A TftUttE>-NAIL
HISTORY OF THE
CITY OF
AOU5TON
TEXAS
I
I
>3'i
I
i
** f tf
i
i
*' "w6* ^"^ v
GENERAL SAM HOUSTON
Patriot and Statesman. The hero of San Jacinto, in whose honor
the City of Houston is named
A THUMB-NAIL
HISTORY OF THE
CITY OF
HOUSTON
TEXAS
FROM ITS FOUNDING IN 1836
TO THE YEAR 1912
>* V S
By DR. S'.O. YOUNG irfV-
HOUSTON, TEXAS : JUNE, 1912
pat 4
PRESS OP
REIN & SONS COMPANY
HOUSTON.
Bancroft
A WORD IN ADVANCE.
In presenting this little volume to the people of
Houston for their consideration, I feel that a word
^ of explanation is due. I wrote the book to supply
ft a badly needed "need," of course, but I wrote it
more for my own pleasure than for anything else.
I have made no attempt at fine writing and have
,s\ given no thought to literary excellence. My sole ob-
ject has been to attain accuracy, and every precau-
-^ tion has been taken to guard against error. Where-
ever possible I have consulted original documents
and newspapers. Yet, in spite of this, I fear that
some errors have crept in and that the readers will
find many statements which they may think errone-
ous. I say this because there are some stories and
traditions that have been repeated so often that
many suppose them to be true.
If the readers derive as much pleasure from pe-
rusing these pages as I have from writing them, I
shall feel content. I have enjoyed writing every
line, and add "The End" with regret.
S. O. YOUNG.
Houston, June 5th, 1912.
TO THE MEMORY OF MY MOTHER
JHr*. JHaitb 3t atutte Qimng
WHOSE LIFE WA5 LARGELY DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE
OF EDUCATION AND TO THE CREATION OF A
TASTE FOR LITERATURE AND THE SCIENCES
IN THE MINDS OF THE EARLIER CITIZENS
OF HOUSTON. THIS LITTLE VOLUME
IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED
THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE.
Why Houston Was Founded When Incorporat-
ed First Mayor of Houston Various Admin-
istrations Reconstruction Days Huge City
Debt What the Commission Is Doing Today-
Full List of Houston's Mayors.
A fact not generally known nor appreciated is
that Houston is the result of a disagreement between
the Aliens and the Harrises. There was no serious
quarrel or anything of that sort. They differed
about land matters, with the result that the Aliens,
instead of joining the Harrises in their efforts to
build up the already established town of Harris-
burg, came five miles by land and about sixteen
miles by water further up the bayou, and laid the
foundation for the rival town, which was destined
to become the greatest city in Texas and one of the
greatest in the Southwest.
Now, as a matter of fact, there was no good rea-
son for the new town. The location at Harrisburg
was ideal and had many advantages, naturally, that
Houston had to create artificially. There was, to
begin with, sixteen miles of very crooked and hard-
ly navigable bayou to be overcome in order to reach
Houston, while the new site had absolutely nothing
to compensate for this disadvantage.
However, there was an element injected into the
controversy that helped the Aliens wonderfully in
carrying out their scheme. Santa Anna's soldiers
8 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
showed up just at the critical moment and burned
Harrisburg. Before the Harrises could recover
from the blow, and while their town still lay in
ashes, the Aliens acted and not only had their town
laid out, but were actively engaged in selling town
lots to settlers. Not much progress was made dur-
ing the first year, however, and there was not much
of a city in evidence and scarcely more to indicate
where that city was to be, for Governor Frank
Lubbock, in his memoirs, gives an amusing descrip-
tion of his search for the town, even after he had
reached and passed the foot of Main street. He
came to Houston on the first steamboat that ever
arrived here and it took four days to make the trip
from Harrisburg to Houston. That being the pio-
neer trip an immense amount of work had to be
done to clear the stream of sunken logs and over-
hanging trees. There was plenty of water, but
there were numerous obstructions in and over the
channel. After that first boat there was little or no
delay and before long there were other boats that
came to Houston, and in a year or two there was a
regular service established between Houston and
Galveston.
The question of transportation was one of the
most serious with which the early settlers had to
contend. Transportation by land was not only dif-
ficult, but actually dangerous, for there were hos-
tile Indians and predatory bands of Mexicans ever
on the watch for unwary settlers. There were no
roads, ordinary trails being the only guides for the
.3. A. <AZJjEH
HPIONE& 8c PATRIOT OP HOUSTON WITS' Of 6. LALLN.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS
traveller, and therefore when communication was
established with the outside world by water from
Houston, it was looked on as a blessing, since it
saved many miles of difficult and dangerous travel.
The bayou soon became popular and Houston
sprang at once into the greatest prominence as a
receiving and distributing point. It is remarkable
that Houston should have had all those advantages,
naturally, in the early days and then after the lapse
of many years she should still retain them through
the commercial activity and business foresight of
her citizens.
During the first eighteen months of the new
city's existence there was little accomplished aside
from perfecting the plans and arranging the divi-
sions of Houston, for there was not much more of
a city than a name and some surveyed streets and
lots until late in 1837. By then the town began to
show some life and activity. It is true that the city
was more like a military camp than anything else,
for it was composed largely of tents, with here and
there a small log cabin. During 1837 there was a
large storehouse built at the corner of Commerce
street and Main and at the same time work was be-
gun on the "Mansion House," Houston's first ho-
tel. This was located on the corner now occupied
by the Southern Pacific offices.
But it was not until 1838 that Houston took on
genuine city airs. That year an election was held to
decide whether the city should be incorporated or
not. The result was an affirmative vote and the
10 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
same year the Texas Congress granted the City of
Houston a charter.
Having become a chartered city it was necessary
to elect a mayor and board of aldermen. Unfor-
tunately all the records of the city have been twice
destroyed by fire, but tradition and the oldest in-
habitants declare that Dr. Francis Moore, Jr., was
the first mayor of Houston. Now there is really no
good nor substantial reason for doubting that Dr.
Moore was the first mayor, and the question is
brought up in this way so as to give place to a doubt
introduced by Maj. Ingham Roberts, who has made
a close study of all that relates to the early history
of Houston. Major Roberts, in the History of
Southeast Texas, of which he was one of the edi-
tors, publishes a list of Houston's mayors and gives
the honor of being the first to James S. Holman.
The Major gives as his authority for doing this, a
notice published in the Telegraph of Sept. 29, 1837,
calling an election to fill vacancies caused by the
deaths of two aldermen, which notice was signed
Jas. S. Holman, "Mayor."
Major Roberts is a most careful student and ac-
curate writer, and yet one is constrained to believe
that a serious error has been committed by himself
or by the paper publishing that notice. In the first
place, Houston was not incorporated until a year
after the date of that notice and, therefore, could
not have had a mayor or board of aldermen. In the
next place, James S. Holman was clerk of the Elev-
enth District Court from February, 1837, until
THE CITY OF HOUSTON,, TEXAS 11
1842, and it is not likely that he could have been
mayor of Houston at the same time. As a matter
of fact he was clerk of the court at the very time
that notice was published, as the court records show.
The matter is given space here so as to bring out all
the facts for the guidance of future historians.
When the Moore administration took office, its
first act was to extend the city limits, which to that
time had been the Bayou on the north, Walker street
on the south, Bagby street on the west and Caroline
on the east. The limits were extended so as to em-
brace nine square miles. This was done in order
to increase the taxable area and to include within
the city limits many citizens who had built residences
just beyond the old city lines. The nine-mile area
was maintained many years, or until the city fell in
the hands of the "Carpet-bag" Republicans ap-
pointed by E. J. Davis during reconstruction days.
These found it necessary, in order to create more
plunder, to increase the taxable area, so they ex-
tended the limits so as to embrace twenty-five
square miles. When the Carpet-baggers were
turned out of office by the home people who had
regained control of affairs, the limits were reduced
to nine square miles. That was in 1874, and until
1903 no change was made. But by that time the
city had so extended beyond its limits that an in-
crease was demanded in justice and fairness to all,
so the area was fixed at sixteen square miles. A
remarkable feature is that since those limits were
fixed, the city has again far outgrown its bounds,
12 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
so that a very large number, perhaps 15,000 or
20,000 nominal citizens of Houston are living out-
side the city limits. Aside from fixing the city
limits and placing some pine trees across the streets,
so that people could get across from one corner to
another without bogging down in the mud, there
appears to have been nothing accomplished by the
Moore administration, or by that of G. W. Lively,
the second mayor. It was reserved for the Charles
Biglow administration, in 1840, to take the first
step towards permanent public improvement. That
year a contract was let for the erection of a market
house and city hall on Market square. That old mar-
ket was pointed to with pride for many years by all
Houstonians. It was really a pretentious build-
ing for it had length, if not height, being only one-
story high. It extended from Preston to Congress
and on the Congress side it was two-stories high,
the upper floor being used as a city hall, while the
lower one was devoted to a city jail or "calaboose"
as it was called.
The market part was given over to the butchers
and vegetable people, who had stalls arranged on
each side, while a broad alley extended down the
entire length of the market. There was no floor,
only the bare earth serving for that purpose. The
building soon became famous for the number of
rats that took possession of it. Perhaps, in no part
of the world were there ever so many rats gathered
together in a limited space as were found in that
old place. However, it was a great improvement on
THE CITY OF HOUSTON,, TEXAS 13
conditions that had prevailed to that time, for the
market vendors had been forced to do business in
the open air, or under a dilapidated shed that some
one had erected. There was a tent, not on the
square, however, that was used for market pur-
poses, but that was a private affair with which the
city had nothing to do.
The old market house stood for many years and
was finally torn down to make place for the famous
market house erected by the Scanlan administra-
tion. The story of that famous building is worth
telling. Mr. Alexander McGowan had been elected
mayor of the city in 1867, but was turned out of
office by E. J. Davis, the "reconstruction" Gov-
ernor of Texas, in August, 1868. Some other
changes were made, but it was not until 1870, that
Davis showed his hand by turning everybody out
of office and appointing his own henchmen. T. H.
Scanlan was appointed mayor and four ignorant
negroes were made aldermen by Davis. Then the
"plundering" began in real earnest, and by the time
they got through Houston had a debt of almost
two million dollars and had but little or nothing to
show for it. It was no public spirit or local pride
that gave Houston the finest market house in the
South. Houston got the building finally, but Hous-
ton paid a fancy price for it. It was merely the op-
portunity to extend the loot field that lay behind
the market that resulted in its final construction.
Having decided to erect a market house, plans
were drawn, specifications made and bids were in-
14 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
vited. Col. William Brady was the successful bid-
der at $250,000. He was backed by some New
Yorkers. He agreed to take the city's bonds in pay-
ment, they to bear 8 per cent interest and to run
twenty-five years. That part of the contract was
all right, perhaps, but after actual construction of
the building began, things began to show up that
were never expected. Col. Brady built according
to the plans and specifications, but when those were
examined it was found that they contained no pro-
vision for blinds, some doors, and in one or two in-
stances, for floors for the building. The whole thing
was found to be merely an outline of plans and
specifications, but Col. Brady claimed it was what
he had bid on and he held the city strictly to its con-
tract with him.
There was only one thing to do issue more
bonds, and that was when the city limits were ex-
tended, so as to take in more taxpayers. The tax
area was increased, more bonds were issued, and be-
fore the market house was completed its total cost
was $470,000 instead of $250,000 as originally
contemplated. The building was insured for $100,-
000, but when it was burned down in 1876, the in-
surance companies refused to pay even that, and,
after much haggling, finally agreed to restore the
building, which they did at an outlay of only $80,-
000. The restored building was also destroyed by
fire some years later, when the present magnifi-
cent building was erected.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS IS
A so-called election was held in 1872, and by im-
porting negroes from the surrounding counties and
obstructing the white voters, the Republicans were
able to elect the entire city ticket and keep the same
gang in office. Retribution was near at hand, how-
ever, for the next year the Democrats swept the
State and elected CokeGovernor. In January, 1874,
Houston was granted a new charter, by provision
of which the Governor was authorized to appoint
the city officials of Houston. Governor Coke lost
no time, but turned the Scanlan crowd out of of-
fice. He then appointed Mr. Jas. T. D. Wilson,
mayor, and also appointed a board of aldermen
composed of respectable and prominent citizens. A
few months later an election was held and all the
gentlemen appointed by the Governor were regu-
larly elected.
There was little accomplished by the new admin-
istration during their tenure of office. The affairs
of the city were so badly tangled and the bonded
and floating debts were so large that the city was
absolutely without money or credit. Under condi-
tions such as these it was not expected that anything
could be done beyond "standing off" clamoring
creditors and answering court summonses, for the
city was being constantly sued.
After holding office for one year the Wilson ad-
ministration retired and Mr. I. C. Lord was chosen
as mayor in 1875. He had all that his predecessor
had to contend with, and in addition there came up
the question of disposing of the interest the city had
16 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
acquired, in some way, in the Houston East and
West Texas railroad. The interest owned by the
city was in that part of the road surveyed as far
west as the Brazos near Bellville, but which had
been abandoned and has never been built. There
were suits and counter-suits and the whole question
became very much involved. Finally the city sold
its interest for $35,000 and went out of the railroad
business for good. But it was a case of jumping
out of the frying-pan into the fire, for so soon as
it was known that the Lord administration had a
little cash on hand the court house feature became
aggravated and everybody was clamoring to get
hold of it. Old notes, old and new claims, popped
up from unexpected quarters and the situation be-
came desperate. Mr. Lord held office for two years
and then quit in disgust.
Mr. Wilson having had a two years rest was per-
suaded by the citizens to try his hand again. This
was literally true for at that time a man had to be
persuaded to take such an onerous office as that of
the debt-burdened city. It required patience, hon-
esty of purpose and fine executive and financial
ability to keep the affairs of the city going, even
for a day, and those who were qualified to act were
not anxious to do so.
The second administration of Mr. Wilson result-
ed in the establishment, or rather in the inaugura-
tion of the movement that resulted in establishing
the water works here. Before that time Houston
depended entirely on underground cisterns for its
COL. W. J. HUTCHINS
(DECEASED)
Prominent Citizen Banker and Merchant
of Houston
T. W. HOUSE. SR.
(DECEASED)
Founder of the Bank of T. W. House. A Pioneer
and Patriot of Texas
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 17
water supply, both for drinking and for fire pro-
tection purposes. Soon after the beginning of his
second term Mr. Wilson sent a special message to
the council, drawing attention to the great need of
water works. The city had no money to build such
works, but was prepared and willing to deal most
liberally with any private company or corporation
that would undertake the work. Nearly a year later
such a company was formed, and some months later,
in August, 1879, the company actually constructed
the first water works on the north side of the bayou
near what was called "Stanley's brick yard," where
they have remained ever since. The service, how-
ever, was abominable and pleased no one. The com-
pany built a dam across the bayou so as to shut off
tide water and secure as pure water as possible from
the upper bayou. It was totally unfit to drink and
no one ever thought of using it for that purpose.
In the early nineties it was discovered that an
abundant supply of the purest artesian water could
be obtained anywhere in Houston, and the water-
works company sank several artesian wells. That
gave Houston an abundant supply of pure drink-
ing water. However, the stand-pipe was too small,
or for some other reason the company claimed they
could not supply the city with both drinking water
and water for protection against fire, and every
time a fire occurred they would pump bayou water
into the reservoir, with the result that the water be-
came unfit to drink for some time after every fire.
The people complained, but that did no good. Fin-
ally, in 1906, under the administration of Mayor
18 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Baldwin Rice, the city purchased the plant outright,
for $901,000, and since that time there has been no
complaint nor any reason for complaint. This is the
only public utility owned by the city, but its record
has been a good one, so much so as to create some-
thing of a general desire that the city take over
some others and run them in the interest of the peo-
ple as the water works are now run. As one evi-
dence of how the people have gained by the change,
it may be said that the old company was charging
50c per thousand gallons for water, but the city
at once reduced this charge to 15c, employed more
men to add to the efficiency, and has done all this
without the loss of a cent of the taxpayers' money.
After serving two terms, Mr. Wilson retired and
was succeeded by Mr. A. J. Burke. There was noth-
ing accomplished during this administration for the
very good reason that nothing could be accom-
plished. Efforts were made to compromise the huge
city debt, but the bondholders stood firm and noth-
ing could be done.
When Mr. Burke's term expired, some of the
leading men of Houston conceived a great idea.
They determined to apply expert business methods
and nothing else in settling the city's affairs. A
committee, composed of the best business men of
the city, waited on Mr. Wm. R. Baker and asked
him to devote his superb financial ability towards
solving the great financial problem which confront-
ed the city. He, after some hesitation, consented to
do so, but made it one of the conditions that he
should name the men who were to serve as aldermen
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 19
with him. This was granted and he named a num-
ber of the leading bankers, merchants and business
men as his staff. There was no serious opposition
to the ticket and it was elected by practically a
unanimous vote.
When the city was turned over to those gentle-
men, the bondholders became very confident. Be-
fore that they were growing uneasy, to say the least,
for the people were becoming desperate and every-
body was talking about throwing up the city char-
ter and repudiating the unjust debt that had been
forced on the city. However, when Houston was
placed in the hands of such prominent business men
and great financiers, doubt and fear disappeared,
for the bondholders knew that these gentlemen
could not afford to be mixed up in anything such
as repudiating a debt, therefore they became firm
and insistent. Already something like repudiation
had taken place, for the citizens had held an election
and decided that not more than 50c on the dollar
should be paid for the bonds. This action tied the
hands of the Baker administration, of course, and
they could do nothing, for the bondholders would
not accept 50c on the dollar.
Towards the middle of the Baker administration
a final effort was made. Mr. Wm. D. Cleveland
and Mr. J. Waldo, two of the aldermen, went to
New York for a conference with the bondholders,
who were showing an inclination to "listen to rea-
son." After some discussion the bondholders agreed
to compromise for 60c on the dollar and to take
20 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
forty-year bonds, a new issue. The aldermen ex-
plained that the action of the citizens precluded
their paying more than 50c. Then the bondholders
made the following proposition: The compromise
would be made ostensibly for 60c on the dollar, but
really for 40c. A prominent Houston banker whose
name they gave, Mr. Baker and Mr. Cleveland
were to guarantee that the new bonds would be is-
sued by the city and for doing this the bondholders
would divide the difference between 40c and 60c
with these three men and keep quiet about it. The
aldermen returned to Houston, and Mr. Cleveland,
Mayor Baker and the banker went over the propo-
sition. Mr. Cleveland pointed out that the plan
proposed offered the only solution of the problem
and suggested that the three gentlemen draw up
an agreement, together with a statement of facts,
by which the city w r ould get all the bonds that were,
ostensibly, set aside for themselves ; that this agree-
ment be witnessed by reputable witnesses and lock-
ed up securely in a safe. The bondholders had said
they would treat the matter confidentially. Mr.
Cleveland and Mr. Baker saw the advantage to
the city and were anxious to close the deal, but the
banker was afraid and dreaded adverse criticism
and discussion by the people who would know noth-
ing of the truth of the deal until it was all over, so
he refused to have anything to do with it and as the
bondholders insisted on his taking part, the thing
fell through and Houston lost the opportunity of
compromising her debt on the most advantageous
conditions that were ever offered.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 21
With so many bonds out, some of them were in
weak hands. These small holders, either willing-
ly or unwillingly, parted with their holdings for
about 35 cents on the dollar. The Baker adminis-
tration was enabled to pick up a great many bonds
in that way, but the large holders stood firm. Buy-
ing the bonds, as Mayor Baker did, reduced the
bonded debt, of course, but it was borrowing from
Peter to pay Paul, for at the close of the Baker
administration the floating debt of the city was
about $200,000 greater than when it went in.
Having tried expert business methods and failed,
the people arose in their might and went to the op-
posite extreme. They turned out the financiers
and put Mr. D. C. Smith and what was called a
"short hair" board of aldermen in office. The
labor ticket was elected triumphantly, and in elect-
ing these gentlemen, the citizens did a wise thing.
When the news reached New York that the city
had been turned over to the labor element there
was consternation in the bondholders' camp. They
could see nothing but repudiation and ruin ahead
of them, and their greatest fear was that the debt
might be repudiated before their agents could get
here with offers of compromise. After some bick-
ering, which served to delay action by the council if
in no other way, the bondholders came to an agree-
ment with the city by the terms of which the debt
was compromised on a basis that permitted the city
to make needed improvements and pay interest reg-
22 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ularly on the reduced debt. Since that day the city
has been free from great financial embarrassment.
It seems strange to say in one breath that Hous-
ton has the best and the most dangerous form of
government that could possibly be conceived. And
yet that is literally true. The form, as all know,
gives almost absolute power to a few men chosen,
not by wards as was done formerly, but by all the
people of the city regardless of ward and sub-ward
divisions. The advantages of this method are ap-
parent, for the Mayor, or Chairman, and each Com-
missioner represents the whole city and not any par-
ticular part of it. Each is responsible to the whole
people and not, as formerly, to that one part of it
where he might chance to have lived and from which
he was chosen by the votes of his friends and neigh-
bors only. He owes no political debt to any single
ward and it becomes his duty to legislate for the
good of the city as a whole and not for any sub-
division of it.
The dangerous feature is the power the commis-
sion form gives a few men. Should a dishonest or
incompetent Board of Commissioners chance to se-
cure election, the result might be disastrous before
the people awoke to their peril and took steps to
check it. Of course such a condition as that is very
unlikely to occur, still there is a possibility of its oc-
curring and in that one thing alone lies the danger.
The mere fact that there is danger in the form,
assures its safety, for it puts the voters on their
guard and they are more careful than ever they
were under the old method, in selecting their serv-
ants, so that it is almost impossible for unworthy or
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 23
incompetent men to be elected. If the commission
had nothing else to recommend it, this placing the
voters on their guard would be a sufficient indorse-
ment of its merits.
The evolution of the Commission idea has been
slow and tedious, and it is remarkable that it has
taken great disasters to impress its merits on the
minds of interested communities. Following the
two great yellow fever epidemics of 1878 and 1879
in Memphis, Term., the people of that city found
themselves bankrupt and forced to adopt the un-
tried and desperate remedy of ceasing to be an in-
corporated city and becoming a taxing district un-
der a commission. That was, as a matter of fact,
the first time the commission idea was applied prac-
tically to the management and direction of munici-
pal affairs. It was not until the great disaster at
Galveston on September 8, 1900, that anything like
a practical commission for the government of a city
was devised. Galveston, by act of the Legislature,
was granted a new charter which did away with the
old mayor and board of aldermen and placed mu-
nicipal affairs in the hands of five commissioners
a mayor, or chairman, a commissioner of finance,
a commissioner of streets and alleys, a commissioner
of water works, lights, etc., a commissioner of po-
lice and fire departments. These are all elected by
the whole vote of the city and each commissioner is
given full charge of his department and held re-
sponsible for its working. The other commissioners
have the authority to overrule and veto any unde-
sirable act of any one of their members, but this has
never been necessary, for the ability and honesty of
the men thus far elected by the people have been
24 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
such as to render unnecessary the exercise of the
veto power by the other commissioners. If argu-
ment were necessary to show the merits of the Com-
mission form of municipal government, the suc-
cess of that in Galveston would be all sufficient.
The success of the Galveston Commission attract-
ed wide attention and in 1904 the plan was submit-
ted to the voters of Houston and, they having adopt-
ed it, the next year a new charter was granted the
city, under the terms of which Houston became a
Commission city.
Houston's charter differs in many respects from
those of Galveston, Dallas and other cities that have
gone under commission rule. Its practical work-
ing is so well shown in an address delivered by
Mayor Rice before the Chicago Commercial Club
in December, 1910, that it may be well to take the
following points from that address so as to best il-
lustrate the commission:
"The essential differences between the old form
of municipal government and the commission form
are three," said the mayor. "The substitution of a
smaller number of aldermen, elected from the city
at large, in place of a large number of aldermen,
elected from different wards or subdivisions of the
city; vesting of a co-ordinate power in the mayor
as in the city council to dismiss any officer of the
city government, except the controller, at any time
without cause, and the essential provisions safe-
guarding the granting of municipal franchises. In-
stead of a body of twelve aldermen, elected from
COL CHAS. STEWART
(DECEASED)
Former Prominent Attorney and Member Congress
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 25
different wards or subdivisions of the city, under
the Houston system four aldermen are elected from
the body of the city by the votes of all the citizens,
in the same way in which the mayor is elected.
These four aldermen, together with the mayor, con-
stitute the city council or legislative department of
the city government. The executive power is raft-
ed in the mayor, hut by an ordinance, for the ad-
ministration of the city's affairs, a large part of
executive or administrative power is subdivided
into different departments, and a committee is
placed over each department, and one of the four
aldermen, nominated by the mayor, is what is
known as the active chairman.
The mayor and all four aldermen are members
of each committee. The active chairman of the
committee practically has control of the administra-
tion of the department, unless his views are over-
ruled by the whole committee, but by the organiza-
tion of the committees the active chairman does the
work, to a certain extent, under the supervision and
direction of the mayor, who is, in the last analysis,
the head of each committee and the person in whom
the executive power of the municipal government
ultimately rests.
"Under the old system of government, by which
twelve aldermen were elected from as many differ-
ent precincts of the city, it frequently happened
that unfit men came to represent certain wards of
the city council. Now, unless a man has sufficient
standing and reputation throughout the body of
26 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
the city as a fit man for the office of alderman he
will not be elected. Again, each alderman under the
present system represents the whole city. Under the
old system the conduct of public business was con-
tinually obstructed by a system of petty log-rolling
going on among and between the representatives
of the numerous sub-divisions of the city. Then,
too, the smallness of the number of aldermen now
affords opportunity for the transaction of business.
"An executive session is held previous to each
meeting of the city council, at which matters to come
before the council are discussed and action deter-
mined on. The small number of aldermen enables
the city administration to act on all matters of im-
portance as a unit. In other words, the system
makes it possible to administer the affairs of the
city in a prompt and business-like way.
"This is one of the strongest arguments in favor
of the present commission form of government, for
with a majority of the aldermen always in session,
public business can be, and is, promptly attended to.
It is no longer necessary to go before the city coun-
cil with petitions to have something done. Any citi-
zen who desires to have a street paved, taxes adjust-
ed, a nuisance abated, or anything else, has only to
call at the mayor's office and have the matter
promptly adjusted. After a hearing, the matter is
decided by the council in the presence of the appli-
cant. To illustrate the great difference between
this method and the old one, the following compari-
son is made: By the old method a petition was ad-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 27
dressed to the council. This was referred to a com-
mittee, which acted when convenient. Then a re-
port to the council was made by the committee.
After the action of the council it went to the mayor
and from him to someone else for execution. The
people do not pay their taxes for such treatment.
They want their business attended to promptly and
that is what is being done under the commission."
