SAM ALLEN, a native of Houston and a splendid specimen of one of the Bayou City's healthiest products, a thorough-going, self-made business man, is a representative of that large family of Allens whose history is so intimately connected with the history of this city, and mention of whom appears so many times in the pages of this work. He is the second son of George and Harriet Allen (see sketch of the Allen family), and was born May 26, 1843. Reared in Houston he has passed his entire life here, except the period covered by the late war, and has in one way and another become closely connected with the Social life and business interests of the place.

The first event of importance in his own career was his enlistment in the Confederate army, which occurred in the spring of 1861, he then being a few months past eighteen. He joined Company B, Second Texas Infantry, with which he began active service in Mississippi in the fall of the same year. His connnand being part of the detachment of Texas troops sent east of the Mississippi to assist in repelling the invasion of the Federal armies under Grant and Buell, he was in all the engagements fought by the western army, beginning with the battle of Shiloh and ending with the fall of Vicksburg. He was captured at Vicksburg with his command, but entered it again on its reorganization in Texas, after the paroling of the Confederate troops at Vicksburg, and served with it during the remainder of the war, exclusively in this State and mainly along the coast in the vicinity of Galveston. At the close of the war Mr. Allen became clerk for his uncle, Samuel L., in the cotton and commission business at Houston, and was with him in this capacity for three years. In 1868 he opened a lumber-yard in Houston and began the lumber business. This business grew rapidly with the general growth of the city which began about that date, and has continued to grow ever since. Mr. Allen owns an interest in sawmills at Asia, Corrigan, Mobile and Mulvey, in this State, besides large tracts of timber lands in different counties, and stock in manufacturing, commercial and financial enterprises in the city of Houston. He ranks as one of Houston's men of means, and every dollar that he has represents the result of his own labor since the close of the war.

He married, in Houston, February 20, 1867, Miss Frances Ione Spence, a native of Robertson county, Texas, and a daughter of Isaac C. and Martha Ann Spence. Mrs. Allen's parents moved to Texas, about 1840, from Beardstown, Illinois, but were natives of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have had seven children, all of whom are living, these being Percy, Baltus, Hortense, Ione, Eugene, Jennie, and Ruth L. Mr. Allen and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Holland Lodge, No. 1, of Houston.