New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 24

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

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Mr. Armbruster was born at Lynchburg, Texas, in November, 1874, son of A. and Marietta Lemuel Armbruster. His father died when he was a small boy and he came to Houston, living with an aunt, Mrs. Grenough, and attending the Houston public schools. As a boy he sold papers on the streets of Houston and later became a messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Company. Still later he worked in various dry goods establishments and in laundries, oil mills and other industries. He started in business for himself in 1893 in a very small way, but after a short period of operation went broke, going to work in a laundry until he had saved up enough money to make a second start, and again opened his business in a small way. For many years the laundry was known as Armbruster's Laundry, but later, when Mr. Armbruster took over the old American Laundry, combining the two plants, he changed the name to the American Laundry.

Mr. Armbruster was married in Houston the sev- enteenth of September, 1892, to Miss Florence Cagle, a native of Mississippi. Mr. and Mrs. Armbruster have a family of nine children, Clifton E., with his father in the laundry business, as assistant plant manager; Chester L .; Gladys, wife of Frank Mc- Loughlin; Florence, wife of C. M. Mather; Ivy; Mil- dred, Vernon, Howard and Robert. They make their home at 320 Sidney Street, while Mr. Armbruster resides at 1511 Leeland Avenue.

OBERT J. PETER, of LaGrange, Texas, wholesale dealer in turkeys, chickens and eggs, has done much in developing and en- couraging the poultry industry in Texas. Mr. Peter for a time maintained headquarters in Houston, but for the past several years has conducted his business from LaGrange, shipping in carload lots. His branch houses in Texas are located at the following points: Cameron, Giddings, New Ulm, and Rockdale, besides many men who buy on com- mission for him at other points in the state. Twen- ty-seven people are on their regular pay rolls and fifteen on a commission basis, and during the tur- key shipping season of November and December, they work more than two hundred women pickers. Mr. Peter originated the famous "Peter Rabbit Egg" and only eggs of the first quality go into this established and popular brand.

A native Texan, Mr. Peter was born at Winches- ter, August 23rd, 1888. His father, J. A. Peter, came to the United States and to Texas in the early days with a colony of forty-two Germans from the land of their nativity and settled at Serbin, where for many years he was engaged in the ginning business, and was known for many miles around as the leading ginner of that section. His mother was Miss Theresa Killiam. His education was ob- tained in the public and high schools of Winchester.

Mr. Peter began in a small way in the poultry business at Winchester, Texas, after which he was able to branch out through the advantage of hav- ing capital with which to do so. In September, 1916, he began his business at LaGrange, and in 1917 established the branch house at Giddings, later at Cameron and the other branch houses were estab- lished in 1922. Mr. Peter was worried about mar- keting his first order of 400 cases of eggs, and now he sells in many instances, ten carloads at an order.

Mr. Peter was married at Winchester, Texas, on September 1st, 1920, to Miss Posey Elizabeth Gates, a daughter of Charles S. Gates, a well known Fay- ette County druggist, and member of a pioneer Texas family. They have two children, Robert J. Peter, Jr., and Rosemary. Mr. Peter is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Texas and Na- tional Poultry and Egg Association, and the Luther- an Church. Mr. Peter is enthusiastic as to the fu- ture of Texas as a poultry state, and while much poultry is produced here now, he believes that within a period of ten years that Texas will supply seventy- five per cent of the entire turkey crop. He con- siders the climate in Texas to be especially adapted to poultry raising, but that the farmers will have to become educated to it, in order to know the many great advantages offered here. In Fayette County the bankers there report to Mr. Peter that poultry and eggs brought in more money annually than the cotton crop and that this condition had prevailed in that vicinity for several years. In Brazos County, at Bryan, the citizens are trying for one million hens in its territory, and are building big incubators and expect to have only Leghorn variety of eggs to hatch out in the incubators, thereby making this point one of the largest Leghorn chicken districts in the entire country. Mr. Peter has stirred up a great deal of interest among the farmers as to poultry raising and at all times stresses the fact that he is an advocate of raising for market and selling only fowls of a good quality.

