John Heard
JOHN S. AND RACHEL W. HEARD HOUSE
Historical marker application.
[The Heard House] is part of the Peters Colony survey issued to Thomas T. Bradley in the eighteen forties. It is in the College Addition and is in the McKinney Historical District.
The house was built in 1921 by John Spencer Heard and his wife, Rachel Wilson Heard. Two of their adult daughters, Bessie and Laura, were living with them. Their middle daughter, Nina, had married Roger Astin and was living in Bryan, Texas. The site for the house had been purchased from Mary Thomas in 1915.
John Spencer Heard was born and reared in Van Buren, Arkansas, the eldest of the eight children of C. C. and Henrietta Heard. Due to the ravages of the Civil War in the area, the Heard family moved to McKinney, Texas, in 1864. At the close of the war, after having served in the Confederate army, John Spencer joined his family in McKinney. Following the deaths of both of his parents, he supervised the rearing and education of his brothers and sisters. In 1884 he married Rachel Wilson, whose family had moved to north Texas from Lexington, Mississippi.
The story of John Spencer Heard’s success in his many enterprises is phenomenal. In partnership with his brother, Stephen Dudley Heard, he established a mercantile business on the west side of the McKinney square. The second floor of the building became the Heard Opera House which operated until 1910. He was instrumental in bringing to McKinney the first oil mill, the first cotton mill, the first flour mill, and the interurban. The Heard brothers owned large tracts of farm both east and west of McKinney.
John Spencer Heard died in 1933, and Rachel Wilson Heard died in 1934. They are buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery. They were survived by their three daughters, Bessie, Nina Heard Astin, and Laura.
Each of the Heard daughters was noted for her philanthropy. Laura and her husband, Henry Shope, were large benefactors of Austin College in Sherman and the McKinney hospital. Following the death of Nina Heard Astin, the city of Bryan named a park in her memory.
Bessie Heard lived in the College St. house until her death in 1987, two weeks before her one hundred and second birthday...
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JOHN S. HEARD, PIONEER M’KINNEY BUSINESS MAN AND TEXAS CAPITALIST, DIES AT ADVANCED AGE HERE TODAY
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, Nov. 23, 1933.
FUNERAL TO BE AT LL O’CLOCK FRIDAY MORNING AT RESIDENCE–BURIAL IN PECAN GROVE CEMETERY–CONFEDERATE SOLDIER–DID MUCH IN BUILDING UP HIS HOME CITY AND STATE–SURVIVED BY WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS.
John S. Heard, prominent in McKinney business circles and as capitalist of statewide connection, died at 10:20 o’clock Wednesday evening, November 22, at the family residence, 315 North College street. He had been in feeble health for about three years and retired from active management of his extensive business affairs three and a half years ago.
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Funeral Services Friday Morning.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 o’clock tomorrow (Friday) morning at the family home by his pastor, Dr. Robert L. Cowan, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, this city, of which congregation he had been a member and official for a half century. Interment will follow in Pecan Grove Cemetery.
Active pallbearers announced are his nephews: F. D. Perkins, T. E. Craig, John Astin Perkins, H. L. Shoap, Dr. J. C. Erwin, Jr., John Dudley Heard, J. W. Farr, Arthur Field Heard, Erwin Heard, Wilson Erwin and Boude Storey.
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Native of Arkansas.
John Spencer Heard was born at Fayetteville, Arkansas, July 8, 1841, thus being at the time of his death, ninety-two years, four months and fourteen days old and one of our county’s oldest pioneer citizens. He was the son of Charles C. and Henrietta (Allen) Heard. His father was an extensive landowner in Crawford county, Arkansas, in which state the deceased received his early education in the meager district school of that early day and later attending Cain Hill college in Washington county, and three years at Wallace Institute at Van Buren, Arkansas. When the Civil war came on, his sympathy was with the Southern Confederacy. He enlisted in Brown’s company, Third Regular Arkansas Troops, serving until the close of the war. His first venture in business of a mercantile nature was with his father. He was so engaged at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war at which time he joined The Frontier Guard, organized at Van Buren, prior to the breaking out of hostilities. When the army was reorganized after the battle of Oak Hill, Missouri, Mr. Heard’s company was transferred to the Confederate groups, represented by the State service. His company became part of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Arkansas infantry, under the command of Co. Rector. He participated in numerous battles, being captured at the battle of Helena, Arkansas. He was soon thereafter exchanged and resumed his service with the Confederate forces until Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
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Fine Family Background.
