USA > Texas > Past history and present stage of development of Texas. Memorial and biographical history matter of the Lone Star state > Part 15
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HANKINS, Samuel Robert
In connection with the work of Mr. Hankins, general secretary of the Waco Y. M. C. A., it is appropriate for us to make a few remarks. Not a great many years ago its force and utility was not realized and appreciated. For the past quarter of a century its development has been so marked and widespread as to penetrate into almost every commercial and industrial pursuit and home, and great corporations are employing it everywhere as an asset in cou- trolling and enlightening labor. As a strong arm of the church it is directly aiding in Chris- tianizing the world. The city of Waco is not behind the times in this respect, the splendid Y. M. C. A. structure on the corner of Sixth and Washington streets representing a $50,000 investment. It was erected in 1905, has all the modern conveniences, including a library, and the membership is something like 515.
Mr. Hankins was born in Brooklyn, Iowa, July 13, 1877-his parents moving to Hastings, Nebraska, when he was quite young. He attended the high school in that city, and finished his education at Nebraska State University, Lincoln, in the year 1903. Deciding to take up Y. M. C. A. work, he attended the Y. M. C. A. Training School at Chicago in 1905, and ac- cepted his first call at Maysville, Ky., at which station he remained for two years. Ordered
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to Texas, he held the Hillsboro charge for one year, and came to Waco in February, 1908. Mr. Hankins was married to Miss Evalena MeCouaugby. of Superior, Neb. (old college ac- quaintances), Dec. 24. 1905, and both are charmed with the beautiful and prosperous city of Waco. Since accepting the general secretaryship of the Waco Y. M. C. A. Mr. Hankins has labored diligently at his post, and has performed some good work. With no intention of reflecting on past managements, it is due Mr. Hankins to say that the institution at this place has been lifted to the highest plane of service and usefulness probably in its entire history. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hankins are active Christian workers, and while the Y. M. C. A. is non-denominational, their chosen church is the Methodist.
HUMPHREYS, Samuel Bovell
One of the lamentable features of southern life is the rapid disappearance of that noble army of men classed as "Gentlemen of the Old School" -- that character of men of dignified bearing and culture. The "Southern Gentleman," if you please; contradistinctive from any other American citizen-or, in the world, for that matter. We lament his disappearance as a model for southern young men to copy and follow, and can only hope that the future will never forget traditions of the past in this respect. Mr. Samuel B. Humphreys rightfully belongs to this class of men. Born at Somerville, Morgan county, North Alabama, Sept. 22, 1830, he began working in a store as a salesman at Decatur, Ala., at the age of fourteen years. When the Civil war came on he joined the Confederate army, and was connected with the Quartermasters' Department, with rank of quartermaster-sergeant, and when peace was declared was mustered out of the service in his native county. Deciding to come to Texas, lie entered Waco Feb. 4, 1867-then but a small town with few business houses on the public square. Mr. Humphreys was in the grocery business until 1891, when he was elected city tax collector, and held this office ten years. He then entered the rental and real estate business, which has since commanded his time and attention-his office being at 3031%, Austin avenue. Mr. Humphreys was happily married to Miss Isabella Burleson, sister of Dr. Rufus C. Burle- son, Jan. 1, 1850, and five children were born to them. Of the family living there remains only the father and one daughter, Miss Emma-Mrs. Humphreys having passed out of this life in 1906. Mr. Humphreys' father, Dr. Carlisle Humphreys, was a Tennessean by birth; a practitioner of medicine, and died when the son was a mere boy. Mr. Humphreys' mother before marriage was Miss Ann Roby. She was born in Georgia, but lived from girlhood in North Alabama. But few pioneers in Waco can at this time give such confident and accurate detail of the conditions of early days, and the transformations that have taken place from time to time, as that of Mr. Humphreys. He has witnessed the growth of Waco from a village to a city, and has played his humble part in this great development. Before he left Alabama Mr. Humphreys was ordained a deacon in the Baptist church in 1867, and at this writing is deacon in the First Baptist church, Waco.
