W. P. Torrans, born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1849 moved to Houston, Texas
and in 1850 came to Jefferson. He established a general mercantile
business on Austin Street, in the building next to the present Goldberg
Feed Store.
In 1862 he was Tax Collector, but maintained his business also. In 1872
built the first brick block on Polk Street, where the Torrans
Manufacturing Company is now located.
The W. P. Torrans home at one time stood in the middle of this block,
made into an office building and used by Dr. A. C. Clopton. Mr. Torrans
bought a home on the corner of Lafayette and Market Streets which is
standing and in good repair.
The Torrans business has run continuously all these years and is known
as the Torrans Manufacturing Company, a very flourishing business, owned
and operated by T. L. Torrans, who is one of Jefferson’s most prominent
and active citizens, and a son of W. P. Torrans. Mr. T. L. Torrans
married Miss Elizabeth Schluter, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis
Schluter, who was a very prominent lawyer in this city.
Tom Lee Torrans, Jr., a son of Mr. Torrans, is now active manager of the
store. Mrs. Kelly Spearman and Louis Torrans are also children of Mr.
and Mrs. Tom Torrans.
Story From Past Recalls Worth of Two Jefferson Men
Captain DeWare, Col. H. McKay, Have Sons Prominent Here Now
“Before the final adjournment of district court and during a short
recess Saturday evening, at Jefferson, the friends of Sheriff J. M.
DeWare of Marion County presented him with a Smith and Wesson forty-four
caliber pistol and belt. The weapon was elaborately carved, pearl
handled, inlaid with gold, and bore this inscription: ‘J. M. DeWare,
Sheriff, Jefferson, Texas. From his friends, Jan. 1, 1887.’ A graceful
and appropriate presentation speech was delivered by Col. McKay.”
Taken from the “Dallas and Texas fifty years ago” column in the Dallas
News on Jan. 25, the story above was sent The Jefferson Journal by Ollie
B. Webb, Texas and Pacific official, with the notation that “it seems to
me will be of interest to many in Jefferson.”
Mr. Webb was right. As he goes on to explain, Sheriff J. M. DeWare, or
Captain DeWare, as he was more generally known, was the father of J. M.
DeWare, present local agent for the Texas and Pacific in Jefferson, and
the Col. H. McKay mentioned, was the father of Arch McKay, now Tax
Assessor-Collector.
Both were men who stood out as leaders in their time. Both they and
their descendants have many friends in Jefferson.