History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 270

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

grandfather of oar subject, Daniel Root, was
a soldier in the war of 1812, took part in the
'battle of New Orleans, and was Major of the
State Troops in that engagement. Daniel
H. Root moved from Virginia to Missouri in
1854, settling near where Livingston now
stands, where he followed farming, and was
also a minister in the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He remained there until his death,
in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Root were the
parents of ten children, viz.: William, who
was killed at the battle of Vicksburg, while
serving in the Confederate army; Sophia,
widow of H. H. Bowler, a resident of Montana;
Maggie, wife of John J. Gray, of
Missouri; Daniel, who was killed in the
battle of Pea Ridge; Jennie, deceased, was
the wife of John Evans, of Columbia,
Missouri; Mary, wife of Dr. George Potter,
of St. Joe, that State; Martha, deceased;
James L., our subject; Annie, wife of M. A.
Violett, of Sturgeon, Missouri; and Orra, a
teacher in the schools of this city. The father
died in 1881. The mother now resides with
the subject of this sketch, aged seventy-nine
years. She has been a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, from childhood.
James L. Root received his early education
in the common schools of his native
county, and later attended the college at Fayette,
Howard county, Missouri, for one year.
Leaving school at the age of about twenty
years, he went to California, remaining in the
West ten years, and was engaged in teaming,
mining and other employments. November
25, 1882, Mr. Root landed in Taylor, Texas,
with a few hundred dollars, and for the following
five years was employed as clerk by
Simons & McCarty. In 1887 the firm of
Root, Mills & Co. was established, and in
1891 the two firms of. Simnons & McCarty
and Root, Mills & Co. consolidated./ Messrs.

Mills and McCarty withdrawing, the present
firm of Simons, Root & Co. was then formed.
Mr. Root was united in marriage in. 1886
with Miss South C. Easley, a daughter of
Colonel Samuel A. Easley. To this union
has been born two children: Florra and Daniel
E. Mr. and Mrs. Root are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. The former
also affiliates with the A. F. & A. M., the
R. A. M. and K. T., the I. 0. 0. F., No. 240,
and the K. of P., No. 53.
fit W. STORRS, the leading merchant of
Granger, was born in Lodi, Washtenaw
county, Michigan, December 30,
1858, a son of Andrew and Elizabeth
(Taphonse) Storrs, the former a native of
New York and the latter of England. The
father left his home when only seven years
of age, on account of a stepmother, and
never returned until after reaching manhood.
He now resides with his family in
McLennan county, Texas. Mr. and Mrs.
Storrs had nine children: A. W., Alva,
Clarence, Ella, Charley, James, Roy and
Samuel.
A. W. Storrs, the subject of this sketch,
was reared to farm life, and remained under
the parental roof until reaching the years of
maturity. In 1878 he came with his father
and family to McLennan county, Texas,
where they farmed on rented land one year,
and they were then enabled to buy a team.
In 1883 Mr. Storrs had sufficient money to
purchase a team for himself, and he. continjued
at different kinds of work until 1885,
when he bought a cotton gin, operating that
in connection with his other interests. In
1887 le began merchandising at Rosenthal,

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