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R AYMOND PEARSON, one of Houston's native sons, and for many years connected 'with the automobile industry in the city, and well known in the trade, has made a credit- able record along all lines and is firmly established as a citizen whose influence is felt in every walk of life. Mr. Pearson is the owner and manager of the Raymond Pearson Dealership for Ford, Fordson and Lincoln Automobiles, and has been instrumental in selling a record number of these popular cars and tractors. Mr. Pearson established the agency the nineteenth of October, 1916, in a small way, occupy- ing small space and with nine employees. Under his management the business has grown by leaps and bounds and is now one of the largest automobile companies in the city. Mr. Pearson has a modern fireproof building, completed in March, 1917, and comprising three floors with a total of twenty-seven thousand square feet of floor space and employing more than fifty salesmen and operatives. He has built up a live wire sales organization and each year sees a real increase over the preceding year. The first floor of the building, on Main Street, at the viaduct, is devoted to the offices, show rooms and service departments. On the second floor a com- pletely equipped repair department renders a service of exceptional quality to the Ford, Fordson and Lin- coln owners of this section. The basement is used as an assembly department and is completely equip- ped and in charge of expert operatives.

Raymond Pearson was born at Houston the fif- teenth of March, 1891. His father, J. A. Pearson, formerly of Tennessee, came here in 1875 and was for many years a farmer and cattleman with exten- sive interests near Houston. He removed to Hous- ton in 1900 and has since retired from active life. His mother, before her marriage, Miss Addie Dolen, of Missouri, has made her home in Houston for many years. Mr. Pearson was educated in the pub- lis schools of his native city and after leaving school went with the Southwestern Paper Company, re- maining with that firm for one year. He then began in the Union National Bank, in 1908, leaving that institution in 1916 as auditor. In 1916 he established his present business and has since taken a leading part in the development of the automobile business.

Mr. Pearson was married in Houston the tenth of September, 1913, to Miss Mattie M. Hendrie, a native of this city and daughter of Robert M. Hendrie, of Scotland, and a resident of Houston for the past three decades. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson have three children, Raymond, Junior, Robertson and Rose Mary. They have an attractive home at 1507 West Alabama Avenue. Mr. Pearson is a member of various civic and social clubs, such as the Houston Club, the Houston Country Club, the Polo Club, the Rotary Club, the Lumberman's Clubs, the Elks Club and the Salesmanship Club, of which he is Past President. He is also Chairman of the Alexander Hamilton Institute Study Group, a member of the Advisory Committee on Educational work of the Young Men's Christian Association, and Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Fraternally he is a Mason, Gray Blue Lodge No. 329, Thirty-Second degree Scottish Rite, is a Knight Templar and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine. Mr. Pearson as a business man is efficient and a constructive thinker, a master executive, and although a young man, has a mature judgment and ability to handle men and affairs.

L. WALKER has for more than three de- cades been identified with commercial and industrial activities at Houston, and for the past several years has been a factor in the automotive industry as distributor for several well known makes of automobile parts. Mr. T. L. Walk- er established this business in 1916 and since that time he had charge of the distribution of Timkens, Hyatt and New Departure Bearings, and D. and B. Timing Gears. These lines represent the standard in bearings and timing gears, and since undertaking their distribution Mr. Walker has built up a large and profitable business in this territory. He carries a full line of stock, and his store, at 1517 Main Street, is well located for this business. Mr. Walker makes a point of real service, and has under him two trained men who make Walker Bearing Service syn- onomous with superior service. Prior to establishing this business he was engaged in other branches of the automobile business for a time and thoroughly understands the demands of the trade. His business is both wholesale and retail, and is entirely under his personal supervision.

T. L. Walker is a native of the Lone Star State, and was born at Lufkin, Texas, the fifth of June, 1878. His father, R. P. Walker, has been for many years a resident of Lufkin, and still makes his home in that city. His mother, whose death occurred when the subject of this sketch was a small child, was before her marriage Miss Hattie Roberts. Mr. Walker received his education in the public schools of his native city and after leaving school was for a number of years in a grocery store there. He later went with the railroads, in the car and air de- partment, and was a foreman of these departments for five years, and for ten years locomotive engi- neer, with the Southern Pacific Railroad, with his headquarters at Houston. He then went with J. M. West, remaining with him for a year and a half, after which he established an automobile repair business, which he operated until 1916, at which time his present business was organized and he took charge of the distribution of Timken, Hyatt and New Departure Bearings and D. and B. Timing Gears.