His father, Chas. C. Heard, in his younger life, was a farmer and merchant, refugeeing to Texas in 1862 with his family and locating at McKinney. He purchased what was later known as the old City hotel property, facing on West Virginia street, corner of West Virginia and North Church streets, which property the son, John S. Heard, still owned at the time of his death. His father was also the owner of a ranch located some miles west of McKinney and was regarded as a successful man in his business affairs. In 1886, while his father was making a journey from Van Buren, Arkansas, back to McKinney, he was attacked by two negroes in the Indian Territory and with his two companions, Foster and Basham, was cruelly murdered with robbery as a motive. The assassins were captures and expiated their crime with their own lives, at Paris, Texas. The mother of John S. Heard, Henrietta Allen, was a daughter of Johnathan Allen, who settled prior to the Civil war, here in Collin county and who also came from Washington county, Arkansas, having settled here in 1848, the same year that McKinney was founded. One of her brothers, Mally W. Allen, represented this county for several years in the state legislature.
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One of Ten Children.
Chas. C. and Henrietta Heard were the parents of ten children of whom the deceased, John S. Heard, was the eldest and of whom two only now survive–Chas. P Heard and Mrs. Florence E. Rhea, both of McKinney. The dust of both of his parents repose in Pecan Grove cemetery here at McKinney. His mother died in 1864, while the son was in the Confederate army. The deceased’s brothers and sisters are S. Dudley Heard, who died at McKinney, September 11, 1926, and was his business associate in their extensive mercantile and other business affairs; also, James Heard who died in the Confederate service in General W. L. Cabell’s command; Clark Heard, prominent business man of Cleburne, Texas; William Heard who died in California. Two sisters died in childhood; Mrs. Arthur E. Smith died some years ago. He is also survived by his devoted wife and three daughters, Mrs. Roger Q. Astin, Bryan, Texas; and Misses Bessie and Laura Heard, both of McKinney and by two grandchildren, John Heard Astin, university student in New York City, and Miss Nina Bess Astin, student in Sophie Newcomb college, New Orleans.
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Returned to Civil Life.
At the close of his military service in 1865, the deceased resumed his mercantile career at McKinney soon becoming associated with his brother, the late S. D. Heard, their firm, Heard Bros., general merchants, saddles, harness and leather goods, also vehicles, became on of the largest and most successful retail businesses in North Texas. His investments steadily grew and were as a rule successful and varied. He was looked upon as one of the most astute business men of the entire state. He was one of the organizers and directors of the Collin County National bank and was a stockholder and official through his active ? until he was nearly ? of such companies as the Collin County Mill & Elevator and McKinney Compresses companies, McKinney Cotton Oil Mill Company, of which he was president many years. He was one of the founders and officials of the ? Cotton Mill at McKinney and other cotton mills of the state and other business institution, concerns and corporations, including the McKinney Ice & Coal company, bonded warehouse company, Republic Fire Insurance company, Fidelity Insurance company, Gulf Fire Insurance company and many other fire insurance companies of the state and the South; the American Finance corporations, financial company and/or corporation, a ? in the Texas Power I Light company, Dallas Power & Light company and various other power and light companies of the state. He was one of the organizers and officers of the Texas Milling company, and stockholder in various flour mills of this and other states. He owned considerable city property and assorted investments. In all of these activities he bestowed his ? concern on McKinney industries and enterprises and took great pride in the development of his home city and helping his personal acquaintances and friends throughout the county, many of them to get ? and attend with them in a helpful way in their business problems.
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His Marriage.
Mr. Heard was married December 31, 1884, at Collinsville, Grayson county, Texas to Miss Rachel Wilson, daughter of W. H. Wilson, who came to Texas from Mississippi at an early date and was a large slaveholder prior to the Civil war in which he fought as a Confederate soldier. Mr. Heard’s home life was an unusually happy one. He revered in the love and affection of his devoted wife and daughters for whose welfare and culture his tenderest interest was always manifest. Mr. Heard was of Scottish descent. His first forbears in America were three brothers, who came in colonial days from Scotland. One of these settled in Georgia and was the grandfather of the deceased. He traveled much over the United States with his family and gave his children that and every other advantage of education and culture that they could desire. Mr. Heard was a man of few words but of serious thought and study. He never aspired for office, but in his younger days was several times without solicitation on his part elected City Treasurer of McKinney by his fellow citizens. The underlying, fundamental principles of success that attended him as a rule in his business ventures were his simple, rugged honest character, reasonable frugality and tireless application in hard work and naturally shrewd management and business sagacity. He always counseled his young friends to moderation in their wants and to develop a saving habit. His life was a living exemplification of these business principles. He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian church and an elder for many years and bright Mason for half century. He felt a great interest in the advancement of his home people, in schools, churches and in modern conveniences, such as good roads, paved streets. He always kept abreast of modern development and facilities in his outlook of life. His passing is mourned sincerely over his home city and in fact in the hearts of multiplied scores of friends and business associates in many other towns and cities of the state.
