Arthur Harvey
Encyclopedia
Major Arthur Harvey was born in Edom
, Van Zandt County
, Texas
, on September 26, 1895. He was a writer, businessman, oil pioneer, family man and a veteran of both World War I and II.
. This job also paid $1.50 a day. This was six-day work, but he had to spend fifty cents a day seven days a week for board. He then got a job picking cotton for fifty cents per hundred pounds of cotton—with free board. He made enough profit to make a good start toward growing a crop of his own in East Texas.
and served with the 9th Infantry Regiment
, 2nd Infantry Division in which he received battle stars at St. Mihiel
, Champagne
and Meuse-Argonne
. Based on his military records he was active from August 5, 1917 until August 18, 1919 and he was promoted from private
to Sergeant. During the war, he made friends with a young woman, Marta, in the village in Germany near which he was stationed. After World War II he sent gifts to aid her and her family during the rebuilding of Germany. He always received thank-you letters from her, written in English, telling him a little about her family. He wrote her once and said in it that when he was a bombing officer during the war he always thought of her when they would go on a bombing raid.
in 1919. He farmed in Rusk County for a year, and realized late in 1920 that his savings were gone and his farming prospects were not good. He then took the job of a substitute railway clerk in Houston. His job was to toss the bags full of mail off the "mail car"--a freight car in which the postal workers were sorting, bagging and delivering mail. At this time, he and his wife resided at 706 Smith Street with their daughter, Elizabeth Inez Harvey (born January 15, 1921). This address, 706 Smith Street, is where the Federal building is now located in downtown Houston. By 1926, Arthur Harvey had reached the top salary possible as a railway mail clerk. When he had gone as far as he could go in the Post Office
, he felt he had to open up more opportunities somehow. He found out that the Internal Revenue Service
offered very good possibilities, but to go there he had to take a demotion. This decision meant a lower salary and that he would have to sell their house.
In order to get at job with the IRS, he needed to study for exams, which he took just as fast as he was eligible. To do this he carried small cards in his suit jacket pocket with the information noted on them. He would study these whenever he had a few minutes, and even when he was in his 70's he used those "flash cards" to learn Spanish. He passed all the IRS exams and began working for Bureau of Internal Revenue
in 1926. He quickly moved up the ranks and became a highly ranked auditor. He handled many fraud investigations for what is now the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service
, being stationed in Dallas
and Tyler
and working throughout the nation. Eventually he would write the manual on what constitutes criminal fraud in tax matters. That manual was still in use many years later (Joyce Neville, July 10, 2006).
In 1928 Arthur's wife, Elizabeth Gage, died. Shortly after, he met Sylva Irene Vogelsong of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
and they were married in 1929. In the years that followed they had two children: Arthur Herbert Harvey in 1931 and Sylva Anne Harvey in 1933. Around this same time, while still working for the IRS, Arthur began to learn something about the oil business by auditing some oil men. After intense study (the oil business was new at the time), he had a chance to make an investment in a percentage of royalty in a little piece of real estate that soon became famous as the East Texas Oil Field
, home of Spindletop
and other historic gushers. With the money he had saved from oil royalties while he continued to work for the BIR/IRS, he was able to drill his own well in 1939. He chose Marion County, Illinois
, for his first operation, which resulted in the discovery of the Tonti oil field. This field has produced several million barrels of oil. Since Mr. Harvey owned the center of this field, the Tex-Harvey Oil Company was set up to handle its development. It was later sold. But Arthur continued to drill wells as the money came in from his Illinois boom. He took many chances and came up dry on nine different ventures until the tenth, which he drilled in Anderson County, Texas
in 1941. This latest drilling brought on the discovery of the East Long Lake field, all of which was now owned by the Harvey Company.
and was commissioned a captain in the Army Air Forces
. He was sent to Italy as intelligence Officer
(S2) for the 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy). This unit conducted strategic bombings in Northern Italy, Southern France, Yugoslavia, and other areas. The group was given a unit citation
for its attack on the Ploieşti
oil fields in Romania, vital to the Nazis. Harvey came out of World War II a major
.
named after him (Harvey Park -- although it is a park, it is also more fundamentally a neighborhood).
Mr. Harvey died on March 22, 1976 and was buried in Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado (Section Q site 7142).
Edom, Texas
Edom is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. The population was 322 at the 2000 census.-2011 tornado:On Wednesday, April 27, 2011, a moderate tornado with sustained winds of 90-100 mph struck the communities of Edom and Ben Wheeler Texas...
, Van Zandt County
Van Zandt County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,140 people, 18,195 households, and 13,664 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile . There were 20,896 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, on September 26, 1895. He was a writer, businessman, oil pioneer, family man and a veteran of both World War I and II.
Early life
Prior to enlisting for military service, Arthur worked in the lumber business, handling a canthook on the skidway of a small East Texas saw mill for $1.50 a day. Another early job was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with mortar to help build a brick plant near Garrison, TexasGarrison, Texas
Garrison is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The population was 895 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Garrison is located at ....
. This job also paid $1.50 a day. This was six-day work, but he had to spend fifty cents a day seven days a week for board. He then got a job picking cotton for fifty cents per hundred pounds of cotton—with free board. He made enough profit to make a good start toward growing a crop of his own in East Texas.
