USA > Texas > The encyclopedia of Texas, V.1 > Part 99
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Mr. Jensen is a member of the Oklahoma City Lodge No. 417, B. P. O. E., the Rotary Club, th .. Chamber of Commerce, the Wichita Club, th .. Country Club and the Mid-Continental Oil Associa- tion and one of the four Texas directors of the West- ern Petroleum Refiners Association.
HAS. W. GILLILAND, independent oil oper. ator and junior member of the well known firm of Fischer and Gilliland, oil operators, City National Bank Building, eame to Wichita Falls in 1911 and for several years has been actively connected with the oil and gas interests of this section. He owns an interest in about sixty producing wells in Wichita County averaging a total of 1500 barrels production daily. He individually owns production in Eastland and Comanche counties aggregating about four hundred barrels per day.
There have been very few men operating in the North and Central West Texas fields more successful than Mr. Gilliland. He brought to the oil business a fund of valuable business experience gained from several years activity in other lines and his opera- tions have been on a sound, substantial basis in every respect and as wholly devoid of the speculative fea- tures of the oil business as any operation in this line can be. His associates place unlimited confidence in his judgment and he is believed to be one of the best posted men operating in the Mid-Continent field.
Mr. Gilliland is a native of Illinois and was born at Springfield in 1877. For several years Mr. Gilliland was in the banking business and was connected with various financial institutions in Southwestern Okla- homa and particularly with the National Bank of Commerce at Hollis. He is a director of the Texhoma Oil and Refining Company.
Actively interested in civic affairs Mr. Gilliland is a thirty-second degree Mason, a Shriner member of the Wichita Club, Golf Club, Chamber of Commerce and the Mid-Continental Oil and Gas Association.
ASPER C. CAMPBELL, independent oil operator, arrived in Wichita Falls August 9, 1918, was prominently identified with various oil activities in this section. Be- sides his personal interests and the company which he controls, Mr. Campbell was associated in a num- ber of enterprises with H. P. Mansfield and his opera- tions were uniformly successful.
Mr. Campbell drilled several successful wells in both Oklahoma and Texas since coming to Wichita Falls, one of his achievements being a successful completion at a depth of seven hundred feet in Col- lingsworth County. Further development of this property is being held up pending the settlement of the boundary line litigation between Texas and Oklahoma.
A number of valuable leases in the proven terri- tory of the Healdton and Duncan fields in Okla -. homa are owned by Mr. Campbell and he has ten successful wells to his credit in Western Texas.
Mr. Campbell was born at Indianapolis, Indiana. August 26, 1872. His parents were John B. and Katherine (Shroyer) Campbell, well known residents of Indianapolis. His father was actively engaged in the lumber business in Indiana for a number of
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After attending the public schools of Indiana, Mr. ampbell engaged in business and early in life be- jane interested in oil. He was engaged in the oil w .. ] supply and hardware business at Noblesville. hana, for some time and has spent altogether 26 wars in the oil industry operating during this time - various fields of Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Texas.
Mr. Campbell was married to Miss Effie Clark, a -. mber of a well known Indiana family.
Mr. Campbell is a thirty-second degree Mason and : < o a member of the Benevolent and Protective onler of Elks.
AMES RAMSEY HUGHES, successful in- dependent oil operator, came to Wichita Falls from Houston in 1912 and has been actively connected with the oil development : North and Central West Texas for several years. His company has drilled many of the successful com- ;'etions that helped to make the Wichita oil district the wonder pool of the world.
Mr. Hughes is a native of Tennessee and was born at MeMeriville, December 15, 1893, a son of J. R. and Frankie (McDowell) Hughes. His father was prominent in commercial and financial circles of Tennessee for many years. Removing to Houston young Hughes was educated in the public and high schools of that city and received a commercial course at the W. H. Ford Business College.
He was engaged in the drug and mercantile busi- ress at Houston for a time and then became asso- wated with D. A. Smith in the oil business. He was connected with Mr. Smith for fourteen years and operated in the Goose Creek, Sour Lake and other South Texas fields before coming to Wichita Falls. Mr. Hughes is regarded as one of the highly suc- cessful operators of North Texas and has many interests and activities.
On July 20, 1914, Mr. Hughes was married in Wichita Falls to Miss Ethel Lee Watkins, daughter of L. M. Watkins of Electra. They have three chil- dren: Frankie Lee, Ruth Nadine and James R. III.
