James (Jim) Alford Simons, Sr. will be 155 years old this Wednesday, January 31, having been born in Madisonville, Kentucky in 1852. 

James, who was called Jim, arrived in Texas with his parents and family when he was one and a half years old. His father died almost immediately in July 1853 in Milam County, Texas. This was immediately east of Williamson County. Jim was the only child of Alfred and Annie Simons (Anastasia DeNoailles Lafayette Hewlett, known by family and friends as Fanny).

In Jim's birth year, 1852, Franklin Pierce was elected 14th President of the United States. Charles Dickens wrote "Bleak House," and Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin," a book whose story line would help stir up a nation in turmoil over slavery issues that, in part, led up to the War Between the States, beginning some eight years later. African explorer David Livingston ventured into Zambezi this year. And get this: The United States imported sparrows from Germany as a defense against caterpillars! I'd say that was a foul (fowl) decision!

(Source: "The Timetables of History" 3rd Revised Edition, Bernard Grun, Simon & Schuster, New York 1991, pages 418-419)

In the year after the Simons move from Kentucky, Texas was linked by telegraph on February 14, 1854 with the rest of the United States, when a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas was completed.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_14

Shortly after Jim's family moved to Texas, and his father died, his mother remarried Mr. Charles Patrick Vance about fourteen months later. Jim was taken into the home of Charles Vance, his step-father. This is evidenced by Jim's appearing as an eight year old household member of Mr. Vance's home in the 1860 Census in Lexington, Burleson County, Texas. Burleson County is just a few miles east of Williamson County, with Milam County in between. Jim's step-father and mother bore four sons and one daughter.

Jim still resided in the Charles P. Vance household, according to the 1870 Census in Lexington, Burleson County, Texas, and he is listed still as being at school. He is reported as being a member of the firm of Simons, Root & Company of Taylor. He was educated in the common schools of Burleson County.

Jim is reported to have operated a general store in Circleville for Charles P. Vance as early as 1873. He moved the store to Taylorsville in October, 1876. (source: Land of Good Water, page 329) That store was called Vance & Company, and reportedly was capitalized with a beginning $10,000.

Jim was raised in the Christian Church, that being the Christian choice of his step-father.

Charles P. Vance appeared in the 1870 Census in Caldwell, Burleson County, Texas (Texas 1870 Federal Census Index, Page 155). Charles P. Vance appeared in the 1920 Census in Houston, Harris County, Texas, indicating an age of 91, and indicating having been born in 1829 in Kentucky. This was Jim's step-father. Through Mr. Haydon Fouke of Lecanto, Florida, a typed version of a nine page hand-written biography written by Charles Patrick Vance is in my files and has enhanced my writings about those in that family line, including Jim.

Jim married Elizabeth Charrie Eubank (Bettie) in 1874 in Cirlceville, my great grandmother. Then Jim moved the store as his own to be among the merchants opening stores in the new Taylor by October 1876. The Galveston Daily News June 4, 1876, described the new town as destined to become one of the largest, if not the principal, town between Texarkana and Austin. Lots were auctioned off for $150 to $250.

(Source: "Land of Good Water" Clara Stearns Scarbrough, Williamson County Sun Publishers, Georgetown, Texas 1973, pages 327-329)

Jim and Bettie bore two children, Verner Alfred and Mattie de Noailles, my grandmother. Bettie died in 1876, only two months after the second child was born. After Bettie died, Jim married Martha C. (Mattie) Townes in 1881. He and Mattie bore six children: Dick, James, Jr., Ruth, Robert, John Charles and Thomas Shirley.

Together, Jim and Mattie were instrumental in the founding of the First Christian Church of Taylor. He was the second Superintendent of the Sunday School of the new church. He was a Democrat in political views and served several terms as an Alderman of Taylor.

James A. Simons served as Postmaster of Circleville, Williamson County 1874-75. He was Postmaster of Taylor for 1877 and 1895.

(Source: "Land of Good Water" Clara Stearns Scarbrough, Williamson County Sun Publishers, Georgetown, Texas 1973, page 421 & 456)

What would become named the town of Taylor in Williamson County, Texas was first platted and opened for public bidding on lots in 1876. This was done by the Texas Land Company with land it had purchased from the International and Great Northern Railroad that was running a rail line through the area. It was first called Taylorsville, but later it was shortened. It was named by Moses Taylor, one of the original projectors of the I&GN RR, and one of its largest investors. By 1878, the town had a population of about 1,000.

