New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 92

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

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Mr. Cheesman was married at Beaumont, in 1891, to Miss Emma Regina Smyth. They have two chil- dren, Guy Walden Cheesman, manager of the Smyth Lumber Company, and John B. Cheesman, also with

the company. The family reside at 592 Elizabeth Street. They attend the Baptist Church, to which Mr. Cheesman is a liberal contributor. He is a member of the Beaumont Country Club. Mr. Chees- man has, throughout his residence at Beaumont, taken a deep pride in the accomplishments of the city and has been active in all public works. From the early days, he foresaw a future for this city, located ideally to give a water outlet for the re- sources of this section, and the advancement of Beaumont in recent years has seen the fulfillment of this future, at least in large measure. As an authority on the manufacture of lumber, Mr. Chees- man's opinion is frequently sought, and he has many friends among the younger lumbermen, who appreciate the advice he is able to give them out of his years of experience.

LBERT B. SEALE, pioneer lumberman of Southeast Texas, and a factor in the devel- opment of the timber resources of this sec- tion, has made his home at Beaumont for more than three decades, and has for several years past served his home city as postmaster. Mr. Seale was appointed postmaster at Beaumont in 1920, and since entering on the duties of this office has greatly increased the efficiency of the local post office and dispatched the duties of this office in a highly com- mendable manner. On March 1st, 1925, Mr. Seale became identified with and a stockholder in the Pur- ity Candy Company, wholesale only. The plant has fifty by one hundred and forty feet of floor space and ten people are employed in the factor and two men on the road, covering Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.

Mr. Seale was born in Jasper County, Texas, the twenty-third of March, 1861, the son of Major Elias T. Seale and Mrs. Emma A. Seale. Major Seale, a native of Mississippi, went to Missouri in 1849, going overland by wagon in a wagon train of one hundred wagons, and later came to Texas, locating in Jasper County, where he engaged in farming and merchan- dising until his death in 1880. His son, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the schools of Jas- per County, attending a private school there, and later, in 1875 and 1876, attending Waco University. Mr. Seale then spent one year at home, engaged in farming, and in 1878 came to Beaumont, and with his father went in the saw mill business for two years. He then went to Lufkin, where he built the first house to be erected in that town, and also built the railroad from Lufkin to Nacogdoches, in 1882. From 1882 until 1885 he was back on the farm near Jasper, with his mother, and then went in the mer- cantile business with his brother, engaging in that business until December, 1886. He then went in the logging business, and also owned a lumber mill and cotton gin at Jasper, which interests he disposed of in 1892 and came to Beaumont, where he spent eight years with the Wilson Hardware Company. He then went to Pickering, Louisiana, where he built the tram for a mill there, and a year later bought a small mill, and moved it to Seale, Louis- iana, which place was named for him. He remained there until 1910, when he returned to Jasper, where he operated a mill for one year. In 1912 he went to Uvalde and was with the Uvalde Rock Asphalt Com- pany for three years. He then returned to Beau- mont and was appointed receiver for the Sanders Lumber Company, handling these properties until

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June, 1919, when he went with the Green-Moore Lumber Company, where he remained for one year, until his appointment as postmaster at Beaumont.

Mr. Seale was married at Jasper, in 1886, to Miss Mattie Norsworthy, the daughter of George W. Nors- worthy. Mr. and Mrs. Seale have a family of eight children, Prentiss, Una, Louise, Mary, Pattie, Ger- trude, Vannie Belle, and Dorothy. The family re- side at 1615 Park Street, which has been the family home for the past thirty years. They attend the Baptist Church. Mr. Seale has many friends at Beaumont and is honored as one of the real builders of this city.

