New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 87

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

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Exploration Company, at Damon Mound, and brought in the first producing well for them there. He remained with this company about two years. After spending some time in the Spindletop field he spent about ten years in various drilling operations, particularly in the Dayton field, which looked prom- ising to him, and where he brought in some produc- ing wells. For some time he was associated with Ed Prather and brought in a number of wells, which have since been disposed of. For the last two years he has been associated with George and John Ham- man and F. M. Bullock, trading in leases, royal- ties and oil lands. He still gets some royalties from his Humble interests.

Mr. Granberry was born in Perry County, Missis- sippi, the 28th of September, 1856, son of A. R. Granberry, a farmer and brickmaker of that place. He left home at the age of 17, travelling and work- ing in the Northwestern States. He spent 13 years at Bismark and Deadwood, in the Dakotas, going to Bismark in 1876, just after the Custer Massacre. He drove a team in General Terry's Expedition to the scene of the Custer Massacre. He later went to Chicago, thence to San Antonio, in 1890, as foreman in a brick plant. He later came to Houston, as a brickmaker, and was foreman with William M. Rice for four years, in charge of a brick plant. It was during this time that his interest was attracted to well-drilling, and he bought a well-drilling machine, and spent some time thereafter drilling for water, later turning his attention to drilling for oil. From this point his entire time has been given to the oil business.

He was married at Waxahachie to Miss Mary Sum- merton, daughter of J. H. Summerton, a merchant and dealer of that city, and a native of Pennsyl- vania.

Mr. and Mrs. Granberry have a family of three children, two sons, Harold and Alton, and a daugh- ter, Ruth. They make their home at 241 Heights Boulevard. Mr. Granberry is a Mason, member of Holland Blue Lodge. He is known to all oil men throughout the Lone Star State, and has in the course of his career been interested in nearly every proven field in Texas, keeping in close touch with all oprations. He is a creditable addition to the oil fraternity, and has a host of friends in Houston and throughout the State.

EORGE WHITESIDE ALLEN, oil operator and investor, became interested in the oil business fifteen years ago and his first venture in this line of activity was in the famous fields at Tampico, Mexico, where he handled leases and bought and sold oil properties for several years. He stayed in Mexico until 1915 when he re- turned to the United States and continued in busi- ness in the Mid-Continent fields until 1918 when he again returned to Mexico and engaged in drilling and contracting at Tampico and other places until 1922 when he came to Houston where he organized the firm of Chapman, Allen and Kirby, to handle an oil business. The firm, however, was dissolved early in 1923 and Mr. Allen became identified with the Amicable Life Insurance Company of Waco, Texas. Later he organized Geo. W. Allen and Com- pany, general agents of the Lamar Life Insurance Company.

Mr. Allen is a native of Illinois and was born at Riverside on April 21st, 1883. He is a son of Charles E. and Lillian (Whiteside) Allen and received his education in the schools at Riverside and at Hillside Academy in Wisconsin. His father, for many years a prominent Chicago merchant, was a graduate of the University of Michigan. He died in 1900. His mother is a sister of the famous actor, Walker Whiteside, and various members of the family have been prominent in commercial and artistic circles of Chicago.

In 1904 Mr. Allen went to Mexico as storekeeper for the old Mexican Central Railroad and later was made general storekeeper for the Mexican National Railway Lines. He continued in railroad work until 1908 when he entered the oil business at Tampico. After returning to the United States in 1915 he was for three years identified with the Producers Refin- ing Company and its successors in various capacities and was located for a while at Gainesville, Texas. He then went to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as assist- ant purchasing agent for the Empire in 1917 and later became general purchasing agent for the Midca Gasoline Company at Tulsa. He remained in this capacity until the latter part of 1917 when he again engaged in business for himself, buying and selling oil field and refinery supplies and in 1918 returned to Mexico to engage in the contracting business. At one time he was extensively interested in citrus fruit growing in Mexico and had the largest citrus nursery in the republic. The revolution in Mexico practically destroyed the citrus business there but he still has a large ranch in Mexico.

In 1908 Mr. Allen was married to Miss Georgiana West, a native of Kansas and a graduate of the Man- hattan Agricultural College at Manhattan, Kansas. She is a daughter of George W. West, a retired cattleman now living in Houston. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have two children, twin daughters, Harriet and Elizabeth.

