Chattahoochee-Muscogee County GaArchives Biographies.....DeWolf, Thomas unknown - unknown
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 4, 2004, 6:21 pm

Author: N. K. Rogers
DE WOLF

Data furnished by Mrs. S. W. DeWolf and Mr. James Gilbert of Columbus, Georgia.

    When Mr. Thomas DeWolf came from Connecticut he lived first near Selma, Ala.
Then at Montgomery where he was engaged in the publication of a paper. Mr.
DeWolf came to Columbus, Ga. in 1854 or 55. There had been weekly papers in
Columbus, but Mr. Dewolf published the first daily paper there, "The Daily Sun,"
first issue being on July 30, 1855; place of publication was a two story brick
building where Burrus Motor Co. is now located. He bought an interest in a
business, —job office and bindery,—already established there.

    Mr. Thomas Gilbert, an English orphan, spent his boyhood days in this
country, from age of 14 to 21 with Mr. DeWolf in Montgomery where he learned his
trade. Then he began travelling around; finally went back to London, from there
to Paris, then back to U. S., working at different places (under H. Greeley on
New York Tribune at one time). Having started to California he came by Columbus
to see the DeWolf family, —he was devoted to Mrs. DeWolf,—when Mr. DeWolf said,
"Tom, stay," and he stayed. One of Mr. DeWolf’s sons was named for Mr. Gilbert.

    Mr. DeWolf's health was bad and the doctors had advised him to move into the
country so he bought a plantation in Chattahoochee Co. a few miles from Box
Springs, moved there and outlived all the doctors who predicted his death. He
left the bulk of publications to Mr. Gilbert. On April 17, 1865, the day after
the capture of the town by Federal troops under Gen. Wilson, this newspaper,
book bindery, job printing office was destroyed and publication of the paper was
not resumed until Aug. 31, 1865.

    The Daily Times printing office (where Gilbert Printing Co. is now located)
was destroyed the same day and publication of it was never resumed, but the good
will and subscription list was bought by The Daily Sun and the paper was
afterwards called the Sun and Times.

    Mr. Gilbert went to Macon, purchased remnants of two printing offices and
finally managed to get them moved to Columbus. When the two papers were combined
in Oct. 1865, the Sun and Times moved to place where Gilbert is now.

    DeWolf and Gilbert continued in business until the early seventies; After
Jan. 1874, when the Sun was sold to Enquirer, becoming Enquirer-Sun, Mr. DeWolf
was not interested in this business, but associated altogether with his business
in Chattahoochee Co. He was a hard worker and expected all around him to work
also; and like all hard workers somewhat abrupt in manner. He was quite a power
in his day in the political world, proof of which lies in the fact that he was
nominated for Senator from this district without his knowledge when there was a
dead-lock in the nominating convention.

    Mr. DeWolf's first wife, the mother of his sons who were so well known in
this county, died in 1880—and he married second her sister Mrs. Collins, who
accompanied him to Atlanta in 1882-83. He married third Miss Mamie Daniel.

    His oldest son, Walter, was reporter and type setter at the office when Mr.
Thomas Gilbert employed John Martin (editor of Daily Sun) to write a history of
Columbus with Walter DeWolf to assist him in collecting data. The original
copies of this history (two parts) were in paper covers.

    Walter DeWolf, his cousin John Stewart, and Tom Wynne, formed a partnership
called Wynne, DeWolf and Company, publishing a paper called The Daily Times from
Jan. 1, 1875 to April 1885. After this Walter DeWolf was connected with
Agricultural Department of this state and while in Atlanta became private
secretary to Gen. J. B. Gordon while he was in the Senate of the U. S. He
married Carrie V. Porter and their only child Kate Louise, died May 1, 1915.

    Silas W. DeWolf, educated at University of Georgia, entered Railway service
Sept. 1886 with engineering department Central of Ga. Railway Co. He was
roadmaster and Superintendent or Mexican railways; resident engineer of Mexican
National R. R. 1903-08; finally Gen. Manager and Vice Pres. Texas-Mexican
Railway with office in Laredo, Texas. He died Dec. 4, 1927, and his widow who
was Miss Nellie B. Slade, resides in Columbus, Ga., until her death in 1933.

    Gilbert DeWolf, who was well known and liked in this county during his young
manhood, was construction engineer with Mexican National R. R. when Huerta ran
Americans out of that country. He was employed by the U. S. government 1915-17.
He married first Miss Ella McCook who belonged to one of the most prominent
families of Chattahoochee Co.; her mother was Miss Annie Williams of Burke Co.,
whose sister Mamie Williams married Lord Gorden. After the death of Ella McCook,
Gilbert DeWolf married Miss Mattie Liela Hornaday of Ellaville, Ga.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA
By N. K. Rogers

Dedicated to

KASIHITA CHAPTER U. D. C.

and all worthy descendants of the County's first settlers.

Copyright 1933

by N. K. ROGERS

PRINTED   BY
COLUMBUS  OFFICE  SUPPLY CO. COLUMBUS, GA.




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