USA > Texas > Past history and present stage of development of Texas. Memorial and biographical history matter of the Lone Star state > Part 14
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
GRAHAM, James William
The subject of this sketch, County Tax Assessor J. W. Graham, is an intense Texan, takes an interesting view of its vast agricultural productions, and is the accepted authority in Comanche county of what its soil and climate is the more capable of producing under various and specified conditions. Mr. Graham is well traveled throughout Texas, is conversant with its many and widely divergent conditions, and with all this is enthusiastic on the point that Comanche county is the "Asparagus Bed" of the Lone Star State. Like the New Yorker, the Illinoisan and the Kansas man hobnobbing over their wine-glasses, extolling the virtues of their own states, the Kansas man awoke next morning and said: "Well, K'as's first in war, first in peace, and now she's first in th' resurrection." So, Mr. Graham is for Texas first, last and all the time, which is the best evidence of being a good Texan. He was born April 16, 1867, in Spartansburg, South Carolina; as was his mother, also-her name before marriage being Miss Addie Montjoy. The parents were married in their native little city, which is now the center of one of the greatest cotton cloth manufacturing districts in the world, and came to Longview, Gregg county, East Texas, in 1875. Here they lived for eight years, and then resided for six years in Sulphur Springs, seat of government of Hop- kins county. In 1889 the family moved to Gap, in that same county, where the father died Dec. 4, 1905, aged sixty-four years-having been a farmer and stockman all his life. He was an active member of the Christian church, an Odd Fellow, and a true friend and a good neighbor. Born to the union were eleven children, and of this number three sons and seven daughters reside in Comanche county, and one son lives in Oklahoma. The mother died in February, 1911, aged sixty-four years.
Mr. J. W. Graham matured to yonng manhood at Sulphur Springs, in Hopkins connty, where he apprenticed himself to the flour manufacturing business in a large plant, which has since become extant. He has also had considerable experience in the cotton ginnery line, and combining his efforts with both lines of industries, is a practical millman. In the meantime he has also engaged in farming for a number of years. While yet in Hopkins county he was happily married to Miss Elsie Burgess Oct. 10, 1887, and they have two sons and six daughters-all of whom are living. It was in 1908 that Mr. Graham convinced himself that
94
he was the most available and best qualified man in Comanche connty to serve as tax assessor, which fact he thoroughly convinced his opponent in the Democratic primary held in July of that year. In his candidaey for re-election he had no opposition-except a few Socialists and Republicans. Mr. Graham has made Comanche county people a fine officer, and they are well pleased with him and his services. He likes a good joke, is always pleasant, and his friends say that he "wears well." He comes from a lineally Democratie family, is a Mason, and religiously worships with the Christian church. The taxable valuation of Comanche county is $11,229,000.
GARVIN, M. L.
Mr. Garvin was born on a farm in North Georgia, May 22. 1845. His parents were also natives of that state-his father, Silas Garvin, originating from Hall county, and his mother, Miss Sarah Blackwell, from Lumpkin connty. Both were ardent members of the Baptist church, set a good example before their children, and died, the mother in 1901, the father in 1904. Retracing to earlier days, Silas Garvin, father, went to California in 1851 and spent two years during the gold excitement. In December, 1856, he located in Rusk county, Texas, and in the fall of 1857 moved to Hopkins county and settled on a farm near Black Oak, six miles south of Como, when the subject of this sketch, M. L. Garvin, was eleven years old. In September, 1862, father and son enlisted in the Confederate army (M. L., aged 17), and both had their initial drilling for service in the same company, at the same time, on the land where the town of Como now stands, and the only house in sight then still stands and is today occupied. The company locally recruited was an independent one, and known as Co. E, Second Texas Rangers, with Silas Garvin lieutenant, and was later brigaded with Tom Green Division. This branch of the Confederate army experienced very active service through East Texas and Louisiana-fighting several days at a stretch-engaged Gen. Banks' army and was in the battles Coward Crow Bayou, Pleasant Hill, Mansfield, Baton Rouge, Old Cain, Red River Bottoms, etc. Mr. Garvin remained with the army until peace was declared, the closing of hostilities finding him near Little Rock, Ark .- his father having a short time previous took sick and been detailed to go home. Of the many battles and skirmishes engaged in Mr. Garvin was only hit once with a spent ball. Returning to the old homeplace he found his father's slaves freed, property decimated, stock gone and one sister having died-he met one of his brothers, who had also been in the Confederate army for eighteen months. The family originally consisted of five sons and five daughters. Be- sides owning considerable property and a large mercantile establishment in Como, Mr. Garvin is also president and general manager of the Como Coal Company, incorporated with a capital stock of $10,000, but representing an investment of $25,000. The plant has recently been improved to a modern basis, produces a high grade of lignite coal from a depth of seventy- five feet, six-foot vein, and has a capacity for working one hundred men. The output is fast finding a ready sale in Texas, as it should. Mr. Garvin is a man of a fine family, of wife and nine living children; is a Mason and a Baptist. He commands the respect and love of a wide acquaintance, and as a business man and public-spirited town-builder has done, and is today doing much, to develop the Como district.
