William Lewis Moody Sr. facts for kids

William Lewis Moody Sr. (born May 19, 1828 – died July 17, 1920) was an important American businessman. He started a very successful family business in Galveston, Texas. He was also a soldier during the American Civil War. Moody is remembered for helping Galveston become a major shipping port. He convinced the government to make the harbor deeper. This helped many ships come and go.

Early Life and Education

William Lewis Moody was born in Essex County, Virginia. His parents were Jameson and Mary Susan Moody. He went to law school at the University of Virginia. This was from 1847 to 1851. After finishing law school, he moved to Fairfield, Texas. There, he worked as a lawyer. He also ran a trading company. Later, he started a company called W.L. Moody & Co. He worked with his two brothers, David and Leroy.

William married Pherabe Elizabeth Bradley in 1860. People called her Lizzie. They had six children together. Sadly, three of their children died very young. Their two sons were William Lewis Moody Jr. and Frank Bradley Moody. Their only daughter, Mary Emily Moody, married Sealy Hutchings.

Serving in the Civil War

In the summer of 1861, Moody helped create a group of soldiers. It was called Company G of the Seventh Texas Infantry. He became the captain of this company. His friend, John Gregg, was in charge of the whole unit.

Moody's unit was captured during the Battle of Fort Donelson. He spent six months in federal prison camps. These camps included Camp Douglas and Johnson's Island. He was set free in September 1862. This happened as part of a prisoner exchange.

He fought in battles in Mississippi in 1863. He was praised for his bravery at the Battle of Raymond. This battle took place on May 12. On July 10, he was hurt while fighting near Jackson, Mississippi. He was sent back to Texas to get better. He was promoted to the rank of colonel. He stayed in Austin for the rest of the war.

Building a Business Empire in Galveston

In 1866, Moody moved his family to Galveston, Texas. He started working in the cotton business. Cotton was a very important product back then. In the 1870s and 1880s, Moody worked with other business leaders. They wanted to build railroad lines. These lines would connect Galveston Island to the mainland. They also worked to make Galveston's harbor deeper. This helped bigger ships come into the port.

In 1872, he helped start the Galveston Cotton Exchange. He was the president of this exchange many times. He led it from 1877 to 1882, 1884 to 1888, and 1898 to 1900. In 1894, his company built the first special machine in Texas. This machine pressed cotton right at the docks.

William Moody and his son, William Lewis Moody Jr., also opened a bank. It was called Moody Bank. Later, this bank joined with the National Bank of Texas.

Public Service

In 1873, William Lewis Moody was elected to the Texas legislature. This is a group of people who make laws for the state. But he did not stay there for long. The governor at the time, Richard Coke, asked him to take a different job. Moody became Texas's financial agent. This meant he helped manage the state's money.