The coming July the commission will have been
in existence seven years, and during that time it has
accomplished wonders. In 1905 the floating debt
of the city was about $400,000. Every cent of that
has been wiped out and the taxpayers have been
given, out of the treasury, without the issuance of
a single bond for any one of the items, the follow-
ing permanent improvements:
City Attorney, Law Library $ 974.10
Assessor and Collector, Block Book
System 10,000.00
City Hall, Furniture and Fixtures 1,123.67
Police Department 4,096.03
Fire Department Buildings and
Equipments 66,239.67
Electrical Department 37,461.47
Health Department 7,340.94
Parks 116,451.09
Streets and Bridges 71,004.96
Asphalt Plant 3,000.00
Auditorium 390,340.92
Ship Channel 102,536.05
Sewers 132,047.56
28 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Paving Streets 221,006.00
Water Department, Extension of
Mains and Improvements .... 325,757.33
Wharves and Slips 33,109.89
School Buildings 356,477.20
Total Improvements $1,878,966.88
Extraordinary Expenses.
Storrie Certificates $ 73,300.00
Refund Paving Certificates 141,418.68
Sinking Fund 120,220.00
$334,938.68
This makes a grand total of $2,213,905.56, all of
which was paid out of current revenues, and the
elimination of a floating debt amounting to a little
more than $400,000. One need go no further than
those figures to be convinced of the benefits and ad-
vantages of Commission form of government.
Unquestionably the magnificent form of govern-
ment that Houston has, and the thoroughly busi-
ness-like manner in which the affairs of the city are
administered, have had their effect in establishing
confidence in the stability of the city both at home
and abroad. Though the commission may not have
caused it, the fact remains that co-incident with the
establishment of the commission Houston began to
grow and expand in the most marvelous way.
Strangers who come here and find a large and beau-
tiful city are amazed to learn that modern Houston
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 29
is only about seven years old. That is a fact, how-
ever, for all the great strides forward, all the large
corporations, all the great business enterprises, are
less than ten years old, while the city has more than
doubled her population in seven years.
Houston is today a city of skyscrapers and large
buildings, and their number is being added to
monthly. There are today a number of new ones
going up and nearly every principal street in the
city is the scene of building activity. There are ho-
tels completed and being constructed; office build-
ings, business buildings, bank buildings, to say noth-
ing of the hundreds of residences being constructed.
Houston stands in a class of its own when it comes
to apartment houses, for there are more and finer
ones here than in any other Texas city. They are
nearly all strictly up to date and several of them
are luxurious and costly affairs.
Just what Houston is doing today and how it is
being done is well shown in the reports made by the
mayor and the commissioners and heads of depart-
ments at the close of the fiscal year, February 29,
1912. Mayor Rice says:
Gentlemen: According to the law, I submit the
annual report of the various departments and the
budget for the ensuing year.
You will notice that the appropriations recom-
mended and the budget called for is some $200,000
in excess of last year. One-half alone being in-
crease of the interest and sinking funds on bonds
and additional school appropriations.
30 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The rapid growth of the city, and its numerous
requirements, means that the growth, if yearly
maintained, as it has for the past several years, the
city of Houston must expend annually more reve-
nue to maintain in efficiency the various depart-
ments and satisfy local conditions.
I shall briefly discuss the important demands of
the city and make recommendations for their im-
provements and needs.
The water department is in splendid condition
and with the extension of mains this year will prob-
ably place every one within the limits of the city of
Houston in easy access of pure water and charging
the lowest rate for consumption.
Houston has an efficient and up-to-date fire de-
partment, and but for the unfortunate fire which
occurred in the manufacturing district on the north
side of the city during a tremendous gale, would
have probably maintained the smallest loss in any
one year since Houston's growth. I call attention
to this great conflagration from a commercial stand-
point, as the great losses from the immense quanti-
ties of cotton and manufactories destroyed ran into
large sums of money. While numerous small homes
were destroyed, yet, I am glad to state, the majority
of those thus afflicted asked for no assistance and
are making plans to reconstruct their homes upon a
better and safer basis.
For those who were left destitute, too much praise
can not be given to the United Charities and the
kind citizens who came forward and cheerfully made
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 31
subscriptions for relief. Knowing the character of
people who make up this community, and feeling
confident of their generosity and grit, I, as mayor,
declined all outside help and subsequent events
justified my position. While deeply grateful for
all offers of aid from all parts of the country, Hous-
ton demonstrated that her people can and will take
care of almost any calamity that may overtake them.
1 recommend that an appropriation of $25,000 be
made for a new fire station and equipment at West-
moreland station, as suggested by Fire Commis-
sioner Kohlhauff.
I call your attention to the annual report of
streets and bridges. It demonstrates what an im-
mense amount of work and expense it requires to
drain and make passable the streets in a level coun-
try like ours. A great viaduct connecting the north
and south sides of the city is now under good head-
way and promises when completed to be one of the
most substantial structures in the State, as well as
giving rapid transportation for the people. Near-
ly all the bridges over Buffalo Bayou are out of
date and fail to properly accommodate the traffic.
I recommend that the bridges at San Jacinto and
Preston streets be removed and that more substan-
tial bridges be constructed out of reinforced con-
crete. I also recommend that a reinforced concrete
bridge be built over Buffalo Bayou at the foot of
Texas avenue, which will relieve congestion of traf-
fic on both Washington and Preston avenues.
32 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Houston avenue viaduct, now being constructed,
will give immense relief to that section of the city.
During the past year $500,000 of bonds were
voted for school purposes, and several school houses
will be constructed during the fiscal year, which will
give the additional facilities that are so badly need-
ed in our growing city.
Both the school board and city commissioners
have for some time been acquiring additional prop-
erty for school sites and play grounds for the chil-
dren, and I believe in the near future that Houston's
schools and playgrounds will be a model for any
city to copy.
As we have no swimming pools for boys or girls
in this community, upon the recommendation of
Mrs. James A. Baker, president of the Settlement
association, who is taking a deep interest in their
welfare, I suggest that a natitorium be constructed
on the new Rusk school site, and that the feature be
gradually extended to every other school in this city.
I think Superintendent Horn's recommendation,
that all public schools should be used as social cen-
ters, be adopted. These school grounds and build-
ings cost the taxpayer a great deal of money and
should be utilized in various ways. School children
are dismissed daily at 3 p. m. and there is no reason
after that time why the immediate neighborhood
should not use the building for any social custom
they desire without going to the expense of renting
halls. By such gatherings in a public building, that
they have helped to construct, the people will not
PAUL BREMOND
Pioneer Railway Builder
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 33
only become better acquainted, but better satisfied
with taxation.
The city of Houston should no longer wait for a
park system. Land is becoming dearer every year.
While the city has purchased additional park
ground during the year, yet we are very deficient in
this respect. We have a splendid board of park
commissioners and I recommend that the city of
Houston issue at least $250,000 park bonds or more
this year in order to secure a good start in this re-
spect.
Now that the auditorium is completed I recom-
mend that it be used for the best interest of the
community. I am very anxious to see the social
conditions of our people improved, especially on
Sundays. On the first of May next Houston will
have one of the finest bands in the United States.
It will be maintained by the city. Not only will
there be instrumental music, but some of the best
vocal music in the country.
In addition to the musical part of the after-
noons and nights' entertainments on Sunday there
can be secured good, wholesome picture shows, lec-
tures and other entertainments that will tend to edu-
cate the people and make them happy and content-
ed. All these entertainments will be free for the
people and especially to the working classes will this
program be satisfactory, as they can enjoy the best
music and best lectures at absolutely no cost. Once
inaugurated and well established, I believe this
work of our city government will go a long ways to-
34 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ward exterminating some of the vicious tendencies
that trouble our cities.
This government, in fulfilling its promises, cre-
ated a public service department last year, and ap-
pointed a commissioner for that purpose. I recom-
mend that every citizen read Mr. Gaston's report
and know what has been accomplished.
I am glad to state that the efficiency of the police
department is gradually being raised, and I trust in
the near future that it will be up to the standard.
During the present year the Somers system of
taxation has been established in Houston, at the sug-
gestion of Commissioner Pastoriza. It seems to be
a very efficient system, just and equitable to all.
The tax board has adopted the system of assessing
land values at 90 per cent and improvements at 25
per cent of their value. Under this system the val-
uations have been increased from $77,000,000 to
$123,000,000, which is very great. All tax prob-
lems are difficult, and very few, if any, are satis-
factory. I would suggest that the citizens thor-
oughly investigate this system and understand it.
If it is satisfactory, so much the better ; if not, then
some better plan should be proposed. The city coun-
cil will not be arbitrary, but will be glad to listen to
any one or all citizens upon this subject. Last year
the tax rate was $1.70 per $100. This year it has
been reduced to $1.30 per hundred for all purposes,
being the lowest rate of any large city in the State.
With the exception of a few cases of meningitis,
which have existed in Houston for the past several
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 35
months, the health of this community has been splen-
did. Too much praise can not be given our health
officer, Dr. G. W. Larendon, and specialist, Dr.
F. J. Slataper, and their associates for the way the
health department has been managed. On account
of the amount of work and the risks that these gen-
tlemen are required to run I am decidedly in favor
of increasing their respective salaries.
Now that the national government will soon com-
mence work upon our waterway, I suggest that
the city acquire more territory at the turning basin.
1 suggest steps be taken to condemn all land that
is needed for practical purposes, and also that the
city of Houston build and maintain a modern
dredgeboat on the channel.
The city has recently adopted a front-foot plan
of pavement. It is a great step forward in progress
and means that Houston will now go forward with
rapid strides. Already petitions have been placed
with the council for over ten miles of pavement.
I caution the people that no permanent pavement
should be made until all water, gas and sewer mains
are first laid. I earnestly recommend that a million
dollars be issued in bonds for sanitary and storm
sewers alone.
A short time paving bond can be issued, redeem-
able at the rate of, say, $200,000 per year, which
will give immediate relief in regard to the pave-
ments and not increase the bonded indebtedness.
The city needs a city jail and additional fire-
proof rooms to the city hall to preserve city records.
36 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
I recommend that an annex to the city hall be con-
structed to care for all these various features.
Thanking you for your hearty co-operation, I am,
Respectfully,
H. B. RICE.
An idea of what it costs to run a big city like
Houston may be formed from the following recom-
mendations, made by the mayor, for the coming
year:
Mayor and commissioners $ 13,600
Controller and secretary 7,500
Law department 12,000
Treasurer 620
Assessor and collector 18,000
City Hall 4,000
Elections 1,000
Damages 1,000
Interest on bonds 265,000
Sinking fund 140,000
Miscellaneous expenses 15,000
Electric lights 50,000
Police 110,000
Corporation court 2,500
Fire department 125,000
Health department 25,000
Scavenger department 13,000
Electrical department 8,000
City engineer 20,000
Streets and bridges 100,000
Repair of shell and gravel streets. . . 25,000
Sewer department 25,000
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 37
Garbage department 25,000
Market 7,000
Schools 210,000
Parks 10,000
Carnegie library 10,000
Refunding certificates 21,000
Buffalo Bayou 5,000
Mayor's emergency fund 1,000
Westmoreland fire station and equip-
ment 25,000
Water Department
General expenses $ 80,000
Interest 55,000
Sinking fund 28,000
Total $1,458,220
Perhaps more interest attaches to the report of
City Tax Commissioner J. J. Pastoriza this year
than to any of the others, because of some radical
changes that have been made in methods of taxation
during the year just closed.
He states in his report that in the beginning of
1911 the city officials were confronted with the ne-
cessity of raising the assessment over $12,000,000
to produce the additional revenue needed. He says
that while the work for 1911 was fairly well done,
the experience gained has convinced him of the ne-
cessity of a scientific plan of assessment. TheSomers
system largely solved the problem with its system of
equalizing the value by a mathematical rule for cal-
culation. A contract was entered into with the Man-
38 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
uf acturers' Appraisal Company of Cleveland to in-
stall the system and for the past four months that
work has been in progress.
In his report Commissioner Pastoriza says: "The
application of the Somers system has revealed the
fact that portions of many streets of Houston, some
of them of exceeding value, are being used by indi-
vidual citizens and corporations without bringing
the city any rental or compensation whatever, and I
recommend therefore that I be given authority to
immediately institute suits to recover this valuable
property for the city and to have removed such
buildings or other obstructions as now occupy them.
"I also discovered that the area of many pieces of
land were not accurately stated upon the block
maps. There was not sufficient time to enable me
to have these lands surveyed for the 1912 assess-
ment, and I ask to be given authority to have these
lands surveyed and that the engineering department
be instructed to place at my disposal such help as
is necessary to do this work without interruption
and with the least delay possible."
The report shows that the tax rate was reduced
from $1.70 in 1910 to $1.30 on the $100 in 1911.
"To the average mind this might indicate a re-
duction in the rate of taxation," explains Commis-
sioner Pastoriza in his report, "but Houston is a
growing city, growing at a rate which few people
realize, and the ever increasing need for street pav-
ing, drainage, sewers, extension of water mains,
schools and playgrounds, for police and fire pro-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 39
tection and a hundred and one improvements not
enumerated, calls for an ever increasing revenue.
"In conclusion permit me to say that we do not
claim our values are absolutely correct, but we do
claim that they have been equalized as nearly as is
possible, and that if our valuation of any particular
piece of property in a block is considered too high,
at least everybody else in that block and in the block
across the street will be equally high; if we are low,
everybody in that block and across the street will
be equally low and there will be no discrimination.
We have learned that it is not so much a question in
the mind of a taxpayer whether our values are too
high or too low, so long as we assess everybody the
same, and only make the rate high enough to give
the administration sufficient money to economically
administer its affairs."
The report compiled by Building Inspector W.
X. Norris shows that during the last fiscal year of
the city permits were issued out of his office for the
construction of 1101 buildings of all kinds at an ag-
gregate cost of $3,997,000. The permits issued dur-
ing the previous fiscal year reached an aggregate
of $3,152,820. Besides the permanent improve-
ments permits were also issued last year for tem-
porary work, aggregating $281,375, as against
temporary work amounting to $189,270 during the
previous year.
In his report the building inspector recommends
that the electric sign ordinance be revised so as to
40
A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY or
provide for all electric signs to be hung vertical with
the building.
The permits issued by the building inspector have
been classified by him in the following manner:
No. of
Permits.
Kind of Building.
No. of
Bldgs.
1
18-story fireproof hotel
1 10-story fireproof hotel 1
1 7-story fireproof office building. . 1
1 6-story fireproof hotel 1
1 6-story fireproof office building. . 1
1 4-story fireproof building 1
2 3-story fireproof buildings 2
1 3-story brick hotel and theatre
building 1
2 3-story brick flats 2
4 3-story brick buildings 4
1 3-story brick warehouse
1 3-story brick office building 1
1 3-story concrete building and re-
modeling
5 2-story brick warehouses 5
2 2-story brick flats 2
2 2-story brick stores 2
1 2-story brick office building
5 2-story brick buildings 5
3 2-story brick residences 3
1 2-story concrete building
1 2-story concrete warehouse
3 2-story frame apartments 3
5 2-story wood warehouses 5
1 2-story stucco residence 1
247 2-story frame residences 262
1 Brick church
6 1-story brick buildings 6
1 1 -story brick office and car shed. 1
2 1 -story brick warehouses 2
2 1 -story brick buildings (not built) 1
1 1 -story cement block building. . . .
3 Frame churches 3
1 Frame club house 1
Valuation.
$500,000
195,000
150,000
70,000
135,000
150,000
117,000
65,000
31,300
126,500
4,500
14,000
60,000
61,000
32,000
9,000
33,000
36,300
87,500
40,000
14,000
22,000
59,350
16,000
811,985
56,000
37,100
20,000
12,000
8,000
3,000
4,650
2,500
WM. R. BAKER
Financier and Railway Builder
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 41
589 Cottages 748 576,235
18 Iron and frame farehouses 19 34,040
Open air theatre 1 4,000
Automobile garage 1 500
Fireproof addition 1 14,900
Storage oil tank 1 5,000
Oil plant 1 10,650
Bread plant 1 16,500
Viaduct 1 350,000
2 Remodeling 2 47,500
926 1101 $3,997,010
Valuation of 926 permits, year ending Feb. 29,
1912 $3,997,010
Valuation of 868 permits, year ending Feb. 28,
1911 . 3,152,820
Increase in value, year ending Feb. 29, 1912. . $844,190
Valuation, temporary permits, year ending Feb.
29, 1912 $281,375
Valuation, temporary permits, year ending Feb.
28, 1911 189,270
Increase for year ending Feb. 29, 1912, over
1911 . $92,105
Total value permanent and temporary for year
ending 1912 $4,278,385
Total value permanent and temporary for year
1911 3,342,090
Increase in last 12 months over previous 12
months $936,295
42 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The following is a list of Houston's Mayors. The
list is the one prepared by Major Roberts, though,
for reasons given in the foregoing, Mr. Holman is
not placed at the head:
1838 Dr. Francis Moore, Jr.
1839 G. W. Lively.
1840 Charles Biglow.
1841-42 J. D. Andrews.
1843 Dr. Francis Moore, Jr.
1844 Horace Baldwin.
1845 W. W. Swain.
1846 Jas. Bailey.
1847-48 P. B. Buckner.
1849-52 Dr. Francis Moore, Jr.
1853-54 Col. Nathan Fuller.
1855-56 Jas. H. Stevens.
1857 Cornelius Ennis.
1858 A. McGowan.
1859 W. H. King.
1860 T. W. Whitmarsh.
1861 W. J. Hutchins.
1862 T. W. House.
1863-64-65 William Andrews.
1866 H. D. Taylor.
1867 A. McGowan.
1868 J. R. Morris.
1870-73 T. J. Scanlan.
1874 J. T. D. Wilson.
1875-761. C. Lord.
1877-78 J. T. D. Wilson.
1879 A. J. Burke.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 43
1880-84 W. R. Baker.
1886-88 D. C. Smith.
1890 Henry Scherffius.
1892-04 John T. Browne.
1896 H. Baldwin Rice.
1898-1900 Sam H. Brashear.
1902 O. T. Holt.
1904 Andrew L. Jackson.
1905-12 H. Baldwin Rice.
CHAPTER TWO.
Some Early Buildings Fall of the First Hotel
First Brick Buildings Public Buildings The
Peripatetic Postoffice Early Fire Companies
History of Early Bridges.
When one reads over the names of the early
Houstonians, it is almost like reading an early joint
directory of Houston and Galveston, for in the
forties many of the men who aided in establishing
Houston were also instrumental in building up Gal-
veston and their names became inseparable from the
history of the two places. General E. B. Nichols
was, after the fifties, one of the most progressive
citizens of Galveston, but to that time he was one
of the pioneer workers in Houston. In the case of
Mr. B, A. Shepherd, conditions were reversed, for
he was first a citizen of Galveston and then of
Houston. Gail Borden, who surveyed the city of
Houston and made the first map of the new city,
was for years a resident of Houston and then re-
moved to Galveston, where he became one of the
most enthusiastic citizens there and prophesied
most of the great things that have been accom-
plished by that city.
The first frame house in Houston was a small af-
fair erected by the Torrey brothers who used it as
a trading post for Indians. It was located on the
north side of Preston near what is now the east end
of Preston street bridge. It was afterwards pur-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 45
chased by Mr. H. D. Taylor and used by him as
a residence for many years. It was one of the most
beautiful and attractive places in Houston, for it
was in the midst of a grove of magnificent magnolia
trees.
On the south side of Preston and on the east side
of Smith there was a single room board house, erect-
ed about the same time as the Indian trading post.
This was purchased by Col. N. Fuller, in 1837, and
he added other rooms to it and built the residence
which he occupied until the day of his death. That
and the residence erected by Mr. A. C. Briscoe on
Main and Prairie were unquestionably the first two-
story houses erected in Houston, and both were
built in 1837, the year after the founding of Hous-
ton. An item of interest is that when the Fuller
residence was torn down a year or two ago to make
place for the great brick building that now occupies
its site, the old and original beams and rafters were
found to be in perfect preservation and resembled
steel beams more than wooden ones. It was with
difficulty that they were torn apart, showing how
thorough and honest were the early Houston
builders.
Th^ year 1837 also witnessed the erection of the
first large warehouse in Houston. This was located
on the northeast corner of Main and Commerce
streets and was built by Mr. Thomas Elsberry. It
was in this building that Messrs. Allen and Pool
did business for many years, and it was there also
that some of the great financiers of Houston had
46 A THUMB-]\ T AIL HISTORY OF
their early training. Mr. Doswell and Mr. Wm. R.
Baker had their first experience as business men
there, and others of less prominence worked for Al-
len and Pool from time to time. All the early cotton
crops of Texas passed through that old building,
for it was the only cotton warehouse here and its
location was ideal for conditions as they prevailed
then. The building fronted on Commerce street and
extended back to the crude wharf of that day. The
bales were simply tumbled out of the back door and
landed near the steamboat, on which they were
rolled by negro deck hands. Transportation by
water was the only way to reach the markets of the
world, and the bayou was of far more practical im-
portance then than it has since become.
While the carpenters were erecting the Allen and
Pool warehouse, workmen were busily engaged in
hewing logs for the building of Houston's first ho-
tel, which was erected on the corner of Franklin
and Travis, where the Southern Pacific offices now
stand.
It was built by Major Ben Fort Smith, one of
the Texas pioneers, and its first proprietor was Mr.
George Wilson, father of Mr. Ed Wilson, who is
still an honored citizen of Houston. This old house
stood for nearly twenty years and then, in 1855, it
fell down through old age and decay. In the Hous-
ton Telegraph of May 16, 1855, is an interesting
account of its fall, and some still more interesting
reminiscences connected with the old building. "It
had been in its day the hotel par excellence of the
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 47
Capitol and commercial metropolis of the glorious
old Republic of Texas," said the Telegraph. "The
President and his cabinet and the senators and rep-
resentatives and officials of the first and second
Congresses had dined there and so, too, had foreign
ministers."
"Rusk, who was a great man before the Republic,
was once glorified at its tables with a sacrifice of
good things fowls at $6 a pair, butter at $1 per
pound, eggs at $3 per dozen and champagne at a
fabulous price per bottle. It has been said that the
dinner was planned to encourage a reconciliation
between Rusk and Houston, and that it was so far
successful that Rusk, in toasting Houston, his old
opponent, said: 'Houston, with all thy faults I love
thee still/ "
"Texas had great men in those days and their
name was legion. It was an insult to take a man for
anything but great, brave, chivalrous and even rich.
Everybody was rich, or in the army or navy or pub-
lic service, which was the same thing. The City Ho-
tel had a barroom, one of perhaps twenty that flour-
ished in the town, where steam was kept up at the
explosion point, and the collapse of a decanter,
pitcher or tumbler, as it came in contact with the
brains of some unlucky devotee of the shrine of
chivalry or bravado, or the kindred virtues usually
worshipped 'when the wine was red in the cup,' was
no uncommon occurrence. Those were the days of
duels, bowie knives and pistols, poker, keno and
faro, when ten, twenty or fifty thousand dollars
48 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
would be lost and won in a night. Texas was the
prophesy of California and Houston a very San
Francisco. No mines were dug, but gold was plenty
and men managed to live without sweating their
brows. If a man worked at all he earned from $8
to $10 a day, but precious few worked at all. Buck
Peters and Jeff Wright were the practical jokers.
Judge Shelby was on the bench and was indicted
by his own grand jury for playing backgammon
with his wife. Gus Tompkins, fertile in expedient,
but fractious, with his big brain and little body, was
a terror to evil-doers. Felix Huston commanded the
turbulent army, Commodore [Moore had not come
to Texas then, and the navy was divided with sev-
eral competent but less ambitious commanders, not
less distinguished among them was our old friend
Boots Taylor, a very Chesterfield in manners.
Carnes and Teel and Morehouse and Deaf Smith
lived in those times with a host of other noble spir-
its whose lights have long since gone out."
"We notice a few survivors of those glorious days
still among us. Col. Frank Johnson, one of the he-
roes of the storming of San Antonio, and the sur-
render of the Mexican garrison under Cos, sat with
us on a log under the very eaves of the old build-
ing the day before it fell, and with him another sur-
vivor, Honest Bob Wilson, who was expelled from
the Senate of the old Republic, but was re-elected
and borne back in triumph upon the shoulders by
an indignant people to the Capitol."
During 1837-38-39 there were a great number
EX-MAYOR H. D. TAYLOR
Pioneer Merchant and Cotton Man
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 49
of houses erected in Houston, but they were all
wooden structures or primitive log cabins. Not until
nine years after the town was established was there
a brick building put up. During the year 1845 Mr.
Cornelius Ennis and General E. B. Nichols erected
two brick buildings on the east side of Main street,
between Congress and Commerce avenues. One was
where the Western Union Telegraph Office now is
and the other was where the Converse building is
located.
Seven years later, in 1852, Mr. Paul Bremond
erected a brick building and the next year Mr. B.
A. Shepherd erected his bank building on the corner
of Main and Congress, across the street from the
present magnificent Union Bank building.
All these first brick buildings were small two-
story affairs, and as small as they were they seem
to have been ahead of the time for in most of them
the second stories were used only as lumber rooms.
On March 10, 1859, the first note of Houston's
real progress was sounded by the fire bell. At the
time it was regarded as a great disaster, and from a
money point of view it was something of the kind,
since the loss was placed at about $300,000, with
little or no insurance. A great fire broke out at mid-
night on the corner of Main and Congress, and
raged for eight hours. All the block on the west
side of Main between Preston and Congress was
destroyed and half of the block on the opposite side
of Main was also consumed. These houses were
SO A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY or
wooden shanties and their destruction was the best
thing that could have happened.
Almost before the ground grew cold again work-
men were busy digging trenches for foundations,
and in a short time several really fine brick buildings
were erected. Mr. Wm. Van Alstyne, father of Mr.
A. A. Van Alstyne, now of Galveston, had the
honor of erecting the first three-story building in
Houston. It was a very attractive building and
stood on the corner of Main and Congress, directly
opposite the present Krupp and Tuf fly building.
But Mr. J. R. Morris out-did Mr. Van Alstyne, for
he put up a four-story iron-front building, not only
the first of its kind in Houston, but the first ever
erected in Texas. The building was in the middle
of the block on the east side of Main, between Pres-
ton and Congress avenues.
It was not a fire, or disaster of any kind, that
gave Houston its first great hotel. During the
same year that the Van Alstyne and Morris build-
ings were erected, Col. Wm. J. Hutchins began the
erection of a large four-story hotel built of brick,
on the historic site of Houston's first hotel. This
was the famous Hutchins House, made famous by
the fact that most of the State associations, societies
and many of the large commercial enterprises had
their inception in its parlors.
To that time and ever since 1837, when the State
Capitol building was erected, which was later the
Old Capitol Hotel, it had been Houston's chief ho-
tel. This was a rather commodious frame building,
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 51
two-stories in height, and stood on the site where
the new 18-story Rice Hotel is now being erected,
corner of Main and Texas avenue. The Hutchins
House was not completed until after the war; that
is, not completely so, and there was a long delay
before it could be used for the purpose for which
it was designed. This historic house was burned
down several years ago and the ground was allowed
to remain vacant until 1911 when it was purchased
by the Southern Pacific railroad and the present
magnificent office building of that road was erect-
ed on it.
