GILLESPIE, CHARLES B.

CHARLES B. GILLESPIE

From:
Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas
By Lewis Publishing, 1892 Chicago

CHARLES B. GILLESPIE, who for many years was connected with the political history of Dallas County, is the subject of the following brief biography. He was born in the State of Arkansas, in December, 1854, and is a son of Constantine C. Gillespie, a native of Alabama. The mother's maiden name was Haynes, and she was from Tennessee. They immigrated to Arkansas early in the 1840s, where the father practiced medicine until his removal to Dallas in 1867, and lived there until his death in 1887.

He was a man of rare intelligence and fine mental attainments, honored and respected by all who knew him. Charles B. attended the common schools, where his advantages were very limited; by close application, however, he acquired a fund of information that enabled him to take a position in the office of the County Treasurer in September, 1875.

He remained there one year under M. V. Cole, winning a reputation for promptness and fidelity to duty that he has retained through a long official career. In September, 1876, he was made Deputy Tax Collector under Captain Prather, and served continuously until 1882. In November of that year lie was elected to the office of Tax Collector, and was three times re-elected, serving in all eight years. He was a courteous and oblig¬ing officer, and reflected great credit upon his constituency. In addition to the duties of this office he has collected data upon the natural resources of Dallas County, which are of unquestionable reliability.

Upon retiring from the office of Tax Col¬lector, Mr. Gillespie formed a partnership with Mr. Cullum in the real estate business; into this enterprise he has carried the same methodical habits which characterized the work in the Collector's office, and has the most accurate and carefully prepared maps of Dallas county that have yet been made.