Thomas W.
Dollarhide, Sr.
Overton Harris
Thomas C. Dollarhide (born
1825
in Virginia) married Elizabeth Victor
(1829–1919) in Scioto County, Ohio, in
1848. Moving on, they were in Tipton,
Cass County, Indiana, by 1850 and in
Louisville, Pottawatomie County,
Kansas, by 1870. They had seven
children before splitting up before
1880. He remarried, to Susan Richards,
in Hickory County, Missouri, in May
1880 and had more children with her.
Meanwhile,
Elizabeth Dollarhide headed for
Denison, Texas, with her four youngest
children. The 1880 Census listed her
as divorced, but later sources all
described her as "widow of Thomas
Dollarhide." The children, in 1880,
were Gillis A. (1855–1890), Horace
George (1856–1950), Thomas Willard Sr.
(1857–1941), and Luella (1868–1926).
An older son, John R. (1854–1950), and
his wife Mattie, lived in Norman,
Oklahoma. Horace George left Denison
soon, perhaps joining John there.
Gillis, unmarried, died in Denison in
1890, leaving Thomas W. and Luella
with Elizabeth, now called "Mother
Dollarshide." She lived for decades at
615 West Woodard Street.
In
1882, Thomas married Cora Lucinda
Griffin (1863–1949). Born in Iowa, she
was in Denison by 1880. The couple
lived at 127 West Monterey Street. In
1880, Thomas was working as a fireman
on the railroad. Thereafter, he
focused on establishing himself in
business.
In
1887, T. W. Dollarhide &
Co. was selling "groceries, produce,
hay, feed and grain" at 323 West Main.
Associated with Tom in the business was
Jesse D. Yocom, soon to become Denison's
mayor.
The Sunday
Gazetteer
Sunday, June 21, 18 91
pg. 1
The 1891
City Directory listed Thomas and Cora
living at 1002 West Nelson Street at
the corner of Chandler Avenue. At 305
West Main was Dollarhide
& Harbison, selling "hardware,
stoves,
cutlery, tinware, guns,
ammunition, sportsmen's supplies,
agents for Hazzard Powder Co." The
new partner was Edward C. Harbison.
By 1893,
Thomas was a clerk at F. E.
Shaffer & Co., hardware.
Elizabeth Dollarhide had gone into
business with Frank E. Shaffer at
321 West Main Street.
Enter
Overton Harris
Overton Harris
(1857–1938) had
come to Denison after 1880 from Boone
County, Missouri. By 1887, he was a
partner with Hiram Brooks (1856–1920) in
Brooks & Harris, a firm selling
groceries, provisions, and feed at 210
West Main Street. He and Hiram likely
had been friends back in Cedar, Boone
County, Missouri.
In 1891,
according to the City Directory, Harris
had become a partner with John W. Hayes
in Hayes & Harris, purveyors of
clothing and gents' furnishing goods, at
105 West Main Street. Both Hayes and
Harris were rooming at 600 West Woodard
Street and taking their meals at the
McDougall Hotel.
"Hayes &
Harris, Denison, Tex."
Metal button found in antique mall.
Actual size 11/16 inch. This scan is much
enlarged.
Later
in 1891, Harris married Elizabeth's
youngest child, Luella. The next year
they had a daughter, Sabra
Harris, named after Overton's
mother. Elizabeth lived with
Luella, Overton, and Sabra at 615 West
Woodard Street, while Thomas and Cora,
with their four offspring, had their
separate household on Monterey Street.
By
1896, Overton Harris had withdrawn
from Hayes & Harris. That year the
firm of Dollarhide, Maynard
& Harris was selling hardware and
guns at 311
West Main. This was a
partnership among Elizabeth
Dollarhide, M.
F. Maynard, and Overton
Harris. Thomas W. Dollarhide was a
salesman in the store.
"Dollarhide & Harris Hardware. 311
Main Street."
Robinson, Frank M., comp. Industrial
Denison. [N.p.]: Means-Moore Co., [ca.
1909]. Page 81
Dollarhide & Harbison, Guns and
Hardware.
Photo by Paul Verkin, Denison Texas.
Collection of Grayson County Frontier
Village.
Verkin took photographs in Denison from
1885 to around 1893
By
1903, Thomas had taken over
Elizabeth's interest in the business,
which had become Dollarhide &
Harris, still at 311 West Main.
Thomas' son Jesse worked as a clerk
there by 1905.
Dollarhide & Harris
advertisement in 1903 Denison City
Directory
Thomas W. Dollarhide and
Overton Harris, located at 311
West Main Street
Advertisement for Dollarhide
& Harris
Denison High School Yellow Jacket
yearbook 1916
In
1907 the Harris household had moved to
723 West Gandy Street. Two years
later, it had moved again, to 531 West
Gandy. By 1915, the home address was
531 West Woodard. Elizabeth passed
away in 1919.
Around
1909, Thomas and Cora moved to 630
West Woodard, a block away from
Overton, Luella, and Elizabeth.
Luella, who had been working as a
choir director, died in 1926. Overton
lived on in the house with Sabra.
Unmarried, she graduated from Denison's
Educational Institute in the Class
of 1909 and then worked as a
stenographer in the MK&T
offices. Overton Harris continued to
work at Dollarhide & Harris
until near his death in June 1938.
The business had operated at the
same address, under one family's
ownership, for over forty years.
H. H.
Peterson's Peterson's
Hardware succeeded Dollarhide &
Harris at the same location.
Thomas
Dollarhide lived until 1941, while his
wife Cora survived him, passing away
in 1949. All the immediate family
members were buried in Fairview Cemetery
in Denison.
| Name |
Birth |
Death |
Comments |
|
|
|
|
| Dollarhide,
Cora Lucinda Griffin |
1863 |
1949 |
w/o Thomas Willard
Dollarhide, Sr. |
| Dollarhide,
Gillis |
9
Oct 1855 |
15
July
1890 |
s/o Thomas C. Dollarhide
& Elizabeth Vector |
| Dollarhide,
Griffin
Sr. |
1888 |
1964 |
|
| Dollarhide,
Jessie |
4
Jan 1886 |
1929 |
s/o Thomas C. Dollarhide
& Elizabeth Vector |
| Dollarhide,
Elizabeth Victor |
1832 |
1919 |
w/o Thomas C.
Dollarhide |
| Dollarhide,
Norris |
1882 |
1883 |
|
| Dollarhide,
Thomas Willard |
18
Dec
1856 |
14
May
1941 |
s/o Thomas C. Dollarhide
& Elizabeth Vector |
| Harris,
Luella
Dollarhide |
1868 |
1928 |
d/o Thomas C. Dollarhide
& Elizabeth Vector |
| Harris,
Overton |
1856 |
25
June
1938 |
h/o Luella Dollarhide |
| Harris,
Sarah
(Sabra) |
1892 |
25
July
1966 |
d/o Overton Harris &
Luella Dollarhide |
