Clement Letot

CLEMENT LETOT, a farmer, merchant  and stock-raiser residing eight miles north of the city of Dallas, was born in the Province of L'You, France, October 22, 1835, a son of Sylvan and Colombe Letot, natives of the same place. The father, a farmer by occupation, came to America in 1857, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, and settled in La Salle county, Illinois. He served seven years in the regular army in France, and four years in the late war in this country, as a member of Battery No. 24, which went out from La Salle county. He died on his farm in that county in 1881, at the age of seventy-five years. Mrs. Letot is still living on the old homestead in La Salle county. Our subject's sisters, Pauline, wife of Leon Hay, and Catherine, wife of Martin D'Veore, also reside in that county.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native place, where he learned tiie trade of a machinist. He served in the French army for three years, from 1856 to 1860, was in the Crimean war, where he was a machinist on a large ship, spending most of the time during that war on the Black Sea. He came to America at the expiration of his term of service, his father's family having preceded him to this country by three years, and made his first stop at Chicago, where he worked at his trade. Three years later he went to La Salle county, where he purchased a farm of 640 acres of land lying on Fox river, about twelve miles north of Ottawa, the county seat. He had one of the finest farms in the county, but in December, 1876, he sold out and came to Texas, settling in Dallas county. He first bought 640 acres of land, to which he has since added until he now owns 1,200 acres, 900 acres of which is cultivated and well improved. He has a handsome two-story frame house, which cost $4,000, barns and outliuildings, and also a gin, which he runs during the ginning season. Mr. Letot has a store on his farm, which he has been running since 1879, and wliich is stocked with general merchandise.

He was married in La Salle county, Illinois, in May, 1861, to Nathle, a daughter of Martin Barnard, a native of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Letot have had the following children: David, who resides on his place adjoining his father's; Eugenia, wife of M. K. Williamson, of Birmingham, Alabama; Eliza, wife of John Worley, of Weatherford, Texas; Oliver; Mattie; and May, at home.

Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892, Page, 903