James Stephen Hogg's Early Home
Quitman, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1860s; bought Jan. 8, 1873, by James Stephen Hogg (1851-1906), who in 1874 married Sarah Ann Stinson of Wood County. When the couple honeymooned in this cottage, young Hogg was editor-publisher of "Quitman News" and justice of the peace -- start of a brilliant career which led to governorship of Texas, 1891-1895. Local clubs bought the cottage and moved it here in 1946. It was restored in 1952 by Gov. and Mrs. Hogg's only daughter, Miss Ima. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This modest 1860s cottage was bought in 1873 by James Stephen Hogg, who honeymooned here with Sarah Ann Stinson while serving as editor-publisher of the "Quitman News" and the local justice of the peace. From these small-town beginnings Hogg rose to become the first native-born governor of Texas, serving from 1891 to 1895. Preserved by local clubs and later restored by his daughter Ima Hogg, the cottage survives as a memento of that ascent.
Why it matters
Hogg's climb from a country newspaper desk to the governor's office embodies the self-made political rise so central to the American story, and his reform-minded tenure shaped modern Texas.
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Related people
- · James Stephen Hogg
- · Sarah Ann Stinson Hogg
- · Ima Hogg
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
J. H. Jones and the Old Settlers Reunion Grounds
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An Alabama native who reached Texas in 1877, J.H. Jones taught school, won election as Wood County clerk, and prospered as a Quitman merchant. In 1902 he gave this land to the Old Settlers of Wood County Association, whose members gathered each year to honor the region's pioneers. Save for a pause during World War I, the homecoming reunions continued here, and in 1952 the grounds passed to the Governor Hogg Shrine State Park.
Wood County Courthouse
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When the Texas legislature created Wood County in 1850, it named Quitman the county seat, which began governing from a humble log courthouse. Fire repeatedly claimed its successors — a frame structure in 1878 and F.E. Ruffini's building in 1924 — before the present Classical Revival courthouse rose with its columned temple front and pedimented entablature. It has anchored the county square ever since.
First Baptist Church of Quitman
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Organized on November 16, 1850 by pioneer settlers in a meeting moderated by a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, this was one of the earliest churches in Wood County. Early worship happened in homes and open air before shared frame buildings rose with the Masons, and its 1855 bell is preserved as a relic. The church counts among its own James Stephen Hogg, the first native-born governor of Texas, and once welcomed the renowned Dallas preacher George W. Truett to its pulpit.
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