Person:Robert Gauntt (1)

R. L. Gauntt Died this Morning Had been connected with business interests for past thirty years

R. L. Gauntt, one of the leading business men of the city died suddenly at his home at four o'clock this morning. Pernicious malaria was attributed as the cause of his death. Mr. Gauntt had been confined to his home the past two weeks, but Tuesday morning was able to come to town for a short time. About 11 o'clock Tuesday, he had a chill and returned to his home. It was first thought to be an ordinary chill, but later developed that he suffered a congestive chill. He had another chill at eleven o'clock Tuesday night and from then until four o'clock his conditioned grew worse. Funeral services will be held from the First Baptist Church tomorrow (Thursday) morning at eleven o'clock conducted by the pastor, Rev. M.L. Fuller.

R. L. Gauntt, or, "General", as he was better known to his acquaintances was born at what is known as New York community June 13 1862. As in the case of most other deaths occurring this year, he died within a few days of his birthday. He was the son of John and Martha Owen Gauntt who came to Texas to Texas in 1851 from the state of Georgia. Mr. Gauntt was educated in the public school of New York and Myrtle Springs and grew to manhood at New York. On reaching his majority, he and his brothers moved to Athens and conducted a business under the name of Gauntt Bros, handling a general line of merchandise. Later the brother dropped out of the firm and business has been conducted a number of years under the name of R.L. Gauntt and the business was owned by he and his sons.

On June 13, his birthday, 1882, Mr. Gauntt married to Miss Tommie Broughton of Tyler, Texas. To this union six children were born, all of whom are living. They are Broughton, Douglas and Milton, Miss Mary Lee, Mrs. C.E. Antle (Martha Owen) and Miss Salena. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four brothers, J.R., W.M., J.B. and Dee Gauntt and two sisters, Mrs. Tom Bell of Tyler and Mrs. Roxie Mackey of LaRue.
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[Note: Actually, the Owens came from Alabama, and it is thought they did come together. John W. Gauntt had a cousin living in Randolph Co, the same place that the Owens were in 1850 census. Submitted by Mary Lee Barnes, granddaughter. See http://members.tripod.com/~MearsM2/index.html For more on Gauntt and related families. ]

Robert Lee (R.L.) was born 13 June 1862 to John Washington and Martha Maranza Owen Gauntt in Henderson County, Texas. He was known as "General" because of his name. He was reared and schooled in the New York-Fincastle area. His father, John W., farmed the land originally preempted in 1859 by Luke Gauntt, pioneer from Newberry County, South Carolina ca. 1851. R.L. or "General" as he was called, tried farming first. Legend says that when the boys reached a certain age, they had to leave home to make a living. R.L. went to Uncle James to farm. He netted only $80.00 for the year so he decided he had enough farming and came to Athens where he went in the grocery business with his brother, Bill Gauntt, in 1884
The first store was only a lean-to in which the customers had to stand at the counter and be served by the proprietors from the shelves. They also served bowls of chili, stew, etc. The business prospered and another brother, J.R. (Bob) Gauntt, entered the business which was known as " R.L. Gauntt Brothers" or The Chaney Tree because there was a large Chinaberry tree in front. In 1910, this building burned, and a new brick building on North Prairieville Street was built. This is the building now known as the Jap Lucas building. R.L. then bought his brother's (Bob's) part, by trading property at the top of Larkin Street. Bob Gauntt also built the Faulk-Gauntt Building next to the grocery store in 1896 which is now The Henderson County Historical Museum.

R.L. built two homes in Athens, both of which are still standing. One is on Larkin Street which was built around 1903. He bought a small house on this lot about 1888 and remodeled it into a two story home The upper part of this house burned in the 1930s. In 1918, he traded some mercantile goods for the front part of a house at 410 East Corsicana Street with a Mr. Garrett. The back part was added on with Dewitt Owen as the carpenter. The family moved into it before it was completed. The family enjoyed many fine things that he provided, including a fine buggy which they went riding and visiting in every Sunday. They also had one of the first automobiles in Athens.

R.L. met Miss Margaret Tomie Broughton at the home of Mrs. Dull Averiett, famed for having named Athens. Her father, E.T. Broughton II, had practiced law here before the Civil War, and her mother was a friend to Mrs. Averiett. R.L. and Tomie were married in her mother's home in Tyler, Texas the 13 of June (his birthday) 1888. An account of their marriage was published in the Athens Review. They were both members of the First Baptist Church in Athens. He was a deacon for many years, giving generously of time and money to the Church. In the building built in 1918, a stained glass window was given by them in memory of her mother, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Broughton.

R.L. died in 1921 at the age of 59. In those days when a prominent citizen died, all of the stores in town closed, an they did for him. In his eulogy for the service, Brother M.L. Fuller said, "Our city is the loser by the death of R.L. Gauntt. It is one thing to lose a good businessman, but the loss is infinitely greater when we, likewise, lose a good citizen". Judge B.C. Hall, in a letter to the Review, paid tribute with these words, "If General Gauntt had any enemies, I never knew. I never saw him out of humor, always optimistic and jolly. He was a good boy and made a noble man, one of the few among thousands, who made a successful merchant."

The store continued in business, run by his sons, Douglas and Milton Gauntt. Milton died in 1936, and Douglas continued to run it. Upon the death of Mrs. R.L. Gauntt in 1946, he became sole proprietor. In 1954, it closed as the third oldest business in town. Tomie Broughton Gauntt devoted her life to her children, home and church. Shortly before her death in 1946, she had been honored by the First Baptist Church for being a member for 57 years. She loved flowers and always had a garden and roses in her yard. She was known by her grandchildren as "Mammy".

The children of R.L. and Margaret Tomie Gauntt were all born in the house on Larkin Street

i. Edward Broughton Gauntt, born 22 March 1890; married Lindsay Hart.

ii. John Douglas Gauntt, born January 1892; married Minnie Morgan 12 Sept 1916.

iii. Robert Milton Gauntt, born 20 January 1894; never married; worked in the grocery store all his life; died 16 Sept. 1936.

iv. Mary Lee Gauntt, born 20 February 1896; married Kenneth Greer Anderson 4 April 1923; died 19 May 1973.

v. Martha Owen Gauntt born 30 December 1899; married C. E. Antle.

vi. Salena Elizabeth Gauntt, born 14 March 1901; married W. Reagan Scroggins,