New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 89

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

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A native Texan, Mr. Downman was born at Pat- tison, Waller County, October 6th, 1883. His father, Dr. Henry P. Downman, was a prominent physician, merchant and cattle man of Pattison. His mother was Miss Lilly Cliett, a member of a prominent fam- ily of Texas. His education was obtained in the public schools of Pattison, Waller County. After leaving school, Mr. Downman engaged in the mer- cantile business and remained in this line of en- deavor for three years, when he went with the Kirby Lumber Company and his first experience with this company was in a lumber camp eighteen miles from a railroad, but with the perseverance which has characterized him throughout his business life, he remained and continued to work in the mercantile end of the lumber industry. He was located in various points for the Kirby Lumber Company and was moved to the Houston office as chief clerk of the purchasing department in 1906 and was with this company for seventeen years, thirteen of which was in Houston, when he resigned in 1919 in order to enter his present business which has been a success from the beginning. Mr. Downman has unlimited financial backing but seldom uses it. He is known to all his friends as one of the hardest working men in the business circles of Houston and this, added to a pleasing personality, has greatly assisted in the growth of his business in the city.

Mr. Downman was married in Houston in 1905 to Miss Corrie Burch, a daughter of Samuel and Aure- lia Kirby Burch, well known citizens of East Texas. They have two children, Burch, eighteen years of age, and Dorothy, aged thirteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Downman reside at 4503 Montrose Boulevard. In fraternal and social organizations, Mr. Downman is a member of the Scottish Rite Body of the A. F. & A. M. and is a Shriner of Arabia Temple, the

1650

Jas HO House Bute

Boyles,

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

Rotary Club and the Lumbermans Club. He is also a member of Texas Grain Dealers Association, Na- tional Grain Dealers, National Hay Association and the Houston Merchants Exchange. Since coming to Houston, Mr. Downman has been active in the busi- ness, social and general community life of the city, and gives liberally of his time and means to all pro- jects tending to the welfare and advancement of the South Texas metropolis.

OE STUART BOYLES, county surveyor of Harris County, has practiced his profes- sion in Houston for the past sixteen years. During this period he has been in charge of some of the most important engineering work in South Texas. Mr. Boyles has an extensive prac- tice in general engineering and surveying, drain- age work, railroad work of all kinds, water supply, sanitation and levies. Mr. Boyles has done all of the state surveying in Harris County since 1913 and involving the submerged oil fields. He also designed the first drainage in Galveston County, this being the first in Texas under the drainage laws. He has handled actual construction for contractors in rail- road work for both the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe railroads. Mr. Boyles employs a number of instrument men and assistants at all times. Hin office is located at the Harris County Court House.

A native Texan, Mr. Boyles was born in Houston June 10th, 1884. His father, Dr. T. J. Boyles, was a prominent Houston physician and third to prac- tice medicine in this city. His mother was Miss Narcissus Carrie Miller, a member of a well known Tennessee family. His early education was obtained in private schools and the high school in Houston, and later entered the Webb School at Bell Buckle, Tennessee, where he remained for two years, after which he attended the Smyrna Preparatory School in Tennessee for three years. He then entered the Bingham Military School where he remained for two years and then entered the University of Virginia, where he remained for four years and graduated from this institution in 1907 with the degree of C. E. After his graduation, Mr. Boyles returned to Hous- ton and began the practice of his profession which he has continued except for the period spent in the United States navy. He enlisted in December, 1917, with the Corps of Civil Engineers, United States Naval Reserves, and was assigned to the twelfth naval district, south of San Francisco Bay, Cali- fornia and remained there until March 3rd, 1919. Mr. Boyles entered the navy as a commissioned of- ficer with the title of ensign. Out of 6800 appli- cants, sixty-three were enrolled in the service and assigned to duty, and Mr. Boyles was one of the sixty-three. He was detailed as public works of- ficer at the North Island Naval Air Station and remained there until the close of the war.

Mr. Boyles was married in Nashville, Tennessee, January 1st, 1908, to Miss Frances Mathews, a daughter of S. G. Mathews, a well known farmer and stock raiser of Tennessee, and niece of Sam Davis of Confederate fame. They have one daugh- ter, Frances Stuart Boyles, thirteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Boyles reside at 1217 Fannin Street. Mr. Boyles is a member of both the York and Scot- tish Rite bodies of the Masonic fraternity and is a life member of Arabia Temple Shrine. He is also a member of the Glenbrook Country Club, Hous-

ton Launch Club, the University Club, Elks and Eagle Lake Rod and Gun Club. Mr. Boyles has seen the city of his nativity grow into a busy, thriving metropolis and he believes that Houston will soon become the leading city of the Southwest.

