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Temple Lea Houston
Temple Lea Houston
	Temple Lea Houston as a young man in Texas
Member of the Texas Senate; from the 19th district
	In office; 1885–1889
Preceded by	Avery Lenoir Matlock
Succeeded by	John Hall Stephens
Personal details
Born	August 12, 1860; Austin, Texas, U.S.
Died	August 15, 1905 (aged 45); Woodward, Oklahoma, U.S.
Resting place	Elmwood Cemetery in Woodward, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Laura Cross Houston
Children	7
Alma mater	Baylor University
Occupation	Lawyer

Temple Lea Houston (August 12, 1860 – August 15, 1905) was an American attorney and politician who served from 1885 to 1889 in the Texas State Senate. He was the last-born child of Margaret Lea Houston and Sam Houston, the first elected president of the Republic of Texas.^[a]

Biography

Temple Lea Houston was the only one of the Houstons' eight children to be born in the Texas governor's residence in Austin in 1860. By the time he was seven in 1867, both his parents had died. He lived with an older sister and her family in nearby Georgetown, Texas. At the age of 13, Houston left home to join a cattle drive, and later worked on a riverboat on the Mississippi River. Aided by a friend of his father, he gained an appointment as a page in the U.S. Senate, and worked in Washington, DC, for three years.

Houston returned to Texas in 1877 at the age of 17 to attend the Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Texas A&M University). He transferred to Baylor University in Waco, where he graduated in 1880 with honors in law and philosophy. He "read the law" with an established firm and was admitted to the bar. He was the youngest attorney in Texas when he opened his practice.^[4] That year, he was appointed as the attorney for Brazoria County near Houston, Texas.^[4]

In 1882, Houston was appointed as the district attorney of the 35th Judicial District of Texas, which then covered a large part of the Texas Panhandle, based in Mobeetie, Wheeler County.

Houston carried a Colt revolver, which he named "Old Betsy", always strapped to his waist. Some called him "the best shot in the West." He wore buckskin attire from Mexico and a sombrero with a wide brim and a silver eagle. Like his father, he was more than six feet tall. He had gray eyes; his auburn hair was usually shoulder-length. His knowledge of the Bible and classical literature was all-encompassing. He easily commanded the attention of any audience.^[5]

Marriage and family

Established in his career, on February 14, 1883, 23-year-old Houston married Laura Cross, the daughter of a planter. They lived near Fort Elliott, which protected the border against American Indians, as well as the important cattle drives. The couple had seven children, only four of whom lived past infancy. His 4 year old daughter, Samantha, died of a fall at the Driskill Hotel in Texas in 1897. Her ghost surrounds the haunted folklore behind the painting "Love Letters" which her father had asked a painter to make in memory of his daughter.^[4]

Political career

Houston was elected in 1884 to a single term in the Texas State Senate from District 19.

He concentrated his law practice on the Santa Fe railroad (the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway).^[4] He spoke French and Spanish, as well as seven Indian languages. In 1888, he gave the dedication address for the opening of the Texas State Capitol, which is still in use after several renovations.^[6]

Houston participated in the Oklahoma Territory's Land Run of 1893. In 1894, Houston moved his family to the cattle town of Woodward in Oklahoma Territory. He was legal counsel of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; its Woodward depot became one of the most important points in the territory for cattle shipping to the East. Houston became widely known and popular for his courtroom dramatics. He was charged with murder in the shooting of a brother of the outlaw Al Jennings, after an argument in the Cabinet Saloon, and was acquitted.

Houston won a reputation as a brilliant trial lawyer. In 1899, he delivered his "Soiled Dove Plea" in a makeshift courtroom in Woodward's opera house. The argument on behalf of Minnie Stacey, a prostitute who worked at the Dew Drop Inn, became famous for winning her acquittal after ten minutes' consideration by the jury.^[4]

Houston had agreed to be a candidate in Oklahoma's first gubernatorial election, but died two years before statehood.^[7]

Death

Temple Lea Houston Grave, Elmwood Cemetery, Woodward, Oklahoma

Houston died of a cerebral hemorrhage on August 15, 1905, in Woodward, then still Oklahoma Territory. His wife Laura lived until April 17, 1938. They are buried together at Elmwood Cemetery in Woodward.

