Judge E. J. Simkins House
Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Eldred James Simkins (1838-1902) then of South Carolina, served 4 years in the Confederate army. A brother, William S. Simkins was credited with firing the first shot of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861. E. J. Simkins moved here in 1871, established a law practice, and built the first rooms of this home in 1873. He was a regent of the University of Texas, 1881-93; served as a state senator, 1887-92; and as a justice on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1893-95. Simkins helped draft the law creating the Texas Railroad Commission and wrote a noted volume on jurisprudence.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Eldred James Simkins came to Corsicana from South Carolina in 1871, a Confederate veteran of four years' service whose brother was credited with firing the first shot on Fort Sumter. Building the first rooms of this house in 1873, he rose to prominence as a lawyer, University of Texas regent, state senator, and judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. He helped draft the law creating the Texas Railroad Commission and authored a respected work on jurisprudence.
Why it matters
Simkins's life bridges the Confederacy and the Gilded Age rebuilding of Texas government, showing how former soldiers shaped the state's law, universities, and regulatory institutions.
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Related people
- · Eldred James Simkins
- · William S. Simkins
Themes & tags
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