Texas History Notebook

Azellia and Hulon White

Hulon Lincoln “Pappy” White was a native Texan. He was born on December 10, 1912 to Henry White and Lela F. Askey White in Gonzales, Texas. He earned his pilot’s license in 1941 and between 1941 and 1945, he was a civilian employee of the Army Air Corps in Tuskegee, Alabama. At the Tuskegee Army Air Base, he was a mechanic and instructor for cadets, many of whom went on to serve in the 332nd Fighter Group, the “Tuskegee Airmen.”

Frederic Forrest

Frederic Fenimore Forrest, Jr. was born in Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas on December 23, 1936 to Frederic Fenimore Forrest (1907 – 1966) and Virginia McSpadden Forrest (1907 – 1985). His family members were long time residents of Waxahachie. William Bird Forrest (1872 – 1931) came to the area from Arkansas and established a greenhouse out of which developed a floral business in a separate location. The greenhouse had 60,000 square feet under glass and for many years was the only floral supply house in north central Texas. Not even Waco, Dallas or Fort Worth had comparable facilities. Ads and promotional pieces in the local paper referred to “Bird Forrest, the Waxahachie Florist.” After Bird died in 1931, two of the sons, Fred and William Bird, Jr. took over management of the floral business.

Dr. J. B. Cranfill

James Britton Boone Buchanan Cranfill was born September 12, 1858 in Parker County, Texas. His father was a doctor, Eaton A. Cranfill, and his mother was Martha Jane Galloway Cranfill. The family lived in numerous places around Texas while he was a youth. J. B. studied medicine with his father, beginning when he was twelve and passed the Texas Medical Board examination when he was twenty-one. However Cranfill still enjoyed many of the typical experiences of other young men his age.

The Immortal 32

The Immortal 32 is a name given to a group of men who responded to an appeal from Colonel William Barrett Travis for help in defending the Alamo. These men were from Gonzales and they arrived March 1, 1836. Travis had sent letters to several other settlements but Gonzales was the closest to the location. All of the Gonzales contingent died in the battle.

Naylor Publishing Company

Naylor Publishing Company was founded by Joe Oliver Naylor. Joe was born March 28, 1893 to John Decatur Naylor (1857 – 1902) and Anna Lena Miller Naylor (1866 – 1947) in San Antonio, Texas. Until his death, his father John D. Naylor was a “hackman” which is the name for the driver of a horse or mule drawn vehicle for hire. Joe came from a fairly large family. Joe’s brother Frank followed in a similar line of work. Frank was killed by a known assailant while seated in his car while was working as a San Antonio chauffeur in 1911. Except for Frank who died in his twenties and a sister who died as an infant, the other siblings lived to be adults.