Representation in other media

Edna Ferber modeled her main character of Yancey Cravat on Temple Houston in her novel Cimarron (1929). (The novel was adapted as film versions under the same name, produced in 1931 and 1960.)
Ross Elliott played Houston in "The Reluctant Gun" (1959) episode of the Western anthology series, Death Valley Days.^[8]
In the 1960 film Oklahoma Territory, Houston was played by Bill Williams. Gloria Talbott was cast as Ruth Red Hawk, Ted de Corsia as Chief Buffalo Horn, X Brands as Running Cloud, and Walter Sande as Marshal Pete Rosslyn. The film was written by Orville H. Hampton and directed by Edward L. Cahn.
A 1963–1964 NBC/Warner Bros. television series entitled Temple Houston, which aired 26 episodes, was co-produced by actor Jeffrey Hunter, who also played the part of Houston. Temple Houston was placed on the schedule in a matter of six weeks after it was sold by studio boss Jack Webb to the network.^[9]

Houston family tree

John Houston m. Margaret McClung (c.1650–1735) Ireland
- John Houston (1690–1755) m. Margaret Mary Cunningham (1694–1754), both born in Ireland and died in Virginia
  - James Houston, died in Ireland
  - Robert H. Houston (1720–1760), born in Ireland, died in Virginia m.Margaret Dunlap Davidson (b. 1720)
    - John Houston m. Anna Logan
    - Samuel Davidson Houston (1745–1807) m. Elizabeth Blair Paxton (1757–1831)
      - Paxton Houston
      - Robert Houston
      - James Houston (1782–1824) m. Rebecca G. Herndon
      - John P. Houston (1790–1838)
      - Sam Houston (1793–1863)
        m. Eliza Allen (m. 1829 div. 1837)
        
        m. Tiana "Diana" (Rogers) Gentry (m. 1830) (died 1838)
        
        m. Margaret Moffette Lea (1819–1867)^[i] m. (May 9, 1840 - his death)
        Sam Houston Jr., MD (1843–1894)^[ii] m. Lucy Anderson (1845–1886)^[iii]
        Margaret Bell Houston (1876–1966)^[iv]
        
        Nellie Houston (1879–1882)^[iv]
        
        Harry Howard Houston (1883–1935)^[iv]
        
        Nancy "Nannie" Elizabeth (1846–1920)^[ii] m. Joseph Clay Stiles Morrow (1839–1925)^[iii]
        Margaret Houston Morrow (1867–1948) m. Robert Alexander John (1864–1933)^[v]
        Jean Houston John (b.1891) m. Franklin T. Baldwin (b.1889)
        Jean Houston Baldwin (1916–2002) m. Governor Price Daniel (1910–1988)^{[a 3]}
        Price Daniel Jr. (1941–1981) Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives 1973–1975^{[a 4]}
        
        Emily Preston Morrow (1869–1892)^[v]
        
        Jennie Belle Morrow (1871–1977)^[v]
        
        Preston Morrow (1875–1909)^[v]
        
        Temple Houston Morrow (1878–1966)^[v]
        
        Elizabeth Paxton Morrow (1886–1906)^[v]
        
        Margaret Lea Houston (1848–1906)^[ii] m. Captain Weston Lafayette Williams (1835–1899)^[iii]
        Houston Williams (1869–1931)^[vi]
        
        Margaret Madge Williams (1872–1955)^[vi]
        
        Franklin Weston Williams (1874–1958)^[vi]
        
        James Royston Williams (1877–1953) ^[vi]
        
        Marian Lee Williams (b. 1880)^[vi]
        
        Mary William Houston (1850–1931)^[ii] m. John Simeon Morrow (1840–1886) ^[iii]
        John Houston Morrow (1871–1916)^[vii]
        
        Andrew Morrow (1875–1881)^[vii]
        
        Jesse Morrow (b.1876)^[vii]
        
        Jessie Lea Morrow (1885–1975)^[vii]
        
        Maude Louise Morrow (1883–1957)^[vii]
        
        Antoinette Power Houston (1852–1932)^[ii] m. Dr. William S. Lorraine Bringhurst (1844–1913)^[iii]
        Sam Houston Bringhurst (b.1874)^[viii]
        
        Charles Raguet Bringhurst (1880–1882)^[viii]
        
        William Stuart Bringhurst (b.1885)^[viii]
        
        Nettie Houston Bringhurst (1887–1935)^[viii]
        
        Anna Katherine Bringhurst (1890–1895))^[viii]
        
