DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about David Sutton Meredith, right here in Gregg County, Texas. Now settle in, because this is a life that moved — across state lines, across decades, and right into the middle of one of the most dangerous moments this town ever faced. David Sutton Meredith was born on February 2, 1869, way up in Brunswick County, Virginia.
But Virginia couldn't hold him forever. In 1891, he came to Rusk County, Texas, and it was there he married Minnie Burr Fisher, a woman who had made her own journey, all the way from Berlin, Tennessee. By 1895, the two of them had moved to Longview, and that is where this story really takes root.
Now, a man doesn't just walk into a sheriff's election without having built something first — a reputation, a presence, a certain kind of trust. In November of 1916, the people of Gregg County elected David Sutton Meredith their sheriff. And he served.
Served right through some calm years, and then right into a year that was anything but calm. The summer of 1919. History has a name for it — the Red Summer — and Longview was caught up in that turbulence along with cities across the whole country.
Racial violence was flaring, tensions were wound tight as a fence wire in August heat, and Meredith, the sitting sheriff of Gregg County, helped quell what could have become a full race riot right here in Longview. That is not a small thing. That is a man standing in the gap when the gap was wide and dangerous.
He served until 1921, when he simply did not seek re-election. No scandal, no defeat — he just stepped away. But stepping out of office didn't mean stepping out of the life of this community.
After leaving the sheriff's post, Meredith stayed involved, played an influential role, and was part of the organization of not one but two banks — the Rembert National Bank and the Longview National Bank. The man had range. David Sutton Meredith passed away on March 14, 1934, and he is buried along with his family.
From Brunswick County, Virginia, to the eye of a storm in Longview, Texas — he crossed a lot of ground, and left the place better for it.
What the marker says
DAVID SUTTON MEREDITH WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 2, 1869 IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY, VIRGINIA. MEREDITH CAME TO RUSK COUNTY, TEXAS IN 1891 AND MARRIED MINNIE BURR FISHER, A NATIVE OF BERLIN, TENNESSEE. THEY MOVED TO LONGVIEW IN 1895. IN NOVEMBER 1916, MEREDITH WAS ELECTED SHERIFF OF GREGG COUNTY AND SERVED UNTIL 1921 WHEN HE DID NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION. HE HELPED QUELL POTENTIAL RACE RIOTS DURING THE TUMULTUOUS LONGVIEW RED SUMMER OF 1919. AFTER LEAVING OFFICE, MEREDITH CONTINUED TO PLAY AN INFLUENTIAL ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE REMBERT NATIONAL BANK AND THE LONGVIEW NATIONAL BANK. HE PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 14, 1934 AND IS BURIED ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY.