George O'Brien Millard

Duane's take

Now, this one comes straight from the official marker, and I want to do it justice. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about George O'Brien Millard. George came into the world in Berwick Bay, St.

Mary's Parish, Louisiana, the son of Sidney Hosmore and Mary O'Brien Millard. Life took a hard turn early. His father died in 1854, and George moved to Texas with his extended family.

That's the kind of thing that shapes a person, losing your father young and pulling up roots. But George had people. He had his uncle Henry Millard, and in 1870, George followed that uncle to Beaumont.

He landed on his feet. Found work with J.C. Craig's General Store and Eagle Sawmill, learned the rhythms of a town that was still figuring itself out.

And somewhere along the way, George decided Beaumont was worth betting on. He opened his own business, the George Millard Hardware Company, and started building something. In 1877, he married Amma Reeves, daughter of John and Barbara Reeves.

They had two children, Paul Horace, born in 1880, and Minnie Mae, born in 1883. A family, a business, a town. George was not the kind of man who stopped there.

By 1882, he was serving as Commander of the Beaumont Fire Company Number One, a volunteer-based firefighting organization. That's a man people trusted when things were burning. He was a member of First Methodist Church, and he chaired their building committees in 1889 and again in 1906.

The marker says he was known for excellent stewardship during the building process, which is a quiet but meaningful thing to be remembered for. Not glory, just getting it done right. George and Amma were also among the founders of the Temperance League and Temperance Hall Company in 1889, with building campaigns in 1889 and 1902.

And in 1898, he constructed the Millard Building to house his hardware business. That building eventually also housed the Masonic Lodge and the Salvation Army. One building, carrying a lot of community.

Then in 1901, Mayor Wheat appointed George to the school board. And this is where his story gets its full weight. During his eight years as president, George presided over the vote to build Ogden School and Junker School, and two schools for the city's African American community, South End School and North End School.

Four schools. That's a man who understood what education means to a city's future. He died before his time.

That's what the marker calls it, an untimely death. But here's what happened after. The teachers of Beaumont, those men and women who'd watched him serve those schools, they established a community fund to erect a statue in his honor.

Not a city council resolution, not a wealthy patron's donation. The teachers did it. They commissioned sculptor Pompeo Coppini, and they dedicated that statue on January 1, 1912.

George O'Brien Millard. Beaumont civic leader, educator, hardware man, fire commander, church steward, temperance founder, school board president. A man his community mourned enough to raise a statue, and trusted enough to let the teachers lead the way.

What the marker says

Born in Berwick Bay, St. Mary's Parish, Louisiana, to Sidney Hosmore and Mary (O'Brien) Millard, George O'Brien Millard was a pioneer Beaumont civic leader and educator. George moved to Texas with his extended family after his father died in 1854. George followed his uncle Henry Millard to Beaumont in 1870 and found jobs with J.C. Craig's General Store and Eagle Sawmill. Eventually, he opened his own business, the George Millard Hardware Company. In 1877, he married Amma Reeves (1850-1952), daughter of John and Barbara Reeves, and the couple had two children, Paul Horace (1880-1968) and Minnie Mae (1883-1969). He was active in the Beaumont community, serving in 1882 as Commander of the Beaumont Fire Company #1, a volunteer-based firefighting organization. George was also a member of First Methodist Church and chaired their building committees in 1889 and 1906. George was known for excellent stewardship during the building process. George and Amma were among the founders of the Temperance League and Temperance Hall Company in 1889, undergoing building campaigns in 1889 and 1902. He also constructed the Millard Building in 1898 to house his hardware business, later also housing the masonic lodge and salvation army. Mayor Wheat appointed George to the school board in 1901. During his eight years as president, he presided over the vote to build Ogden and Junker Schools and two schools for the city's African American community, South End School and North End School. After his untimely death, Beaumont teachers established a community fund to erect Pompeo Coppini's statue of Millard, dedicating it January 1, 1912. (2023)