Historical marker application.
[The Heard House] is part of the Peters Colony survey issued to Thomas T. Bradley in the eighteen forties. It is in the College Addition and is in the McKinney Historical District.
The house was built in 1921 by John Spencer Heard and his wife, Rachel Wilson Heard. Two of their adult daughters, Bessie and Laura, were living with them. Their middle daughter, Nina, had married Roger Astin and was living in Bryan, Texas. The site for the house had been purchased from Mary Thomas in 1915.
John Spencer Heard was born and reared in Van Buren, Arkansas, the eldest of the eight children of C. C. and Henrietta Heard. Due to the ravages of the Civil War in the area, the Heard family moved to McKinney, Texas, in 1864. At the close of the war, after having served in the Confederate army, John Spencer joined his family in McKinney. Following the deaths of both of his parents, he supervised the rearing and education of his brothers and sisters. In 1884 he married Rachel Wilson, whose family had moved to north Texas from Lexington, Mississippi.
The story of John Spencer Heard’s success in his many enterprises is phenomenal. In partnership with his brother, Stephen Dudley Heard, he established a mercantile business on the west side of the McKinney square. The second floor of the building became the Heard Opera House which operated until 1910. He was instrumental in bringing to McKinney the first oil mill, the first cotton mill, the first flour mill, and the interurban. The Heard brothers owned large tracts of farm both east and west of McKinney.
John Spencer Heard died in 1933, and Rachel Wilson Heard died in 1934. They are buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery. They were survived by their three daughters, Bessie, Nina Heard Astin, and Laura.
Each of the Heard daughters was noted for her philanthropy. Laura and her husband, Henry Shope, were large benefactors of Austin College in Sherman and the McKinney hospital. Following the death of Nina Heard Astin, the city of Bryan named a park in her memory.
Bessie Heard lived in the College St. house until her death in 1987, two weeks before her one hundred and second birthday...
.
JOHN S. HEARD, PIONEER M’KINNEY BUSINESS MAN AND TEXAS CAPITALIST, DIES AT ADVANCED AGE HERE TODAY
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, Nov. 23, 1933.
FUNERAL TO BE AT LL O’CLOCK FRIDAY MORNING AT RESIDENCE–BURIAL IN PECAN GROVE CEMETERY–CONFEDERATE SOLDIER–DID MUCH IN BUILDING UP HIS HOME CITY AND STATE–SURVIVED BY WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS.
John S. Heard, prominent in McKinney business circles and as capitalist of statewide connection, died at 10:20 o’clock Wednesday evening, November 22, at the family residence, 315 North College street. He had been in feeble health for about three years and retired from active management of his extensive business affairs three and a half years ago.
***
Funeral Services Friday Morning.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 o’clock tomorrow (Friday) morning at the family home by his pastor, Dr. Robert L. Cowan, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, this city, of which congregation he had been a member and official for a half century. Interment will follow in Pecan Grove Cemetery.
Active pallbearers announced are his nephews: F. D. Perkins, T. E. Craig, John Astin Perkins, H. L. Shoap, Dr. J. C. Erwin, Jr., John Dudley Heard, J. W. Farr, Arthur Field Heard, Erwin Heard, Wilson Erwin and Boude Storey.
***
Native of Arkansas.
John Spencer Heard was born at Fayetteville, Arkansas, July 8, 1841, thus being at the time of his death, ninety-two years, four months and fourteen days old and one of our county’s oldest pioneer citizens. He was the son of Charles C. and Henrietta (Allen) Heard. His father was an extensive landowner in Crawford county, Arkansas, in which state the deceased received his early education in the meager district school of that early day and later attending Cain Hill college in Washington county, and three years at Wallace Institute at Van Buren, Arkansas. When the Civil war came on, his sympathy was with the Southern Confederacy. He enlisted in Brown’s company, Third Regular Arkansas Troops, serving until the close of the war. His first venture in business of a mercantile nature was with his father. He was so engaged at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war at which time he joined The Frontier Guard, organized at Van Buren, prior to the breaking out of hostilities. When the army was reorganized after the battle of Oak Hill, Missouri, Mr. Heard’s company was transferred to the Confederate groups, represented by the State service. His company became part of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Arkansas infantry, under the command of Co. Rector. He participated in numerous battles, being captured at the battle of Helena, Arkansas. He was soon thereafter exchanged and resumed his service with the Confederate forces until Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
***
Fine Family Background.
