R. N. White
Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas
Marker Inscription
First County Clerk - First Corsicana Postmaster A native of South Carolina, Robert Newton White (1810-1891) moved his family to this area in 1845. One year later Navarro County was created and White was elected the first County clerk, a position he held for ten years. During that time he also served as the first Corsicana postmaster, 1849-52. A civic leader, White was instrumental in persuading railroads to build lines to the city and also helped start a Cumberland Presbyterian Church here. His first Corsicana home, a log cabin, was constructed at this site.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A South Carolina native, Robert Newton White moved his family to the blackland prairie in 1845, the year Texas joined the Union. When Navarro County was organized in 1846 he was elected its first county clerk, holding the post a decade while also serving as Corsicana's first postmaster and helping found a Cumberland Presbyterian church. A civic booster, he lobbied railroads to reach the young town, and his first home here was a simple log cabin.
Why it matters
White's career shows how the offices, churches, and railroads that knit a frontier county together depended on the energy of individual early settlers.
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Related people
- · Robert Newton White
Related events
- · Creation of Navarro County (1846)
Themes & tags
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