William Weston's research on the TSBD and the building at 411 Elm St. is essential reading, and really a paradigm shift away from viewing the Book Depository as a simple textbook warehouse.
1900 or 1901 A four-story building at 411 Elm St was built as offices for the Southland Rock Island Plow Company. Destroyed by fire May 4 1901.
1903 Rebuilt after a fire as a 7-story structure.
1908 The Texas School Book Depository company was organized and was incorporated 1927. (Jack Cason affidavit WC vol.7)
1936 originally housing a company called International Harvester, this year D. Harold Byrd purchased 411 Elm St. with the intention of making a manufacturing site for air conditioning units. (NYT 4/17/1970) This enterprise never really got off the ground because of patent disputes with Chrysler Corp. (DH Byrd, I'm an Endangered Species, 1978)
1940 the 411 Elm building stood vacant until this year, when Byrd leased it to the John Sexton Co., a grocery warehouse firm. It opened for business Jan 1 1941. The offices were on the first and second floor. The third to 7th floors were primarily warehouse space for grocery supplies, and machinery for making coffee. In 1959 they constructed a huge new single-story structure in the NW section of Dallas. (The Sextonite Magazine Fall 1964)
1940s The TSBD company and the branch offices of the eleven publishing companies were located at 2210 Pacific Avenue. They all shared an old, rundown building which used to be an auto dealership. (William Weston research)
1947 Jack Cason becomes the owner of the TSBD company, which he bought from two widows.
1950 the TSBD acquired a four-story warehouse at 1917 North Houston for textbook storage.
1951 - The Dal-Tex Building was vacated by the John Deere Plow Co., which allowed the book companies to move into the first floor, and the clothing manufacturers on the other floors.
1952 the TSBD management and clerical personnel at Pacific Avenue building relocated to the first floor of 501 Elm St (the Dal-Tex building). At some point, Jack Cason decides to lease the building across the street, 411 Elm St. There is some confusion about when this happened. O.V. Campbell told William Weston that this happened around 1958. Spaulding Jones, former branch manager of MacMillan Publishing, thought the move to 411 took place in 1957 or 1958.
1960 - "The school depository firm moved in in 1960 and took a 15 year-lease. It was previously occupied by a wholesale grocery firm." (Dallas Morning News 11/24/63)
1961 Nov 14 the Sexton company vacates the 411 Elm St building. (William Weston; date from Ted Leon, former branch manager in Dallas 1961-64; he kept all his pocket calendars from work). According to Thomas Butler, who became the Sexton branch manager in 1964, the building remained vacant for about a year after his company moved out. Months of renovation for new offices would be necessary before the TSBD could move in. A dumb waiter is installed for the first four floors. A passenger elevator for the office floors is built. (Weston)
1962 January the TSBD acquires the 411 Elm St location, leasing it from D.H. Byrd (SS report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963) The Polk's criss-cross 1962 business directory shows that the TSBD was still listed as having an address on the first floor of 501 Elm St (Dal-Tex Bldg). The same directory lists the 411 Elm St building as vacant. The 1963 directory lists the book companies at 411 Elm. Also that year the first floor of the Dal-Tex become vacant. (William Weston)
1963 Oct 15 LHO is hired at the TSBD
1963 "The Texas School Book Depository is a privately-owned firm engaged in the warehousing and shipping of textbooks for various publishers. The books are shipped to schools in Texas and surrounding states. The firm presently occupies a building at 411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas, and has occupied the building since January 1962. Prior to that time, the firm was located at 501 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas. The presently occupied building is leased from Mr. D. Harold Byrd, 6909 Vassar, Dallas, Texas, who has owned the building for many years. The officers of this company are Mr. Jack C. Cason, President, 4015 Druid Lane, Dallas, Texas; W. 0. V. Campbell, Vice President, 7120 Twin Tree Lane, Dallas, Texas; and W. Roy S. Truly, Director and Superintendent of Operations, 4932 Jade Street, Dallas, Texas. This firm also furnishes office space for seven publishing companies, whose books and publications are handled by the Texas School Book Depository. These publishers are as follows: Lyons and Carnahan, Room 201; South Western Publishing Company, Room 203; Allyn and Bacon, Room 301; The MacMillan Company, Room 302; The American Book Company, Room 303; McGraw-gill Book Company, and their subdivision, Gregg Publishing Company, Room 305; and Scott-Foresman Company, Room 401." (Secret Service report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963)
1963 Nov 23 FBI report by Nat Pinkston (File# DL 100-10461) statement by Roy Truly he told the agents that his company "has occupied the building at 411 Elm Street for only a few months. Prior to this time, the building was occupied by a wholesale grocery company engaged in supplying restaurants and institutions…"
1970 - The building was bought by a collector of Kennedy memorabilia from Nashville. The TSBD company moved to a new location.
7/20/1972 Arsonists break into the empty Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas, Texas, spread gasoline on five floors and set it on fire. It is saved from destruction by the overhead sprinkler system as well as by a rapid response from the fire department. Damage from the blaze is minimal. "It was definitely arson," an assistant fire chief tells reporters, "we found gasoline cans on five floors and the smell of gasoline was all through the building."
1977 - The citizens of Dallas County became the caretakers of the historic; by a 2-1 margin, the county voted to purchase and renovate the Depository.
I wonder if anyone was ever arrested for the arson? There are more details about the Tennessee buyer. He intended to turn the whole building into a Kennedy museum but couldn't quite put together the money, and then came the arson, after which the Byrd's foreclosed, and apparently planned to tear it down.
It's also now called the Dallas County Administration Building and houses the seat of Dallas County government. (I am not pleased by the symbolism of that). It was purchased in 1977 by Dallas County who had a bond issue to raise taxpayer money for the purchase to keep it from being torn down. It should be noted that Dallas County's bond issue wasn't apparently intended to preserve the 6th floor as a museum, since they had to get a separate grant for that purpose.
04-10-2015, 09:19 AM (This post was last modified: 04-10-2015, 10:42 AM by Tom Scully.)
I am going to share what I have learned about the history of the Texas Scho0l Book Depository and related businesses and individuals and their backgrounds. I'll add more details as my time permits.
Tracy Riddle Wrote:William Weston's research on the TSBD and the building at 411 Elm St. is essential reading, and really a paradigm shift away from viewing the Book Depository as a simple textbook warehouse.
Fred W. Gragg, 26 years old, office manager at the Southern Publishing House, died yesterday morning at a local sanitarium. Funeral
services will be held from the family residence, 1105 Woodlawn Avenue at 4 o'clock this afternoon, the Rev, Wallace Bassett officiating,
with burial in Oak Cliff Cemetery. Mr. Gragg is survived by his wife, a son, Marshall Frederick; a daughter, Cora Emma; his father and
mother Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Gragg of Henrietta; five brothers and one sister. Active pallbearers will be Dennis G. Colwell, H. W. Hamilton,
V. H. Perry, Ben Read, Charles D. Turner and L. L. Kirvin.
Dallas News
07-22-1918
Family links:
Parents:
Marshall Fleming Gragg (1852 - 1929)
Emma Matilda Dees Gragg (1857 - 1937)
Spouse:
Cora Lee Powell Gragg (1891 - 1971)*
Quote:April 20, 1927
The Waco News-Tribune from Waco, Texas · Page 7
$100,000 Will Probated Dallas Man f>eii\c-» Estate to '-ds- lers and a Son DALI*AS, April 19.(AP)Two sisters and a son of the late Hugh
^ Perry, president of the Hugh Perry book depository, who died March 24, were left the $100,000 estate, according to the will which was
filed Tuesday with Fred Patrick, | clerk of the probate court. The sisters, Mrs. A. J. Soape of Me- Alester, Okla., and Mrs Eugene
Angleman of Los Angeles, Calif,, J will each receive $10,000 and the remainder of the estate will go to Victor H. Perry, a son. H W
Hamilton and Fred Gragg were wit- j nesses to the will, which was dated Oct. 28, 1914.
Quote:School Book Depository Chartered for Dallas;
Dallas Morning News; 09-10-1927;
Incorporators are Victor H. Perry, J. W. Smith, H. W. Hamilton, Altha Wilkerson and Maude Grissom all of Dallas.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction S.M.N. Marrs said this
was the same Depository owned by the late Hugh Perry.
The Publishers Weekly - Volume 112, Part 1 - Page 337 https://books.google.com/books?id=twy8AAAAIAAJ 1928 - ?Snippet view - ?More editions
Dallas, Texas. The name of the Texas School Book Depository has been changed thru reorganization to the Hugh Perry School Book Depository.
Mr. and <rs. J. W. Smith are en-route to Boston to attend the National Education Association.
They will make short stops in New York and Chicago. Mr. Smith was formerly connected with this College,
but is now president of the Hugh Perry Book Depository at Dallas.
The Texas Outlook - Volume 17 - Page 47 https://books.google.com/books?id=2oAVAAAAIAAJ 1933 - ?Snippet view - ?More editions
DEPOSITORY. Successors to TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY J. W. SMITH. President 600-620 4th H. W. HAMILTON, Vice-Pres. Unit, Santa Fe Bldg.,
1033 Young St. DALLAS, TEXAS ALTHA WILKERSON. Treas. MAUDE GRISSOM, Secy.
1936 originally housing a company called International Harvester, this year D. Harold Byrd purchased 411 Elm St. with the intention of making a manufacturing site for air conditioning units. (NYT 4/17/1970) This enterprise never really got off the ground because of patent disputes with Chrysler Corp. (DH Byrd, I'm an Endangered Species, 1978)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...=127594415
Victor Hugh Perry b. 1882 Death Feb. 16, 1939 - Fort Worth Tarrant County Texas, USA
Son of Hugh Perry.
Victor Hugh Perry signed a WWI draft registration card giving his date of birth as January 6, 1882.
Family links:
Parents: Hugh Perry (1858 - 1927)
[URL="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9986536"]Virginia Bagby Perry (1861 - 1914)
[/URL] http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...=126843954
Edwin G Culwell, step-son of Victor Hugh Perry and son of Daisy Whorton Culwell Perry Craver and Lonnie Shelton Culwell. Daisy was the widow of Victor Hugh Perry. Edwin's obit states he died in Grandview, TX and was one time owner of Kay's funeral home.
Texas Death Certificate Details :
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Name:[/TD]
[TD]Daisy Lea Craver[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Father:[/TD]
[TD]W E Whorton Mother: Mary Ann Guin[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Birth:[/TD]
[TD]2 Feb 1889 - Wise, Texas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Death:[/TD]
[TD]11 Aug 1956 - Cleburne, Johnson, Texas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]Residence:[/TD]
[TD]Grandview, Johnson, Texas[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
1940 the 411 Elm building stood vacant until this year, when Byrd leased it to the John Sexton Co., a grocery warehouse firm. It opened for business Jan 1 1941. The offices were on the first and second floor. The third to 7th floors were primarily warehouse space for grocery supplies, and machinery for making coffee. In 1959 they constructed a huge new single-story structure in the NW section of Dallas. (The Sextonite Magazine Fall 1964)
Quote:American Book Trade Directory - Issue 9 - Page 266 https://books.google.com/books?id=oobPAAAAMAAJ 1942 - ?Snippet view - ?More editions
Lib'y Oak Lawn Book Shop (Edith B. & Tom H. Rubel, owners), 3408 Oak Lawn St. g-c Gift Shop Hugh Perry School Book Depository (J. C. Cason, pres.), 322 Santa Fe Bldg.
1940s The TSBD company and the branch offices of the eleven publishing companies were located at 2210 Pacific Avenue. They all shared an old, rundown building which used to be an auto dealership. (William Weston research)
1947 Jack Cason becomes the owner of the TSBD company, which he bought from two widows.
Quote:(Henry William Hamilton was called Harry. he came from Ireland to the US in 1909, a citizen in 1916, and resided for 14 years with his uncle in Dallas, a cotton broker. In 1924, he married Helen Willard Gleason, a niece of a neighbor on his Dallas street.)
page 68, One Life
Gladys Swope Cason
Harry, the Vice-President hailed from Scotland. A dear of a man,
Harry had to be then in his sixties. He had no children but many nephews in Scotland
that he doted on as did his wife, Helen. Every time I ever saw him in a period of more
than thirty years, Harry always was wearing a beautifully cut three-piece suit with
watch chain. Smaller than Jack, he wore a grey mustache like a Scotsman and used
wire-rim spectacles to check the accounts. He also helped Jack manage the publishers'
representatives, the warehouse crew, and the thirty-one office workers who formed the backbone of the business.
http://thehardyparty.com/html/fam16535.htm
More Information:
About Harry W. Hamilton:
Found in 1920 Census, TX, Dallas Co., Dallas, Pct. 22, ED 42.
Name: Harry Hamilton
Home in 1920: Dallas Precinct 22, Dallas, Texas
Age: 39 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Ireland
Relation to Head of House: Nephew
Father's Birth Place: Ireland
Mother's Birth Place: Ireland
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Sex: Male
Year of Immigration: 1909
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 930
Household Members: Name Age
John Hamilton 65
Mildred Hamilton 40 sister-in-law of TSBD V.P. HW Hamilton, daughter of Dr. Thomas D McKeen and Mildred J Erwin
Hattie French 65 sister of Mildred Hamilton, see below Harry Hamilton 39 (Occupation: Manager, book store)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...=120862120[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Jan. 23, 1926 Dallas Dallas County Texas, USA
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Mrs. A. F. French, 73 years old, died early Sunday morning at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamilton, 2815 South Ervay street. She was the widow of the late A. F. French, who was for many years connected with the banking firm of Hutchings-Sealy Company of Galveston.
She is survived by a son, Frank B. French of Dallas; two sisters, Mrs. John Hamilton of Dallas and Mrs. Sexton of Kansas City; a brother, Robert McKean of Dallas, and a grandson, Thomas E. Thompson of Galveston. Another son, Charles F. French, recently died at Galveston. The body was sent to Galveston Sunday night, where it will be buried beside her husband and children.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
January 1, 1956 Death Claims H W Hamilton in Guatemala
obit date (Jan 7, 1956)
HAMILTON
Harry W., 4433 Beverly, passed away, Quirigua, Guatemala
survived by wife Mrs. Helen W. Hamilton; Dallas, brother
William Hamilton. Dublin, Ireland
arrangements pending
WEILAND-MERRITT TE-8141
1950 the TSBD acquired a four-story warehouse at 1917 North Houston for textbook storage.
1951 - The Dal-Tex Building was vacated by the John Deere Plow Co., which allowed the book companies to move into the first floor, and the clothing manufacturers on the other floors.
1952 the TSBD management and clerical personnel at Pacific Avenue building relocated to the first floor of 501 Elm St (the Dal-Tex building). At some point, Jack Cason decides to lease the building across the street, 411 Elm St. There is some confusion about when this happened. O.V. Campbell told William Weston that this happened around 1958. Spaulding Jones, former branch manager of MacMillan Publishing, thought the move to 411 took place in 1957 or 1958.
1960 - "The school depository firm moved in in 1960 and took a 15 year-lease. It was previously occupied by a wholesale grocery firm." (Dallas Morning News 11/24/63)
1961 Nov 14 the Sexton company vacates the 411 Elm St building. (William Weston; date from Ted Leon, former branch manager in Dallas 1961-64; he kept all his pocket calendars from work). According to Thomas Butler, who became the Sexton branch manager in 1964, the building remained vacant for about a year after his company moved out. Months of renovation for new offices would be necessary before the TSBD could move in. A dumb waiter is installed for the first four floors. A passenger elevator for the office floors is built. (Weston)
1962 January the TSBD acquires the 411 Elm St location, leasing it from D.H. Byrd (SS report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963) The Polk's criss-cross 1962 business directory shows that the TSBD was still listed as having an address on the first floor of 501 Elm St (Dal-Tex Bldg). The same directory lists the 411 Elm St building as vacant. The 1963 directory lists the book companies at 411 Elm. Also that year the first floor of the Dal-Tex become vacant. (William Weston)
1963 Oct 15 LHO is hired at the TSBD