Mr. Allen is a capable and energetic business man and thoroughly understands every detail of the oil business. His practical experience in drilling, producing and refining work has given him a know- ledge of the industry that is invaluable. He is an untiring worker and a consistent booster for Hous- ton, predicting that this city will become the real center of the oil industry in the Southwest and the foremost city in Texas during the next few years.

1637

MEN OF TEXAS

B. RUSS of Houston, Texas, has spent practically all his business life in the vari- ous branches of the oil industry and is the executive head of one of Houston's oil or- ganizations which has grown to large proportions in a comparatively short period of time. As Presi- dent and Manager of the Consolidated Oil Company, distributors for the Sinclair Refining Company, wholesale gasoline and oils, Mr. Russ has had a part in making popular the products of this com- pany. Associated with Mr. Russ in the Consoli- dated Oil Company are the following well known business men of Houston: Clarence Kendall, S. Philp and W. C. Czigan. Mr. Russ, with Mr. Ken- dall, organized the company in 1924 and Messrs. Philp and Czigan joined the organization later. The business has grown rapidly until it ranks among the leaders of its kind in this city. With tank truck delivery in Houston, they are prepared to give the best of service to their patrons, who are numbered in every part of the city. Recently the Consolidated Oil Company acquired a one-half in- terest in the Home Oil Company of Bryan, Texas, which has a trade territory of four counties. Mr. Russ is Vice President of the latter company. The offices of the Consolidated Oil Company are located at 2905 McKinney Avenue, where a staff of trained men are associated with the executives in serving the public. Prior to organizing this company, Mr. Russ was associated with the Sinclair Refining Com- pany here for about four years, and was with the Pierce Oil Company for about eight years, and his experience gained with these large oil companies has been of untold value to him in the operation of his own company.

A native Texan, Mr. Russ was born at Temple on July 9th, 1885. His father, Robert F. Russ (de- ceased), was a native of Alabama, but came to Texas at an early age and became a locomotive engineer, and served as such for thirty-three years on the G., C. and S. F. Railroad, and resided in Somerville, Texas. His mother, Mrs. Mary (Butler) Russ, was a native of Georgia, where she belonged to one of that State's most prominent families. His education was obtained in the schools of Honey Grove, Texas, which he left at an early age in or- der to enter the business world.

Mr. Russ was married at Teague, Texas, on No- vember 3rd, 1908, to Miss Ethel Terry, a daughter of G. T. Terry, a native of the Lone Star State, and well known in the business circles of Central Texas. Her mother, Mrs. Lucy (Peevy) Terry, was a native of Louisiana and a member of a well known family of that State. They have one child, Terry Russ, at home and a student of Central High School. Mr. and Mrs. Russ reside at 2719 Houston Avenue. He is a member of the A. F. and A. M., a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of Arabia Temple Shrine of Houston, the Chamber of Commerce and of the Baptist Church. Mr. Russ has always been a leader in the city's development wherever he has resided, and while he lived at Teague, Texas, he served that thriving little city as City Secretary and Treasurer.

RICH F. KUEHNLE has been actively asso- ciated with the development of the oil fields in Texas at different times during a period of twenty years and during this time has

been connected with some of the most important development work in the Coastal territory, and throughout the United States. For a number of years Mr. Kuehnle has been doing special work along scientific lines which has attracted wide- spread attention among members of the oil frater- nity.

Mr. Kuehnle is a petroleum technologist with of- fices in the Rogers Building at Houston. His pro- fessional services are in demand not only in Texas, but in various places throughout the country, where exploration work for petroleum is carried on. Among his clients Mr. Kuehnle numbers many of the lead- ing men in the oil industry, who place explicit con- fidence in his work and who frequently place their development operations completely in his charge.

A native of Germany, Mr. Kuehnle was born at Stuttgart on October 29, 1877. His father died when he was four years of age. He was given a liberal education and was especially trained along scien- tific lines at the University of Stuttgart. His major work was in chemistry and he became inter- ested in petroleum from a statement made by one of his professors who declared every young man should look for new industries and new fields of action. From a close study of geology he turned to petro- leum technology as a big new industry and this has engaged his thought and attention ever since.

