The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 5

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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R OY A. TAYLOR, Wichita Falls, is well known not only to his city as owner of the West- land Hotel of Wichita Falls, but is one of the most aggressive of oil operators in one of the richest oil fields of the United States and indeed of the world. While the Lone Star State has had oil to her credit for many years, it was not until the discovery or perhaps the re-discovery a few years ago of the value of Texas' western and north- western oil fields that she began to take a leading rank with Uncle Sam's oil producers. These oil fields are of the largest in the world, ranking with the famed oil districts of Mexico and Russia. Mr. Taylor is right at the heart of this territory and he has already made good among the developers of his region. And yet the present day business, immense as it is, is only yet in its beginning. In the bigger future, Mr. Taylor will have an active part. Already he has promoted one company, the Sibley-Taylor Company, and with a number of other oil corpora- tions not bearing his name as these two do. His father, T. J. Taylor is also very active in the oil business.

The Westland Hotel, with cafe in connection, is one of the most beautiful buildings in Wichita Falls; it has eighty-six rooms.

Mr. Taylor was born in Cass County, Texas in 1887. His father, T. J. Taylor, is a business man well known in commercial circles in northwestern Texas, not only as an oil man, but as Chairman of the American National Bank of Wichita Falls. The Wichita Falls school system, both elementary and high, gave the youth his schooling and then he took up his business career by entering the retail grocery business on an extensive scale, and the Taylor Grocery Company;

this business he continued for seven years at Tenth and Scott Streets. It was in 1917 that he'entered the oil business, promoting the two companies, Sibley- Taylor Company and the Sanders-Taylor Company and is extensively interested in many others that are leaders in his district. Sibley-Taylor Co. put on the addition to Wichita Falls known as the Sibley-Taylor Addition which is already built up.

In 1909, at Wichita Falls, Miss Della Green became the bride of Mr. Taylor; she is a native of Tennessee, who had resided in Texas fifteen years prior to her marriage. They reside at the Westland Hotel, which Mr. Taylor owns and directs.

Mr. Taylor is successful to an attractive degree and as one who is apt to achievement, he will be a leader in the big future of his city.

L. BRISTOW, proprietor of the Alpine Hotel and president and general manager of the Juanita Oil and Gas Company, has been very successful both as a hotel man and oil operator. He has drilled successfully two producing wells in the Burkburnett oil fields and during the past few years bought and sold several hotel proper- ties in Fort Worth and Dallas.

He came to Wichita Falls in 1920, purchased the Alpine Hotel and became interested in the oil de- velopment. He later assumed the presidency of the Juanita Oil and Gas Company and was very success- ful in directing the affairs of this organization.

Mr. Bristow is a native Texan and was born at Temple in Bell County November 28, 1881. He is a son of W. M. and Nancy (McQuary) Bristow. His father was one of the early pioneers of West Texas and a successful farmer and ranchman.

Receiving his educational training in the public schools of Texas, Mr. Bristow entered the business world at an early age. In 1901 he was married to Miss Ola May Phipps, a native of Bell county. They have four children, Hazel, Vellma, Grace and Woodrow.

Mr. Bristow is a progressive citizen, keenly interested in the development of the community and ever ready to give aid and encouragement to any movement of a civic nature. He is a member of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and of the Baptist Church.

OHN K. PARKER, well known manufacturer of toilet soaps and various toilet articles which bear his name, came to Dallas in 1901 and since that time has been closely identi- fied with the city's commercial and civic life He is the sole owner of the Swartz Chemical Company, which he acquired in June, 1912, and in the manu- facture of soaps and toilet articles has achieved a reputation and made a place for his products that is fast placing him in the forefront of manufacturers in this line in the Southwest.

The various products manufactured by Mr. Parker are sold at both wholesale and retail and he is doing an extensive mail order business throughout Texas. Arkansas, Louisiana and the entire country, He maintains a number of general agencies where his products are handled and all shipping is done from the Dallas factory on Ross Avenue.

A native Texan, Mr. Parker was born at Honest Ridge in Limestone County. December 18, 1877. He is a son of J. M. Parker, for many years a well known school teacher of Limestone County.

Mr. Parker attended the public schools and the

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Mexia high school where he graduated in 1896 and then was a student at Trinity University at Tchau- cana for four years, graduating there in 1900 with the degree of Bachelor of Science.