1963 "The Texas School Book Depository is a privately-owned firm engaged in the warehousing and shipping of textbooks for various publishers. The books are shipped to schools in Texas and surrounding states. The firm presently occupies a building at 411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas, and has occupied the building since January 1962. Prior to that time, the firm was located at 501 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas. The presently occupied building is leased from Mr. D. Harold Byrd, 6909 Vassar, Dallas, Texas, who has owned the building for many years. The officers of this company are Mr. Jack C. Cason, President, 4015 Druid Lane, Dallas, Texas; W. 0. V. Campbell, Vice President, 7120 Twin Tree Lane, Dallas, Texas; and W. Roy S. Truly, Director and Superintendent of Operations, 4932 Jade Street, Dallas, Texas. This firm also furnishes office space for seven publishing companies, whose books and publications are handled by the Texas School Book Depository. These publishers are as follows: Lyons and Carnahan, Room 201; South Western Publishing Company, Room 203; Allyn and Bacon, Room 301; The MacMillan Company, Room 302; The American Book Company, Room 303; McGraw-gill Book Company, and their subdivision, Gregg Publishing Company, Room 305; and Scott-Foresman Company, Room 401." (Secret Service report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963)
Father was James Alfred Campbell; mother was Mary Iona Barnett
Married John R. Adams on February 2, 1934 at Alton, Missouri
Died on September 10, 1996 at Aurora, Nebraska; age 79
Residence at death was 710 Friesen Avenue, Henderson, Nebraska
Funeral was held at the Faith Evangelical Bible Church, Henderson, Nebraska
Burial was at Chapel Memorial Gardens, Kansas City, Kansas
Survivors included Charles (Alvena) Adams, Raymond (Harriet) Adams, O.V. Campbell, Eugene B. (Wilma) Campbell
(I have started a thread covering the Ennis (town in Ellis County, TX) connections of OV Campbell and Mary Germany Bledsoe)
1963 Nov 23 FBI report by Nat Pinkston (File# DL 100-10461) statement by Roy Truly he told the agents that his company "has occupied the building at 411 Elm Street for only a few months. Prior to this time, the building was occupied by a wholesale grocery company engaged in supplying restaurants and institutions…"
1970 - The building was bought by a collector of Kennedy memorabilia from Nashville. The TSBD company moved to a new location.
7/20/1972 Arsonists break into the empty Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas, Texas, spread gasoline on five floors and set it on fire. It is saved from destruction by the overhead sprinkler system as well as by a rapid response from the fire department. Damage from the blaze is minimal. "It was definitely arson," an assistant fire chief tells reporters, "we found gasoline cans on five floors and the smell of gasoline was all through the building."
1977 - The citizens of Dallas County became the caretakers of the historic; by a 2-1 margin, the county voted to purchase and renovate the Depository.
Peter Janney's uncle was Frank Pace, chairman of General Dynamics who enlisted law partners Roswell Gilpatric and Luce's brother-in-law, Maurice "Tex" Moore, in a trade of 16 percent of Gen. Dyn. stock in exchange for Henry Crown and his Material Service Corp. of Chicago, headed by Byfield's Sherman Hotel group's Pat Hoy. The Crown family and partner Conrad Hilton next benefitted from TFX, at the time, the most costly military contract award in the history of the world. Obama was sponsored by the Crowns and Pritzkers. So was Albert Jenner Peter Janney has preferred to write of an imaginary CIA assassination of his surrogate mother, Mary Meyer, but not a word about his Uncle Frank.
Tom Scully Wrote:I am going to share what I have learned about the history of the Texas Scho0l Book Depository and related businesses and individuals and their backgrounds. I'll add more details as my time permits.
Tracy Riddle Wrote:William Weston's research on the TSBD and the building at 411 Elm St. is essential reading, and really a paradigm shift away from viewing the Book Depository as a simple textbook warehouse.
Fred W. Gragg, 26 years old, office manager at the Southern Publishing House, died yesterday morning at a local sanitarium. Funeral
services will be held from the family residence, 1105 Woodlawn Avenue at 4 o'clock this afternoon, the Rev, Wallace Bassett officiating,
with burial in Oak Cliff Cemetery. Mr. Gragg is survived by his wife, a son, Marshall Frederick; a daughter, Cora Emma; his father and
mother Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Gragg of Henrietta; five brothers and one sister. Active pallbearers will be Dennis G. Colwell, H. W. Hamilton,