(Source: "Land of Good Water" Clara Stearns Scarbrough, Williamson County Sun Publishers, Georgetown, Texas 1973, pages 304-306)

Jim was instrumental in organizing the Building & Loan Association of Taylor in 1885, of which he was President.

My mother, Martha Dixon Chapman Sharpe, gave me a note late in her life (1970's) reporting that Jim moved from Georgetown to Fort Worth and farmed about five miles north of the Tarrant County Court House, but this move is not dated in the note. His obituary, an undated copy of which I have from my cousin, Harry Franklin Sharpe, indicates that Jim moved to Fort Worth in 1908, establishing a Jersey cattle dairy farm. The clipping indicates he took a leadership role in the dairy industry. This dairy land is reported to be on Old Denton Road.

Descendants I've interviewed recently still living in Fort Worth and who were alive during the time of the farm say they cannot really exactly where it was, with all the development since then in Fort Worth. As best as I can estimate, I believe it may have been land on which the intersection of Interstate Highway 35W and Interstate Highway 820, or very near to it on the west side.

In 1908, things were popping around Fort Worth. It was coming into its own as a city. Just the year before, the Flatiron Building opened at Ninth and Houston Streets. At seven stories tall, it was the tallest building in the Southwest. As this report is updated in 2007, the building still stands as the oldest office building in Fort Worth. In 1908, the North side Coliseum was built in the Stockyards to house the Southwest Exposition and Fat Stock Show. In 1908, the Mail-Telegram newspaper was purchased by the Fort Worth Star, to become known as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. It became perhaps the most influential paper in North and West Texas. It was the following year, 1909, that the Fort Worth Zoo opened as the first Zoo in Texas.

Source: "Fort Worth 2005/06 travel guide," the official publication of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In the 1930 U.S. Census in Tarrant County, Precinct #1, District #99, Jim's family consisted of himself, his wife, Martha, and a daughter, Ruth. They owned their home and lived next door to their son and his family, Dick Townes Simons. Dick and his family rented their house for $30 per month, according to the Census report.

His age at death is cited as 80 in the obituary clipping mentioned above. He was survived by his second wife, Martha Townes Simons, and their daughter, Miss Ruth Simons of Fort Worth, and six sons: Verner A. Simons of Lincoln, Nebraska (who was a son from his first marriage); from Fort Worth: Dick Townes Simons; James A. Simons, Jr.; Robert V. Simons; and J. Charles Simons; from Tyler, Texas, Shirley Simons. Not mentioned in the obituary is his daughter from his first marriage, Mattie de Noailles Simons Sharpe, who was residing with her husband in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas at the time. She did not die till 1944.

The obituary reports that the funeral would be at his home on the Old Denton Road. The Rev. Mr. I. D. Anderson would officiate. Burial would be at the Greenwood Cemetery, which is located at 3100 White Settlement Road, just west of University Drive, and just north of the Cultural District of Fort Worth. The main entrance going North is Live Oak lane. The Simons family plot is in the Benediction Garden Section 35, in plot #29. It is right on the curbside of Live Oak, just north of the Flower Circle on the right side of the lane. I first visited that site on May 4, 2004 and located twelve of the Simons family grave sites. My wife, Suzanne, and I were married 130 years later to the exact day that Jim died.

In 1932, the year of his graduation to heaven, the famous Lindbergh kidnapping took place. The "Grand Canyon Suite" was composed by Ferde Grofe. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a solo flight. Franklin D. Roosevelt, my half eight cousin, was elected President of the United States, the first of the four such national elections he would win. The Pulitzer prize for "The Good Earth" was awarded to Pearl S. Buck. And the 29th annual World Series, September 28-October 2, was won by the New York Yankees, who swept the Chicago Cubs in four games, during which Jim died.

Source: Gorton Carruth, "Encyclopedia of American Facts & Dates," Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, 1st edition 1817, 8th edition 1987, pages 490-493.

James (Jim) Alford Simons, Sr. was a strong Texas citizen who left a big record of diligence and contribution to communities where he lived from Central Texas to North Texas. He symbolizes truly what a family patriarch should represent.

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