Athens Review
Athens, Texas
June 21, 1901
THE NEW CITY COUNCIL
Brief Biographical Sketches of The Members of the Body.
The Review, this week, with an enterprise it is hoped will be
appreciated by its readers, presents likenesses of our first city
council. Of course, nearly all the people in Henderson county
personally know these gentlemen, and pictures of them are not
necessary for such; but several hundred copies of the REVIEW go
out of the county, and we believed such a good-looking and
intelligent body of men as our city council would be a fine
advertisement for the county. Again, when these gentlemen have
gone to their final home, and their descendants and strangers
have taken their places, it will be a source of satisfaction to
them to see the faces and read sketches of the lives of the men
who first started the city of Athens on the road to a prosperous
era. We had to do some very hard persuading before we could
induce the gentlemen to sit for their pictures or consent for
them to appear in the REVIEW; and we believe they consented more
to please the editor than to gratify a laudable desire to appear
in print.
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CITY COUNCIL
Mayor J. J. Faulk is a member of one of the strongest law firms
in the state, Faulk & Faulk, and his acceptance of this
position at this time is a considerable sacrifice upon his part,
made at the petition of a very numerously signed petition of the
best men of Athens. It was an unselfish and highly patriotic act
upon his part to accept, in as much as the duties this term will
necessarily be many, laborious and unthankful.
Captain Faulk might be said to be almost a native Texas, being
only two or three years of age when brought to Texas. He has
resided in Henderson county all the time since 1854 at Austin,
Texas. He has held various official positions, beginning, as
nearly all great men do, with the office of school teacher. He
was elected county attorney in 1878 and served one term,
declining the office any longer because of its being deprived of
all felony cases. He was elected to the legislature in 1880, and
made a good member. In 1884 he was elected district attorney and
served so efficiently in that capacity for two terms that his
constituents earnestly besought him to accept another term.
He read law first with Manion & Adams, on of the strongest
law firms in this part of the state. Afterwards in the office of
Evans & Faulk, Mayor Faulk is a man of enlarged views, well
informed upon all subjects, and especially so upon governmental
questions. He is a large property holder in the city and county
and his interests are identical with that of the people. He is a
very conservative man, has good judgment, and we believe there is
not another man in Athens that will look after her interest and
that of all her people with more care than he will.
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Alderman Dr. Percy Larkin was born and raised in this
county and excepting a period of about three years that his
father resided in Palestine, he has always resided in Henderson
county. The doctor, one of the firm of Larkin & Hodge, is a
leading physician of our town and does a large and lucrative
practice. He is a man of fine property and is accumulating all
the time. Doctor Larkin is a most genial, jovial, companionable
gentleman, and a man of good judgment on any business proposition
and will be an efficient member of the council. Dr. Larkin and
Isadore Richardson will enliven the meetings with their wit and
fun, but when a business question arises none will be more
watchful than they of the people's interests.
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Alderman J. I. Richardson is also a native of Henderson county.
He was born and raised in Athens. His parents died when he was
quite young, and his older brothers were from home in the
Southern army. Mr. Richardson is a man of fine business sense as
is proven by the success he has made in life in financial
matters. He owns much valuable property in the city and out of
it. He is the most public spirited citizen of the town. He has
always been very liberal to contributing to all worthy public
enterprises. Although opposed originally to incorporation, he
gracefully yielded to the will of the majority, and is now
willing to do all in his power to make it a success. As said
above, he is witty, fond of a joke, but not to the extent of
over-looking a business proposition. We believe he will be a
valuable member of the council.
To sum up we believe there is not a city in Texas that has as
many native citizens upon its board of aldermen. It is proper to
remark that all these gentlemen accepted places on the ticket
only at the petition of a large number of the best citizens of
the city.
