James Calvin Rudd (1850 - 1921)

Born 22 May 1850 in Madisonville, Monroe, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Helen (Lowry) Rudd — married 22 May 1877 (to before 1885) in Hamilton, Tennessee, United States

Husband of Margaret Gray (Mooring) Rudd — married 19 Feb 1892 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, United States

Descendants

Died 7 May 1921 at age 70 in Temple, Bell, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Charles Avis [send private message]

Biography

James was born in Madisonville, Monroe Co., Tennessee on 5/22/1850^{[1][2][3][4][5]} the son of Joseph R. & Rachel Maples Rudd^[4][6][7][8]. During the Civil War about 1863, they moved to Dalton, Georgia.^[9][5] Because he was a teenager, James had to be sneaked through the Yankee lines with the help of a female Yankee sympathizer.^[8] Joseph may may have died there in Dalton (family thinks so^[10], but no proof yet).

In the 1870’s, James moved back to Tennessee where he married Mary Helen Lowery in Hamilton County in 1877 (they then lived with Mary’s mother).^[10][11] They had two children, Maudea (the elder) and Lowry (b. 1880).^[10][5] James tried to get the family to move to Texas (his widowed[?] mother had moved there), but his wife wouldn’t go.^[10] So, he divorced Mary (haven’t found a divorce record yet) and left for Texas.^[9]

He settled in Lampassas, Texas by 1885 (owning the "Favorite Saloon"^[12] and the Park Hotel^[13]) where he married again (spouse unknown)^[4]. He lost his wife and child in childbirth.^[9][10] He then moved to nearby Temple, Texas later in the 1880’s^[5] where he met Maggie Mooring^[9] and spent the rest of his life.

He and Maggie (who was 20 years younger) planned to marry, but her father did not approve, so they ran off to San Antonio and had her cousin, Rev. Walter Richardson, marry them on 2/19/1892.^[10][14][15] After their first child was born, things were mostly alright.^[8]

He was a savvy businessman, acquiring or financing many properties in Temple. The main thrust of his business was the Exchange Opera House^[16] (and the attached Exchange Hotel^[17]), but he also had the Harvey House which catered to the passengers of the train station next door^[9][10].

The family was, therefore, fairly well off. There are many photos of a happy family life (e.g., vacations to Colorado, parties). All four daughters and a son were educated at colleges away from home (in the 1910’s). Son Charles went to Rice Institute in Houston^[18] and the girls went to College of Industrial Arts in Denton, Texas (now Texas Women’s University)^{[19][20][5][21]}.

Son Charles (football player, aviator) was the light of the family especially to the father^[9]. When Charles died unexpectedly in 1919^[22], James was crushed and never recovered. He died two years later on 5/7/1921 of pneumonia.^[8][5][9]

His daughter, Mildred, wrote a full biography.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Hillcrest Cemetery, Temple, Texas Grave list
2. ↑ Rudd vital records found in old address book in possession of Avis-179 Transcript
3. ↑ Rudd family vital records on back of 1927 calendar page in possession of Avis-179 Transcript
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Rudd family data recorded by Rudd-1589 Transcript
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} "Mortuary - James Rudd". Temple Telegram, Temple, Texas 5-7-1921 Transcript
6. ↑ U. S. Census 1860, Monroe Co., Tennessee. Family #992. p. 134 Transcript
7. ↑ U. S. Census 1870, Whitfield Co., Georgia. City of Dalton, P. O. Dalton, Family #65. p. 8-9 Transcript
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Conversation with Rudd-1589 about Rudd family Transcript
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7} Biographical sketch by Rudd-1808 about James Calvin Rudd Transcript
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Conversation with Rudd-1808 about Rudd family Transcript
11. ↑ Marriage Book #3, p. 77, Hamilton Co., Tennessee Transcript
12. ↑ Deed Records 1872-1936, Lampasas Co., Texas. Vol. M, p. 275-276, LDS film #1433170; Vol. P, p. 336, LDS film #1433172 Transcript
13. ↑ Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, 9/6/1886
14. ↑ Rudd Matrimony Book in possession of Avis-179 Marriage Certification
15. ↑ Austin American Statesman (Austin, Texas) 2/21/1892, p. 1 Transcript
16. ↑ 1910 U. S. Census Bell Co., Texas, Temple, ED 23, family 348 Transcript
17. ↑ Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas 10/15/1898
18. ↑ The Rice Institute Pamphlet v. 6 Supplement 1919, p. 75
19. ↑ "Miss Fay Rudd", Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas 9/13/1915 Transcript
20. ↑ "Madge Rudd". Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX 5-3-1992 Transcript
21. ↑ Telegrams to family of Charlie Rudd in possession of Avis-179 Transcript
22. ↑ "Lieut. Charles Rudd Dead." Temple Telegram, Temple, TX 11-14-1919 Transcript

• 1880 U. S. Census Franklin Co., Tennessee, Winchester, ED 85, p. 15-16, dwelling 117 Transcript
• 1900 U. S. Census Bell Co., Texas, Temple, ED 28, Sheet 2B/3A, family 60 Transcript
• Mooring family data recorded by Fay Rudd Chiles Transcript
• Conversations with Fay Rudd Chiles about Rudd/Mooring family Transcript
• Daughters of the Republic of Texas Membership Application of Maggie Mooring Rudd Transcript
• Daughters of the Republic of Texas Membership Application of Francis Ross Mooring Transcript
• "First National Bank" manuscript written by Maggie Mooring Rudd in possession of Avis-179 Transcript
• "Temple Girl Wins Recognition.", Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas 5/8/1915 Transcript
• "Chiles-Rudd." Temple Daily Telegram, 9-7-1919, Temple, Texas Transcript
• "Chiles-Rudd Wedding". Temple Daily Telegram 9-10-1919. Temple, Texas Transcript
• " Body of Lieut. Rudd to be Buried at Temple Today", Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas 11/20/1919 Transcript
• "Mrs. James Rudd". Austin American, Austin, Texas 1-29-1956 Transcript
• Belated Birth Certificate for Fay Rudd Chiles, Bell Co., Texas Transcript
• Summary of Descent from Hodge's by Margaret Chiles Collins in possession of Avis-179 Transcript
• Sands, S. History of Monroe Co., Tennessee. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1982. p. 740. Transcript
• Estate Records of Whitfield Co., Georgia Books D & F Transcript of mother's estate return
• Tennessee State Library and Archives. Biographical Directory of the Tenn. General Assembly, 1796-1969. Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1970. p. 643 Transcript
• Death Certificate for Lowry P. Rudd, Wayne Co., Michigan, 1952 Transcript
• Kaufman Co., Texas Probate Minutes 1898-1901 v. E p. 2-6 Transcript
• Whitfield Co., Georgia Court of Ordinary Minutes v. B 1870-1880 p. 601-2 Familysearch.org film 8192660 image 335-6 Transcript