Mr. Walker was married at Houston, in 1900, to Miss Essie Langston, a native of the Lone Star State. Mr. and Mrs. Walker make their home at 1203 Rosedale Avenue, and have one child, a daugh- ter, Frances Sue. Mr. Walker is a Blue Lodge Mason, Thirty-Second degree, Scottish Rite, Knight Templar, and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of Division 139, Locomotive Engineers, and a consistent member of the Baptist Church. He has hosts of friends in Houston who appreciate his sterling qualities, and regard him as a valued addition to the business world here.

D. JOHNSON, manager of the Western Auto Supply Company branch at Houston, came here early in 1924 to establish this business and take over its management, and has made a splendid record in the automotive mer- chandising field. The Western Auto Supply Com- pany, one of the largest businesses of its kind in the country, has its headquarters at Kansas City, where the president, Don A. Davis, a native Texan, resides. Four branches are maintained in Texas, one at Dal- las, one at Fort Worth, one at San Antonio, and the

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one at Houston. The Houston branch was estab- lished on the third of March, 1924, with six em- ployees. Under Mr. Johnson's management the growth of this branch has been very rapid, the busi- ness increasing to such an extent that after a year of operation the employment force had mounted to more than thirty. In addition to the large local trade the branch does an extensive mail order busi- ness, featuring twenty-four hour service, and serv- ing a trade territory that covers South and South- east Texas and Southern Louisiana.

R. D. Johnson was born in Travis County, Texas, the twenty-fourth of December, 1897, son of S. T. Johnson, and Mrs. Bettie (Jones) Johnson, natives of Tennessee, who now reside in Dallas. Mr. John- son was educated in the schools of Texas and served in the United States Army three years during the World War, and prior to his enlistment had been engaged in government work at San Antonio for sev- eral years. After leaving the service Mr. Johnson went with the Western Auto Supply Company at Dallas, beginning at the bottom, and working his way to a responsible position with the Dallas branch in a short time. When the Houston branch was opened his record of service resulted in his appoint- ment to the managership of the new branch, and he has since held this position.

Mr. Johnson was married at San Antonio on the ninth of March, 1923, to Miss Rosalie Rader, daugh- ter of J. L. Rader and Mrs. Rosalie (Hall) Rader. Mr. Rader, a native of Missouri, has lived in Texas for many years, making his home in San Antonio. Mrs. Rader is a native Texan. Mr. and Mrs. John- son reside at 950 Redan Street. Mr. Johnson is a Mason, Dallas Lodge, No. 760, and belongs to the Houston Chamber of Commerce and the Methodist Church.

AT L. DAVIS, although a young man, has had a wide, varied and successful business career and since establishing the Davis Mo- tor Company, in Houston, of which he is the sole owner, he has been unusually successful in this business also. Mr. Davis is dealer for the Ford, Ford- son and Lincoln cars and has one of the finest plants in Houston, with a floor space of 10,000 square feet and employs forty people. He began business in Houston in August, 1921, at 905 San Ja- cinto Street, with twelve employees and remained there until his fine building was finished. This splendid building, located at 1500 Congress Avenue at La Branch Street, was completed in April, 1922, and was constructed by Mr. Davis for this business, and besides being a splendid and ornate building is absolutely fireproof. The Davis Motor Company have in this magnificent building their attractive show rooms, offices, parts department and their shops, where they have experienced a wonderful growth in their business and are among the leading Ford dealers in this portion of Texas, where Mr. Davis has a host of friends. Since the business was first started the volume done each year has increased five hundred per cent. It has been necessary to take care of the expansion by putting up an additional plant on property located immediately across the street from the original building.

