History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 304
[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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04
80 HITR FTXS
and comes of one of the early settled families
of this county. His father, Pleasant Roland
(who always spelled his name in this way although
the majority of the family spelled it
with aw),was a native of Alabama, where he
was born in the first year of this century and
where twenty-eight years later he married
and came to Texas, in 1842, settling in
Lamar county. He took up his residence
with his wife and two children on what was
then the outposts of civilization, where he
lived for nine years. At the end of that
time he lost his faithful helpmate, and discouraged
and broken up in home he returned
to his native State, but came again to Texas
at a later date and passed the remainder of
his life in Collin county, where he died in
1879, after a long life spent in the quiet
pursuits of the farm.
For a few years after his mother's death
the subject of this sketch made his home
with a married sister, a Mrs. Davis, in Collin
county. Then a stripling at the age of ten,
he began the serious duties of life for himself.
For a number of years he worked
among the neighboring farmers at common
farm labor or whatever else he could get to
do, earning a livelihood, growing strong in
body and in sturdy self-reliance. The second
year of the war found him a youth of sufficient
age and strength to bear arms, and he
was accordingly enlisted in the Confederate
service, entering Company F, Martin's regiment,
with which he served in the TransMississippi
Department. He discharged his
duties acceptably in camp and field, and
after the surrender returned to Collin county,
where he turned his hand at once to the pursuits
of peace. He took up carpentering as
a means of support and followed it for a
number of years. Then about 1870 hf engaged
in merchandising and was so engagedat the towns of Bremond, Wortham and
Palmer along the.line of the Houston &
Texas Central Railway, which was then being
built north toward Red river for about four
years. In the latter part of 1874 he located
at Rockdale, where he shortly afterward embarked
again in mercantile pursuits, which
he has since steadily followed at this place.
He is thus one of Rockdale's oldest merchants,
and one who has met with marked
success throughout his whole career in this
place. He has handled almost all kinds of
merchandise since he has been in business
here, and has had partnerships at one time
and another with many of Rockdale's leading
men. For four years past he has been
handling general merchandise and has a trade
varying from $40,000 to $50,000 a year. In
addition to this he owns good property in the
town, consisting mainly of business buildings
but including also a neat, modest residence,
and has some stock in a few of the
local enterprises. What Mr. Rowland owns
he has made since settling in Rockdale, and
having succeeded reasonably well he is
naturally much attached to the place and all
of its interests. Whatever tends to stimulate
the industry of his town or promote its
general welfare receives his hearty support
and assistance. For twenty years past he has
been devoted wholly to business, having
taken only such part in public matters as
might be expected of any citizen. He is a
Democrat in politics, a member of the Masonic
fraternity and of the Knights of Honor,
to all of which he gives an earnest support.
In 1867 Mr. Rowland married Miss Sallie
M. Lee, a daughter of W. J. E. Lee, who
moved to Texas about 1859 and settled at
Palestine. Mrs. Rowland was born in Sumter
district, South Carolina, and was a girl
about eight years old when her parentsRIS TORYOPTEAS
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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/m1/320/?rotate=0: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.