History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 519
[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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H T
Mr. May does not use tobacco or intoxicating
drinks, an example followed by all his
family. Mrs. May is a thorough housekeeper
and takes great delight in preparing a fine
dinner, an art in which she is an expert, and
as a nurse in sickness she has few equals.
The children are all bright and intelligent,
and will no doubt be an honor to their
parents.
rE'DWARD REEVES.-More than a
century and a half ago there came
-I from England and settled in Virginia
one Edward Reeves. He had a son named
Robert, who was born in Virginia and who,
when a young man went to North Carolina,
where he married, settled and raised a considerable
family of children, five of whom
were sons. The eldest of these, named Edward,
was born in Bladen county, Nortl
Carolina, about 1799, and at about the age of
twenty-seven married Nancy M[elvin, daughter
of Robert Melvin of that county, and by
this marriage had three children, the eldest
of whom, bearing the old family name of Edward,
is the subject of this sketch. Edward
Reeves, of whom we here write, was
born in Bladen county, North Carolina, July
11, 1838. He was reared in that county to
the age of sixteen, when, in 1854, his parents
with their three children started for Texas.
In accordance with the custom of those days
the trip was undertaken by boat, and had
been accomplished successfully as far as
Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the father,
who had been taken with cholera on board
the steamer, died. The widow instead of
continuing her journey went to relatives in
Rankin county, Mississippi, where several
years were spent in that state of uncertainty
and sorrow which had been brought about by
33the sudden death of tlle husband and father.
In the meantime, letters having passed between
the family and a relative, Tolbert
Reeves, who was then in Texas, young Edward
decided to come on and tr'y his fortunes
in the land to which the family had looked
forward as their future home. Through tlhe
influence and assistance of his uncle he came
out, in 1860, and located at Caldwell, Burleson
county, where Tolbert Reeves then lived.
lie was given a clerkship in his uncle Tolbert's
store, and from his earnings soon saved
enough to assist his mother and younger
brother and sister to move out. They came
in 1861 and settled in Caldwell. The mother
died here in 1869. The brother and sister con
tinue to reside in this county, the former,
James T. Reeves, being a well-to-do farmer
residing in Caldwell; and* the latter is now
Mrs. Mary A. Smith, wife of Ellis D. Smith.
Edward Reeves, like most of the successful
business men of this country, began his
career not only without means, but with
little scholastic or other training. He had
just passed his majority wlien he came to
Texas. His boyhood and youth had been
spent on the farm, and what schooling lie had
received had been such as he could get during
the brief winter months when there was
a slackness of work. He handled his first article
of merchandise in Caldwell, in which place
his entire business life has been spent. After
clerking one year lie took $250, which he had
saved, and with this and a like amount borrowed
from his uncle Tolbert, he began business
for himself. He was only fairly prosperous
during the period covered by the war,
but with the return of peace and the settling
of the country, from 1870 on his mercantile
interests grew rapidly, until now, after thirtytwo
years of active business life, his establishlment
is one of the largest, and his ratingHI TOR F EXS
519
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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/m1/560/?rotate=90: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.