DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about John Creighton Buchanan, out there in Wood County. Now, some men come into this world and burn so bright, so fast, that you have to stop and just reckon with what they managed to do in the time they had. John Creighton Buchanan was born in Louisiana on February 24, 1850.
He made his way to East Texas, settled in Quitman, and hung out his shingle as a lawyer. And that was just the beginning. In 1876, Buchanan became the first Wood County Attorney.
First one. Ever. The county was brand new to the position and he was the man to hold it.
The very next year, 1877, he married Sarah Rosalie Patten — Rosa, as she was known — who was born in 1855 and would go on to live all the way to 1941. Whatever John started, Rosa outlasted nearly everyone who knew him. Because here's where the story turns.
In 1878, Buchanan was elected to the Texas Senate, representing Rains, Wood, Upshur, Gregg, and Smith counties. Five counties putting their faith in one man. And that man had opinions about education — strong ones.
He authored a bill to establish normal schools in Texas. He secured a grant to finance schools in Mineola. And then — and you want to sit with this one for a moment — he drafted the bill that created the University of Texas.
The bill that created the University of Texas. John Creighton Buchanan served in that Senate from 1878 until his death on December 9, 1884. He was thirty-four years old.
Thirty-four years old, and he'd already put his name on the founding document of one of the largest universities in this country. Somewhere out in Wood County, there's a marker that makes sure you don't forget it.
What the marker says
(February 24, 1850-December 9, 1884) Louisiana native John Creighton Buchanan moved to East Texas and established a legal practice in Quitman. He became the first Wood County Attorney in 1876, the year before he married Sarah Rosalie "Rosa" Patten (1855-1941). He represented Rains, Wood, Upshur, Gregg and Smith counties in the Texas Senate from 1878 until his death in 1884 at age 34. As a senator, Buchanan was a strong advocate of education. He authored a bill to establish normal schools in Texas, secured a grant to finance Mineola schools, and drafted the bill that created the University of Texas. (1999)