New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 90

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

USA > Texas > New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2 > Part 90

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Bowers was born at Carthage, Missouri, in January, 1883. His father, Alex Bowers (deceased since 1920), came to Texas from Missouri in 1902 and located at Fort Worth, where for many years he was actively engaged in the real estate business. His mother was Miss Elena Hackney, a native of Missouri, and a member of a prominent family of that State. His early education was obtained in the public and high schools of Missouri, and later enter- ed Baylor University. After leaving college, Mr. Bowers was for five years with Swift & Company at Fort Worth in the operating department, after which he became City Purchasing Agent of Fort Worth, which position he held for five years, when he entered the employ of the Pierce Oil Corporation. His first experience in this line of endeavor was at Fort Worth, and he remained with the company at Fort Worth for a period of six years, during which he had worked himself up to the position of Assistant Manager, when he was sent to Houston as District Manager.

Mr. Bowers was married at Dallas, Texas, on De- cember 26th, 1907, to Miss Annie Schnelle, who was born in Carthage, Missouri, near his home, and whose father, H. G. Schnelle, has for many years been engaged in the implement business in Dallas and is well known in the business circles of the North Texas metropolis. They have two children, Georgeanne and Kathleen. Mr. Bowers is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Athletic Club, B. P. O. E., Baylor University Club and the Motor League. Mr. Bowers during the period of the World War was Chairman of the Draft Board at Fort Worth.

1658

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

I. BOOTH, pioneer Texan, and founder of the town of Booth, adjoining his ranch in Fort Bend County, is one of the largest land owners in this section, engaging in the cattle and agricultural industries on a large scale, as well as holding interests in various busi- ness ventures. Mr. Booth came to Texas in 1883, seven years later, in 1890, coming to Richmond, where he got the vision of the development of these vast acres into a thriving farming community, and had the faith and courage to take upon himself the opening up of this section to people who were seeking homes, the founding of Booth following close upon this vision. Beginning with an unde- veloped tract of fifteen hundred acres of land, Mr. Booth cut the timber from this tract, turning it into productive farm land, furnishing homes and pros- perity and contentment to two hundred and fifty people. Booth, as it is today, is a prosperous, thriving town, of which Mr. Booth, its founder, is mayor. He also has a general mercantile store, a lumber yard, a hardware store, and like establish- ments there, and is the principal stockholder in the local bank. Adjoining the town of Booth is the large Booth plantation, where until 1920, negro day labor was used. At that time, however, changing condi- tions made this unsatisfactory, and Mr. Booth built comfortable homes, with barns, sheds and like build- ings, on small farming tracts, and now operates the plantation on a tenant farming proposition, hav- ing as tenant farmers, Germans, Poles and Bohe- mians. For some years Mr. Booth's plantation has been noted for the excellent ribbon cane syrup which comes from his mill and kettles. Recently he has built one of the largest silos in this section, using trained goats to tramp down the ensilage. The barn on the Booth plantation is also very interest- ing, and complete in every way, containing a power plant, grist mill, food and feed cutters, an ice plant, an electric light plant, and much other machinery. Mr. Booth has around five hundred head of cattle, of Brahma and Hereford strain, free from ticks, and dipped twice yearly. Mr. Booth provides cattle for rodeo shows, and in the last five years has shipped cattle to the shows at Bozeman, Montana; Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago, Illinois, and Bowling Green, Ohio. Tom Burnett of rodeo fame uses his cattle. Tenant farmers on the Booth plantation raise cotton to a large extent, all cotton being ginned on the place, and disposed of on Mr. Booth's advice, to the highest bidder. A modern school is on the estate, providing facilities for upward of fifty pupils, and everything to make for contentment has been provided. One of the things of which Mr. Booth is proudest is that during the many years since the establishment of the estate, is that there has never been a case in court from the plantation, and this in spite of the fact that frequently there have been as many as four hundred families on the place.

F. I. Booth was born the seventh of September, 1866, in Mississippi, later coming with his mother, sisters and brothers to Huntsville, to which place his uncle had come in an ox wagon in 1838. He attended the public schools of Huntsville a short time, then came to Richmond and began the develop- ment of Booth, his achievement in building this prosperous town ranking him among the real bene- factors of the Gulf Coast district.