GASKINS, T. B.
Mr. Gaskins was born in Madison county, West Tennessee, Jan. 14, 1854-his parents moving to Texas when he was an infant and settling on a farm in Upshur county, thirteen miles east of Gilmer. In December, 1869, his father purchased a farm six miles southeast of Como, in Hopkins county, and the subject of this sketch, therefore, grew up on the farm. Mr. Gaskins' father was of English descent, a native of North Carolina, from whence he migrated to West Tennessee. He spent four full years in the Civil war as a Confederate soldier, was in the fiercest of the fight, and died in Hopkins county, Texas, in 1871. Mr. Gaskins' mother was, before marriage, Miss Pauline Dearmore; born in Virginia, and came to Tennessee when a mere girl. Being the mother of two daughters and four sons, she died at Como in 1886. The primary subject of this sketch, Mr. T. B. Gaskins, first located in Como in October, 1870, when there were but three log cabins and one small grocery store-
95
he having since minutely witnessed its growth to its present 1,500 population, two banks, large and handsome mercantile establishments, industries, etc. Under the firm name of Gaskins & Robinson, his father aided in giving Como its second store in 1871. With the ex- ception of engaging in the hotel business at Commerce for two years, Mr. Gaskins has con- ducted the leading hotel of Como since 1884-his being headquarters for the traveling public. He also owns two hundred acres of valuable farm land south of Como, and is gradually bringing it into a high state of cultivation. Mr. Gaskins was married Feb. 14, 1875, to Miss Mary Ellen Walker, of Hopkins county, by whom he had three sons and one daughter. His first wife having departed this life he was a second time married to Mrs. B. D. Pyland, and two sons, E. J. and Horace, have also come into the home. Mr. Gaskins is a deacon in the Missionary Baptist church, and a man of stanch convictions and unshakable integrity.
GOODNIGHT, Maj. Henry Franklin
The personality of Maj. H. F. Goodnight has set a high example for moral rectitude and good citizenship of Wills Point, and through- out his wide acquaintance in Texas; which is, after all is said, the highest position one can achieve in the hearts of his countrymen. Maj. Goodnight was born on a farm in Marshall county, Western Kentucky, Nov. 11, 1844. Joseph Goodnight, father of Maj. Goodnight, was born in Tennessee, but early in life located in Marshall county, Kentucky, where he was married to Miss Elizabeth Helm, related to the well-known Helm family of the Blue Grass state. There was born of this union four sons and three daughters; all of whom are dead, excepting Maj. Goodnight and W. D. Goodnight-the last named being engaged in the real estate business at Oak Cliff, Dallas. The family moved from Kentucky to Texas in 1849, and located near Athens, Henderson county, East Texas, where the father died in 1853; aged forty-five years, having lived the life of an agriculturist and stock-raiser. The mother died in 1872; aged sixty years.
