W. S. Robson

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about W. S. Robson, right here in Fayette County.

Now, some men arrive in Texas with a reputation already made. William Sion Robson arrived as a one-year-old, which means he had to build every bit of his from scratch. Born February 4, 1851, in Georgia, young William came west with his parents in 1852, and the family put down roots first in Round Top, about seventeen miles northeast of where we're standing.

Then in 1863 they moved again, this time to the La Grange area, and that is where William Sion Robson would make his mark. He started out as a butcher. Not exactly the stuff of legend, but a man's got to begin somewhere, and Robson was clearly just getting warmed up.

He worked his way through public office, serving as tax assessor and deputy district clerk, learning the machinery of county government from the inside out. Then he became a lawyer. And once he had that, well, Fayette County took notice.

In 1890 the voters elected him Fayette County Judge, and they kept electing him, three terms in all. Along the way he became a charter member of the Texas Bar Association, and he stayed active in political and fraternal circles throughout his career. Back in 1880, he and his wife Lucy, born in 1854, built the original section of the home that marker is standing beside right now.

Lucy, born Lucy Praetorius, would live on until 1922. William Sion Robson himself passed on October 7, 1905. A Georgia-born boy who crossed into Texas before he could walk, and ended up shaping the law of Fayette County for a generation.

Not a bad run for a man who started behind a butcher's counter.

What the marker says

(Feb. 4, 1851 - Oct. 7, 1905) Georgia native William Sion Robson migrated to Texas with his parents in 1852. After settling in Round Top (17 miles NE), the family moved to the La Grange area in 1863. After working as a butcher, Robson served in several public offices, including tax assessor and deputy district clerk. In 1880 he and his wife Lucy (Praetorius) (1854-1922) built the original section of this home. Robson became a lawyer and in 1890 was elected Fayette County Judge, a position he held for three terms. A charter member of Texas Bar Association, he was also active in political and fraternal groups. (1982)