New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 95

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 95

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1697

MEN OF TEXAS

G. THAMES, whose activities for the past two decades have identified him with the city of Beaumont, has engaged in the drug business here during that time, and has taken an active part in the commercial life of the city. Mr. Thames owns the majority of the stock of the Thames Drug Company, Incorporated, operating one of the larger drug stores of the city, at 565-567 Pearl Street. This business was established in 1912 by Mr. Thames, and he has since taken an active part in the management of the business. The store is well arranged and equipped, and has one of the finest fountains in the city. A large retail business, with a smaller volume of wholesale business, is handled, and the store has met with a gratifying success. Mr. Thames has a force of around fifteen employees, and personally supervises the operation of the business. J. P. Gudger, of Fort Worth, is the other stockholder. Mr. Thames also owns Thames Drug Store, No. 2, at 597 College Street.

M. G. Thames was born at Perdue Hill, Alabama, the twenty-ninth of March, 1882. His father, John Thames, for many years in the drug business, was also engaged in farming, and is a landowner in Ala- bama. Mr. Thames attended the public schools at Brewton, Alabama, graduating from the high school there, after which he entered the Pharmaceutical School, at Mobile, Alabama, where he attended for one year. He came to Texas, in 1902, and was in a drug store in Dallas for a time, later going in the laboratory of the Texas Drug Company in that city. He then came to Beaumont, in 1904, and spent eight years with the Dunlap Drug Company, after which he established his present business, and has so continued to the present time.

Mr. Thames was married at Beaumont, in 1906, to Miss Hester Rouse, daughter of E. Rouse, formerly in the paint business in this city, but now retired. Mr. and Mrs. Thames reside at 1995 Broadway, and have two children, William and Mary Edna. Mr. Thames takes an active part in all civic work and is a member of the city commission. He belongs to the Lions Club, of which he is a past president, and fraternally is a Woodman of the World, a Knight of Pythias and a Blue Lodge Mason.

EDGAR JONES has been a resident of Beaumont, Texas, for more than two de- cades, and is one of the leading merchants of this city. He is president, treasurer and general manager of the Fashion, the most complete woman's store in this part of the state. The Fashion was founded by Mr. Jones in 1909 and his stock of merchandise is among the best here. The Fashion occupies two floors, sixty by eighty feet in size, and sixty complete departments are maintained, which are presided over by more than forty careful and experienced people. The Fashion is handsome- ly appointed and there is an air of quiet dignity found here. Other officers of the Fashion are Cipora Jones, vice president, and A. Solinsky, ac- tive secretary. Mr. Jones has devoted his entire business life to the dry goods business, and began his career as a young man with A. Harris and Company at Dallas and remained with this firm in various de- partments for two years. After leaving the A. Harris and Company firm, Mr. Jones went to California and was employed in a large department store there. He returned to Texas and during the oil boom in

Beaumont in 1902, he came to this city and became

associated with Rosenthal-Deutser Department Store, and remained with this firm, in the various departments for a period of four years. He then went with Carl Reese and organized the Reese-Jones Company, dealers in lady's ready-to-wear, and so continued until 1909, when Mr. Jones established his present store, the Fashion.

A native Texan, Mr. Jones was born at Dallas on February 4th, 1883. His father, J. I. Jones, came to Texas from Tennessee more than seventy years ago, and located first at Dallas and later removed to Paris, Texas, where for many years he was one of the leading merchants of Lamar County and continued in the mercantile business there until his death. His mother was Miss A. Carolina Cullom, a native of the Lone Star State and a member of one of Dallas' most prominent families. Her brothers are among the real builders of the North Texas metropolis, one of them being a member of a well known firm of Cullom and Boren, another the ex- ecutive head of the Cullom Grocery Company and various other enterprises of Dallas. His education was obtained in the public schools of Paris, Texas.

Mr. Jones was married at Beaumont, Texas, on January 23rd, 1917, to Mrs. Cipora Brown, a native Texan also. Mr. Jones is a member of the Beau- mont Club, the Beaumont Country Club and the Harmony Club and is a director of the Security State Bank.

