William Henry Daimwood
William
Henry
Daimwood
Born
Sept. 23, 1846
Died
Aug. 4, 1902
Asleep in Jesus
Blessed sleep
From which none
ever wake to weep.
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
1. Corpus Christi History by Murphy Givens
Corpus Christi Caller-Times (August 16, 2000). Available on microfilm.
2. Biographical information
W. H. Daimwood came to Texas in 1878 from Columbia, Tenn. He was the only one of his family to come to Texas, leaving behind his father, mother and five brothers and three sisters.
His first occupation on coming to Corpus Christi was employment with G. R. Blossman in the men’s furnishing business. Later he went into business for himself. Mr. Daimwood was married to Ursula Muelly, the wedding ceremony being performed in the living room of the Muelly residence at 210 N. Chaparral.
Mr. Daimwood went into the grocery business, and Anton Muelly had a bakery at the same location, just east of the home on Water street. Later this building burned and the firm moved to the corner of William and chaparral streets. After Anton Muelly passed away his nephew, Mattio Muelly, took over the bakery business and ran the business for several years.
Mr. Daimwood’s grandmother on his father’s side of the house was Elizabeth Boone, the sister of Daniel Boone, who later married a Mr. Frank, for whom Frankfort, Ky., was later named.
Source: Nueces County News, August 14, 1939
Vertical files of the Corpus Christi Public Library
Research by: Msgr. Michael A. Howell
Transcription: Geraldine D. McGloin, Nueces County Historical Commission
3. Research by Frank Wagner
DAIMWOOD, WILLIAM H., b. 1845 at Columbia, Tennessee, d. 4 August, 1902 from a stroke at Corpus Christi. Daimwood came to Corpus Christi in 1875 on a Morgan steamship with a stock of dry goods supplied by his uncle, Col. N. C. Gullett of Galveston. He opened his own men’s clothing store at first, but shortly joined in a partnership with Richard G. Blossman in the same line of trade. The partnership was unable to cope with the bad economic conditions, and he joined Mateo Meuly in a bakery business for several years. Daimwood married Ursula Meuly, and they had 4 daughters and a son. When his first wife died, 14 May, 1895, he withdrew from business a short time. He married Emily Camp, 14 February, 1900. Elected an alderman for the City Council of Corpus Christi under the administration of Mayor Oscar C. Lovenskiold in 1898, he was again reelected in 1901.
References:
Corpus Christi Caller, 8 August, 1902.
County Clerk’s Office, maury County, Tennessee, Deed and Birth Records, Book C, p. 228.
Research by: Frank Wagner
Transcription by: Rosa G. Gonzales
4. News article, 1944
William Henry Daimwood
Ursula Meuly Daimwood
QUAINTNESS OF EARLY CORPUS CHRISTI RECALLED BY
MISS AMELIA DAIMWOOD
by Mrs. Howell Ward
“You could bather her a quart cup and drown her in a bowl of water,†was the remark Miss Margaret Meuly often made when referring to her newly arrived niece, Amelia Augusta Daimwood. The baby, a prematurely born twin, was given no chance of life in those first days.
So tiny was the child that her mothers wedding ring slipped easily over hand and arm up to the shoulder. Instead of a scientifically controlled incubator unit like those now used for such babies, she spent her first four months warmed by a pair of hot water filled stone beer bottles. She received nourishment by means of a medicine dropper.
Not until Miss Daimwood was four months old did her mother attempt to dress her. A flannel sack, only large enough for a small doll, is reminder of that event.
Although Miss Amelia was to spend some years of her life in the famous landmark at 216 Chaparral Street, which belonged to her grandparents, the Conrad Meulys, she was born in a cottage directly across the street. This belonged to her great uncle, Anton Meuly.
While Miss Amelia’s two oldest sisters attended private schools, she and another sister entered the newly opened Corpus Christi pubic schools. The school was a frame building on the site of the present North Side Junior School. Here she received her grammar grade and high school education. At this time, the school was under the guidance of Principals Charles W. Crossley and M. Menger, one succeeding the other. Their names are perpetuated today in two Corpus Christi grammar school buildings. The college of Industrial Arts and a business course at Nueces Business College followed graduation from high school.
Miss Daimwood likes to recall the quaintness of Corpus Christi of those days. It was a small town and people, whether related or not, seemed to be one big family.
