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Thomas James "Tom" Fox, Sr.  TEXAS DICTATIONS (Grayson
County.) 1887. Department of Texas Denison TX Mr. Fox was born in Ireland, Dec. 27, 1843. Parents were old residents of Ireland, having lived in Ireland all their lives. Irish for generations back. Mr. Fox's father was a farmer and he remained on the farm until 1865. He then went to London, England, and was employed at the Arsenal, remaining here 2 years and 5 months. He was then on the London Police force 2 years.
"Thomas Fox one of
our leading grocery merchants, is one of the
noblest Roman's of them all. He is
supposed by some to be a Norwegian, but we
have heard it intimated that Hibernia has
prior claims to him. He is tall and fair
and slender, with eyes of deepest blue; is
temperate and well fixed in a pecuniary point
of view. As his name intimates, he is
devilish sly, and has withstood the siege of
many a battery of blushing eyes, but we
predict that he will capitulate to the first
determined antagonist." ("The Being Leap
Year, the Ladies Have a Chance". Denison Daily
News, Sunday, February 1, 1880, pg.
8) By 1887,
the Foxes
were living at 620 West Woodard Street in
Denison. He owned the "Our House" Saloon at 317
West Main Street. In 1891, the City Directory
listed him as a real estate dealer operating out
of his home. Then, by 1896, Tom was back in the saloon business. With partner George O'Brien (1858–1936), he owned the Bank Palace Saloon, at 327 West Main, next door to the Leeper Hardware Company, also known as Security Building. In 1898, the Foxes moved to a new home across the street, at 621 West Woodard.  Residence of Thomas Fox 621 West Woodard Street. Robinson, Frank M., comp. Industrial Denison. [N.p.]: Means-Moore Co., [ca. 1909]. Page 32. Terry Grier, a
Fox descendant who graduated from Denison High
School in the Class of 1974, posted this comment
on Facebook: I was talking
to my dad tonight and he said Tom Fox bought
the house [621 West Woodard] in 1898 and then
died four years later in 1902. He was married
to Kate Fox.
He had a business in downtown Denison....
Those are the Foxes in the photo. They had
several children. My mother knew Kate Fox. She
was from Ireland and a spunky woman. She would
hear of a man beating his wife, and the first
thing out of her mouth was: "Where was her
poker?" The
1900 Census stated that Kate had had seven children,
all of them alive. Another daughter was born on
January 17, 1902. Tom
passed away three months later, on April 25 of
that year. Kate
lived until 1941. The two were buried together
at Calvary Cemetery (the Roman Catholic
cemetery) in Denison. Buried with them were
several of their children. One of the children was Leo M. Fox, who passed away in October 1915, early in his senior year at Denison High School. He was a star athlete and his loss was deeply felt by his classmates as well as his family.  After Tom's death in 1902, the 1903 City Directory still listed Fox and O'Brien as owners of the Bank Palace Saloon, but George O'Brien's individual listing did not mention the saloon. In addition to having lost his partner, in 1903 George and wife Mary's, infant daughter, Helen, had died. The O'Brien family is also buried in Calvary Cemetery. In 1905, the City Directory did not mention the Bank Palace Saloon, but George O'Brien was operating a cold storage facility at 327 West Main.  621 West Woodard Street Home of Tom & Kate Fox (later Jenkins home) Between Johnson-Moore Funeral Home and First Christian Church Photo by Mavis Anne Bryant, July 2010  
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