During 1859 and 1860 Houston had something
of a building boom and a great many really preten-
tious (for that day) buildings were erected in vari-
ous parts of the city. One or two rather extensive
fires occurred about that time, which cleared the
ground of wooden shacks and enabled the owners
to build more substantial houses, which they did.
During and for some years after the war there
was very little in the way of improvements. During
the war it was impossible to do much and after peace
had been declared the people were too poor to do
anything that was not absolutely imperative. The
skyline of Houston, therefore, underwent no
changes until 1894, when Jacob Binz erected the
first sky* Draper in Houston. This building is still
standing and though there are many others that
tower high above it, it is justly considered one of
the most useful and substantial buildings of its class
in Houston. This building occupies one of the his-
52 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY or
toric sites of the city, for it stands where the first
Land Office of the Republic was situated, when
Houston was the Capital of Texas. Its erection
marked the beginning of a new era for Houston
architecturally, for it was the introduction of the
modern skyscraper, buildings for which Houston
has since grown famous.
Today Houston has more skyscrapers than any
city in Texas and their number is being constantly
added to.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The first public buildings in Houston were the
Count} 7 courthouse and the County jail, erected in
1838 by Harrisburg county, as Harris county was
then called. They were both primitive in every sense
of the word. The courthouse was a double log cabin,
with a broad passage between the two rooms, such
a building as is still occasionally seen on old planta-
tions. The rooms were each sixteen feet square, the
court being in one room and the clerk's office in the
other. The jail was something of a curiosity, being
simply a square log box having neither doors nor
windows. There was but one opening, that being a
trap-door at the top. Access to the jail was through
this trap door. A prisoner was taken to the roof by
means of a ladder. The ladder was then drawn up
and lowered into the jail. The prisoner descended
and then the ladder was drawn up and the trap shut.
It was all very simple, but very cumbersome as well.
Both the jail and courthouse were located on the
Congress avenue side of courthouse square, near the
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS S3
Fannin street corner. They answered very well for
the court needs of that day, but the city and county
soon outgrew them and it became necessary to pro-
vide better and more commodious quarters. The
city having constructed the old market house and
provided quite a commodious city lock-up or cala-
boose, the county solved the jail problem by making
a contract with the city whereby the county was al-
lowed to make use of the city prison as a county jail.
The old log courthouse was still used, however, until
1850, when it was torn down and the first brick
courthouse was erected. The building was placed
almost in the center of the block, but a little to the
Congress side. It was a two-story brick building,
cost $15,000, and was regarded as the finest build-
ing in the country by the early Houstonians.
Owing to poor material, faulty construction or
some other cause, this first courthouse did not stand
long. Its walls cracked so badly and it showed such
evidence of decay that nine years after its erection
it was condemned and torn down to make way for
a second brick building.
The second brick courthouse was erected in 1859.
This was a much larger and more expensive build-
ing than its predecessor. It was placed on the north
side of the square, fronting Congress avenue. It
was really a three-story building for it had a large
basement, which was used for offices by some of the
county officials. The other county officials were
located on the second floor, while the third floor was
used entirely for court purposes, there being two
54 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
large court rooms. During the war the basement
was fixed up for a guard-house, iron bars were
placed in the windows and doors and at various
times prisoners of war, captured at Galveston and
Sabine Pass, were confined there. It was not used
permanently for that purpose, however.
Ten years after it was built, this building also be-
gan to crumble and in 1869 it was torn down and
another larger building was erected almost on the
same site, only a little further back from Congress
Avenue. This courthouse was an improvement over
those that had preceded it and was also more sub-
stantially constructed, for it stood thirteen years.
In 1882 it was somewhat damaged by a wind storm,
and, being rather dilapidated in every way, the
County Commissioners decided to tear it down and
erect a new and finer building. There was a great
deal of friction between the members of the court
over plans and financial matters, but finally every-
thing was amicably settled and the courthouse was
built in 1883. The new building was much more
pretentious than any of the others that had preceded
it and it was evidently better constructed for it
served the purpose for which it had been construct-
ed from 1883 until 1907, or almost a quarter of a
century. In 1707 a special election was held and an
issue of $500,000 of bonds was authorized for the
purpose of building a courthouse in every way
worthy of the great County of Harris and the great
City of Houston. The bonds were issued and the
present magnificent courthouse was erected. It is
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 55
one of the finest buildings of its kind in the South
and would be a credit to a city fives times the pop-
ulation of Houston.
Mr. O. L. Cochran, who has the distinction of be-
ing the oldest citizen of Houston, and who for many
years was the postmaster here, furnishes the follow-
ing information about the early locations of the
Houston Postof f ice : During the days of the Texas
Republic it was located on the west side of Main
street, about the middle of the block between Pres-
ton and Congress avenues. After Texas became a
State of the Union, in 1845, the office was removed
to the old hotel, corner of Franklin avenue and
Travis street. It was then removed to Dr. Hull's
drug store, corner of Preston and Main, the site of
the present Fox building. Then it was removed to
courthouse square and located on the northeast cor-
ner of Congress avenue and Fannin street. It re-
mained here for many years and then was removed
just across the street to the northwest corner of Con-
gress and Fannin. The next move was to the rear
of the Fox building on the north side of Preston.
Then it was taken to the Miller building on the
northwest corner of Fannin and Preston. Its stay
here was not long and its next move was to the Tay-
lor building on the southwest corner of Preston and
San Jacinto. It remained in the Taylor building
until 1890, when the Government purchased the
southeast corner of Franklin and Fannin and erect-
ed its own building there. That building was be-
hind the times and Houston grew so rapidly that
56 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
by the time it was completed, sub-stations had to be
established to handle the business.
In 1903 the Government purchased the block in
front of the High School and erected on it the pres-
ent fine building, which was completed only a few
months ago. Although the building is very large
and thoroughly equipped, Houston has again out-
grown it, and it has been found necessary to retain
the old building, which is to be remodeled, improved
and used as a sub-station.
As told elsewhere, Houston's first market house
was erected in 1840 and stood until 1871, when it
was torn down to make place for the great brick
market erected at such immense cost to the tax-
payers by the scalawag reconstruction city adminis-
tration. This famous building was destroyed by fire
in 1876 and one similar to it w r as built on the same
site, though at a much less cost. In fact, the new
building cost only about $80,000, while the old one
cost $470,000. This new building was also destroyed
by fire in 1901, and then the present magnificent
market house and city hall combined was erected and
today has no equal so far as usefulness, beauty of
architecture and honest construction in the entire
South.
It is a singular fact that Houston formerly had
a volunteer fire company that was older than the
city itself; that is, older than the chartered city. This
was Protection No. 1, which was organized in 1836.
It was not only Houston's first fire company, but
it was unquestionably the first fire company or-
EX-MAYOR JOHN T. BROWNE
A Houston Boy Who Made Good
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 57
ganized in Texas. Houston at that time was only
an aggregation of tents and log shanties, so there
was no great danger of big conflagrations, and
fighting fire was not the serious thing it became
after more pretentious buildings were erected. Still
there was danger and the company was organized
to meet that danger. For the first fourteen or fif-
teen years of its existence the method and appli-
ances for fighting fire were extremely crude, con-
sisting only of the formation of a line of men and
the passing of buckets filled with water. The com-
pany was merely a bucket brigade, but it did good
work. About 1850 the company purchased its first
engine, which was a hand engine, worked by beams
on each side. This old engine was used for many
years and figured prominently at all the early fires,
including the two or three great ones that occurred
in the late fifties. It is regretted that the names of
these early Houston firemen have not been pre-
served.
Protection No. 1 was Houston's only fire com-
pany from 1836 until 1858, when the city having
grown and a great fire having occurred in 1858 it
became evident that better protection against fire
was an imperative necessity. Hook and Ladder
Company No. 1 was organized in 1858 and two
years later, in 1860, Liberty No. 2 was organized.
Then the great war came on and it was not until
between 1866 and 1870 that further additions to the
department were made. During the latter part of
58 A THUMB-NAIL HISTOBY OF
the war the engines were handled by negroes under
control of white officers.
Mr. T. W. House, Sr., who was Mayor of the
city in 1862, organized the first Houston Fire De-
partment. The Department was composed of Pro-
tection Xo. 1, Hook and Ladder Xo. 2, and Liberty
Xo. 2. Mr. E. L. Bremond was made Chief of the
Department, and H. F. Hurd and Robert Burns
were appointed First and Second Chiefs. The De-
partment was not a great success and did not last
long. There was friction between the companies and
so each one pulled out and acted independently and
the Department died a natural death.
It was not until 1874 that another and successful
attempt was made to organize a Department. That
year Mr. J. H. B. House, son of the organizer of
the first Department, succeeded in getting all the
companies in the city to consent to the organization
and he formed a really strong and efficient Depart-
ment. Mr. J. H. B. House was unanimously elected
Chief, and Messrs. Z. T. Hogan and C. C. Beavens
were elected First and Second Assistants, as named.
Mr. House and Mr. Hogan resigned before the end
of their first term, and Mr. W. Williams was elect-
ed Chief , C. C. Beavens, First Assistant Chief, and
Fred Harrey, Second Assistant.
Following is a synopsis of the report of the cele-
bration of San Jacinto Day. taken from the files
of the Houston Telegraph of April 22, 1875. The
celebration was gotten up by the new Fire Depart-
ment:
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 59
There was a great street parade in which were
large delegations from several interior cities, mostly
from points on the Houston & Texas Central rail-
road. Col. J. P. Likens delivered an address during
the afternoon. The following local companies were
in line:
Protection No. 1 Charles Wichman, foreman;
L. Ollre, first assistant; S. M. McAshan, president;
Robert Brewster, secretary; R. Cohen, treasurer.
Hook and Ladder, No. 1 H. P. Roberts, presi-
dent; L. H la lit on, vice-president; William Camer-
on, secretary; O. L. Cochran, treasurer; Dr. Thorn.
Robinson, foreman; J. C. Hart, first assistant; G.
W. Gazley, second assistant.
Stonewall, No. 8 Joseph F. Meyer, foreman;
L. M. Jones, first assistant; F. J. Frank, second as-
sistant; W. Long, president; F. Ludke, vice-presi-
dent; W. E. Smith, secretary.
Brooks, No. 5 I. C. Ford, foreman; William
Alexander, first assistant; J. C. Thomas, Jr., sec-
ond assistant; J. C. Thomas, Sr., president; I.
Snowball, vice-president; S. L. Mateer, secretary;
Thos. Milner, treasurer.
Eagle, No. 7 John Shearn, Jr., foreman; Wil-
lie Van Alstyne, first assistant; Ed. Mather, sec-
ond assistant.
The Telegraph added the following bit of infor-
mation about the companies taking part in the pa-
rade:
Protection No. 1, organized in 1836.
60 A THUMB-XAIL HISTORY OF
Houston Hook and Ladder No. 1, organized
April 17, 1858.
Liberty No. 2, organized 1860.
Stonewall No. 3, organized in the late sixties.
Brooks No. 5, organized in the late sixties.
Mechanic No. 6, organized October 28, 1873.
Eagle No. 7, organized in 1875.
At that time the Department had two steamers,
one extinguisher engine, two hand wagons and one
hook and ladder company. It cost about $9,000 an-
nually to run the department.
The old volunteer department existed as a whole
for nineteen years, then, in 1893, it became a part
pay and a part volunteer department. That prov-
ing unsatisfactory, the city took over the whole de-
partment in 1895, with the result that Houston has,
today, one of the most useful and efficient Fire De-
partments in the South. There are thirty pieces of
fire-fighting apparatus, of which nine are powerful
modern steamers.
In 1875 it cost $9,000 annually to run the de-
partment; today it costs very nearly $125,000.
For some years after Houston was founded there
was little or no necessity for crossing to the north
side of the bayou. Very few people lived on that side
and these came and went on small foot bridges
tvhich answered very well for the requirements of
the limited travel. It is true that there was a grow-
ing wagon trade with other parts of the State and
Houston but this was easily accommodated. All
the trade from the west and northwest came in over
THE CITY OF HOUSTON , TEXAS 61
the San Felipe road. That from the north came
into the city by Stockbridge's ford, which was sit-
uated at the foot of Texas Avenue, while trade from
the San Jacinto and Trinity came by the way of the
Harrisburg ferry. The old San Felipe road re-
mained unchanged to the end, but the trade from
other parts of the State soon grew to such large pro-
portions that the primitive methods of ford and fer-
ry had to be abandoned and in 1848 the first bridge
over Buffalo bayou was built at the foot of Pres-
ton avenue.
That bridge stood for ten years, but was swept
away by a great flood which occurred in 1853. The
bridge that was constructed in its place was remark-
able for its height and length. Its builders deter-
mined that it should not share the fate of its prede-
cessor, so they built its center very high and extend-
ed its ends high up on each bank of the bayou. It
was appropriately named "Long Bridge," and
though seriously threatened by high water on sev-
eral occasions it always escaped destruction. Final-
ly, in the great flood of 1878, it was so badly dam-
aged that it became necessary to remodel it and the
present Preston street bridge is the result. At
about the same time that the Preston bridge was
built a bridge was built across the bayou at the foot
of Milam street and another across White Oak
bayou at the same point the present White Oak
bridge occupies. These bridges were originally
cheap wooden structures, but were remodeled and
iron work substituted for wood, except in the White
62 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Oak bridge. It is utterly impossible to estimate the
value of goods and produce that have passed over
these bridges. For years everything grown in Texas
for the outside markets was brought to Houston
over them, while all goods and groceries shipped
to the interior went out by the same routes. In time
the Preston bridge became of chief importance, be-
cause the section north of Houston became more
rapidly developed and the trade was consequently
immense in that direction.
Of course when the railroads were built, the
bridges were no longer needed for the purpose for
which they were originally built, but by that time
the city had grown and extended so that the bridges
became equally as necessary for intercommunication
between the various section of the city as they had
been for communication with the interior of the
State. More bridges became necessary and more
were constructed until now there are half a dozen
passenger bridges and numerous railroad bridges
spanning Buffalo Bayou, while an immense bridge
is being constructed at the foot of Main street so
as to connect with the Fifth Ward.
CHAPTER THREE.
The First Railroad How Mr. Bremond Accom-
plished the Impossible Railroad Development
Before and After the War Early Physicians
and Lawyers Sketch of the Courts.
Ask ten men and the chances are that nine of
them will say that the first railroad ever built in
Texas had its start in Houston. This is no doubt due
to the fact that the first road that ever amounted to
anything, in the early days, the Houston & Texas
Central, actually did have its beginning here. As a
matter of fact, railroad building began (though
nothing was accomplished) thirteen years before
work on the Houston & Texas Central commenced.
The mistake is quite natural for Houston has been
the starting point for so many of the things that
have made Texas great that it seems safe to credit
her with being the mother of them all.
Now, as a matter of fact, the first railroad con-
struction ever done in Texas, if grading a few miles
of track may be called construction, was at Harris-
burg in 1840. Mr. A. Brisco was the moving spirit
in that enterprise and he formed a company, putting
up as a bonus a number of lots in the City of Har-
risburg. The coirpany he formed had no charter
nor did they try to get one. Their idea was to build
the road from Harrisburg to the Brazos and, after
they had earned enough money by the traffic from
that rich section to justify them in doing so, to ex-
64 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
tend it further west towards Gonzales. A large
force of negroes was put to work grading the road
bed and nearly two miles were completed and ties
purchased for that length of road when it was found
that the cost of the iron rails would be too great, so
the undertaking was abandoned. The next year,
however, they took out a charter under the name
of the Harrisburg Railroad and Trading Company.
Though they had a charter now, they made no fur-
ther attempt to actually construct the road and
everything was allowed to lie dormant until 1847
when General Sidney Sherman associated himself
with a number of prominent Houston and Galves-
ton men, secured the lots offered by Mr. Brisco,
and after being assured of financial support by
New York capitalists, he reorganized the road and
secured another charter for it under the name Buf-
falo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado railroad. That
road afterwards became the Galveston, Harrisburg
& San Antonio railroad of today.
Though General Sherman and his associates or-
ganized in 1847, it was not until 1851 that actual
work was commenced. The preparation of the road-
bed was commenced and pushed as rapidly as possi-
ble, but it was a year before rails were laid. That
part of the work was done rapidly, however, and
before the close of the year the road was actually
completed as far as the Brazos, 32 miles from Har-
risburg. No stop was made, but the road was
pushed forward, and in 1860 Alleyton, 79 miles
from Harrisburg, was reached. Here a halt was
JOHN H. KIRBY
The Man Who Put Houston on the Financial Map
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 65
made and before work could be resumed the war
came on and nothing further in the way of construc-
tion was possible.
The Houston men who had taken a leading part
in the construction of this first railroad were W. M.
Rice, W. A. Van Alstyne, James H. Stevens, B.
A. Shepherd and W. J. Hutchins.
These same men and others had organized a pure-
ly local company at Houston, one year before con-
struction had begun on the Harrisburg road, and
had obtained a charter under the name of the Brazos
Plank Road. Their object was to grade a road from
Houston to some point on the Brazos and then
plank it over so as to enable the ox wagons which
were the only means of transportation in those days
to reach Houston easily at all seasons. That was in
1850, and the work of grading had extended the
it>ad twenty-three miles, though no planks had been
laid, when some of the citizens of Chappell Hill,
Washington County, issued a call for a great meet-
ing to be held at Chappell Hill in the interest of
building a railroad. Houston was invited to send
delegates to that railroad convention, and a meet-
ing was held in June, 1852, at the old Capitol Ho-
tel for the purpose of discussing the question.
The meeting was largely attended, the stock-
holders in the Plank Road project being conspicu-
ous. They had something of a double interest in
the meeting, for while they knew the value of a rail-
road they also knew that a railroad would complete-
ly destroy the value of their plank road. However,
66 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
that fact seems not to have influenced their action,
for they voted for sending a strong delegation to
the Chappell Hill convention. This action was taken
not without opposition, however, for while making
no direct attack on the proposed railroad, Dr. Fran-
cis Moore, the editor of the Telegraph, made a vig-
orous fight for the plank road, which he argued was
a present necessity and one, too, which could be sup-
plied at once, while it would take years to secure a
charter for a railroad and again years to build the
road after the charter was secured.
A fact worthy of special mention is that at that
meeting Mr. Paul Bremond took a most prominent
part in advocating the building of the railroad. This
was his first appearance as a railroad advocate, and
it deserves notice for it was he who was destined to
become the real pioneer in railroad building in
Texas. He had been one of the incorporators of the
railroad chartered in 1848 under the name of the
Galveston and Red River railroad, which road, after
many changes and amendments of its charter, fin-
ally became the Houston and Texas Central.
Mr. Bremond opposed adhering to the plank road
if it was going to delay the building of the railroad,
and advocated speedy action on the latter proposi-
tion. The whole situation was gone over at that
meeting with evident good results, for while neither
the plank road nor the Washington County rail-
road was ever built, there was started a movement
towards railroad building that resulted in work be-
ing actually begun on the Houston and Texas Cen-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 67
tral railroad, January 1, 1858, Mr. Paul Bremond
having the honor of throwing the first shovel of dirt.
Now it may seem strange that any one should
have raised the least objection to railroad building
at a time when the urgent need of a railroad was so
obvious. That, however, may be explained by the
fact that the Houston merchants had become used
to the means of transit then in vogue, namely, the
ox-wagon, and had seen such good results follow-
ing it that they were beginning to feel that they
could do very well without other means of trans-
portation. It must be borne in mind that the wagon
service was not desultory nor intermittent. It was
slow but it was certain and regular. For fourteen
years it had been in force and was thoroughly or-
ganized. Its very magnitude and the numbers en-
gaged in the business rendered the service almost
continuous, and while individual teams might be
subject to unreasonable detention and delay, there
were so many others to take their place that such
gaps were not noticeable.
As remarked, at the date of that Capitol Hotel
meeting, the wagon service had been in force for
fourteen years; had answered very well and met
all conditions except that of speed and it is not to
be wondered at that the ox-team should have had
its advocates among those whose fortunes it had
contributed so largely to build.
The service was indeed of great magnitude for
it extended as far west as the Colorado and up to
Austin ; as far as Waco to the northwest and to all
68 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
points in East and Southern Central Texas. There
were three or four thousand wagons engaged in the
traffic and as each wagon required from sixteen
to twenty-four oxen, an idea of the amount of
money involved may be formed. In those days
every bale of cotton, every bushel of corn, every
hide and everything else raised in Texas for the
market came to Houston while all merchandise and
groceries used in the interior, were hauled away
from Houston by ox wagons. The business was a
gigantic one.
But the success of starting the Buffalo Bayou
and Colorado railroad and of actually constructing
32 miles of it in 1852, was too great a demonstra-
tion of what could be done and it spurred the Hous-
ton people on, so that, as already remarked, Mr.
Bremond actually threw the first shovel full of dirt
for what was destined to become one of the great-
est roads in the country, on January 1, 1853.
The story of Mr. Bremond's trials and tribula-
tions has been told so often that it is needless to re-
peat it here. He accomplished something that was
never accomplished before and has never been at-
tempted since. He built fifty miles of good rail-
road on very little cash and a great deal of faith.
He had absolute confidence in himself and in his
own honesty and, some how, he managed to inspire
others with his own faith and confidence. He was
the first railroad builder to water the stock of his
road, but his method was different from that of his
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 69
successors for he used faith, faith and then more
faith, and that was all.
Mr. Bremond had hundreds of Irishmen work-
ing for him as section hands, and it is no exagger-
ation to say that before the expiration of the first
six months he knew everyone of them by sight, if
not by name. This was not because of any great
democracy on his part nor was it because of the
prominence of what is called good "mixing" quali-
ties in him. It was based on something more rea-
sonable and useful, for it was a measure of self -pro-
tection on his part, for he used his knowledge of
his men to enable him to keep from coining in con-
tact with them. They were so unreasonable as to
want pay for their work, and tiring of promises,
they began to take matters in their own hands, with
most unpleasant effects for Mr. Bremond. No
one ever knew how he accomplished it, but he actu-
ally built the road as far as Hempstead, fifty miles
from Houston, with scarcely enough money to build
ten miles, but with promises enough to have built
the road to the north pole.
When the road reached Hempstead it struck a
rich territory and began doing a large and lucra-
tive business. Mr. Bremond's first care was to ful-
fill the promises he had made to his men, and their
claims were the first that were settled. No man
who ever trusted Paul Bremond, whether willingly
or unwillingly, as those Irishmen did, ever lost a
cent by doing so.
Twenty-three years later, in 1876, Mr. Bremond
70 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
undertook the construction of another great road.
He tried to get sufficient outside backing to en-
able him to build it without any of the friction and
worry he had encountered with the Houston and
Texas Central. His success in getting the financial
aid he sought was only partial, but he had made up
his mind to build the road and he did so. Again he
threw the first spadeful of dirt, and before he got
through with his work, he had added the Houston
East and West Texas railroad to the iron ways cen-
tering at Houston. When the war began Houston
had made considerable progress in railroad build-
ing. The Texas and New Orleans had been con-
structed for about 111 miles, the Buffalo Bayou
and Colorado had been extended to Alleyton, also
about 80 miles, and had been connected with Hous-
ton by the Columbia Tap road which extended from
Houston to Columbia on the Brazos, fifty miles.
The Houston and Texas Central had been extended
to Millican, 81 miles from Houston, while the Gal-
veston, Houston and Henderson road connected
Houston and Galveston. The last named road was
of the greatest military importance and was
therefore kept up, in some way, during the
four years of the war, but it was the only
one. The other roads were, necessarily, al-
lowed to go to ruin and when the war ended
it was flattery to speak of them as "streaks of
rust." The roadbed and right of way were about all
that was left of them. The owners of the roads
were in about as bad shape financially, as were the
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 71
roads physically, with the result that through reor-
ganization and other methods, by 1870 about every
railroad in Texas had changed hands.
With the completion of the Houston and Texas
Central to Denison and its connection there with the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas, thus forming a
through line to St. Louis, and the completion of
the Texas and New Orleans line to New Orleans,
and the extension of the Galveston, Houston
and San Antonio to San Antonio, Houston be-
came a railroad center at once. Then the Inter-
national and Great Northern was built and
since the late seventies nearly each year has
seen additions to Houston's railroads until now
there are seventeen roads centering here and Hous-
ton is now one of the greatest railroad centers in the
country.
It is interesting to note the difference in the rail-
road situation in Texas, and in Harris county, in
particular, since the close of the war. As noted in
the foregoing there were, at the close of the war,
less than 370 miles of railroads in the whole State.
Today Harris county alone has 450 miles within its
limits, valued at $20,000,000, and, of this there is
invested in terminal facilities at Houston about
$12,000,000.
According to the census report there are 2,843
trainmen and clerks and 3,000 shopmen, or a total
cf 5,843 employes of the railroads paid off here, the
total amount of their salaries and wages footing up
$7,000,000 in round numbers. Really Mr. Bremond
72 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
should be allowed to come back to life just to see
what has grown from that first shovel of dirt he
threw up on that January morning, 1853.
The real importance and magnitude of the rail-
road situation is shown much better by the terminal
facilities and trackage of the roads within the city
limits. Placed end to end these sidetracks and
switches would make a line of railroad 275 miles
long, or just about the total length of the Houston
and Texas Central railroad.
The Houston yards of the Southern Pacific road
are the largest in the Southwest, having a trackage
of 131 miles and a capacity of 10,000 cars. The
Harriman tracks in Houston accommodate 123 dif-
ferent industrial plants, handle over 50,000 cars
monthly and employ in that work 547 men. The
round houses contain 72 stalls and 1,600 men are
employed in the round house and shops of this com-
pany. Twenty-two switch engines are kept con-
stantly in use in these yards, taking cars to and from
the industrial plants and in making up trains.
The Southern Pacific has 738 switches in the
yards here. Among the other properties of the
Southern Pacific are water tanks, for the locomo-
tives, with a capacity of 100,000 gallons, and fuel
oil tanks with a capacity of 225,000 barrels. The
pay roll of the Harriman interests in Houston is
$4,000,000 annually.
The Houston Belt and Terminal company's ter-
minals aggregate trackage of about fifty-five miles.
Among other properties of this company, in addi-
H. BALDWIN RICE
The Great Mayor of a Great City
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 73
tion to the handsome passenger terminal and the
convenient freight depots, are a round house and
machine shops, oil tanks and water tanks. Over
200 men are employed in these yards and shops.
The company uses five switch engines, all of which
burn oil. Practically every industrial plant in the
city is reached by these tracks.
The Houston Belt and Terminal company facili-
ties are used by a number of the roads entering
Houston. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas, the
Santa Fe, the Trinity and Brazos Valley, the Frisco
lines east and the Brownsville line all use the pas-
senger station. The same lines, with the exception
of the Katy, use the freight facilities.