Mr. Hughes is a thirty-second degree Mason, a Shriner and a member of the Wichita Falls Cham- ber of Commerce.
R. BRUNSON, secretary and manager of the Sooner Oil Association, 804 City Na- tional Bank Building, has been a resident of Wichita Falls since August, 1919, coming to this city after his discharge from the army. The Sooner Oil Association was organized on December 1. 1921, and is engaged in producing and develop- ing work in the Burkburnett and Northwest Exten- sion fields, and the Electra fields and now has a num- ber of producing wells which yield a splendid income. Other officers of the company are D. D. Brunson, president, Colgate, Oklahoma; H. M. Shirley, vice- president, Oklahoma City; and E. T. Smith, treas- urer, Oklahoma City.
Mr. Brunson is a native of Texas and was born in Stephens County in 1881, a son of D. T. and Sarah Frances (Chieves) Brunson. His parents, natives of Georgia, came to Texas about 1874 and settled on a ranch in Stephens County. The ranch which was their first home in Texas, is now dotted with produeing oil wells. The family later removed to Arkansas and it was there Mr. Brunson received his preliminary education in the public sehools at Amity. He then attended the University of Arkan-
sas at Fayetteville, graduating with the degree of bachelor of civil engineering in 1908.
After leaving college he became associated with the Arkansas Lumber Company as chief engineer and covered most of the southern states for this company. He later entered business for himself as a consulting engineer with offices at Oklahoma City and was also employed by the Rock Island and Santa Fe railroads doing valuation work and was also with the Interstate Commerce Commission in the same capacity. He then went with the Chicago, Burling- ton and Quincy where his work covered most of the United States. Coming to Wichita Falls in 1919 he engaged in the oil business and was very success- ful in both producing and development work and was largely responsible for the formation of the Sooner Oil Association.
In August, 1917, Mr. Brunson entered the second officers' training camp at Fort Sheridan and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the field artillery and sent to France. He was assigned to duty with the French army in the Verdun sector and then attached to the 57th artillery brigade of the 32nd division. After helping to train this corps he was transferred to the 18th field artillery of the 3rd division and was with this division in Germany until May 15, 1919, when he returned to the United States and was discharged at Camp Pike, Arkansas, on July 11, 1919.
Mr. Brunson was married at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1910 to Miss Maude Millee, a native of Missouri. They reside at 2205 Grant Street.
Mr. Brunson is actively interested in civic affairs and is enthusiastic over the future of Wichita Falls. He is a Mason, a member of the Blue Lodge at Amity, Arkansas, and the Scottish Rite Consistory at McAlester, Oklahoma, and the American Legion.
ARNEST JONES, former cattle man and successful independent oil operator, came to Wichita Falls in June, 1919, and was actively connected with the leasing and developing of properties in the oil fields of this section. His operations were very successful and he was interested in nearly fifty producing wells in the fields of North and Central West Texas. Mr. Jones owned an interest in the third well brought in in the Corsicana field.
A native of Texas, Mr. Jones was born at Plain- view, June 24, 1892, a son of Tom Jones, well known cattle man of Childress. Mr. Jones was educated in the public and high schools of Childress and later attended the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Mr. Jones was married at Mineral Wells to Miss Delbert Roquemore, member of a well known Mineral Wells family. They reside at the Kemp Hotel.
For nearly 22 years Mr. Jones lived at Childress and was interested in the cattle business there with his father, one of the most successful cattle men of West Texas. After receiving his discharge from the army he came to Wichita Falls and .engaged in the oil business.
Mr. Jones was a member of the 133rd Field Artillery and after training at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, went to France in August, 1918, and was in the Meuse, Argonne and several other important engagements. He was in France for eleven months and twenty days and was discharged at Camp Bowie.
Mr. Jones was an active member of the Wiehita Falls Chamber of Commerce ..
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS
J. BASHARA, for many years president of the American Refining Company, American National Bank and Bashara Building, is a tangible monument of how one foreign born may come to America and then by his individual perseverance and honesty become a millionaire and a captain of industry that ranks with the biggest. His company, which operates in the northwestern extension fields, has fifty producing wells with a daily output of 2,000 barrels and a refinery in Wichita Falls with capacity of 5,000 barrels daily. Besides this, Mr. Bashara is half owner of the Bashara American National Bank Building, a struc- ture that cost a million which was built with cash money.