A native Texan, Mr. Davis was born at Maysfield, Milam County, in 1888. His father, L. P. Davis (de- ceased since 1911) was also a native of the Lone Star

State, where he was a prominent Methodist minister known in all portions of the state, where he had preached in the churches of this denomination and was loved by all who knew him. His mother (now deceased) was Miss Fannie Patton, a member of a pioneer Texas family. Mr. Davis attended public schools in practically every portion of the state, where his father was pastor, and later was a stu- dent at the Southwestern University of Georgetown and left this institution in 1904 in order to join the army of the United States. He was consigned to Company K, 26th Infantry and was first stationed at Brownsville, Texas, and later went to Manila. Mr. Davis received his discharge from the United States army March 5th, 1907, and re-enlisted on the same day and served until June, 1909, when he was again discharged. He then entered th adjutant general's department as civil clerk and later entered the Man- ila police department and still later became con- nected with the internal revenue department and continued in this service until April 8th, 1911, when he left the Island on account of his father's death and returned to Texas and has since that time re- mained in the States. His first work here was at Alvin, Texas where he was connected with the ice plant, but remained in this business only a short time, when he went with the Citizens State Bank of Alvin and remained with this institution from September, 1911, to August, 1915, when he went to Galveston and was in charge of the May shipments to Europe and continued in this work until May, 1916. He then went with the Dow Motor Company of Houston where he remained from August to De- cember, 1916, when he organized the Texas Motor Company, Inc., Ford dealers with agencies at Col- umbus, Schulenburg and La Grange, Texas. He re- mained as the executive head of this firm until Aug- ust, 1917, when he sold out and organized the La Grange Motor Company, Inc. and on August 25th of the same year, Mr. Davis dissolved the corporation and in August, 1919, took over the ownership of the business and continued the business as manager and owner until July 1st, 1921, when he sold out and came to Houston as Ford dealer here and where he has met with unusual success and his business is still growing.

Mr. Davis was married at Alvin, Texas, June 21st, 1914 to Miss Myrtle King, a native of Alvin and a daughter of R. H. King, who has been a resident of Alvin for more than thirty years and is well known in the business circles of South Texas. They have two children, Elizabeth and Pat L. Davis, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Davis reside at 408 Avondale Street, in the beautiful Montrose Addition. Mr. Davis is a member of the A. F. & A. M., with membership in Fayette Lodge No. 34 and has attained to the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite body of this order, is a member of Galveston Consistory No. 1 and is a Shriner of Arabia Temple, Houston. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club, Civitan Club and the Motor League. Mr. Davis is a member of the faculty of the Houston School of Technology, teaching ad- vanced sales practice. He is an ardent amateur ath- lete, having a special liking for boxing and wrest- ling. Mr. Davis has great faith in the future of Houston and has shown this faith in his several in- vestments here and expects Houston to soon take her place as the leading city of the entire Southwest.

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OHN MILBY, who is well known in Harris- burg for his numerous business affairs rela- tive to the prosperity of his city, has been for many years one of the vital forces for progress in his community and enjoys the esteem of his fellow citizens. Whether as cattleman, bank- er, merchant, or individual citizen it is doubtful if any individual name has a larger command of re- spect and admiration than has his. Mr. Milby has recently organized the Milby Motor Company, at Harrisburg, a firm which is selling a record number of cars in that territory. Mr. Milby has for twelve years been a factor in the cattle raising industry in that section, in association with Walter Williams. He runs about three thousand head of cattle, of the Brahma strain, marketing his calves, which due to present market conditions, will bring as much as two cows. Mr. Milby has recently given much at- tention to diseases of cattle, especially a new di- sease that has made its appearance, attacking prin- cipally cattle of Brahma blood. No one seems to know just what causes it, or how to combat it, but there has been a theory advanced that it is due to dipping. Mr. Milby's observations are based on his own experience, and he is working in co-operation from veterinaries from all over the country in order to find the cause and eradicate the disease.

Mr. Milby was born at Harrisburg, the twenty- ninth of September, 1880, son of C. H. Milby, who was born in Lavaca County, and Maggie Todd Milby. Mrs. Milby's father, J. G. Todd, was a seafaring man, and during the war with Mexico served in the Texas Navy, as an officer. His navy sword, which has been preserved, is one of the most cherished possessions of his family. Mr. Milby's grandfather, William Milby, came to Texas from his native State of Maryland, before the Civil War, locating in La- vaca County, where he engaged in merchandising.

