Wichita County Beginnings (Kelly, Louise, 1982)
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1465)
For the section on City National Bank Robbery (p. 43-45) see Transcript
Excerpts related to Avis family:
p. 6
Some Brands of the Area
p. 12
Other Small Ranches
Barefoot Bryant. In 1883 he had a ranch extending from Wichita Falls to Henrietta. It was bought by C. C. White and it became the Avis ranch.
p. 107
Joseph Alexander "Jodie" Kemp
Kemp established a small store on Ohio near Eighth Street and built a large barn. ... In 1887 he traded his retail business to C. C. White for some Cherokee County school land located in southeastern Wichita County.
p. 162
Texas House of Representatives [representing Wichita Falls]
1923-1924 District 111 Place 1 J. D. Avis
1925-1928 Place 1 J. D. Avis
1929-1930 Place 1 J. D. Avis
p. 226
JUDGE S. H. HODGES
S. H. Hodges came to Wichita Falls in 1888 and the 1894 directory listed him as a partner of J. J. O'Fiel, attorneys, on Seventh St. He also dealt in real estate. In 1907 he built the large house at 1100 Travis which was sold in 1910 to Dan Hardy for $8,400. Later the Hodges moved to Oklahoma.
In 1887 he and married Nancy Belle Avis (1867-1946), daughter of David and Mahala Avis, in Montague. They had two children: May (1880-1890) and Sam Houston (1890-1939). Houston and his wife Iva had a son, C. F. "Stormy" ( - 1944), who married Eleanor, daughter of J. W. Marriott.
p. 242
HENRY C. McGLASSON
Green County, Kentucky August 13, 1844-1926
After nearly four years of Confederate service in the Kentucky Cavalry, H. C. McGlasson moved from Kentucky in 1877 to Missouri to farm and raise fine cattle. In 1888, he came to Wichita County to engage in farming and real estate.
He was married three times, the third time on March 1, 1898, to Mrs. S. E. Collins, nee Bush, a sister of Mrs. J. D. Avis. In 1906, he had seven living children and two stepchildren. One son, Frank W. (1883, Missouri-1949, Tyler) spent most of his early life in Wichita Falls and worked for a wholesale grocery before going to San Antonio in 1911.
One daughter, Katie, spent her early life in Wichita Falls, was married to Oscar Newby, and died in August, 1907, in Osborne, Missouri.
p. 278-279
AVIS-WHITE
David Avis (1818 Missouri - 1873 Montague) came to Texas in the 1850s and around 1860 married Mahala Catherine Webb (died 1926). They had four children, all born in Montague County. Some time after Avis’ death, the widow married C.C. White (died September 1895), a very successful businessman in Montague County.
In the winter of 1878-1879, White sent Jim Avis to the west to look over Barefoot Sanders’ 45,000-acre ranch, covering parts of Wichita, Clay, and Archer counties. Sanders was in trouble, but Avis thought the ranch had possibilities and recommended that White lend him $45,000 to refinance the ranch. When further financial difficulties arose, White sent Jim Avis and his wife in March, 1884, to take over the ranch with headquarters located about 16th and Austin, two years later. Much of the acreage was traded or sold, but in 1949 the Avis ranch still had over 4,000 acres, enhanced by oil wells.
Also in March, 1884, Mr. and Mrs. White moved to Wichita Falls where White was active in business, having a grocery business with J.D. Avis, then a dry goods store, and owning several buildings. He also helped reorganize the Panhandle National Bank.
In 1898 Mrs. White took the $4,500 in gold that her husband had given her for a home to Moore and Richolt, contractors, and had them build at 901 Austin, site of a small house they had lived in when they first came to Wichita Falls. Though remodeled in 1942, the basic house remained the same, but was torn down in 1978.
