H. E. Hoover, Lawyer, Scholar

Harvey Edgar Hoover was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and was educated at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. He married Bragg Winsett in 1884. Her sister, Elizabeth, married J.F. Johnson, another man who would contribute to the early growth of Canadian and Hemphill County.

Mr. Hoover headed the law firm of Hoover-Hoover-Cussens located in the Hoover Building at Third & Main (1910)In 1886, the Hoovers, the Johnsons, three Winsett brothers and their sister, Myrtle, who later married J.A. Chambers, came to what would become Hemphill County in the Panhandle of Texas. There were intermediate stops of a couple of years in Kiowa, Kansas and Higgins, Texas. Around 1888, Mr. Hoover returned to obtain a law degree from Cumberland University in Tennessee. Eventually, the Hoovers moved to Canadian in the summer of 1892 where they would spend the rest of their lives. Mr. Hoover headed the law firm of Hoover-Hoover-Cussens located in the Hoover Building at Third and Main which was built in 1910 (shown on the left).

Mr. Hoover's home on Fifth Street remains today as one ot the most beautiful, old Canadian HomesThat same year, his home on Fifth street across from his brother-in-law J.F. Johnson, was built. It remains today as one of the beautiful, old Canadian Homes.

Mr. Hoover became a nationally recognized attorney while working for the Santa Fe Railroad. In addition to the law business, he became involved in agriculture, financial and lumber business in this portion of the Panhandle.

He was president of the First National Bank, the White House Lumber Company and a director for the Liske Grain Elevator. With C.C. Patton, he purchased a ranch and building it into modern farms. The ranches had 14 tenants and were well stocked with purebred cattle