M. J. Bashara was born in Syria, August 3, 1871. His father, G. M. Bashara, was a Syrian farmer and his mother a native Syrian, was Nora Sper Bashara. Little was the schooling afforded this foreign-born lad. His parents migrated to America in 1888, landing at New York City. In 1889, the family came to Texas and for twenty-five years followed the mercantile business. In 1902 M. J. Bashara entered the oil business at Beaumont, Texas, and has stayed with it ever since. In 1918 he organized the present company with a capitaliza- tion of $70,000 and which now owns $8,000,000 worth of property. He built the American National Bank Building in 1920, at a cost of a million ready money. He is half owner of this structure and owns several other business houses in his city.
At Waco, Texas, on June 9, 1900, Mr. Bashara married Miss Olga Eunice. To them three children have been born, Abe, Joe and Sam. Abe is now in the Rice Institute and the others in local schools. The family has residence at Tenth and Van Buren Avenue.
Mr. Bashara is a member of the Chamber of Com- merce, the Wichita Club, the Wichita Country Club, Wichita Ad Club, and the Rotary Club. As one who came to us foreign-born and who received but little schooling, M. J. Bashara is proof that men of big business ability are born with gigantic business talents rather than acquiring them. He is one of the best examples on our continent to the truth that America is the land of opportunity, that persever- ance, honesty and toil place one in the real aris- tocracy and that the democracy of this country is real.
LVIN V. TAYLOR, City National Bank Building, oil operator at Wichita Falls, vice president of the Sioux Oil & Refining Com- pany, is one of the most able lawyers of any of the western states and at the same time a Capi- talist and man of big business. Associated with him, are W. C. Kirkpatrick, of Sioux City, Iowa, president, and F. W. Woods of Spencer, Neb., as treasurer, and C. J. Coffey, of Wichita, as secretary. The company was organized in 1919.
Mr. Taylor was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. His parents were Joseph E. Taylor, a manufacturer, and Louise R. Capener Taylor, daughter of Wm. Capener one of the pioneer ship builders on Lake Erie. After completing the Salt Lake City schools, Mr. Taylor at- tended the University of Utah and then for his law course went to Columbia University and graduated with the Class of 1891. He had specialized in Geol- ogy and Chemistry in the University of Utah, courses that have proven of great value to him as an oil
man. He began the practice of law at Washingt.,: D. C., and pratcticed there for two years. In 1ss he returned to Salt Lake City and there practic. law until 1919. During this time he served as men ber of the State Legislature 1896-98, was one of th proponents of the original eight-hour-a-day law . . the United States and instrumental in its passag. he also wrote the Prison Reform Law of this sta ... that has been copied since by a great number ... western states. He was nominated for the Senan. and defeated though he received the highest number of votes in the Convention. He has been prominent in all political, civic and club activities of his state. In 1904, he began operating in oil in Wyoming and Colorado with the Pittsburg-Salt Lake Oil Company. With the same company he became active in Okla- homa and Texas. Today his corporation is active in the Northwest Field and the Breckenridge Territory. He has nine producing wells, 30,000 acres of leases in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, and 200 acres right in the midst of one of the best proven oil fields of Texas. He was chairman of the Execu- tive Board of the Pittsburg-Salt Lake Oil Company. and is now on the Board of Directors of the follow- ing: the Utah Hydro Carbon Co., the Nevada-Utah Tungsten Co., the Bonanza Consolidated and the Monterey Consolidated Companies.
In 1893, at Salt Lake City, Miss Blanche Powers became the bride of Mr. Taylor, daughter of John Powers, one of the early newspaper men of Wiscon- sin. They have two children-Alvin, Jr., and Marga- ret. The family residence is at 1404 Lamar Street. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Rotary Club of Salt Lake and of the Commercial Club of the same city.
As one highly accomplished, able, attractive and a successful operator, Mr. Taylor and his interests will have a good part in the development of Texas oil fields.
HERWOOD M. JAMESON, independent oil operator, American National Bank Build- ing, came to Wichita Falls in August, 1918, and since that time has been actively con- nected with the development of the oil fields of Wichita and adjoining counties. He has drilled a number of successful wells and has valuable hold- ings in various fields of North and Central West Texas.
The major operations of Mr. Jameson have been in the Burkburnett and Electra fields, although he has been interested in various operations in Mon- tague and Young counties.
Mr. Jameson is a native of Texas and was born in Montague County, February 25, 1881. He is a son of W. S. and Fannie (Pollard) Jameson, well known residents of Montague County for many years. His father has been engaged in the practice of law in Montague County since 1871.
