Home County of Pioneer Leader Joseph Wilson Baines
Johnson City vicinity, Blanco County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1846-1906) Born in Louisiana; in 1850 came to Texas, where his father, Rev. Geo. W. Baines, founded a church newspaper and was president of Baylor University. Served in the Williamson Cadets, in Civil War. Lived in Collin County, 1867-1882. Married Ruth A. Huffman. Was a teacher, lawyer; founder and publisher of McKinney "Advocate." Served 1883-1887 as Secretary of State for Texas. Practiced law in Blanco, 1888-1903. Died in Fredericksburg. His daughter Rebecca (Mrs. Sam Ealy Johnson) became the mother of Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th president of the United States. (1965)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Louisiana in 1846 and brought to Texas as a boy, Joseph Wilson Baines served in the Civil War, then built a career as a teacher, lawyer, newspaper publisher, and public servant, holding the office of Texas Secretary of State from 1883 to 1887. He practiced law in Blanco before his death in 1906. His daughter Rebecca married Sam Ealy Johnson and became the mother of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the nation's 36th president.
Why it matters
Baines links the pioneer and statesman traditions of frontier Texas directly to the family that produced a U.S. president.
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Related people
- · Joseph Wilson Baines
- · Lyndon Baines Johnson
- · George W. Baines
Themes & tags
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