Mr. Booth was married at Richmond, in 1890, to Miss Mildred Ryon, the daughter of Colonel Ryon, who came to Texas as a member of the Austin Colony. Mr. and Mrs. Booth reside at Booth, where they have built a home that is one of the finest in this section. The estate is carefully landscaped, and has on the grounds a lake, abounding with trout, and other improvements. Mr. and Mrs. Booth have two children, Tom R. Booth, a landowner and cattleman in Fort Bend County, and Miss Mary D. Booth. Mr. Booth is a Mason at Richmond, Con- sistory No. I, Galveston, and is a charter member of El Mina Temple Shrine, and is a member of the Elks at Houston, the National Bankers Association and the Texas Bankers Association. Mr. Booth, through his many activities in behalf of the develop- ment of Booth and the surrounding territory, has truly earned a place among the real builders of Texas, and is accorded the high honor that is his just due by all who know him.

AMES G. DONOVAN, attorney-at-law at Houston for a decade and a half, has at- tained an enviable reputation as an author- ity on the question of land titles and land litigation, and has established a large practice here. Mr. Donovan has offices in the Stewart building, engaging in a general civil practice, and giving spe- cial attention to land title work. He came to Hous- ton in 1910, entering the law office of Maco Stewart, the leading title attorney in Texas, and was with him until 1915. In this year he began practicing alone, and has a growing list of clients, achieving splendid results in his practice.

James G. Donovan was born at Muncie, Indiana, the seventh of April, 1884, the son of John G. Dono- van, a native of Ohio, who came to Indiana as a young man and engaged in farming in that state thereafter until his death, and Viola E. (Sears) Donovan, a native of Indiana, and now residing in that state. Mr. Donovan began his education in the public schools of Muncie, and after completing the work there entered the University of Indiana, where he took the LL. B. degree in 1908. While at- tending college Mr. Donovan spent five years en- gaged in educational work, teaching in the Indiana schools. After leaving college he taught school for one year, at the expiration of which he came to Houston.

Mr. Donovan was married at Muncie, Indiana, the twenty-first of June, 1906, to Miss Elizabeth D. Jones, a native of Indiana. They reside at 1225 Heights Boulevard, and have one daughter, Marcella Donovan, a graduate of the Houston Heights High School, class of 1922; attended Rice Institute two years and is now starring with the Greenwich Vil- lage Follies in New York City as a specialty dancer.

Mr. Donovan is a Knight of Pythias and a Mason, Reagan Blue Lodge, thirty-second degree Scottish Rite, and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine and the Conopus Club. Mr. Donovan has been a leader among the younger professional men of Houston since coming here, and is also active in his work for educational advancement. He was elected a mem- ber of the School Board in 1923, and while serving in this capacity used his influence to improve the public school system with gratifying success.

1661

MEN OF TEXAS

DWARD G. EDSON, for upwards of a dec- ade and a half has been a resident of Beau- mont, where he has been a factor in com- mercial development and has business in- terests of wide scope and important bearing on the prosperity of the community. Mr. Edson is vice president and general manager of the E. L. Wil- son Hardware Company, a firm dating back to 1878; when it was established by E. L. Wilson. The busi- ness was incorporated in 1891, at which time it had already become an integral part of the community, and was a recognized success. The firm is one of the oldest and largest in Texas, and does both a wholesale and retail business. The retail store, located at 321 to 339 Pearl Street, occupies a mod- ern store building, with 14,400 square feet of floor space, and is complete in every detail. An excel- lent line of merchandise is featured, the stock in- cluding everything to be found in the larger hard- ware stores. A sporting goods department, with a large and complete stock has also proven very popular. The store arrangement is unusually attrac- tive and special attention is given to window display and the display of stock. The executive offices of 5400 square feet of floor space adjoin the retail house, and is located at 235 to 251 Liberty Street, while the warehouse is located on Washington Street between Pearl and Main. The stock here, like that in the retail department, is very complete, and a large volume of trade, in Beaumont and in nearby cities, is handled through this establishment. Ninety- one thousand three hundred square feet of floor space is used by this department, affording ample room for the efficient arrangement of stock, with- out undue crowding, and every effort is made to dis- pose of the stock in such manner that orders may be filled with dispatch. A branch office and ware- house was established in Houston about twelve years ago. A new building was recently completed for the company in Houston and is located on Live Oak, be- tween Walker and Mckinney. The building has 22,500 sqaure feet of space. The officers of the E. L. Wilson Hardware Company are John L. Keith, president; E. G. Edson, vice president and general manager, and Charles L. Berly, secretary and treas- urer. A force of one hundred and fifteen people are employed by the company.

