USA > Texas > Past history and present stage of development of Texas. Memorial and biographical history matter of the Lone Star state > Part 20
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McILHENNY, Samuel Edgar
In 1870 Dallas was a town of something like seven or eight hundred people, and from that year to the present time but few, if any, of the old settlers have been more closely identified with the commercial and social life of this city than Mr. S. E. MeIlhenny. Moreover, but few men in the present-day lite of Dallas are so familiar, and can talk so interestingly of the city's history and its truly wonderful growth and development as he, and basing his judgment on the past, Mr. Mellhenny makes the enthusiastic prediction that the city will some future day grow from its present 125,000 population to 250,000 to 300,000 people.
Mr. Mellhenny was born in Georgetown, Ohio, Oct. 26, 1837. His father, Robert Mellheny, was a native of Pennsylvania, and located at Georgetown, Ohio, when he was a young man, where he was married to Miss Elizabeth W. Campbell, each of them being descendants of thoroughly Scotch families. Of the children born to them, one daughter died young; Mrs. Hiram Waltman resides near Georgetown, Ind .; Jos. K. is a merchant at Martinsville, Ind., and the subject of this sketch, S. E. Mellhenny. In 1839 the family, being attracted by the name "Georgetown," removed from George- town, Ohio, to Georgetown, Ind., where the father died in the year 1855, the mother passing away while visiting in Iowa some years later. Maturing to yonng manhood in Georgetown, Mr. S. E. Mellhenny engaged in mercantiling there and at Columbus, Ind., until 1870, when he came to Texas. Coming out from Shreveport, the T. & P. railroad was builded only as far as Hallville; the country ernde, wild game abounded, and freighters and stage lines had to be heavily guarded from the Indians and des- peradoes. Here he waited three days for an opportunity for him and his family to "get over" in the stage-leaving behind two of his trunks in December, he received same following April. On reaching Dallas with his wife and children, he stopped at the old Crutchfield hotel, and being unable to find a vacant honse, he purchased an interest in this hostelry, which was one of only two in the town, that of the Crutch- field house. He became connected with Windsor hotel in 1878, aud Col. W. E. Hughes, owning both properties, finally consolidated Le Grand with the Windsor, and styled same Grand Windsor. For many years the Grand Windsor was the pride of Dallas and all Texans, and was the social, political and commercial center of the state. When the old building recently bnrned the last chapter was written in one of the most im- portant dramas of Texas history. Mr. Mellhenny was associated with Crutchfield hotel about three years, all told; three years in mercantile business on Court square, after which time he reverted to that of an active hotel life, which ended in 1908, wheu he and his good wife retired to their beantiful home at 5302 Columbia avenne. He was chief clerk and later manager of the Windsor, and Grand Windsor, which connectiou continued until 1896. In the meantime he had gone to Galveston and spent one year in overhauling and permanently establishing the Tremont; then he was manager for one year, and lessee for one year of the Beech hotel during the more prosperons days of that institution. Beginning in 1897 he was chief clerk of the Oriental hotel, Dallas, for one year, and eight years manager. He then went to Oklahoma City and in a brief period of time succeeded in lifting the well known Lee-Huckins hotel to a higher plane of popularity with the public. Back to Dallas, he was appointed receiver of the Majestic, now the Park hotel, by Judge Nash, and in one year's time was successful in closing the proceedings. Having come to Dallas when it had no railroad, Mr. Mellhenny was local stage agent for Sawyer & Ficklin, who operated a stage line from Sedalia, Mo., to Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso, Texas-furnishing a six-horse stage each way once a day the entire distance, and was the biggest thing of its kind in the country. Fare from Sedalia to Dallas was $55, with extra charge for baggage. Mr. Mellhenny pnr- chased stock in the first street car system established in Dallas-operated from Central depot via Main street to Crutchfield hotel-and the first mnle car was driven by his baby son, E. C. MeIlhenny. Mr. Mellhenny was married at Nashville, Ind., Jan. 2, 1861, to Miss Ruth Manville, and of the children born to them, one daughter died young; one son, Jos. M., died in 1901; William E. is a merchant at Seattle, Wash .;
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E: C. is in the hotel business at Seymour, Texas, and Mrs. Walter Clower resides in Dallas. Mr. Mellhenny has been a Mason for more than fifty years, and belongs to the Scottish Rite and Shriners. He was formerly a Presbyterian, but now worships with the Christian Science church. Politically he has uever sought public prefermeut.