        Andrew Jackson Houston (1854–1941)^[ii] United States Senator
        m. Carrie Glenn Purnell (1858–1884)^[iii]
        Ariadne T. Houston (1879–1969)^[ix]
        
        Margaret Houston (1882–1943)^[ix]
        
        Carrie Marie Houston (1883–1893)^[ix]
        
        m. Elizabeth Hart Good (1864–1907)^[iii]
        Josephine Anna Houston (1889–1914)^[x]
        
        William Rogers Houston (1858–1920)^[ii]
        
        Temple Lea Houston (1860–1905)^[ii], Texas state senator 1885–1888 m. Laura Cross (1863–1938)^[iii]
        Temple Lea Houston Jr. (1884–1920)^[xi]
        
        Louise Houston (1885–1887)^[xi]
        
        Samuel Houston III (1892–1952)^[xi]
        
        Richard Caldon Houston (1895–1974)^[xi]
        Richard Temple Houston (1931-2021)
        Daniel L. Houston
        
        Sheridan E. Hollender
        
        Mark P. Houston
        
        Mary Houston (1898–1977)^[xi]
      - William Houston m. Mary Ball
      - Isabella Houston
      - Mary Houston
        m. Col. Matthew Wallace
        
        m. Gen. William Wallace
      - Eliza Houston m. Samuel Moore
    - Bettie Houston m. James McClung
    - Margaret Houston
    - Esther Houston
    - Mary Houston
  - Isabelia Houston
  - Esther Houston
  - John Houston
  - Samuel Nelson Houston m. Susan (Strickler)
    - Henry H. Houston
  - Mathew Houston

Notes

^ Married Samuel Houston.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Child of Samuel and Margaret Houston.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Married.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c Child of Sam and Lucy.^{[a 2]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Child of Nancy and Joseph.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Child of Margaret and Weston.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Child of Mary and John.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Child of Antoinette and William.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c Child of Andrew and Carrie.^{[a 1]}
^ Child of Andrew and Elizabeth.^{[a 1]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Child of Temple and Laura.^{[a 1]}

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Roberts, Madge Thornall (1993). Star of Destiny: The Private Life of Sam and Margaret Houston. University of North Texas Press. Appendix B - Descendants of Sam And Margaret Houston (pp. 373–379) and Appendix C - Genealogy of The Lea And Houston Families (pp. 380–382).
^ SR staff (November 26, 2013), "Samuel Houston Family Tree", Star of the Republic Museum, Blinn College, retrieved April 21, 2015 Second Generation
^ TWU staff (February 26, 2017). "Jean Houston Baldwin Daniel - TWU Texas First Ladies Gown Collection". Texas Woman's University. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
^ Daniel, Murph (July 5, 2017) [1995], "Marion Price Daniel, Jr.", Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, retrieved March 11, 2016

Bibliography

Ellis, Franklin; Evans, Samuel (1883). History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men. Everts & Peck. pp. 591–592.

Notes

^ David G. Burnet was the first president of the Republic of Texas, serving on an interim basis March 18 – October 22, 1836, while Sam Houston led the army against the Mexican forces.^[2] After Houston's capture of Santa Anna, elections were held in the Republic and he became the first elected president of the Republic and later the third president. After Texas was annexed by the United States, Sam Houston became a United States senator from Texas, and was later elected as the state's seventh governor.^[3]

References

^ (based in Mobeetie in Wheeler County)
^ "A Guide to the David Gouverneur Burnet Papers, 1798–1965". Briscoe Center for American History. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
^ Kreneck, Thomas H. "Sam Houston". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Anderson, H. Allen. "Temple Lea Houston". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
^ Chuck Lanehart (January 5, 2019). "Caprock Chronicles: Temple Houston, Prairie dog lawyer of Texas". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ Texas Capitol Building Dedication Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, Texas Bob website
^ Doughty, Beth Anne. "Houston, Temple Lea". The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. www.okhistory.org. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
^ ""The Reluctant Gun", Death Valley Days, December 26, 1959". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
^ "Temple Houston: The Story Behind a Forgotten Television Western", Wildest Westerns website

External links

Houston Family Papers, 1836–1969 and undated, in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University
Beth Ann Doughty, "Houston, Temple", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

Preceded by Avery Lenoir Matlock	Texas State Senator from District 19 (then 26 unorganized counties in the Panhandle based in Mobeetie) 1885–1889	Succeeded by John Hall Stephens