John Gordon Beasley

Duane's take

The way the marker in Houston County tells it, here's the story of John Gordon Beasley. Now, some men leave a mark on a town. Big Jack Beasley left a whole city block's worth.

Born on July 3, 1888, John Gordon Beasley, Sr., went by the nickname Big Jack, and in Crockett, Texas, that name carried weight. The marker calls him a leading figure in 20th-century Crockett history, and once you hear what the man was up to, you'll understand why. He had his hands in a number of local businesses, and in 1928, he helped organize the Davy Crockett Federal Savings and Loan.

That's the kind of thing that puts roots down in a community, the kind of work that outlasts the man who starts it. Then came 1936, and Crockett handed Big Jack the mayor's chair. He'd hold that office straight through to 1940, and here's the thing about that particular stretch of time.

The city was marking its centennial celebration. A hundred years old, and somebody had to make sure it looked the part. Under Beasley's administration, Crockett got paved streets and lighted streets.

It got the Davy Crockett Memorial Building and Park. These weren't small gestures. These were the kinds of improvements a city carries forward into its next hundred years.

John Gordon Beasley, Sr., passed away on April 5, 1959. But in Crockett, you can still walk those streets he helped pave, and maybe stop a moment at that park bearing the name the whole town shares.

What the marker says

(July 3, 1888 -- April 5, 1959) A leading figure in 20th-century Crockett history, John Gordon "Big Jack" Beasley, Sr., was involved in a number of local businesses, including the Davy Crockett Federal Savings and Loan, which he helped organize in 1928. Beasley served as mayor of Crockett (1936-1940) during the city's centennial celebration. Accomplishments of his administration included paved and lighted streets for the city and Davy Crockett Memorial Building and Park.