The International and Great Northern has fifty-
six miles of track in its local terminals. Its yards
are mostly located on this side of the ship channel,
though several miles are in the north side, where
they touch a number of Houston industries. The
principal shops of the company are located in Pal-
estine, but fifty-seven men are employed in the re-
pair shops here. About 120 other men are employed
in the yards. The tracks of this company touch
eighty-three different industrial plants. There are
twelve switch engines operating in these yards,
which accommodate 2,500 cars. The oil tanks of
this company in Houston have a capacity of 190
barrels and the water tanks 75,000 gallons. There
are six stalls in the round house and 194 switches in
the yards.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas has about fif-
74 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
teen miles of track in its yards here. These yards
have a capacity of 1,500 cars. Forty -three men are
employed in the car department of the shops here
and nine men are employed in the round house,
which has six stalls. In the yards there are forty-
five men employed. Five switch engines are used
in the yards constantly. The water tanks of this
company here have a capacity of 100,000 gallons
and the coal chutes forty tons.
The San Antonio and Aransas Pass has a yard
track mileage of thirteen miles. Over 1,100 cars
can be accommodated in them and three switch
engines are necessary to handle the business. Nine-
teen men are employed in the yards. This company
maintains a freight depot here, but its passenger
trains enter the Southern Pacific depot. This com-
pany is also closely allied to the Southern Pacific
and can touch most of the local industrial plants
on the Harriman tracks.
All the other lines entering this city operate very
little yard trackage, but have agreements with some
one of these roads. The Galveston, Houston and
Henderson and the Santa Fe both have small
stretches of track here, but the mileage is small.
It must not be supposed that land transportation
occupied the attention of the early Houstonians to
the exclusion of everything else. Water transpor-
tation was given a great deal of attention, though
in that direction not so much was required. There
was plenty of water in the bayou to float the largest
steamboats of that day, but there were one or two
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 75
very troublesome features. There were obstacles
to navigation near Morgan's Point, where there
were two bars known as Red Fish and Clopper's
bars. The water was shallow at these two points
and whenever a severe norther blew the water out
of Galveston Bay, these bars became impassable.
At that time there was no remedy for the evil, so
it had to be endured. At this end of the bayou there
was a less formidable though serious obstacle. Be-
tween Houston and Harrisburg, for a distance by
water of about sixteen miles, the bayou was very
tortuous and overhung by large trees. The limbs
of these trees played havoc with the wood work of
the steamboats and sometimes did serious damage
to the boats themselves.
The work of improving navigation of the bayou
was done exclusively by the people of Houston,
without outside assistance. This seems strange, for
among the first measures passed by the Texas
Congress was one setting aside $300,000 for the im-
provement of Texas rivers and harbors. For some
unknown reason no request was ever made for this
money, certainly not for the improvement of Buf-
falo Bayou. The work was rather crude and sim-
ple and was chiefly that of cutting off overhanging
limbs, removing sunHn logs and cutting down trees
that could be gotten rid of in no other way. The
importance of the bayou has always been recog-
nized by the people of Houston first, and then by
the people of Texas and of the Southwest. In the
early days it afforded the only safe communication
76 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
between the people of Texas and the outside world,
and in later days it has been made the basis for ad-
justing fair and equitable freight rates over the rail-
roads. Aside from its importance as a freight car-
rier for Houston, it is important in regulating
freights for the entire Southwest, and that fact
creates interests in the bayou in territory remote
from Houston. Really Buffalo Bayou should have
pages devoted to it instead of this, necessarily, brief
mention.
A year after Houston was laid out as a "city,"
the first steamboat, the Laura, came up here from
Harrisburg, though she had a terrible time in ac-
complishing the passage from Harrisburg to Hous-
ton. The Laura seems to have cleared the bayou
of so many obstructions that after that several
steamboats and sailing vessels came here and soon
there was a regular service established between
Houston and Galveston, which continued for some
years after the war, the railroads finally destroy-
ing the passenger business, and since then the im-
mense traffic, amounting to millions each year, has
been done by means of barges.
During the latter years there were some magnifi-
cent steamboats engaged in the Houston- Galveston
trade, the two most magnificent ones being the
"Diana" and "T. M. Bagby," sister boats which
compared favorably with any of the famous Mis-
sissippi river boats. They were each 170 feet long,
32 feet beam and five feet hold and were furnished
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 77
in the most luxurious manner. Each was a veritable
floating palace.
There are only stray pieces of records and sta-
tistics relating to cotton shipments during early
years, in existence. In 1839 only eight bales of cot-
ton were shipped down the bayou. By 1844 those
eight bales had grown to 7,000. The next year,
1845, a large cotton crop was made in Texas and
the receipts and shipments here amounted to 12,000
bales. Nine years later they had grown to be 38,000
bales and the growth has been steady ever since,
until today Houston handles more actual spot cot-
ton than any other market in America. The local
sales of spot cotton in Houston average about
750,000 each season, while its receipts and shipments
are between 2,500,000 and 8,000,000 bales yearly.
Although there were such men as Ewing, Ash-
bel Smith, McAnally, and others of lesser promi-
nence practicing medicine in the very early days of
Houston there seems to have been no effort made
by them to form a medical association. Ten years
later there were several additions to the medical
profession in Houston. Among the new-comers
were Dr. S. O. Young, Sr., Dr. William McCraven,
Dr. W. D. Robinson, Dr. W H. Howard and Dr.
L. A. Bryan.
More than ten years more passed before a suc-
cessful attempt was made to form an association.
In 1857 the first Houston medical association was
organized. Dr. J. S. Duval was elected president;
Dr. H. W. Waters, vice president and Dr. R. H.
78 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Boxley, secretary. The following was the full list
of members : J. S. Duval, W. H. Howard, Green-
ville Dowell, R. H. Boxley, and H. W. Waters.
The objects of the organization were: "To culti-
vate the science of medicine and all its collateral
branches; to cherish and sustain medical character;
to encourage medical etiquette and to promote mu-
tual improvement, social intercourse and good feel-
ing among members of the medical profession."
The first resolution adopted by the association
was one aimed at the Homeopaths, and was as fol-
lows:
"Whereas, The scientific medical world has
proven Homeopathy to be a species of empirism,
too flagrant to merit the confidence of rational men,
and too fabulous to deserve even the passing notice
of an educated physician, and as we are convinced
that it is a delusion, far surpassing any other ism
known to the world, witchcraft not excepted, there-
fore we will not recognize, professionally or pri-
vately, any man who professes to cure diseases
through the agency of Hahnemanic teachings.
"Be it Resolved, That as a diploma from a reg-
ularly organized medical school is the only evidence
of qualification which our community can obtain in
regard to the doctors in their midst, we respectfully
recommend to the citizens of this flourishing city
that they demand of every man who assumes the
responsibility of a physician to their families, their
diplomas as certificates of their worthiness of pat-
ronage, and that they see to it that they are not im-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 79
posed on by a diploma from a medical society or
a certificate of qualifications as a dresser in a hos-
pital."
Two years later, in 1859, the Houston association
issued a call addressed to the physicians of the
State asking them to meet in Houston for the pur-
pose of organizing a State Medical association.
There is reason to believe that such meeting was
held but there is no record of it. The best evidence
that there was such an association formed is the fact
that Dr. W. H. Howard, who was a member of the
City association in '1859, always spoke of the forma-
tion of the present State Medical association as the
re-organization of the old association.
The following named physicians met in the par-
lors of the Hutchins House on December 8, 1868,
for the purpose of forming the Harris Count}
Medical association : L. A. Bryan, W. H. Howard,
J. Larendon, D. F. Stuart, T. J. Poulson, R. W.
Lunday, Alva Connell Sr., Alva Connell Jr., G. H.
McDonnall, W. D. Robinson, T. J. Devereaux,
J. M. Morris, W. P. Riddell.
After issuing a call to the physicians of Texas
inviting them to meet in Houston, April 15, 1869,
for the purpose of organizing, or rather re-organ-
izing the State association, the Harris County asso-
ciation adjourned and aever held another meeting
until resurrected in 1904, since which date it has
been one of the largest and most useful county asso-
ciations in the State.
The State Medical association was formed in the
80 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
parlors of the Hutchins House, April 15, 1869.
If the early lawyers of Houston had any associ-
ation they have left no record of the fact. There
were great lawyers then and they set a standard of
professional ethics and courtesy which, be it said
to the credit of those who followed them, has never
been lowered. From the earliest date the bar of
Houston has always been great and influential.
Among the big men when Houston was in its swad-
ling clothes were such men as Archibald Wynn, a
criminal lawyer of marked ability ; Peter W. Gray,
W. P. Haniblen, E. A. Palmer, A. N. Jordan, J.
W. Henderson, Benjamin F. Tankersley, Gus
Tompkins, A. P. Thompson, A. S. Richardson
and C. B. Sebin. The mere mention of these names
is sufficient to show the high standing of the Hous-
ton bar at the very beginning.
During and after the close of the war there were
many very brilliant and able lawyers who came to
Houston. Among the most distinguished of these
was Hon. Charles Stewart, D. U. Barziza, John
H. Manley, Frank Spencer, George Goldthwaite,
E. P. Hamblen, W. H. Crank, Judge Wilson,
James Masterson, C. Anson Jones, son of the last
President of the Republic of Texas; W. A. Car-
rington, F. F. Chew, J. C. Hutchinson, Judge
James Baker, W. B. Botts and others of equal
prominence. These as all know, were men of the
greatest probity and honor and would have reflected
honor on any bar.
When the first amended constitution of Texas
COL. J. S RICE
President Union National Bank
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 81
was adopted by the people, it created a criminal dis-
trict court for Harris and Galveston counties.
Judge Gustave Cook was appointed presiding
judge and held the position for fourteen years.
His successors on the bench have been: C. L. Cleve-
land, E. D. Cavin, J. K. P. Gillespie, E. R. Camp-
bell and C. W. Robinson.
The following were the officers of the Eleventh
district court from its organization to the present
day:
From 1887 to 1842 Benjamin C. Franklin,
Judge; James S. Holman, Clerk; John W. Moore,
Sheriff.
From 1842 to 1849 Richard Morris, Judge;
F. R. Lubbock, Clerk; M. T. Rogers, Sheriff.
From 1849 to 1854 C. W. Buckley, Judge;
F. R. Lubbock, Clerk; David Russell, Sheriff.
From 1854 to 1862 Peter W. Gray, Judge.
From 1862 to 1866 James A. Baker, Judge;
W. B. Walker, Clerk; B. P. Lanham, Sheriff.
From 1866 to 1869 there were no elections and
the members of the bar selected the following
named gentlemen to act as judge of the court:
George R. Scott, C. B. Sabin and P. W. Gray.
From 1869 to 1870 George R. Scott, Judge.
From 1870 to 18?2 James R. Masterson,
Judge.
From 1892 to 1896 S. H. Brashear, Judge.
From 1896 to 1900 John G. Tod, Judge.
From 1900 to date Charles E. Ashe, Judge.
82 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The following is a complete list of the sheriffs of
Harris county since the organization of the county
to 1912:
1837-42 John W. Moore.
1842-49 M. T. Rodgers.
1849-54 David Russell.
1854-58 Thomas Hogan.
1858-62 M. M. Grimes.
1862-66 B. P. Lanham.
Note In 1866 John Proudfoot was elected sher-
iff but after holding office for a short time he dis-
appeared and Mr. I. C. Lord, who was city marshal
at the time, was appointed to act as sheriff until
an election could be held. Another regular election
was held and A. B. Hall was elected.
1866-73 A. B. Hall.
1873-76 S. S. Ashe.
1876-82 Cornelius Noble.
1882-86 John J. Fant.
1886-94 George Ellis.
1894-96 Fred Erichson.
1896 to date A. R. Anderson.
The Fifty-first district court was organized in
1897, and since then has had but three judges, as
follows :
From 1902 to 1911 Judge Wm. P. Hamblen.
From 1911 to date Judge William Masterson.
Judge Hamblen having died in office, Judge Mas-
terson was appointed to succeed him.
The Sixty-first District court was organized in
February, 1903, and has had but one presiding
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 83
judge since its organization, Judge N. G. Kittrell.
The Harris county court was created by the Leg-
islature in 1867. John Brasher was elected county
judge and served until 1869. His successor was
Judge M. N. Brewster, who was put in office by
the Republican reconstructionists. Judge Brew-
ster was ousted by the Democrats in 1867 and
Judge C. Anson Jones was elected and served until
his death, which occurred in 1882. Judge E. P.
Hamblen was elected in 1882 and served until 1884.
Judge W. C. Andrews was elected in 1884 and
served until 1892. Judge Andrews was a candi-
date for re-election in 1892, but died just before the
election. On the death of Judge Andrews Judge
John G. Tod was placed on the ticket and was
elected. In 1896, Judge W. N. Shaw was elected
and remained in office for two years, being suc-
ceeded by Judge E. H. Vasmer in 1898. Judge
Vasmer held office for four years and was followed
by Judge Blake Dupree in 1902. Judge Dupree
held office for two terms and was succeeded by
Judge A. E. Amerman, the present incumbent.
The Corporation court for Houston was created
by act of the Legislature in 1899. Before the cre-
ation of this court the city had a somewhat similar
court, the presiding judge being sometimes the
mayor, sometimes a recorder and at others a jus-
tice of the peace. The method was so unsatisfac-
tory that the present court was created to avoid
all confusion. The first election to provide a judge
for the new court was held soon after the creation
84 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
of the court and Judge A. R. Railey was elected
and served until 1902, when he was defeated by
Judge Marmion. When the form of the city gov-
ernment was changed Judge Marmion was elected
as one of the commissioners and Judge John H.
Kirlicks was appointed to fill his unexpired term
and has held office ever since to the satisfaction
of everybody except the evil-doers.
The Houston Bar association was organized in
1870. Judge Peter W. Gray was its first president,
Judge George Golthwaite its vice president and
Col. Thomas J. Whitfield, recording secretary, N.
P. Turner, corresponding secretary and W. C.
Watson, treasurer. The association was oiot
numerically strong at the beginning, but it was
strong in every other way, for among its members
were some of the greatest lawyers in the country.
Today the association is strong in every way and
compares favorably with similar associations any-
where. L. J. Bryan is president; Thomas H. Botts,
secretary and Chester H. Bryan is treasurer. The
association has a membership of several hundred.
CHAPTER FOUR.
Houston's First Newspaper Flood of Newspa-
pers at the Close of the War The Houston Post
Houston Herald The Daily Post and Hous-
ton Chronicle of Toda//.
Before the invasion of Texas by Santa Anna
there was a Mr. Gray who had a printing office,
consisting of a few fonts of type, a dilapidated
press and a few other necessary things at Brazoria.
From time to time he published a little news sheet,
but made no effort to issue a regular newspaper.
About the same time there was a little paper pub-
lished at Nacogdoches, but it was spasmodic, irreg-
ular and not entitled to be considered a newspaper.
With these two exceptions there was net a paper
published in Texas prior to the Texas Revolution,
nor while the Texans were striving to bring about
concerted action against Mexico, except that estab-
lished by the Borden Brothers, Gail and Thomas,
at Columbia, October 10, 1835. The Bordens had
the greatest trouble to get not only material, but
editors and printers, but finally they succeeded,
and on the date named, issued the Telegraph and
Register, which under the name of the Telegraph
was destined to become and remain for years, the
leading newspaper of Texas.
The Telegraph and Register was issued on the
very day that the Texans, under Fannin, stormed
and took Goliad, and as things began to happen
86 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
with startling rapidity after that, there was no
lack of sensational news for the paper. The paper
was of the greatest assistance to the cause of the
Texans, for it did much to concentrate public opin-
ion and to keep the people informed about current
events information obtainable in no other way.
The paper was published regularly from October,
1835, until late in March, 1836, when the Bordens,
learning that Houston had fallen back before Santa
Anna and had crossed the Brazos at San Felipe,
decided to fall back themselves and take their news-
paper plant to a safer location. With great diffi-
culty they managed to move everything to Harris-
burg and had an issue of the Telegraph all ready
for the press when Santa Anna's soldiers showed
up, burned their building and threw their press into
the bayou. Instead of being discouraged the Bor-
dens ordered a new outfit from Cincinnati, and,
some time in August, 1836, resumed the publica-
tion of the Telegraph in Columbia, where the Texas
Congress met two months later. Gail B or den hav-
ing been appointed collector of customs at Galves-
ton and it being necessary for him to make his home
there, he retired from the Telegraph and his brother
Tom desiring to leave also, they sold the paper to
Mr. Jacob Cruger and Dr. Francis Moore, who
moved it to Houston and issued the first number
here on May 2, 1837. Dr. Moore was chief editor
of the Telegraph until 1853, when Harry H. Allen
became editor and proprietor and continued as
such until 1856, when he sold the paper to Mr. E.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 87
H. Cushing, who was one of the most gifted writers
and able newspaper men the State has ever had.
Ten years later, in 1866, Mr. Cushing sold the
Telegraph to Col. C. C. Gillespie, who was a strong
and forcible writer but rather a poor editor. Col.
Gillespie employed Mr. J. E. Carnes as editorial
writer and between the two the Telegraph soon be-
came the leading literary paper of the State. Too
much attention was paid to fine writing and too lit-
tle to news, so the paper lost ground and was about
on its last legs when Col. Gillespie sold it to General
Webb, who published it regularly until 1873, when
the financial panic of that year killed it.
The next year Mr. A. C. Gray revived it and un-
der his able management it soon became the leading
paper of the State again. In its first issue under
Mr. Gray's management, April 16, 1874, Mr. Gray
said:
"The Houston Telegraph is an old and familiar
friend to very many in and out of Texas who will
hail its reappearance as the return of an old, a much
loved and greatly lamented companion. Founded
in the days of the Republic, it was true to the gov-
ernment and to the people, and by its efforts ac-
complished, perhaps, as much as any other instru-
mentality in calling attention to and developing the
resources of this great commonwealth. Under the
control and guidance of such men as Gail Borden,
Dr. Francis Moore, Henry Allen, E. H. Cushing
and others, it has reared for itself an imperishable
monument, by its fidelity to the law, good govern-
A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ment and general progress. * * * It is with no
ordinary satisfaction, and we trust a pardonable
pride, that the present managing editor and propri-
etor refers to his past connection with and present
relation to the office of the Telegraph. Twenty-
eight years ago, when a mere boy, he entered it as
an apprentice. By patient toil and proper pride in
his chosen profession he became its business manager
during its most prosperous period. And when, un-
der the financial panic of 1873, it was forced to
suspend and ceased to make its daily appearance
he mourned it as if a friend had fallen. Since then
it has been his ambition to call the slumbering Ajax
to the field again and bid it battle with renewed en-
ergy for constitutional government, Democratic
principles and the general weal."
Mr. Gray made a magnificent fight to reinstate
the Telegraph in the front ranks of Texas journals,
and from a literary and politically influential point
of view he was successful, but the financial strain
became too great and in 1878 the Telegraph was
forced to cease publication and its pages were closed
forever.
In the early fifties a Mr. Cruger, not the Cruger
who was associated with Dr. Moore on the Tele-
graph when it was established in Houston, began
the publication of a tri-weekly paper called The
Morning Star. This appears to have been quite
an ambitious and prominent paper, judging by the
incomplete files of it now in the Carnegie Library.
It seems that everybody wanted to start a news-
((
II
II
::;:!< a
1311^
I II II II
II II III)
IllfUfllfl
UNION NATIONAL BANK
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 89
paper in Houston after the war, for between 1865
and 1880 there were no less than twenty-one that
had appeared, splashed about in the troubled waters
of journalism and then sunk beneath the waves to
rise no more. Some of them were worthy and de-
serving papers, but the majority of them were catch-
penny affairs that were started "on a shoestring/*
merely to get hold of a little cash from a confiding
public. An exception was the Houston Age, owned
later by Mr. Fourmy, the Directory man at present
associated with Mr. Morrison. The Age became
famous under the editorial management of Major
Dan McGary, and also through the caustic articles
contributed by Col. Dick Westcott, during heated
political campaigns, and all campaigns were that
during the existence of the Age.
In 1880, Mr. Gail Johnson, a grandson of Mr.
Gail Borden, the founder of the old Telegraph, es-
tablished the Houston Post. This paper had am-
ple financial backing and had an able and well or-
ganized editorial and business force. It was a bright,
newsy paper and soon secured a strong foothold in
Houston and throughout the State as well. There
is no question that it would have ultimately become
one of the leading papers of the State but for a
fatal error committed by Judge Johnson, the father
of Mr. Gail Johnson who had founded the Post.
The Judge became deeply interested in the paper,
and, being an ardent Republican, he conceived an
idea that he could make the Post a power in politics
by supporting a candidate against the regular nom-
90 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
inee of the Democratic party. The Judge lost sight
of the fact that Texas had so recently emerged from
the reconstruction, scalawag rule that had cursed the
State, and that the average citizen associated the
name "Republican" with all that was despicable and
contemptible. Judge John Ireland was the regular
Democratic nominee and he was opposed by Col.
Wash Jones, who ran as an independent candidate.
The Post supported Jones, and did so in such a mas-
terly manner as to attract attention and cause a de-
mand for the paper. The circulation increased rap-
idly and continued to increase until the day of elec-
tion. Then Ireland was triumphantly elected and
the bubble burst. The circulation dropped off more
rapidly than it had increased. The paper had lots
of money behind it, however, and continued its ca-
reer just as though nothing had occurred to mar
the serenity of its course.
Mr. Gail Johnson had grown disgusted and had
disposed of his interest to his father, who in 1883
sold the Post to a syndicate of Houston capitalists,
who had conceived the idea of converting it into a
great Democratic State paper. They secured the
services of Mr. Hardenbrook, an experienced news-
paper man, and placed him in full charge, supply-
ing him with plenty of money and giving him a
free hand to do as he chose. Hardenbrook brought
Mr. Tobe Mitchell from St. Louis and placed him
in charge of the editorial room. Hardenbrook and
Mitchell spent money freely and soon made the
Post one of the leading papers of the South. In
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 91
eight or nine months they spent very nearly
000. Then the backers of the paper became alarmed
and one by one withdrew. Then the crash came
and the paper suspended publication suddenly.
The suspension of the Post left Houston with-
out a morning paper and to supply the defect Dr.
S. O. Young organized a company composed of
practical printers and newspaper men and began
the publication of a morning paper which was called
The Houston Chronicle. Mr. Baker, who now
owned the Post plant, allowed the company the use
cf it and also allowed them to use the large supply
of white paper the Post had on hand when it sus-
pended, charging only for what was actually used
at cost price. The Chronicle was not a brilliant
sheet, but it was an honest and fairly good paper.
It was run strictly on the pay-as-you-go principle
and at the end. of its first year, while it had an
empty treasury, it did not owe a dollar to any one.
After an existence of very nearly eighteen
months Dr. Young, who had secured entire con-
trol of the Chronicle, merged it with the Journal,
an afternoon paper owned by Professor Girardeau
and Mr. J. L. Watson. The Journal ceased pub-
lication and the new morning paper was called the
Houston Daily Post. The first issue of the Post
was on April 5, 1885. Effort was made to publish
a more pretentious paper than the Chronicle had
been, but that increased the expense, so that seri-
ous complications arose. Professor Girardeau be-
came disgusted and turned his back on journalism.
92 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Messrs. Young and Watson purchased his interest
and continued the struggle. The loss to the paper
of such a man as Professor Girardeau was a seri-
ous embarassment. However, it was a blessing in
disguise, for the gentlemen were enabled to secure
Col. R. M. Johnston as editorial manager. Colonel
Johnston, as everybody knows, is one of the best
and most practical newspaper men in the country.
In September of the same year, Dr. Young
received a flattering offer from the Galveston
News to become one of its editorial writers. He
gave his interest in the Post to Messrs. Watson and
Johnston and went to Galveston. This left Watson
and Johnston sole proprietors of the Post. They
managed to keep their heads above water for about
a year and in 1886, they re-organized the Post,
turning it into a stock company. Even after that
the Post had uphill sailing for a year or two, but
finally the magnificent ability of Colonel Johnston
as an editorial manager, backed by the absolute
genius of Watson in the business office, began to
tell and the Post became what it is today, one of the
great newspapers of the Southwest.
Mr. W. H. Bailey, a bright young newspaper
man, began the publication of an afternoon paper
called the Herald. This was a regular live wire
and was fully charged all the time. Mr. Bailey
believed in telling the truth all the time irrespective
of whom the truth might be about and he did so in
every issue of the Herald. Xo one was too high
and prominent to escape criticism and censure if
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 93
he deserved them. He played no favorites, but
went after wrong-doers wherever discovered. The
result was almost continual warfare for the first
few months of the Herald's existence, and, what
was more to the editor's satisfaction, an immense
circulation for the paper. Subscriptions and adver-
tisements poured in and the Herald became one of
the leading papers in South Texas.
After a red hot existence of eighteen years the
Herald was finally sold to Mr. M. E. Foster, who
had organized the Houston Chronicle and who
bought the plant and good will of the Herald.
The Houston Chronicle began publication on Oc-
tober 14, 1902, and it is no exaggeration to say
that it was a success from its very first issue. Its
editor and proprietor, Mr. M. E. Foster, was no
novice, having been managing editor of the Hous-
ton Post and having had large experience and train-
ing. He has made the Chronicle one of the leading
State papers and its influence is great both in
Houston and throughout the State.
On May 18, 1880, a number of Texas editors as-
sembled in the parlor of the Hutchins House and
organized the Texas Press association. For four
years the association met in Houston and then de-
termined to meet each year in a different city. From
a mere handful of members at the beginning the
association has grown to be one of the largest and
most important in the South and its annual meet-
ings are looked forward to with pleasurable antici-
pation by the members for they are always most
profitable and enjoyable.
CHAPTER FIVE.
Houston's First Bank and Banker The Great
Banks of Today Houston the Financial Center
of the State Houston's Great Trust Companies.
Houston's first bank was actually one year older
than Houston itself, having received its charter
from the Congress of Coahuila and Texas before
Texas became a Republic. It was an ambitious
corporation, too, having a capital stock of $1,000,-
000, some of which was actual cash, and its charter
made it a bank of issue. Mr. S. M. Williams was
its president and Mr. J. W. McMillan its cashier.
Among the first acts of the Congress of the Re-
public of Texas was a bill for the relief of the in-
corporators of this bank, whereby their vested rights
were recognized and protected. The institution
was not popoular and constant warfare was made
on it. It finally received its death blow when the
Supreme Court annulled its charter.
