William H. Dodd
Langtry, Val Verde County, Texas
Marker Inscription
William H. Dodd Born in 1868, England native William H. Dodd settled in Val Verde County by 1894, establishing a ranch and general merchandise store. He also served as postmaster, operating the post office from his store, which occupied this site for many years. Dodd and his wife, Lula, also owned a rooming and boarding house and were both active in the Langtry community. She organized town festivals, and between 1892 and 1933, he served in many official positions, including Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner. Dodd also reportedly aided Mexican revolutionaries, providing them with arms and other supplies. Remembered fondly by much of Langtry, Dodd died in 1935, survived by Lula and their four children. (2003)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
English-born William H. Dodd came to remote Val Verde County by 1894 and put down deep roots, running a ranch, a general store, and the local post office, and adding a boarding house with his wife Lula. Over four decades he filled nearly every civic role the tiny community of Langtry could offer, from justice of the peace to county commissioner, while Lula organized the town's festivals. He is also remembered for quietly supplying arms and goods to Mexican revolutionaries across the nearby border.
Why it matters
Dodd embodies the immigrant shopkeeper-official who held frontier West Texas towns together in the decades of the Mexican Revolution along the Rio Grande.
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Related people
- · William H. Dodd
- · Lula Dodd
Related events
- · Mexican Revolution
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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From 1882 to 1903 this saloon doubled as the courtroom of Judge Roy Bean, the self-styled "Law West of the Pecos," who dispensed rough-and-ready justice in remote Langtry. Bean named the place the Jersey Lily after his idol, the celebrated English actress Lillie Langtry. The saloon-courtroom became one of the enduring emblems of frontier Texas legend.
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