Henry G. Damon
Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1846-1918) Born in Florida, Henry Damon served in the Confederate army and was taken prisoner during the Civil War. After moving to Corsicana in 1873, Damon became a lawyer and established the Texas Loan Agency with his partner, businessman W. R. Bright. Headquartered in this building from 1890 until 1900, the agency was an early real estate mortgage company that became a leader in the area's industrial development. Damon was also an early Chamber of Commerce member and an active prohibitionist. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Florida-born Henry G. Damon served in the Confederate army and spent part of the Civil War as a prisoner before starting over in Corsicana in 1873. There he practiced law and founded the Texas Loan Agency, an early real estate mortgage firm that helped finance the region's industrial growth from this building through the 1890s. An active civic booster and prohibitionist, Damon helped shape the young oil town's development.
Why it matters
Damon's path from Confederate soldier to mortgage banker illustrates how New South boosters channeled capital into the industrial rise of post-Civil War Texas.
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Related people
- · Henry G. Damon
- · W. R. Bright
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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