FRANK M. ROGERS, secretary, treasurer and manager of the Medlin Milling Company, one of the leading institutions of this section of the state, was born in Henderson, Texas, and in the place of his nativity was reared and received his early training. When but a boy of twelve years he began clerking in a grocery store in Henderson, thus continuing for about a year or two, when he again entered the school room. On reaching the age of sixteen years he became a salesman in a dry goods store in Henderson, spending six years in that capacity, while for the two subsequent years he was engaged in traveling, and then embarked in the same line of trade for himself in Henderson. It was while conducting his dry goods store there that he became interested in the milling business at Wolfe City, the latter, however, at that time being only a secondary consideration.
The Medlin Mills had been established at Wolfe City by a stock company in 1900, composed of a few business men of the town and farmers, who went into it as a matter of public enterprise with a view of making the town a better grain market and increasing its growth in a business way generally. Like most new industries, however, it underwent some difficulties in getting its business established, so much so that the personnel of the stockholders was almost wholly changed within the first eight months of its existence. At a critical time in the life of the institution Mr. H. Blocker and Mr. Rogers became identified with the management of the company, at the same time becoming the owners of the principal part of the stock. These two gentlemen have successfully pushed the business to the front, enjoying a magnificent trade and increasing its capital from time to time. In May, 1904, the capital was increased to two hundred thousand dollars, and the general office moved to Fort Worth. The company owns and operates the White Wolf Mills, at Wolfe City, with a daily capacity of five hundred barrels of flour and meal. The success of the business has been phenomenal, and not only has the capital of the institution grown by leaps and bounds, but the success of the business has been equally as remarkable. White Wolf flour has a reputation that stands alone as the finished product of the millers’ art. The mills have never attempted to cover a wide territory, finding it unnecessary to go outside their immediate section, but such a demand has been created for the products of the institution that in 1904 the management determined on increasing the capacity by the building of a new and entirely separate plant, which is modern in every particular, lending every facility for the economical manipulation and handling of both grain and its products. The capacity of this plant, in addition to that at Wolfe City, will give to the company a daily capacity of twenty-five hundred barrels, finished products, a grain storage capacity of four hundred thousand bushels and warehouse space of over twenty thousand square feet, enabling them to store two hundred carloads of finished products.
As above stated, the success of the company is largely due to Messrs. Blocker and Rogers. When the present stockholders became the owners of the company it was these two gentlemen and their associates who took the bulk of the stock and have successfully conducted it through the troubled waters. Mr. Blocker is the president of the company, while Mr. Rogers is its secretary, treasurer and general manager. His wide experience in a commercial way has ably adapted him for the position he now holds. He has the entire management of the company, ably supported by a board of five directors, and has thrown around him a corps of young men who have assisted largely in the success of the institution. Mr. Rogers maintains his home in Fort Worth. He is a member of the Board of Trade, of the order of Elks and other local organizations, and is a thorough-going and enterprising business man.
He was married twelve years ago, in 1893, to Miss Gladney, and they have two children, James T. and Lillian, both in school.
Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, pp. 69-70.