MARSHALL, James Monroe
Mr. J. M. Marshall, ex-Confederate soldier and one of the most influential citizens of Gilmer, was born on a farm in Chambers county, Alabama, Nov. 8, 1846. His father, Jesse S. Marshall, was a native of Coweta couuty, Georgia, where he matured to young manhood, and was married to Miss Catherine Shaw, her native state being South Caro- lina. Six sons and four daughters blessed this union, and those now living are as follows: Hon. Ed. P. Marshall, retired lawyer of Dallas; Mrs. Mary A. Boyd, Mrs. Lucia A. Ward and Mrs. Martha Walker, all of Wise county, and J. M. Marshall, the subject of this sketch. The family moved from their Georgia home to Chambers county, Alabama, and resided there for a number of years, and came to Texas in 1852, settling on a farm in Upshur county, near Gilmer, county seat, when the country was yet in its crude state of development. Mr. Marshall, senior, was one of Upshur county's first treasurers, held that office for four years, and was an influential worker in the Baptist church. He died in 1879, aged seveuty-seven years. His wife died in 1874, aged sixty-eight years.
Mr. J. M. Marshall lived on a farm until he was twenty-eight years old. In 1874 he. was elected county court clerk of Upshur county, and served four years. He was chosen county treasurer and held this office two years, and in the meantime engaged in the mercantile business in Gilmer, which he continued for fifteen years. He next devoted six years of his time to the profession of bookkeeping, and retired from mercantile life to take charge and wind up some pending estates. For the past two years he has been serving in the capacity of city secretary of Gilmer, treasurer, tax collector and assessor and water commissiouer, which keeps him a very busy man. Mr. Marshall was married Oct. 12, 1870, to Miss Laviuia Boyd, who was born and reared in Upshur county. Of the nine children born to them two are dead, and the following is a list of those living: F. M., W. H., E. A., W. A. and H. H. Marshall, and Mrs. H. N. Quin, of Farmersville. Mr. Marshall enlisted in the Confederate army at the age of seventeen at Gilmer, Aug. 15, 1864, Company D, Lane's Texas Rangers, and campaigned through Arkansas and Texas. When the war closed in was in South Texas engaged iu pressing deserters and others evadiug army duty into service. Mr. Marshall is a Master Mason, and has been a member in good standing of this, the father of all secret orders, for the past thirty- three years. He also belongs to the W. O. W. and the Baptist church, of which denom- ination he has in the past served as superintendent of Sunday school for about twenty- five years. Mr. Marshall is a man of enthusiasm and "boiling over" with that rare and delicate quality known as character, which enables a man to enjoy every hour he lives. It is not indulging in mere empty words to say that he has been a good and useful citizen, and the people of Upshur county not only respect, but love him. When his family came to that county Gilmer had about 400 people, wild game abounded plentifully, and he has seen as many as forty deer in a bunch.
MAXWELL, John
Mr. John Maxwell, one of the well knowu attorneys of Central Texas, and at this writing (1911) representative of MeLeunan county to the lower house of the state legislature, was born at Buena Vista, Shelby county, East Texas, March 8, 1875. His paternal ancestry can be traced back four generations to Virginia, when the third great- grandfather, Thomas Maxwell, was defended in court by the immortal Patrick Henry as an attorney, when the Established Church of England sought to restrain him from preaching the Gospel. His second great-grandfather, John Maxwell, was born in Cul- pepper county, Va., and married one of Patrick Henry's nieces. His grandfather, Benson Maxwell, was a wealthy and aristocratie Georgia planter. The father of the subject of
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this review, Rev. W. R. Maxwell, was born in Tolbert county, Ga., in 1839; graduated in Mercer University, of that state, in 1861, and was a Confederate soldier. He was initi- ated in the Fourth Georgia regiment as captain of his company, was in many of the more desperate battles and was twice wounded. He was with Gen. Stonewall Jackson at Chancelorsville, and afterwards followed the fortunes of Gen. Forrest. Bro. Maxwell changed his residence from East Texas to Belton, Bell county, in 1883, and later resigued a twelve-years' pastorate at Temple to accept the charge at Cuero, and died soon after- wards at that place, mourned by a wide acquaintance. He preached the Gospel of Christ for about thirty years, and for many years was state superintendent of Baptist Sun- day school missions, as he was also a member of the general mission board. Ile was one of the best known and most beloved Baptist ministers in Texas during his day. Mr. Maxwell's mother was formerly Miss Melissa Anne Williams, who was born in Louisiana, but reared in Green county, Alabama. Her marriage took place in 1865, and six sons and four daughters was the result of this union. At this writing Mrs. Maxwell is living with her son, John, in Waco, at the age of sixty-five.