RTHUR H. BOYT of Beaumont, Texas, has for many years been active in the develop- ment of the rice industry of Texas, and is regarded as one of the most expert rice growers and the best posted man on rice in this portion of the state. Mr. Boyt is the district man- ager of the American Rice Growers Association for the Beaumont district, is also a member of the Executive Committee and a member of the General Board. This organization has a membership here of one hundred and twenty-five enthusiastic men who are either growers of rice or interested in its development, and all rice raised by members is sold through this association, which was established three years ago. Mr. Boyt knows the value of co-oper- ative effort, and it was largely through his efforts that this organization was perfected. He has been a resident of Beaumont for eighteen years and dur- ing this time has been engaged in growing, hand- ling and grading rice, and is regarded as an author- ity on everything having to do with rice from the growing to the marketing of this product. Other of- ficers of the American Rice Growers Association in this district are H. G. Chalkey, president and gen- eral manager of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and E. R. Henry, secretary and treasurer, also of Lake Charles, The Beaumont office of this organization is located at Orleans and Wall Streets. Mr. Boyt, since com- ing to Beaumont, has raised fourteen crops of rice, on twelve of which he has made considerable money, which in itself is a record that is seldom found in any portion of the country in the growing of any kind of crop, either in Texas or elsewhere. Before coming to Texas in 1904, Mr. Boyt had spent prac- tically all his life in farming, and he settled in Bee County and engaged in farming, most of his efforts being devoted to the growing of cotton. He later removed to Harris County, and after a short time spent in that county, came to Beaumont, where he engaged in the rice growing industry, and has met with great success. Mr. Boyt has given close study to the rice industry and probably knows more about growing, selling, handling and grading rice than any other man in this territory.

Mr. Boyt was born at Banner, Mississippi, on March 3rd, 1872. His parents, Henry W. Boyt and Nannie Boyt, were well known and highly esteemed citizens of Mississippi and were engaged in farm- ing, planting on a large scale, and stock raising. His education was obtained in the public and high schools of Banner, Mississippi, after which he en- gaged in farming with his parents.

Mr. Boyt is an enthusiastic booster for the Beau- mont territory as the best lands for the growing of rice, and he is the owner of much valuable rice

lands here. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce and is active in these organizations and is also one of the city commissioners and a member of the city council. Mr. Boyt believes that with the establishment of more rice mills in Texas, and with the improved marketing conditions through the various organizations, that Texas will soon become the leading rice state, and that Beau- mont will be the leading rice market of the South- west.

L DILLON of Beaumont, Texas, has spent his entire life in the various branches of the oil industry, which includes the handling of oil well supplies, drilling and develop- ing of oil wells, pipe line and refinery work. He has for more than sixteen years been associated with the Oil Well Supply Company, whose main office is located at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and came to Beaumont three years ago as manager of the Oil Well Supply Company for the Beaumont district. This company, in the Beaumont branch, carries one of the largest and most complete stocks of its kind in this part of the state, which includes oil well sup- plies, refinery supplies, complete rotary drilling rigs, in fact sell every thing used in the drilling of oil wells and in the production of oil. This com- pany has a splendid location here, with large build- ing for display purposes and warehouses, and em- ploy seven experienced people, with office located at 497 Main Street. Mr. Dillon began his career in the oil industry in the oil fields of Ohio, with the construction of pipe lines and kindred work, and remained in this line in Ohio until 1909, when he went with the Oil Well Supply Company and to the oil fields of West Virginia. After remaining in this state for one year, he came south for his com- pany to the oil fields of Louisiana and remained in this state for a period of four years. He opened the Mexia branch of the Oil Well Supply Company and from 1914 to 1922 he was located in Corsicana, Texas, for this company as manager of the Cor- sicana branch, and remained there until coming to Beaumont in 1922. Mr. Dillon has been associated with the Oil Well Supply Company in the different parts of the country since 1909, and is regarded as one of the best oil field supply men of the country, and knows this business as few men know it.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Dillon was born at Woods- field, on February 24th, 1881. His parents, John Dil- lon and Julia A. Dillon, were well known land own- ers and farmers of Ohio. His education was ob- tained in the various public schools of his native state, and later he attended a commercial college, which assisted him in his business education.

Mr. Dillon was married in Ohio in 1906 to Miss Mary McMullen, a daughter of G. B. McMullen, well known business man of that state. They have six children, Cecil, seventeen years of age; Mary, aged fourteen years; Ray, eleven years of age; Henry, aged eight years; Carl, aged seven, and Wayne, four years old. Mr. and Mrs. Dillon reside at 2370 Forrest Street. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Beaumont Country Club and the Beau- mont Business Men's Club, in all of which he takes an active interest. Mr. Dillon is well known to the oil fraternity throughout the country and is well liked by all with whom he comes in contact.