N MILLS, realtor, has been active in the real estate circles of Houston for more than a quarter of a century, and during this per- iod has handled much Houston property. He sells all classes of Houston and suburban property and gives special attention to locating large indus- tries along the ship channel, having located many of the leading industries who now own important sites in that vicinity, among these being the Texas Portland Cement Company, in 1915, which company has been, since that time, loud in their praise of the ship channel and Houston.

Mr. Mills sells industrial locations in any size tract and factory locations on railroad and ship channel. His activity is the real estate business is not con- fined to Houston and Harris County, but he handles large tracts of both improved and unimproved lands in all parts of Texas.

He has special prices on business property in the city, being regarded an expert in real estate ap- praisals. He also loans money, on real estate, at low rate of interest.

Mr. Mills maintains a rental department in con- nection with his real estate business, and through this department, rents property and collects for same for both residents and non-residents of Hous- ton. He is regarded as an expert on realty values and through his investment department, much money is safely invested with satisfactory returns for his clients. Mr. Mills' office is conveniently located at Room No. 1, Dorrance Building, 114 Main Street.

Mr. Mills was born at Lewis, Cass County, Iowa, on December 10th, 1872. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Iowa and Florida, and later he attended Rollins College at Winter Park, Florida.

His father, Colonel Newton L. Mills, also a native of Iowa, was for many years engaged in the real estate business, and his son, E. N. Mills, has spent most of his business life in this line of endeavor and knows this business and property values as few men know them.

Mr. Mills has for many years been connected with many of the city's commercial projects. He is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Boards, a charter member of the Civitan Club of Houston, a member of the local real estate board and the Chamber of Commerce, in the activities of all of which organizations he takes an active in- terest.

Mr. Mills was married in Houston, November 18th, 1903, to Miss Emma Scholibo, a native of Houston, and a member of an old Texas family. They have four children, Marie Elizabeth, Ernest N., Jr., stu- dents at Rice Institute; Emma May and Fred Oliver Mills, students of South End High School, and have for many years resided at 1704 Franklin Avenue.

E. N. Mills has seen Houston grow from a town to the busy, thriving, progressive city of today, and has always taken a prominent part in all matters having to do with the civic improvement and ad- vancement of the city, which he believes is soon des- tined to become the leading city of the Southwest.

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MEN OF TEXAS

R. SETSER came to Humble, Texas, in 1917 and is the superintendent of the lease of the Humble Oil and Refining Company here. When Mr. Setser came with the Humble Oil and Refining Company he was without much experience in the oil industry and has worked his way up to his present position, working in the capacity of driller, etc., and in 1923 was made su- perintendent of the company's lease. There are fifteen producing wells on the lease and eight peo- ple are employed on the property, who are engaged in drilling, cleaning wells and keeping the pumping plants in operation. Mr. Setser is in full charge of the properties here and has a well organized force to assist him in looking after same. He be- gan work on his father's farm as a boy, and was associated with his father in farming and the gin- ning business until 1916, when he went to Goose Creek and for one year worked in the oil fields there with the Gulf Production Company. One year later he entered the employ of the present company and has been rapidly promoted to the various places up to superintendent.

A native Texan, Mr. Setser was born in Hunt County, near Greenville, on April 16th, 1887. His father, E. M. Setser, a native of North Carolina, came to Texas soon after the close of the Civil War, and became a well known farmer and ginner of Hunt County, but later removed to Reynolds County, where he continued to farm until he retired from active business pursuits. His mother, Mrs. Jennie (Stuart) Setser, was a member of a promi- nent family of Mississippi. His education was ob- tained in the public schools of Hunt County, Texas.

Mr. Setser was married at Coleman, Texas, on November 4th, 1904, to Miss Edna Foster, a native Texan and a member of a pioneer family of Cole- man County. They have two children, Elbert and Zenoma. Elbert attends Baylor University and Zenoma attends Humble high school. Mr. and Mrs. Setser reside at Humble, Texas. Mr. Setser is a member of the A. F. and A. M., with membership in Humble Blue Lodge, and is a Knight Templar and a Shriner of Arabia Temple of Houston. During the period in which Mr. Setser has been engaged in the oil industry, he has made rapid strides toward the top and has established a fine record in the various branches in which he has been employed. Since locating at Humble he has taken an active interest in the progress and advancement of this oil center, and is glad at all times to further any- thing for the betterment of his city, where he is regarded as a highly esteemed citizen of Humble.