Chaparral, Water and Mesquite Streets were never called by their proper names. Instead, they were known as “Main,†“Front†and “Back†Streets, respectively. The level of Chaparral Street was three feet below that of today. In wet weather, it was a common sight to see teams bogged down there.
However, the era was not without its note of progress. Glass lanterns, enclosing oil lamps, lined the street. These were tended night and morning by a man appointed to the job.
To ride in the mule car was an exciting adventure. Fares were 25 cents from the Miramar Hotel to the Alta vista Hotel, those sites today occupied by the Breakers Hotel and a spot close to the present V. M. Donigan estate on Ocean Drive. Mount Graham, part time farmer, was driver of the car, and gave the Daimwood children many a thrilling ride.
Fourth of Julys were gala events. A big historical pageant at North Bach and decorated floats in a parade were the chief entertainments. On February 22 Laredo reciprocated in kind with a Washington's Birthday celebration. Local people hastened to return the visit others had paid them.
It was no unusual thing for conductors on the Tex-Mex and Southern Pacific trains to stop long enough to allow passengers to gather the beautiful spring flowers. Life was leisurely and pleasant. No one seemed in too much of a hurry to enjoy it.
Miss Daimwood is the daughter of William Henry and Ursula Meuly Daimwood. Her father came from Columbia, Tenn., to Texas in the early seventies. Mrs. Daimwood was the daughter of the Swiss pioneer, Conrad Meuly, and Margaret Rahm Meuly. The former came to Corpus Christi before 1836, and his bride arrived in 1847. The family has been in continuous ownership of the property in the 200 block on Chaparral Street since 1848.
Conrad Meuly was one of the early merchants of Corpus Christi. His son-in-law, William Henry Daimwood, followed the same occupation. With R. G. Blossman, Daimwood formed a partnership to open a gents’ furnishing establishment of the southeast corner of Chaparral and Lawrence Streets. Some years later, the partnership was dissolved, each member setting up his own store. The Daimwood store then occupied the original Meuly block at 207 Water Street.
Five daughters and one son were born to the Daimwoods. With the exception of Miss Amelia’s twin, all have survived. The others are: Lelia Bell (Mrs. Fred D. Henderson, Fort Worth), Margaret May (Mrs. C. C. Kerlagen, Victoria), Ida Gertrude (Mrs. Magenat, Crystal City), and William Henry Daimwood, corpus Christi.
Miss Daimwood admits never having realized her life’s ambition. She had chosen nursing as a profession, entering john Sealy Hospital at Galveston, for training in 1915. Fifteen days later, a Gulf hurricane forced her to take refuge in Houston. Not to be discouraged, she went to Quere, where she entered Reuss Memorial Hospital. Here she finished training, and stayed on to nurse. For a time, Miss Daimwood served as supervisor ;of the Reuss Memorial Hospital, but nursing did not fully satisfy her ambition. An old longing to become a foreign missionary reasserted itself. In 1927 she went to Richmond, Va., to prepare herself as a missionary nurse. She entered the Assembly’s Training School, and learned, after completing her course, that she was just over the age limit for foreign duty.
Miss Amelia returned to Corpus Christi to take up nursing again. It was at this time that plans for the Fred Roberts Memorial Hospital were under discussion. She at once interested herself in helping to secure the charter for both the hospital and uses’ training school. She continued to nurse for the next three years, doing private duty and hospital nursing.
Persons who have resided in Corpus Christi for 15 years or more recall a familiar sight glimpsed on fine afternoons. Two aged ladies, “Miss Maggie†and "Miss Tudie†Meuly, habitually “too the air†upon the balcony of their old Louisiana French home at 216 Chaparral Street. They had lived there all their eighty-odd years. There were Miss Amelia’s aunts. Because of their failing health and advanced age, she gave up her professional work and went to care for them until their deaths some years later.
Miss Daimwood now lives in an attractive cottage at 1335 Santa Fe Street. She is surrounded by handsome family heirlooms for which she has great attachment. She is friendly and cordial. An interesting talker, she is a good listener as well. She has a nice appreciation of humor and a deeply religious nature.
She has been a worker in the Presbyterian Church since childhood, and still takes an active part in Sunday school work. She is one of the original members of La Retama Club, from whose efforts the present public library has developed.