After completing his studies in the Montague schools, Mr. Jameson entered the business world and for some fifteen years was connected with a farm loan and abstract business in Montague County. For several years he was a clerk in his father's law office and was interested in the political activities of his home county.
On November 30, 1905, Mr. Jameson was married to Miss Mildred M. Cothran, member of a well known Montague family. They have three daughters. Hazel, Helen and Dorothy. The family resides at 1627 Eleventh Street.
After coming to Wichita Falls Mr. Jameson was
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MEN OF TEXAS.
actively interested in the formation and development of several successful companies which had a record of highly successful operations, bringing in good wells and later selling the production to other com- panies at a profit. These companies have all liqui- dated their assets and distributed the proceeds among their stockholders.
Active and energetic, Mr. Jameson is regarded as one of the successful oil men of this section, and he is very optimistic concerning the future of the in- dustry. He is a member of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce.
LBERT N. WILLIAMS, well known oil operator, came to Wichita Falls January 1, 1919, and took charge of the business in this section of the Southern Oil Corporation. Mr. Williams is a native of Colorado-was born at Denver June 18, 1888. He is a son of Major A. H. and Dora Bell (Sanford) Williams. His father was a Major in the United States Army for many years.
After attending the public and high schools of Denver, Mr. Williams entered Yale and graduated in the Class of 1910, receiving the degree of M. E. Following the completion of his college course he en- gaged in railroading and was connected at various times with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, Rock Island, Union Pacific and Denver and Rio Grande. He was connected with the Denver and Rio Grande for several years, commencing as brakeman and working his way up to the position of superintend- ent. Concluding his railroad work Mr. Williams entered the oil business and was field superintendent for the Oklahoma Petroleum and Gas Company be- fore going with the Southern Oil Corporation.
On October 26, 1912, Mr. Williams was married at Denver to Miss Clara Skeel, member of a well known Colorado family. They have two children, Albert N. Jr. and Ruth.
Mr. Williams is a Thirty-Second Degree Mason, a member of the Shrine and Scottish Rite bodies, and also maintains membership in the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, the Wichita Club and Uni- versity Club.
LAUDE B. WOODS, City National Bank Building, Wichita Falls, oil operator, as vice-president and general manager of the Woodburn Corporation, incorporated at $5,000,000, a director of the City National Bank of Commerce, interested in the Western Sand & Gravel Company, vice-president of the Scotland Realty Company, and president of the Thirty-nine Oil Com- pany, is a man of big business.
Mr. Woods is a native Texan; he was born at Fort Worth, on October 31, 1882. His parents were James P. Woods and Sophie Alford Woods. His father was county clerk of Tarrant County for many years, a Civil War veteran and a capitalist. After completing the Fort Worth public schools, Mr. Woods went direet into the university of experience. He began his career as a newspaper man, on the Fort Worth Register, doing both office and editorial
work. He left this work to become attached to the . Colorado and Missouri for twelve years. In Feb-
collection department of the American National Bank of Fort Worth. In 1904 he moved to Wichita Falls where his rise into big business has been phenomenal. He began as bookkeeper for the First National Bank; later he became bookkeeper in the City National Bank, and in 1909, he was made cashier of the Wichita State Bank. In 1910 he
became secretary and manager of the Northwestern Brick Company. In 1912 he entered the mercantile sporting goods business as Wilfong & Woods. In 1918 he organized the Woodburn Oil Corporation, with capitalization of $5,000,000, as vice-president and manager, W. W. Hepburn, of Philadelphia, as president, and S. V. Stehle as secretary. The cor- poration operates in all Wichita County fields, has fifty employees, and has already thirty producing wells.
In 1908, at Wichita Falls, Miss Blanche Joline became the bride of Mr. Woods. They have one daughter, Joline, age eight. The family residence is at 1704 Tenth Street.
Mr. Woods is a Shriner, of the Maskat Temple, Past Exalted Ruler of the B. P. O. E. in 1908, a member of the Wichita Club, of Wichita Country Club, the Forrest Country Club, and the Methodist Church. As one schooled in the laws of finance from boyhood, as having had intimate connection with some of the largest financial institutions of the state, and as founder and manager of a five million dollar corporation and president of the Thirty-nine Oil Company.