LBERT SCOWN came with the Humble Oil and Refining Company in 1919 at Sour Lake in the producing department, and was later transferred to Pierce Junction and then to Goose Creek, where he is superintendent of ware- houses, Mr. Scown has complete charge of all ware- houses, pipe, drilling tools and machinery, and the value of the stock of the Humble Oil and Refining Company in their warehouses amounts to more than $450,000.00, and is one of the largest and most com- plete stocks carried in the coastal fields. Mr. Scown is considered one of the most reliable and dependable men in the coastal fields and has had a wide ex- perience and the advantages of a splendid educa- tion and is entirely accurate in all his detail work, conscientious and a hard worker in the interest of

his company.

Mr. Scown was born at Pensacola, Florida, on December 28th, 1890. His father, William John Scown, was a well known contractor and builder of Florida, but is now retired from active business pursuits. His early education was obtained in the various schools of Florida and later in Chicago, and still later he attended the Chicago Technical College. Soon after leaving college, Mr. Scown engaged in the building and contracting business which he con- tinued for a period of four years, until he entered the World War. In 1916, Mr. Scown was in the Mexican border service and the following year en- listed in the World War. He was with the Illinois National Guard, which trained in Houston a large part of the time before embarking for France, which he did in May, 1918, and was in the first line trenches of the Albert-Amiens front. For six months in 1916 he was with the Illinois National Guard in San Antonio, and went with them to quell the race riots in St. Louis, two months later returning to Houston. He was never sick or wounded, but was sent back to America in September, 1918, as an in- structor in the intelligence department, and was con- nected with the intelligence office, 2nd Infantry, 19th Division. While in France Mr. Scown was with the 33rd Division.

Mr. Scown was married at Boone, Iowa, on Jan- uary 11th, 1919, to Miss Grace G. Stanley, a mem- ber of a well known Iowa family. They have two children: Edward Albert, and Sara Nelle. Mr. and Mrs. Scown are residing at Goose Creek, Texas. He is a member of the Scottish Rite body of the Masonic lodge and a Shriner of Arabia Temple. Mr. Scown has made a host of friends in the South Texas country and is popular in the oil circles, with the officials of his company and with his men. As superintendent of warehouses, he holds one of the responsible positions of the Humble Oil and Refin- ing Company.

ERRY SIMMONS, pioneer oil well driller of the Louisiana and South Texas fields is the chief driller of the Humble Oil and Refining Company, and assistant to Mr. A. L. Fondren at Goose Creek, Texas, and is con- sidered one of the best men in his line in the cour- try. There are forty men in this department, engaged in drilling new wells and working over old ones. The Humble Oil and Refining Company has leases of fifteen hundred acres in the Goose Creek field. Mr. Simmons is at work on these leases, where he has drilled many good producers. He has been active in the Goose Creek field since 1916 and knows the formation of this area probably better than any other man who is engaged in drilling here, having a scientific and practical knowledge of the South Texas country.

Mr. Simmons was born at Monroe, Louisiana, on September 15th, 1880. His father, Henry Simmons, was a large land owner and planter of Louisiana. His mother was Miss Mattie Ray, a member of a well known Louisiana family. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Monroe, Louisiana.

Mr. Simmons began his career in the oil business in Louisiana soon after leaving school and remained in the various fields of that State until 1903, when he came to Spindle Top and Beaumont, Texas, where he remained for one year, and during this time

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J.R. Lether

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

he was employed in drilling by the Harper and Hearst Drilling Company. He then went to Sour Lake, Batson, and Humble, in the order named and was engaged in these fields for a period of seven years. He then returned to the North Louisiana fields and remained there for six years with the Higgins Oil Company, after which he became asso- ciated with the Gulf Refining Company in Louis- iana, where he remained for three years. He then came to Goose Creek with the Humble Oil and Refining Company where he has since remained.

Mr. Simmons was married at Humble, Texas, in 1905, to Miss Nellie Sullivan, a member of a pioneer family of South Texas. They have one daughter, Carrie. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons reside at Goose Creek. Mr. Simmons is a member of the First Baptist Church, in which he takes an active interest. He is popular with the oil fraternity of South Texas and well liked by all with whom he comes in con- tact, and is considered to be an expert in his line.