Mr. Edson is president of the Edson and Hamm Motor Company of Beaumont, the dealer in Cadillac, Hudson and Essex automobiles and G. M. C. trucks. He is also president of the Edson Motor Company of Houston, one of the largest automobile businesses here, and sells Chevrolet automobiles. Mr. Edson is interested in other commercial activities in South Texas, owning valuable city and country property and is a director of the First National Bank of Beaumont.

Edward G. Edson was born at Pocatello, Idaho, the first of November, 1882, and is the son of J. A. Ed- son, president of the K. C. S. Railroad, and Mar- garet Edson. Mr. Edson received every educational advantage, and after leaving the Christian Brothers College, at St. Louis, entered the University of Kan- sas, and later Cornell University, where he attended three years. He then spent one year at the Colorado School of Mines, following this with a year and a half of practical mining experience at Park City, Utah. He then went to Chicago, Illinois, and spent four months in a foundry there, making gray iron

castings, after which he went with the Hewitt Manu- facturing Company, one of the large metal manu- facturing industries at Chicago, where he had charge of the formula department. Later he went with the Featherstone Foundry and Machine Com- pany, as draughtsman and designer, and spent one year with that company, after which he went to Kan- sas City, Missouri, and engaged in the rubber busi- ness, selling to railroads, industrial plants and other large rubber users. Still later, in 1907, he came to Beaumont, going with the E. L. Wilson Hardware Company, in charge of the rubber and belting department, and also the auto tire and ac- cessory department. He has been with this firm ever since, building these departments along pro- gressive lines, until they are now among the lar- gest in the business.

Mr. Edson was married at Lawrence, Kansas, in 1905, to Miss Eleanor Wilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hill P. Wilson. Mr. Wilson is a leading poli- tician of Kansas, and was formerly secretary of state. Mr. and Mrs. Edson reside in Beaumont, and have two children, Edward G., Jr. and Mary Mar- garet. The family belong to the Catholic Church. Mr. Edson is a member of the Beaumont Country Club, the Beaumont Club, the Neches Club, and is an Elk. Since coming to Beaumont he has exerted a wide influence on the prosperity of the city, and has been a factor in civic and commercial prog- ress. He has found this city equally desirable as a business and residence city, and has contributed to the development of Beaumont as a leading com- mercial and civic center.

OSS COMBEST came to Beaumont, Texas, in 1910 and since that time has organ- ized, directed and managed some of the largest and most successful business pro- jects of this city. Mr. Combest is secretary and manager of the Tyrrell-Combest Realty Company, the largest company of its kind in Beaumont. He organized this company in January, 1920, with a cap- ital stock of $70,000.00 which has been increased to $1,000,000.00 paid up stock and has one million and a quarter net assets. This company is engaged in the real estate business, specializing in sub- divisions, and are owners, developers and brokers. The Tyrrell-Combest Company have had eleven sub- divisions in this territory. During 1925-1927 they engaged in another branch of the business, by plant- ing 1500 acres of land to figs. This area now planted to figs will be subdivided and the land, together with the growing fig trees, will be sold to pur- chasers on the time payment plan, and offers an opportunity to people of modest means to own a fig orchard, which has proved to be a paying proposi- tion in the coast country of Texas. Associated with Mr. Combest as officers of the company are the following well known business men of this city: H. C. Tyrrell, president; Dr. J. W. Garth, vice pres- ident; Dr. Bruce Richardson, vice president; S. O. Lattimer, vice president, and F. B. Martin, vice president and treasurer. The offices are located at 256 Pearl Street. Mr. Combest began his business career in the real estate business at San Antonio with Hall P. Street, where he was secretary, treas- urer, manager and general sales manager in turn, from 1907 to 1910. He then came to Beaumont and traveled this territory for Liggett and Meyers for a period of five years, making this city his head-

1662

NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

quarters, after which he became associated with Heisig and Norvell, wholesale grocers, in the city sales of this company, where he remained for a per- iod of five years. He then organized the present realty company, which has met with unusual suc- cess. He is a director and one of the organizers of the Jefferson County Building and Loan Associa- tion that has loaned over $500,000 to home build- ers and has assisted in the organization of other concerns here.

A native Texan, Mr. Combest was born at Hico, Bosque County, on March 14th, 1887. His father, W. C. Combest, was a farmer and land owner of Bosque County. His mother was Miss Fannie Mc- Kinnie, a member of a pioneer Texas family. His education was obtained in the public schools of Vic- toria and Del Rio, Texas.