After completing his university course Mr. Parker engaged in selling life insurance for a year and then was with the Mutual Benefit Association for four years from 1901 to 1904. From 1904 to 1907 he was engaged in the manufacture of barber's supplies and then was contract manager for P. F. Collier and Son in Dallas until he purchased the plant and business of the Swartz Chemical Company in 1912.

On November 10, 1909, Mr. Parker was married in Dallas to Miss Nell Jackson. They have two sons, Keller and Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. Parker and their two sons reside at 314 North Fitzhugh.

That Dallas is destined to become a great manu- facturing and industrial center is the belief of Mr. Parker who expects to continue enlarging his busi- ness with the growth of the city.

ON P. HAMMOND, oil operator, Bob Wag- goner Building, Wichita Falls, of Hammond & Haddox, contractors, as owner of 30,000 acres of leases in the best oil producing dis- tricts of the Southwest, is one whose oil interests will increase for generations to come. Mr. Ham- mond is not only an owner of rich oil fields, he is an active oil operator himself for twenty years.

On January 27, 1886, Mr. Hammond was born in Tennessee, at Buford Station. His parents were Thomas Newton Hammond and Betty Holly Ham- mond. The family moved to Texas when Lon was five years of age, locating in Robinson County. At the age of sixteen Mr. Hammond began work in the oil business, when in 1901, Spindle Top was opened. For ten years he worked as driller. But in 1910 he began to work for himself as an inde- pendent operator: prior to this date he had worked on a salary as a driller. Today he has interests in eight or ten wells in Block 87, Texhoma, and Town- site. Since 1906, Wichita Falls has been Mr. Hamn- mond's home. He has brought in the Hammond No. 1, and the Hammond No. 2, in the Burkburnett field, both of which were wells of 2,500 barrels.

Mr. Hammond owns the McMath Ranch, in New Mexico, and the Mortinez Ranch, at Wagon Mound, New Mexico, which latter is one of the most famous ranches in that state, making a total acreage to some 30,000 acres, which is stocked with Hereford cattle. He has one of the finest summer homes to be found in the West, in New Mexico.

Mr. Hammond has two children, Valley Dale, by - his former wife, deceased in 1918. In 1919 he mar- ried Miss Cora Belle Miller, of Wichita Falls, and has a son, Lon P., Jr., by his second marriage. They reside at 1624 Tenth Street. Mr. Hammond is a member of the Elks, of the Odd Fellows, of the Knights of Pythias, of the Wichita Club, of the Chamber of Commerce, and of the Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association. His church affiliation is Baptist. As one whose .interests are in the West, whose hold- ings are immense, Mr. Hammond will be among the most active in the future development of his territory.

F. STOREY, oil operator, is one of the prominent figures connected with the oil industry in Dallas. The company with which lie is connected is capitalized at $150,000, and is incorporated under the state laws of Texas. The company has 7,200 acres of land

under lease in Kaufman County; a one-half interest in. ten acres of the Sam Sparks subdivision in the Northwest Burkburnett field, own one large Stand- ard rig, one Rotary rig and one Star or National Rig. All the properties of the corporation have been inspected by a representative of the secretary of state and its value determined before charter was granted, and all laws and rules regulating the in- corporation of companies in Texas have been rigidly complied with.

Mr. Storey came to Dallas from Teague, Freestone County, in May, 1919. While a resident of that section he was prominently identified with its de- velopment and served four years as county clerk; he also srved four years as cashier of the First State Bank of Wortham, and organized and served five years as cashier of the Fairfield State Bank. During the war he was chairman of the Third and Fourth Liberty Loan campaign, and put them over the top. Before coming to Dallas he was city man- ager of Teague about one year, and also served as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce there.

Mr. Storey was born in Freestone County, Texas, November 10, 1879, attended the public schools, the A. & M. College and took a business course at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. His father, J. W. Storey, came to the state before the Civil War and for years was. in the general merchandise business at Cot- tongin and operated a hardware business at Mexia. He came to Dallas in 1894 and was in the real estate business here for about ten years. In 1898 Mr. Storey married Miss Belle Johnson, daughter of Dr. J. R. Johnson of Spartanburg, North Carolina, and they have seven children: Cecil, an attorney at Vernon, Texas; Olin, an abstractor at Vernon. Texas; John, an attorney at Vernon, Texas; Fay, a student at the University of Texas; Mrs. O. P. Emer- son of Dallas; Mrs. C. E. Mosely, of Oklahoma, and Ella, who lives with her parents.