RALPH LAWING, district manager for the White Eagle Oil and Refining Company, with offices at 819 American National Bank Building, came to Wichita Falls in January, 1919, and is one of the best known of the younger men interested in the oil business in this section. In developing the business of the White Eagle Oil and Refining Company in Wichita Falls he has achieved splendid success and enjoys a reputation for fair dealing that has won for him the respect and confidence of his business associates.
The White Eagle Oil and Refining Company has its general offices and refinery at Fort Worth with adequately equipped tank farms and pipe lines serv- ing the various fields in Wichita County. Oficers of the company are: L. L. Marcell, president; R. R. Irwin, vice-president in charge of refineries; E. C. Winters, vice-president in charge of sales; H. F. Bagby, vice-president in charge of stations; Lee Scott, vice-president in charge of leases and pro- duction; John J. Jones, general counsel; A. N. Allen, treasurer; E. A. Kermott, assistant treasurer; Milo T. Jones, secretary; H. M. Breidenthal, assistant secretary; C. A. Irwin, assistant secretary; J. J. Jones, assistant secretary. The company is one of the largest and most substantial of the independent producers and besides its large refinery with a daily capacity of several thousand barrels of crude and extensive holdings in the Kansas fields, has some production in the Mexia field.
Mr. Lawing is a native of Missouri and was born at Springfield in 1884, a son of S. S. and Mary (Cox) Lawing, both natives of Missouri. He was educated in the public and high schools of Spring- field and at Drury College. After leaving school he began railroad work and was connected with the transportation department of various roads in ruary, 191s, he became traffic manager for the Wilhoit Refining Company, remaining with this concern until accepting his present position with the White Eagle Oil and Refining Company.
In August, 1919, Mr. Lawing was married at Wichita Falls to Miss Cornelia Tracy, of Dallas. They reside at Call Field.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS
OHN L McMAHON, First National Bank Building, Wichita Falls, oil operator, as general superintendent of the North Texas Division of the Texas Company, is aligned with one of the older and most dependable oil companies of Texas. Having been in the oil business all of his life, he is one of the leading managers in the business today. He is vice-president of the City National Bank, Wichita Falls, and a member of the executive committee of the Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association.
Mr. McMahon is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Kansas City of that state on December 9, 1876. His parents were D. J. McMahon and Mar- garet McMahon. Pennsylvania public school and then business colleges, gave the youth his earliest training. Ever since the age of fifteen, John L. McMahon has been in the oil business and practically in every branch, first in the Pennsylvania fields, then in Ohio, and later in Oklahoma. Mr. McMahon has always worked as an independent operator until coming to Wichita Falls in 1913 as manager of the North Texas Division for the Texas Company. The Texas Company is not a beginner in the business, but, in being on the field, in its start, experience, and holdings, it is a pioneer.
Mr. McMahon was married to Miss Myra King, of Pennsylvania, on June 14, 1917. Myra Jane is their one daughter, and Margaret, Mr. McMahon's daughter by a former marriage. The family resides at 1805 Tenth Street.
A man of Mr. McMahon's influence and position has social duties to perform. He is a life member of the B. P. O. E., K. of C., a member of the Wichita Club and of the Wichita Golf Club. His church association is Catholic.
As an oil man that has been trained from youth in every phase of the business, as one who personally is acquainted first hand with all the details, as general superintendent of one of Texas' oldest companies for his district, Mr. McMahon is a leader in his business.
EORGE B. FULLER, Bob Waggoner Build- ing, Wichita Falls, oil operator and district representative of the White Oil Corporation, a company with headquarters in New York City, has for many years been a man active in hand- ling big finance. So efficient is he in this realm that the Government picked him as one of the men to dispose of $600,000,000.00 of surplus property, after having used him in other services in the world war.
Mr. Fuller is a native of Illinois. IIe was born at Peoria of that state, on May 19th, 1877. His parents were Marion O. and Emma Evans Fuller. The Peoria public schools gave the youth his first education and then the University of Business and Experience since. He began his life career as a railroader, a profession he followed for fifteen years. He first was with the Toledo, Peoria & Western Ry., engaged in office work; he then became associated with the Wabash & St. Louis, 'in the Transportation Department, where he served eight years. Later he went to the Trans- portation Department of the M. K. & T., then yielded to his longing for farm life and tried for one year, but left that for service with the I. & G. N. Ry., where he worked for seven years. It was then that he entered the oil business in Southern Texas, in 1914, at Humble and Goose Creek, operating independ- ently, with headquarters at Houston. In September of 1918, he enlisted in military service at Camp
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