“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

SAMUEL CARRUTHERS, contractor and builder, Dallas, arrived here in 
1873, and immediately engaged in contracting for building.  He obtained 
permission of Ben Long, the Mayor, to erect a shop on Main street, in front 
of the present Knepley stand, and commenced in a small way.  His first job 
was a small building on Elm street, where he cut away the cornstalks to 
make room.  He has since erected the principal buildings on Main and Elm 
streets, Knepley’s Apollo Hall, and other buildings on Commerce street; also 
the Hill Block, the City Water Works, County Recorder’s office, the Warren 
and Kemp blocks on Elm street, the Terry Block, the Ervay Block on 
Commerce street, Mrs. Kemp’s brick blocks on the square, and many others.  
The first brick building in Dallas was erected for the present Mayor, where 
Mr. Carruthers worked by the day, on Commerce and Walker streets.  Mr. 
Carruthers is next oldest as a contractor in the city of Dallas, having been 
here continuously for eighteen years.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1845, the fourth in order of birth of a 
family of five children, whose parents were G. W. and Mary Elizabeth 
(Dinsbe) Carruthers, natives also of that country.  The mother is still living 
there, now aged eighty-five years.  The father died in 1883, in Scotland.  Mr. 
Carruthers emigrated to this country in 1869, first stopping at Chicago for a 
year, where he worked by the day, and thence he came to Dallas, as before 
mentioned.

He was married at Galveston, this State, in 1872, to Miss G. G. Green, a 
native of Scotland, in which country he had previously made her 
acquaintance.  After his marriage he was in Chicago.  Here in Dallas he has 
a fine residence at 436 Wood street, built in 1874.  He is interested in 
national questions, voting with the Democratic party.  He belongs to Dallas 
Lodge, No. 70, K. of P., and also to the Uniformed Rank, same order; of 
Lodge No. 961, K. of H., and of the O. C. F.  He and his wife are members 
of the Presbyterian Church.  Of the seven children, only one is living, 
Samuel by name.

Submitted by: Justina Cook