Mr. T. W. House, Sr., Mr. W. J. Hutchins,
Mr. Cornelius Ennis and others of the early mer-
chants conducted banks of their own in connection
with their cotton and mercantile business. In 1854
Mr. B. A. Shepherd opened an independent bank,
engaging exclusively in the banking business and
this was the first bank in Texas and Mr. Shepherd
was the first banker. The million dollar bank re-
ferred to in the foregoing paragraph had other
features than banking, which leaves MT. Shep-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 95
herd's bank the honor of being the first genuine
bank. In 1873 Mr. Hutchins closed out his bank
and devoted himself to his wholesale business. Mr.
House reversed Mr. Hutchins' process in part, for
while he did not close out his cotton and wholesale
business, he separated them from his bank and
gave the latter more of his attention. When Mr.
House died in 1881, his oldest son, T. W. House,
Jr., bought the interests of his brothers in the bank
and devoted his whole time to its affairs. House's
Bank soon became one of the greatest financial
institutions in the State. During the great panic
of 1*907, due to many complications and circum-
stances, it was forced to close its doors.
The City Bank of Houston began business No-
vember 1, 1870, with a capital stock of $250,000. It
did business for fifteen years, but in 1885 was
forced to suspend payment and went into the hands
of a receiver.
The Houston Savings Bank, organized in 1874,
suspended payment and closed its doors in 1886.
The public lost very little money by the failure of
this bank or by that of the City Bank, which had
occurred the year before. The First National Bank
was organized in 1866 by Mr. B. A. Shepherd and
Mr. T. M. Bagby, the latter being its first presi-
dent. On the death of Mr. Bagby, Mr. Shepherd
became president and when he died his son-in-law,
Mr. A. S. Root, succeeded him. A few years ago
Mr. Root died and Mr. O. L. Cochran, another son-
in-law of Mr. Shepherd, became and is still presi-
96 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
dent. This bank is one of the strongest institu-
tions in the country. Its original capital was $100,-
000. In 1906 this was increased to $500,000. In
1909 the stock was again doubled and in 1912 it was
increased to $2,000,000. Its business has also shown
a phenomenal growth, having about doubled in
three years. September 1, 1909, its deposits were
$4,764,967. September 1, 1910, the deposits had
grown to $6,421,938. Four months later, January
7, 1911, they were $7,953,096. Two months later,
March 7, 1911, they were $8,432,907. On April
18, 1912, the deposits were slightly under $9,000,-
000, or to be exact, $8,973,999.80. The home of
this bank is one of the handsomest buildings in the
city. It is only eight-stories high, but it has an im-
mense floor space, larger than any bank in the
South. It has a fine frontage on Main street and
runs back for more than half a block on Franklin
avenue. In addition to this, it has an ell that ex-
tends from the Franklin side far back towards the
middle of the block. The entire first, or ground
floor is used by the bank while the other seven
stories are used as offices. The building is of rein-
forced concrete, steel structure and is fire-proof
in every way. It has its own water supply, derived
from a large artesian well. It also has its own heat-
ing and electric light plant. There are three large
and rapid elevators and the building is equipped
from top to bottom with every device that con-
tributes to the comfort and convenience of its ten-
ants. The officers of the First National Bank are:
^hs
THE CARTER BUILDING
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 97
O. L. Cochran, president; J. T. Scott, first vice
president; H. R. Eldridge, second vice president;
W. S. Cochran, cashier; W. E. Hertford and F. E.
Russell, assistant cashiers.
It was exactly twenty years after the organiza-
tion of the First National Bank before another was
organized. This was the Commercial National
Bank, organized in 1886, with a capital stock of
*.">(MM)00. This bank did an immense business and
had large deposits. It was recently merged with
the South Texas National Bank.
The Houston National was the third national
bank organized in Houston. It was chartered in
1889, but in 1009 obtained a new charter under the
name of the Houston National Exchange Bank.
This bank has a most extraordinary record. Its
capital stock is only $200,000, while its surplus and
undivided profits amount to three-fourths of its
capital stock. It has deposits of very nearly four
million dollars. The officers of the Houston Na-
tional Exchange Bank are: Joseph F. Meyer,
president; M. M. Graves, vice president; Henry
S. Fox, Jr., active vice president; Joseph W.
Hertford, cashier; F. F. Bearing and W. B. Hil-
liard, assistant cashiers.
The South Texas National Bank was the fourth
national bank organized in Houston. It obtained
its charter in 1890. On March 2, 1912, the South
Texas National Bank absorbed the Texas Commer-
cial National Bank. The new bank thus formed
became the South Texas Commercial National
98 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Bank, with a capital of $1,000,000. Nineteen days
after the consolidation the deposits of the new bank
were $11,000,000, while the capital and surplus
amounted to nearly $2,000,000.
The home of this bank is one of the finest and,
architecturally, most beautiful buildings in the
South. The front of the building is perfectly plain,
but is of the purest marble. There are four col-
umns supporting the main pediment, each turned
from a solid slab of marble, the shafts of each being
twenty -two feet long. The interior of the building
is more beautiful than its exterior. Only the finest
marble and ornamental bronze were used in the in-
terior finish and the result is most pleasing. The
high arched ceiling is an attractive feature. Only
the very best artists and superior workers were em-
ployed in finishing this building and the results ob-
tained by them speak volumes for their taste and
skill. The following are the officers of the South
Texas Commercial Bank: Chairman of the board,
Charles Dillingham; president, W. B. Chew; active
vice president and cashier, B. D. Harris; vice presi-
dents, James A. Baker, John M. Dorrance, J. E.
McAshan, Thornwell Fay and Judge T. J. Free-
man. Assistant cashiers, August De Zavalla, P.
J. Evershade, Paul G. Taylor. There are twenty-
five directors, being the directors of the two con-
solidated banks. They are: James A. Baker, F.
A. Heitmann, Conrad Bering, O. T. Holt, R. Lee
Blaffer, R. S. Lovett, Horace Booth, H. F. Mc-
Gregor, Chester H. Bryan, J. E. McAshan, W. B.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 99
Chew, C. H. Markham, James D. Dawson, J. V.
Neuhaus, Charles Dillingham, Edwin B. Parker,
John M. Dorrance, S. C. Red, Thornwell Fay,
Daniel Ripley, Thomas J. Freeman, Cleveland
Sewall, B. D. Harris, J. J. Settegast, Jr .
Houston's fifth national bank was the Union
National Bank, organized in 1905. This bank
represents three original banks. The Union Bank
and Trust Company was chartered in 1905. In
1908 it absorbed the Merchants National Bank.
When this was done the bank took its present name
and was chartered as the Union National Bank
with a capital of $1,000,000. This bank is one of the
strongest banks in the South and does an immense
business. The twelve-story steel, reinforced concrete
granite and brick building of this bank is one of
the finest and most attractive buildings in the city.
There are twelve stories above ground and an im-
mense basement, thus making the building prac-
tically thirteen stories. The basement and ground
floor are used exclusively by the bank, while the
other stories are devoted to modern offices. The
basement is fitted up as elegantly as other parts of
the building and besides the huge vaults, contains
private rooms for the patrons of the bank. There
are safety vaults and store rooms for the safe keep-
ing of bulky valuables.
The building is entirely independent of all out-
side utilities, having its own artesian water supply,
its own heating and electric light plant and its own
chilled air system for use in the summer. There
100 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
are several large elevators in the building, thus
making access to every floor an easy thing. In-
cluding the ground the building cost almost ex-
actly $1,000,000. The officers of the Union Na-
tional Bank are : J. S. Rice, president ; T. C. Dunn,
George Hammen, W. T. Carter, Abe Levy, J. M.
Rockwell, Jesse H. Jones and C. G. Pillot, vice
presidents; DeWitt C. Dunn, cashier; D. W.
Cooley and H. B. Finch, assistant cashiers.
Houston's youngest national bank, the Lumber-
mans National, seems to have been something of
an absorber and consolidate* itself. It was organ-
ized and chartered in 1907 with a capital of $400,-
000. When two years old it absorbed the National
City Bank and the next year the American National
Bank and Trust Company liquidated and turned
over its business to the Lumbermans Bank. This
bank is one of the strong financial institutions of
Houston and of South Texas, and does an immense
business. The officers of the Lumbermans Na-
tional Bank are: S. F. Carter, president; Guy M.
Bryan, active vice president; H. M. Garwood and
W. D. Cleveland, vice presidents; Lynn P. Talley,
cashier; M. S. Murray and H. M. Wilkens, assist-
ant cashiers.
The fact that Houston is the real financial cen-
ter of the State is shown by the report of the Treas-
ury Department in Washington issued February
20, 1912. In the report the standing of six leading
cities is given and Houston occupies first place with
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 101
a wide margin over her nearest competitor, Dallas.
The figures for these cities are:
Houston Loans and discounts, $22,628,110;
lawful money reserve, $3,728,112; individual de-
posits, $22,425,250.
Dallas Loans and discounts, $17,221,605; law-
ful reserves, $2,021,996; individual deposits, $17,-
556,376.
Fort Worth Loans and discounts, $12,277,281 ;
legal reserves, $1,277,660; individual deposits,
$10,287,269.
San Antonio Loans and discounts, $9,078,658;
lawful reserves, $1,716,011; individual deposits,
$9,105,007.
Waco Loans and discounts, $5,882,276; lawful
reserves, $711,567; individual deposits, $5,118,521.
Galveston Loans and discounts, $3,901,517;
lawful reserves, $764,258; individual deposits, $8,-
609,664.
The foregoing pages tell of Houston's financial
strength, but they tell only one-half of the story.
Banks represent the commercial and business life
of a community, their condition giving in concise
form the extent and volume of trade in a way that
can be understood by all. In the very nature of
things, banks, no matter how great and strong, can
not add to the physical and material growth of a
community except indirectly. Banks prosper by
lending money for short periods on commercial pa-
per and similar securities. Their collaterals must
be such as can be easily turned into cash on short
102 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
notice. Lands, mortgages, vendors lien notes and
such things, considered gilt edge securities the world
over, are not so considered by banks. The law even
goes so far as to prohibit National banks taking
land as security for loans.
It is for the purpose of handling just such busi-
ness as the banks can not or will not handle, that
trust companies are formed. There is an indirect
community of interest between the banks and trust
companies, but there are no conflicting interests.
One represents the financial and trade conditions of
the community while the other represents the ma-
terial growth, expansion and development of the
community. No bank is willing to undertake to do
the many things that modern business methods de-
mand shall be done. Such things are entirely with-
out the province of banks. It is for the purpose of
doing these things that trust companies have been
formed. The trust companies perform a dual duty.
They care for and conserve estates placed in their
charge, and they also afford a source from which
may be obtained long time loans. Usually these
loans are made for the purpose of improving and
developing intrinsically valuable property; the
property itself being taken as security for payment
of the debt. The length of the loan, the rate of in-
terest paid by the borrower and the absolute security
afforded by the property, held as collateral, make
such a transaction a safe and sure investment for
the trust company, while the reasonable interest,
paid by the borrower and the long time given him
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 103
in which to pay back the loan, make the transaction
a very advantageous one for the borrower.
The wonderful growth of Houston during the
last seven or eight years has led to the formation
of trust companies here and Houston now has sev-
eral of the strongest in the South.
The oldest trust company in Texas was organized
in Houston thirty-seven years ago, in 1875. The
history of those dark and stormy days would lead
one to think that large financial schemes would have
no place in them, and yet the Houston Land and
Trust Company was chartered during the darkest
days of the city. It was originally chartered as a
land and trust company and did only a small and
unimportant business for years. In 1889 it was
reorganized and took out a new charter which en-
abled it to do a regular trust and mortgage busi-
ness. It is now one of the most important institu-
tions of its kind in the country and does an immense
and highly profitable business. Its business is
strictly that of a trust company and in no way does
it encroach on the business done by banks. The fol-
lowing was the condition of this company at the
close of business, March 31, 1912:
Capital stock $ 250,000.00
Surplus 340,000.00
Undivided profits 2,980.00
Time certificates of deposit 1,313,364.44
Accrued interest payable 13,063.66
Estate and trust account 104,827.27
Dividend No. 36, payable May 1, 1912 7,500.00
$2,031,735.37
104 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The officers are: O. L. Cochran, president; R.
E. Paine, vice president; P. B. Timpson, vice presi-
dent; W. S. Patton, secretary and treasurer; O. R.
Weyrich, assistant secretary.
The Southern Trust Company was organized in
1909 and began business in January, 1910. Its cap-
ital stock was $500,000, but this was almost immedi-
ately increased to $800,000. The success of this
company has been phenomenal. It is only a little
over two years old and yet it has earned over half a
million dollars and has paid large dividends since
its organization. Following is the statement of this
company at the close of business April 18, 1912:
Capital stock paid in $ 800,000.00
Surplus fund 400,000.00
Undivided profits, net 168,278.21
Trust funds 6,466.10
Reserved for taxes, 1912 4,500.00
Bills payable and re-discounts 140,000.00
Certificates of deposits 177,300.00
Accounts payable 2,438.28
$1,698,982.59
The officers of the Southern Trust Company
are: James L. Autry, president; Travis Holland,
vice president; J. W. Powers, Jr., secretary; Bev-
erly W. Ward, assistant secretary; Ernest Carroll,
treasurer.
The Texas Trust Company was organized in
1909 with a capital stock of $500,000. It at once
established for itself a reputation for soundness
and conservatism, which made at once towards its
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 105
success. The company was in active operation for
slightly over two years and during that time paid
dividends of 10 per cent and accumulated a surplus
of very nearly a quarter of a million dollars. On
September 1, 1911, the Texas Trust Company con-
solidated with the Bankers' Trust Company, thus
making the latter one of the greatest trust com-
panies in the South.
The Bankers' Trust Company was chartered in
1909 with a capital stock of $500,000, and a paid ill
surplus of $25,000. The capital stock was soon in-
creased to $1,000,000. The volume of business done
by this company was very great and its success was
phenomenal. September 1, 1911, the Bankers'
Trust Company absorbed the Texas Trust Com-
pany, at the same time increasing its capital stock
to $2,000,000. This company transacts a general
trust business and is fully equipped in all its depart-
ments to meet the financial requirements of its
patrons. It takes charge of real and personal es-
tates, and acts as executor, administrator, receiver
and trustee.
Following is the statement of this company,
issued at the close of business April 18, 1912:
Capital stock $2,000,000.00
Surplus and profits (net) 881,638.23
Reserved for taxes 12,000.00
Demand deposits 44,102.35
Certificates of deposit 723,496.21
Cashier's checks 4,302.00
Trust funds 900,992.46
Re-discounts . 12,973.35
Total $4,579,504.35
106 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The officers of the Bankers' Trust Company are :
Jesse H. Jones, chairman of the board; J. 8. Rice,
president; Tom M. Taylor, N. E. Meador, J. M.
Rockwell, James A. Baker, A. M. Levy, W. T.
Carter, C. G. Pillot and J. W. Link, vice presi-
dents; C. M. Malone, secretary; F. J. Heyne, treas-
urer and cashier; Burke Baker, bond officer; Wil-
liam Malone, real estate officer; Andrews, Ball &
Streetman, counsel.
The American Trust Company is a young affair,
being only about a year old. It was organized in
1911 with a capital stock of $500,000. This com-
pany has banking privileges and intends taking
full advantage of them. Its business at present is
both bank and trust business and it bids fair to be
one of the strong financial institutions of Houston,
both as a bank and as a trust company. Its officers
are: J. D. Hefley, president; J. E. Duff, vice
president; N. B. Sligh, treasurer.
The Commonwealth Trust Company is Hous-
ton's latest trust company. It has just been organ-
ized, though it has not yet opened its doors for busi-
ness. Its capital stock of $500,000.00 has been
over-subscribed. Its charter is one of wide scope
and gives it large privileges and an ample field of
operation. The charter is that of the First State
Bank of HiUsboro, Texas. Mr. W. E. Richards,
the president of the present trust company, pur-
chased the Hillsboro charter and at once organized
The Commonwealth Trust Company. The officers
of the company are: W. E. Richards, president;
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 107
Exile Burkitt, active vice president; Horace Booth,
Geo. W. Riddle, W. R. Allison, Monta J. Moore,
W. H. Gill, H. H. Simmons, John H. Foster,
John S. Callaway and R. E. Burt, directors.
The Continental Trust Company (without bank-
ing privileges) is now in process of organization,
here in Houston. This is to be one of the greatest
and most powerful trust companies in the country.
The capital stock of the company will be $1,000,-
000.00, while there will also be a paid-in surplus of
$1,000,000.00 The prospectus of this company
gives so clear an idea of the functions of a trust
company, and particularly of the objects of the
present company, that the following liberal extract
is taken from it:
"The Continental Trust Company (without
banking privileges) of Houston, Texas, has been
organized to assist in supplying the urgent demand
for a place of sufficient magnitude and strength to
which application may be made for absolutely good
first mortgage or vendor's lien loans; where per-
sons seeking investments may expect to find good
securities in amounts commensurate with their re-
spective means available for employment; being a
medium where the borrower and investor come to-
gether; also where reliable information concerning
relative values of property may be obtained with a
view of creating closer relations with Eastern and
foreign connections to the end of filling a distinct
need incident to the upbuilding of a country already
108 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY or
demonstrated to be resourceful and rapidly increas-
ing in wealth.
"Practically every city in Texas is experiencing
a large demand for gilt-edge first mortgage and
vendor's lien loans, and trust companies in Texas,
which are only a few in number, are unable to sup-
ply but a small percentage of such demand. * * *
The powers which the company will exercise are
those of the soundest institutions of this character,
omitting banking functions, and especially the re-
ceipt of deposits subject to check. It will act chief-
ly as intermediary between the investor and the bor-
rower, between capital and those who need capital
to develop the resources of Texas. Its profits will
be derived from expert service which it will offer
the investor, together with the assurance of its large
financial responsibility in placing and safeguard-
ing funds ; and to those needing capital, by furnish-
ing a market for securities and rendering assist-
ance necessary to place them in such form as will
make them marketable."
Mr. S. F. Carter, president of the Lumbermans
National Bank; Hon. Jonathan Lane, Mr. John
H. Thompson, vice president and general manager
of the Guarantee Life Insurance Company of
Houston; Mr. James F. Sadler, Jr., and other busi-
ness associates of these gentlemen are prominent in
organizing this company, so it is quite evident tKat
its success is assured.
CHAPTER SIX.
Early Church Services Organization of the First
Churches History of Church Building in Hous-
ton Houston Today a City of Churches.
When the Aliens laid out Houston they set aside
the quarter of a block on the northwest corner of
Capitol and Main "for church purposes." The
gift was to no denomination or sect, but was to all.
A year or two later there was a small building
erected on one of the lots and all denominations had
the use of it. After the State House was built re-
ligious services were held in one of its halls.
While there is a legend that the first religious
service ever held in Houston was under the spread-
ing branches of a tree that grew on Market Square,
in 1837, the fact remains that the first authentic
evangelical service was that which occurred in 1836.
The fact is a matter of record that Rev. Mr. Mor-
rell, an itinerant Baptist preacher, who came to
Texas before San Jacinto, preached in Houston in
1836.
It is rather singular that with all the "hard cases"
that were in Houston in the early days, and the
consequent necessity for taking precautions for con-
trolling them, the first vigilance committee formed
in Houston should have been composed entirely of
preachers and that the object of the committee
should have been to guard the public against being
imposed on by fraudulent preachers. Such was the
case, however, and the "Preachers' Vigilance Com-
110 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
mittee" was formed in May of 1837. There is no
record of their executing any frauds, or of anything
else they did. No doubt their very existence warned
away frauds and thus accomplished what they de-
sired without further exertion on their part.
The first church to secure a permanent foothold
in Houston was the Methodist, which perfected an
organization in 1837, the year after the founding
of Houston. That year the Aliens donated to the
Methodist brethren the half block on the north side
of Texas avenue between Travis and Milam streets.
The establishment of Methodism here was almost
entirely the work of one individual, the late honored
and revered Charles Shearn. Mr. Shearn was a
most earnest and devout Christian and devoted his
life to the advancement of his church. He brought
from New Orleans, at his personal expense, a min-
ister of the gospel, gave him a home in his own
house, and was mainly responsible for the establish-
ment, growth and influence of the Methodist church
here. In later years he gave largely, both in time
and money, to the church cause, and after the war
he built, almost entirely with his own money, the
church on Texas avenue, afterwards torn down
when the site was sold. When the valuable prop-
erty on Texas avenue was disposed of, and, having
money, the congregation determined to build an
imposing edifice, they put up a magnificent build-
ing on Main street and so far forgot their old bene-
factor, in the days of their prosperity, that his name
was dropped entirely and Shearn Church became
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 111
the First Methodist Church. The writer is not a
member of the Methodist church, and probably it
is a bit of impertinence for him to express an opin-
ion on the subject, but the temptation is too strong
to resist. The dropping of the name of the good
old saint who did so much for the church and who,
unaided and almost alone, placed it on its feet and
guided it on the way to prosperity, was an act by
the side of which the proverbial ingratitude of re-
publics sinks into insignificance. The First Pres-
byterian church was organized in the Senate cham-
ber of the Capitol building in 1888. Though a
church organization was perfected in 1888, no ef-
fort was made to erect a church building until 1848.
One reason for the delay was, no doubt, the fact
that the Aliens had stipulated that all churches
should have free use of the site on Capitol and Main
until they secured building sites of their own, when
the property should revert to the Presbyterians for
their sole use. Although, by 1848, all the various
churches did not have permanent homes of their
own, most of them were making active efforts to
secure them, so the Presbyterians determined to
build. Early in the year a canvass was made, funds
secured, and the same year the First Presbyterian
church was erected on Main street near the corner
of Capitol. It was a large frame building, facing
Main street, and was used by the congregation for
many years, or until destroyed by fire in 1859.
When the congregation erected a new building
they used brick and faced the church on Capitol
street. Services were held there until, in 1879, the
112 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
building cracked badly and was declared to be un-
safe. The building was to all intents and purposes
torn down and restored, thus making it safe. The
congregation moved into their restored building
early in 1880, the first sermon being preached by
their new pastor, Rev. E. D. Junkin, who in ad-
dition to being a most eloquent and Christian gen-
tleman, had the distinction of being the brother-in-
law of the famous Confederate General Stonewall
Jackson.
Dr. Junkin's successor was Rev. Dr. Wm. Hayne
Leavell. Dr. Leavell resigned in 1906 and was suc-
ceeded by the Rev. Dr. Wm. States Jacobs, the
present pastor.
The Presbyterians have had fewer pastors than
any of the other churches, yet few as they have had,
they have lost two by sea tragedies. In 1858 Rev.
Mr. Ruthvan was lost at sea. He was going from
Galveston to New Orleans on the ill-fated Nauti-
lus, which was lost in a great storm that swept the
gulf. All the passengers and crew were lost with
the exception of a negro deck hand, who clung to
9 bale of cotton and was picked up by a passing ves-
sel a day or two later.
In 1866, Rev. Dr. Castleton and his wife took
passage out of Galveston in a sailing vessel. From
that day to this not a word has been heard from
them, nor has a trace of the vessel ever been found.
The Episcopal church was organized in 1839,
and had a fairly good congregation at the very
start, since there were thirty-nine adherents of that
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 113
denomination present at the initial meeting. The
early services were conducted by laymen and an oc-
casional itinerant minister, until 1845, when the
members adopted a constitution, took the name of
Christ church and determined to erect a house of
worship. The corner stone for the new building
was laid in 1846 and the building was consecrated
by Bishop Freeman, Bishop of Louisiana, May 9,
1847. There was no regular pastor of Christ
church for several years, but services were held reg*
ularly, lay members and an occasional minister of-
ficiating.
The old church was torn down and another erect-
ed on its site in 1859. In 1876 that building was
torn down to make place for a third church, which
in turn was demolished in 1893, when the corner
stone of the present beautiful building was laid.
Christ church runs the Methodist a close race in
the rapid change of pastors, for up to 1892 there
had been no less than fifteen regular pastors. Tfiat
year, however, something like permanency was es-
tablished and Rev. Dr. Henry D. Aves took charge
of the affairs of the church, both spiritual and tem-
poral. Its great prosperity dates from his instal-
lation in office and during the years of his incum-
bency the most marvelous growth and expansion
were shown. Dr. Aves became Bishop of Mexico
and was succeeded by Rev. Dr. Peter Gray Sears,
who has shown himself to be a worthy successor.
The First Baptist Church of Houston was or-
ganized April 10, 1841. The history of this church
114 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
is interesting, for unlike that of the others, its in-
ception was the result of the untiring efforts of two
Christian women, Mrs. C. M. Fuller and Mrs.
Piety L. Hadley. Soon after the organization of
the church these ladies undertook to buy ground and
erect a church building. They had no money and
met with small encouragement even from their fel-
low church members and members of their own
families. Some one, as a joke, gave them a raw-
boned mule. This they fattened and sold, thus se-
curing a nucleus for a building fund. They then
gave a fair where home-made useful articles were
sold. The fair and the mule brought them in $450.
Then they gave another fair, larger than the other,
and secured an additional $900. With this money
they purchased the lots on the corner of Texas ave-
nue and Travis street, where the Milby Hotel now
stands. During all their labors these ladies had the
untiring assistance of good old Brother Pilgrim, a
pious and devout Christian gentleman.
After purchasing the lots, the ladies wrote to
Rev. William Tryan and asked him to come and
take charge of the church, which numbered seven-
teen members. Dr. Tryan accepted the call, came
to Houston, and it was through his effort that suf-
ficient money was obtained to build the first Bap-
tist church, which stood for many years on the
southeast corner of Texas avenue and Travis street.
In 1883 the property was sold and a new church
was erected in 1883-84. This church was destroyed
by the great storm in 1900 and another was erected
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 115
on the corner of Fannin and Walker in 1903. Rev.
Dr. J. L. Gross is the present pastor of this church.
There were Catholic missionaries here in the very
early days of Houston's existence, but no effort
was made to establish a regularly organized church
and to erect a building until 1841, when a French
priest, Rev. Father Querat, purchased the quarter
block on the south side of Franklin avenue and Car-
oline street. Through his efforts sufficient money
was obtained to put up a small wooden building
and to build another back of it for a school house
and home for the priest. For many years this little
church was used and not until 1869 was an effort
made to secure larger quarters. In 1869 the old
church property was sold and a block of ground
on Texas avenue and Crawford street was pur-
chased. In 1871 the new church was completed and
has been occupied ever since. This church is the
handsome brick building known as the Church of
the Annunciation, and is one of the most beautiful
churches in the city. Father Hennessy was pastor
at the time and has been such all these years, hon-
ored and respected by both Catholics and Protest-
ants.
The whole block is used by the church, the church
edifice occupying the northwest side, while the re-
mainder is given over to elegant school and priest
houses.
The first German Lutheran church was organized
in Houston either in 1851 or 1852. This tardy organ-
ization is somewhat difficult to understand, since
116 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
there were so many Germans among the early citi-
zens of Houston. In 1853 the church purchased
the northwest corner of the block on Texas avenue
and Milam street and erected a very large and im-
posing frame building on the corner lot. Rev. Mr.