HOPKINS, James F.
Mr. James F. Hopkins was born in Hawley, Wayne county, Eastern Pennsylvania, Dec. 2, 1850. He began learning the blacksmith and carriage builders' trade at the age of sixteen in Seranton, Penn., at which place he left his parents and came to Waco in 1878. He began his labors in this city in working as a mechanic for the firm of Reese & Jaugon, with whom he remained for two years. In 1880, under the firm name of Hopkins Bros., he and his brother, Mr. Pat F. Hopkins, engaged in business for themselves at the corner of Banker's alley and Fourth street ; and from that time on both have been in business for themselves in this city- sometimes together, then again separated, but at all times friendly competitors-and each of their shops at the present time are the two largest of their kind in the city. In fact, from the day Mr. Hopkins first established himself in business in Waco, he has maintained one of the best equipped shops in the state. His present place of business is prominently located at 212-216 South Fifth street, valuable property owned by him, and into which he moved in 1894. Here he employs about twenty-five men in the different repairing and manufacturing depart- ments, doing all kinds of local work, and specializing the making of ice, furniture, laundry. bakers' and milk wagons, spring drays, carriages, etc., all according to order and shipped
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to all parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and as far to the southeast as Baton Rouge, La. Mr. Hopkins' first wife was Miss Elizabeth Cleary, who was born in Ireland, reared in Waco, and was educated in the Academy of the Sacred Heart. They were married June 21, 1880, and she died Dec. 1, 1889-leaving one son, John, and one daughter, Mrs. Frauk Muhl. Mr. Hopkins was a second time married to Miss Mary Jones, of Burlington, in November, 1893, and Francis, Mary, James and Thomas are the children by this union. In the family is also David, the seventeen-year-old son of Michael, youngest brother of the subject of this resume, and who died March 9, 1897. The family religiously worship in the Catholic faith, and the home is at 35th aud Speight streets, where Mr. Hopkins owns fifty acres of valuable land. Mr. Hopkins is a man of high order of intelligence, has led a busy, industrious life, and takes a lively interest in all public affairs, though he has never sought political office. A stanch Democrat, his first vote was for Horace Greeley in Pittsburgh, Penn. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus.
HARRIS, Col. William LeGrand
No grander compliment can be paid to mortal man than to say that he was a brave soldier in the Confederate army. Of such was Col. William LeGraud Harris, one of the highly respected citizens of the old school class in Waco. Col. Harris was born iu Lawrence county, North Alabama, Feb. 10, 1837. His father, Rev. Thomas Jefferson Harris, was born in White county, Virginia, aud was a physician and minister of the gospel. His mother was nee Miss Martha Wallace, who was a native of South Carolina, and at this writing (1911) is now living at the ripe age of uinety-one. His father moved from Alabama to Cass county, Missouri, in 1840, and to Cook county, Texas, in 1850, where he died in the year 1864. Owing to the crude educational facilities of his boyhood days, the subject of this sketch, Col. W. L. Harris, obtained his education from books of his own selection and enlightenment. As he matured to young manhood he grew iuto farming, stock-raising, and stock and land dealing- his farm being in the Jones' Ferry neighborhood, in Cook county. He later settled in Fannin county, where he was married to Miss Cadren Smith, Feb. 28, 1860, and to them were born one daughter and four sons-only the eldest son now living, he being in the hotel business at Mineral Wells. When the civil war came on Mr. Harris raised a company from the flower of Cook county's manhood-Co. A-was elected captain and joined the 15th Texas Cavalry. Was in many of the busiest engagements, among which might be mentioned Little Rock, three days' fighting at Arkansas Post, Stone's River under Gen. Bragg, Missionary Ridge, Chickamaugua, Lookout Mountain, Ringgold, Atlauta and Jonesboro-that part of the Con- federate army that was harassing Gen. Sherman "on his march to the sea." On the battle field of Jonesboro he was promoted for gallantry to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, Claibourne's Division. Retracing, he was captured at the battle of Arkansas Post in January, 1863, taken to Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, and exchanged the following May at Richmond, Va. On the day before the battle of Jonesboro, Col. Harris was shot through the hand and shoulder, and immediately following the close of this battle he was struck by a fragment from a bursting shell and broke both of his legs near the ankles. Was carried to the hospital, but was doing post duty before the close of the war. Col. Harris has been a man of means during his day, but liberality toward friends and charity has lessened his finances. He is respected and be- loved by all who know him, and derives a keen pleasure in his occasionally attending the annual gatherings of the Confederate Veterans' Reunion. He is a Missionary Baptist, a Mason, Prohibition-Democrat, and at the present time is developing a Rhode Island Red and Barr Plymouth Rock chicken ranch in southwestern suburbs of Waco. His wife died Jan. 10, 1904.