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Alderman J. B. Wofford is a native of Henderson county and of one
of the oldest families of this portion of
the state. He has grown up in Henderson county. He has
accumulated much property and is one of the
most prominent business men of Athens. He is a man of fine
business qualifications and habits and his
judgment will be invaluable in matters of moment that will come
before the council. His large property
interest will give assurance of his diligent care and
watchfulness for the best interest of the town. Mr.
Wofford is a very pleasant, intelligent gentleman and he will
make a very efficient member of the city
council.
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Alderman Dr. B. P. Adams, one of the firm of Adams & Adams,
is one of the leading business men of
Athens. Dr. Adams came to Henderson county about fifty years ago.
He practiced medicine about
twenty-five years. He formerly lived in the Fincastle country and
has always been an influential man in the
community where he has lived. Several years ago he embarked in
the mercantile business in Athens and
has displayed the same tact and skill there that is
characteristic of the man. He is a man of conservative
views upon all questions and is a most reasonable man, one who is
ready to listen respectfully to the view
of others. He owns much property in town, and his good reputation
for honesty and integrity together with
his individual interest make him a first class man for a position
as a member of the board of alderman. His services will no doubt
be invaluable to the city.
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Alderman J. T. LaRue is a native of Henderson county and says he
has never been out of the state. Mr.
LaRue is one of our most public spirited citizens. He is a man of
fine business habits. He keeps well
posted upon current affairs both politically and industrially. He
is self-sacrificing when it comes to aiding in
any public enterprise. He is conservative but is a man of much
firmness in his opinions. He will, we
believe, be in favor of all needed public enterprises, but will
not be extravagant. His judgment will be
invaluable upon questions of importance coming before the board
of aldermen. He has good property
interest in town. He will be a very efficient member of the
council. It was only by strong insistence that he
accepted the position on the ticket.
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OTHER OFFICERS
City Attorney W. R. Bishop is a native of Henderson county. He
was born and raised in Athens. He is a young lawyer of promise.
He is a member of the law firm of Green & Bishop. He is a
young man of good habits, steady character and will no doubt,
stimulated by the desire to merit the approbation of his friends
be very energetic in enforcing the ordinances of the city
impartially and without fear of favor.
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City Marshal J. I. Wofford was born in Hunt county near the line
of Fannin. He has been a citizen of Henderson county a number of
years and has had much experience as a peace-officer. He served
four years deputy sheriff under his father and four years under
K. Richardson, ex-sheriff.
He is a man of good habits, strong physically, and with the
experience he has had in such work, we believe he will make a
first class officer. The people of the town can aid him very much
in his work by out-spoken commendation of his efforts at
maintaining order in the city and enforcing the laws of same.
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Assessor and Collector Capt. W. T. Eustace might appropriately be
styled the Chesterfield of the city government. He was born in
Northumberland county, Va. He served in the Army of Virginia
during the Civil War and was a gallant soldier. He came to Texas
in 1867, settling in Henderson county and engaged in teaching for
several years. He was elected district clerk in 1876 and served
five years. He was next elected county clerk and served eight
years. He was then elected county superintendent public
education, and served one term. He then engaged in the practice
of law in which he has been quite successful. He is a member of
the firm of Eustace & McDonald. Capt. Eustace is quite a
polished, cultured gentleman. He is very popular with the people
and has a conscientious regard for a strict compliance with
whatever duty commands him to do. He is very competent for the
office to which he has been elected. He has also been elected by
the council as city secretary, a position for which he is
eminently fitted.
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City Treasurer A. S. Ferrell is one of our prominent young
business men of our city. He is now and has been sometime teller
of the First National Bank of Athens. He is young man of good
habits of good business qualifications, and will be a safe
custodian of the city's funds.
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City Engineer D A. Poynor whose picture we failed to get, is a
man of much experience in his line. He is a civil engineer by
profession and has worked for the best railroad companies of the
state, the Cotton Belt and the T. & N. O. being two of them.
He has held a similar position in Dallas. There is not a man
anywhere better qualified than he for the position to which he
was elected without being a candidate for it.
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