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ILLIAM ELLSWORTH LEE has for a decade and more been one of a group of financiers who have taken a leading part in shaping commercial and industrial af- fairs at Sour Lake, and his name carries with it a prestige that is an asset to the community and institution with which it is connected. Mr. Lee is president of the Citizens National Bank, the largest financial institution in the city, and one which has rendered a conservative and substantial banking service since its organization in 1917. The bank owns its own banking home, a fine structure located on one of the principal corners, and a notable addi- tion to the business center of the city. The fix- tures are unusually fine, and the vault, designed specially for the bank, is one of the finest in this section. It has two stories, one entered from the ground floor and the other from the balcony. The Citizens National Bank is the only national bank in Hardin County, and is the depository for all county funds, as well as the largest bank in the city in point of deposits, which total more than six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The bank is capitalized for fifty thousand dollars, with total assets of more than seven hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars, and is one of the strong and capably directed banking institutions of this county. The officers are: William Ellsworth Lee, the subject of this sketch, president; M. F. Yount, of Beaumont, vice president; N. M. Morrison, vice president, and V. N. Johnson, cashier.

William Ellsworth Lee was born in Wood County, West Virginia, the thirty-first day of January, 1867, his birthplace being eight miles from the town of Parkersburg. His father, Alexander Lee, spent his entire business life in the oil business, and was one of the well known oil men of the early days of the industry. His mother was Mrs. Martha Jane Lee. Mr. Lee spent his boyhood in West Virginia, attending the schools near his home, and later went to Ohio, where he had his first experience in the oil business. After a year in the oil fields of that State he returned to West Virginia where he spent six years in the oil fields, with the U. S. Oil Com- pany, working in various capacities, and acquiring a practical knowledge of drilling and production. Mr. Lee came to Texas in 1904, spending his first decade in this State in the Saratoga oil fields, with the Producers Oil Company as field superintendent, and later became associated with the Yount-Lee Oil Company, of which well known firm his brother is a member. He came to Sour Lake with this company in 1914, and was associated with drilling and production activities here until 1917, when he left the oil business to organize the Citizens Na- tional Bank, of which he has since been president.

Mr. Lee was married at Parkersburg, West Vir- ginia, the eighth of September, 1907, to Miss Mar- garet McGuigan, daughter of P. H. McGuigan, as- sociated with the oil business all his life, and Bessie McGuigan. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have a family of six children-William Howard, Irene May, Thomas Peter, Fostine Ellen, Donald Ellsworth and Ronald Ainsworth. Mr. Lee is a Mason, York Rite, and a member of Osiris Temple Shrine, of Wheeling, West Virginia. A man of unusual executive ability, with a genius for financial affairs, Mr. Lee has directed the affairs of the financial institution which he

heads in such a way that the bank has won and retained the confidence of all. He has taken a lead- ing part in the development of Sour Lake, especially along industrial lines, and the advancement of the petroleum industry, and is widely known in this sec- tion as a man qualified to speak authoritatively on matters pertaining to the oil industry as well as financial problems.