HOPKINS, Pat F.
The wise philosopher tells us that the good mechanic combines two essential elements, that of brawn and brain, and when this fact is reinforced with that of the subject being a thorough- bred Irishman, supplemented with his native wit and frankness, we very nearly "have the real thing." All Irishmen are proud of the fact that they were either born in, or descended
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from the Emerald Isle, and he that is not, is not worthy of the blood. Mr. Pat F. Hopkins is au ideal representative of the Irish element in Waco. His father, Jas. Hopkins, was born in Ireland, and came to this country when a young mau. He lived in New York and Pennsyl- vania, and died three years ago in the last named state at the age of eighty-three. His mother, Miss Mary Duffy, was also born in Ireland, was married in New York City, and there was born to the couple six sons and three daughters-only three sons living. The mother died in Pennsylvania at the age of eighty-one.
Mr. Pat F. Hopkins was born in Scranton, Penn., March 5, 1855, and has followed the blacksmith and carriage builders' trade since he was eighteen years old. Leaving his Pennsyl- vania home, he came to Waco in 1877, where he has since been one of the recognized and industrious citizens and business men of this city-ever loyal to its interests and in every way aiding its upbuilding. Upon coming to this city Mr. Hopkins established his first shop at the corner of Bankers' alley and Fourth street, and what is known as the "Old Hopkins. Bros.' Stand," on Fifth street, is still conducted by his brother, James F. Hopkins, with whom he was for many years associated in business. Mr. Hopkins' present place of business is at 115-119 South eighth street, which valuable property he owns and is large and ample for the carrying on of his business, which is, probably, the most extensive of its kind in the city --- that of manufacturing carriage and wagons according to order, and repairing of every de- scription in both iron and wood. The fact of fourteen to eighteen men being regularly em- ployed conveys some idea of the business and its patronage. Mr. Hopkins has been twice married-first to Miss Margaret Clay, of Waco, by whom he has two sons; and his second marriage was to Miss Mary Cahill, also of Waco, and by whom he has one son and one daugh- ter. Tracing the genealogy of the Hopkins family back through Ireland for centuries, its members have ever been devout Catholics, and those of the present age worship with that church. Mr. Hopkins is also a member of the W. O. W., Hibernians, and is a Fourth Degree Kuight of Columbus. While Mr. Hopkins has never sought office, he takes a warm interest: in all public affairs as a Democrat, and can be "depended upon to stand by his friends in time of need"-though it sometimes requires extraordinary exertion to carry out such con- clusions.
HILL'S BUSINESS COLLEGE
Hill's Business College in Waco, established in 1881, is one of the most widely known institutions of its kind in the United States, and the reputation of Hill's Business Colleges in Memphis and Little Rock are fast becoming kuown throughout the American business world. On Dec. 11, 1911, the Waco institution suffered a disastrous fire, but an euterprising mauage- ment was soon doing business again-this time on the third floor of the Chalmers block, and where large, well ventilated and splendidly equipped apartments are afforded the student- body, teachers and management. Both of the buildings occupied by Prof. Hill are numbered among the largest and most centrally located in the city, and when he carries out his plans to erect a building of his own for college purposes in the near future, it will be on an elaborate scale befitting the custom and demands of the business, and builded ou one of the three choice business sites owned by Prof. Hill.
