Manaen Turnbull Smith
Jewett, Leon County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1802-1886) Georgia native Manaen T. Smith arrived in present Shelby County, Texas in 1822. He became active in civic affairs, and served in the Texas Army from October 1835 to January 1836. He was a participant in the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. He lived in Harris and Houston counties before moving his family to Leon County about 1848-49. He farmed, ranched, and was involved in the buying and selling of land in the county. He later lived in Jewett, where he operated a hotel. Twice married and the father of nine children, Smith died in Jewett in 1886. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Georgia-born Manaen Turnbull Smith arrived in present-day Shelby County in 1822, during the era of Mexican Texas, and took up the cause of independence—serving in the Texas Army and taking part in the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. After the revolution he farmed, ranched, and traded land across several counties before settling in Leon County and later running a hotel in Jewett, where he died in 1886.
Why it matters
Smith's life spans the founding struggle of Texas, from its Mexican frontier through the revolution to statehood.
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Related people
- · Manaen Turnbull Smith
Related events
- · Siege of Bexar
- · Texas Revolution
Themes & tags
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