James David ‘Jim’ (1861-1935) was the first white boy born in Montague County. He was a freighter, Indian fighter, cattle dealer, rancher, businessman, and a member of the Wichita County Commissioners Court (1904), eight years in the City Council, and the Texas Legislature in the 1920s. In 1909 he established the Avis Hardware. Cow business was his chief concern. Long active in Masonry, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1921.
In 1884 in Montague he married Minnie Ollie Bush (West Virginia 1865 - June 27, 1952), daughter of Isaac Bush, a Confederate veteran who had come to Montague County when Minnie was a child. They had three sons and three daughters:
Frank Piner (Wichita Falls, 1885-1958) was a working cowboy much of his early life and loved it. He claimed that he could ride anything with hair on it and was never thrown. He operated the Avis Ranch with its cattle and oil, then came to Wichita Falls about December 10, 1886. For a time he worked in the First National Bank, but quit when he realized he could not go higher until several above him would die off. He was a charter member (1907) of the Elks Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He liked to forget his venture into the hardware business. This good-natured, kindly man drove an early (1908) car, having the distinction of having the first reported stolen car in Texas. On March 7, 1911, he married Lena D. Matlock (1886-1970), who had come to Wichita Falls in 1909 from Nocona. They had one daughter, M. Camille (1913-1974), who graduated from high school in 1930, married Marvin L. McCulloch, and had one daughter, Marilyn, Mrs. J.R. Musalino of Dallas.
J.D., Jr. “Dave” (Wichita Falls, 1887-1960) was a rancher all of his life, living near Jolly in Clay County but educating his children in Wichita Falls and in Texas colleges. He married Adelaide Neeley of Waco, December 30, 1903. She died May 14, 1959, at the age of seventy-two. They had four children: Piner Davidson graduated from high school in 1928 and became a real estate dealer and rancher. In 1946 he married Mrs. Burch Murphy Cooke, who graduated from high school in 1922.
Martha Jane graduated from high school in 1938, became an airline hostess, and in 1946 married Clint Bailey Wood, son of G. Clint Wood of Wichita Falls. They had a son, Clint, Jr.
Helen graduated from high school in 1930, became a teacher, ran the county bookmobile, and married Buck Joe Miller in 1958.
J. D. III was in charge of the Avis ranch near Jolly and married Billie Culwell of Henrietta. He had two daughters and a son.
A.W. “‘Jake’’ (1894-1976) was also on the Avis ranch near Jolly and married Gladys Roberson, daughter of Mart Roberson of Archer County, moved to Austin, and served in World War I. They had one son, Jake Jr. (died 1961, age thirty-eight) who became a dentist. He left two sons, Mart and Charlie.
Katie Lou (Wichita Falls 1888-Tyler, April 1969) graduated from high school in 1907. On April 14, 1910, she married W. Fred Weeks who became highly successful as a lawyer (Yale, 1909) and oil man. He built the beautiful mansion on thirteen acres at 2000 Harrison. He and his brother, Harry, gave, during 1926-1929, about 266 acres to the city for the park which bears their name. He lost money, sold his home, and moved to Tyler where he made another fortune. Their daughter, Katherine, was born in Wichita Falls where she graduated from high school. In 1937 she married E. W. Bridewell in Tyler.
Lillian (Wichita Falls 1892-1974) graduated from high school in 1911 and on July 17, 1916, married Harry Baum, a merchant in Wichita Falls.
Ruby graduated from high school in 1920. She married (1) James Blair Baker, and (2) Ralph Dunkleberg.
Robert was in World War I in France.
Mary V. (1863 Montague-1943 Hereford) married T.M. Palmer and moved from Wichita Falls about 1900. They had a son, Walter and a daughter.
Frank (1866-1942) moved early to California, married there and had several children.
Nancy Belle (1867 Montague-1946 Wichita Falls) in 1887 married S. H. Hodges and in 1888 they moved to Wichita Falls. Their house at 1100 Travis was built in 1907. They had two children: May (1888-1890) and Sam Houston (1890-1939).