H. WILLIS, for around two decades has been associated with the business world at Beaumont, and is one of the largest team- ing contractors in the Lone Star State, es- tablishing a business that has been no small factor in the successful completion of many large ven- tures in the oil fields. Mr. Willis handles large team- ing contracts in oil field work only, doing a large part of his work for the Gulf Production Company and the Gulf Pipe Line Company. He employs a large force of workmen, working around five hun- dred head of work stock, and handles contracts in the fields of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He maintains his headquarters at Beaumont. Mr. Wil- lis is also actively interested in rice growing, and has had some ten or twelve years experience in this field, cultivating around one thousand acres of rice land annually.

Mr. Willis was born at Woodruff, South Carolina, the twenty-ninth of January, 1881, the son of John L. Willis, a farmer, cattle raiser and landowner of that state, and Rebecca Willis. He was educated in the public schools of Woodruff, and later spent several years on a farm. He then turned his attention to the refinery business, coming to Beaumont, where he spent four years with the refinery which has since become the Magnolia Refinery. He then en- tered the teaming contracting business, starting with eight teams and growing larger with each passing year until the business has become one of the largest in the country.

Mr. Willis was married at Beaumont, in 1905, to Miss Addie Ola Wells, whose parents died while she was a small girl. They make their home at 253 Sev- enth Street, and have four children, Rebecca Addie, Martha Ola, Baxter Henry and Sarah Grace. Mr. Willis is a member of the Rotary Club and the Beau- mont Country Club. He has a wide acquaintance among the oil men of the state, as well as the busi-

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ness men at Beaumont, and there is associated with his name an integrity and reputation for square deal- ing that has influenced his entire career. Although Mr. Willis has made fair success as a teaming con- tractor, it has not come to him without effort, but through a definite understanding of the require- ments of this business, a willingness to co-operate with all men, and a fair business ability that has found outlet in his management of the business. He takes a deep interest in the advancement of Beau- mont, and is ready to help in any civic movement that has for its aim the development of this city.

EAL S. STORTER of Beaumont, Texas, went to sea as a boy and since that time has been engaged in the various branches of the marine industry. Mr. Storter came to Beaumont during the early part of 1922 as district agent of Lykes-Sgitcovich Joint Steamship Agency, with offices at 503-5 San Jacinto Building, and has been since that time a factor in the business and shipping circles of this city. Lykes Brothers Steam- ship Company, Inc. are owners and operators of ships and S. Sgitcovich and Company are steamship agents and operators, and Mr. Storter is the district agent for these companies in the Sabine district. Forty ships are operated by these two companies, in the handling of export and import business to and from all ports and countries in the world. Lykes- Sgitcovich are one of the largest shippers in the Beaumont territory and are doing a large business here, which has been built up to this standard through the efforts of Mr. Storter since he came here as the representative of these companies. Mr. Storter, from very early childhood, had a liking for the water, and in 1912 went to sea as master of a coastal vessel, and remained in this position prac- tically all the time until 1919, and during a portion of this period, he owned a coastwise freight and pas- senger vessel. From July 1st, 1918, to May 1st, 1919, Mr. Storter was engaged in teaching navigation for the United States government to officers in train- ing. From May 1st, 1919, to November 1st, 1919, he was master of the steamer City of Philadelphia in the trading business and making trips to Cuba. Dur- ing the last of 1919, he became associated with Lykes Bros. at Galveston as a port captain, and remained in this position until opening offices here for the two companies which he represents as district agent.

Mr. Storter was born at Everglade, Florida, on October 3rd, 1890. His father, George W. Storter, came to Florida in 1887, where he was engaged in farming, merchandising, ship and boat building, and was a large land owner in Florida. His mother was Miss Nannie Watterson, a member of a well known family of Florida. Mr. Storter's education was ob- tained at the University of Florida, which he at- tended for a period of five years, and graduated from this institution in the class of 1912 with the B. S. degree in electrical engineering.

Mr. Storter was married in Florida in 1915 to Miss Bettie Knight, a daughter of Thomas Knight, one of the pioneer settlers of Florida, where he was en- gaged in the cattle business on a large scale. They have one child, George William Storter, three years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Storter reside at 2424 Liberty Street. Mr. Storter is a member of the A. F. and A. M. and has attained to the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite body of this order and is a member

of El Mina Temple Shrine of Galveston. He is also a member of the Rotary Club, and takes an active interest in this organization. The years of practical experience which Mr. Storter has had on the water, with ships and shipping qualifies him for the respon- sible position he holds with the two companies here. Mr. Storter has varied shipping interests here and elsewhere, and is vitally interested in the Lykes-Sgit- covich Joint Steamship Agency, which is destined to become one of the largest institutions of its kind in South Texas. Mr. Storter is popular in the busi- ness and social circles of Beaumont and over the country, where he has a host of friends, and is re- garded as one of the most progressive men engaged in his line of activity.

