The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 22

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1328

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IAZ CALLAHAN, as manager of the Box Office Attractions Film Rental Company, 1907 Commerce Street, Dallas, directs one of the largest film distributing businesses in a city that is one of the largest film distributing centers in the world. His organization is agent for Fox Film Company products for the entire state of Texas, with the well-known stars, Tom Mix, William and Dustin Farnum, Buck Jones, Wm. Russell, Shir- ley Mason, Pearl White, Aileen Percy, the Sunshine Comedies, Mutt & Jeff Comedies and the Fox News. Some of the recent releases are "Over the Hill," which has had the longest run of any picture ever produced, The Queen of Sheba and "A Connecticut Yankec in King Arthur's Court." The moving pic- ture business, in its many phases of production, act- ing, distributing, displaying, is fast approaching in size and volume of business the largest industry of the world. With all of its immensity, it is still in its beginning and its future is stupendous.

Mr. Callahan was born at Lynchburg, Virginia, on August 29, 1893. His father, W. E. Callahan, is a well known banker in the state of Virginia and is now cashier of the Lynchburg National Bank. Pre- vious to his eminence in banking circles, he was a leader in the wholesale tobacco business. The mother is Ida Virginia (Rush) Callahan, a typical representative of southern culture and refinement in womanhood. After completing, as a lad, the school system of his native city in 1911, Mr. Callahan entered Baylor University at Chattanooga, Tenn., from which he received his A. B. degree in 1913. At the same time of his college work, he took the law course offered by the Chattanooga Law School. In 1913 Mr. Callahan entered the film business. His associates in this activity have been with the Famous Players, as salesman out of Atlanta and out of Dallas for the same company in 1914-1915; with the Metro as salesman in 1916-1919; in 1919 he went with Realart and remained in the employ of that organization until August, 1920, when he came to his present position.

Mr. Callahan was married to Miss Mary Agnes Ruff, daughter of J. W. Ruff, of Griffin, Ga., and they reside at 1420 Pocahontas Street.

Mr. Callahan is a genuine convert to the possibili- ties of Dallas as the best city in the South or the West and says he had rather be in Dallas than in any other film center in the United States. Texas does have unlimited possibilities and opportunities not only in the film business, but in many industries, and Mr. Callahan is an able director for his line in the Lone Star State.

OY ALVIN DALTON, secretary and man- ager of the Feature Theatre Corporation, motion pictures and musical comedy, 1521 Main Street, comes from a family in which theatre management has become a tradition. Mr. Dalton's father was a well-known theatrical man- ager and he and his brothers have grown up in the business and are achieving marked success in vari- ous Southern citics.

The Feature Theatre, of which Mr. Dalton is man-

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ager, is owned by the Dalton brothers as is the Idyl Frolic Company, a musical comedy cast, which is playing there. They also own other musical comedy companies including the company playing at the Empress Theatre in Kansas City. F. O. Dalton is manager of this company while T. V. Dalton man- ages the company playing at Houston. There are thirty-five employees in the Feature Theatre in Dallas, and about one hundred people employed in all theatrical enterprises The program is changed every week at the Feature Theatre and everything done to keep the entertainment up-to-the-minute and to lend variety and distinction.

Mr. Dalton was born at Ennis, Texas, on July 6, 1881. His father was T. V. Dalton, a native of Crocket, Texas, and, before going into the theatre business, a merchant in various Texas towns. Later he moved to Dallas and was one of the pioneers in establishing motion picture shows in this city. Mr. Dalton's mother was Betty Broadus, a Texas girl.

He attended the public schools of Ennis but left school to go on the road in theatrical interests. Soon he had several companies traveling for him and was substantially launched in the business. Coming to Dallas he opened the Palace Moving Picture Theatre, which at that time was the third show to open in the city. In 1908 he opened another theatre, the Favorite, and later others until he had seven theatres going at one time. It was in 1910 that he opened the Feature and has since devoted most of his time to this. The Old Mill Theatre, a handsome and unique structure, was designed and built by Mr. Dalton, and opened by him. He has since sold most of the stock in this theatre to the Halsey interests.

In 1915 Mr. Dalton's marriage to Miss Alice John- son, daughter of George Johnson, business man of San Antonio, was celebrated in that city. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton reside at 5210 Worth Street.

