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

E.M. HALSELL,  County Commissioner of Dallas county, was born in Kentucky, in 
1832, the fourth child of William and Mary (Garland) Halsell, natives of Warren county, 
Kentucky.  The father was a blacksmith and farmer by occupation, and also served as 
Justice of the Peace for a number of years.  The paternal grandfather was a native of 
Ireland, who came to America for a short time and afterward returned to Ireland, where 
he died, at the age of 104 years.  The maternal grandfather moved from Kentucky to 
Missouri, where he died, at the age of 100 years.  He was a farmer by occupation, and 
also taught school.  William H. Halsell lived in the same house in Kentucky for fifty-five 
years, and died in 1887, at the age of eighty-two years.  He had been a member of the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church for fifty years, and during most of his married life he 
never failed to have a family prayer.  He was twice married, first to the mother of our 
subject, who died in 1847.  Of their nine children, seven lived to years of maturity:  John 
E. resides in Kansas, and is an attorney of Wellington.  He has served his Congressional 
district in Congress for two terms, and prior to this was also Circuit Judge of a judicial 
district in Kentucky.  He is known as one of the leading attorneys and noted politicians in 
the Democratic party.  Alvira, deceased, was the wife of Feldin Robinson, and the family 
now reside in various States, two in Texas and two in Kentucky;  William J., a merchant 
of Richardson, Dallas county, has served as Justice of the Peace in this county for several 
years.  He came to this State in 1852;  our subject is the next in order of birth;  Mary, is 
the widow of S.Y. Garrison, of Gainesville, Texas;  James M., of Waco, Texas.  The 
latter is a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and also collecting agent for 
the Cumberland Presbyterian College of this State.  After the death of his first wife, Mr. 
Halsell married Sarah, daughter of Henry Skiles.  Mrs. Halsell had one child, W.H., by a 
former husband, Mr. Harris, who is now a prominent member of the Granger party, and 
one of the main speakers for his section of Texas.

E.M. Halsell, our subject, received his early education in this county, and at the age of 
twenty-one years commenced life for himself.  He came to this State in 1852, and first 
settled in Dallas, which was then a small village, and here he assisted in the organization 
of the first city laws, and was elected one of the first Trustees of the place.  He was at one 
time owner of the most of the property on Ross avenue, and erected for himself the home 
now occupied by Mr. Ross.  While there he was engaged in blacksmithing, and his shop 
was located on the northeast corner of the public square.  In 1859 he returned to 
Kentucky, where he resided until 1879.  He served in the late war as recruiting officer 
under General John H. Morgan, with the rank of Captain.  After the war, and while still in 
Kentucky, he engaged at his trade of blacksmithing, and also served as Justice of the 
Peace ten years.  After coming to Texas in 1879, he engaged in farming on land he had 
bought in Young county, where he remained until 1887, when he moved to this county.  
He now owns a farm of 400 acres in Young county, of which about fifty acres is 
improved.  After coming to this county he located in Garland, where he was employed by 
his brother and son-in-law, S.A. Allen, lumber merchants.  He now has a nice village 
residence.  In 1890 was elected County Commissioner for two years.

Mr. Halsell was married in 1855, to Miss Mary Cook, a native of Kentucky and daughter 
of William and Dincan Cook, natives of Kentucky.  She was a granddaughter of Captain 
Isaac Cook, a Captain of the war of 1812.  Mr. And Mrs. Halsell are the parents of six 
children:  V.B., of the firm of Allen & Halsell, hardware merchants of this place;  Julius 
D., deceased;  Rachel, wife of S.A. Allen, of the firm of Allen & Halsell, of Garland;  
Maggie, wife of L.C. Simpson, a farmer of this county;  Millie, wife of A.E. Ryan, a 
druggist of Garland;  Thomas and Edgar, ages fourteen and sixteen.  Mr. Halsell is a 
member of the Christian Church, and since 1855 has been a member of the A.F. & A.M.  
Mrs. Halsell is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Submitted by L.Pingel