John Henry Kirby
Encyclopedia
John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber
manufacturer in Texas
and the Southern United States
. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature
, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company. With his successful reputation, he would be known by his business peers as "The Prince of the Pines" and "The Father of Industrial Texas".
Kirbyville, Texas
in Jasper County is named after him, as is Kirby Drive in Houston.
, Georgetown
where he studied law. With the influence of state senator Samuel Bronson Cooper, he would serve as a clerk in the Texas Senate
from 1882-1884. During his clerkship he married Lelia Stewart of Woodville
. He would practice law for four years before moving to Houston
to join the law firm of Hobby and Lanier.
In 1887 with Cooper's influence, Kirby would provide legal services to a group of investors from Boston, Massachusetts. With their financial backing, the east Texas timberland would be harvested for lumber under the name Texas Pine Land Association. This business alone provided Kirby with a small fortune. In 1893 he partnered with a lawyer named Nathaniel D. Silsbee, an investor from Boston. These two, along with an investor named Ellington Pratt would establish the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railroad from Beaumont
to San Augustine
. Upon the railroad's completion, Kirby sold it to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
which would extend its line to the new lumber processing site at Silsbee
, the town named after the investor. The sale of the railroad yielded a high profit for Kirby. It was at this location in 1900 that the Kirby Lumber Company would be established. This business would be the largest lumber producer in the south, with Kirby controlling 300,000 acres (1200 km²) of timberland. At its peak between 1910 and 1920, it had some 16,500 employees and included twelve operating mills and five logging camps.
, Kirby partnered with Patrick Calhoun
of the Houston Oil Company of Texas. Kirby sought an unusual business relationship between his lumber company and the oil entity. The Kirby Lumber Company would gain timber rights onto extensive east Texas land whereas the Houston Oil Company would gain land and maintain mineral rights
. Several years later, legal issues would cause litigation in the Texas courts. Kirby over-estimated the value of the lumber. Also, the partners failed to clearly define ownership of certain land areas. The Kirby Lumber Company still continued to prosper despite court ordered receivership status for both companies. In 1902, Kirby took over the Higgins Oil and Fuel Company owned by Pattillo Higgins
for 3 million dollars. Years later, in 1921 Kirby established the Kirby Petroleum Company, which operated as a Houston-based oil and gas exploration company.
In 1923, he received an honorary law degree from Lincoln Memorial University
. Due to the Great Depression
, his lumber company would suffer financial strain and fall into the hands of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
in 1933 due to bankruptcy. He remained president of the enterprise until his death on November 9, 1940.
's plan for the working class a threat to American tradition. He even went as far as help co-found the Southern Committee to Uphold the Constitution in direct opposition to FDR’s New Deal
and contributed his money and energies to other anti-New Deal
and pro-segregationist
organizations.
which is located in Tyler County in southeastern Texas
.
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
manufacturer in 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...
and the Southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company. With his successful reputation, he would be known by his business peers as "The Prince of the Pines" and "The Father of Industrial Texas".
Kirbyville, Texas
Kirbyville, Texas
Kirbyville is a city in Jasper County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,085 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kirbyville is located at ....
in Jasper County is named after him, as is Kirby Drive in Houston.
Early life and political ties
He was born unto John Thomas and Sarah (Payne) Kirby on November 16, 1860 in Tyler County. First taught to read & write by his mother, his formal education later on was limited to rural schools and one semester at Southwestern UniversitySouthwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
, Georgetown
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
where he studied law. With the influence of state senator Samuel Bronson Cooper, he would serve as a clerk in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
from 1882-1884. During his clerkship he married Lelia Stewart of Woodville
Woodville, Texas
Woodville is a town in Tyler County, Texas, United States. The town is intersected by three U.S. highways: U.S. Highway 69, U.S. Highway 190, and U.S. Highway 287. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tyler County...
. He would practice law for four years before moving to Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to join the law firm of Hobby and Lanier.
In 1887 with Cooper's influence, Kirby would provide legal services to a group of investors from Boston, Massachusetts. With their financial backing, the east Texas timberland would be harvested for lumber under the name Texas Pine Land Association. This business alone provided Kirby with a small fortune. In 1893 he partnered with a lawyer named Nathaniel D. Silsbee, an investor from Boston. These two, along with an investor named Ellington Pratt would establish the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railroad from Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
to San Augustine
San Augustine, Texas
San Augustine is a city in San Augustine County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,475 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Augustine County and is situated in East Texas.-Geography:San Augustine is located at ....
. Upon the railroad's completion, Kirby sold it to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
which would extend its line to the new lumber processing site at Silsbee
Silsbee, Texas
Silsbee is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 96 and State Highway 327. The population was 6,393 at the 2000 census...
, the town named after the investor. The sale of the railroad yielded a high profit for Kirby. It was at this location in 1900 that the Kirby Lumber Company would be established. This business would be the largest lumber producer in the south, with Kirby controlling 300,000 acres (1200 km²) of timberland. At its peak between 1910 and 1920, it had some 16,500 employees and included twelve operating mills and five logging camps.
Business venture in oil
The following year, and after the discovery of oil at SpindletopSpindletop
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...
, Kirby partnered with Patrick Calhoun
Patrick Calhoun
Patrick Calhoun , son of Andrew Pickens Calhoun and grandson of John C. Calhoun, great-grandson of his namesake Patrick Calhoun, who was the immigrant Calhoun.He was an entrepreneur...
of the Houston Oil Company of Texas. Kirby sought an unusual business relationship between his lumber company and the oil entity. The Kirby Lumber Company would gain timber rights onto extensive east Texas land whereas the Houston Oil Company would gain land and maintain mineral rights
Mineral rights
- Mineral estate :Ownership of mineral rights is an estate in real property. Technically it is known as a mineral estate and often referred to as mineral rights...
. Several years later, legal issues would cause litigation in the Texas courts. Kirby over-estimated the value of the lumber. Also, the partners failed to clearly define ownership of certain land areas. The Kirby Lumber Company still continued to prosper despite court ordered receivership status for both companies. In 1902, Kirby took over the Higgins Oil and Fuel Company owned by Pattillo Higgins
Pattillo Higgins
Pattillo Higgins was a businessman as well as a self-taught geologist. He earned the nickname the "Prophet of Spindletop" for his endeavors in the oil business, which accrued a fortune for many...
for 3 million dollars. Years later, in 1921 Kirby established the Kirby Petroleum Company, which operated as a Houston-based oil and gas exploration company.
In 1923, he received an honorary law degree from Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
. Due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, his lumber company would suffer financial strain and fall into the hands of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
in 1933 due to bankruptcy. He remained president of the enterprise until his death on November 9, 1940.
Personal beliefs on labor movements
John Henry Kirby was considered a generous employer, but was also well known for his opposition to labor unions. He also saw Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's plan for the working class a threat to American tradition. He even went as far as help co-found the Southern Committee to Uphold the Constitution in direct opposition to FDR’s New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
and contributed his money and energies to other anti-New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
and pro-segregationist
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
organizations.
John H. Kirby State Forest
In 1929, he donated part of what is today the 626 acre (2.5 km²) John Henry Kirby State ForestJohn Henry Kirby State Forest
The John Henry Kirby State Forest is a is a forest reserve located in Tyler County, Texas. Located just fourteen miles south of Woodville, it is used primarily for research by Texas A&M University. It is open to the public for picnics and touring only. Any revenue generated is donated to...
which is located in Tyler County in southeastern 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...
.