Graham, Richard Niles, 1881-

Richard Niles Graham, born in 1881 to Carrie Augusta Pease Graham (1851-1882) and George Thomas Graham (1847-1897), was a Texas businessman and social figure who was instrumental in the development of numerous communities in Austin and throughout Texas. R. Niles Graham had two siblings, Marshall Pease Graham (1875-1910) after whom R. Niles would later name his eldest son, and Carrie Margaret Graham Crusemann (1882-1961), also known as Maggie. Following Carrie Pease's death in 1882, Graham and his siblings were raised in Austin by their maternal grandmother, Lucadia Christiana Niles Pease (1813-1905), and their maternal aunt, Julia Maria Pease (1853-1918).

The Pease family was a prominent and affluent family that possessed substantial land and mineral rights in counties throughout Texas including: Archer, Bosque, Brown, Dallam, Dimmit, Hamilton, Hemphill, Jackson, La Salle, Lee, Matagorda, Mills, Presidio, Sutton, Taylor, Travis, Waller, Webb, and Wharton. The original Pease estate is estimated to have been around 3,000 acres and belonged to Graham's maternal grandfather and former Governor of Texas, Elisha Marshall Pease (1812-1883). The family resided at the historic Woodlawn home, built by Abner Cook in 1853, in Austin, Texas. Governor E.M. Pease purchased Woodlawn, also known as the Pease Mansion, in July 1859. Upon his death in 1883, Governor Pease willed the estate to his widow Lucadia Pease. Lucadia would later leave the estate to her daughter, Julia Maria Pease.

In 1901, Graham began attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. While there, he joined numerous social organizations, particularly the Delta Psi Fraternity in which he maintained active membership throughout his life. After graduating from Trinity in 1904, Graham returned to Austin and began working for the cotton company, Crawford and Byrne.

In 1916, Graham and his cousin W. Murray Graham formed what would be one of Graham's primary and most influential business ventures, the Enfield Realty and Home Building Company. Serving as vice president, Graham used land from the Pease estate to develop residential neighborhoods in Austin and in various counties throughout Texas. The company was responsible for the development of Austin neighborhoods such as Enfield, Westfield, and Tarrytown. Graham coordinated the development of these communities through Enfield Realty and Home Building Company with his cousin who served as president, and his brother-in-law Paul Crusemann, who served as secretary.

In addition to the Enfield Realty and Home Building Company, Graham also served as secretary of the Enfield Oil and Petroleum Company throughout the 1920s and 1930s. as secretary, Graham maintained business correspondence, legal documentation, and financial records related to the company's oil and mineral lease activities in Texas. Similar to the Enfield Realty and Home Building Company, the Enfield Oil and Petroleum Company used the Pease Estate to sell and lease land, oil, gas, and other mineral rights to companies or individuals.

Graham married Anita Laura Goeth (1889-1953) in January 1910. He and Anita continued to live at the Pease Mansion, also known as Woodlawn, in Austin and had three children, Marshall Pease Graham II (1911-1977), Thomas Adolf Goeth Graham (1912-1983), and Julie Anita Graham (1923-1987). Their eldest son Marshall became a lawyer and would occasionally act as legal representative for the family, eventually drafting Graham and Anita's will. Marshall and his wife Louise lived in Corpus Christi, Texas and maintained frequent correspondence with Graham and Anita. Thomas Adolf Goeth Graham, called Tom by his family, established the Graham-Lundgren and Company insurance agency in Austin. Julie Anita Graham inherited her father's love of art and social and community involvement, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1944 with a B.A. in English.

R. Niles Graham had an active social life and was involved in numerous organizations including the Delta Psi Fraternity, the Austin Rotary Club, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. R. Niles and Anita were popular in social circles and would regularly entertain guests at Woodlawn. These social relationships are documented in the family's event invitations, guestbook, and correspondence. Graham traveled extensively throughout Texas and the United States, frequenting places such as New York, Hartford, and San Francisco, as well as internationally, including trips to Paris, London, Bath, Liverpool, and Shanghai. These travels are reflected in his collection of event programs, menus, wine lists, and photographs. Graham enjoyed art and poetry, and frequently attended theatre and opera productions. Graham was also interested in family history and genealogy.

Four generations of the Pease-Graham family resided in Austin at the historic Woodlawn home until 1957, when R. Niles sold the home and the remaining property surrounding it to his friend and former Governor of Texas, Robert Allan Shivers. R. Niles Graham died in 1959.

(Sources include: The Austin History Center, Pease-Graham-Niles Family Papers, 1826-1992. AR.2000.01)

From the guide to the Graham (R. Niles) collection, 1846-1958, bulk 1895-1958, (Texas State Archives)