Notes on Early Residents of Victoria

The following material was excerpted from The 88th Anniversary Edition of the Victoria Advocate, published September 28, 1934. (You can use the "Find" button in your toolbar to search for a certain name.)
  • JAMES DAVIS built the building known as the old REIMANN WAGNER place in 1839 of Victoria brick. It is said to have been Victoria's first opera house. Jim Davis in later years drove the city street sprinklers. He died about 1900.
    His son was WILLIAM F.(BILL) DAVIS, who was a carpenter. Bill Davis passed away about 1930.
    The building was later occupied by a grocery and bakery. The bakery was operated by E.J. DURANT, who died about 1910. In 1934, the vacant building was owned by his widow, Mrs. ERNESTINE DURANT of Houston.
  • THEOBALD SENGELE, a native of Alsace, was a building contractor. He arrived here in 1844, and built his home of Victoria brick on East Forest Street the same year. Theobald Sengele died September 9, 1911. He was the father of A.T. SENGELE. A.T. SENGELE was nearing 86 years old in 1934, and was the oldest native Victorian at that time.
    In 1934 Mrs. THERESA GUDAT of San Antonio was the owner of the residence.
  • VALENTINE SCHUHMANN, a native of Germany came to Victoria from Mexico in 1844. He erected the building known as the DIESBACH building of Victoria cypress at the corner of Liberty and Santa Rosa Streets. Valentine Schuhmann followed the saddlery business here until his death on November 8, 1888.
    In 1934, his nephew, GEORGE DIESBACH, approaching 84 years of age, owned the property. George Diesbach was a retired Victoria jeweler and druggist.
    The building in 1934 was occupied jointly by the Victoria Printing Company and Mrs. R.E. HILL's photograph gallery.
  • MILTON HARDY came here from Tennessee in 1825 and built his house of Victoria brick and cypress in 1845, the year of his marriage. He was the second husband of Mrs. MARGARET HEFFERNAN BORLAND, mother of the late Mrs. Nellie WOOD-KREISLE. Mr. HARDY lived in this house until his death on July 26, 1852. He was a victim of the cholera epidemic of that year, and his two little children, WILLIAM and ELIZA, died during the same epidemic. He was only 35.
  • Mr. and Mrs. RICHARD OWENS, parents of Mrs. JAMES F. WELDER of Victoria, owned the house located at 304 East Juan Linn. It was originally a one-story structure and when first built about 1858 faced West Santa Rosa in the rear of the building now (1934) occupied by HEINKE's PHARMACY. A number of years ago it was moved to the Juan Linn location. In 1934 it was the home of Misses CORINNE and MARGARET WOOD and FRANK WOOD, formerly known as the St. Anthony Inn.
  • HALFIN, HENRY, a native of Dahn, Bavaria, was one of Victoria's early merchants. He had his store and residence in the building known as the APFEL building at the corner of Bridge and Constitution Streets. Brick made in Victoria was used in its construction. HENRY HALFIN died at the age of 79 in 1902
    • APFEL, MR. & MRS. JAKE resided in the upper story of HALFIN'S building for many years and two of their daughters, Mrs. BLANCHE (JOE) COHEN, and Miss DELPHINE APFEL, lived upstairs in 1934 (at this time SIBLEY and HAROLD SHAW had their tire store in the lower story.) Mrs. JAKE APFEL was the daughter of HENRY HALFIN.
  • Judge ALEXANDER PHILLIPS - his home was erected in 1851 of Victoria brick and lumber. Judge PHILLIPS, a distinguished Victoria lawyer was born in Montgomery County, New York, June 16. 1804, and came here in 1842 after serving as instructor in the noted classical high school at Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He represented Victoria in the State Constitutional Convention of 1866, and died in this city (Victoria)June 24, 1880. His widow, who married Dr. MAX URWITZ, a Victoria physician, continued to occupy the home until her removal to Houston.
    Then the house was owned by the following people:
    • J.E. HEXTER, who moved to Dallas;
    • the Mr. JOHNSON who established the Johnson Addition in Victoria;
    • SAMUEL R. DABNEY, eminent Victoria lawyer who moved to Houston;
    • the late W.N. FLEMING, prominent Victoria ranchmen;
    • the late Mrs. L.G. (NELLIE BORLAND WOOD) KREISLE; and
    • Dr. W.W. SALE, well-known specialist who moved to Victoria from Cuero.
  • WILLIAM R. RUPLEY - erected a hotel at the corner of Main and Santa Rosa Streets. This was begun in 1859 and completed in 1860. The material used was Victoria brick. WILLIAM R. RUPLEY was a native of Pennsylvania and spent the last years of his life there. He owned extensive lands south of Victoria, later embraced in the WELDER Ranch. He was a member of the ill-fated Mier Expedition and although wounded, succeeded in escaping.
    Mr.RUPLEY'S wife was the only daughter of RAFE CAMPBELL of Victoria, deceased. Their daughter, Miss MAY RUPLEY, became the wife of the late JOHN K. THOMPSON, a Victoria planter who was interested in mining operations in Arizona.
    MR. RUPLEY'S son, WILLIAM R. RUPLEY JR and Mrs. THOMPSON inherited the Rupley Estate. William Jr. moved from Victoria to Houston.
  • JACOB RUPLEY, brother of WILLIAM R. RUPLEY SR, was a tinner and also a native of Pennsylvania. JACOB was a veteran of the Mexican War and rose to the rank of captain in the Confererate Army, commanding the Victoria Company in the 6th Texas Infantry Regiment. He died in Victoria of yellow fever during the epidemic of 1867.
  • ABE SIMON, who with his son MORITZ SIMON owned the Simon Department Store, began business in the Rupley Building in 1896 and continued in business there until 1928.
  • The dry goods store of H. GOLTZMAN (possibly GLOTZMAN?) was located in the Rupley Building, following the move of the Simon Department Store. GOLTZMAN, formerly of St. Louis was the son-in-law of JACOB LAZOR of the Victoria Electric Shoe Shop.
  • During reconstruction days a number of Union Army officers had quarters in the old ABRAHAM LEVI home, and when Mr. LEVI returned from France, late in 1865 or early in 1866, and found them in his residence he appealed to Washington and finally succeeded in having them vacate it. The old Levi home, located at 403 North Main St. was erected about 1860.
  • The home of J.M. COCHRAN on North Moody St. was built in 1854, of pine and oak. The building material was ordered by boat from New York by Dr. STEPHEN F. COCKE, an early pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Victoria, who resided at Green Lake before moving to Victoria. He intended to use the lumber in constructing a hunting lodge, but died before it could be built.
    Stephen's brother DR. THOMAS R. COCKE, father of Mrs. THOMAS J. STERNE of Victoria, used the lumber to build a home for his niece, Mrs. J.M. (ELLA) COCHRAN who was the daughter of Dr. STEPHEN F. COCKE, and the wife of a Presbyterian minister.
  • From 1871 the Cocke home was the residence of WILLIAM LARRABEE CALLENDER and Mrs. SARAH ROBERTA SANGSTER CALLENDER. Mr. CALLENDER was one of Victoria's ablest lawyers. He was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and came to Victoria in 1855, dying in 1895.
    The home was then owned by Mr. and Mrs. LLOYD M. STEVENS. Mrs. Stevens was the daughter of WILLIAM and SARAH CALLENDER. Mrs. Stevens established the age of the home when she found a Presbyterian paper bearing the date of 1855 and containing the inaugural address of President Buchanan in one of the window casings.