Mr. John Maxwell is a graduate of Baylor University. He taught five years in the Waco high school, and served three years as deputy district clerk. He attended the law department at Ann Arbor (Mich.) University, and was admitted to practice in 1907. He did not begin practice, however, until 1909, on account of his duties as district clerk. In 1908 Mr. Maxwell was elected to the state legislature, and re-elected in 1910-both times without opposition, which reflects his standing among the people of his home county. He was one of the promoters and organizers of the Young Men's Business League, which has done so much to shake the lethargy from Waco and to bring about our present wonderful development and pleasing prosperity. Mr. Maxwell is a Baptist, a Pretorian, Maccabee, W. O. W., a Royal Arch Mason, and is a Past Master of Waco Lodge No. 92, A. F. & A. M.
MELTON, J. D.
The Melton family is another of Alabama's strong contributions to the better-class citizenship of Hopkins county, Mr. Tom Melton, father of the subject now under review, coming from that state to Texas and settling in Hopkins county in 1859. He was a Confederate soldier, comes from a family of soil tillers, and was married to Miss Sarah Sullivan, a native of Mississippi, whose parents moved to Hopkins county when she was nine years old, and both of whom are still living on their farm in this county-five sons and three daughters being the result of this union. Mr. J. D. Melton, son, was born in this county Oct. 17, 1881. After attending the public schools he strengthened his edu- cation by coursing through the East Texas Normal, of Commerce, and Emerson College, of Campbell, Texas. Ilis initial experience in school teaching was at Sherley, this county, where he taught three years, after which he was for two years in charge of the Seymour school; three years that of Paint Rock; one year at Old Tarrant, and one year at Nelta, all of this county. In the meantime, Mr. Melton has been engaged in farming, never having lost his love nor forsook the following that laid the foundation of his character, and owns a valuable ninety-acre farm six miles south of Sulphur Springs. He was married to Miss Leonna Robinson, daughter of "Buck" Robinson, a progressive farmer of this county, Nov. 20, 1910.
Yielding to the demands of his many loval friends in this county, Mr. Melton entered the last July primary against six opponents for the office of tax assessor of Hopkins county, and won the nomination by 289 votes, his vote in the following regular election being 2,045. The office of tax assessor is a difficult one to fill to the entire satisfaction of every property owner in the county, but in the discharge of his duty Mr. Melton is undeviatingly courteous in his contact with the public, and makes no invidious dis- criminations with those having business to transact in his office. He is a gentleman in all that the term implies, and should he seek an endorsement of his administration in the form of a re-election he would be a difficult man to defeat. Mr. Melton is a Metho- dist, Masou and W. O. W.
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MUHL, J. A.
It is not generally known in Central Texas that a man who was for many years identified with the welfare and development of Waco was the original inventor of machin- ery for the manufacture of artificial ice, and the records in the patent office at Wash- ington, D. C., amply snstain this honor. That man was A. Muhl, and was born in Paris, France, his ancestry emenating from Alsace. He attended college in his native city, served his time in the French army, and learned the machinist and locksmith trade. Being a mechanical genius, he conceived the idea of making ice by artificial methods, and accordingly constructed his devices to develop the process. Appreciating the liberal advantages afforded by the American government he came to this country at the age of thirty-fonr, more thoroughly perfected his machinery and registered his patents, numerous in nature. However, his descriptions and claims were not properly registered, and by devious methods he was defranded of the results of his genius and labor. Leav- ing Washington, he went to Atlanta, New Orleans, and finally established the first ice plant at San Antonio. Here he was married to Miss Josephine Fischer, in 1866, and thirteen children were born to them-three of whom are dead. Mr. Muhl came to Waco in 1871, and established the first ice plant in this city where now stands the power house of the Citizens Street Railway Company, which he owned and condneted for ten years and which he traded for the Conger & Wilcox machine shops. He then founded the Star Foundry & Iron Works, for the manufacture of structural iron building materials, and later a boiler and machine works, both of which he conducted for a number of years. He then went to Temple and was in charge of the ice plant at that place when he died in 1881, and was buried in Waco. His wife died suddenly in 1901. Mr. J. A. Mnhl, his son, was born in San Antonio, Aug. 27, 1868. Under the tutelage of his father he was highly developed along mechanical lines, especially in machinery and ice manufac- turing. Long connected with water-works, he was for ten years chief engineer of the Geyser ice plant in this city, and at the present time has charge of the Brazos Ice Company 's industry. He also owns a four-ton plant of his own at 705 South Eleventh street, which he anticipates enlarging in the future. He was married to Miss Margaret Philbin, who was born in Ireland, April 3, 1894. They have two daughters and five. sons, and three children dead.
