Hillsborough County FlArchives Biographies.....Wier, Thomas Milton 1858 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 27, 2010, 11:10 am Source: See below Author: See below Thomas Milton Wier The growth and development of Tampa during the past twenty years, has been largely due to the enterprise, and foresight of her real estate dealers, who are practically the best promoters of any growing and progressive town. The natural advantages that have made Tampa real estate desirable as an investment have been exploited in such a way by her real estate men as to attract large capital, and valuable additions to her citizenship. During recent years, the tobacco industry has become a factor in western and middle Florida, and other enterprises of popular manufacture and trade have been attracted there by her developers and promoters. One of the foremost men engaged in this work at Tampa, and throughout the western section of the state, has been Thomas Milton Wier, proprietor of the Wier Realty Company of that city. Mr. Wier is a man of force and ability, with a depth of character that is necessary in a man to vitalize any enterprise in which he may engage. And besides being a wide-awake, earnest worker along commercial lines, Mr. Wier is a gentleman of scholarly attainments. He is the patentee of some valuable inventions, and a diplomat of fine perceptions. The name, Wier, as it suggests itself, is of Scotch origin. In early history, a nobleman of some fine old clan in Scotland, named Thomas, built a castle for himself in a weir. There he lived, and from that he became known as "Thomas of the Weir," which eventually became a fixed name for his descendents. For years the family was very prominent in Edinburgh, and several well known members of that branch were murdered during the reign of superstition and ignorance, when men and women were tortured and put to death for witchcraft. Early in the seventeenth century two brothers Weir came over to America, and settled, one at Pittsburg, Penn., and the other at Abbeville, S. C. Eventually the name was changed in the spelling and became Wier, which has descended to the present branches of the family In 1820, one member of the family, who had settled in South Carolina, moved to Pickens county, Ala., where he became permanently and prosperously established as a planter. This was Thomas H. Wier, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Alabama. The son of Thomas H. Wier, named James Stuart, was a prosperous and well known planter in the same state. He married Miss Louisa Horton. She bore him a son, Thomas Milton Wier, whose successful achievement in business is the subject of this sketch. Thomas Milton was born in Pickens county, Ala., on his father's plantation December 23, 1858. Coming of school age during the dark days of the war between the States, he was given the best educational advantages the schools of war and reconstruction days offered, and at once entered the battle of life, successfully fighting his way, by means of his own energy and capacity, to a business of his own, which was put in operation in Tampa, in 1889 under the firm name of Wier & Hendry, real estate dealers. Sometime afterwards he became proprietor of the Wier Realty Company, which is one of the substantial business enterprises of Tampa. In 1900, Mr. Wier was made commissioner to the Pan-American Exposition, and was one of the men who was present at the assassination of President McKinley. In the gubernatorial campaign of 1908 Mr. Wier was the campaign manager for Hon. A. W. Gilchrist and conducted a most vigorous campaign for his candidate. He is now Fair Commissioner for Hillsboro county. W. E. Wier, chief of police, Birmingham, and a prominent citizen of Alabama, is a brother of T. M. Wier. He has also two sisters, Emma and Alice. Mr. Wier is a member of the Democratic party, an Elk, and a Knight of Pythias. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is an influential and useful member. He is a deep thinker and an investigator of scientific subjects, including astronomy, history and philosophy. He thinks, however, that the press is a valuable means of education to those whose leisure is limited. He has perfected a process for extracting phosphoric acid from rock by electricity which he has patented. Mr. Wier has twice been married. His first wife was Miss Annie P. Tindel, of Mobile, Ala., a daughter of P. M. Tindel and Julia Pickett, the niece of General Pickett. By this marriage he has one child, who is now Mrs. W. H. Caldwell, one of the most prominent young matrons of Tampa. His second marriage in 1902 united him to Miss Amelia Badger, of New York, daughter of Frederick and Mary Badger, of Buffalo, N. Y. Mr. Wier has some decided opinions on the vital questions of the day. He believes that the convict system is all wrong, and should be abolished, and that there should be a careful regulation of the liquor traffic, and as every clear thinking citizen advocates, he advises good roads as a certain and mutual benefit to the man who buys and the man who sells. Thomas Milton Wier, represents the type of man who, both thinks and does. He is a man of fine mental culture, and one who has a practical business head as well. He has done much to develop the resources of Tampa, and has made it possible for others to succeed in the various enterprises he has been instrumental in directing to that city. He considers his best work in life to have been the securing of the amendment to the charter of Tampa which made Greater Tampa a fact. For twenty years the people of Tampa had unsuccessfully struggled to obtain such amendment to their charter as would permit logical expansion. Mr. Wier finally went to Tallahassee and after ardous work succeeded in securing from the legislature the much needed amendment. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. II. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. MCCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. 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