Irvin Capers Lord
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
South Carolina native Irvin Capers Lord (1827-1914) came to Houston with his family in 1854. A machinist by trade, he was co-owner of Lord and Richardson's Eagle Iron Works. In 1858 he was elected alderman, representing the First Ward until 1863 when he was elected city marshall. Lord helped lead Houston through the trying times of the Civil War and Reconstruction. He was elected alderman from the Fifth Ward in 1874 and became Houston's 26th mayor in 1875. He later served as a Harris County commissioner, street commissioner, and sheriff. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
South Carolina native Irvin Capers Lord came to Houston in 1854 and worked as a machinist, co-owning Lord and Richardson's Eagle Iron Works. Elected alderman in 1858 and city marshal in 1863, he helped steer Houston through the Civil War and Reconstruction before becoming the city's 26th mayor in 1875. He later served as county commissioner, street commissioner, and sheriff.
Why it matters
His long career of civic and industrial leadership traces Houston's passage through war, Reconstruction, and its emergence as a growing city.
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