Maj. Goodnight helped his father to blaze the way in the semi-wilderness and worked on the farm until he was seventeen years old, when he enlisted in the Confederate army in Henderson county-going out in the 13th Texas Cavalry. Later, in 1863, he joined Co. A, 34th Texas Cavalry, whom he was with when the war closed. Was in Terrell's Brigade, of which Judge A. W. Terrell, of Austin, was colonel. Aside from the numerous skirmishes and raids over the various states, Maj. Goodnight par- ticipated in battles of Pleasant Hill, Mansfield and Yellow Bayou, La. Peace being de- clared, he spent one year in harness, saddle, boot and shoe business at Rockwall, then Kauf- man county; later, established shop of his own at Fosterville, Anderson county; was next a dry goods salesman at Fosterville; purchased and conducted a grocery store at Goshen, then farmed for two years in Henderson county. In December, 1875, he located at Wills Point, and was for eighteen years in the drug business. In the meantime he owned a highly im- proved stock farm near Wills Point, and by precept and example taught his neighbors the advisability of raising horses, mules and cattle of the better class, and in which he was sue- cessful and enjoyed a wide reputation. In this connection it is proper to say that he still owns valuable farming interests near town, as he is also much interested in the welfare of Wills Point. In 1902 Maj. Goodnight conceived, organized and established the VanZandt
96
County National Bank at Wills Point, and this institution now ranks the second oldest in that county. The bank began life with a capital stock of $35,000, and seven years later was mereased to $50,000. at which time the paid-up shareholders had received iu dividend returns the full amount they had originally paid into the bank-and the institution has since been ap- proximately as uniformly successful. Having served the institution from the beginning as president, it has been Maj. Goodnight's policy as the directing head of the bank to aid farmers and the development of farming and stock-raising in the surrounding country-and the results of this very commendable mission is well known to the people of Van Zandt county. On Sept. 20, 1872, Maj. Goodnight was married to Miss Bethany Heneretta Nall, of Tyler, and they have two daughters-Mrs. Dr. H. T. Fry and Mrs. Robert J. Moreau, both of Wills Point. Major and Mrs. Goodnight also have four grandchildren, of which they are very proud. . The family worship with the Christian church, and Maj. Goodnight is a Master and Royal Arch Mason, in which connection he also enjoys the rank of Knight Templar, Scot- tish Rite and Shriner. Having no inclination toward polities, excepting the duty of voting intel- ligently as a good citizen, he has never been persuaded to serve officially, otherwise than as city alderman for a few terms. When the present history of VanZandt county is written and Maj. Goodnight has physically passed beyond this life, he will long be remembered for the good influences he wrought over the generation in which he lived. Kentucky-bred, that courtly characteristic has ever stood out prominent in his impressive appearance and suave deportment, and the many charitable objects and those he has so willingly aided in the strug- gle of this life are today his warmest friends.
HART, Sterling Carroll
Mr. S. C. Hart, lawyer and planter of Gilmer, was born March 5, 1856, at the old Hart homestead, two miles northwest of present courthouse, but which, during early days, was tem- porarily used as the official county seat. It is our exultant pleasure to say in this connection that his father. W. H. Hart, was, beyond dispute, the first settler in Upshur county. As a land surveyor, the Indians made a deal with him to locate the public highway from Marshall to Gilmer, under which terms they guaranteed him protection, and faithfully discharged that part of the agreement. With his ox-wagon, he blazed the way, and built the first house, which was his private residence, and incidentally used as headquarters for the people and for official purposes as above stated. Here Judge O. M. Roberts, later governor of Texas, and Dave Arden, district attorney, held court, and among the legal attendants were Gens. Sam Houston and John H. Reagan, and occasionally court would be adjourned and all would go on a hunt for game, led by David Lee, brother-in-law to Mr. Hart and a noted bear-hunter-all kinds of wild game abounding plentifully. W. H. Hart left his native mountains of East Ten- nessee and came to Marshall, Texas, in 1836-following his sweetheart, Miss Evaline Kelsey, daughter of Dr. W. H. Kelsey, and one of the pioneer settlers of Harrison county. They were joined in wedlock, and there were born to them seven sons and four daughters-of which two daughters and six sons are now living. The father headrighted 640 acres of land, on which was started the town of Gilmer, but same was later changed to the present location. He was the first county clerk, went to state legislature in 1856, was a magistrate, Mason and a Methodist. He helped to drive the Cherokee Indians out of East Texas, and during the Civil war his residence was the rendezvous hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers, he being engaged in gathering them in and caring for them. Mr. Hart, senior, died in 1886, aged seventy-six years. His wife died in 1906, aged eighty-four years. Her father, Dr. Kelsey, was a physician, merchant and occasionally preached as a Methodist minister.
Mr. S. C. Hart is one of the time-honored citizens of Gilmer, devoting his time to looking after his farming and stock interests and the practice of law, in which he has been a prac- titioner for the past twenty-one years. He was married Oct. 8, 1879, to Miss Amanda J. Houghton-her people moving from Atlanta, Ga., to Texas in 1858. They have four sons- Marvin Duncan, Bret, Claude and Leo Shafter, and three daughters, Misses Maude, Vester and Eva. Mr. Hart has in the past served as mayor of Gilmer, justice of the peace, and one time came within a few votes of being elected to the state legislature, and was two times slightly defeated for county attorney-"'being so near, and yet so far." Quite different
97
from most of the early settlers of Texas, Mr. Hart's ancestry, on both sides of the family, were well-to-do back in Tennessee, and did not come west as a matter of necessity to acquire wealth. Mr. Hart is a man of extraordinary intelligence and business ability, and when it comes to history is one of the best posted and most interesting men with whom to converse in East Texas.