MOFFETT, Hon. J. William
Hon. J. William Moffett, of Abilene, needs no introduction to the people of Texas .. His ability as a lawyer and law editor, together with his active participation in the affairs of state during past years, has not only given him prominence and reputation,. but secured for him a place on the pages of history that is by no means insignificant. As one of the most distinguished citizens of Taylor connty, Central West Texas, it is our pleasure to incorporate due and appropriate mention of him in this book. Mr. Moffett is a Texan by birth, having been born at Bedias, Grimes county, June 17, 1858, and was the youngest child in a list of three sons and five danghters of T. C. P and Unity (Davis) Moffett. Of the children now living are: J. William Moffett, the subject of this review; Mrs. M. E. Green, of Dallas, and Mrs. Julia T. Isbell, of Iola, Texas. The father, T. C. P. Moffett, was born and reared on a farm near Crystal Springs, in Copiah county, Miss., and was there married to Miss Unity Davis in abont 1844. In 1846 they migrated to Texas, and settled at Bedias, in Grimes county, where the husband died in 1876, aged sixty- years. He was a farmer and stock raiser, also owned several slaves and was a Confed- erate soldier in the Civil war that followed. At the time of leaving his native home in Mississippi he had a brother, Ulysus Moffett, in charge of the Crystal Springs school, and this branch of the family still lingers in that grand old state. Mrs. Moffett (mother of J. William Moffett) died at Temple, Texas, in 1885, aged fifty-nine years.
Mr. J. William Moffett comes of Scotch-Irish parentage, and matured to manhood in Grimes and Bell counties. He was educated in A. & M. College, Bryan, and Baylor
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University, Waco, graduating from the last named institution in 1882 with a A. B. degree. He taught in the public schools of Bell county for three years, and during the last term, in 1885-6, was principal of the high school at Temple. He read law under the tutelage of Stewart & Harris, Waco, and was admitted to the Bell county bar in 1886, where he practiced until 1905. Then spent three years in Midland, West Texas, where he served as county attorney of Midland county. From this point he chose to make Abilene his home 11 1908, and has since actively identified himself with the growth and development of that part of grand old Texas. Years ago Mr. Moffett took an active part in the political affairs of Texas, but of more recent years has confined himself to his profession and the writing and editing of his law books, which have given him an exalted standing among the legal fraternity of the state, his study in letters of law beginning in 1902. The first edition of "Moffett's Civil Form Book for Texas" was issued in 1903; second edition in 1907, and the third edition in 1911. Hle was editor of the fourth edition of "Wilson's Criminal Form Book," which is now being put on the market. Still another work of Mr. Moffett 's individual effort is "Moffett's Law of Exemptions and Writs of Texas," which is also going on the market this year, 1912. These books have all become standard works, aud can be found in very nearly every law office in Texas. Mr. Moffett was married to Miss Emma D. Reed, of Temple, and they have three daughters, as follows: Misses Una, May and Maude Moffett. The Moffett family, for generations back, have worshipped with the Missionary Baptist church, of which deuomination Mr. Moffett served as clerk at Temple for fifteen years, aud a lesser number of years as superintendent of Sunday school along the line of his career. He also belongs to the Maccabees and K. of P. secret orders.
MUNROE, Judge Calvin Jones
Judge C. J. Munroe, of Anson, seat of government of the splendid county of Jones, was born Aug. 8, 1842, at Carthage, North Carolina, and comes of Scotch descent. His paternal grandfather, Maleom Munroe, was born and reared in North Carolina, and fought in the revolutionary war under Gen. Geo. Washington. lle was a farmer, aud died in Talladega county, Alabama, in 1856, to which state he had migrated many years previous. Judge Munroe's father, Archibald Munroe, was also born in North Carolina, but whether in Moore or Montgomery county of that state, is not clear to his miud. He was born in 1797, took a warm interest in all public affairs, and served for a number of years as sheriff of his native eouuty, also merchandised in Carthage and Fayetteville. He was married to Miss Terry Cochran, and of the seven daughters and three sons born to them, two sons and three daughters are now living, all residing in Alabama, excepting Judge C. J. Munroe, whose name captions this article. In 1844 the family moved to Clay couuty, Alabama, where the father died in 1880, on the farm on which he had originally settled, and in the same building erected by him at the beginning of his residence there. He was reared as a Scotch Presbyteriau, but in later years professed the Methodist doctrine and died in this faith as a cousistent member and Christian. Regarding Judge Munroe's mother's people he knows but little, she having passed away in the Alabama home in 1859, also a devoted member of the M. E. church.
