Samuel R. Frost

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Samuel R. Frost.

Born March 1, 1846, right there in Huntsville, Texas. Died January 1, 1908. And in between those two dates, he managed to leave his mark on Navarro County in about every way a man legally could.

He grew up in Navarro County, and when 1863 came around, he enlisted in the Confederate army. The war ended, as wars do, and Frost turned his attention to the law. He studied, he worked, and by 1870 he was admitted to the bar.

Now here's where it gets interesting, because most folks pick a lane. Frost did not pick a lane. County attorney.

County judge. District judge. State legislator.

He moved through the offices of Navarro County like a man with a checklist and plenty of ink in his pen. All the while, he and his wife Mary, born a Winkler, were raising nine children. Nine.

So the courtroom was probably restful by comparison. The town of Frost, sitting about twenty miles west of here, was named in his honor. One man, one county, a whole lot of service, and a town on the map to prove it.

Not a bad accounting for a life.

What the marker says

(Mar. 1, 1846 - Jan. 1, 1908) A native of Huntsville, Texas, Samuel R. Frost grew up in Navarro County and in 1863 enlisted in the Confederate army. After the Civil War, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1870. In the years that followed, Frost served as Navarro County attorney, county judge, district judge, and state legislator. He and his wife, Mary (Winkler), were the parents of nine children. The town of Frost (20 mi. W) was named in his honor. Recorded - 1984