HILL, Judge James Benjamin
Judge J. Ben Hill, for many years a citizen of Upshur county and well known in political circles of northeast Texas, and at the present time a resident . of Longview, was born on a farm in Montgomery county, Ala., Oct. 15, 1848. His paternal grand- father, William Hill, came from Ireland and settled in North Carolina in about 1825-and to Texas in 1840. He was a carpenter and farmer, and died on his farm in Harrison county in 1850. Judge Hill's maternal grandfather, William Ingram, was born in Scotland; came to this country and fought in the Revolutionary war under Gen. Geo. Washington; lived the life of a farmer, and died in South Caro- lina. Hence it will be seen that Judge Hill is of Scotch-Irish descent. His father, Jos. W. Hill, was born in North Carolina in 1817, and grew to young manhood in that state. Moved to Chambers and Montgomery counties, Alabama, and in 1843 was married in the last named county to Miss Eliza In- gram, and there were born of this union six sons and five daughters-one daughter dying in infancy at Jackson, Miss., in 1852, while the family were en route to Smith county, Texas. Remarkable to state, all ten of the living members are married and have families, and all live in Upshur county, excepting the subject of this sketch, Judge Hill, who is fresh from there. The father was a Confederate soldier, a farmer, a Mason, and was an enthusiastic member of the Methodist church. He died at the close of the war in 1865. The mother died in 1890; aged sixty-five years.
Judge J. Ben Hill grew up on a farm in Smith county, and located in Upshur county in 1869. His first recognition at the hands of the people was serving one term as constable of Simpsonville precinct for one year. Then moved to Gilmer, county seat, and published The Upshur County Banner for two years. Elected justice of the peace, he served four years. Was chairman of Upshur County Democratic Executive Committee from 1892 to 1898-during Gov. Hogg's administrations and the days when Populism was raging in Texas. Made the race for representative of Tenth District, embracing Upshur and Camp counties, in 1904, and was defeated by only fifteen votes, and his friends assert that should he have had an honest counting he would have been elected. There were two candidates in Upshur county to divide the vote, and the Camp county man was counted in. In 1907 Judge Hill was made chairman of Upshur County Anti-Saloon League, and continued to serve as such until he resigned to become a citizen of Longview in June, 1911. In 1886 he was married to Miss Cora Smith, who was born at Galveston-the wedding taking place at Gilmer, Texas. They have two daughters and three sons. Judge Hill has been an Odd Fellow since 1875, and he and his family worship with Methodist church. If we should name the more aggressive feature of Judge Hill's character it would be easy for us to say that he is an intense Southern patriot, and his fiber is such that he recognizes his highest duty as a citizeu and as a Democrat, who has no patience with modern graft and reactionary politics as a conspiracy against the people. He believes that public officials are merely public servants of the people, and have no right to barter the law for their individual financial gain, and as a judge presiding on the bench
98
his decisions were invariably rendered according-always viewing his cases with a broad scope of intelligence; first based on moral law, technical law second. As a newspaper man, Judge Hill was a strong writer, and he still frequently writes for the press. During his career he has been a hard campaigner; and always taking the people into his confidence, has been a tower of strength to his friends. llis flavor of Democracy has been in supporting such men as Gen. John H. Reagan, Mr. Bryan, James S. Hlogg, Horace Chilton, and he is now for Woodrow Wilson for the presidency.
HARDIN, Joseph Washington
The gentleman whose name precedes this article is genealogically related to the very celebrated Hardin family of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. His father, Capt. Andrew J. Hardin, was born in Sumner county, in the Blue Grass section of Middle Tennessee. in 1815, and while yet a boy his parents migrated to Lawrence county, Arkansas, where he matured to young manhood. He moved with his family to Kaufman county, Texas, in 1857, where he con- tinued his accustomed pursuit as a farmer and stock-raiser with success for many years. In 1887 he, with his good wife, moved to Wilbarger connty, West Texas, where they both departed this life-he in 1897, at the age of eighty-two, and she in the year 1900, at the age of seventy-eight. Mrs. Hardin's maiden name was Miss Mary Sophonia Hutchinson, who was also born in Sumner county, Tenn., and eight sons and six daughters were born to the union. When the Civil war came on Andrew J. Hardin organized at Kaufman Co. A, 6th Texas Cavalry, Ross' Brigade, and was himself elected captain, and B. Warren Stone became colonel. Capt. Hardin's health failing him, he resigned and came home in May, 1862. He later raised a second company of state troops, and experienced eighteen months' service on the southern coast of Texas, when it was abandoned. Captain Hardin was a Mason.
