R. M. Turner Family
Kimble County, Kimble County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On April 28, 1879, R.M. Turner (1858-1928) entered Kimble County with Bride, Emma (Scarborough), (1863-1945), from Dewitt County. They settled near this site, on the north bank of the South Llano River, where Turner soon became a prominent cattle and sheep rancher. Of ten children born to the Turners, eight reached adulthood, most of them remained in the county to become leading citizens. Most noted was Jack Turner, conductor of the first angora doe sale in Texas, and one of the organizers of National Agora Goat Breeders Association, in 1925, serving as the first secretary, then president.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In April 1879, R. M. Turner and his bride Emma Scarborough settled on the north bank of the South Llano River, where Turner rose to prominence as a cattle and sheep rancher. Of their ten children, eight reached adulthood, and many stayed to become leading citizens of Kimble County. Best known was son Jack Turner, who conducted the first Angora doe sale in Texas and helped organize the National Angora Goat Breeders Association in 1925.
Why it matters
The Turner family's story reflects how ranching pioneers built both communities and industries on the Texas frontier—here helping to launch the state's distinctive Angora goat and mohair trade.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
When R. M. Turner arrived in 1879, Kimble County was still frontier country. The county had only recently been organized, and the rugged hills of the western Edwards Plateau, cut by clear, spring-fed rivers like the Llano, were just beginning to be settled by ranching families.
The late 1870s marked a turning point for the Texas Hill Country. As conflicts on the frontier subsided, ranchers moved west in growing numbers, bringing cattle and, increasingly, sheep and goats that could thrive on the region's rocky, brushy land.
That suitability for small livestock would shape the whole region's economy. Over the following decades, the Edwards Plateau became famous for its sheep and goats, and Texas grew into a leading producer of wool and mohair.
People & events
On April 28, 1879, a young R. M. Turner rode into Kimble County with his new bride, Emma Scarborough Turner, having come from DeWitt County. He was about twenty-one, and she was younger still. They settled on the north bank of the South Llano River, close to where this marker now stands.
Turner built a successful life as a cattle and sheep rancher and became a prominent figure in the county. Frontier life was demanding, and the family's story carries its share of sorrow: of the ten children born to R. M. and Emma, eight lived to adulthood. Most of them stayed in Kimble County and became leading citizens in their own right.
The best known was their son Jack Turner. He conducted the first Angora doe sale in Texas and, in 1925, helped organize the National Angora Goat Breeders Association, serving first as its secretary and later as its president. It was a fitting legacy for the son of a family that had built its life on livestock in this rough country.
Its place in the American story
The Turners' story is a small, clear window into how the western frontier was settled. It wasn't only soldiers and cowboys who made the West; it was young couples who arrived with little more than a plan, stayed put, raised families and built institutions.
The family's link to Angora goats connects Kimble County to a distinctive American industry. Angoras produce mohair, a lustrous fiber valued for textiles, and the Texas Hill Country became one of the most important mohair-producing regions in the country.
Jack Turner's role in organizing a national breeders' association reflects a broader trend of the early twentieth century, when farmers and ranchers organized to improve bloodlines, share knowledge and strengthen their markets. Local ranchers like the Turners helped turn a regional specialty into a recognized national industry.
If you visit
The setting is a big part of the story. The South Llano River country is some of the loveliest landscape in the Hill Country, with clear water, limestone bluffs and pecan-lined banks. Take a moment to imagine it in 1879, when a young couple chose this spot to begin their life together.
As you drive through the surrounding country, keep an eye out for grazing sheep and goats. They are living reminders of the ranching tradition that families like the Turners helped establish.
This marker makes a natural stop on a Hill Country road trip, especially if you're exploring the rivers and ranchland of the western Edwards Plateau. Be mindful that much of the land around here is private ranch property, so enjoy the view from the roadside.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · R. M. Turner
- · Emma Scarborough Turner
- · Jack Turner
Themes & tags
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