 
JOSEPH H. NATIONS
JOSEPH H. NATIONS, a well known stock man of El Paso, was born in
Gonzales county, Texas, January 5, 1857, a son of Eli and
Eliza (Woodruff) Nations. The father was a native of
Mississippi and in the early forties came to Texas, settling in
Gonzales county. His wife was born in Texas. They are now living
in El Paso and are among its pioneer settlers. She belongs to one
of the well-known pioneer families of Texas. She was born prior
to the establishment of the Texas republic, lived under that
brief regime and her father was a participant in the events which
brought independence to the state. Her half sister was the wife
of Anson Jones, one of the earliest governors and
contemporary of Samuel Houston.
Throughout his entire life Joseph H. Nations has been connected
with the live stock interests of this state. He was one of the
prominent cattle men of the early days in western Texas, coming
to this part of the state before either the Southern Pacific or
the Texas Pacific Railroads were completed. He operated largely
in the Pecos river country and still owns a large ranch in Pecos
county. He located permanently in El Paso in the winter of 1887,
and has there since made his home. He has been an is yet
extensively interested in stock, being largely engaged in sheep
raising in New Mexico and in addition he has large cattle
interests in Texas. He is the owner of the J. H. Nations Meat &
Supply Company, which business is conducted in his building,
known as Nations Block, located in the heart of the business
section of El Paso, at No. 214 San Antonio street. He has made
extensive and judicious investment in real estate in El Paso,
principally in East El Paso, where he has been associated with
the Newmans and others prominent in the development of residence
property there. He is president and stockholder in the Highland
Realty Company, the best improved addition to El Paso.
Mr. Nations was married to Miss Ida M. Hicks, of Lavaca
county, Texas, and they have four daughters, Josephine, Annie,
Catharine and Mary. Mr. Nations is a most generous and
benevolent man and has a standing offer in the local papers to
supply meat free to the worthy poor. He is unassuming in manner
and free from ostentation, but is widely recognized as a
prosperous and successful business man, and a gentleman of
genuine, personal worth, whose life exemplifies many sterling
traits of character, and he fully merits the confidence which is
uniformly given him.
B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North
and Western Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol.
II, pp. 480-481.
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