Zachary Taylor Fulmore

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, some men spread themselves thin trying to be everything, and end up being not much of anything. Zachary Taylor Fulmore was not that kind of man.

He came into this world in North Carolina, and in 1870 he came to Texas, which, if you know anything about Texas, means the story is just getting started. He married Luella Robertson, granddaughter of the founder of Robertson Colony. So right away, the man had roots going deep into Texas soil, even if he'd only just arrived.

That's not nothing. That's a statement of intent. He settled in Austin and practiced law, and if that had been the whole of it, we'd still put up a marker.

But Fulmore was just warming up. He served as Chairman of the Texas Codifying Commission. He was one of the organizers of the Texas State School for Colored Deaf, Dumb, and Blind.

He was a charter member of the Texas State Historical Association, and then he became its President. He served as Chairman of the City School Trustees. The man filled, as the marker puts it, numerous commitments to State and City, which is a polite way of saying he showed up, again and again, for the things that mattered.

And then, as if all of that weren't enough, he sat down and wrote a book. Not just any book. A book the marker calls most valuable: History and Geography of Texas As Told In County Names.

Think about that title for a moment. The whole story of a place, told through what people chose to call things. Zachary Taylor Fulmore, jurist, educator, author, understood something most folks miss.

The names we leave behind say everything about who we were.

What the marker says

Jurist, educator and author. Born in North Carolina, he came in 1870 to Texas, where he married Luella Robertson, Granddaughter of founder of Robertson Colony. Practiced law in Austin; also filled numerous commitments to State and City. Chairman, Texas Codifying Commission. One of organizers of Texas State School for Colored Deaf, Dumb, and Blind. Charter member and President, Texas State Historical Association. Chairman,City School Trustees. Wrote a most valuable book, "History and Geography of Texas As Told In County Names."