Mr. Milby was educated in the public schools of Harrisburg, later attending San Marcos Academy and Texas A. and M. College. After finishing his education he returned to his home and for twenty- five years engaged in banking, with the Planters and Mechanics Bank, now the Union National Bank. He then turned his attention to cattle raising, and for twelve years has been active in this industry. The first of January, 1923, he entered the automo- bile business, as local dealer for the Star and Du- rant lines, and has taken an active part in intro- ducing this mar in his community.

Mr. Milby was married at Harrisburg, in 1909, to Miss Orlean Allen, daughter of C. D. Allen, and grand-daughter of S. W. Allen. Mr. and Mrs. Milby make their home in Harrisburg, taking an active part in the various social and civic events of their community. They are the parents of two children, Abbie Louise Milby and Charles Dow Milby. Mr. Milby is a Mason, Blue Lodge, Gray, Chapter and Commandery at Houston, Eighteenth Degree, at Houston, Thirty-Second Degree at Galveston, and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine, at Houston.

Mr. Milby has been an integral part of the life at Harrisburg for many years. He has seen that city go down to a mere village of forty inhabitants, and come back to the present wonderful growth of today, a growth in which he took no small part in pro- moting. He served his city as City Commissioner, an office he filled with distinction, and wherein he lent every effort to encourage development. He has

in his business activities directed his affairs in such a manner that his city would be benefited, as well as for his own individual profit, and is known as one of the most public sprited men of his commun- ity. Mr. Milby also takes a deep interest in Hous- ton, a city which he expects to see become the largest city of the South, due to the Deep Water Channel, and the many advantages it offers as a medium of progress.

ENRY C. HOOK, for almost two decades a resident of Houston, and one of the best known automobile men of this section of the state, has for a number of years oper- ated one of the leading garages in the city, and has attained a commendable reputation for his activities in this business. Mr. Hook is the owner of the Hook's Garage, one of the finest and best equipped garages in the city, which he established several years ago and located, at 1017 Fannin at Lamar. Mr. Hook keeps his garage open twenty- four hours a day, and has a first-class mechanic on duty at all times to enable his friends and patrons to get the best service possible. He has a storage department, providing for the accommodation of a large number of cars, and has the usual repair, washing and greasing facilities. A modern system of washing and polishing insures the satisfaction of his patrons, and has won much favor among the automobile owners of the city. The repair depart- ment has all equipment for making first-class re- pairs on any make of car, in an efficient and sat- isfactory manner, and has a wrecking service oper- ated in connection with it. Other departments in- clude a well stocked automobile accessory depart- ment, including tires and tubes, and a filling sta- tion. Road service is another convenience Mr. Hook provides for his patrons, and a service car is kept ready to answer any call, either in Houston, or on the roads leading out of the city.

Henry C. Hook was born at Montgomery, Ala- bama, the twentieth of October, 1874, son of David C. Hook, a native of North Carolina, who later went to Alabama, where his death occurred when the subject of this sketch was a child of two years. Mr. Hook's mother, before her marriage Miss Chris- tiana Frazier, later married again, and as Mrs. Claxton makes her home at Montgomery, at the age of seventy-nine. Mr. Hook attended the public schools near his home for a time, later studying alone, and still later, after coming to Texas, at- tending night school. In 1891 he joined his cousin in Bell County, Texas, and spent two years on his plantation there. He then went with the Santa Fe Railroad, in the water service department, and was stationed at Cleburne for a number of years, during which time he helped build the shops in that city. He then went to Mount Pleasant, where he engaged in the wholesale and retail paint busi- ness for three years, and also operated as a paint- ing contractor. Disposing of his interests there he went to Kansas City, Missouri, and was with the Kansas City Ice Company, as refrigerator engi- neer for two years. This was followed by a return to his birthplace and he spent a number of years in Montgomery, first as manager of two hotels and the power plant owned by D. P. West, and later with the Carolina and Virginia Chemical Works, as master mechanic. He came to Houston in 1905, and for a time was chief engineer for the Home Ice

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Company. This was followed by twelve years with the Henke Ice and Refrigerator Company, as chief engineer. He was then chief engineer with the Rice Hotel for one year, following this with a short period with the Magnolia Petroleum Company, and with the Houston Packing Company. Leaving the last named corporation, Mr. Hook went in business for himself, establishing the H. C. Hook Garage, which he has since operated.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 24

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