Robert N. Stafford
Mineola, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(November 6, 1856 - June 18, 1911) A Georgia native and son of a Methodist minister, Robert N. Stafford moved to Mineola in 1880. He was county attorney from 1880 to 1882, served two terms as district attorney, and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1894. He served twice as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. A longtime advocate of public education, he donated two acres of land to the city of Mineola for an African American school in 1902. In addition to his public service, Stafford edited the Quitman Record, worked for the International and Great Northern Railroad, and managed the Mineola Ice and Light Company. (1999)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A Georgia-born son of a Methodist minister, Robert N. Stafford settled in Mineola in 1880 and served as county attorney, district attorney, and, from 1894, a member of the Texas Senate. A steady advocate of public education, he donated two acres of land in 1902 for an African American school in Mineola. Alongside his political career he edited a newspaper, worked for the railroad, and managed the town's ice and light company.
Why it matters
Stafford's donation of land for a Black school reflects the fragile, locally driven expansion of education for African Americans in the segregated post-Reconstruction South.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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