ELIFF ALBERTSON AND FAMILY, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Pat M. Stevens IV - stevensp@erols.com 19 May 2001 ***************************************************************** ELIFF ALBERTSON AND FAMILY "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter LVIII - Pages 248-251 Eliff Albertson was born in Norway on December 16th, 1845. This is called the land of the beautiful midnight, across the deep rolling seas, where he first saw the light of day, a distant foreign land from his present home in Tyler. He left Norway when twelve years of age, in company with an older brother, and landed in New York, in 1858, and remained only a short time; took the route for Texas and landed in Tyler, making this city his home up to the present. Eliff was one of those attentive boys to business and soon became a proficient salesman in his brother's store, attracting the kindly attention of the people by his politeness and manly deportment. When the war between the states was in the throes of Revolution, and the Southern people were struggling for independence, when he reached the age of seventeen years, he enlisted as a private soldier in defense of his adopted section, and for the period of eighteen months wore the gray and participated actively in the duties that devolved upon him as a true Confederate in his manly conduct, impressing his comrades with those soldierly qualities that marked the true man, so popular with his associates. Eliff returned from the army and soon afterwards he and his brother Tom opened up a large dry goods house and a grocery house-- the business being done in two separate buildings-- and did an immense business until they suffered a burn-out, carrying no insurance on their large stocks of goods. In 1879 the Albertson brothers were burnt out again, this time carrying only a small insurance. Soon afterwards they built the brick building now occupied by J. Lipstate and after a few years they sold the building. Since that date Eliff has been at the head of a general mercantile business and is noted for his fair dealing and his strict integrity. As a business man, he stands the test of a first-class one, and in a residence of nearly forty-two years, not a single breath of dishonesty has ever been charged to him. In 1869 Eliff Albertson married Miss Ellen Halverson, a beautiful and accomplished young woman of Prarieville, Kaufman county, Texas, making Tyler their home from the date of their marriage.The fruit of this marriage is thirteen children, eight of them now living. Amelia married Dr. C. M. Moore, of Hurst, Texas, and resides there. Robert is a young business man. Misses Emma, Aurelia, Annie and Fannie reside with their parents in their beautiful home in this city, and are noted for their excellent intelligence and social qualities. Otto is a graduate of Hill's Business college at Waco, and has prepared himself for a business life. harry is at home, the youngest, and of course the pet of the family. This family is an accomplished one, and the pleasant surroundings of a beautiful home is a strong evidence of a happy one. Eliff Albertson is now one of the oldest men in business in Tyler, and during these long years of earnest business toil he has borne an honorable name as a good citizen. He has been, also, a progressive one along the lines of Tyler's material prosperity, and has added his influence in advancing her prosperity. No better man ever passed a business life in our midst-- always on the side of good morals and the betterment of our people. He is a strict member of the Methodist church, living up to the tenets and teachings of this great denomination. As a Christian, he passes along with the best-- as a good citizen, he is in the front line of his profession. He has served as alderman of his ward, and is noted for his promptness in his official duties, always looking after the best interests of the people, with the one idea of doing his whole duty for Tyler and her municipality. A community made up of such a citizenship as Eliff Albertson would be an ideal one, and his life is a guarantee of this fact. Tom Albertson, an older brother, will be mentioned in another chapter. His business career was a good one, and the only fault charged him was a weakness for his cups, a sad commentary on the fall of many good men.