Mr. Dalton is strictly a business man. He has a genius for management, and has made a name among business associates for his straightforward methods and keenness of judgment.

ICHARD B. HAVENER, who, together with his brother-in-law, S. M. Brightwell, is the owner of Haven Park on the outskirts of the city of Wichita Falls, is one of the pro- gressive, public spirited citizens of this growing city and has contributed much to its development.

Haven Park, a beautiful wooded tract of nine acres lying just outside the city limits on Holiday Street, is the result of persistent efforts on the part of Mr. Havener to afford the people of Wichita Falls just such a place for picnics, swimming and other high class amusements. For seven years he planned and worked to bring about the realization of this dream and on May 18, 1921, the park was opened to the public. It has a splendid concrete swimming pool 100 by 150 feet with commodious bath house, and during the opening season was visited by thou- sands of people. During the season nine employees are on the grounds, including two expert life savers on duty at the swimming pool. The tract is beauti- fully shaded with large pecan trees and affords one of the finest picnic grounds in this part of the state.

Mr. Havener is a native of Missouri and was born in Franklin County in 1857. His father died when he was four years of age. He attended the public schools of his native state and worked on a farm and

in 1889 removed to Clay County, Texas, where he operated a freight line. He then began road build- ing and it was to supervise an extensive job of street graveling that first brought him to Wichita Falls. He decided to locate here and continued his road building and also did some railroad con- struction. When he undertook the construction of Haven park he drew his own plans and superintended all the building and concrete work.

Mr. Havener was married in the fall of 1887 to Miss Bertha A. Brightwell. They have six children, Eula, Jo, Lois, Lucy, May, Sammie Lou and Norbert. The family resides at 2400 Holiday Street, adjoining the park.

Mr. Havener is a member of the Woodmen of the World and his church affiliation is with the Baptist denomination.

E. HARRINGTON, manager of the Robert- son-Cole Distributing Corporation, 19141/2 Main Street, although connected with the film business for only a comparatively short time, brought to the industry such a store of experi- ence secured in other fields that his success in the new enterprise has not been surprising to those who knew him.

Robertson-Cole Distributing Corporation is a film distributing company and is perhaps one of the most widely known in America presenting an un- surpassed array of players including Pauline Fred- erick, Doris May, Hayakawa and others of that standing with directors such as Wm. Cresty Cabanne and Louis J. Gasnier. All star productions are featured. The extensive territory included in the whole of Texas and Southwestern Arkansas is served and there are three traveling salesmen and five local employees in the organization.

Mr. Harrington was born in Greenville, North Carolina, April 4, 1888. His father, W. H. Harring- ton, was a well known cotton broker and planter. His mother was formerly Miss Stella E. Daniel, of a prominent North Carolina family. Mr. Harring- ton was educated in the public schools of Greenville, the Oak Ridge Preparatory School and Wake Forest College. On leaving school in 1910 he came to Texas as a salesman of stocks and bonds. For seven years he was in this business having as his headquarters at different times, El Paso, Wichita Falls, Little Rock, Arkanas and Wichita, Kansas. In 1917 he entered the film business as a salesman in Dallas for the Paramount Company. After three months he gave up this position and went with the Triangle Com- pany with whom he remained for six months. On February 18, 1918, he went with the Box Office At- tractions Company as salesman and on October 12, of the same year he became manager of the office. In 1921 he became manager of Robertson-Cole Dis- tributing Corporation.

Mr. Harrington was married on May 10, 1913, to Miss Iva May Mercer, daughter of J. H. Mercer of El Paso. A son, Linward, is the only child. Their home is at 5715 Richmond Avenue, Belmont.

As an alert, wide-awake business man, Mr. Har- rington has taken his place in the front ranks of the prominent film dealers. He is a member of the Film Board of Trade and is doing much for the ad- vancement of the industry. He feels that the oppor- tunities in the field in which he operates are un- equaled in America.

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HELBY OWENS, popular young business nian, secretary-treasurer of the B. W. Owens Lumber Company, 300 Indiana Ave- nue, came to Wichita Falls in 1918 from Fort Worth and established the local yard of the Owens Lumber Company, in two years time build- ing up an especially large retail lumber trade and an extensive jobbing business in sash and doors.

