History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 614
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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'614 HISTORY OF TEXAS.
William W. Watson was born near Ye.gua
ppst office, Burleson county, April 1, 1849.
He was reared in this county, having been
brought up on the farm. Februrry 7, 1877,
he married Miss Dora A. Cottrell, daughter
of J. F. and Martha Cottrell of Burleson
county and settled on his present farm where he
has since resided engaged in agricultural pursuits.
He is an industrious, thrifty and successful
farmer and a useful and highly respected
citizen. To his home and farming
interests he is devoted without reservation.
He has a family of six children: Louisa
Pearl, Clinton DeWitt, Mattie Leona, Jasper
Hilton, Lula Lee and William Wright.
OSIAH TAYLOR, deceased, and the
Jt first merchant of Williamson county,
was born in Virginia, March 12, 1812,
a son of Littlebury Taylor. At the age of
fifteen years Josiah was left an orphan, and
from that time was obliged to make his own
way in the world. He worked on the river
for a time, and then, having been a fine
mechanic, followed carpentering. From
1841 until 1845 he lived in Arkansas and
Neosho, Newton county, Missouri, having
erected the first house in that city, and in the
latter year came to Bastrop county, Texas.
Mr. Taylor remained in that county one year,
and then removed to near where Elgin is now
located, where he improved his farm and engaged
in merchandising, hauling his goods
with ox teams from Houston. From that
place lie moved to near where Hutto, Texas,
is now located, where he opened the first stock
of goods in the county, in a small room in his
dwelling, but this stock of about $700 worth
of goods when sold, was scattere/ over a
greater radius than that of any of the storesnow in Georgetown. In the latter part of
1849 Mr. Taylor came to Georgetown, purchased
$250 worth of goods of A. J. McKay,
increased the stock, and did a successful business
until 1860, when he sold his store and
went to Waco. In 1851 he erected at Georgetown
the largest store then in the county,
the store now being known as the Breneke &
Company building, which has been three
times moved. While in Waco our subject
also conducted a wholesale grocery store,
supplying the trade in Burnet, Lampasas,
Llano, San Saba, and the county of Coryell,
covering a distance of 100 miles to the north
and west. At that time there were no towns
between Georgetown and Waco. In 1865 he
sold his store in that city and opened a wholesale
grocery store in Galveston.
At that time money was very scarce, owing
to the ravages of the Civil war. Mr. Taylor
was a man universally admired for his strict
honesty and his many noble and sterling
qualities of head and heart. His word was as
good as a bank note, and his promise to pay,
was always equivalent to the cash in hand.
The following is an example of the confidence
placed in him. In 1865 he went to New
York, with but little more money than was
actually necessary in paying his expenses, and
while there saw some of the merchants with
whom he had previously had dealings. They
met at the Astor House, where he told them
of the impoverished condition of his people.
Several of the men offered to let him have
goods on ninety days and 120 days' credit,
but he still wanted more time. At this
juncture J. H. Brower, of the firm of J. H.
Brower & Co., said: "Mr. Taylor, I would
buy such goods as I wanted, would buy them
wherever I could do the best, buy as many as
you care to, pay for them when you get ready,
and the firm of J. H. Brower & Co. willi
a614
HISTORY P EXS
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/660/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.