biography – Page 36 – Texas History Notebook

Frank James in Texas

Former bank robber Frank James lived in Dallas, Texas for a while. In an Associated Press newspaper article out of Dallas in The Indiana Gazette issue of April 26, 1957, it was reported that James’ former personal barber, an African American by the name of Johnny Dickson, had died at the age of 89. Dickson had said that James was a regular customer at his Dallas shop. A barber since the age of 14, when he started cutting hair, Dickson had to stand on a box or a stool to see the top of his customers’ heads. Dickson had come to Dallas in 1887 and began working at the Bird Cage Barber Shop. The barber shop got its name for the two caged canaries that were kept inside and sang for customers. Dickson said that Frank James would ride up to the shop on a handsome sorrel horse and just drop the reins, trusting the mount to wait for him. Dickson added that James was usually quiet and did not have much to say.

Rogers Hornsby

Rogers Hornsby has been called one of the greatest hitters in the history of Major League Baseball. He was an infielder, playing second base, shortstop and third base. Hornsby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942. He was born on April 27, 1896 in Winters, Texas and died in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 66 on January 5, 1963.

King Fisher, Outlaw and Lawman

John King Fisher was born in what is now Collin County in 1854 to Jobe Fisher and and the former Lucinda Warren who died when King was two years old. Jobe remarried Minerva Coffee in 1855 and she helped raise King and his brother and the three children born to her and Jobe. Minerva died in 1868 and Jobe followed her in death two years later in 1870, both in the Goliad, Texas area. In the 1870 census, King was 17 years old and was listed as living with a Anna Damron Fisher, his grandmother who was 70 years old, along with several of his siblings.

George Berham Parr

A headline on April 1, 1975 in the El Paso Herald-Post read “‘Duke of Duval’ dead; Body Found on Ranch.” The article continued as follows: “CONCEPCION, Tex (UPI) – George B. Parr, longtime political boss of South Texas, was found dead on his ranch today by Texas Rangers and officers of the Department of Public Safety, the DPS reported. The cause of death was not disclosed.”

Charles Ponzi and His Connection to Texas

People may recognize the word Ponzi as part of the term “Ponzi Scheme” but may not know where it originates. Charles Ponzi was born Carlos Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi on March 3, 1882 in Lugo, Italy. Ponzi would say that his family once had a lot of money, but by the time he was born, they had fallen on hard times. For a while he worked as a postal worker, but was able to get accepted into University of Rome in Sapienza, though after four years, he had no funds and no degree. At that time Italians were emigrating to the United States sending back stories of a wealthy country where one could become financially successful. Ponzi decided to seek his fortune in America, arriving at Ellis Island with $2.50 in his pocket, he said.