The company occupies a commodious yard two hundred by one hundred and fifty feet on Indiana Avenue and handles every kind of lumber and also building material, builders' hardware and rig tim- bers for oil field construction. An exceptionally large stock is carried and prompt deliveries are made to customers, a feature that has aided ma- terially in building the large business now con- trolled by the Owens yard.

The B. W. Owens Lumber Company, with head- quarters in Fort Worth, is composed of B. W. Owens, president; J. W. Blake, vice-president, and Shelby Owens, secretary and treasurer. Ample capital and practically unlimited financial backing give the company a splendid advantage in executing mill contracts, an advantage which is passed on to the customer in the form of reduced prices obtained by buying in large quantities and paying cash. The name of Owens is a synonym for honesty and fair dealing in the retail lumber business in West and North Texas.

Shelby Owens was born at Lancaster, Texas, December 4, 1898, a son of B. W. and Cora (Ham- mond) Owens. His father has been in the lumber business in Fort Worth for the past twenty years and is now the head of the Owens Lumber Com- pany.

The preliminary education of young Owens was received in the public schools at Fort Worth and later he attended Castle Heights School at Lebanon, Tennessee, graduating there in 1916. He then at- tended Rice Institute at Houston and the Univer- sity of Texas at Austin, leaving school in 1918 to take charge of the business of his father's company at Wichita Falls. He is a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at the University of Texas.

Unmarried, Mr. Owens is popular alike in social and business circles. He is a Mason, a member of Wichita Falls Blue Lodge No. 635 and is also a member of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis and Wichita Clubs, taking a deep in- terest in all matters of a civic nature.

G. McADAMS, President of the A. G. . the entire business and one of its executives. Other

McAdams Lumber Company, with general offices in the Great Southern Life Building, is one of the pioneers of the lumber business in Texas and has done as much as perhaps any other man in the Southwest for the advancement of the industry. The other members of the McAdams firm are T. H. Morrow, vice-president and general man- ager and T. N. Perkins, secretary and treasurer.

The McAdams Lumber Company entered the field more than a quarter of a century ago and the con- stantly extending patronage demanded the increase in the number of yards until there are now twenty- one retail yards in various centers of West Texas. The principal yard is at Lubbock, where a planing mill and a wholesale sash and door house are main- tained. In 1907 the company was incorporated with a capital stock of $300.000.

Mr. McAdams was born at Pilot Point, Texas, December 17, 1864. His parents, Green and Mar-

garet Cravon McAdams, were both natives of Ten- nessee. They came to Texas in 1851 and home- steaded a body of land north of Pilot Point. The elder MeAdams became prominent in the stock busi- ness. Having finished the courses offered in the public schools and the Pilot Point Academy Mr. Me- Adams was employed for five years as station agent for the M. K. & T. Railroad and for five more years in the same work with the Santa Fe Railroad. Fo !- lowing this he went into the lumber industry in Collin County and one by one he established yards in various towns in Texas until the enterprise grew to the present large proportions. In 1906 he came to Dallas and established there his general head- quarters.

During all these years, in spite of the constant attention given to his lumbering interests, that has been only a part of his work. He owns and super- vises two large ranches, one in Foard County and the other in Wheeler County. Together they com- prise twenty-one sections of farm and ranch land and maintain approximately 2,000 head of cattle. In addition to these interests he is a director of the Security National Bank, of the Lumberman's Underwriters of Houston and of the Automobile Underwriters.

In 1887 Mr. McAdams was married to Miss Mary Irwin Childs, daughter of W. B. Childs, well known stockman of Grayson County. Their two daugh- ters are now Mrs. S. M. Earhart and Mrs. H. H. Greene. The McAdams residence is at 5122 Gaston Avenue, Munger Place.

Mr. McAdams has taken a large place in the social and industrial clubs of Texas He is a member and was formerly director of the Lumbermen's Asso- ciation. He holds membership in the Dallas Country Club, the City Club, the Lakewood Country Club. Mr. McAdams is possessed, to an unusual degree. of the ability to see the whole of a big proposition and to organize his forces so as to cope with it. He is thoroughly respected by his business associates and is held in high esteem by a large number of friends.

OY H. BUELL, secretary and treasurer of the Buell Lumber and Manufacturing Com- pany, Hawkins and Central Railway, fully deserves the success that has come to him. Mr. Buell entered this company six years ago, serv- ing in various capacities and gradually working his way up until at the present time he is manager of

officials of the company are Frank T. Buell, presi- dent, and H. T. Neals, vice-president.