His father, Chas. C. Heard, in his younger life, was a farmer and merchant, refugeeing to Texas in 1862 with his family and locating at McKinney. He purchased what was later known as the old City hotel property, facing on West Virginia street, corner of West Virginia and North Church streets, which property the son, John S. Heard, still owned at the time of his death. His father was also the owner of a ranch located some miles west of McKinney and was regarded as a successful man in his business affairs. In 1886, while his father was making a journey from Van Buren, Arkansas, back to McKinney, he was attacked by two negroes in the Indian Territory and with his two companions, Foster and Basham, was cruelly murdered with robbery as a motive. The assassins were captures and expiated their crime with their own lives, at Paris, Texas. The mother of John S. Heard, Henrietta Allen, was a daughter of Johnathan Allen, who settled prior to the Civil war, here in Collin county and who also came from Washington county, Arkansas, having settled here in 1848, the same year that McKinney was founded. One of her brothers, Mally W. Allen, represented this county for several years in the state legislature.
***
One of Ten Children.
Chas. C. and Henrietta Heard were the parents of ten children of whom the deceased, John S. Heard, was the eldest and of whom two only now survive–Chas. P Heard and Mrs. Florence E. Rhea, both of McKinney. The dust of both of his parents repose in Pecan Grove cemetery here at McKinney. His mother died in 1864, while the son was in the Confederate army. The deceased’s brothers and sisters are S. Dudley Heard, who died at McKinney, September 11, 1926, and was his business associate in their extensive mercantile and other business affairs; also, James Heard who died in the Confederate service in General W. L. Cabell’s command; Clark Heard, prominent business man of Cleburne, Texas; William Heard who died in California. Two sisters died in childhood; Mrs. Arthur E. Smith died some years ago. He is also survived by his devoted wife and three daughters, Mrs. Roger Q. Astin, Bryan, Texas; and Misses Bessie and Laura Heard, both of McKinney and by two grandchildren, John Heard Astin, university student in New York City, and Miss Nina Bess Astin, student in Sophie Newcomb college, New Orleans.
***
Returned to Civil Life.
At the close of his military service in 1865, the deceased resumed his mercantile career at McKinney soon becoming associated with his brother, the late S. D. Heard, their firm, Heard Bros., general merchants, saddles, harness and leather goods, also vehicles, became on of the largest and most successful retail businesses in North Texas. His investments steadily grew and were as a rule successful and varied. He was looked upon as one of the most astute business men of the entire state. He was one of the organizers and directors of the Collin County National bank and was a stockholder and official through his active ? until he was nearly ? of such companies as the Collin County Mill & Elevator and McKinney Compresses companies, McKinney Cotton Oil Mill Company, of which he was president many years. He was one of the founders and officials of the ? Cotton Mill at McKinney and other cotton mills of the state and other business institution, concerns and corporations, including the McKinney Ice & Coal company, bonded warehouse company, Republic Fire Insurance company, Fidelity Insurance company, Gulf Fire Insurance company and many other fire insurance companies of the state and the South; the American Finance corporations, financial company and/or corporation, a ? in the Texas Power I Light company, Dallas Power & Light company and various other power and light companies of the state. He was one of the organizers and officers of the Texas Milling company, and stockholder in various flour mills of this and other states. He owned considerable city property and assorted investments. In all of these activities he bestowed his ? concern on McKinney industries and enterprises and took great pride in the development of his home city and helping his personal acquaintances and friends throughout the county, many of them to get ? and attend with them in a helpful way in their business problems.
***
His Marriage.
Mr. Heard was married December 31, 1884, at Collinsville, Grayson county, Texas to Miss Rachel Wilson, daughter of W. H. Wilson, who came to Texas from Mississippi at an early date and was a large slaveholder prior to the Civil war in which he fought as a Confederate soldier. Mr. Heard’s home life was an unusually happy one. He revered in the love and affection of his devoted wife and daughters for whose welfare and culture his tenderest interest was always manifest. Mr. Heard was of Scottish descent. His first forbears in America were three brothers, who came in colonial days from Scotland. One of these settled in Georgia and was the grandfather of the deceased. He traveled much over the United States with his family and gave his children that and every other advantage of education and culture that they could desire. Mr. Heard was a man of few words but of serious thought and study. He never aspired for office, but in his younger days was several times without solicitation on his part elected City Treasurer of McKinney by his fellow citizens. The underlying, fundamental principles of success that attended him as a rule in his business ventures were his simple, rugged honest character, reasonable frugality and tireless application in hard work and naturally shrewd management and business sagacity. He always counseled his young friends to moderation in their wants and to develop a saving habit. His life was a living exemplification of these business principles. He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian church and an elder for many years and bright Mason for half century. He felt a great interest in the advancement of his home people, in schools, churches and in modern conveniences, such as good roads, paved streets. He always kept abreast of modern development and facilities in his outlook of life. His passing is mourned sincerely over his home city and in fact in the hearts of multiplied scores of friends and business associates in many other towns and cities of the state.