After graduating at the University of Stuttgart, he spent some time in Baku, Russia, and the rich oil fields of Roumania and then was located in England for a year. Determining to obtain the broadest ex- perience possible, he concluded to visit the fields of the United States, and came here in 1904 for that purpose. His work here has been so interesting and profitable he has never had any thought of returning to the old country to live.

Landing in Houston in 1904 Mr. Kuehnle secured employment on the day following his arrival here with the Gulf Production Company, going to work for this concern at fifty-five dollars per month. Dur- ing his first year of service with the Gulf he was given a raise in salary each month and continued with them until 1907 when he became identified with the Standard Oil Company. He remained with the Standard until 1915 and during 1913, 1914 and 1916 was stationed in Mexico, where he was in charge of valuable properties for the big parent company. Completing eight years of work with the Standard Mr. Kuehnle located permanently in Houston.

An intensive student of all matters pertaining to the petroleum industry, Mr. Kuehnle exerted every effort to have the Trustees of Rice Institute es- tablish a chair of petroleum technology, believing that practical, applied science should be taught to young men at this center of the oil business. Fail- ing in his plan to interest the institute authorities in this work, he now has under consideration the establishment in Houston of a research laboratory for the investigation of problems that are constantly arising in the petroleum industry. He has done a great deal of research work for various universities and for different departments of the government, doing this work free as a contribution to the ad- vancement of science.

Mr. Kuehnle firmly believes Houston is destined to be the principal market for crude oil in the South and that the resources of Texas have scarcely been touched. He is a member of the American Chem- ist's Association.

1638

J.B. Far

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

B. FARR spent many years in the oil busi- ness and had an especially good training for his present line of work during the years he was connected with the Texas Company, for whom he worked in various capacities for sixteen years. Resigning his position with the Texas Com- pany early in 1923, Mr. Farr began contract work for himself and placed several rotary rigs at work in the new Luling field in Caldwell County, but sold out his interest before work began. Then for eigh- teen months he held the position of superintendent of material and warehouses of the United North and South Oil Company, with headquarters at Luling.

The experience of Mr. Farr in the oil business be- gan in 1907, when he started work for the Texas Company at Saratoga, Texas. He remained in the Saratoga field for this company for about seven years, and by steady application to his duties was placed in charge of the company's warehouse there and worked as a gauger. He was with the Texas Company at Saratoga when the company brought in the big wells that started it on the road to pros- perity. Mr. Farr worked on the famous B. B. B. and C., or Kirby wells, of the Texas Company at this place and later was transferred to Sour Lake, where he continued as gauger and warehouseman. After four years at Sour Lake, he was transferred to Houston and continued with the company here as lease man and superintendent, spending much of his time at Barbers Hill and other important coastal fields where the Texas Company had extensive oper- ations. In May, 1920, he was made chief warehouse man at Houston, and continued in this capacity un- til his resignation early in 1923, when he concluded to go in business for himself.

Mr. Farr is a native of Texas and was born at Hempstead, Waller County, on August 17th, 1875. He is a son of J. H. and Sarah Texana Cloud Farr, and received his education in the public schools of Waller County. His father was a Civil War veteran, farmer, school teacher and newspaper man, and for a number of years was publisher of the Waller County Courier. After leaving school, Mr. Farr be- gan work for the Houston and Texas Central Rail- way Company when only sixteen years of age, as assistant pumper. He worked as a pumper and later as a fireman for the H. & T. C. for about fif- teen years, and left railroad work to become identi- fied with the Texas Company.

On February 21, 1898, Mr. Farr was married, at Corsicana, to Miss Mary Burrows, who was the mother of his three children, J. B., Jr., Adrian L., and Efnor L. Mrs. Farr died on January 7th, 1907, and on August 4th, 1920, he was again married at Houston, to Miss Gabriella Raiford, a native of Grimes County, and a daughter of Dr. Marshall D. Raiford, pioneer physician, who came to Texas short- ly after the close of the Civil War.