W. PRITCHARD of Houston, Texas, is the executive head of one of the leading es- tablishments of its kind of the Southwest. As president of the Houston Cotton and Twine Mills, Inc., which was established here on January 1, 1924, on a small scale, Mr. Pritchard has been a factor in building up a large and pros- perous institution. The Houston Cotton and Twine Mills, Inc., is engaged in the manufacture of all grades of wrapping and fancy twines, sewing and sail twines, yarns, seine, trot lines, staging twines, and all types and grades of yarns for weaving and knitting. In the future the mill will branch out into the manufacture of other products. The prod- ucts are shipped to all the territory from the At- lantic to the Pacific oceans and from Canada to Mexico. This company operates 6,640 spindles with all kinds of finishing machinery of modern types. Between two hundred and fifty and three hundred people are employed, many of whom being skilled in this particular line of work. The Houston Cotton and Twine Mills, Inc., own their mill building, which is located at Camp Logan and occupies a floor space of about fifty thousand square feet, including the warehouse and stock rooms. The offices of the company are at 901 Cotton Exchange Building. Other officers of the company are: W. S. Farish, vice president, and Edgar L. Pearson, secretary, both of whom are among the leading financiers and busi- ness men of South Texas. The directors are: W. S. Farish, J. W. Evans, J. W. Sanders, Edgar L. Pear- son, John B. Green, J. W. Pritchard and Harry J. Phelan, all of whom are residents of Houston, ex- cept the last named, who is a prominent business man of Beaumont, Texas.

Mr. Pritchard was born at London, Ontario, Can- ada, on July 18th, 1881. His father, George Pritch- ard (now deceased), was a native of England, where he was a member of a prominent family. His moth- er, Mrs. Phebe (Gilbert) Pritchard, was a member of a well known family of Corunna, Ontario, Can- ada. His education was obtained in the schools of Canada. His first entrance into the business world was with Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri, remaining with this company for about three years. He then went to New Orleans, Louis- iana, where for two years he was engaged in the hardware business of that city, after which he re- turned to St. Louis and went with the Cupples Com-

pany, with whom he has been associated for eigh- teen years, coming to Houston for them in 1910. With the organization of this company here, which at first was a very modest undertaking, there was no promotion expense incurred and in the first year of its operation there were only 832 spindles. The second year of its operation this number was in- creased to 1,456, and the third year to 6,640. Now it is numbered among the largest plants of its kind of the Southwest.

Mr. Pritchard was married at St. Louis, Missouri, on May 11th, 1904, to Miss L. E. Bowman, a daugh- ter of George E. Bowman (now deceased), who was a member of a prominent Kentucky family. Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard have two children-Louise S. and George E .- both of whom are in college. He is a member of the Houston Chamber of Commerce and of other of the city's commercial and social or- ganizations. Mr. Pritchard has been a factor in bringing to Houston one of its most important in- dustrial institutions and he is known as a leader in the commercial life of this city.

L. FINLEY, when becoming manager of refining of the Humble Oil and Refining Company in 1921, brought an experience in the refining and mechanical departments of the oil industry which extends over more than a decade with some of the largest oil companies of the United States and Canada. Mr. Finley has charge of all the manufacturing for the company, both in the refineries and their Casing Head plants. This is an important department of the Humble Oil and Refining Company, and has one of the best organized departments possible, composed entirely of able and efficient men.

Mr. Finley was born in Angola, Indiana, March 28th, 1886. His father, Levi Finley, was a farmer and large land owner and for many years was en- gaged in railroad work in the various branches of this industry. His mother was formerly Jennie Smith, a member of a well known Indiana family. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Indiana.

Mr. Finley began his business career in the oil business with the Standard Oil of Indiana, and re- mained with this company from 1902 to 1916, when he became associated with the Imperial Oil Company of Canada, where he remained from 1916 to 1921. On January 1st, 1921, he went with the Standard Oil of New Jersey, and remained with this company until he came to Houston in 1921 to join the forces of the Humble Oil and Refining Company, where he has since remained.

Mr. Finley was married at Whiting, Indiana, in 1908 to Miss Mayme Reinhart, a native of Indiana and a daughter of W. M. Reinhart, a prominent con- tractor and builder of La Porte, Indiana. They have one son, Lawrence A. Finley. Mr. and Mrs. Finley reside at 4724 Mckinney Avenue. In social organizations, Mr. Finley holds membership in the River Oaks Country Club and the Bay Town Coun- try Club. Since coming to Houston, Mr. Finley has become associated with the business life of the city, and has great faith in the future of Houston, which he believes will soon become the leading city of the entire Southwest. Mr. Finley has had a life-time of experience in the oil industry, and has acquaintances among oil men extending from coast to coast, and in many of the foreign oil fields.