This company, which is incorporated at $75,000, was established twenty-three years ago by Frank T. Buell, father of Roy H. Buell. The territory supplied by the concern includes Dallas and all surrounding country for the radius of fifty miles. A steady force of about 100 men are employed in the lumber yards and mills, which occupy grounds 450 feet by 150 feet. The concern manufactures doors, sashes, window glass and jobbing, selling at retail only.

Born in Dallas, November 22, 1892, Mr. Buell was educated in the city public schools and the Uni- versity of Dallas, graduating from this institution in 1914. His father, Frank T. Buell, came to Dallas thirty-five years ago from Canada; his mother was a native Texan and before her marriage was Miss Mamie DeWitt. After graduating from college in 1914, Mr. Buell entered the lumber business with his

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father, working in various capacities in the yards and about the mills, and learning the business from every possible angle. His promotion was rapid, and in six years time he was made manager of the busi- ness and one of its officials.

Mr. Buell lives with his parents at 1706 South Ervay Street. He has one brother, Joseph DeWitt Buell.

He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Rotary Club. Mr. Buell is ambitious and optim- istic, and one of the city's most promising young men.

H. DIAL, proprietor of the Dials Sales Agen- cy, cotton seed products, 42016 South Akard Street, Dallas, came to this city from Hous- ton in 1916 and since that time has been active in his field until entering business on his own account recently Mr. Dial was manager of the Dallas Branch of the Young Commission Company.

Mr. Dial is a native Texan, having been born at Hearne in 1885. His father, R. G. Dial, was an extensive cotton planter of Robinson County. He is now deceased. From his father's success, Mr. Dial early realized the possibilities in the cotton in- dustry, and determined. on this as his business ca- reer. After graduating from the Louisiana State University, he went at once into the cotton business, his first association being a partnership with Mr. Dillingham in the firm of Dillingham and Dial, Cot- tonseed Products. The business venture was a suc- cess and Mr. Dial left it only when the opportunity presented itself to form a connection with a concern of International reputation and unlimited operations.

Mr. Dial makes his home at the Southland Hotel. He is a member of the Masonic Fraterntiy and the Episcopal church. He has pronounced executive ability, and with his twenty years of experience in the cotton world, is a recognized authority.

B. WOODALL. The business of supplying milk to the residents of Wichita Falls is one of extreme importance to every man and woman in the city, because of the great care necessary to be exercised in order that the product may reach the people in its purest and healthiest state. The distribution of this very im- portant food product in Wichita Falls is in the hands of B. B. Woodall, owner and manager of the Pure Milk Products Company, located at 104 Pecan Street, and equipped with the most modern dairy machinery.

The business was established by Mr. Woodall in 1917 and has grown to be one of the largest indus- tries in Wichita Falls, being a medium connecting the small farmer and dairyman with the consumer, and enabling the small producer to put his product on the market in the very best of condition and at the same time insuring the consumer of its highest quality.

During the recent oil boom in Wichita Falls, when the population of the city was many thousands above normal, there never was a time when any restaurant, hotel, other eating house or residence was unable to obtain milk. The Pure Milk Products Company bought milk from all over the country, as far as Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, and kept their plant running right and day in order to supply the residents, both permanent and transient, with high grade milk, and during all this time there was never a complaint as to quality, Mr. Woodall making it his special business to see that only milk of the purest and best grade reached his thousands

of customers. Previous to establishing this busi- ness Mr. Woodall was engaged in farming, and his business for the first year as a milk.dealer amounted to about $20,000. In 1920 he did over a quarter of a million dollars. The yearly payroll is over $30,000, a force of 18 people being cmployed.

Mr. Woodall and his brother, Ed Woodall, own a 900 acres dairy ranch which begins one and a half miles from Wichita Falls, most modern buildings are found on it for dairy purposes, 400 acres of it will come under the new irrigation project.

Mr. Woodall was born in the northern part of Mississippi in 1877, and educated in the public schools of Hill County, Texas, his father, J. C. Woodall, coming to Texas in 1878 and locating in Hill County, where he farmed for many years. He was married at Itasca, Texas, in 1902, to Miss Anna Barton, a native of Mississippi, and they have two children, Lloyd and Virginia. The family home is at 2309 Ninth Street. He is a member of the Elk's Lodge and the Chamber of Commerce.