WEN and MILDRED DORSEY left Ken- tucky in 1862 to cast their lot with Texans, and located in Ellis County, where was born to them, in Red Oak, two sons, Henry and James A. Dorsey. In 1873 they moved to Dallas, and since then both sons have been active participa- tors in developing the industries of Texas. James A., the brother, died in 1914.

Henry Dorsey, who is now president and general manager of the Dorsey Company at Dallas, is known to his fellows in business throughout the nation as a masterly leader, and a developer of men.

He has been at the helm in guiding the affairs of some of the more important publicity efforts in campaigns to extend knowledge of the state's re- sources to the world.

He is a quick thinker, a sound reasoner and is de- cisive in action, and, as a manager, he has few peers. It is said of him that "he can pick a producer as soon as he sees him cross the floor."

It is the province of management to take capital and it's resources, and combine it with labor, brains, enthusiasm and punch, and with this obtain pro- duction of useful and salable products.

Great business organizations do not create them- selves, but are the result of prolonged and untiring effort expended in perfecting the personal fitness of cach of it's employees and executives; in picking the men for their places, and fitting them for the work they are to do so as to obtain the most satis- factory quality and quantity of output is primarily

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the instinct of management and in this Mr. Dorsey surpasses.

Directing a plant and men to arrive at a maximum production requires well directed effort, intelligent application, and hard work. Bit by bit each year since 1884, when James A. and Henry Dorsey formed the beginnings of what is now the Dorsey Company, which occupies at Commerce, Poydras and Jackson Streets some seventy-thousand square feet in their six-story building, devoted to the manufacture of eight different kindred lines of office necessities in their lithographing, blank book making, printing, stationery and office outfitting plant, progress has been made till the demand for their products extends throughout the entire Southland, covering especially the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico, and this plant bears the reputation of being the cleanest, most up-to-date and best managed in this territory.

In the two great branches of industry-produc- tion and marketing- Mr. Dorsey is always keenly alert in the effort to develop in his assistants the highest type of efficiency-by efficiency he expresses himself as meaning to see to it that the sum of the little things they do, be well done; that they may make calculations instead of guesses; and that they give demonstrations of service instead of making promises.

Perhaps of all potentialities in his business the two primary principles that are impressed forcibly on the mind of every person engaged by Mr. Dorsey explains his power and personality. These prin- ciples expressed in words mean that every person employed is required to be a "producer" and must give "service and satisfaction to the customer."

He, himself, does his work well, and loves to do it well, and requires it of his associates that they too shall love their work, and do it well. This ex- plains why the production of his plant is better, and excels in quality and why its marketing gives better service and satisfaction.

There are more big men in the stationery and printing business, scattered from coast to coast, at the head of concerns of consequence who owe their success to the training received in the Dorsey estab- lishment than from any other institution of like character in the country, which is in itself a testi- mony to the capability and efficiency of Dorsey service.

The Dorsey standard is a standard of high ideals, the fruit of concentrated study, and persistent ad- herence to centralized control.

ENRY E. O'NEIL, district manager for F. W. Woolworth, came to Dallas in April, 1920, from Toronto, Canada, where he had been connected with the Woolworth Com- pany for more than twenty years. In fact. Mr. O'Neil has never been connected with any other company since he began his business career. The home office of the Woolworth Company is in New York City and the organization is said to operate more chain stores than any other concern in the world. There are eleven district offices operated in the United States and the Dallas District office covers Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado, in which states sixty-five stores are operated with over 1.100 employees. In all the Woolworth stores nothing is sold for more than 15 cents, and this is the only chain store concern in the country restrict- ing the price to that figure.

Mr. O'Neil is a native of London, Ontario, Canada, born May 3, 1884; attended the public schools of that city and graduated from the Collegiate In- stitute. His parents were, John D. and Sarah Jane ( Ralph) O'Neil, and his father was a veterinarian for years in London, Ontario. He was married in Toronto, Canada, in 1908, to Ester Zuern, daugh- ter of John Zuern of Erie, Penn., and they have one boy, Howard O'Neil. Father, mother and son live at 4015 Beverly Drive, Highland Park.