Mr. Combest was married at Beaumont in 1915 to Miss Lena Du Perier, a native of New Iberia, Louis. iana, and a daughter of Ralph Du Perier, a large land owner of Louisiana. They have four chil- dren, Frances, Tyrrell and Marjorie and Margarette (twins). The family reside at 2505 Pecos Boule. vard. He is a member of the B. P. O. E., the Beau- mont Country, Neches, the Rotary and the Tarpon Clubs. Mr. Combest has met with success in his chosen field of activity. He is popular in the busi- ness and social circles of Beaumont and is regarded as one of the city's most progressive and public spirited citizens.

T. SHELBY has for several years been one of a group of bankers who are taking an active part in shaping commercial affairs at Beaumont. Mr. Shelby is active vice presi- dent of the City National Bank of Beaumont, a strong financial institution, capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and with deposits totaling two and one quarter million dollars. The City National Bank is the outgrowth of the old Guaranty Bank and Trust Company, which was reorganized, re-named, and nationalized in 1922, and has since rendered a conservative banking service to this city. The bank has met with rapid growth and is directed by a group of young men with progressive banking ideals, and of business policies which have won and retained the confidence of the public. The bank owns its own home in the center of the city. All interior furnishings and fixtures are the best, and the bank is very attractive in a quiet and refined way. The officers of the City National Bank of Beaumont, are I. R. Bordages, president; J. T. Shelby, vice presi- dent; W. L. Pondrom, vice president; G. H. Petkov- sek, cashier, and M. S. Murchison, assistant cashier.

Mr. Shelby is a native of Brenham, Texas. He attended the public schools at that place, after which he went to Sedalia, Missouri, where he attended Cen- tral College. He then began his business career with the Western Exchange Bank, of Kansas City, Mis- souri, where he spent three years, after which he came to Beaumont, with the Beaumont National Bank, which was absorbed by the Gulf National Bank in 1905. He remained with that institution until 1917, when the firm of Edwards and Shelby was formed, handling stocks, bonds, securities, insurance and real estate. He was active in that business until 1922, when the City National Bank was organized. He became vice president, which position he has since held.

Mr. Shelby was married at Beaumont, in 1907, to

Miss Laura McReynolds, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. McReynolds. He is a member of the Beaumont Club, the Beaumont Country Club, the Neches Club, and is a Mason, York Rite, and a member of El Mina Temple, at Galveston. During the years of his iden- tification with financial circles here he has exerted a favorable influence over the prosperity of the city, his conservative financial policies being conducive to civic development, and is a sterling citizen of this community.

AMES SHASTIE EDWARDS, for more than a quarter of a century has been one of a group of business men who have taken an important part in the development and up- building of Beaumont, and as a realtor and insur- ance man has been a factor in the business world here. Mr. Edwards is owner of the firm of J. S. Ed- wards and Company, one of the principal real estate and insurance firms of Beaumont, which he estab- lished in this city, with offices in the San Jacinto Life Building. Mr. Edwards lists city and country property, and has consummated many important transactions in the real estate field, and as a real- tor has taken a large part in the upbuilding of the city. He also handles a large amount of insurance business, writing every class of insurance, with the exception of life, and represents many of the sound and nationally known companies in this city. He is also agent for W. D. Haden, of Galveston, road material dealers, and for Haden and Austin, road contractors.

Mr. Edwards was born at Ennis, Texas, the twen- ty-fourth of May, 1878, the son of Dr. J. L. Edwards, a practicing physician and surgeon of Ennis, and Mrs. Helen Porter Edwards. Mr. Edwards spent his boyhood in Ennis, attending the schools there, and came to Beaumont as a young man, in 1898. He was at that time in the office of the Southern Pa- cific Railroad, and later went with the William Cameron Lumber Company, G. B. and K. C. Railroad, and still later with the Beaumont Lumber Company and d the First National Bank. From 1902 until

1906 he was secretary and treasurer of the Caswell- Preston Drug Company, and terminated that position to form the real estate and insurance firm of Junker and Edwards, which continued until 1914, when the firm became known as J. S. Edwards, and in 1917 as Edwards and Shelby, and still later, in 1923, as J. S. Edwards and Company, as it is now styled. Mr. Edwards is also vice president of the San Ja- cinto Life Insurance Company, president of the Wharf and Dock Commission, and an ex-member of the Pilots Commission.

