For his role in the Provisional Government during the early stages of the Texas Revolution, Henry Smith is remembered as the first American governor of Texas. He is also remembered as having married three times (all sisters to each other), and as the father of nine children. Smith was born in Kentucky on May 20, … Read more

Erastus Smith was hearing impared. Despite this handicap, however, Smith became one of Sam Houston’s most reliable and most trusted scouts. He was a man of few words, but was well known for his coolness in the presence of danger. Born April 19, 1787 in Dutchess County, New York, Smith moved with his parents to … Read more

Born August 13, 1805 in Hartford, Connecticut, Ashbel Smith graduated from Yale in 1824 and became a doctor in 1828. After further medical study in Europe, he decided to go to the newly formed Republic of Texas in 1837. Here, he remained a resident for life. Soon after arriving in Texas, Smith was appointed surgeon-general … Read more

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the leading villain of Texas history, was born in Mexico on 21 February 1794. As a young military officer, he supported Emperor Agustin de Iturbide, and at one time courted the emperor’s sister. He later rebelled against the government, gained considerable backing. By 1833, he was elevated to president of … Read more

Thomas Jefferson Rusk was lured to Texas from Georgia in 1832. He was chasing business partners who had absconded with his money and fled westward. When he arrived in Nacogdoches, he decided to stay. Born December 5, 1803 in South Carolina, Rusk studied law and was admitted to the bar through the influence of John … Read more

Born in Iowa on 27 September 1838, Sul Ross moved with his family to Texas the following year. He attended Baylor University in 1856, then graduated from Wesleyan University at Florence, Alabama in 1859. Ross earned early recognition as captain of a ranger company that attacked a large Comanche village in 1860 and recaptured the … Read more

An early Texas empresario, soldier and statesman, Sterling Clack Robertson was born on October 2, 1785, in what is now Nashville, Tennessee. There, he spent his youth. After serving in the Tennessee Militia in the campaign against the British in New Orleans, he was discharged with the rank of Major and returned to Tennessee, where … Read more

O. M. Roberts strongly influenced Texas history as president of the Secession Convention of 1861, as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, and as Governor. He also helped preserve Texas history as the first president of the Texas State Historical Association, and as contributor of several important writings on Texas military and political history. … Read more

Born William Sidney Porter, this master of short stories is much better known under his pen name “O. Henry.” He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood. His only formal education was received at the school of his Aunt Lina, where he developed a lifelong love of books. In … Read more

James K. Polk never set foot in Texas. His impact on Texas and the American West, however, cannot be overestimated. Not only was he instrumental in the annexation of Texas, but the United States achieved its greatest territorial expansion under his presidency. Born 2 November 1795 in North Carolina, Polk spent much of his youth … Read more