Mr. Jos. W. Hardin (son) was born in Lawrence county, Arkansas, July 26, 1840, and was seventeen years old when his parents settled in Kaufman county. When his father was organizing Co. A, 6th Texas Cavalry, Ross' Brigade, it was quite natural for him to enlist in the same-which he did on Sept. 10, 1861. He experienced service in Missouri, Arkansas. Indian Territory, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. Was in the battles of Elk Horn, Iuka. Farmington, Corinth, skirmished around the borders of Vicksburg during the siege; was in front of Gen. Sherman throughout the Georgia campaign, and was afterwards with Gen. Hood at Nashville and through Middle Tennessee. When peace was declared Mr. Hardin's company was disbanded at Jackson, Miss., when he started for Texas ---- never having surrendered to the present day. Returning to his home in Kaufman, he has since resided in this county, where he has been successful as a farmer and stock-breeder. Mr. Hardin was married March 18, 1869, to Miss Mary Tobitha Gray, in her native Blue Grass county of Maury, Middle Tennessee, and they have four sons and two daughters-all grown. Their home at 804 Johnson street, in Terrell, is one of the most comfortable and attractive in this little city. In the family holdings is also a valuable 120-acre Black Land farm, bor- dering on the western suburbs of the city. The family worship with the Cumberland Presby- terian church, and in which Mr. Hardin is an elder. The writer of this article is personally acquainted with the history of the Hardin family, and individually so with that of the Ken- tucky branch, and is pleased to note that the Texas branch of the family tree is still doing credit and honor to the name. Wherever they are found in this nation the Hardins are leaders in whatever they choose to follow, whether it be industrial or commercial pursuits, in warfare, letters or state-craft. Dating from the earliest settlement of this country the past history of the Hardin family proves it to have been one of the most remarkable that have . took prominent part in making it what it has come to be. Mr. Hardin belongs to Co. C, Texas Batallion Confederate Guards, and at present time is quartermaster of same.
1
99
HUDSPETH, John Hutchins
Truly, experience is a great teacher, and the man who has the most varied and exciting experiences within social and commercial lines is the richer for having lived when the sunset of life is approaching. A gentleman whose career has been full of interest, and who is today one of the best citizens of Commerce and well worthy of a position in this book, is Mr. John H. Hudspeth. To begin with, the Hudspeth family in America originally sprang from two brothers, who were born in Scotland, came over to this country following the Huguenot Pil- grims, and took part in the Revolutionary war. The family is given to prolific extension and can be found in almost every state in the Union, and to a creditable extent are prominent in the varied followings. As far back as the memory serves in the present case we can only begin tracing, in a minute way, from Jack Hudspeth, who was sheriff in a western Kentucky county. His son, William Hudspeth, and father of John H. Hudspeth, whose name initiates this sketch, was born in Graves county, Kentucky. He was married to Miss Agnes Dunham, of Warren county, of that state. One son was born to them in Kentucky, which died in childhood, and while traveling through Southeastern Missouri, en route to their future home in Lawrence county, Arkansas, the present John H. Hudspeth was born. The father soon after- wards died, and the mother was a second time married to Hugh Morgan, a race-horse circuit man. Mıs. Morgan died in Oklahoma in 1891.
John Hutchins Hudspeth was born in Southeastern Missouri, Dec. 2, 1838, and jockied with race horses in the interest of his stepfather, Hugh Morgan, until he was fourteen years old, when he became disgusted with the dishonesty of the race circuit business and abruptly ended his services in the face of harsh protest on the part of his commandant. In the mean- time, he was held down to hard work and deprived of school advantages, and informed his mother that he was going out on his own responsibility. Being a good trader and a fine judge of horseflesh, he soon acquired a small competency. . At the age of eighteen he joined an expedition en route for California, and finally landed in the great and beautiful Sacra- mento Valley of that charming state in 1857. While in California his fortune, characteristic of the day, was up today and down tomorrow; vice versa, and at one time he had $7,000 worth of cattle, nearly all of which he lost by drowning in the Sacramento river and falling prices. This trouble finally prevented him from joining the Coufederate army, and he returned to Texas in 1866-settling at Ladonia, where he was married to Miss Eugenie Maloney Dec. 25, 1867. She died in 1872, and he was a second time joined in wedlock to Miss Emily Ross in August, 1873; by whom were born four sons and three daughters, one of each being deceased. During the early sixties and seventies, when driving cattle to the central market was the star performance of frontier life, Mr. Hudspeth rode horesback in marketing cattle from Fannin county to St. Louis and return. For a mau of seventy-three years old Mr. Hudspeth is exceptionally active and hearty, and stands high among the people of Commerce.
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.