Prof. Robert Howard Hill, proprietor of Hill's Business Colleges, was born a poor boy in Choctaw county, Alabama, May 9, 1856, and was educated at Pennington Academy, East Texas; Tehuacana; Southwestern College at Georgetown, and Baylor University while it was yet located at Independence-all covering a period of a number of years, and incorporating that which redounds to the literary education. Going east, he coursed through Eastman's Business College, Schenectady, N. Y., and Eaton & Burnett's Business College, Baltimore. Returning to Waco in 1881 he founded Hill's Business College, which has continued to prosper and receive his much interested attention to the present hour. Some few years ago Prof. Hill established a college in Dallas, but has disposed of this property. On March 5, 1891, he was happily married to Miss Kittie Clover Ellis, of Star City, Ark., and there were born to them five daughters and two sons-one son and one daughter deceased. The Hill residence at 2604 Austin avenue is one of the most elegant in Waco, where home life is happy. The family worships with the First Baptist church.
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Hill's Business Colleges teaches all the modern essentials to a modern business course, including Pitman and Success shorthand; typewriting, telegraphy, penmanship, bookkeeping, banking, wholesaling, civil service and salesmanship-all according to up-to-date business methods. The annual average attendance of the Waco, Little Rock and Memphis colleges number about 1,000 pupils, with good prospects for much larger attendance. Prof. Hill ranks high among the leading commercial educators of America, and the thousands of young men and young women distributed in all parts of the nation, and some in foreign lands, bear testimony and attribute their success in life to his thorough and wise instruction. They can also testify to his broad intelligence, never-failing congeniality and fatherly interest taken in their behalf.
HOLMAN, Capt. Jessee Austin
Capt. Holman, one of the few survivors of the famous "Terry's Texas Rangers," Con- federate army, was born in Fayette county, Texas, June 4, 1842, and was named for Stephen F. Austin and his maternal grandfather, Capt. Jessee Burnam, who was a delegate to the San Felipe Convention that gave Texas its first Constitution. Geo. T. Holman, father of Capt. J. A. Hohnan, was born in Buckingham county, Virginia. On his way to Texas, in 1836, he . landed at Galveston two days after the battle of San Jacinto, and was one of the first set- tlers in Fayette county-near where the town of Oakland now stands. Some years later he moved to what is now known as "Holman's Bend,"' on the Colorado river, ten miles south of LaGrange, where he died in 1865. A famous Indian fighter, he was a member of what is known in history as "Dawson's Company of Indian Fighters," that were massacred on the banks of the Salou river by the Mexicans in 1843. Being delayed by the mere incident of catching his wild riding mule that had released itself from hitching, was responsible for Mr. Holman not being massacred with his forty-seven comrades, and the buzzards hovering about attracted his attention to the slaughter grounds. The bones of these brave men were brought back and buried south of LaGrange, where the state erected monuments to their memory. Capt. Holman's mother was Miss Nancy Burnam, which family name is one of the most prominent in the nation. She was born in March, 1822, before Stephen F. Austin's Colony came into Texas territory, and was the first white female child to be born in Washington county. ' Her father, Capt. Jessee Burnam, was a noted Indian fighter, was a member of Austin's Colony, and unfortunately had his buildings, grain, etc., on his farm burned by Gen. Sam Houston and his army while they were retreating across the Colorado river. Of this union there were born one son, Capt. J. A. Holman, and one daughter, Mrs. Charlotte Tutwiler, deceased.