Braun was the pastor, and he also conducted a fine
German and English school, using the church
building for that purpose. Among the members of
this church were some of the most prominent and
useful German citizens of Houston.
About 1875 a second Lutheran church was built
on Louisiana between Prairie and Preston. Some
years later both the first and second sites were sold
and new churches erected elsewhere, one on Texas
avenue and Caroline street and the other on Wash-
ington and Young avenue.
From the earliest days of Houston's existence
until in the early sixties the Hebrew congregation
in this city was kept intact through the personal
exertions of "Father Levy," as the venerable rabbi
was called. He was a man of great force of charac-
ter and was honored and respected by everybody
irrespective of creed or belief. After his death the
office was filled by a most worthy successor, Rabbi
Samuel Raphael. Rabbi Raphael had a strenuous
time during the continuance of the war between the
States, but through his fine executive ability and
enthusiastic zeal he managed to keep his congrega-
tion together and the return of peace found it
stronger than ever. Rabbi Raphael was a profound
scholar, an eloquent speaker and a man of great per*
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 117
sonal magnetism. No man, Jew or Gentile, has ever
stood higher in this community than he.
It was five years after the close of the war before
an effort was made to secure a suitable house of
worship by this congregation. In 1869 a building
committee was appointed and in 1870, the corner-
stone was laid for the first Synagogue, which was
located on Franklin avenue. Two sons of Rabbi
Raphael, Benjamin and Mose, were prominent in
the work of building this first house of worship for
the congregation their father had done so much for
spiritually.
The corner-stone for the Young Men's Christian
Association was laid October 17, 1907, and the build-
ing was formally opened June 21, 1908. The
building is one of the finest in the city.
Though it is said the first Christians in Houston
were forced to hold religious services under the
wide spreading branches of a tree that grew on
Market square, their descendants are better provided
for and today, by actual count, there are sixty-six
houses of worship in this city, representing all
shades of faith and belief. Houston is rapidly be-
coming a city of churches. Following is a list of
the churches and chapels:
Methodist Epworth Methodist Church; Harris-
burg Methodist Episcopal Church; Grace Church,
Houston Heights; M'Kee St. Methodist Church;
First Methodist Church ; Trinity Methodist Church;
Bering Memorial Church; Washington Avenue
Methodist Church; First Methodist Church of
118 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Houston Heights; McAshan Methodist; St. Paul's
Methodist Church; Tabernacle Methodist Church;
Brunner Avenue Methodist Church and Eber-
nezer German Methodist Church.
Presbyterians First Presbyterian Church ; First
Presbyterian Church of Houston Heights; Hardy
Street Presbyterian Church; Woodland Heights
Presbyterian Church; Third Presbyterian Church;
Oak Lawn Presbyterian Church; Second Presby-
terian Church; Central Presbyterian Church; West-
minister Presbyterian Church; Park Street Chap-
el; Market Street Chapel; Hutchins Street Chapel;
Hyde Park Chapel and B lodge tt Mission.
Episcopal Christ Church; St. Mary's Episco-
pal Church; Trinity Church; St. John's Church
and Clemens Memorial Church.
Baptist First Baptist Church; Lee Avenue
Baptist Church; Magnolia Baptist Church; Brun-
ner Baptist Church; Calvary Baptist Church; Ta-
bernacle Baptist Church; Emanuel Baptist Church;
Bishop Street Baptist Church; Tuam Avenue Bap-
tist Church and Liberty Avenue Baptist Church.
Catholic Church of the Annunciation; Sacred
Heart Church; St. Joseph's Church; Church of
the Blessed Sacrament and St. Patrick's Church.
Christian Church Houston Heights Christian
Church; Central Christian Church; Second Christ-
ian Church.
Apostolic Faith Clark Street Mission; Brun-
ner Tabernacle.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 119
Lutheran Trinity Evangelical L u t h e ran
Church and First German Evangelical Lutheran
Church.
Christian Science First Church of Christ Scien-
tist
Congregational First Congregational Church.
Evangelical Association The Oak Lawn
Church.
Church of Christ First Church of Christ.
Spiritualist The Spiritualists have a large so-
ciety in Houston and hold regular meetings every
Sunday.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
Some Military History Houston Companies Dur-
ing the War Sketch of the "World Beating"
Light Guard Other Military Companies.
Houston following so close on the heels of the
Texas revolution, it is not surprising to learn that
there was a strong martial spirit among its citizens
and that they should be willing and eager to em-
bark in any military movement that had about it
active or prospective active service. Governor
Lubbock mentions in his Memoirs that there were
two military companies in Houston in the very
early days. One of these, to which he belonged,
saw service against the Indians, but there is noth-
ing to show that the other had active service. These
companies were what would be called State troops
today. In the early fifties there were two mili-
tary companies here, one the Washington Light
Guards which held at that time very much the same
place that the Houston Light Guard holds today.
The other was the Milam Rifles organized after the
Washington Light Guards had been in service for
some time, and organized for the purpose of taking
away from the Washington Light Guards the
honors they had won, which were principally the
smiles and admiration of the ladies. The two com-
panies were about socially equal and there was in-
tense rivalry between them, which occasionally led
to personal collisions between the individual mem-
bers. On one occasion, during a target contest be-
tween the two companies on San Jacinto Day, there
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 121
came near being something of a general riot because
a lieutenant of one company and a private of the
other went to war on their own account over a dis-
puted score.
When the war broke out, instead of entering the
Confederate army as organizations, these two com-
panies disbanded and the individual members join-
ed new companies that were organized. The great
bulk of the members of the Washington Light
Guards joined the Bayou City Guards which after-
wards earned such glory in the Army of Northern
Virginia under Lee, known officially as Company
A, 5th Texas Regiment, Hood's Brigade. In fact
so many of the old company joined the Bayou
City Guards that it was practically the old com-
pany itself. Other members of both companies
joined a cavalry company raised by the late Major
Ike Stafford for service on the Rio Grande, which
was the very first company to leave for the front
at the breaking out of the war. The Captain of
the Washington Light Guards, Captain Edwards,
raised still another company of infantry, while
Captain Ed Riodan took some of the members of
the Milam Rifles and with them as a nucleus form-
ed a splendid company of infantry. It is doubtful
if there was a single member of either of the two
original companies who did not volunteer in some
of the companies that left Houston in 1861.
At that time there was a boys' military company
here, something on the order of the High School
Cadets of today. This company was commanded
122 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
by Captain W. M. Stafford, now of Galveston.
When the war broke out Captain Stafford and
most of the older boys entered the Confederate
army. Captain Stafford was made a lieutenant
in an artillery company and rose soon after to the
rank of Captain, he being, perhaps, the youngest
captain in command of a battery in the Confeder-
ate service.
Another company that distinguished itself dur-
ing the war was the Houston Turners, composed
almost, if not entirely, of members of the Turn-
verein association. This company was organized
and commanded by Captain E. B. H. Schneider
and saw much active service, giving a good account
of itself on several bloody fields.
The Confederate Grays was a fine infantry com-
pany from Houston that saw much active service,
first at Shiloh under Johnston and afterwards in the
campaign in Mississippi and at Vicksburg. After
the capture of Vicksburg they were exchanged and
transferred to this side of the river.
When the war began it was looked on as a joke
and there was much joking at the enthusiastic
eagerness of the young men to get to the front.
The Bayou City Guards was christened "The
kid glove gentry," and when the company was
ordered to Camp Van Dorn, below Harrisburg,
for the purpose of being mustered into the service,
preparatory to going to Virginia, Mr. T. W.
House, Sr., sent them a big box of white kid gloves.
The members put them on their bayonets and
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 123
marched up Main street with them thus displayed.
Afterwards when the accomplishments of this com-
pany in the army of Northern Virginia began to
be known and bragged about, Mr. House was very
proud of the "Kid glove gentry," and told fre-
quently of how he had fitted them out for war with
kid gloves.
Having had four years of actual warfare there
was not much martial spirit left in the young men
who returned home after the surrender, consequently
there was no talk of organizing a company of play
soldiers and the average returned veteran would
shy at the sight of a sword or musket. However,
there was a new crop of young men coming to the
front and in 1878 some of these got together and
organized the Houston Light Guard, a military
company destined to shed as much honor and fame
on Houston during peace times as the others had
done during war. The Houston Light Guard was
organized April 21, 1878. Captain Fairfax Gray,
a member of the United States Navy before the
war and a distinguished officer in the Confederate
army, was the first Captain of the company. For
some reason the members soon lost interest and the
organization practically ceased to exist. There were
no meetings held from the first one until late in the
fall of the same year, when some of the most zeal-
ous of the young men got together and determined
to reorganize the company. This they did, elect-
ing J. R. Coffin captain. From that meeting dates
the success of the Light Guard. Captain Coffin
124 A THUMB-XAIL HISTORY OF
began regular drills and soon had the company in
such form as to make a creditable showing as sol-
diers. The boys purchased uniforms, which were
Confederate gray, and appeared in them for the
first time in the great carnival of King Comus in
February, 1874.
Four months later when the May Volksf est was
held the Light Guard entered their first competi-
tive drill, meeting four companies from outside
points. The entering was all they did for they got
no prize, but did get experience.
The next year under Captain Joe Rice they won
their first prize at the Austin drill, it being a sword
valued at $500.
About that time there seems to have been a gen-
eral revival of the martial spirit throughout the
country and each city strove to secure a crack mili-
tary company. All over the South and in many
of the Northern and Western cities military com-
panies were formed. While there was lots of pleas-
ure and sport in indulging in this fad it was very
expensive, since the heavy expense fell on the indi-
vidual members. Each company paid its own
traveling expenses, for its uniforms and for every
thing except its guns which were furnished by the
State government. Interstate drills became all the
rage and in 1881 the Houston Light Guard entered
its first one at Xew Orleans where it competed
against some of the crack companies of the South.
The Light Guard took iYuirtk prize, $500.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 125
Their next appearance was in 1882 at the Inter-
state drill that was held at Nashville, Term. There
were five companies competing and the Light
Guard took fourth prize again. However, they
had the satisfaction of beating the Lawrence Rifles,
a company that had come all the way from Boston,
Mass. Beating that Boston company gave them
the only bit of satisfaction they had.
However, the Light Guard were as strong in de-
feat as they afterwards proved themselves to be in
the hour of victory. Captain Thomas Scurry was
their commander and he determined to make them
world-beaters, and did so before he completed his
work. In the face of two or more failures they be-
came more determined than ever and they were loy-
ally backed by the business men of Houston.
In 1884 the business men raised a large sum of
money to be used as prizes and to pay other ex-
penses and issued invitations to all the military com-
panies in the United States to come to Houston
for a great interstate drill. A number of crack com-
panies promptly accepted the invitation. The War
Department at Washington appointed three army
officers to attend the drill, act as judges and make
a report of results to the Department. Mr. H.
Baldwin Rice was appointed manager of the drill,
which took place at the Fair Grounds, where now
stands the "Fair Grounds Addition." The drill
lasted a week. The first prize was $5,000. From
that sum the prizes were reduced so that the last
prize was only about one-quarter of that amount.
126 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
There was a State as well as an Interstate drill held
at the same time. In the Interstate drill were such
companies as the Treadway Rifles of St. Louis ; the
Columbus Guards of Columbus, Ga.; the Mont-
gomery Greys of Montgomery, Ala. ; the Washing-
ton Guards of Galveston, Texas, and the Houston
Light Guard. The Houston Light Guard put up
one of the most perfect drills that had ever been wit-
nessed. They took first prize easily as the following
report of the army officers who were judges, shows:
Omitting figures grading the various parts of the
drill the totals were as follows :
Houston Light Guard, 2.66; Treadway Rifles,
2.55 ; Columbus Guards, 2.35 ; Mobile Rifles, 2.29 ;
Montgomery Greys, 2.28; Washington Guards,
1.95. A perfect drill would have given 3.00, the
maximum score.
To show how perfectly the Light Guard drilled,
the following extract from the report of the judges
is given:
"Houston Light Guard It is observed that the
inspection was nearly perfect. The appearance of
the men in their dress, arms and accoutrements and
their neatness, exceeded anything we have seen any-
where each man like a color man at the United
States Military Academy at West Point. Captain
Scurry had not proceeded far in the programme
when, while wheeling his company from column of
twos, improperly, the company was placed in a posi-
tion from which it was almost impossible to extri-
cate it, except as done, exhibiting great presence of
mind on the captain's part.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 127
"Captain Scurry's appreciation of the pro-
gramme and its requirements was superior to that
of the other commanders.
"The ground was laid out with the view to testing
the length and cadence of the step in quick and
double time. A company marching as contem-
plated in the method applied would take the fol-
lowing number of steps in quick and double time,
and in the time specified. In quick time, 284 steps
in 2 minutes and 35 seconds; in double time, 284
steps in one minute and 26 seconds. The Houston
Light Guard made the following record : In quick
time, 288 steps in 2 minutes and 85 seconds; in
double time, 1 minute and 27. Aside from all prac-
tice in this particular, the result was almost phe-
nomenal. Captain Scurry was the only one who
marched upon the flag with guide to the left as di-
rected by the judges."
The Houston Light Guard generously offered to
turn over the $5,000 first prize to the visiting com-
panies to help pay their expenses, but the offer was
refused with thanks, of course.
During 1885 the Houston Light Guard, under
the able leadership of Captain Scurry, won three
first prizes in interstate contests. These footed up
$12,000. The first was at Mobile, Alabama, in May
and the second a few days later in New Orleans.
The third was in Philadelphia in July at the great
drill that was held in Fairmount Park. In this drill
and encampment nearly every section of the coun-
try was represented, there being seventy-five com-
128 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
panics there, about one-half of them entering the
interstate contest. The Houston Light Guard was
an easy winner, the judges stating that there was
enough room between their score and that of their
nearest competitor to place three or four companies.
From Philadelphia the company went to New
York, where they were royally entertained by the
famous New York regiments. It is only an act of
justice to give here the names of the officers and
men who made the Houston Light Guard "World
Beaters." They were:
Captain, Thos. Scurry; 1st Lieutenant, F. A.
Reichardt; 2nd Lieutenant, T. H. Franklin; 3rd
Lieutenant, Spencer Hutchins; Quartermaster, W.
A. Childress; Surgeon, Dr. S. O. Young; 1st Ser-
geant, George L, Price; 2nd Sergeant, R. A.
Scurry; 1st Corporal, H. D. Taylor; 2nd Corporal,
W. K. Mendenhall; 3rd Corporal, George N. Tor-
rey.
Privates Byers, Barnett, Bates, Bull, Byres,
Cook, Dealy, Foss, Golihart, Hodgson, Hutchins,
Heyer, Reynaud, Swanson, Johnson, Journey, Wil-
son, R. Kattman, E. Kattman, Lewis, Mahoney,
Mitchell, McKeever, Powell, Randolph, Steel, Saw-
yer, Sharpe, Tyler, Taft, Taylor, Torrey, Wisby.
Perpetual drummer, John Sessums (colored).
The next great victory of the Light Guard was
at Galveston in 1886, where they took the first prize,
a purse of $4,500, in competition with such com-
panies as the Montgomery True Blues, San An-
tonio Rifles, Branch Guards of St. Louis, Company
THE BENDER HOTEL
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 129
F, Louisville Legion and Belknap Rifles of San
Antonio. That drill of the Light Guard was the
most perfect ever witnessed in the United States
and excited widespread wonder and admiration
among military men and the general public.
The Light Guard went to Austin in 1888 and
took first prize, $5,000, in competition with some of
the crack companies of the United States. The
next year Galveston had another great interstate
drill and in order to not bluff off other companies
the Galveston people barred the Houston Light
Guard, thus paying them the highest compliment
they ever received. They gave the Light Guard
a special prize of $500 for an exhibition drill.
The Houston Light Guard showed that they
were not merely fancy soldiers when the war with
Spain began. They volunteered promptly and un-
der command of Captain George McCormick, went
to the front. They saw service in Florida and Cuba.
When peace negotiations began, Captain McCor-
mick returned home and R. A. Scurry became cap-
tain of the company, returning home with it soon
after. The Light Guard owns its armory, the hand-
somest in the State. It was paid for partly with
money won as prizes and partly by issuing bonds.
The property, being in the business section of the
city, has become extremely valuable and could be
disposed of today at many times its cost to the com-
pany.
The following are the captains who have com-
manded the Houston Light Guard from its organi-
130 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
zation to the present day: Fairfax Gray, John
Coffin, Joe S. Rice, George Price, James S. Ba-
ker, Jr., Thomas Scurry, F. A. Reichardt, George
McCormick, R. A. Scurry, C. Hutchinson, Milby
Porter and Dallas J. Mathews, the present able cap-
tain.
Troop A has always been the crack troop of
cavalry of the Texas National Guards. This is a
Houston company and during the war with Spain
was part of the First Texas Cavalry, United States
Volunteers.
The Jeff Miller Rifles, which belonged to the
Second Infantry regiment, was also a noted com-
pany, that saw service during the skirmish with
Spain.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
Houston's First Sawmill The First Cotton Com-
press Early Foundries Ice Making Meat
Packeries The Big Establishments of Today.
While there was quite a large sawmill and grist-
mill, blacksmith shop and lumber yard at Harris-
burg, established there by Mr. Robert Wilson, the
father of the late Mr. Jas. T. D. Wilson, who came
to Texas in 1828, it would not be exactly fair to
claim these as the first Houston manufacturing en-
terprises. The first, strictly Houston concern in
the manufacturing line, if a sawmill falls under
that head, was the old sawmill that stood just about
where the Milam street bridge crosses Buffalo
Bayou. That mill was built in the early forties.
Mr. Kl im Stockbridge built a cornmeal mill at
the foot of Texas avenue in 1844. The Morning
Star was greatly pleased with this evidence of prog-
ress and gave quite a glowing account of the mo-
tive power which was three oxen on a treadmill.
During the same year Mr. N. T. Davis erected
the first compress in Houston. The Morning Star
speaking of this compress in its issue of March 11,
1844, says: "A few days ago we visited the cotton
compress lately erected in this city by Mr. N. T.
Davis, and were agreeably surprised to find that
the machine used for compressing cotton bales ad-
mirably answers the purposes for which it was con-
structed. With the aid of only two hands, Mr.
Davis can compress a bale of 500 pounds into a
132 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
space only 22 inches square in 15 minutes. The fa-
cility with which the work is done is truly surpris-
ing." Since the best modern compress can turn
out a 500-pound bale compressed into a space of
22 cubic feet, it is evident that the editor of the Star
got his notes mixed when he wrote of "22 square
inches."
In 1845 there was a rope-walk on the block now
owned by the Houston Turnverein. It was used
for manufacturing rope until about 1853 or 54. The
first iron foundry was established in Houston in
1851 by Mr. Alex McGowan on the north side of
Buffalo Bayou and on the banks of White Oak
Bayou. For the first year or two its principal work
was in making kettles for the sugar plantations near
here and in constructing light machinery for farm
and plantation use. However, after the Houston
and Texas Central road began operation the work
of the foundry increased and it was kept busy doing
repair work for the road. For several years this
foundry was the largest and best in Texas and did
an immense amount of all kinds of foundry work.
Even during the war it was enabled to continue a
regular foundry business, something that others
were not able or willing to do. About 1858 or 59,
one of the best and most expert f oundrymen in the
business came here from the North. This was Mr.
Cushman, the owner and manager of Cushman's
Foundry, which was located on the south side of
the west end of Preston avenue bridge. Mr. Cush-
man put up extensive buildings and established suit-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 133
able machinery for doing all kinds of pattern-mak-
ing and foundry work. About the time he got
everything going smoothly, the war came on and as
his workmen volunteered almost to a man, in the
Confederate army, he was left with an expensive
plant on his hands and no labor to use it. He strug-
gled along in a hap-hazzard way for awhile and then
converted his plant into an arsenal and began man-
ufacturing cannon, shells and such things for the
Confederate government. The commander of this
department detailed skilled mechanics to do the
work and before long Cushman's Foundry became
one of the most important concerns in the State.
After the war Mr. Cushman restored his plant to
its original use and did a large foundry business
for many years, finally disposing of the plant.
Perhaps the most successful manufacturing en-
terprise from an insignificant beginning is the Dick-
son Car Wheel Works. When Mr. Dickson first
announced that he was going to manufacture car
wheels here he was laughed at and certain defeat
was predicted. He persisted, however, and today
the Dickson Car Wheel Works are among the
largest and most profitable establishments of that
character in the South. There is a steady and con-
stantly growing demand for their output.
The first artificial ice made in Houston was at a
plant established by Dr. Pearl, who was associated
with two young Englishmen. These gentlemen
established an ice-making plant and also a meat
packery on the Bayou below the city in 1869. Lack
134 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
of experience, being rather in advance of the times
and other causes combined to frustrate their designs
and after a year or two of hopeless struggle the
plant proved a failure and went out of business in
1873.
During 1875, Mr. E. W. Taylor and one or two
associates bought some of the abandoned machin-
ery of the Pearl plant and established a regular
packery. The next year Mr. Geiselman estab-
lished another packery, and both of them did a good
business for some years. The transportation facili-
ties were unsatisfactory and that limited the field
of operation of the two plants to such an extent
that both voluntarily went out of business. Not
until 1894 did Houston come to the front as a pack-
ing house center. That year the Houston Packing
Company's plant was established here. This is the
largest independent packing house in the United
States and does a business of about $4,000,000 an-
nually.
Both the Swift and Armour companies main-
tain branches here and own their own buildings.
Every large packing house in the United States
has either a branch office or agency in Houston,
being induced to come here by Houston's admira-
ble facilities for receiving and distributing their
products.
The packing house part of the Pearl plant hav-
ing been, in a measure, resurrected through the ef-
forts of Mr. Taylor and his associates, one would
have supposed that attention would have been given
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 135
to ice-making also. That was not true, however, for
it was not until 1880 that an ice manufacturing
plant was established. That was the Central Ice
Company, organized by Mr. Hugh Hamilton. The
first machinery was a dilapidated and abandoned
ice machine. This is today one of the largest and
most successful plants in the State. The American
Brewing Company is another large and flourishing
concern. It was chartered in 1894 and its principal
owner is Mr. A. Busch of St. Louis.
Today Houston has a number of large ice-mak-
ing plants, the chief being the Houston Packing
Company, the Henke Artesian Ice and Refriger-
ating Company, the Crystal Ice and Fuel Company
and the Irvin Ice Factory.
Shortly after the close of the war one or two at-
tempts were made to establish cotton mills here.
Not until 1872 was the movement successful. In
that year the City Cotton Mills were erected in
the Second ward. Mr. B. A. Shepherd was the
principal stockholder, owning slightly more than
half of the stock. The mill was just beginning to
do a good business, when, in August, 1875, it was
destroyed by fire. The loss was complete, being
$200,000, with no insurance.
A few years later Mr. E. H. Gushing and Mr.
James F. Dumble started another cotton mill out
at Eureka, five miles from Houston on the Hous-
ton & Texas Central railroad, but after a struggling
existence of a year or two, they were forced to
abandon the undertaking.
136 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
From that time until 1903 no further attempt
was made to build cotton or textile mills here. How-
ever, in 1903, the Oriental Textile Mills were estab-
lished, and this institution now ranks among the
largest and most successful textile mills in the
United States.
At the close of the war there were several small
wagon and vehicle manufacturing concerns estab-
lished here, and there were also one or two planing
mills and sash factories. The planing mills and
sash factories of Bering & Cortes and of Henry
House were the principal ones, and both did an im-
mense business. As remarked, the manufacture of
wagons, while one of the earliest of Houston's
manufacturing enterprises, was never carried on
extensively until a year or two ago, when in 1910,
the Eller Wagon Works were established here.
This concern does an immense business and manu-
factures heavy trucks, oil-tank wagons and such
things, which are distributed over the State.
Aside from having several skillful cabinet makers
who did fine work, but only in a small way, no at-
tention was paid to the manufacture of furniture
on a large scale until in 1904, when the Myers-
Spalti Company established their plant here. This
is one of the largest and most prosperous plants of
its kind in the country. The firm makes any and
everything in the way of furniture, and employ
only the best and most expert workmen. They
have branch offices in all the leading markets, and
the amount of their business is immense.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 137
A fact not generally known is that Houston has
the only piano and organ manufacturing plant in
the South. It was established here in 1909 and is
now doing a good and lucrative business, the work
turned out by them being of the highest order of
excellence.
Houston's standing and importance as a manu-
facturing point are well shown by the United States
Census Report. Following are the figures for
Houston, for 1909, the year when the figures were
taken by the government:
Number of establishments, 249 ; capital invested,
$16,594,000; cost of material used, $14,321,000;
salaries and wages, $4,254,000; miscellaneous ex-
penses, $1,942,000; value of products, $23,016,000;
value added by manufacture, $8,695,000; number
of salaried officers and clerks, 725; average num-
ber of wage earners, 5338; total number of steam
laundries, '9; capital invested in laundries, $270,-
000; cost of material used, $74,000; salaries and
wages, $256,000; miscellaneous expenses, $129,000;
value of products, $500,000; number of salaried
officers and clerks, 34; average number of wage
earners, 422.
When the government figures were taken in
1909 comparison was made with those of 1904 to
show percentage of increase and decrease. The
comparisons for Houston are as follows:
Increase in cost of material used, 88 per cent ; in-
crease in capital invested, 87 per cent; increase in
number of salaried officers and clerks, 75 per cent ;
138 A THUMB-]\ T AIL HISTORY OF
increase in miscellaneous expenses, 72 per cent; in-
crease in value of products, 70 per cent; increase
in value added by manufacture, 46 per cent; in-
crease in salaries and wages, 24 per cent; increase
in number of establishments, 19 per cent; increase
in average number of wage earners employed dur-
ing the year, 6 per cent.
In many waj^s Houston is an ideal point for man-
ufacturing enterprises. An inexhaustible supply
of the purest artesian water can be obtained any-
where in or for miles around the city, while the
question of fuel is almost as easily solved, since
Houston is just on the edge of the great oil field
and is connected by pipe lines with all the fields as
far north as Oklahoma. Water can be had at the
small cost of sinking a well, while there is an abund-
ance of the best and cheapest fuel. When to these
advantages is added the superb transportation fa-
cilities possessed by Houston, it is surprising that
there are not a hundred-fold more great manufac-
turing enterprises here than there are.
CHAPTER NINE.
Early Literary Efforts Splendid Work Done by
the Ladies Sketch of the Houston Lyceum
and the Carnegie Library Labor Organizations
and Their Work.