World War I
He enlisted in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and served with the 9th Infantry Regiment
U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment
The 9th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated active duty infantry units in the United States Army.- Early organizations :...
, 2nd Infantry Division in which he received battle stars at St. Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
, Champagne
Battle of Champagne
The Battle of Champagne is the name of three battles fought in the Champagne region of northern France during World War I.*First Battle of Champagne *Second Battle of Champagne...
and Meuse-Argonne
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
. Based on his military records he was active from August 5, 1917 until August 18, 1919 and he was promoted from private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
to Sergeant. During the war, he made friends with a young woman, Marta, in the village in Germany near which he was stationed. After World War II he sent gifts to aid her and her family during the rebuilding of Germany. He always received thank-you letters from her, written in English, telling him a little about her family. He wrote her once and said in it that when he was a bombing officer during the war he always thought of her when they would go on a bombing raid.
The IRS and Oil
After his discharge from the Army, he returned to Rusk County and married Elizabeth Gage of Laneville, TexasLaneville, Texas
Laneville is an unincorporated community in Rusk County, Texas, United States.The Laneville Independent School District serves area students....
in 1919. He farmed in Rusk County for a year, and realized late in 1920 that his savings were gone and his farming prospects were not good. He then took the job of a substitute railway clerk in Houston. His job was to toss the bags full of mail off the "mail car"--a freight car in which the postal workers were sorting, bagging and delivering mail. At this time, he and his wife resided at 706 Smith Street with their daughter, Elizabeth Inez Harvey (born January 15, 1921). This address, 706 Smith Street, is where the Federal building is now located in downtown Houston. By 1926, Arthur Harvey had reached the top salary possible as a railway mail clerk. When he had gone as far as he could go in the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, he felt he had to open up more opportunities somehow. He found out that the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
offered very good possibilities, but to go there he had to take a demotion. This decision meant a lower salary and that he would have to sell their house.
In order to get at job with the IRS, he needed to study for exams, which he took just as fast as he was eligible. To do this he carried small cards in his suit jacket pocket with the information noted on them. He would study these whenever he had a few minutes, and even when he was in his 70's he used those "flash cards" to learn Spanish. He passed all the IRS exams and began working for Bureau of Internal Revenue
Bureau of Internal Revenue
Bureau of Internal Revenue may refer to:*Bureau of Internal Revenue, in the Philippines*former name of the Internal Revenue Service in the United States...
in 1926. He quickly moved up the ranks and became a highly ranked auditor. He handled many fraud investigations for what is now the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
, being stationed in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
and working throughout the nation. Eventually he would write the manual on what constitutes criminal fraud in tax matters. That manual was still in use many years later (Joyce Neville, July 10, 2006).
In 1928 Arthur's wife, Elizabeth Gage, died. Shortly after, he met Sylva Irene Vogelsong of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mechanicsburg was settled in 1806 and incorporated as a borough on April 12, 1828...
and they were married in 1929. In the years that followed they had two children: Arthur Herbert Harvey in 1931 and Sylva Anne Harvey in 1933. Around this same time, while still working for the IRS, Arthur began to learn something about the oil business by auditing some oil men. After intense study (the oil business was new at the time), he had a chance to make an investment in a percentage of royalty in a little piece of real estate that soon became famous as the East Texas Oil Field
East Texas oil field
The East Texas Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in east Texas. Covering and parts of five counties, and having 30,340 historic and active oil wells, it is the largest oil field in the United States outside of Alaska, both in extent and in total volume of oil recovered since its discovery in...
, home of Spindletop
Spindletop
Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in the southern portion of Beaumont, Texas in the United States. The Spindletop dome was derived from the Louann Salt evaporite layer of the Jurassic geologic period. On January 10, 1901, a well at Spindletop struck oil . The new oil field soon produced...
and other historic gushers. With the money he had saved from oil royalties while he continued to work for the BIR/IRS, he was able to drill his own well in 1939. He chose Marion County, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, for his first operation, which resulted in the discovery of the Tonti oil field. This field has produced several million barrels of oil. Since Mr. Harvey owned the center of this field, the Tex-Harvey Oil Company was set up to handle its development. It was later sold. But Arthur continued to drill wells as the money came in from his Illinois boom. He took many chances and came up dry on nine different ventures until the tenth, which he drilled in Anderson County, Texas
Anderson County, Texas
Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...
in 1941. This latest drilling brought on the discovery of the East Long Lake field, all of which was now owned by the Harvey Company.
World War II
Arthur Harvey volunteered again for military service in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was commissioned a captain in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. He was sent to Italy as intelligence Officer
Intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
(S2) for the 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy). This unit conducted strategic bombings in Northern Italy, Southern France, Yugoslavia, and other areas. The group was given a unit citation
Unit citation
A unit citation is a formal, honorary mention by high authority of a military unit's specific and outstanding performance, notably in battle.Similar mentions can also be made for individual soldiers....
for its attack on the Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
oil fields in Romania, vital to the Nazis. Harvey came out of World War II a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
.
Later life
Major Harvey returned to the United States and resumed active management of the "Tex" Harvey Oil Company, of which he was president and sole owner. He published the book Creed of an American Business Man and has a park in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
named after him (Harvey Park -- although it is a park, it is also more fundamentally a neighborhood).
Mr. Harvey died on March 22, 1976 and was buried in Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado (Section Q site 7142).