Thomas Jefferson Shannon
Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1808-1864) Thomas J. Shannon came to Texas in 1839 and settled in what became Grayson County in 1845. Elected first Grayson County representative to the Texas Legislature, he worked for relocation of the county seat to the present site of Sherman. Shannon earned the name "Father of Sherman" after donating land for the townsite. His daughter Julia named the first streets. A pioneer stockman, Shannon imported Durham cattle, a gift from Queen Victoria, in 1848. Recorded - 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Thomas Jefferson Shannon arrived in Texas in 1839, when it was still an independent republic, and settled in the area that became Grayson County in 1845. As the county's first state legislator he pushed to move the county seat to present-day Sherman and donated the land for the townsite, earning the nickname "Father of Sherman." A pioneering cattleman, he even imported Durham cattle said to be a gift from Queen Victoria in 1848, while his daughter Julia named the town's first streets.
Why it matters
Shannon embodies the founder-generation of Anglo Texas, when individual settlers shaped whole towns and helped transform frontier prairie into organized county government.
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Related people
- · Thomas Jefferson Shannon
- · Julia Shannon
- · Queen Victoria
Themes & tags
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