James F. Blair
Cuero, DeWitt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Tennessee. Parents were James and Catherine Jordan Blair. Served in Mexican and Civil wars. Rose from Confederate ranks to captain of Company G, 36th Texas Cavalry. Later served as Texas Ranger and was appointed Sheriff of De Witt County by Governor Throckmorton in 1866. Married Lucy Elizabeth Ainsworth in 1851. They had 8 children. Was a member of Texas Veterans' Association and Coletto Masonic Lodge.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
James F. Blair's life traced the arc of frontier Texas through its wars and lawlessness. Born in Tennessee, he fought in the Mexican War and then rose from the Confederate ranks to captain a company of the 36th Texas Cavalry, before turning to keeping the peace as a Texas Ranger and, in 1866, as the governor-appointed sheriff of DeWitt County. That county would soon become notorious for the Sutton-Taylor feud, and Blair belonged to the generation of veterans-turned-lawmen who tried to hold order on a violent frontier.
Why it matters
Blair's career links the mid-century wars that shaped Texas to the hard work of establishing law and order in a frontier county, a recurring struggle in the American West.
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Related people
- · James F. Blair
- · Governor Throckmorton
Related events
- · Mexican-American War
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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