DUANE
Duane's take
The marker's the source, and here's how Duane tells it. Now, half a mile northwest of where you're rolling right now, there's a man buried who packed about four lifetimes into one. His name was David Ervin Lawhon, and the story starts in Tennessee, where he was born on June 15, 1811.
While he was still young — young enough that most boys are just figuring out which end of a horse is which — David Lawhon was already learning the printing trade. And not in some one-horse town, either. He worked at it in some of the principal cities of the United States.
The man knew his way around a press. Then came November of 1835. Texas was calling out for volunteers for its army, and Lawhon answered.
He came to Nacogdoches, and what happened next tells you everything about how the Republic got built. They pressed him into service — pressed him, mind you — publishing the Texean and Emigrant's Guide, loaded with essential war proclamations. While other men were loading rifles, Lawhon was loading type.
He printed handbills, patriotic songs, legal documents. His newspaper was one of several printed in Texas during the war for independence in 1836. Words as weapons.
Ink as ammunition. But David Lawhon was not a man who stayed put. In 1839 he moved to what is now Jefferson County, traded the press for cattle, and took up ranching.
He served as captain of a ranger company — so yes, he could fight too. And if that weren't enough, he served as the county's chief justice during the days of the Republic of Texas. Publisher, printer, rancher, ranger, judge.
The frontier had a way of asking everything of a man, and Lawhon had a way of saying yes. In 1840, he married Nancy Carr — a daughter of one of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred settlers.
That's a lineage that carries weight in Texas history, and their union produced eleven children who carried on that pioneering spirit and tradition. The years kept moving. He moved to Bastrop County in 1861 and tried his hand at farming.
Then moved again to Williamson County, where he died on February 14, 1884. Half a mile northwest of here. A printer who came when Texas called, who set type by lamplight while a revolution crackled around him, who ranched and rode and judged and farmed across decades of a young state finding its feet.
The marker says he contributed much to the early development of Texas. I'd say that's putting it modestly.
What the marker says
(Buried 1/2 mile NW of here) Born in Tennessee on June 15, 1811. While very young learned the printing trade and worked at it in some of the principal cities of the United States. Came to Nacogdoches, Texas, in November 1835, in answer to pleas for volunteers for Texas army. Was pressed into service publishing the "Texean and Emigrant's Guide," with essential war proclamations. Also printed handbills, patriotic songs and legal documents. His newspaper was one of several printed in Texas during war for independence, 1836. In 1839, moved to what is now Jefferson County and engaged in cattle ranching. Served as captain of a ranger company. Was county's chief justice during the days of the Republic of Texas. Moved to Bastrop County in 1861, where he tried farming; then moved to Williamson County where he died February 14, 1884. As a newspaper publisher and printer for the Army of the Revolution (1835-1836), an Indian fighter, frontiersman and judge, he contributed much to the early development of Texas. In 1840, David Lawhon married Nancy Carr, a daughter of one of Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred" settlers. Their eleven children carried on their pioneering spirit and tradition. (1967)