OUIS TYLER WADE, one of the vanguard in the history of the oil development of the Lone Star State, has recently come to Houston, as general superintendent of pro- duction for the Houston Oil Company, with offices in the Scanlan Building. Mr. Wade is one of the real "old timers" and has been associated with many triumphs and achievements in this industry, and is widely known to the oil fraternity as a man of exceptional experience in the handling of men and the various problems that come up in the field. Mr. Wade early won recognition as a careful driller, and after years spent in participating in the development of this great industry, can look the world squarely in the face with the convincing evidence that he has nothing to hide. He began in the oil business in 1901, when a young man, his first association being with the Sun Company, in the Spindle Top field. A year later, in 1902, he went with Monroe Carroll, re- maining with him for one year, and doing his first drilling during this period, the first well on which he worked as helper being completed by him as driller. In 1904 he went to the Sour Lake field, with Dan Steele, contractor, as driller, remaining there until his transfer to Batson, where he also drilled for Mr. Steele. Later he went to Beaumont, where he drilled for Brown Brothers, then to Saratoga, with the Sun Company, and still later to Humble, at that time being with the Gulf Company, and W. E. Brice. He was also associated at various times with J. P. Barkley at Beaumont, and also the Crosby Oil Company, Burch and Dedman, and others, his activities taking him to the Sour Lake field, Sara- toga, and other fields, where he added to his grow- ing reputation as a driller of real wells. In the spring of 1912 he went with the Houston Oil Company, remaining with them until 1916, as driller, and looking after leases. After leaving the Houston Oil Company Mr. Wade went into production for himself, until April 1918, at which time he drilled, for R. H. Kirby of the Austin Oil Company, bring- ing in a twelve thousand barrel well at Saratoga, one of the best producers in that field. After one year with Mr. Kirby, he went with the Weldon Oil Company, as driller, and was associated with him, and other interests, until February, 1923, at which time he came back with the Houston Oil Company, and has since made his headquarters at Houston, on the eleventh floor of the Scanlan Building.

Louis Tyler Wade was born in Fayette County, Texas, at LaGrange, on the eighteenth of December, 1881, son of C. N. and Julia de Lassaulx Wade. His father, now deceased, was also a native of Texas and for many years a cotton grower and business man at LaGrange, and his mother was a native of Alsace-Lorraine. Mr. Wade was educated in the LaGrange public schools, and during his boyhood spent much time in his father's cotton gin where he learned much about business management and oper- ation. Later he went to Eagle Lake and was in the sugar business for a time prior to going to Spindle

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

Top where he began his career as an oil operator. His career from that time until the present, when he has interests in Live Oak County, Mexia, Big Hill, Electra, and other fields, with forty men work- ing under him, has been traced.

Mr. Wade was married at Sour Lake, the first of March, 1911, to Miss Emilia Alpers, a native of Sealy, Texas, where her parents are well known farmers. Mr. and Mrs. Wade make their home at 316 York Street. Mr. Wade is an Odd Fellow, a Woodman of the World and a Macabee, and was reared in the Catholic Church. While his headquar- ters are at Houston he spends much time on the road looking after the extensive interests of his company, and has many friends among the oil opera- tors of the state. In the industry almost from its beginning in the Lone Star State, Mr. Wade has seen the dreams of many of the oil pioneers come true; he has witnessed the opening and development of new fields, and in this development taken his part, and he looks forward with interest to many more interesting chapters in the history of the Texas oil fields.

OHN A. LONG of Sour Lake, Texas, is one of the pioneers of the oil industry in Texas, having been engaged in this field of ac- tivity practically ever since oil was discov- ered in the State. Mr. Long is general superin- tendent of the Gulf Production Company at Sour Lake, and is in charge of the drilling and production, which naturally is one of the most important de- partments of an oil company. He has been asso- ciated with the Gulf Production Company since 1902, which makes him, in point of service, one of the oldest men with this company. He has been in the drilling and production departments during all of this period, using rotary tools, and came to Sour Lake in 1919 in order to assume charge of the properties and development of the company here. The Gulf Production Company owns eighty acres in the proven field of Sour Lake, on which it has twenty-five producing wells with upward of twelve hundred barrels oil daily production. This com- pany is drilling several new wells, which are near completion, and their lease is regarded as one of the best in this field. Twenty-two men is the aver- age number employed here by this company, all of whom are under the supervision of Mr. Long, as general superintendent.

A native Texan, Mr. Long was born at Rusk on December 28th, 1874. His father, Joe L. Long, was one of the best known civil engineers of his time, and for many years was state surveyor of Texas. His education was obtained in the public schools of Rusk, after which he engaged in various lines of endeavor until 1902, when he entered the oil fields at Spindle Top, where he remained for two years and then went to the Batson field, and re- mained at Batson until 1910, when he returned to the Spindle Top field. He was at Spindle Top for almost two years, when he was sent to Evange- line, Louisiana, in 1912, and remained in this Louis- iana field until he came to Sour Lake, and during all of his oil experience he was in the employ of the present company.