J. LOEW, for more than a decade has been a resident of Beaumont, and is a prime factor in the drug trade in this city, and has also taken an active part in the civic development of the community. Mr. Leow is the owner of Loew's Drug Store, one of the finest suburban drug stores in the city, which he estab- lished in November, 1916. The store is located in one of the best residence sections of the city, at the corner of Orange and Franklin Streets. The build- ing, fronting one hundred feet on Orange, and three hundred feet on Franklin, and one of the most at- tractive suburban commercial buildings in the city, is owned by Mr. Loew, who, in addition to occupying a section of the building himself, rents to three other business concerns the modern store rooms the build- ing affords. Above the stores attractive apartments have been arranged, and Mr. Loew makes his home there. The drug store has a very complete stock, including the better known products, and the interior of the store is attractively arranged, the best fix- tures and equipment being used throughout. Since the opening of this store Mr. Loew has done a con- stantly increasing business and has made an unusual success of the venture, which was started as a small suburban drug store.

Mr. Loew was born near Milwaukee, the twenty- second of July, 1877, the son of Edward Loew, a farmer and land owner of that section, and Mrs. Ella Loew. He was educated in the public schools of Milwaukee, graduating from the high school there, after which he engaged in the drug business in that city for seven years. He then went to Racine, Wisconsin, spending two years in the drug business there, and later removing to Wantoma, Wisconsin, where he opened a store which he oper- ated for the ensuing eight years. He came to Texas in 1910, and after a year in Houston, came to Beau- mont, in 1911. He was with the Post Office Drug Store two years, and with the Keith Drug Store a like period, after which he spent a year at Orange, with the Houston Drug Company. He then returned to Beaumont and established his present business.

Mr. Loew was married at Racine, Wisconsin, in 1900, to Miss Nellie Dunk. They have two chil- dren-Gilbert E. and Frances. Mrs. Loew has taken a great interest in the development of the drug business and has been a factor in the success of the store here. She has in many ways assisted Mr. Loew in the operation of the store, and is a business woman of high calibre. Mr. Loew is a Master Ma- son, and is active in civic work. His success in the business world has won him the esteem of all who know him, and he has many friends at Beaumont.

1701

MEN OF TEXAS

OL E. GORDON, attorney at law of Beau- mont, Texas, has practiced before the Texas Bar for more than a score of years and is recognized as one of the leaders of his pro- fession. Mr. Gordon is the senior member of the firm of Gordon, Lawhon and Davidson, one of the strong law firms of Southwest Texas, and is en- gaged in a general civil practice. This firm was established in 1922, and is composed of Mr. Gordon, I. W. Lawhon, and Judge W. H. Davidson. From 1920 to 1922 the firm was Gordon, Lawhon and Pool. Mr. Samuel Sharfstein is associated with the firm, whose offices are located at 231-35 Perlstein Build- ing. After receiving his degree from the University of Texas, Mr. Gordon returned to Beaumont and be- gan the practice of his profession in his home city, and has been associated as a partner with such representative lawyers as Hugh Jackson, John M. Conley, G. P. Dougherty, and A. D. Lipscomb. These men were his partners at different times, and at in- tervals, he practiced alone. He has been identified with important litigation that has had far reach- ing effect. He was attorney for the plaintiff in the State of Texas vs. Motion Pictures, General Film Company, et al. This case was disposed of in 1913 and involved the Texas Anti Trust law. It was a civil action for penalties and the defendants con- fessed judgment. This case which was filed in Beaumont along with a federal action in Philadel- phia broke up the moving picture trust and gave the independents a chance and made for a great development of the industry. Mr. Gordon has since that time become interested in the motion picture business and is chairman of the board of directors of the Jefferson Amusement Company, that operates four theatres in Beaumont, seven in Port Arthur and one in Orange. His company is to erect the finest theatre building in Texas at a cost of $750,- 000.00 and will be located on Fannin Street next to the Beaumont Hotel. The company was organized by Mr. Gordon and associates in 1918. J. C. Clem- mons is president and manager.

