I have no direct relationship to Will Artley, but my great grandfather, James Screven Cooper, apparently had some dealings with him you might be interested in. This was all passed down thru family lore, so there might be some errors.


James Screven Cooper was born in Savannah, Georgia on August 15, 1858. He worked for the Georgia Pacific Railroad and National Steamboat Co as a bookkeeper/accountant, figuring cash finances of both and several other businesses.

Suffering from tuberculosis. The doctors in Savannah, GA recommended he move to a dryer climate, so the family moved to New Mexico. They had wanted to move to Carlsbad, but there wasn't a First Christian Church there, so they moved to Roswell. They rented a house while building a house on 414 North Lee St. We have several pictures of the rent house. The house at 414 N. Lea was builti in 1908 by Mr. Will Artley of Savannah, Georgia. It cost about $10,000 (not quite), the upstairs was not finished. The house at 412 N. Lea was built by Will Artley about 1912. The houses at 410 and 412 W. 3rd was built by Will Artley about 1910. James Screven went into the construction business with a friend from Savannah, one Mr. Will Artley. Mr. Artley took care of the construction end of the business, and Mr. Cooper took care of the financial and management concerns. Mr. Cooper eventually ended up owning a number of houses/properties in Roswell and also a farm near Lake Arthur.

James Screven Cooper died on May 16, 1914. He is buried in Southpark Cemetary, Roswell NM