Mr. Long was married at Alto, Texas, in 1908, to Miss Lula Allen, a native Texan and a daughter of John T. Allen, one of the best known business men of East Texas, where for many years he has

been engaged in the drug business, farming and lending of money. They have two children-Mary, eight years of age, and Rhenonna, aged two years. Mr. Long is a member of the A. F. and A. M. and the Knights of Pythias, in both of which he takes an active interest. During the years Mr. Long has been engaged in the oil business, he has established an enviable reputation in the branches of this great industry to which he has confined his efforts, and is regarded as one of the most valuable and reliable men with the Gulf Production Company. He is popular with the oil fraternity of South Texas and with the men who have been under his jurisdiction for many years, and have learned the oil business under him.

B. DANIELS, for around a quarter of a century a factor in the petroleum business at Sour Lake, has contributed construc- tively to the development of the oil fields of this section, and is well and favorably known to the oil fraternity of the coastal district. Mr. Dan- iels is general superintendent of the Gilbert Com- pany, having handled this property since 1906. The Gilbert lease is the oldest in the Sour Lake field, and comprises twenty-seven acres, with twenty-two producing wells, and around seventy-five barrels daily production, and employs a force of ten oper- atives. The first power pumping plant to be put in operation in the Sour Lake field was on the Gilbert lease, and development has been going for- ward since that time. Mr. Daniels also operates as an independent operator, and during the course of his oil experience has made several fortunes through his own personal operations. He has studied closely the trend of production in the Sour Lake field, and is regarded by the oil men of this section as an authority whose years of experience qualify him to speak authoritatively on conditions here.

Mr. Daniels was born at Jacksonville, Illinois, the twenty-second of May, 1866, the son of Veerin and Sarah Virginia (English) Daniels. His father was a pioneer of Illinois, and has large agricultural interests there, taking a prominent part in the development of Jacksonville. Mr. Daniels attended the public schools of Jacksonville, later entering Illini College, where he was a classmate of William Jennings Bryan. Leaving college, he went to Kan- sas City, Missouri, where he engaged in the real estate business for a time, later going to Wichita, Kansas, where he spent four years. For the ensu- ing twelve years he was with the Wells-Fargo Ex- press Company, holding a responsible position with that company. He then spent one year in the insurance business, and the following two years was a traveling salesman, after which he came to Texas and Sour Lake, in 1902. Since this time he has been active in the oil business, both as an inde- pendent operator, and as general superintendent of the Gilbert interests.

Mr. Daniels was married at Sour Lake in 1907, to Miss Blanche Hardie, from Oxford, Mississippi. They reside in Sour Lake, and have four children- Milton, Barton, Margaret and Janet. Fraternally Mr. Daniels is a Knight of Pythias and an Elk. He has taken a deep interest in the advancement of Sour Lake along civic lines, and has done much for this section, both from a commercial and in- dustrial standpoint.

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LVIS HOWELL SMITH came to Sour Lake, Texas, seventeen years ago, and since that time lias been associated with several of the leading oil companies operating in this por- tion of the state. In 1918 Mr. Smith became gen- eral superintendent of the Humble Oil and Refining Company here, where he has complete charge of all drilling and production of this company in the Sour Lake area. The Humble Oil and Refining Company has one hundred and ten acres in this field, on which are twenty-six producing wells, with about one thousand barrels of oil daily production. This com- pany is actively engaged in development work in this field and each year drills new wells. An average of twenty-five employees are under the jurisdiction of Mr. Smith here. The property and equipment of the Humble Oil and Refining Company is among the best in the Sour Lake field, and is at all times kept up to the standard in efficiency, and ready for the important work at all times being done here. Mr. Smith began his career at a very early age as a farmer and continued in this line of en- deavor until he was seventeen years of age when he entered the oil industry. His first experience was with the Minor Oil Company here, and remained with this company for a period of six years, and then went with the Texas Company and was asso- ciated with this company for about one year, after which he went with the Grayburg Oil Company here. He remained with the Grayburg Oil Company for two years, after which he became associated with the Farish and Ireland Oil Company, and re- mained with this company for three years, after which he went with the Humble Oil and Refining Company, and in 1918 was made superintendent of the interests of this company here, where he has since remained.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 92

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