V. H. Perry, Ben Read, Charles D. Turner and L. L. Kirvin.
Dallas News
07-22-1918
Family links:
Parents:
Marshall Fleming Gragg (1852 - 1929)
Emma Matilda Dees Gragg (1857 - 1937)
Spouse:
Cora Lee Powell Gragg (1891 - 1971)*
1936 originally housing a company called International Harvester, this year D. Harold Byrd purchased 411 Elm St. with the intention of making a manufacturing site for air conditioning units. (NYT 4/17/1970) This enterprise never really got off the ground because of patent disputes with Chrysler Corp. (DH Byrd, I'm an Endangered Species, 1978)
1940 the 411 Elm building stood vacant until this year, when Byrd leased it to the John Sexton Co., a grocery warehouse firm. It opened for business Jan 1 1941. The offices were on the first and second floor. The third to 7th floors were primarily warehouse space for grocery supplies, and machinery for making coffee. In 1959 they constructed a huge new single-story structure in the NW section of Dallas. (The Sextonite Magazine Fall 1964)
1940s The TSBD company and the branch offices of the eleven publishing companies were located at 2210 Pacific Avenue. They all shared an old, rundown building which used to be an auto dealership. (William Weston research)
1947 Jack Cason becomes the owner of the TSBD company, which he bought from two widows.
Quote:(Henry William Hamilton was called Harry. he came from Ireland to the US in 1909, a citizen in 1916, and resided for 14 years with his uncle in Dallas, a cotton broker. In 1924, he married Helen Willard Gleason, a niece of a neighbor on his Dallas street.)
page 68, One Life
Gladys Swope Cason
Harry, the Vice-President hailed from Scotland. A dear of a man,
Harry had to be then in his sixties. He had no children but many nephews in Scotland
that he doted on as did his wife, Helen. Every time I ever saw him in a period of more
than thirty years, Harry always was wearing a beautifully cut three-piece suit with
watch chain. Smaller than Jack, he wore a grey mustache like a Scotsman and used
wire-rim spectacles to check the accounts. He also helped Jack manage the publishers'
representatives, the warehouse crew, and the thirty-one office workers who formed the backbone of the business.
http://thehardyparty.com/html/fam16535.htm
More Information:
About Harry W. Hamilton:
Found in 1920 Census, TX, Dallas Co., Dallas, Pct. 22, ED 42.
Name: Harry Hamilton
Home in 1920: Dallas Precinct 22, Dallas, Texas
Age: 39 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Ireland
Relation to Head of House: Nephew
Father's Birth Place: Ireland
Mother's Birth Place: Ireland
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Sex: Male
Year of Immigration: 1909
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 930
Household Members: Name Age
John Hamilton 65
Mildred Hamilton 40 sister-in-law of TSBD V.P. HW Hamilton, daughter of Dr. Thomas D McKeen and Mildred J Erwin
Hattie French 65 sister of Mildred Hamilton, see below Harry Hamilton 39 (Occupation: Manager, book store)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...=120862120[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Jan. 23, 1926 Dallas Dallas County Texas, USA[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Mrs. A. F. French, 73 years old, died early Sunday morning at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamilton, 2815 South Ervay street. She was the widow of the late A. F. French, who was for many years connected with the banking firm of Hutchings-Sealy Company of Galveston.
She is survived by a son, Frank B. French of Dallas; two sisters, Mrs. John Hamilton of Dallas and Mrs. Sexton of Kansas City; a brother, Robert McKean of Dallas, and a grandson, Thomas E. Thompson of Galveston. Another son, Charles F. French, recently died at Galveston. The body was sent to Galveston Sunday night, where it will be buried beside her husband and children.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
January 1, 1956 Death Claims H W Hamilton in Guatemala
obit date (Jan 7, 1956)
HAMILTON
Harry W., 4433 Beverly, passed away, Quirigua, Guatemala
survived by wife Mrs. Helen W. Hamilton; Dallas, brother
William Hamilton. Dublin, Ireland
arrangements pending
WEILAND-MERRITT TE-8141
1950 the TSBD acquired a four-story warehouse at 1917 North Houston for textbook storage.
1951 - The Dal-Tex Building was vacated by the John Deere Plow Co., which allowed the book companies to move into the first floor, and the clothing manufacturers on the other floors.
1952 the TSBD management and clerical personnel at Pacific Avenue building relocated to the first floor of 501 Elm St (the Dal-Tex building). At some point, Jack Cason decides to lease the building across the street, 411 Elm St. There is some confusion about when this happened. O.V. Campbell told William Weston that this happened around 1958. Spaulding Jones, former branch manager of MacMillan Publishing, thought the move to 411 took place in 1957 or 1958.