Perhaps no city in the United States had among
its early settlers so many prominent and distin-
guished men as had Houston. As a rule, new cities
as well as new countries are settled by pioneers who
are distinguished more for their brawn and muscle
than for their culture and intelligence. Hard
work, requiring strength and endurance counts for
more in a new country than courtly manners and
scientific ability. These latter belong rather to the
children of pioneers than to the pioneers them-
selves. Houston affords a striking exception to
this rule, for among her early settlers were some of
the greatest, most prominent and intellectual men
in America. This was as true of the foreign ele-
ment as of the native-born Americans; in fact the
latter, as a whole, contrasted rather unfavorably
with the distinguished Germans who were among
the first settlers. While the Americans excelled,
naturally, in statecraft and in the legal and med-
ical professions, being far more accustomed to the
needs, requirements and customs of this country than
their foreign friends and associates, yet the latter
contributed more largely to the arts, sciences and
general literature and thus, between the two, Hous-
140 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ton was placed on a most advantageous plane at the
very beginning.
It must not be supposed that the learned profes-
sions, the arts or anything that related to literature
occupied the stage to the exclusion of everything
else, for that was far from true. There were lots
of typical pioneers, rough men, but all men; and
in addition to these there were typical "bad men"
and toughs. These latter were in a woeful minority
and in the mass of citizens, were too few and insig-
nificant to stamp their individuality on the com-
munity.
While Houston and Galveston have always been
strong business rivals and have never failed to give
each other commercial black eyes when opportunity
presented, still the people of both cities have always
been the best of friends in a social way and have
done much good for each other. The first literary
society, lyceum or what ever it was called, in Texas
was located in Galveston in the early forties. While
nominally a Galveston institution this society was
loyally supported by Houstonians who contributed
regularly to the monthly entertainments that were
given.
In 1848 the Houston Lyceum was chartered.
Almost before it was born it went to sleep and did
not wake until 1854. That year it was revived and
showed considerable animation for awhile but soon
lapsed into inocuous desuetude. At that time 382
volumes had been gotten together and a bookcase
had been purchased.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 141
For a short time considerable interest was taken
in the affairs of the Lyceum by the gentlemen hav-
ing its management in hand, but these soon grew
weary and the Lyceum was allowed to die again.
During the war nothing was, or could be, done, but
at the close of the war an attempt was made to re-
vive interest in it, but with only partial success.
Spasmodic attempts were made to establish the
Lyceum firmly on its feet, but it was not until 1895
that such an attempt was crowned with success.
In that year Mrs. Looscan, president of the La-
dies Reading Club, brought that Club to the assist-
ance of the Lyceum. Every member of the Club
became a member of the Lyceum and the books
were removed to a room in the Mason building.
Through the efforts of these ladies the city offi-
cials were induced to give official recognition to
the Lyceum in 1899 and to make an appropria-
tion of $200 monthly for its support. The next
year Mr. Carnegie gave $50,000 for a building
fund, providing the city would donate a suitable
building site. The conditions were complied with
and the present library building was formally
opened to the public in March, 1904. In 1900 the
Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Association was
chartered and took the place of the old Houston
Lyceum. About the same time Mr. N. S. Mel-
drum endowed the children's department with
$6,000 as a memorial to Norma Meldrum.
Miss Julia Ideson, the librarian, stated in her re-
port for 1904 that there had been 59,751 books with-
142 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
drawn from the library for home use. At that
time there were between eight and nine thousand
volumes in the library. In her report for the mu-
nicipal year ending February 29, 1912, Miss Ideson
says: "The circulation from the main library
amounted to 102,580 volumes, an increase of more
than 8,000 volumes over the circulation of last year.
In addition to the above 5,177 books have been dis-
tributed through the other distributing agencies."
There were in the library May 1, 1911, 31,678
volumes. During the year just closed there was a
net gain of 3,657 volumes making the total number
of volumes in the library May 1, 1912, 35,426.
The officers of the Houston Lyceum and Carne-
gie Library Association are: Mr. E. L. Dennis,
president; Mrs. H. F. Ring, vice-president; Mrs.
I. S. Meyer, secretary; Mrs. E. N. Gray, treasurer;
Mrs. E. Raphael, corresponding secretary, and
Miss Julia Ideson, librarian.
The Ladies Reading Club, organized in 1885 by
Mrs. M. Looscan and Mrs. C. M. Lombardi, is the
oldest and largest of Houston's purely literary
clubs.
The Ladies Shakespeare Club was organized in
1890 with Mesdames E. Raphael, I. G. Gerson, L
Blandin, Blanche Booker and Misses C. R. Red-
wood, Lydia Adkisson and Mary Light as charter
members. This club has kept its organization and
has been in active existence since its formation.
Another Shakespeare Club was organized in 1904
by Mrs. A. G. Howell, Mrs. J. W. Lockett and
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 143
Mrs. J. W. Carter. This club is very active and
great interest is taken by its members in the work
they have outlined for themselves.
Perhaps the most interesting of the women's
clubs in Houston is the Current Literature Club,
which was organized in 1899 by Mrs. Si Packard.
The club was originally organized for the purpose
of reading current novels and light literature, but
the members soon grew ambitious and more substan-
tial books were taken up and discussed, until to-
day the club represents through its members the
cultured literary taste of Houston.
The Houston Pen Womens' Association was or-
ganized in 1906 by eighteen ladies who met at the
residence of Mrs. William Christian for the purpose
of forming an association composed of ladies en-
gaged in newspaper and literary work. Mrs. Eliza-
abeth Strong Tracy was chosen as the first presi-
dent and Mrs. Dancey as first secretary. The mem-
bership consists of historians, poets, authors, journ-
alists and newspaper workers and the association has
been wonderfully successful, showing a consistent
growth and influence ever since the day of its or-
ganization.
A Chapter of the Daughters of the American
Revolution was organized in Houston in 1899 by
Mrs. Seabrook W. Sydnor, who had been appointed
regent by the general organization. The chapter
took the names of Lady Washington Chapter. The
organization has been in active operation since its
organization and has accomplished a great deal in
144 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY or
the way of patriotic work. San Jacinto Chapter
No. 2, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, was
organized in 1901. The chapter has accomplished
a wonderful amount of valuable work, having for
its object the perpetuation of the memory of those
who fought for Texas' independence, and has col-
lected valuable historical data. This chapter has
taken under its care San Jacinto battlefield and has
marked with suitable monuments and tablets, his-
torical points and localities associated with early
Texas history.
Robert E. Lee Chapter, 186, United Daughters
of the Confederacy, was organized in 1897 and
Oran M. Roberts Chapter, 440, United Daugh-
ters of the Confederacy, was organized in
1901. Each chapter has a large membership and
their meetings are always largely attended. Since
their organization they have accomplished much
good, both in the way of collecting and preserving
historical data and in looking after indigent and
disabled Confederate veterans.
There are a great many charitable, musical and
literary associations in Houston, nearly every one
having been organized and kept alive by the ladies.
Nearly all the societies, in the beginning, had meet-
ing places of their own, but since the completion of
the Library building nearly all of them meet in the
elegant quarters provided for that purpose, by the
Library Association.
The Labor associations of Houston are numer-
ous and are thoroughly organized. The following
HARRIS COUNTY COURT HOUSE
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 145
facts are taken from a statement published by Mr.
Max Andrew, editor of the Labor Journal :
The total number of industrial workers in Hous-
ton is 25,000, graded as follows: Men, 15,000;
women, 6,000; children fifteen years and under,
4,000. Organized: Men, 55 per cent; women, 2
per cent.
Of the skilled trades, 85 per cent are organized
and 15 per cent unorganized.
During the last ten years the hours of labor have
been decreased, all along the line, from ten hours to
eight hours.
During the last ten years there has been an aver-
age increase in wages of 25 per cent. However,
against that increase is placed the increased cost of
living which amounts to 40 per cent.
The total number of organized men and women in
Houston is 8,250. The plumbers, printers, brick-
masons, plasterers, stone-cutters and marble cutters
are the best organized of any of the crafts. All
trades limit the number of apprentices. This has
done much towards maintaining a living wage for
the journeyman.
Public sentiment and feeling towards union labor
in this city and community is very favorable and all
important work is done by union labor.
Since the general public has only a vague idea of
labor matters and of the conditions that prevail in
labor circles, the following extracts are taken from
Mr. Andrew's article, as matters of useful infor-
146 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
mation. The following are the working conditions
that prevail in various branches of labor, both or-
ganized and unorganized :
Packing House Number of employed, men and
children, 500. Wages, for men, $1.50 to $2.00 per
day; for women, 75 cents to $2.00 per day; for
children, 50 cents to $1.00 per day. No Sunday
work. Little opportunity for training or educa-
tional advancement. Employes not organized.
In the railroad shops and yards, there are about
4,000 employed. About 25 per cent of laborers work
on Sundays. Conditions very good for training and
educational advancement. Average wage for all
employes about $2.50 per day. Ninety per cent of
w r orkers organized.
In the cotton-oil mills and compresses there are
about 1,500 employed. Wages of men, $1.50 to
$2.50 per day; for women, $1.00 to $1.25 per day;
for children, 50 cents to 75 cents per day. Work
covers only six months of the year. No opportunity
for training or educational advancement. Condi-
tions far in advance of those found in other South-
ern States.
In the saw mills and factories the number of em-
ployes is 500. Wages for skilled men, $2.50 to
$3.00 per day; unskilled men, 75 cents to $1.75 per
day; women, 50 cents to $1.00 per day; children,
25 cents to 75 cents per day. Little opportunity for
training or educational advancement. About 105
organized.
In the general stores there are about 3,000 em-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 147
ployed. Wages for men, $5.00 to $18.00 per week;
women, $3.50 to $10 per week; children, $1.50 to
$5.00 per week. Conditions deplorable, for not one
in a thousand of the employees has the slightest
chance for training or educational advancement.
Unless the general public interferes Houston will
soon parallel the large cities where young woman-
hood is sacrificed at the altar of greed and avarice.
This labor is unorganized.
There are about 500 employed at the breweries.
Working conditions exceptionably good. Wages
range from $2.00 to $5.00 per day. Hours of labor
eight per day. The breweries operate 24 hours per
day, labor being divided into three shifts of eight
hours each. Employees thoroughly organized. All
work mm in the breweries, where steadily em-
ployed, must join the Brewers Union.
There are about 5,000 common laborers in Hous-
ton. Wages, for men $1.25 to $2.00 per day;
women, 50 cents to $1.25 per day; children, 25
cents to $1.00 per day. Only about 10 per cent of
these laborers are organized.
There are about 3,000 employed in the industrial
crafts. That is in addition to those working in rail-
road shops, mills, etc.
Carpenters and Joiners. Approximately 75 per
cent organized. Wages, union, $4.00 per day;
non-union, $3.50 per day. Educational and train-
ing conditions fine. No Sunday work. Steady
employment the year round.
Plasterers. Conditions good. Ninety per cent
143 A TKUME-XAIL HI.VTORY OF
crganized. Wages, union men. 86.00 per day; non-
union men, $3.50 per day. No Sunday work.
Sheetmetal Workers. Steady work the whole
year. Wages, union men, $3.50 to $4.50 per day.
Non-union men, lower. About 905 of the craft
organized.
Brickmasons. Conditions fine. Wages, union
men, $6.00 to $7.00 per day; non-union men, $3.00
to $4.00 per day. About 95 per cent organized,
Machinists. Steady work an the year. Wages,
union men, $3.80 per day; non-union men, $2.50
per day.
Theatrical Stage Employes. Conditions reason-
ably good. Wages range from $15.00 to $25.00
per week. Sunday, as well as every day, work.
Blacksmiths. About 65 per cent organized.
Wages, union men, $3.80 per day; non-union men,
2,50 per day.
Lathers. Steady employment Wages, union
men, 84.00 to $6.00 per day; non-union men, $2.50
per day.
Printers. Thoroughly organized. Wages. -S3. -50
to $8.00 per day, according to men and position.
About 75 per cent of the printers are home owners.
Pressmen. Thoroughly organized. Wages.
83.50 per day. There are a:s many home owners
among the pressmen.
Bookbinders. Thoroughly organized. Work
eight hours per day. Wages. *4.00 per day.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 149
Electrical Workers. About 80 per cent organ-
ized. Wages, $3.50 to $4.50 per day. All members
at work.
Bartenders. About 80 per cent organized.
Wages $15.00 to $21.00 per week.
Tailors. Poorly organized. Hours of labor, ten
hours per day. Wages, $2.00 to $3.00 per day,
mostly in piece work.
Coopers. Thoroughly organized. Average
wages, $2.85 to $4.00 per day. Hours of labor,
eight hours per day.
Bridge and Structural Iron Workers. Organ-
ized 100 per cent. Hours of labor, eight. Wages,
$3.50 to $4.50 per day. Plenty of work. Duties
most hazardous.
Boiler makers. About 905 organized. Wages,
$3.50 to $5.00 per day for union men; non-union
men, scale lower.
Marble Workers. Thoroughly organized.
Wages, $4.00 to $6.00 per day. Work eight hours
a day.
Journeyman Barbers. Both white and negroes
organized. Conditions above the average. No
Sunday work.
Elevator Constructors. Thoroughly organized.
All employed at present. No Sunday work. Wages
$4.00 per day.
Pattern Makers. Well organized. Work nine
hours a day. Wages 50 cents per hour.
Garment Workers. This is the only organized
150 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
craft of women workers. Membership about 200
strong. Work, eight hours a day. Wages, $9.00
to $18.00 per week. No Sunday labor. Sanitary
conditions exceptionally good.
Horseshoers. Organized about 75 per cent.
Wages, $2.50 to $3.50 per day. Work eight hours
a day.
Stationary Engineers. Organized about 805.
Average wages about $3.00 to $4.00 per day.
Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers. Or-
ganized about 80 per cent. Work eight hours per
day. Wages, $3.50 to $4.00 per day.
Plumbers. Thoroughly organized. Work eight
hours a day. Wages $6.00. The union has many
educational features to perfect the skill of its mem*
bers.
CHAPTER TEN.
The Houston Cotton Exchange and Board of
Trade Some Houston Cotton Compresses
The Houston Chamber of Commerce Hous-
ton's Large Manufacturing and Business Con-
cerns.
COMMERCIAL BODIES.
Unquestionably the first commercial organiza-
tion in Texas was the old Chamber of Commerce
organized in Houston April 5, 1840, with Mr. Per-
kins as president. Unfortunately this association
has left nothing but a name, for there is no record
of work done by it, though it is fair to presume that
it accomplished some of the objects for which it
was formed.
Not for thirty-four years was another attempt
made to form a commercial body in this city. On
May 16, 1874, a number of the prominent business
men of Houston met in one of the parlors of the
Hutchins House and organized the Houston Board
of Trade and Cotton Exchange. Mr. C. S. Long-
cope was elected president, Mr. Wm. J. Hutchins,
vice-president and Mr. George W. Kidd, secretary.
The new organization went actively to work. Per-
kins Hall, used also as a theatre at times, was
leased ; Mr. Kidd purchased some small blackboards
and with no other furniture or fixings, the Ex-
change was officially declared open and ready for
business. At that time telegraph tolls were very
152 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
high, in fact they were prohibitive so far as the new
exchange was concerned and the amount of com-
mercial news and quotations received by the ex-
change in a full working day was about equal to
that now received in a few minutes, even on dull
days. Mr. Kidd helped out the quotations by using
the scant commercial report received by the Hous-
ton Telegraph, of which paper he was also com-
mercial editor.
Conditions such as these prevailed for the first
three years of the exchange's existence, or until
1877. In that year the business men appear to have
recognized the great values of the exchange and to
have rallied to its support. Something like a reor-
ganization took place within the exchange. A new
charter was obtained and the name of the organiza-
tion was changed to the Houston Cotton Exchange
and Board of Trade. New rules and regulations
were adopted, the initiation fee was increased and
provision was made for a regular and permanent
income through fees and dues, for the support of
the exchange. From that moment the course of
the exchange has been upward, until today no com-
mercial body in the South stands higher in every
way than the Houston Cotton Exchange and
Board of Trade.
Not content with caring for and regulating the
large and constantly growing cotton business of
Houston, the exchange was always found in the
front ranks of those working for the good and ad-
vancement of the city. For a number of years the
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 153
exchange has had among its standing committees
one whose special duty it is to look after the welfare
of the ship channel. When the present efficient
Chamber of Commerce was formed, the Cotton
Exchange turned over to the new organization an
immense amount of work, that before that was be-
ing looked after by the exchange. It retained its
interest in the ship channel, however, and while
working in perfect harmony with the Chamber of
Commerce and all other Houston organizations is
still found working most zealously.
In 1883 the members of the exchange deter-
mined to build a home of their own. Ground was
purchased, plans adopted and on November 15,
1884, the new building was turned over to the ex-
change by the contractors. It was a very handsome,
though small, building and answered every pur-
pose for which it had been constructed for many
years. In later years it was remodeled. Additional
stories were added and today the exchange build-
ing is one of the most attractive and valuable build-
ings in the city.
There is no Cotton Exchange in the South more
prosperous than the Houston exchange. When it
was first organized a membership cost only $1 a
month or $12 a year. Now a certificate of mem-
bership costs $2,000 and it is difficult to secure one
at even that price. The annual dues on each certif-
icate are $50, while provision is made for fees and
other dues for the maintainance of the exchange.
154 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
The following gentlemen have served as presi-
dents of the exchange since its organization:
C. S. Longcope 1874-75
Wm. D. Cleveland 1875-76
George L. Porter 1876-77
H. R. Percy 1877-78
S. K. Mcllhenny . . . 1878-79
Wm. V. R. Watson 1879-80
A. H. Lea 1880-81
S. K. Mcllhenny 1881-82
S. A. McAshan 1882-84
Wm. D. Cleveland 1884-91
Wm. Read 1891-92
H. W. Garrow 1892-1902
W. D. Cleveland. 1902-05
W. E. Andrews 1905-06
W. O. Ansley 1906-07
E. W. Taylor. 1907-08
A. L. Nelms 1908-12
Mr. George W. Kidd, the first secretary of the
exchange, served actively until 1898 when he be-
came secretary emeritus. He was succeeded by
Mr. B. W. Martin who resigned to accept a more
lucrative position and was succeeded in turn by Mr.
B. R. Warner. Mr. Warner after serving from
1899 to 1903 resigned to return to newspaper work
in New Orleans. In 1904 Mr. W. J. DeTreville
was elected secretary and served until June, 1910,
when, on his death, Mr. J. F. Burwell, the present
efficient secretary was elected.
With its immense lumber, oil, rice and manufac-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 155
turing interests Houston long ago passed that point
in its progress where its prosperity depended on any
single commodity or industry. Like other commer-
cial centers Houston for some years counted heav-
ily on its cotton receipts for its prosperity, but does
so no longer. The Houston merchants are not in-
different to the great value of the cotton business,
however, and they are anxious to get all of it pos-
sible, and with the object of doing so, they have left
nothing undone to make this the most attractive
market and concentrating point in the South. They
have constructed large compresses and cotton ware-
houses and now have some of the largest and most
conveniently situated buildings of that kind on this
continent.
The great fire which occurred in the Fifth Ward
early this year destroyed three of Houston's fine
compresses, but there are three large ones left and
two are being constructed on so great a scale that
when completed in time to handle the coming crop,
Houston will have the finest facilities for handling
and caring for cotton in the South.
The presses destroyed were the Cleveland, the
Standard and the Southern, their combined capacity
of presses being 3,000 bales daily and their storage
capacity about 100,000 bales. The Cleveland and
the Merchants have combined and plans are now be-
ing perfected for the erection of the finest and
largest compress and warehouse in the world. The
storage capacity will be limited only by the re-
strictions of the insurance companies, which com-
156 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
panics are unwilling to insure so great an amount of
cotton as the company could care for, but for these
restrictions. It is certain that the storage capacity
of the new press will not be less than 300,000
bales. The company owns something like seventy
acres of land on the ship channel and therefore will
not be restricted by want of space. Captain W. D.
Cleveland is the head of the new company.
Houston already has in the Magnolia Warehouse
and Storage Company one of the best equipped,
largest and most powerful presses in the country.
Every compress and warehouse in Houston is lo-
cated either on the banks of the bayou or on a rail-
road and all of them have rail connection. The re-
sult is that drayage, a costly feature in handling cot-
ton, is entirely eliminated and the business is con-
ducted economically and expeditiously. Last sea-
son there were shipped down the bayou about 400,-
000 bales of cotton. As each bale represented a
saving to the owner of 12 1-2 cents because there
was no drayage, it is evident that the shipments rep-
resented about $50,000 saving. No other cotton
market in the world can or does do business so
cheaply.
The history of Houston's cotton business is of
more than passing interest since in its entirety it
represents every phase of the evolution of the
world's cotton trade. As already noted in these
pages, in the early days all cotton raised in the State
was brought here by ox-wagons for marketing.
The Houston merchants bought the cotton both
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 157
with cash and groceries and goods. It was a most
satisfactory method of doing business and both the
farmer and merchant profited by the transaction.
After the merchant had accumulated a sufficient
number of bales to warrant his doing so he shipped
the cotton down the bayou to Galveston to be
placed on chartered vessels, to be shipped to Liver-
pool or other foreign markets. Since there was no
way of knowing how prices were ruling in the for-
eign markets, the merchant guarded against pos-
sible loss by discounting his last information ma-
terially and paying from seven to ten dollars per
bale less for the cotton than he estimated it to be
worth. This was fair since there was always serious
danger of a heavy decline in prices before the cot-
ton could arrive on the other side. After the rail-
roads were built in Texas, Galveston became the
great cotton market of the State and every bale
raised in Texas was shipped there. One thing that
helped build up Galveston was the fact that there
were no such things as through bills of lading and
rail rates favored the port. In 1874 J. H. Blake &
Co. established their firm in Houston and soon
evolved a plan for overcoming the disadvantages
under which Houston was placed. By an arrange-
ment made with the Houston & Texas Central and
the International Railroads this firm was enabled
to buy cotton in the interior, bring it to Houston and
then ship it out again either by rail or by water.
Under this arrangement Messrs. Blake & Co. made
the first shipment of cotton from an interior point
158 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
to a foregin market on a through bill of lading in
1874. This was the first shipment of the kind ever
made. That method of doing business soon placed
Houston, if not on an equal footing, at least on
nearly such with Galveston and saved this market
from utter extinction.
Then the system of buying and selling future con-
tracts was established. This was perhaps the great-
est advance that could possibly have been made to-
wards stability of the cotton market, and the es-
tablishment of something like uniform prices all
over the world. The system was not complicated
but was very simple. Cotton was purchased on
this side only when prices in Liverpool were favor-
able for such purchases. The cost of freight, in-
surance, commission and other charges were added
to the price paid for the cotton and then, if Liver-
pool prices were sufficiently high to warrant doing
so the cotton was bought and future contracts sold
in Liverpool by cable. In that way every possible
chance of loss was eliminated from the transaction,
for when the cotton arrived on the other side the
future contract was closed out, the difference in
the price of the contract and the price of the actual
cotton equalling each other.
The next great change that took place was more
radical and farreaching. In their effort to do away
with middle-men, the spinners on the other side
established buying agencies of their own on this
side. These, in turn, established sub-agencies all
over the country, so that the producer of cotton in-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 159
stead of having to seek a market, found one right
at his door. There was such competition between
the buyers that the highest prices possible were paid
in order to get the cotton. Every cross road and
little town in the State became a center of informa-
tion about prices and the farmer could learn every
morning the quotation of that day both in American
and foreign markets.
It soon became evident that it would be necessary
to provide some place where large quantities of cot-
ton could be concentrated for inspection, classifica-
tion and arranging for final shipment. The Hous-
ton cotton men realized that a most radical change
in the method of marketing cotton was about to
take place and they began at once to prepare them-
selves to care for this concentrated cotton. Old
warehouses and compresses were enlarged and new
ones erected. The storing capacity of the city was
materially increased and when the work was fin-
ished Houston was most thoroughly equipped to
meet all demands that could be made on her. An-
other thing that was done, which shows the great
forethought of the Houston merchants, was re-
ducing all local charges to the lowest point possible.
No attempt was made to make money directly
from the compresses and warehouses, as such, but
these were used very much as so much capital, to
attract and keep the cotton business here. It is
a fact that can not be disputed that today Houston's
local charges on a bale of cotton are from 25 cents
to 30 cents per bale cheaper than are those in any
160 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
other cotton market in the South. Now when to
this saving in local charges is added the further
saving of from 10 cents to 12 cents through the
absence of drayage, it is readily seen why so much
cotton is shipped here and why Houston stands so
prominently forward as a great cotton market.
Mention has been made of the Chamber of Com-
merce that was organized in Houston in 1840, but
the present magnificent body of that name has
no direct nor indirect connection with that early
body. The Chamber of Commerce of today is for
today and looks more to future accomplishments
than to traditions of the past.
The immediate forerunner of the Chamber of
Commerce was the Houston Business League,
which was organized in 1895 by about forty gentle-
men who had for their object the formation of an
association to look after the best interests of Hous-
ton. Col. R. M. Johnston, editor of the Houston
Post, and Mr. W. W. Dexter, at present editor
and proprietor of the Bankers' Journal, were prime
movers in the organization and did much to insure
its success. The constitution adopted declared
the following to be the object of the association:
"The object of the Houston Business League is
to promote immigration, to create and extend
and foster the trade, commerce and manufactur-
ing interests of Houston; to secure and build up
transportation lines; to secure reasonable and equi-
table transportation rates; to build up and main-
tain the value of our real estate, progressive, ef-
'!!!! Si
11 !! !! ii f
SI!!!!!!! !i ii i
II II El 11 El 1
"ill!
i Him i!
[ ii ii ii i;
SOUTHERN PACIFIC OFFICES
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 161
ficient and economical administration of our mu-
nicipal government, to collect, preserve and dis-
seminate information in relation to our commer-
cial, financial and industrial affairs and to unite,
as far as possible, our people in one respresentative
body."
The following gentlemen were chosen as the first
officers of the new organization: J. M. Cotton,
president; Ed Kiam, first vice president; J. C.
Bering, second vice president; E. T. Heiner, third
vice president; W. W. Dexter, secretary; Guy H.
Harcourt, treasurer.
After serving for only a short time, Secretary
Dexter resigned and Mr. George P. Brown was
chosen as his successor. The election of Mr. Brown
was a most fortunate thing for the Business
League, since he brought to its service splendid
executive and administrative talent and a wonder-
ful amount of energy and zeal. Under Mr. Brown's
administration the Business League forged rapidly
to the front, A large number of manufacturing
and industrial plants were secured for Houston, the
Floral Festival and No-Tsu-Oh associations were
formed and the name of the city was placed perma-
nently on the map of the country.
In 1910 the Business League was enlarged and
practically a reorganization took place. The name
Business League was dropped and the organiza-
tion became the Houston Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Adoph Boldt was secretary at the time and it
was largely due to him that the scope of the asso-
162 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ciation's objects and energy were enlarged. He
recognized the magnitude of the field and the
Chamber of Commerce was organized to fill every
part of it. In the Chamber of Commerce there is
a general association, but all the details of practical
work are in the hands of special committees who
have absolute authority and freedom of action, be-
ing responsible only to the general association.
