John H. Traylor

John Henry Traylor (March 27, 1839 – March 19, 1925), politician, developer, was mayor of Dallas in 1917–19.

Biography

John Henry Traylor was born March 27, 1839, in Traylorsville, Henry County, Virginia, to Robert Bailey Traylor and Secilea R. Mullins. He married Pauline Lockett, daughter of Royal Lockett and Martha Smith on December 1, 1969, in Jefferson, Marion County, Texas. They had eight children: Gooch, Ruby, Robert Hill, Paul, Harry, Leslie, and Royal Lockett. Their oldest son, also named Paul, died at two years of age.

His family moved to Georgia when he was a child. His father served in the Georgia legislature. John Traylor served in Co. B., 4th Georgia regiment during the Civil War being wounded a number of times. He moved to Jefferson, Texas, around 1867 where he became a merchant. He moved to Granbury, Texas, around 1871. There he first founded a private bank and loan company in Granbury with Daniel C. Cogdell; then the First National Bank of Granbury. He was sheriff of Hood County from 1876 to 1880. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, 17th Legislature in 1881, and to the Texas Senate from the 30th District in 1883. He move to Dallas in 1887. He was elected mayor of Dallas in 1898. He and his wife and a son moved to Rockport, Texas, in 1907. Historical markers document his efforts in Aransas Pass, Texas: Aransas Hotel and National Bank of Aransas Pass (now Rockport National Bank).

He died March 19, 1925, in Harlandale, Bexar County, Texas, and was interred at Greenwood Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.