1960 - "The school depository firm moved in in 1960 and took a 15 year-lease. It was previously occupied by a wholesale grocery firm." (Dallas Morning News 11/24/63)
1961 Nov 14 the Sexton company vacates the 411 Elm St building. (William Weston; date from Ted Leon, former branch manager in Dallas 1961-64; he kept all his pocket calendars from work). According to Thomas Butler, who became the Sexton branch manager in 1964, the building remained vacant for about a year after his company moved out. Months of renovation for new offices would be necessary before the TSBD could move in. A dumb waiter is installed for the first four floors. A passenger elevator for the office floors is built. (Weston)
1962 January the TSBD acquires the 411 Elm St location, leasing it from D.H. Byrd (SS report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963) The Polk's criss-cross 1962 business directory shows that the TSBD was still listed as having an address on the first floor of 501 Elm St (Dal-Tex Bldg). The same directory lists the 411 Elm St building as vacant. The 1963 directory lists the book companies at 411 Elm. Also that year the first floor of the Dal-Tex become vacant. (William Weston)
1963 Oct 15 LHO is hired at the TSBD
1963 "The Texas School Book Depository is a privately-owned firm engaged in the warehousing and shipping of textbooks for various publishers. The books are shipped to schools in Texas and surrounding states. The firm presently occupies a building at 411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas, and has occupied the building since January 1962. Prior to that time, the firm was located at 501 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas. The presently occupied building is leased from Mr. D. Harold Byrd, 6909 Vassar, Dallas, Texas, who has owned the building for many years. The officers of this company are Mr. Jack C. Cason, President, 4015 Druid Lane, Dallas, Texas; W. 0. V. Campbell, Vice President, 7120 Twin Tree Lane, Dallas, Texas; and W. Roy S. Truly, Director and Superintendent of Operations, 4932 Jade Street, Dallas, Texas. This firm also furnishes office space for seven publishing companies, whose books and publications are handled by the Texas School Book Depository. These publishers are as follows: Lyons and Carnahan, Room 201; South Western Publishing Company, Room 203; Allyn and Bacon, Room 301; The MacMillan Company, Room 302; The American Book Company, Room 303; McGraw-gill Book Company, and their subdivision, Gregg Publishing Company, Room 305; and Scott-Foresman Company, Room 401." (Secret Service report CO-2-34030 12/7/1963)
Father was James Alfred Campbell; mother was Mary Iona Barnett
Married John R. Adams on February 2, 1934 at Alton, Missouri
Died on September 10, 1996 at Aurora, Nebraska; age 79
Residence at death was 710 Friesen Avenue, Henderson, Nebraska
Funeral was held at the Faith Evangelical Bible Church, Henderson, Nebraska
Burial was at Chapel Memorial Gardens, Kansas City, Kansas
Survivors included Charles (Alvena) Adams, Raymond (Harriet) Adams, O.V. Campbell, Eugene B. (Wilma) Campbell
(I have started a thread covering the Ennis (town in Ellis County, TX) connections of OV Campbell and Mary Germany Bledsoe)
1963 Nov 23 FBI report by Nat Pinkston (File# DL 100-10461) statement by Roy Truly he told the agents that his company "has occupied the building at 411 Elm Street for only a few months. Prior to this time, the building was occupied by a wholesale grocery company engaged in supplying restaurants and institutions…"
1970 - The building was bought by a collector of Kennedy memorabilia from Nashville. The TSBD company moved to a new location.
7/20/1972 Arsonists break into the empty Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas, Texas, spread gasoline on five floors and set it on fire. It is saved from destruction by the overhead sprinkler system as well as by a rapid response from the fire department. Damage from the blaze is minimal. "It was definitely arson," an assistant fire chief tells reporters, "we found gasoline cans on five floors and the smell of gasoline was all through the building."
1977 - The citizens of Dallas County became the caretakers of the historic; by a 2-1 margin, the county voted to purchase and renovate the Depository.
Thank you , Mr. Scully. Your 'data dumps'. as they call it, are most informative. Stars in your Crown.
What part of the first four floors of the building has a dumbwaiter?
"All that is necessary for tyranny to succeed is for good men to do nothing." (unknown)
James Tracy: "There is sometimes an undue amount of paranoia among some conspiracy researchers that can contribute to flawed observations and analysis."
Gary Cornwell (Dept. Chief Counsel HSCA): "A fact merely marks the point at which we have agreed to let investigation cease."
Alan Ford: "Just because you believe it, that doesn't make it so."
