DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Temple Lea Houston, out of Wheeler County. Now, some names carry weight before a man even opens his mouth. Temple Lea Houston was born on August 12, 1860 — son of Sam Houston, the Texas hero himself.
You want to talk about pressure. You want to talk about a shadow that stretches long across the prairie. But Temple Lea Houston was not a man content to live in anybody's shadow.
He became an attorney — a brilliant one, by the marker's own word — and he practiced law right here in Wheeler County. The old courthouse where he worked those cases still figures in the local memory, and his home stood near that same ground. A man rooted deep.
He didn't stop at the courtroom, either. The people of this county sent him to Austin as their state senator, and he served from 1885 to 1887. And then — and here is a moment worth savoring — when the great Texas Capitol was completed, it was Temple Lea Houston they asked to give the dedicatory speech in 1888.
The son of Sam Houston, standing before the grandest building in the state, speaking for Texas. If that isn't a scene, I don't know what is. Back home, he had built a life alongside his wife, Laura Cross, whom he married in 1882.
Together they raised three sons. Temple Lea Houston died on August 15, 1905 — just three days past his own birthday. A brilliant attorney.
A state senator. A son of Texas in every sense the word allows. Some men borrow their legacy.
This one earned his.
What the marker says
(August 12, 1860 - August 15, 1905) Brilliant attorney and state senator from this county, 1885-1887. Son of Texas hero Sam Houston. Old courthouse where he practiced law and his home were both near here. He gave dedicatory speech for Texas Capitol in 1888. Married Laura Cross in 1882; they had three sons. (1968)