He is a Mason and Shriner, Rameses Temple, and King Solomon Blue Lodge No. 43, Woodstock, Canada. He is also identified with the civic and so- cial life of the city by membership in the Dallas Country Club, the Rotary Club in Toronto, the Lambton Golf and Country Club and the Missis- sange Golf and Country Club. His church affilia- tion is with the St. Mathews Cathedral.

Although a new comer to Dallas, Mr. O'Neil is an enthusiastic worker for the city and has thrown himself actively into all movements having for their purpose the greater development of the city's business and civic welfare.

ARRY PENNIMAN, Sr., owner and general manager of the Penniman Coal Company, 3000 Junius Street, is a Dallas coal dealer who has grown up with the city, feeling its early adversities and sharing bountifully in its com- mercial advancements. As a pioneer of the coal business in Texas, he has acquired a knowledge of the field which accounts for the remarkable growth of the enterprise of which he is the head.

The Penniman Coal Company was established in 1893 by Mr. Penniman at the corner of Pacific Ave- nue and Preston Street. Due to the rapid growth of patronage it was in a few years moved to the larger and more central location that it now occupies. Here there is ample storage space and private side- track facilities. From a rather meager beginning it has grown to be one of the largest firms of coal dealers in Dallas and in spite of the reduction of coal consumption due to the introduction of natural gas it has done and is doing an increasingly thriv- ing business.

Mr. Penniman was born in New Orleans, Louis- iana, July 20, 1866. His parents were Henry Clay and Adeline Roberts Penniman. He was reared by his grandparents who were Quakers, in the little village of Poughkeepsie, New York, and for the simple, wholesome training which he received at their hands he has always been profoundly grateful. He was educated in the public schools of New York and Washington, D. C., and at the age of sixteen he came to Dallas and began work at once in the coal business with Mr. E. G. Childs, the first coal dealer in Dallas. This was in 1882, when the future of Dallas still lay in the realms of the unknown. When the post office was built at Main and Ervay there were many objections to its location because of its great distance from the center of the town. After three years with Mr. Childs, Mr. Penniman gave up his position to go with his father who had previ- ously been in the cotton business in Dallas but had recently opened a coal yard at Market and Elm Streets. A year later he went with Col. J. H. Tray- lor who established a coal yard where the new Palace Theatre now stands. Here he remained for seven years during which time he had an excellent oppor- tunity to enlarge his acquaintances as the city grew. Strict economy enabled Mr. Penniman to save, out of

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what would now seem a rather meager salary, a con- siderable sum of money with which, in 1893, he established a coal yard of his own. Ten years' ex- perience in the business was put to the best use and he enjoyed a thriving trade from the very beginning which his efficient service has never allowed to wane.

On February 16, 1892, Mr. Penniman was married to Miss Clara M. Rice, of Evansville, Indiana, and to them five sons were born, Bruner Rice, Clarence Arthur, Harry, Jr., Graham Allen and Edward Thomas. The three older sons are associated with their father in the coal business. The Penniman home is at 5002 Ross Avenue.

Few men have witnessed at first hand a longer period of development in Dallas and none have entered more heartily into making that development possible. Ile attributes his success to the fact that he has limited his efforts to the coal business and that he has been connected with a flourishing, pros- perous city. He is a member of the Central Con- gregational Church and has entered zealously into all the worthy enterprises that have had for their aim the building up of the civic life of Dallas. His unusual activity indicates many more years of com- mercial prominence.

HOMAS MORRISSEY, vice president of the Panhandle Producing and Refining Company, Dallas, 1412 Royal Street at Browder, is one of the oldest oil men living, having entered the business in 1872 at the age of 14 and in his oil career of forty-nine years has come to be con- sidered by the oil trade as the best authority on production of crude oil in the United States. He is said to know more about oil than does any other man in Texas, and another distinction he enjoys is that of having produced more oil on the smallest plot of any man in the oil business today-he pro- duced a million dollars worth of oil on three-fourths of one acre of land! Associated with Mr. Morrissey in the Panhandle Producing and Refining Company are Roy B. Jones, president; Julius Germany, a vice- president, and B. J. Shaw, superintendent of pro- duction. The company was organized in 1906 at Wichita Falls where a branch office is now located in the Kahn Building, while, since January 1, 1920, the home office has been in Dallas. The company, from its holdings in Wichita, Young and Eastland Counties, receives thousands of barrels of production each day, owns a refinery at Wichita Falls, equip- ment consisting of warehouse of four. buildings, lumber yard, machine shops and a plant for the manufacture of casing head gas. Besides being vice- president of the Panhandle Producing and Refining Company, Mr. Morrissey does extensive private operating and is interested in about 20,000 acres of leases in Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas. He is also a member of the firm of Morrissey & Shaw, Morrissey-Heydrick & Shaw," and "Morrissey & Jones," and is president of the Vacuum Gasoline Co., of Illinois and vice-president of Graham Refining Company.