Mr. Farr is a splendid type of citizen, and is a Mason, a member of Holland Lodge No. 1, Washing- ton Chapter, No. 2, and Houston Chapter, No. 385, of the Order of the Eastern Star. During his resi- dence in Sour Lake he served as master of the Ma- sonic Lodge, No. 1002. He also is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and the Travelers' Pro- tective Association. A man of likeable character and splendid personality, he is truly representative of that type of citizenship which is the real back- bone of every community.

LEX. FREUND, pioneer resident of Houston, and a veteran in the oil industry, has throughout the years of a busy lifetime con- tributed to the welfare of his community and the development of the oil resources of the Lone Star State. His activities in this industry have been fruitful and he has acquired not only wealth but many friendships, and the highest esteem of all who know him. Mr. Freund has recently retired from active business life, but still retains a deep in- terest in civic affairs and is one of the real boosters of his city, and looks after his affairs, from the Bankers Mortgage Building.

Alex. Freund was born at Warsaw, Poland, the 28th of Feburary, 1863, son of an old Polish family. His father and grandfather were men of means and landowners of Poland, and were well known for their many benevolences and the help they gave to the poor of their country. His mother, a highly edu- cated woman, also come of an old and well known Polish family. Mr. Freund was educated in the schools of Warsaw and came to the United States from his native country as a young man, influenced by a desire to see the West and the Indians he had read about as a school boy. He came first to New Orleans, and from that point to Houston, in 1878. Although he found no Indians he did find longhorns and cowmen, and after a brief acquaintance these proved as attractive to him as the Indians of his boyhood, and after looking around for a short time he decided to make Houston his home. His first business deal in this city was the trading of a watch and thirty-five dollars for a lot, and thus launched on his business career he spent the years that fol- lowed buying, building and selling real estate. He has developed several additions, the principal one be- ing the Ryan Addition, where he sold seven hundred lots in six weeks. In 1889 Mr. Freund bought the property where he now lives for two hundred and fifty dollars, and has held it since that time, until it is now easily worth more than ten thousand dol- lars. Mr. Freund has been actively associated with many events of the early days, both in development in Houston and in the adjoining oil towns of Sour Lake and Humble. He was at the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1894.

Mr. Freund was married at Houston the twenty- fourth of May, 1898, to Miss Milina Rosenfield, daughter of Joe Rosenfield, one of the early business men of Houston, and Mrs. Pauline Rosenfield, one of the best known hotel women in the Lone Star State and recalled by all the old time residents of this section. Mr. and Mrs. Freund had an ideal married life, their home, at 412 Yoakum Street, off the Harrisburg Road, being the seat of a gracious hospitality. Since the death of Mrs. Freund, in May 1920, Mr. Freund has retired from active life and spends his time looking after his personal invest- ments and in caring for his garden, in which hobby he finds his chief delight, and his chickens. The son, Henry Freund, makes his home with his father, and is attaining prominence as a mechanical genius with several successful patents to his credit. Mr. Freund is one of the most loyal citizens of Houston, and has on many occasions contributed to move- ments directed toward public welfare and civic pros- perity. He has hosts of friends from every sta- tion of life, and is one of the most honored and ad- mired pioneers of this city.

1641

MEN OF TEXAS

HIL CEZEAUX, pioneer oil operator and well known in the various Texas oil fields as one of the leading contractors and pro- ducers in the oil business, has been active in the development of the oil field at Humble for about thirteen years. Mr. Cezeaux is a member of the firm of Cezeaux and Martin, a partnership composed of himself and George A. Martin, also a pioneer operator in the Texas oil fields. The partnership was formed in 1919, since which time the firm has operated as contractors and producers at Humble, owning producing wells here. The firm has a force of ten employees, all of whom are efficient oil men, and experts in their particular line. Cezeaux and Martin maintain headquarters at Humble, directing all operations in this territory with the advantage of being on the ground, and few men are more familiar with oil conditions in this field. Mr. Cezeaux has a wide personal acquaint- ance among oil men of the state, and has won the respect and confidence of the citizens in the com- munities where he has resided.

