a native of that city, and who removed to Houston in 1890, and Nora G. Hackney Kuntz, a native of New Orleans. Mr. Kuntz re- ceived his education in the public schools of Houston, and as a school boy began work in dry goods stores of the city. Later he went into railroad work, spend- ing a year and a half in outside work, and two years in the office of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Then followed two years as fireman on Southern Pacific engines, and eight months as engineer. He then went with the F. W. Heitmann Company, remain- ing with this firm nearly twelve years, and was in the auto supply department of the firm from the time they took on this line, in 1914. He left that firm as Manager of the auto supply department, to organize his present business, in which he has met with rapid success and advancement.

Mr. Kuntz was married at Houston, the seven- teenth of April, 1906, to Miss Katie Lang. a native of this city and daughter of Gus Lang. Mr. and Mrs. Kuntz have three children, Vivian Mae, Walter N., Junior, and Eugene Oscar. They make their home at 406 Welch Avenue. Mr. Kuntz is a member of the Houston Auto Trade League, the Salesman- ship Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the City, State and National Credit Men's Associations, and is a Director in the city and state associations. Fra- ternally he is a Mason, member of Temple Lodge, Chapter No. 99, Corpus Christi, Texas. Mr. Kuntz is one of those progressive business men whose ac- tivities result in real benefit to their communities, and his integrity and high business principles com- mend him to a wide acquaintance, both in Houston and in adjoining territory.

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OHN PETER SJOLANDER, for half a cen- tury a contributor of poems to American and Swedish newspapers and magazines, today stands pre-eminent among the poets of the Lone Star State, and his work has been well received and widely copied. Called variously the "son of the sea and son of the soil," "the farmer poet," "the sailor poet," "the poet farmer," and other names, the lyrical, musical quality of his work has made a wide appeal, and has won him no small measure of fame. His "The Blue Bonnet of Texas" was for six years included in one of the Texas school readers. A sonnet, "To a Sparrow," was used in one of the readers of the Riverside Series, and a sketch of his life appears in the "Library of Southern Lit- erature."

John Peter Sjolander was born in Hudiksvall, northern Sweden, the twenty-fifth of March, 1851. When he was five years old his father was lost at sea and his mother left with three small children to rear and educate. The family some years before in a fight for religious freedom had joined a little colony, and as a result the children were excluded from the public schools, so the education of the Sjolander children devolved upon their mother. For- tunately for them she was able to teach them far more than the public schools could have done and the subject of our sketch, under her tutelage, de- veloped a great love for books and reading. Before he was ten he had read the Bible through several times and his reading had broadened and included many of the better books at his command, with a leaning toward poetry. Tegner and Runeberg were his favorites among the poets and he began to acquire a rhyming habit. At twelve some of his verses began to appear anonymously in the local newspapers and attracted enough attention that inquiry was made as to their authorship. Arrange- ments were made to have him enter high school, where he covered several years' work in one and acquitted himself with credit. He was told, how- ever, that outside of the priesthood there was no future for him in Sweden and in the spring of sixty- seven he went to England, where after an appren- ticeship to a ship owner he returned for a brief visit to his home land, again returning to England, and a few years later found himself as one of the crew of a ship of railroad iron, bound for Galveston. He began work in this city, and later, the first of June, 1871, was one of the volunteers who saved the crew of the Nova Scotia bark which sank on the Galveston bar during the storm which hit the coast at that time. A little later, while waiting for his ship to leave port, he came to Cedar Bayou, in company with four sailors, and were so enchanted with the beauty of the place that all four became permanent settlers of the Lone Star State.

John Peter Sjolander from that day was a resi- dent of Cedar Bayou, working in the summer at brick making, and in the winters going to Galveston where he worked on the wharf, with the exception of one year when he spent several months in Phil- adelphia. In 1877 his brother brought the mother to Texas and they bought land at Cedar Bayou and established their first real home.

The following year, on the twenty-third of May, 1878, Mr. Sjolander was married at Cedar Bayou, to Miss Caroline Bush, daughter of Celestin and Mary Bush, and a native of Chambers County. Mr.

and Mrs. Sjolander had a family of six children: Eric George, John Celestin, Frank Antone, Paul, Sam Young, and Anne Margaret. Three of these children are now married and have homes of their own near the old home place, while the others still live with their parents, and with their father are farmers and producers. Mr. Sjolander is a Master Mason, as are three of his sons, and is a prominent Masonic worker. He wrote, at the request of the Cedar Bayou Lodge, a semi-centennial history of that order, from 1870 until 1920, which is an inter- esting piece of Masonic literature. Mr. Sjolander is one of the most beloved men in and around Cedar Bayou, and for many years has been one of the outstanding men in the development of this com- munity. While Mr. Sjolander has never taken him- self seriously as a poet, making of this interest a recreation from his activities of a farmer, he has had many verses printed in various publications.

ILLIAM M. BAYLEY, owner of the Nytex Floral Company of Alvin, Texas, came here in 1910 and is one of the largest producers and shippers of cut flowers, plants and bulbs in or near Alvin. The Nytex Floral Company are wholesale growers and shippers and have perhaps a greater variety of flowers for shipment than any other grower here, and on account of this diversi- fication, he ships his flowers practically all the year. Mr. Bayley has forty acres of land at Alvin, ten acres of which is planted to cape jessamines, three acres to tube roses, six acres to Magnolia figs, one acre to Shasta daises, and one acre to gladiolus of which he has more than fifty thou- sand bulbs planted for cut flowers. He also has roses, nursery stock, and ferns from which are cut sprays of the beautiful plumosus and sprengeri varieties to mix with other cut flowers. The Nytex Floral Company is a very highly developed place, the product from which is shipped throughout the en- tire country. Mr. Bayley, prior to engaging in his present business, was for several years engaged in building construction work in New York City. He came to Texas in 1910 and started in the orange growing business, and at the same time started his present floral business, which he has continued, and by hard work, and close attention to the details of his business, he has been successful.

