Andrews, Collin Adams

Washington, Arkansas; now New Orleans, La.
Submitted by Mike Miller

Andrews, Collin Adams, head of the C. A. Andrews Coal Co., limited, New Orleans, is a son a of W. W. and Martha (Adams) Andrews, and was born June 8, 1862, at Washington, Ark. W. W. Andrews, the father, of Haddom, Conn., traveled by boat to New Orleans, when 13 years of age. After having lived for some years at New Orleans, the young man was sent to Washington, Ark., and placed in charge of the store of A. Britton &Co., at that time the largest mercantile establishment in Southwest Arkansas. After one year in this responsible position, he was taken into partnership in the store and continued a resident of that locality throughout the remainder of an active and useful life. In addition to his duties in the store, he later carried on a real estate and banking business until his death, in 1875. Martha Adams, who became the wife of W. W. Andrews and mother of the subject of this sketch, was a daughter of Samuel Adams, of Tennessee. When Martha was quite young the family removed from Tennessee to Little Rock, Ark., and it was in the latter place that Mr. Andrews first met Miss Adams, and there they were married in 1855. This was Mr. Andrews' second marriage. His first wife was Miss Mollie Jones, who lived only 3 years after their marriage, and left two daughters, one of whom is now the widow of Charles E. Royston, and the other the widow of William P. Hart. Both are living in Washington, Ark., at this time. The children born to Mr. Andrews' second marriage were the following: Mrs. L. E. Gillepsie, of Hope, Ark.; W. W. Andrews, of Pine Bluff, Ark.; David Everett Andrews, also of the latter city, who died in 1910; Collin A. Andrews; the subject of this sketch; Johnny Fagan Andrews, who died at the age of 4 years; Leo May Andrews, of Pine Bluff, Ark., one of the largest cotton planters in the latter state; Mrs. Lula Bell Nichols, of Pine Bluff, Ark., who died in 1909; Mrs. Nora Bell Hudson, of Tallahassee, Fla. Some time after the death of her husband, Mrs. Andrews was married to Dr. D. S. Mills, of Pine Bluff, Ark. She died in 1899. Collin Adams Andrews, the son, and subject of this sketch, lived in the Town of Washington, Ark., until he had attained his 14th year, and there attended the public schools, after which he entered Morgan's college, at Clinton, Conn., where he remained 2 years. He then attended Arkansas State university, at Fayetteville, but after 1 year in the university, entered the Eastman Business college, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. After finishing the course at this institution, he returned to Arkansas and shortly afterward secured a position at Little Rock in the office of the Little Rock, Mississippi River & Texas R. R. After 1 year in this position he was placed in charge of the books of the Pulaski Gas Light Co., of Little Rock, of which company he later became assistant secretary and treasurer, and remained incumbent of that position about 5 years. At the expiration of this time he went to Memphis, Tenn., and started in the coal business on the Mississippi river, in Dec., 1889, on his own account. After conducting this enterprise 1 year he organized the Walton Coal Co., of Memphis. From the start this company was in a strenuous fight with the old and well-known firm of Brown & Jones, and after 1 year of this the Walton company sold out to the Pittsburg Coal Cc., which was a reorganization of the Brown & Jones Co. At this juncture Mr. Andrews engaged with the Galloway Coal Co., as manager of sales department at Memphis. After 3 years in this capacity, he removed to New Orleans, where, in 1894, he opened business for the Gallows company. This latter business he continued managing during about 5 years, when, in 1899, he resigned arid again went into business on his own account, forming the C. A. Andrews Coal Co., limited, which is now doing a thriving coal business in the City of New Orleans. Mr. Andrews is a member of the Pickwick, the Louisiana, and the Country club, and is vice-president and an active member of the New Orleans Polo club. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Master Mason. Jan. 1, 1883, Mr. Andrews was married to Miss Florence Atwood Marsh, of Little Rock, Ark., and the following children were born to their union: William Edward Andrews, born at Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 17, 1883, and now a practicing attorney at Los Angeles, Cal.; Dean Adams Andrews, born at Little Rock, Jan. 15, 1886, and now in the real estate business at Los Angeles, Cal., with his uncle, under the firm name of Robert Marsh & Co.; Catherine Adams Andrews, born at Little Rock, May 23, 1888, now the wife of Lieut. W. H. Lassing, of the U. S. navy; Claiborne Watkins Andrews, born at Little Rock, May 16, 1890, and now vice-president and assistant secretary of the C. A. Andrews Coal Co., New Orleans; Martha Andrews, born at Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 27, 1893, and now living at the parental home in New Orleans.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 29-31. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.