Judge Munroe was the eighth child of the teu children iu the family, and matured to manhood in farm life in Alabama. In January 1873, he came to Texas. He spent one year in Gatesville, Coryell county; one year in Falls county, and twelve years in McLennan county. Iu the fall of 1886 he came to Jones county, and began farming in the southeastern part of it. In 1890 he was elected county judge, and became a citizen of Auson for the purpose of discharging his official duties. In 1908 he was chosen justice of the peace by the people of Anson, was re-elected in 1910 and is now serving his second term. When the Civil war came on Judge Munroe enlisted Aug. 14, 1861, in Talladega (later made Clay county) county, Ala., in Company G, Twenty-fifth Alabama regiment, Capt. Joe MeGann and Col. John Q. Loomis. Three of the hardest fought battles in which he participated were those of Shiloh, Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. Aside from these engagements he was in twelve other battles, among which might be mentioned that of
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Missionary Ridge, Chiekamaugua, Dalton and on past Atlanta in harassing "Sherman on his march to the sea." In the battle of Kinston, N. C., March 10, 1865, which took place just previous to the Bentonville fight, the last before the surrender of Gen. Jos. E. Johnston's army, at Greensboro, N. C., Judge Munroe was wounded, from which he was confined to his bed and crutches for nine months, and reached home May 9th, the day of Gen. Lee's surrender. Judge Munroe was married Nov. 4, 1869, to Miss Elizabeth Brown, of Webster county, Ga., and they have three sons and one daughter living, and one son dead. Judge, Munroe is a Mason and a Methodist, being at the present time chairman of the board of trustees of that church, and for the past twenty years, at different places, has served on the board of stewards and as superintendent of Sunday school. He is also a member of the local camp of the U. C. Veterans. Judge Munroe has a splendid record on the bench, is a good man and a Christian gentleman, and is not only public spirited in developing his local country, but is charitable and kind to the poor. No man in Jones county has more friends than Judge Munroe. He gave it to the writer that Anson was established in 1881; has been twice burned out; has a fine set of business men, and the town has been noted for many years as one of the best cotton markets in West Texas.
MORGAN, Judge Franklin Pierce
Judge Morgan was born in Coosa county, Alabama, June 2, 1854-during the period of turbulence approaching the Civil war. Coming to Texas with his parental family in 1869, they chose settlement in Comanche county, then a far-western country, where the wild Comanche Indians, the wolves, panthers and game roamed almost at will and unrestrained over the ranges, and Texas was ruled by the iron rod of military and Carpetbagism, in the days of reconstruc- tion under Edmon J. Davis.
Essentially a self-educated and self-made man, Judge Morgan was elected clerk of the District Court of Hood county, Texas, in No- vember, 1878, and served in that capacity three consecutive terms. Studied law and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1882, under the Hon. A. J. Hood, then District Judge, in Weatherford, Parker county, this state. Locating in Haskell county territory in 1884, he took a conspicuous part in organizing that county; was chosen the first county attorney, and was several times sub- sequently re-elected to this office and that of county judge. In 1897 Judge Morgan, with his family, went to California and spent two years, and then five years in Western Oregon, but realizing that "Texas was the only country on earth," returned to the Lone Star State in 1904-residing at West for six years, and coming to Waco in 1910. Judge Morgan's father, James Milton Morgan, was of pure Scotch descent. He was born, reared and lived a farmer in Coosa county, Ala., where he died in November, 1859-when the subject of this sketch was five years old. His mother's maiden name was Miss Sallie Carter, daughter of Thos. Carter, an Irishman, who was a pioneer settler in Coosa county, Ala., in 1835. Four sons and two daughters were born to this union, and Mrs. Morgan is now living in East Texas at the ripe age of seventy-one. Judge Morgan was married in December, 1881, to Miss Lavinia Ely, of Erath county, and the names of their children are as follows: Milton P., printer; Chas. L.,
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