Smith, Samuel Theodore
Ozona, Crockett County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A Confederate veteran, of 18th La. Cav. Bn., Civil War. Born in Louisiana. Came to Texas in 1872; to Ozona, 1891. Built city's first school, first courthouse, Baptist church, other structures. Married Alice Crimm, March 1, 1876. Had three children. Recorded-1970
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A Louisiana-born Confederate cavalry veteran, Samuel Theodore Smith came to Texas in 1872 and settled in Ozona in 1891, where he became a builder of the young town's institutions — its first school, first courthouse, and Baptist church among them. He married Alice Crimm in 1876 and raised three children. His hammer and saw quite literally framed the civic life of frontier Crockett County.
Why it matters
Smith embodies the veteran-turned-builder who, after the Civil War, helped raise the schools, courthouses, and churches that turned raw West Texas settlements into towns.
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Related people
- · Samuel Theodore Smith
- · Alice Crimm
Themes & tags
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