Mr. Ballauf came to Jefferson in 1867, he and his wife making the trip by boat. He opened a general merchandise on the corner of Marshall and Austin streets, later moving to Walnut and Lafayette and later to Austin street. The G. A. Kelly foundry of Kellyville was purchased by Mr. Ballauf and the material used for all manufactured articles was secured in Marion county. Mr. Ballauf operated the foundry until 1895. His mercantile business was later devoted entirely to hardware and mill machinery. Along with Mr. Ballauf’s mercantile business a private bank was opened in 1885 and operated as “R. Ballauf and Co.” The bank was operated in the office of the store by his three daughters, Lula, Julia and Mamie. Mr. Ballauf sold his business to his son Fred and his son-in-law Eugene Meyer in 1897, the banking business was discontinued and Mr. Ballauf retired from business having spent thirty years without a failure, assignment or compromise with creditors. He was an active member of the General Dick Taylor Confederate Camp. Mr. Ballauf died in 1910. The business established by him has continued through these 69 years and is today successfully operated by his grandchildren under the name of Eugene Meyer and Son. Robert Potter March 3, 1843, Senator Robert Potter, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first secretary of the Navy of the Republic, was murdered at his home on Caddo Lake. He was born in Gainesville, North Carolina, in 1800. Served in the U. S. Navy from 1815 to 1817, then he returned home and studied law and in 1826 he moved to Halifax and practiced law. He served in the legislature in North Carolina; was elected to the House of Representatives of the 21st United States Congress as a Jackson Democrat. His course was brilliant and improving. His brilliancy, connected with the fact that he had been a midshipman, led to his appointment in the Cabinet of President Burnett as the first secretary of the Navy of the Republic. He was expelled from the House of Representatives of the Legislature of North Carolina for cheating at cards. Potter later moved to a place twenty-five miles northeast of Jefferson, Texas, now known as Potter’s Point. A feud arose between Potter and a Captain William Pickney Rose, who was known as the “Lion of the Lakes.” The feud arising from the claims that Potter had prevailed upon President Lamar to offer a reward for Rose. The widow of Rose’s brother settled on a league of land claimed by Potter. This was intensified when Rose espoused the candidacy of John B. Denton, who was defeated for a seat in the Senate by Potter. Potter, who lived on a bluff overlooking Caddo Lake organized a posse of about twenty-five men, surrounded the home of Rose with the intention of capturing, chastising and probably killing Rose.