Mr. Bayley was born at Massena Springs, New York in 1887. His father, Frederick Bayley, was a well known dairy farmer of New York State. His mother was Miss Irene Catline, a member of a prominent family of New York State. His educa- tion was obtained in the public and high schools of his native state.

Mr. Bayley was married at Alvin, Texas, in 1915, to Miss Beatrice Moore, a native of Texas and a daughter of John A. Moore, who for many years has been one of the leading dairy men of Alvin. They have two children: William Bayley, Jr., seven years of age and Dorris, aged three years. Mr. Bay- ley is enthusiastic as to the future of Alvin, not along the lines of the floral business alone, but in every line of endeavor. He has given much thought and study to the kinds of fruits, shrubs and flowers to be grown and shipped from this vicinity. He be- lieves that this will soon become the greatest Mag- nolia fig growing country in the world, and that the people are awakening to the fact that this fruit is a wonderful money crop for this territory.

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OHN M. KILGORE, for more than two dec- ades a factor in the life and progress of Cedar Bayou, has attained a commendable reputation for his activities as a ship builder. Mr. Kilgore is the owner of Kilgore's Ship Yard, which he established here many years ago. He builds barges, tug boats, pleasure boats of all kinds, and also does repair work of all kinds. His boats are carefully constructed, and years of service have proven them to be worthy the reputation which has been accorded them. Mr. Kilgore builds around fifteen new barges annually, in addition to repair- ing some one hundred boats, and has equipment to handle boats up to one hundred and fifty feet. He has two sets of shipping ways, and keeps from fifteen to twenty employees busy in the yards. Mr. Kilgore has had many years' experience in this field, and is known as one of the best ship builders in this section. He is familiar with all phases of ship building, and his knowledge of his craft is not mere theory, but the accumulated knowledge of years of practical experience.

Mr. Kilgore is a native of Cedar Bayou, where he was born the seventh of September, 1880, the son of Joseph and Mary Hartman Kilgore, his father a farmer and land owner of this section. Mr. Kil- gore was educated in the schools of Cedar Bayou, and as a boy began work in the shipyards. With a natural ability for hard work, and an attention to the details of this craft he soon became a master builder and built his own yards, where he has con- tinued to turn out barges and boats of various kinds for almost two decades. Mr. Kilgore also owns farming lands in Chambers County, having some two hundred acres of fertile land under cultivation.

Mr. Kilgore was married at Cedar Bayou in 1907, to Miss Clarence Berry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Berry, her father a well known railroad man. Mr. and Mrs. Kilgore have a large home on the bank of the bayou and near the ship yards. They have five children: Beatrice, Joe, Raymond, Morris and Boyd. The family attend the Methodist Church and take their part in the usual social and civic activities in the community. Mr. Kilgore is a Master Mason, and one of the best known ship builders on the bayou.

ECIL BROWN, one of the most progressive business men of Friendswood, is a factor in industrial activities, and one of the best informed men on the canning and packing of figs in this section. Mr. Brown is the owner of the Cecil Brown Fig Company, a modern canning company, organized to can and place on the market the figs which are grown extensively in this sec- tion. The business has met with rapid growth, and the product packed by this company is becoming well known to a large trade territory. Mr. Brown has his product standardized, marketing it under a very attractive label, in three sizes in glass and three in tin. All fruit used by the factory has been care- fully ripened, after which it is brought to the plant where it is sorted, graded, processed, packed and inspected, coming out a standardized article, able to compete with other food stuffs on its own merits. The trade name of Mr. Brown's products are "Quaker Maid" for the whole fruit and "Brown's Beauty" for the crushed fruit. The factory occupies a modern building sixty by eighty feet, with sev- eral smaller buildings, and is so arranged that addi-

tional units may be added as the growth of the business demands. The daily capacity is around fifteen thousand pounds, and forty to fifty opera- tives are employed on the average. Warehouses have also been secured in Galveston and Houston and the stock is stored at both places. Mr. Brown is sole owner of the business.

Cecil Brown was born at Halstead, Kansas, the first of December, 1893, son of Frank J. and Mary J. Brown. The family came to Friendswood in the following year, 1894, and the elder Mr. Brown bought a tract of land here, where the city of Friendswood is now located, and laid out the town. Mr. T. J. Brown was the founder of Friendswood Colony. He has since been engaged in real estate, rice farming, and general farming activities and well known for his development work in this section. His son, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of Friendswood, graduating from the high school here, after which he attended the Friends University, at Wichita, Kansas. Re- turning to his home he became interested in the canning industry, and after a number of years spent in the various fig canning plants in this section, established his own plant.

Mr. Brown was married at Friendswood in 1916, to Miss Frances Perry, daughter of Nathan Perry, a farmer and fig grower here, and Mary Perry. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have one child, Dale O. Brown, and are 'Quakers. They make their home in Friends- wood. Mr. Brown has taken an active part in all development work in this section, especially along industrial lines, and his factory is one of the most modern here. He is also interested in agricultural development, and is active in introducing scientific methods that will result in larger yields. His career in the busines world has been watched with interest and older men predict a future for him in the can- ning and packing field.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 165

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