Her hobby is handwork. This she gives away as fast as she makes it. Indulging this hobby, keeping house and working in her church are enough to keep Miss Daimwood well occupied and happy these days.
Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, May 28, 1944, p. 7C, cols. 1-3
Research by: Msgr. Michael A. Howell
Transcription by: Geraldine D. McGloin, Nueces County Historical Commission
5. Obituary
Had a Bad Bleeding Spell
Mr. W. H. Daimwood had a severe spell of nose-bleeding last Monday night. He awoke at 12 o’clock, and thinking he had contracted a bad cold, got up and lit a lamp, when he found his face, hand and clothes covered with blood. At 3 o’clock the bleeding still going on, he sent after Dr. Seel, who at 7 o’clock had to perform an operation on him before the bleeding would stop. Mr. Daimwood was so weak from loss of blood that he had to stay in bed all day, but on Wednesday he was able to be out again.
Source: Corpus Christi Weekly Caller, February 21, 1902, p. 5, col. 1
W.H. DAIMWOOD
A Well Known Citizen’s Sudden and Unexpected Death
Died, in Corpus Christi, Texas, August 4, 1902 at 2:10 a.m., from a stroke of apoplexy, WILLIAM H. DAIMWOOD, a native of Columbis, Tenn., aged 67 years.
The people of our little city were greatly surprised to hear on Sunday evening last that Mr. Daimwood had been taken dangerously ill, and on next morning to hear that he was dead. Mr. Daimwood was out on the streets in the afternoon talking with friends, looking in his usual good health. A little after four o’clock, while he was sitting on the St. James gallery, Dr. Seel passed by and the two left and went into the back part of Mr. Daimwood’s store to play a game of checkers. When they had finished a couple of games Mr. Daimwood remarked to the doctor that something was wrong with one of his hands. The doctor noticing the expression on his face and mistrusting something serious, told him to remain perfectly quiet till he could get a hack and take him home. Mr. Daimwood started to rise but found that he had lost the use of one side. The doctor soon had a hack at the door and the unfortunate man was taken to his home (the old Peterson house) where, upon arrival, he was unable to speak and soon fell into a stupor from which he never rallied, passing away a little after 2 a.m.
Mr. Daimwood experienced a bad spell of bleeding at the nose last February, being taken in the night, the doctor having considerable trouble in checking the flow, which was not done until sometime in the forenoon.
Mr. Daimwood came to Corpus Christi in the spring of 1875 arriving here on a Morgan steamer with a stock of dry goods from New Orleans for his uncle, the late Col. N. C. Gullett, who lost his life in the Galveston storm. It was on Good Friday the steamer landed, and a most exciting day in Corpus Christi, being the day of the great Mexican raid, near this city, when the Mexicans burned to the ground the Noakes store at Nuecestown. After being in business here for sometime in the employ of his uncle, Mr. Daimwood went into business for himself, opening up a gents’ furnishing store in the southeast room of the St. James hotel, where the office is now, some time after moving his business across the street, moving again to the McDonough building, where he went into partnership with Mr. R. G. Blossman. After being in business for quite a while they dissolved partnership, Mr. Daimwood going into the bakery business with Mateo Meuly, which he continued up to a few years ago, when he opened up a second-hand furniture store on Chaparral street, which business he was engaged in at the time of his death.
Mr. Daimwood married Miss Ursula Meuly a few years after going into business for himself here, their union continuing until May 14, 1895, when his wife was called to her heavenly home, leaving her husband with four daughters and one son, who still survive him. On February 24, 1900, Mr. Daimwood married Mrs. Emily Camp, who also survives him. Deceased was a member of the city council and of a pleasant, jovial disposition. The funeral took place Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock, the services being conducted by Rev. R. R. white, of the Baptist church, the remains being laid away to rest in the family burial lot in the old cemetery. Peace to his ashes. Poor Daimwoood is gone.
CARD OF THANKS
I desire to return my most grateful thanks to those who so kindly assisted me in my recent time of great trouble.
Mrs. W. H. Daimwood
Source: Corpus Christi Weekly Caller, August 8, 1902, p. 4, col. 4
Research by: Msgr. Michael A. Howell
Transcription by: Geraldine D. McGloin, Nueces County Historical Commission