Ralph Roy Smith
Jourdanton, Atascosa County, Texas
Marker Inscription
R. R. "Railroad" Smith (1880-1944) was born in Gonzales County to Alexander Frohock and Mary McGill (Mathews) Smith. Around 1907, Smith moved to Atascosa County where he opened up a law practice and entered into the newspaper business with a cousin. Smith successfully ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 1908, and during the Thirty-First Legislative session he solely sponsored a bill creating the Texas State Library and Historical Commission. Smith served later terms in 1911 and 1921. Smith moved his newspaper from Pleasanton to Jourdanton in 1909 and was also a strong advocate of moving the county seat from Pleasanton to Jourdanton in 1910. (2009)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Ralph Roy "Railroad" Smith settled in Atascosa County around 1907, practicing law and running a newspaper before winning a seat in the Texas House in 1908. During his first session he single-handedly sponsored the bill that created the Texas State Library and Historical Commission. A booster of his adopted region, he moved his paper to Jourdanton in 1909 and championed shifting the county seat there the following year.
Why it matters
Smith's lone bill founded the institution that preserves Texas's own historical record, a reminder that the machinery of public memory often begins with a single determined legislator.
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Related people
- · Ralph Roy Smith
Related events
- · Creation of the Texas State Library and Historical Commission
Themes & tags
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