T. PETER. In the history of the motion picture business of the Southwest and Dallas, the name E. T. Peter is numbered among the leaders.

Mr. Peter was born in St. Louis, May 1, 1965. His father, Thomas J. Peter, was widely known at an early day as a railroad builder. He started the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad and built the first mile of track in Kansas. He later became en- gaged in the iron and coal business in Alabama. His wife was formerly Miss Esther O'Brien, a native of Canada. The younger Mr. Peter was educated in private schools and in the University of Washington where special work was done in science. His first position was as a chemist in the iron and coal fields of Alabama and he later became general manager for the Alabama Coal & Iron Company with whom he remained until 1896. Following this he was for eleven years in the retail coal business in Selma, Ala- bama. In 1907 he went to New Orleans and opened the third motion picture theatre in that city. After two years he came to Dallas and having acted as manager for a number of film exchanges, the last of which was the United Film Exchange, he organized the Texas Exhibitors Circuit. Later see- ing the opportunity to extend his usefulness over a broader territory, Mr. Peter became a director of the Moving Picture Managers Association and moved his headquarters to New York City.

On July 16, 1911, Mr. Peter was married to Miss Beulah Stephens, a native of Texas. Their resi- dence in Dallas is at 1420 Pocahontas Street.

Mr. Peter has taken an active interest in civic affairs during his residence in Dallas, and is con- fident that this city is destined to even more remark- able growth than she has already experienced.

JOHN CHARLES SHANNON, manager of the American Releasing Corporation, Dal- las, Texas, is a well known business man of Dallas and of the Dallas trade territory. The American Releasing Corporation is a National Distributing Company of motion pictures and inde- pendent of the producers. The territory covered by the Dallas office is Texas, Southern Oklahoma, Louis- iana, Southern Arkansas and Mississippi. The fol- lowing gives an idea of the excellent class of pictures handled by this company: Cardigan, a remarkable picture of the best story ever written by Robert W. Chambers; Martin Johnson's educational and inter-

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esting picture, Jungle Adventure; Belle of Alaska, with the beautiful artist, Jane Novak; Jane of the Big Snows, by James Oliver Curwood, probably the best known of moving picture stories; Lying Truth, an up-to-date story with a moral; Daring Danger, a western picture a little better and different, and comedies such as The Cradle Buster, with Glen Hunter. With such an array of excellent pictures, the American Releasing Corporation is making its debut to the Southwest and with J. C. Shannon in the executive position, is certain to be successful.

Mr. Shannon is a native Texan; he was born in Indianola of the Lone Star State, on June 2, 1881. The Texas public school system provided the educa- tion of John Charles and then as a young man he entered the drug business with which he was identi- fied in San Antonio, Texas. He noted the possibili- ties of the new but rapidly developing film business. His earlier association with this industry was as representative for W. W. Hodkinson Corporation with which he was for two years. It was then that he was chosen as resident manager of the Associated Producers for their Dallas office, leaving this position for his present association.

Mr. Shannon was united in marriage to Miss Mamie Peeler, of Campbellton, Texas, November 25, 1901, and Alice, Jack and Irvin are the three chil- dren that make up the family. The Shannon resi- dence is at 115 South Clinton Street.

The film business in all its aspects of producing, training, procuring of actors and actresses, in its staging, in releasing, in publicity work and in ex- hibiting, is one of the largest industries of the world that is every day becoming bigger and better. Its future is sure, its usefulness certain and the American Releasing Corporation, with their repre- sentative, will have an increasingly growing and responsible position of leadership in filmdom.

W. ANDERSON, prominent business man. president of the well known Anderson's Department Store, 717-719 Indiana Avenue, active in commercial and financial circles, came to Wichita Falls in 1917 from Abilene and for more than three years has been an active and promi- nent factor in the business life of the oil metropolis of North Texas. For seven years prior to removing to Wichita Falls Mr. Anderson owned and operated a store at Abilene along similar lines to those prevailing in the operation of his Wichita Falls establishment. The volume of business done by the Wichita Falls store has increased until it is now more than ten times the amount done two years ago. The store occupies all of the two and a half story brick building at 717-719 Indiana Avenue, with a total floor space in excess of twenty-two thousand square feet. The employees in all departments number about fifty. The volume of business is ap- proximately $700,000 to $800,000 per year.

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The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 22

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1328