Capt. Holman spent his boyhood days on the ranch and range until he was seventeen years old, when he entered school at LaGrange. The Civil war approaching, he left the school room and went into drill practice at camp at San Marcos, and on Sept. 16, 1861, enlisted at Houston, Texas, Co. F, Sth Texas Cavalry, and which afterwards immortalized itself in history as "Terry's Texas Rangers." He was in battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Ky., Murfreesboro, Chickamauga; was detached with Longstreet's corps to attack Burnside's "Siege of Knox- ville, "' and was with Gen. Jos. E. Johnston's army from Dalton to Atlanta in harassing "Sherman on his march to the sea," when, for a hundred days and nights he was not out of gunshot hearing and reach of shrapnel. Mr. Holmnan was also in battle at Bentonville, N. C., the last fought by Gen. Jos. E. Johnson when he surrendered at Greensboro, N. C. Was several times slightly wounded, never absent on furlough or sickness, and never missed an engagement of his company excepting three months spent in Camp Douglas prison, Chicago-having been captured in battle Murfreesboro, Dec. 31, 1863. Was exchanged April 6, 1864, at City Point, Va. When the war was over, he reached home July 6, 1865. In March, 1867, Capt. Holman , was married to Miss Evaline Folts, who was born of German parentage in West Tennessee- her people having come to Texas when she was quite young and settled on Colorado river in Colorado county. Born of this happy wedlock were four sons and three daughters, and of the immediately related family there are twenty-four members, and in which there has not been a single death. Thos. E. (Ned) is active vice-president of the National Bank of Commerce, Guthrie, Okla .; "Nat" is a partner in real estate business in Comanche with his father:
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Folts is on a ranch in Pecos county; Mrs. Hilton Burks, Mrs. Earl Cunningham and Miss Lida are the three daughters, and the remaining son, Jessee Richmond Holman, is now in his thirty-third year and has had a remarkably successful career. Both of his great-grandfathers, for whom he was named-Capt. Jessee Burnam and Richmond Carney-were in battle of New Orleans with Gen. Jackson, and each lived to be ninety-four years old. The junior Mr. Holman was one of the brightest military and civil engineer graduates of A. & M. College in class 1895, after which he spent one year railroad building in Honduras. Spanish-American war being on, he came back home and organized Co. M., 4th Texas Vol. Inf., of which he was chosen Captain. Was later promoted Senior Captain of two of best drilled companies at Fort Sam Houston Barracks; was later Commander Fort Sam Houston for three months, and was in line for promotion to the rank of Major when he resigned from the army to resume his civil engineering ambitions. At present time he is Chief Engineer for the Oregon-Wash- ington Railroad & Navigation Co., and otherwise has charge of some of the most difficult problems in the great Northwest. For a number of years Capt. J. A. Holman was official surveyor of Comanche county, but his main financial success has been achieved in the real estate, land and loan business. He is a member of the local Camp John Pellam, U. C. V., and Episcopal church. The Holman family is one of the largest in number and one of the most noted in America.
HOLLOWAY, Prof. Robert Fanning
Prof. R. F. Holloway, Superintendent of Comanche Public Schools, was born of Irish descent, Feb. 24, 1867, on a farm near Gilmer, seat of government of Upshur county. His father, Rev. Jno. T. Holloway (a farmer and minister of the Christian church) was born on a farm near Atlanta, Ga .. and was in the Confederate army-during which active service he was at one time wounded. Upon coming to Texas, he first settled in Rusk county in about 1846, where he remained until after the civil war and moved to Upshur county, and died at Gilmer in 1877. Mr. Holloway, senior, was married in 1859 to Miss Mary A. Read, whose people had migrated from the proud state of Mississippi and settled in Upshur county when she was twelve years old, and she there matured to young womanhood. Of the two sons and five danghters born of this union, two daughters are dead, and the mother still resides at Gilmer, aged seventy-five years, and is widely known in Eastern Texas as "Aunt Mary." When her husband died in 1877, leaving her the sole responsibility of rearing their children, she accepted this duty with a strong heart, and has given all of them a college education and made of them useful men and women.
