Grayson County TXGenWeb

Walter Daugherty Collins was the son of A. R. and Hattie Collins. At about five years old, he contracted scarlet fever; as a result, he was partially deaf. He could hear with a hearing aid and could read lips even across the room so you had to be careful when talking about him! (information contributed by Bill Collins Johson-Bauder, grandson of W.D. Collins) Walter's great-great-uncle, Judson Dwight Collins (1823 - 1852), was in the first graduating class of the University of Michigan. He was the first Methodist missionary to China, who became ill, and returned home to Washtenaw. County, Michigan and died at age 27. There are some 35 members of the Alpheus Collins; family - Grandfather of Alpheus Remember Collins - buried in the "Collins Memorial Cemetery" near Leydon in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Walter was sent to a school in St. Louis where he was taught lip reading, at which he became very adept. He attended school in Denison, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He was a self-taught architect who designed the interiors of banks in the days of extravagant fixtures. He designed banks throughout Texas and southern Oklahoma. He owned a marble quarry in Tennessee. At one time he owned most of Achille, Oklahoma. He also owned a ranch in Franklin County, Texas. He was a fine horseman.

In 1900 he married Miss Abbie Hargett of Paris, Texas. W.D. Collins is listed in the 1903 Denison City Directory asliving at 108 N. Rusk Avenue.

Cecile Banner wrote: "My grandmother, Abby Hargett Collins, is on the horse. My grandfather, Walter
Daugherty Collins, is standing on the porch holding my mother, Daugherty Hargett Collins Dickson."

Mr. and Mrs. Collins had two children: Virginia Collins Johnson, who married Harry Augustus Bauder and Miss Daugherty H. Collins (1904-1984) who married Cecil B. Dickson, one grandson, William "Billy" Collins Johnson Bauder (adopted by H.A. Bauder), who made their home at the Collins residence at 820 Gandy Street, Denison, Texas.

W.D. Collins developed Alzheimer's in the last two years of his life, thus died in a facility in Dallas in 1952.

820 W. Gandy
A capacious four-square, with three over one windows. Notice the huge vent on the roof. Before air conditioning, a big attic fan inside the house
would pull night air in the windows, then up through the attic, and out the huge vent. At least two families lived in the house before Cal and Mattie Hogg Chambers bought the house sometime between the compilation of the 1898-1899 City Directory and the 1900 census; although the house they lived in for more than 20 years was a different house on the lot when they lived there. After Cal's death in 1918, Mattie and her children were still listed as living at 820 W. Gandy in the 1920 census and the 1921 City Directory; the Grayson Co. CAD shows 1920 as the year of construction. It can be concluded that a new 2-story house was built after the Chambers moved out in 1921 or later and before W.D. & Abby Collins moved in, sometime before 1925. The house was also the home of the M. Dain Harvey family from the 1950s until 1998.

W. D. Collins Safe Company letterhead

W.D. Collins' safe
Photo taken at 1st United Bank, Colbert, Oklahoma
Made out of "Manard Manganese Steel"

A.R. Collins was president of the Walter D. Collins Company and was interested in Real Estate and Loan Company in that city. He was listed as "safe dealer" in the Business Section of the 1905 City Directory for Denison at 513 W. Main Street and again in the 1938 Denison City DIrectory as "W.D. Collins - Safe and Bank Fixtures Co." The 1953 City Directory listed Walter D. Collins as President, H.H. Bauder, General Manager and B.C. Bauder, Secretary-Treasurer with the business name changed to Bank & Store Fixtures Co., Inc. at 200 State National Bank Building, 301 W. Woodard, Tel. 305. Abbie, the widow of Walter D. Collins, was Vice-President, living at 1506 W. Shepherd St. Billy Collins Bauder was an architect who designed some Denison buildings and parts of Yellow Jacket Boats. Billy designed the home at 1711 W. Day St. for his mother and stepfather, Virginia & Hap Bauder.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, July 22, 1883
pg. 4

The stylish galvanized iron cornice on the A.R. Collins & Co. building is a sample of the work in this line now being done by Messrs. Pettit & Waltz, of this city. They have all the machinery necessary for turning out work of this kind very promptly, and in the best manner, and are skilled workmen. Their enterprise should command the patronage of the community.

Researcher's Note : Pettit & Waltz was founded by Frank Pettit & Christian "Chris" Waltz

511 - 513 W. Main Street
Recent remodeling moved the upstairs staircase back to the center of the building
Photo contributed by Mavis Anne Bryant, September 2012

"AF of L" in sidewalk
American Federation of Labor in sidewalk in front of 511 - 513 W. Main Street (Collins Block)
The unions had their meeting hall on the 2nd floor of the building for many years
(photo contributed by Mavis Anne Bryant)

Store ~ Kaboodles
511 - 513 W. Main Street (Collin Block)
Owner ~ Candus Vickery

An exciting new store at 513 West Main Street in Denison! It's located in the historic Collins Block, one of Denison's finest buildings, now updated

to showcase original features of this great space. Owners Bob Dickson and Candus Vickery return at last to the Denison Commercial Historic District.