Mr. Morrissey was born at Syracuse, New York. His father, Dennis Morrissey, was born at Tipperary, Ireland. The public school system of Troy, New York, and most of the oil fields of America have given Mr. Morrissey his training. 1872 marks the beginning of his service in the oil business, and since that date he has served as manager, as super- intendent, and in various capacities with many con- panies. In the early '70s Mr. Morrissey became sup-

erintendent of Morrissey & MeKewan, from which he went into business for himself, in contract drill- ing, and never in the nearly fifty years has he left off his personal operation.

Miss Cora Jones, at Ft. Worth, Texas, became the bride of Mr. Morrissey. The children are Mrs. Alice Morrissey Hogan, Mrs. May Morrissey Sulli- van, Mrs. Ann Morrissey Powers, John Morrissey and Miss Katherine Morrissey. The family resi- dence is at 4100 Highland Drive. Mr. Morrissey has taken a keen interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his adopted city and state and is a member of the Dallas Country Club.

OSEPH ARDIZZONE, vice-president of the Ardizzone-Broden Oil Company, 601 Insur- ance Building, Dallas, has been engaged in the oil business for the past thirty years. Mr. Ardizzone came to this city in 1919 and soon thereafter formed his association with Mr. Braden. The Ardizzone-Braden Oil Company does not con- fine its operations to the Texas field but also has interests in Oklahoma, where the company owns sev- eral producers.

Born at Parlenio, Italy, on the 14th day of Octo- ber, 1872, Joseph Ardizzone is a son of Frank Ardiz- zone, a tanner by trade and the owner of the Ardiz- zone tannery at Bradford, Pennsylvania. The younger Mr. Ardizzone has the distinction of being a truly self educated man for it has never been his privilege to spend one hour in the class room. He mastered the English language soon after his par- ents came to this country, which was in 1879. Up on arriving at the age of manhood Mr. Ardizzone began work with a pipe line company, later being a water boy in the employ of the Standard Oil Con- pany. In 1883 he was employed in the pipe line department with the Standard Company, where he remained for the next succeeding twenty-one years, at times acting as foreman and later contracting la- bor for the company. He was in charge of build- ing a pipe line from Neodosha, Kansas to New York City and while occupied with this undertaking he supervised the employing of over twenty seven hundred men. He also built a pipe line for his com- pany from Independence, Kansas, to Kansas City and also one from Independence to Wichita, Winfield. Hutchinson, El Dorado and Augusta. In Oklahoma he put in a line from Osage to Tulsa and one from the Cement oil fields to Oklahoma City. The last work mentioned was done by the Ardizzone-Braden Company.

In 1895 the marriage of Mr. Ardizzone to Miss Beatrice E. Lindenberg was solemnized at Brad- ford, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Ardizzone are the parents of one child, Helen Ruth, now Mrs. Paul H. Andres of New Mexico.

In fraternal affiliation Mr. Ardizzone is a member of the Mystic Shrine, of Tulsa, the Elks and the Con- sistory and Commandery, of Tulsa.

A true self made man, he deserves the credit of . having overcome the many obstacles of life, with- out a school made education; and by mere perse- verance and ability attained a high mark in the business world.

G EORGE W. AVERY, well known lumber man. of Dallas, Texas, has been identified with the Commercial Industry of Dallas for the past three years, has had a long experience in the lumber business. He handles everything that is required in the building trade.

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Mr. Avery came to Dallas in July 1918 during the Texas oil boom and engaged for a short period in the oil business, buying and selling leases. After the activities in the oil industry subsided he returned to the lumber business, establishing his present connec- tions, building up a progressive business.

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The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 5

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