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MEN OF TEXAS

ILLIAM HENRY SHARP of Houston, Texas, has since 1913 been prominently identified with the oil industry of Texas and Mexico and has been active in the development work in both countries and during this period has served as an executive of some of the largest organ- izations of this industry. Mr. Sharp is widely known as an independent oil operator of Texas and Mexico, also as an organizer. His holdings consist of much acreage in the oil fields of the States and in Mexico and during the early part of 1926 was drilling twen- ty wells in various parts of Mexico besides many wells in the different oil fields of Texas. Since locating permanently in Houston Mr. Sharp has been active in the commercial life of this city, holding stock in many of Houston's leading business enter- prises and corporations.

A native son of Houston, Texas, Mr. Sharp was born on May 14th, 1882. His father, W. H. Sharp (deceased), a native of Louisiana, was for many years a leader in the business and financial life of Houston and South Texas. His mother, Mrs. Anna (Turner) Sharp, also deceased, was a native of Vir- ginia and a member of one of that State's most prominent families. His education was obtained in the schools of Texas. He started his business ca- reer with the Peden Iron and Steel Company of Houston, one of the largest organizations of its kind of the Southwest, where he remained until 1913. He then went to Mexico in charge of the operations in the Republic of the Freeport and Mexican Fuel Oil Corporation and the Mexican Sinclair Petroleum Corporation. Mr. Sharp was Vice President and General Manager of both of these concerns until 1922, with headquarters in Tampico, Mexico. He then moved his headquarters to Houston, Texas, continuing as the Vice President and General Man- ager of both of these important oil corporations until 1924, when he resigned on account of ill health and the great need of rest from his constant activities in Mexico. During his stay in Tampico he organ- ized the W. H. Sharp Oil Company at Tampico, which soon grew to be as large as either of the other two corporations.

Mr. Sharp was married at San Antonio, Texas, on January 8th, 1918, to Miss Ray Fleishman, a na- tive of the Lone Star State and a daughter of Leo Fleishman, well known in the business circles of Mexico for 30 years. Mr. Fleishman was a native of Texas and Mrs. Esther (Garfinkle) Fleishman was a native of Texas, where she was a member of a well known family. They have one child-W. H. Sharp, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp reside at 218 Avon- dale Avenue. Mr. Sharp is a member of the A. F. and A. M. with membership in Tampico Lodge, with membership in the Chamber of Commerce of that city also. He is a member of the Houston Country Club and many other of the city's commercial and social organizations, in all of which he takes a keen interest. He is a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church. Mr. Sharp has done much to aid in the oil development of Texas, as well as in Mexico, and is considered one of the successful and skilled men connected with the oil industry, and is popular not only with his associates and executives but with the men who do the work in the field as well. Few men have done more for the advancement of Houston as a great oil center and metropolis than Mr. Sharp.

EORGE D. BOWERS moved to Houston in June, 1921, as District Manager of the Pierce Oil Corporation, where he was an active figure in the oil circles of the city and has aided materially in increasing the business of this company. When the three offices of the com- pany at San Antonio, Fort Worth and Houston were consolidated and located at Dallas, January 1st, 1924, Mr. Bowers was transferred to Dallas as Assistant Manager. The Pierce Oil Corporation has had an established business in Houston since about 1870, and now has at this point twenty storage tanks with a capacity of 10,000 gallons each, a warehouse one hundred feet by seventy-five feet in size, a barrel house seventy-five feet by seventy-five feet, and a two-story brick office building located at 401 Har- rington Street. A staff of twenty-seven people are employed in the office and the outside employees number one hundred and fifteen people. They have a complete delivery system consisting of thirty trucks and fifteen cars, which belong to the com- pany. The territory of the Houston district ex- tends to Victoria on one side, north to La Grange, and up the Houston and Texas Central Railroad to Calvert and along the International and Great North- ern Railroad to Palestine, with a straight line to Logansport, Louisiana. The amount of oil handled by the Pierce Oil Corporation out of this district to commission dealers and own agencies amounts to 15,000 barrels monthly. All commission dealers in the territory furnish their own transportation for all oil they use.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 89

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