Mr. Edwards was married at Beaumont, in 1901, to Miss Elizabeth Caswell, daughter of Columbus Caswell, a pioneer of Beaumont, and one of the first to engage as a merchant here. Mr. and Mrs. Ed- wards have three children, Lum C., Elizabeth and Seawillow, and reside at Orange Street. Mr. Ed- wards is a member of the Beaumont Country Club, the Neches Club, and the Rotary Club, being a charter member of that organization, and one of the first six Rotarians in Beaumont. Fraternally he is a Mason, York Rite, Past Master of the Blue Lodge and Past Eminent Commander, and belongs to El Mina Temple Shrine at Galveston. He is a leader in every civic activity and one of the fore- most of Beaumont's citizens.

1665

MEN OF TEXAS

ILLIAM FRANCIS RYDER, for more than four decades associated with lumber activi- ties, and known throughout the country as one of the outstanding men connected with this industry, has for the past decade been one of the sterling residents of Beaumont, and has taken an active part in the commercial development of the city, holding business interests of important bearing on community prosperity. Mr. Ryder is president of the Ryder Furniture and Carpet Company, a busi- ness established in April, 1922, at which time he bought out the B. Deutser Furniture Company, one of the old established furniture houses of the city, and reorganized it to form the present business. The Ryder Furniture and Carpet Company is one of the finest and largest furniture houses in Beau- mont, occupying a modern five-story business build- ing, sixty-six by one hundred and twenty feet, on Pearl Street, and adjoining on the corner, a display room, sixty-six by forty feet, giving a total of one hundred and thirty-two feet of display front. Sup- plementing this large retail house, a warehouse, affording fifty thousand square feet of floor space, is used to house surplus stock. Mr. Ryder carries an unusually large and complete stock, including every item in the house furnishing line, and can fur- nish complete the smallest home, or the finest man- sion. Mr. Ryder gives special attention to his dis- plays, his presentations creating constant admira- tion, and attracting many shoppers to his store. He is a merchant of unusual discrimination, and execu- tive ability, and each department of his large store gives evidence of the interest and thought he has ex- pended on its development. The Ryder Furniture and Carpet Company is owned by Mr. Ryder, who is president, and his son, L. L. Ryder, who is vice pres- ident and general manager, A. G. Coffman, secre- tary, and C. H. Stroeck, treasurer.

William Francis Ryder was born in Dallas Coun- ty, Iowa, the thirty-first of December, 1858, the son of Samuel Ryder, a cooper and carpenter, whose death occurred in 1881, and Eliza Ann Howard Ry- der, who is still living, and is past her eighty-fifth year. Mr. Ryder spent his boyhood on a farm, at- tending school when opportunity presented, and at the age of nineteen entered government service, in the Indian Department, where he worked from 1878 until 1881. In that year he went with the Long-Bell Lumber Company, and has continued with that com- pany to the present time. Beginning at the bottom, he worked through every department in the manu- facturing end of the business, and has handled log- ging and timber matters in the old Indian territory, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, California and Washington, in fact wherever the Long-Bell Company has held interests. For many years past Mr. Ryder has bought most of the timber and lumber lands for this company, and is an authority in this field of the lumber business. He holds the position of assistant to the vice president and general man- ager of manufacture, and is financially interested in the Long-Bell Company. Mr. Ryder is also a direc- tor in the American National Bank of Beaumont.

Mr. Ryder was married at Columbus, Kansas, in 1882, to Miss Anna E. Mohler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mohler. Mr. Mohler was a farmer and land owner of Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Ryder have one of the fine homes in Beaumont, at 2024 Calder Avenue. They have one child, Leo Leonard, who

has for many years past been associated with his father in business and is vice president and gen- eral manager of the Ryder Furniture and Carpet Company. Mr. Ryder is a Mason, York Rite, and a member of El Mina Temple Shrine at Galveston. Since coming to Beaumont he has taken an active interest in civic affairs, and has devoted much time to the upbuilding of the city. In the lumber industry few men have attained, entirely by their own efforts and ability, the position that is his, and he is an authority on all phases of lumber manufacture, and is one of the best judges of timber lands in the industry. A man of large financial interests, of highest integrity, and imbued with the highest busi- ness ideals, his influence on the commercial and civic life of Beaumont has been far reaching, and he holds a place of business leadership in this city.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 90

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