Phil Cezeaux was born at Austin, Texas, the seventh of February, 1883, the son of Gus Cezeaux and Kate (Rowell) Cezeaux. Gus Cezeaux, a na- tive Texan, engaged in farming near Austin until his retirement several years ago. His parents came to Texas with Austin's Colony, and were closely associated with the early development of the state. Mrs. Cezeaux is also a native of Texas, and like Mr. Cezeaux, a member of one of the families com- ing here with Austin's Colony. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cezeaux reside at Humble. Phil Cezeaux attended the public schools at Austin, and at the age of eigh- teen years went to Spindle Top, at the time of the big boom there, and began work in the oil fields. Since that time he has engaged in every form of oil field work. Mr. Cezeaux left Spindle Top as a driller, going to Sour Lake, and later to Batson, Saratoga, and Dayton, where he brought in the first producer, and then to Humble, where he has been engaged in active operations since 1912.

Mr. Cezeaux was married at Dayton, Texas, the ninth of September, 1907, to Miss Dora Wilburn, a native of Chambers County, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Cezeaux make their home at Marlin, where the children attend school, Mr. Cezeaux dividing his time between that city and Humble. They have six children, Calvin, Philip, Louise, Gus, Lee and Asa Cezeaux. Mr. Cezeaux is a member of the Kiwanis Club at Marlin, the Masonic Lodge, Scot- tish Rite, and Arabia Temple Shrine, and is held in high esteem throughout the state as one of the leading oil men of Texas.

D. PITTMAN, architect and construction engineer, has for more than a score of years practiced his profession in Houston, and has gained publicity throughout South Texas by his work as a designer of many prom- inent buildings. Mr. Pittman is one of the oldest architects in Houston and in this city where there are more than eight hundred buildings for which he made plans and handled the construction, which stand as a monument to his skill as an architect and builder. During 1923 he handled more than one million dol- lars' worth of construction. He is drawing plans for a warehouse to be of concrete and steel construc- tion, absolutely fireproof, eight stories in height, 250 feet by 250 feet in size, with seven elevators and

with railroad tracks in the building. When com- pleted, this building will be the largest of its kind in Texas and represents an investment of $1,500,- 000.00. Mr. Pittman also drew the plans for the Merchants Compress, which occupies a space of more than four acres. Mr. Pittman's splendidly equipped office is located at 500 Prince Theater Building, where he is engaged in a general archi- tectural and contracting business.

Mr. Pittman was born at Alexandria, Louisiana, September 22nd, 1856. His parents, Enos Pittman and Letha Pittman, were large land owners and ex- tensive planters of Louisiana. His education was obtained in the schools of his native state, and soon after leaving school, he began his business career in the machine shops at New Orleans, where he re- mained for six years, and worked in practically all departments. He came to Texas in 1867 and located in Freestone County, where he remained for about twelve years, and during this period was engaged in the general contracting and building business. In 1881, he removed to Dallas and started the O. K. Harry Steel Works, and was general manager and superintendent of this plant for three years. He then entered the architectural and building business in Dallas, where he remained until coming to Hous- ton in 1901.

Mr. Pittman was married at Indianapolis, Indiana, to Miss Anna Jameison, a member of a well known family of Indiana. They have four children, Grover O. Pittman, D. D. Pittman, Jr., Annie Sumner and Neva I. Pittman. Mr. Pittman is a member of the Woodmen of the World and takes an active interest in this organization. He has always participated in a most substantial and active manner in all moves and enterprises that had for their object the upbuild- ing and advancement of Houston.

L. ZUBER became a citizen of Houston in 1921, shortly after his arrival opening a mercantile business which has since become one of the leading shoe jobbing establish- ments in Southeast Texas. The Zuber-Kaufman Shoe Company was established by Mr. Zuber, J. Kaufman and M. Zuber, the fifteenth of October, 1921, at 107 Main Street, and after fifteen months during which time the business of the firm increased so rapidly that they had to secure larger quarters. They are now located at 106 Main Street. The firm does a general wholesale shoe jobbing business, keeping five men on the road and selling to an extensive trade throughout South and West Texas, part of Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. They handle several well known lines of shoes and boots and operate their business in accordance with mod- ern merchandising principles, attaining the reputa- tion of a reliable, progressive house with an assured future. The Zuber-Kaufman Shoe Company occu- pies three floors of a building twenty-five by eighty feet, with an adequate force of employees to meet the demands of a growing business.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 87

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