"THOMAS CALDWELL ARNOLD. The banking business of Mt. Enterprise in Rusk county TEXAS has its chief representative in Thomas C. Arnold, who is president of the Merchants and Planters State Bank. Mr. Arnold is a man who has lived in Rusk county,Texas all his life, is a product of local schools and influences, started out as a school teacher and bookkeeper, and finally worked his way to a commanding place in the business economy at Henderson and later at Mt. Enterprise. Thomas Caldwell Arnold was born in Henderson county, Tennessee, near Lexington, March 24, 1851 ... Thomas C. Arnold was eight years old when he came to Rusk county, and a large part of his boyhood was spent in the home of his uncle John Barbara, a well-known citizen in the Concord community ... When he reached his majority he left the farm and after teaching one year in the Stone community found employment as bookkeeper at Harmony Hill for William Gladney, a merchant who was glad to have his services in this capacity for two years. In 1876 Mr. Arnold launched out into new avenues of enterprise when he went to southwestern Texas and identified himself with ranching in the raising of sheep, goats and cattle in Uvalde county TEXAS until 1879. Still another field of opportunity awaited him on his return to Henderson TEXAS in the latter year when he embarked in the newspaper business as associate editor of the Henderson Times under James G. Garrison, the editor. Two years later he turned his attention to merchandising at Henderson, and it was as a merchant in Henderson for fourteen years that he laid the basis of his reputation and prosperity in that community. The firm during the greater part of the time was known as Arnold and Lacy. Mr. Arnold finally retired from merchandising, in 1896 ... He was the prime mover in the organization of the First National Bank of Henderson,TEXAS became vice president and director, and thus continued for five years ... The children of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are mentioned as follows: Bennie Wettermark, who died at the age of three years; Louise Lenore, wife of Ben J. Brothers of Quanah, Texas, and is the mother of a daughter Sarah Elise; Thomas Harwood, who is bookkeeper in his father's bank." (http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.obits2/24946/mb.ashx)

The son, Bennie Wettermark Arnold, was named after Benjamin S. Wettermark, Vice President of the First National Bank of Timpson and proprietor of a private bank in Nacogdoches. In 1903, Wettermark absconded the area with $500,000 of the community's funds.

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