Solomon Ruffin Perry
Marshall, Harrison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(June 2, 1810-Jan. 13, 1895) Born in Louisburg, N. C.; came to Texas 1833. Never carried a gun, though he lived in locality of 1840's regulator-moderator feud, and risked life to help bury Robert Potter (first secretary of Navy, Republic of Texas), who had been shot by an enemy. Was elected county sheriff in 1848 after his predecessor was assassinated. Served 27 years-- consecutively from 1878 to 1895. Married Mary Susan James. Had a son and two daughters.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Solomon Ruffin Perry (1810–1895) came from North Carolina to Texas in 1833 and lived through the violent Regulator-Moderator feud of 1840s East Texas without ever carrying a gun. He risked his own life to help bury Robert Potter, first Secretary of the Navy of the Republic of Texas, after Potter was killed by an enemy. Elected Harrison County sheriff in 1848 following his predecessor's assassination, Perry ultimately served 27 consecutive years, a testament to steady civic order in a turbulent frontier region.
Why it matters
His long career illustrates how ordinary men imposed law and stability on the raw, feud-ridden frontier of the Texas Republic and early statehood.
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Related people
- · Solomon Ruffin Perry
- · Robert Potter
Related events
- · Regulator-Moderator War
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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