These committees are called bureaus. There is, for
instance, the Traffic Bureau, to which is referred
all matters relating to freight rates, rate discrimi-
nations and questions of that kind. There is a
Convention Bureau which looks after securing con-
ventions to meet in Houston and looks after the en-
tertainment of strangers who come to such conven-
tions. There is a Publicity Bureau, an Industrial
Bureau, which looks after securing manufacturing
and industrial concerns for Houston, and a num-
ber of other, no less important bureaus. It will
be seen from this how thoroughly organized the
Chamber of Commerce is. One of the most pleas-
ing features connected with the organization is the
perfect harmony that exists between it and other
organizations working either directly or indirectly
towards accomplishing the same ends. The citizens
attest their faith in the Chamber of Commerce by
giving it the most loyal support, and it is today one
of the strongest and most efficient organizations
of its kind in the South. Its officers are : Adolph
Boldt, secretary; C. G. Roussel, assistant secretary;
C. C. Oden, traffic manager; Jerome H. Farbar,
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 163
director of publicity. There are of course a great
many business men heads of committees and good
workers too, but the gentlemen named are the real
workers and the ones who accomplish things.
The average citizen does not know how much
good has been accomplished for Houston by the
Ch amber of Commerce, nor how much good is being
planned for the future. It is a working body and it
does not confine its labors to union hours, of an
eight hour day, but puts in every waking hour of
the entire twenty-four. A vast amount of valuable
information has been collected, and preserved in
such form as to be immediatey available.
Houston is today the home of vast commercial
and manufacturing enterprises, most of them hav-
ing come here during the last six or eight years. It
is, for instance, the largest lumber market in the
Southwest and one of the largest in the world.
That does not mean that there are extensive mills
and manufacturing plants here, but it does mean
that about all the lumber made in Texas is con-
trolled and handled by Houston firms, which are
the greatest in the South. There are over 250
great sawmills in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas
controlled and represented through offices located
here.
The following are the big Houston firms with the
capacity of their plants:
Kirby Lumber Company, manufacturers, 400,-
000,000 feet.
164 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
Long-Bell Lumber Company, manufacturers,
500,000,000 feet.
West Lumber Company, manufacturers, '175,-
000,000 feet.
W. H. Norris Lumber Company, wholesalers,
100,000,000 feet.
Vaughan Lumber Company, wholesalers, 100,-
000,000 feet.
Continental Lumber and Tie Company, whole-
salers, 100,000,000 feet.
Trinity River Lumber Company, manufacturers,
60,000,000 feet.
Central Coal and Coke Company, manufacturers,
50,000,000 feet.
W. T. Carter & Brother, manufacturers, 50,-
000,000 feet.
Carter Lumber Company, manufacturers, 40,-
000,000 feet.
W. R. Pickering Lumber Company, manufac-
turers, 50,000,000 feet.
Sabine Lumber Company, manufacturers, 40,-
000,000 feet.
Ray & Mihils, wholesalers, 40,000,000 feet.
Carter-Kelly Lumber Company, manufacturers,
30,000,000 feet.
Big Tree Lumber Company, manufacturers and
wholesalers, 30,000,000 feet.
C. R. Cummings & Co., manufacturers, 25,000,-
000 feet.
J. S. and W. M. Rice, manufacturers, 25,000,000
feet. f
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 165
Gebhart-Wllliams-Fenet, manufacturers, 25,-
000,000 feet.
Bland & Fisher, manufacturers, 25,000,000 feet.
J. C. Hill Lumber Company, manufacturers,
20,000,000 feet.
L. B. Manefee Lumber Company, manufactur-
ers, 20,000,000 feet.
R. W. Wier Lumber Company, manufacturers,
20,000,000 feet.
Alf. Bennett Lumber Company, manufacturers
and wholesalers, 20,000,000 feet.
R. C. Miller Lumber Company, manufacturers,
20,000,000 feet.
Bush Brothers, manufacturers, 15,000,000 feet.
Southern Pinery Tie and Lumber Company,
manufacturers and wholesalers, 10,000,000 feet.
The foregoing foot up within a fraction of two
billion feet of lumber annually controlled by Hous-
ton firms.
Houston is the recognized center of all that re-
lates to handling refining, exporting and financing
the output of the Texas oil fields and is rapidly
assuming the same relation to the oil fields of Okla-
homa. An idea of the importance of Houston in
this respect may be formed from the statement that
there are five large oil refineries here, thirteeen oil
dealers and thirty-nine producers and exporters,
twenty-three of the latter being large concerns and
that Houston has the largest independent oil com-
pany in the United States, the Texas Company,
with a capital of $36,000,000. Pipe lines from
166 A THUMB-XAIL HISTORY OF
all the Texas fields and from Oklahoma converge
at Houston and additional lines, to cost something
like 87,000,000, are being constructed.
Houston naturally holds first place as a rice
market, since it has every advantage. Aside from
the physical aspect there is something of a senti-
mental side to the question, for it was a Houston
man who first pointed out the possibilities of rice
culture and who actually took steps to develop it.
The late J. R. Morris, as early as the middle seven-
ties, organized a company and took out a charter,
the object being to cultivate rice in all that territory
lying between Houston and the San Jacinto river.
He had a survey made which resulted in demon-
strating that Houston is about twenty-eight feet
lower than some near point on the San Jacinto river
from which he proposed to start his canal. He
wanted to deflect the water from the river and use
it in irrigating the prairie lands and also to utilize
the surplus in running machinery at the mouth of
White Oak Bayou, at the foot of Main street. For
some reason nothing was ever done by Mr. Morris
and his associates, but attention was drawn to the
possibilities of rice culture, which has resulted in
its becoming one of the large and rapidly grow-
ing industries of Texas. At the time of Mr. Mor-
ris' death it is doubtful if there was as much as an
acre of ground in Texas devoted to the cultivation
of rice. Today rice holds third place in point of
importance among the crops of the State. Harris
county alone has 30,000 acres, while there are 253,-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 167
560 acres in all, of which about 200,000 acres are
tributary to Houston.
Houston has five rice mills with a daily capacity
of 7,600 bags, while the capacity of all the mills in
the State is *J.VJ()0 hags. The annual production
averages about two and a quarter million bags,
Houston handling about three-fourths of it.
I ncluding the railroad shop workers there are sev-
eral thousand wage-earners in Houston employed
all the year round to whom is paid something like
$8,500,000 annually. This is not for one year, but
is for every year and therefore it is not surprising
that Houston should be known as the best retail
town in Texas. There are over twelve hundred re-
tail dealers who, according to an estimate made by
the Chamber of Commerce, based on almost com-
plete returns, do an annual business of $55,000,000.
The wholesale business of Houston is very great,
estimated by the Chamber of Commerce at $90,-
000,000 annually. The leading articles and the
amount of business done in each are as follows:
Machinery, $3,000,000; hardware, $4,000,000;
lumber, $35,000,000; petroleum products, $1,000,-
000; drugs and chemicals, $4,000,000; paints and
glass, $1,000,000; furniture, $1,400,000; dry goods,
$1,750,000; liquors, $1,250,000; beer and ice, $2,-
500,000; groceries, $8,000,000; produce, $4,600,-
000; sugar and molasses, $2,000,000; tobacco, $1,-
250,000; packing house products, $3,750,000.
When to these is added the business done in build-
ing material, paving material, electrical supplies
168 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
and other things, it becomes apparent that the esti-
mate of $90,000,000 must be under rather than
above the actual figures.
Not counting the railroads, trust companies and
banks, there are 376 incorporated companies doing
business in Houston, the combined capital of which
is $145,943,900. There are, of course, thousands
of individuals and numerous unincorporated com-
panies doing business in addition to these, which
shows the magnitude of Houston as a trade center.
In the early days the Houston merchants and
property owners who wished to insure against fire
loss were compelled to send to New Orleans for
their policies, for there were no local insurance
agents here. These conditions prevailed until 1858,
when Mr. John Dickinson established the first
agency in Houston, he representing a New Or-
leans firm. Just about the time Mr. Dickinson got
his office working satisfactorily and began doing a
lucrative business, the war broke out and knocked
his business into a cocked hat.
In 1868 the first local insurance company was or-
ganized in Houston. This was the Planters' Fire
Insurance Company, which did a good business un-
til 1880, when a disastrous cotton fire occurred,
causing such heavy losses to the company that it
went into voluntary liquidation.
In 1895 the Houston Fire and Marine Insurance
Company was organized. This company did a
good business for several years, but through the in-
nocent purchase of a lot of bogus bonds, it was
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 169
forced to suspend and go out of business a few
years ago.
The Guarantee Life Insurance Company was the
first life insurance company organized in Houston.
It was organized in 1906 with a capital stock of
$100,000 and prospered from the very beginning.
It does an immense business and has over $13,000,-
000 insurance in force. The officers of the Guar-
antee are: Jonathan Lane, president; John H.
Thompson, vice president and Charles Boedeker,
secretary -treasurer.
The Great Southern Life Insurance Company
is, in some respects, a wonderful organization. It
was organized in 1909 and though it is less than
three years old, it has done and is still doing, an
immense business. It has a capital of $500,000 and
a surplus of $500,000 and outstanding insurance of
over ten million dollars. Among its policy holders
is one who is insured for $100,000, the largest policy
ever written in Texas for one person. The officers
of the Great Southern are: J. S. Rice, president;
O. S. Carlton, C. G. Pillot, J. S. Cullinan and P.
H. McFadden of Beaumont, vice presidents ; J. T.
Scott, treasurer and Louis St. J. Thomas, secre-
tary.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
The First Telegraph Line in Texas Two Vet-
eran Operators First Telephones The Wire-
less Telegraph Companies Organization of the
First Electric Light Company.
The Houston Telegraph of March 18, 1853,
mentions the fact that some of the material for the
telegraph line betwen Houston and Galveston had
been received at the latter place. At that time the
land part of the line had been constructed, but the
two-mile stretch across the bay at Virginia Point
was causing a great deal of trouble. Modern sub-
marine cables w r ere unknown at that time and many
substitutes for them were suggested and tried.
Finally the difficulty was overcome by using ordi-
nary iron wire covered with gutta percha, which
was warranted by its maker to last for one year and
which cost $350 per mile. But before the problem
was solved, the land part of the line grew old and
fell down, so that it was not until 1858 that an act-
ual working line was constructed between the two
cities, this being the first telegraph line constructed
in Texas. It was not a great financial undertaking,
since the cost of the entire fifty miles including the
two miles of bay, was only $6,200, of which the
Houston people contributed $3,000.
Having constructed the Galveston-Houston line
successfully, the owners formed a company called
the Star State Telegraph Company and built a
line along the Texas and New Orleans railroad
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 171
which was being constructed about that time. When
the war occurred the company had its line completed
to Orange in East Texas. As an item of interest
it may be stated here that when the Texas ports
were blockaded during the war it was almost im-
possible to get sulpuric acid with which the batteries
of those days were operated, and that telegraphing
would have been impossible had not some genius
found that the acid water from Sour Lake made
an admirable substitute for sulphuric acid. The
telegraph batteries were charged with Sour Lake
water and all difficulty disappeared.
Soon after the close of the war, the Star State
Company was absorbed by the Southwestern Tele-
graph Company which then covered most of the
Southern States. Mr. D. P. Shepherd, who is
possibly the oldest telegraph operator in this coun-
try, and of whom it is said that he was the first op-
erator in the world to take a message by ear, was
placed in charge of the new telegraph company with
headquarters in Houston.
In 1867 the Southwestern was absorbed by the
Western Union Telegraph Company, the latter
company thus gaining control of all the telegraph
lines in the United States. The Western Union
remained master of the field until late in 1910,
when it, in turn, was absorbed by the Southwestern
Telegraph and Telephone Company, the largest
corporation of its kind in the world.
The first manager of the Western Union in
Houston was Mr. Merrit Harris, who died during
172 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
the great yellow fever epidemic of 1867 and was
succeeded by Col. Phil Fall, who has the distinction
of being the oldest operator in actual service in this
country.
The Postal Telegraph Company opened its of-
fice in Houston during July, 1898. The establish-
ment was merely on a small scale, but by strict at-
tention to business has managed to build up an im-
mense business and has made itself a formidable
competitor of the Southwestern Telegraph and Tel-
ephone Company in the local field. The Postal
aims at promptness and dispatch, and has thus
earned an enviable reputation.
In the latter part of 1910 the Mackey Telegraph
and Cable Company established its chief office in
Houston, thus making Houston the great telegraph
center of the State. All the companies have direct
cable connection with all parts of the world, but
the Mackey company has facilities possessed by no
other company. The cable business out of Houston
is immense and the general telegraphing done by
all the Houston lines, amounts to very near four
million messages each year and is constantly in-
creasing.
The Houston Telegram of June 18, 1878, says:
"Mr. J. W. Stacey, the efficient manager of the
Western Union Telegraph office in this city, has
procured a telephone of the latest improved con-
struction, which he will put up for use during the
military encampment of the volunteeers of the State
next week. The line will run from the Fair Grounds
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 173
to Mr. G. W. Baldwin's library room in the Tele-
gram building and everybody wishing to have the
pleasure of conversing with a friend a mile distant
will have an opportunity. Our friends from the
country and many in the city who are skeptical about
the truthful working of the wonderful instrument,
will have an opportunity to test it to their satisfac-
tion. To many of them it will be quite a curiosity,
and we expect to see its capacity fully tried. Mr.
Stacey will make a trial test today and will have the
apparatus in perfect working order by the end of
the week."
During the fall of the same year, Mr. Pendarvis,
who was telegraph operator for the Morgan Trans-
portation Company, connected his office in Hous-
ton with the office in Clinton, ten miles away and
for a time had direct telephone connection between
the two. Commenting on this innovation the Hous-
ton Telegram stated that unquestionably when the
great convenience of the telephone was appreci-
ated they would be installed in railroad depots, bus-
iness houses and, perhaps, residences. This predic-
tion has come true in a much greater degree than the
Telegram supposed possible.
It was not until 1880 that a telephone exchange
was established in Houston. Two years later Mr.
G. W. Foster took charge of the exchange and it
was largely through his efforts and the hearty and
valuable assistance of his wife that the telephone
business in Texas attained such huge proportions in
so short a time. Mr. Foster is still an active man
174 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
in the company and fills one of the higher offices.
The local company has just completed its own
skyscraper at a cost of about $1,000,000, and has
equipments for caring for 20,000 subscribers with-
out making further additions to its plant.
Houston's long distance telephone system is
very complete, there being twelve circuits to Gal-
veston, seven to Beaumont, three to San Antonio,
three to Dallas and one each to Fort Worth and
Corpus Christi. Each of these direct circuits has
branch circuits reaching all parts of the State.
In addition to the old telephone company there
is an automatic telephone company also operating
in Houston. This company owns its own home,
an elegant building on Rusk avenue near the Fed-
eral building.
There are two wireless telegraph companies oper-
ating in Houston. One is a strictly private affair
owned by the Texas Company. This company has
2,700 miles of private wires in Texas, Oklahoma
and Kansas. It uses these wires for business pur-
poses, but keeps its wireless plant always in readi-
ness for use in case of failure of its wires. The
company owns similar outfits at Beaumont and in
Oklahoma.
The other company, the Texas Wireless
Telegraph-Telephone, is the only one engaged in
public and commercial business. The company has
perfectly equipped stations at Houston, San An-
tonio, Victoria, Fredericksburg, Waco and Fort
Worth. It is distinctly a home company, for all of
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 175
its stock is owned by Texans while its officers and
managers are all Texans.
The Houston Electric Light Company was or-
ganized in 1882, by Mr. E. Raphael. Its first of-
ficers were: E. Raphael, president; D. F. Stuart,
secretary. The board of trustees were: A. Grose-
beck, B. A. Botts, F. A. Rice, E. P. Hill, D. F.
Stuart, J. C. Hutcherson, G. L. Porter and E.
Raphael. Only the old Brush carbon light was
used. Mr. Raphael exhibited the first incandes-
cent lamp ever seen in Houston in August, 1883.
The great merit of the incandescent lamp was rec-
ognized at once and Mr. Raphael secured a contract
to equip the Howard Oil Mill plant with them. This
was the first installation of incandescent electric
lights in a building in Texas. Mr. Raphael and
his associates conducted the business for a year or
so and then sold their plant to the Houston Gas
Company. That company organized the present
electric light company in 1894.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
The Rice Institute Brief Sketch of Mr. Rice
Organization of the Great Educational Center.
Among the very early settlers in the new town of
Houston was Mr. Wm. M. Rice, who was destined
to impress his name indelibly on this, his adopted
home. Mr. Rice was a remarkable man. He be-
gan his mercantile life in a modest way, but by
strict attention to every detail of his business he
was soon able to extend his field of operation. His
success was assured from the beginning, and, having
the money making instinct, or faculty, largely de-
veloped, he soon became one of the best known and
most prosperous merchants of the city. Much has
been said and written about him. Some things
absolutely true and some largely imaginative.
Those who knew him are aware of the fact that he
would not have appreciated some of the latter. Mr.
Rice was intensely practical, and cared little for the
applause of the crowd. He was a successful mer-
chant, a king of finance and nothing more. He was
absolutely honest and just, and what was more to
the point, he was as just to himself as he was to
others. If he made a contract he carried out every
detail and he required those who made the other
side to do the same. If he owed money he paid
every cent of the debt and those who owed him
money were required to settle in full. He was
merely an ordinary merchant and business man,
though a remarkably successful one.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 177
Had the early friends and associates of Mr. Rice
been asked to select one of their number who would
make a princely donation towards the cause of edu-
cation, the chances are ten to one that Mr. Rice
would never have been selected. If he ever gave a
thought to art, science or literature no one knew
of it. The first intimation that he took the least
interest in educational matters was given some time
during the middle eighties when the city was en-
deavoring to raise money to purchase what was
known as Academy Square and the old building
that stood on it, for the purpose of turning it into
a high school. The property had been owned by a
company but had passed into the hands of a private
citizen and the city wanted to buy it. Mr. Rice was
living in New York at the time, but was paying an
annual visit to Houston when the purchase matter
came up. Mr. E. Raphael, who was very close to
Mr. Rice, and who looked after some of his Hous-
ton interests for him, was requested by a committee
of citizens to ask Mr. Rice for a subscription to the
fund. Mr. Raphael did so and was met by a
prompt refusal, Mr. Rice stating that it was the
duty of the city and not of individuals to care for
such things as public schools. Then he surprised
Mr. Raphael by telling him that he was thinking of
a plan by which he hoped to establish a great edu-
cational institution here. A few months later he
took into his confidence a few gentlemen and,
after a thorough discussion of his plans, an organi-
zation was formed and, in 1891, a charter was ap-
178 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
plied for and granted. The terms of the charter
were most liberal and the trustees were given wide
latitude for the future organization of a great non-
political, non-sectarian institution of technical learn-
ing to be dedicated to the advancement of letters,
science and art, to be located in the adopted home
of Mr. Rice. As a nucleus for the endowment
fund, Mr. Rice placed in the hands of the trustees
an interest bearing note for $200,000.
The original trustees were the following named
gentlemen: Mr. Rice, himself; his brother, Mr. F.
A. Rice, Mr. A. S. Richardson, Mr. James A. Ba-
ker, Mr. J. E. McAshan, Mr. E. Raphael and Mr.
C. M. Lombardi. Under the terms of the charter
this board is made self -perpetuating and its mem-
bers are elected for life. Since its organization
vacancies have been filled by the selection of the
following: Mr. Wm. M. Rice, Jr., a nephew of Mr.
Rice, Mr. B. B. Rice and Dr. E. O. Lovett.
Having taken the first step, Mr. Rice became
infatuated with the idea he had conceived, and from
time to time, transferred to the trustees large in-
terests and then, by his will, left the bulk of his
large fortune to the institute.
Mr. Rice was murdered in New York in 1900
and there was a long fight in court over his will.
When the trustees finally came into possession
of the full resources of the foundation, which now
amount to approximately ten million dollars, they
invited Dr. Edgar Odell Lovett, Professor in
Princeton University, to assist them in formu-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 179
lating and executing the educational programme
of the Institute. The President thereupon under-
took a year's journey of study which extended from
England to Japan; on the completion of this pre-
liminary investigation, a most suitable site of three
hundred acres was secured, and to Messrs. Cram,
Goodhue and Ferguson, of Boston, was committed
the task of designing a general architectural plan
consistent with the programme which had been
adopted for the Institute.
In 1911, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of
Texan Independence, the corner-stone of the Ad-
ministration Building was laid by the trustees.
This building, together with the first wing of the
Engineering Quadrangle, the Mechanical Labor-
atory and Power House, and the first Residential
Hall for Men, is rapidly nearing completion. The
initial building schedule includes also special lab-
oratories for instruction and investigation in phys-
ics, chemistry, and biology, and in the application
cf these sciences to the arts of industry and com-
merce. In the preparation of these preliminary
laboratory plans the Institute has enjoyed the co-
operation of an advisory committee consisting of
Professor Ames, director of the physical laboratory
of Johns Hopkins University; Professor Conklin,
director of the biological laboratory of Princeton
University; Professor Richards, chairman of the
department of chemistry, Harvard University;
and Professor Stratton, director of the National
Bureau of Standards.
180 A THUMB-XAIL HISTORY or
The academic work of the Institute will begin
this autumn on the 23rd day of September. A few
days later the formal opening will be observed
with appropriate ceremonies of inauguration and
dedication, on October 10th, llth, and 12th, 1912.
Distinguished scholars and scientists from a num-
ber of foreign seats of learning have consented to
participate in the proceedings of this the Insti-
tute's first academic festival by preparing lectures
in the fundamental sciences of mathematics, phys-
ics, chemistry, and biology, and in the liberal hu-
manities of philosophy, history, letters, and art.
The initial staff of the Institute will be or-
ganized in a faculty of science and a faculty of
letters. Of those who have been selected for posi-
tions under the direction of the faculty of science it
is possible to announce the following elections, the
names appearing in alphabetical order:
Philip Heckman Arbuckle, B. A. (Chicago), of
Georgetown, Texas; Director of Athletics in
Southwestern University; to be Instructor in Ath-
letics.
Percy John Daniell, M. A. (Cambridge), of
Liverpool, England; Senior Wrangler and Ray-
leigh Prizeman of the University of Cambridge;
Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of
Liverpool; to be Research Associate in Applied
Mathematics.
William Franklin Edwards, B. Sc. (Michi-
gan), of Houston, Texas; formerly Instructor
in the University of Michigan, and later Presi-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 181
dent of the University of Washington ; to be Lec-
turer in Chemistry.
Griffith Conrad Evans, Ph. D. (Harvard), of
Rome, Italy; Sheldon Fellow of Harvard Uni-
versity ; to be Assistant Professor of Pure Mathe-
matics.
Julian Sorrell Huxley, M. A. (Oxford), of Ox-
ford, England; Newdigate Prizeman of the Uni-
versity of Oxford; Lecturer in Biology at Bal-
liol College, and Inter-collegiate Lecturer in Ox-
ford University; to be Research Associate in Bi-
ology.
Francis Ellis Johnson, B. A., E. E. (Wiscon-
sin), of Houston, Texas; recently with the Brit-
ish Columbia Electric Railway Company; to be
Instructor in Electrical Engineering.
Edgar Odell Lovett, Ph. D. (Virginia and
Leipsic), LL. D. (Drake and Tulane), of Hous-
ton, Texas; formerly Professor of Mathematics
in Princeton University, and later Head of the
Department of Astronomy in the same institu-
tion; President of the Institute; to be Professor
of Mathematics.
William Ward Watkin, B. Sc. (Pennsylvania),
Architect, of Houston, Texas; to be Instructor in
Architectural Engineering.
Harold Albert Wilson, F. R. S., D. Sc. (Cam-
bridge), of Montreal, Canada; Fellow of Trinity
College, Cambridge University; formerly Pro-
fessor in King's College, London; Research Pro-
182 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
fessor in McGill University; to be Professor of
Physics.
There is being constituted a faculty of letters in
which will be developed facilities for elementary
and advanced courses in the so-called humanities,
thereby enabling the Institute to offer both the ad-
vantages of a liberal general education and those of
special and professional training. For these facul-
ties of science and letters the best available instruc-
tors and investigators are being sought in the hope
of assembling in Houston a group of unusually
able scientists and scholars through whose pro-
ductive work the new university should speedily
take a place of considerable importance among the
established institutions of the country.
The subjects in which instruction will be pro-
vided as rapidly as possible are mathematics, phys-
ics, chemistry, biology, engineering, architecture,
ancient languages, modern languages, history,
and politics, philosophy and psychology, economics
and sociology, and art and archeaeology. The pro-
grammes of study are being so arranged as to of-
fer a variety of courses leading after four years of
undergraduate work to bachelor's degrees in arts,
in science, in letters, and in their applications to
the several fields of engineering, domestic arts,
and other regions of applied science. Extensive
general courses in the various domains of scientific
knowledge will be available, but in the main the
programmes will consist of subjects carefully co-
ordinated and calling for considerable concentra-
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS 183
tion of study. For the advanced degrees, Master
of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of En-
gineering, every facility will be afforded properly
qualified graduate students to undertake lines of
study and research under the direction of the In-
stitute's resident and visiting professors.
Candidates for admission to the Institute who
present satisfactory testimonials as to their charac-
ter will be accepted either upon successful exam-
ination in the entrance subjects or by certificate of
graduation from an accredited public or private
high school.
There will be no charge for tuition and no fees
for registration or examination in the Institute. A
small deposit will be required to cover possible
breakage in the laboratories and losses from the
libraries; the balance from this contingent fee is,
of course, returnable at the close of the session.
Rooms in the Residential Hall, for men, com-
pletely furnished exclusive of linen, together with
table board at the Institute Commons, will be
available for from eighteen to twenty dollars
per month of four weeks. For both single and
double rooms the rental will be uniform without
regard to their location, and they will be let in the
order of applications received. Diagrams showing
the floor plans will be sent on request to any one
who may be interested. Accommodations for the
residence of young women on the university
grounds will not be offered during the coming
year. The Residential Hall for Men is of absolute-
184 A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF
ly fire-proof construction, heated by steam, lighted
by electricity, cleaned by vacuum apparatus, and
equipped with the most approved forms of sanitary
plumbing, providing adequate bathing facilities on
every floor.
The general plan for the improvement of the
site of the Institute calls for a number of play-
ing and exhibition fields in the vicinity of the resi-
dential groups. In fact the wide expanse of the
campus affords abundant space for every variety
of physical exercise. A determined effort will be
made to systematize and make general a sane de-
votion to out-door sports in climatic conditions,
which render athletics and open-air gymnastics
profitably possible the whole year round. The
daily time-table of each student will include a def-
inite period under the instructor in athletics. Sim-
ilarly with a view to developing every student in
the manly art of self-defense in oratory and dispu-
tation there have been appointed, in the South
Tower of the first Residential Hall for Men, halls
for two literary and debating societies, whose activ-
ities should supplement the work of certain chairs
under the faculty of letters.