A native Texan, Mr. Gordon was born at Beau- mont on January 28th, 1884. His father, the late I. Gordon, was a native of Poland and came to the United States as a young man and settled first at Houston, but later removed to Beaumont, where he engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. I. Gor- don and his brother, H. O. Gordon, came to America together, and both settled in Houston, and both later came to Beaumont. Mr. Gordon's early education was obtained in the public schools of Beaumont, after which he attended the A. and M. College of Texas, where he pursued a civil engineering course. He then entered the law department of the Univer- sity of Texas, and graduated in 1904 with the LL. B. Degree.

Mr. Gordon was married at Waco, Texas, on June 9th, 1909, to Miss Pauline Mayer, a native Texan and a member of a pioneer family of Central Texas. They have two children, Julius Mayer and Beverly. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon reside at 2140 Calder Avenue. He is a member of the A. F. and A. M., Beaumont, is a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and is a member of El Mina Temple Shrine of Galveston. He is also a member of the B. P. O. E., the Beau- mont and Beaumont Country Clubs.

Mr. Gordon has during his long period of prac- tice in Beaumont, handled many noteworthy cases,

and his career as an attorney has been uniformly brilliant and successful. He is active in all civic societies of the city, and is always one of the first to give his time and means to any project for the betterment of his city, where he is regarded as one of the able counselors and progressive citizens.

NDREW J. KAULBACH has been identi- fied with the commercial advancement of Beaumont for around two decades, during this time establishing the reputation of an expert in the manufacture and sale of lumber, and taking a prominent place among the lumbermen of the city. Mr. Kaulbach is a member of the firm of Kaulbach-Sprouse Lumber Company, one of the lead- ing lumber brokerage firms of the city. This com- pany was established in January, 1923, and since that time has built up a very large business, giv- ing special attention to selling lumber for export. The firm handles yellow pine, hardwood and shingles in car load lots only. The Kaulbach-Sprouse Lum- ber Company maintains offices in the Gilbert Build- ing. Wallace E. Sprouse, also a well known lumber- man, is the other member of the firm.

Andrew J. Kaulbach was born at La Grange, Texas, the twenty-first of February, 1884, the son of Henry B. Kaulbach, a real estate and insurance man, and Julia Kaulbach. He received his early education in the public schools near his home and after finishing high school entered the University of Texas, where he spent four years, taking the B. A. degree in 1902. He then went to Bay City, where he went in the retail lumber business, spend- ing three years there. He came to Beaumont at the expiration of that time, in 1905, and was with the Sabine Tram Company for one year, after which he went with the Nona Mills Company, remaining with that organization for seventeen years, leav- ing as general sales manager to organize his pres- ent company.

Mr. Kaulbach was married at La Grange, in 1905, to Miss Lou M. Holman, daughter of Natt Holman, a farmer and land owner of that section. Mr. and Mrs. Kaulbach have made their home in Beaumont since their marriage, residing at 2210 North Street. They have two children, Helen M. and Andrew J. Jr. Mr. Kaulbach is a member of the Beaumont Country Club, the Beaumont Club, the Rotary Club, the Round Table Club, of which he is past president, and the Hoo Hoos, an organization composed of lumber- men and of which he is a past president. He is affil- iated with the Masonic and Knights of Pythias or- ders, and takes an active part in all civic affairs, taking a deep interest in the advancement of Beaumont.

HARLES BIDDLE SHEEKS came to Beau- mont, Texas, in 1902 and since that time has been active in the business circles of this city. In 1914, he became secretary and treasurer of the Beaumont Iron Works Company, one of the largest concerns of its kind in this por- tion of the country. Mr. Sheeks is an expert ac- countant and all around business man, having had several years' experience along many lines of en- deavor. Mr. Lee J. Black is the president and man- ager of the Beaumont Iron Works Company and Mr. J. E. Swindler, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is vice president. The offices of the company are located at 360 Avenue A. Mr. Sheeks started his business

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

career in railroad work at Sherman, Texas, where for four years he held various positions in the cler- ical department. He later became associated with the Sabine Tram Company, and still later with the Smith Lumber Company, and remained with the lat- ter company until becoming an official of the Beau- mont Iron Works Company.

A native Texan, Mr. Sheeks was born at Kosse on May 8th, 1885. His father was F. L. Sheeks. His early education was obtained in the public schools at Mexia, Texas, after which he became a student of Austin College, at Sherman, Texas, and later took special business courses.