Prof. Holloway spent his boyhood days around Pleasant Hill, in Upshur county, and there attended the public schools. At the age of eighteen he had obtained a first grade certificate and began teaching school. Later he attended Add-Ran University, Thorp Springs, during 1886-7 anad 1890-91. The year he graduated he was elected to the Adjunct Professor- ship of Mathematics of this institution, and to full Professorship the following year, where he remained three years. He next taught the Oak Cliff (Dallas) High School for one year. Back to Thorp Springs, he joined Prof. Randolph Clark in establishing Jarvis College-for two years. In answer to a call from the people of Lancaster, Dallas county, he and Prof. Clark went there and founded Randolph College, which is still in a healthy existence. Back to Thorp Springs again, he joined Profs. Addison and Randolph Clark in conducting what was known by this time as the Add-Ran-Jarvis College for four years. Prof. Holloway was then elected to the Chair of Mathematics in John Tarleton College, Stephenville, which he held for two years. Was chosen Superintendent of Comanche City Schools in 1911, and is now handsomely pleased with his location and work. On Dec. 23, 1896, Prof. Holloway was married to Miss Luella Clark, daughter of his former college and business associate, Prof. Randolph Clark, and they have two sons-Robert, twelve years, and Sterling, aged eight years. Personally, Prof. Holloway is one of the well known educators of Texas, understands well the mission and scope of his work, and possessed of a vigorous intellect and much energy, is a polished gentleman and a scholar. He belongs to the K. of P. and worships with Christian church. The city schools of Comanche are among the best in the state and affiliate with the universities with full entrance credits-which reflects the intelli-
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gence of the people and shows their appreciation of educational matters. The buildings represent a capital investment of about $75,000, of which the elegaut uew High School building was erected at a cost of $25,000.
HOUSTON, Gen. Sam
For the historian to muse him- self in writing a history of Texas minus the personality of Gen. Sam Houston would be like trying to write the "Rise and Fall of Rome" minus the personality of Julius Caesar; the French Revolu- tion minus the individuality of Napoleon' Buonaparte, or the an- cient history of England without mentioning Cromwell. The careers of such great men have formed mental mileposts in defense of liberty and the civilization of the world.
BIOGRAPHICAL .- Gen. Sam Houston was born March 2, 1793, at a place called Timberridge Church, seven miles east of Lex- ington, Rockbridge county, Vir- ginia, he being an admixture of the Scotch, Irish, English and German bloods. His ancestry were of suffi- cient prominence in the old country to sport a coat-of-arms, and were couspicuous defenders of the Lon- donderry reign in England. 'His grandfather was one of the early colonists to settle in Philadelphia in 1689, aud the death of his father, Maj. Samuel Houston, occurred during the Revolutionary war while serving as Assistant Inspector-General in Gen. George Washington's army, leaving his mother with nine children. She moved from the foothills of Virginia to a small settlement on the Tennessee river, in Blount county, East Tennessee, when Sam was thirteen years old. Careless of his lessons, but a remarkably apt pupil at learning in the crude rural sebool rooms during the limited time his mother was able to keep him away from the Cherokee Indian tribes, with whom he was vigorous in his choosing to live; he clerked in the mountain store, taught school with much eclat, and took a course at old Maryville Academy, which was all the education he was able to obtain. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary war he enlisted at the age of twenty as a private soldier in Tennessee Volunteers. The parting injunction on the part of his mother, a woman of strong virility of character, was: "There, my son, take this musket-never disgrace it; for, remember, I had rather all my sons should fill one honorable grave than that one of them should turn his back to save his life. Go, and remember, too, that while the door of my cabin is open to brave men, it is eterually shut to all cowards." Gen. Houston was promoted rapidly for meritorious conduct on the battlefield, was ouce mortally wounded, and for taking hazardous risks of his life won the respect and affection of Gen. Andrew Jackson, which filial admiration ended only at the graves on the part of both, their rugged characters being largely of the same mould.
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