Mr. Sheeks was married in Indiana, in 1908, to Miss Verna Burnside, a native of Indiana and a daughter of A. P. Burnside, a large land owner and farmer, but retired from active business pursuits. They have three children, Dorothy, thirteen years of age; Dundee, aged ten years, and Katherine, six years old. Mr. and Mrs. Sheeks reside at 2494 Broad- way. Mr. Sheeks is a member of the B. P. O. E., in which he takes an active interest. He is a con- sistent member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Sheeks is popular in the business and social circles of Beau- mont, where he has a host of friends. He is a man of sound judgment, fully competent to take care of the position he holds and the responsibilities in- volved, and has been successful during the decade with this company, where he has been directly and continuously associated with the principals of the company in the administration of the business.

ILLIAM E. HOLLAND, whose name for around a quarter of a century has been of special significance in advertising circles at Beaumont, has attained a high reputa- tion in the field of poster advertising, to which he limits his work. Mr. Holland is the owner of the Holland Advertising Service, which he established in 1901, and which has largely influenced the trend of advertising in this city since its organization. Mr. Holland's is the only firm in this city handling poster advertising, and it has been due chiefly to his ef- forts that this form of advertising has assumed its present importance in Beaumont. Mr. Holland handles all national and local poster advertising here, and has an imposing list of clients. He has at present around seven hundred poster panels in Beaumont, and is doing an exceptionally large volume of busi- ness. His plant, located at Laurel and Center Streets, represents an investment of around forty thousand dollars.

Mr. Holland was born at Atlanta, Georgia, the sixteenth of January, 1872, the son of L. G. Holland, a merchant of that state. He attended the public schools of Atlanta, graduating from the high school there, and spent the ensuing fourteen years in the blacksmith shops of various railroads. He came to Beaumont in 1901, at the time the first well came in at Spindle Top, as he owned ten acres of land near the well. After the discovery of oil he sold this land and started his present business, which has been very successful, and has brought him general recognition in the advertising world.

Mr. Holland was married at Memphis, Tennessee, in 1890, to Miss Minnie Booth, and one child, Clar- ence B. Holland, was born to this union. Mr. Hol- land was married a second time to Miss Inez Bur- nett in 1918, at Beaumont, and they have two chil- dren, Harriotte and Willyane Ernestine, and they

reside at 1351 Liberty Street. Mr. Holland is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, one of the directors of the Young Men's Business League, and is vice president of the Kiwanis Club. Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias. He has throughout his residence at Beaumont been active in all civic work, contributing generously of his time and means for the advancement of the city.

UGUSTINE BABIN for more than three decades has been a factor in building activ- ities at Beaumont, and has been held in high esteem for his work in this connection, and for his activities in the civic and business life of the community. Mr. Babin is one of the leading architects in the city. His business is of a general nature, and he gives careful attention to fine res- idence work, business structures, and public build- ings. The quality of the work done by Mr. Babin is of recognized superiority, and there has ever been associated with his name an integrity and reputa- tion for square dealing that has won him many contracts, even when he was the highest bidder. Mr. Babin has his offices in the Blanchette Estate Building, and has done architectural work exclus- ively for more than a decade, prior to that handling a general contracting and building business. As an architect he personally supervises every detail of construction, and all residence business and public buildings he has planned and executed are marked by modern and distinctive features demonstrating his familiarity with architecture in general, and the trend of the architecture of the present time.

Mr. Babin was born at Houma, Louisiana, the sixth of December, 1867, son of Homer Babin, and Victorine Navarre Babin. His father was super- visor of plantations and a sugar maker in that state. He came to Texas and remained until his death. Mr. Babin was educated in private schools of his native state, where he attended, and at a time when flood losses had resulted in serious finan- cial loss to the family. Consequently he came to Texas, in 1890, coming to Beaumont, where he estab- lished for himself a contracting and building bus- iness. Although but a boy of eighteen, whose cap- ital was an eagerness and an aptitude for this line of work, he soon gained the absolute confidence of the public, and was successful from the start. His business grew rapidly, and as financial success came to him he invested in city property and enter- prises of a building nature, now holding much prop- erty here, as well as being a director of the Security State Bank and Trust Company, and of the Home Building and Loan Association, with which he has been connected for almost two decades. Mr. Babin served for four years on the Wharf and Dock Board, as alderman for four years, and also as mayor pro tem, during the absence of the mayor.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 95

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