Historic Marshall Home Shelters Four Generations of Starr Family *
Dr. James Harper Starr (1809-1890) and his family played a prominent role in the early chapters of Texas' story. Starr and his wife Harriet moved from Georgia to the Lone Star State in January 1837, drawn by the promise of opportunity in the new Republic, a place where they would eventually build a legacy for their children. Starr established his medical practice in Nacogdoches but found his real opportunities in the state's land. His brother's service in the cause of Texas' independence helped gain Dr. Starr an appointment to the General Land Office's board of commissioners in 1837, but his reputation for frugality and practicality secured his appointment as secretary of the treasury two years later. Starr left this position due to financial difficulties but soon abandoned his medical practice for the profitable business of land, becoming an 24 T E X A S
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agent for the Republic of Texas. His reputation as an authority on land laws helped the business grow into one of the most active firms advertising Texas land to prospective settlers. In 1868, Dr. Starr and his son Franklin (Frank) formed James H. Starr and Son, a land and banking business, in Marshall, one of the first banks in Texas. The doctor moved his family to Marshall two years later, purchasing a home called Rosemont where he and Harriet lived for the remainder of their lives. He retired in 1873, but the company continued under family ownership and is still in business today. Dr. Starr died in 1890 and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Marshall. He was known for his life-long temperance, his commitment to education, and his frugality. Starr County was named for him when it was organized in 1848.
Marshall: A Piney Woods Destination
The physician's son, Frank, married Clara Fry Clapp in 1868, and three years later, they built Maplecroft on land adjacent to Rosemont that was deeded to him by his father. The couple lived in Maplecroft for the rest of their lives, modernizing and renovating it through the years. Frank and Clara Starr raised six daughters and presided over an active household that employed schoolteachers for their children, cooks, maids, gardeners, drivers, and others who helped maintain the property. Frank Starr increased the family fortune through his land business, which spread into railroad, cotton, and timber holdings. His efforts influenced land development patterns in more than one-third of the state. Frank and Clara's six daughters married men who carried on the family business, and four of the siblings settled nearby in homes their parents built for them. The second youngest of the daughters, Ruth Starr Blake, moved back into Maplecroft in 1922, and she owned the property until her death in 1969. The home passed next to Clara Pope Willoughby, a granddaughter of Frank and Clara Starr. Clara Willoughby died in 1985, and the tenure of the Starr Family at the site, covering four generations in three households and 115 years of Texas history (1870-1985), came to an end. The state opened the property as a historic site in 1986. Learn the multi-generational story at the Starr Family Home State Historic Site or at www.visitstarrfamilyhome. com—Ellen Cone Busch, historic site supervisor, Texas Historical Commission This page: Franklin Starr joined Inis fatiier in business and increased the family fortune. Image provided by the Starr Family Home State Historic Site. Opposite page: Family patriarch Dr. James Harper Starr, pictured here, made his fortune in the land business. Courtesy of Starr Family Home State Historic Site.
Marshall, Texas, founded in 1841, is billed as a "history buff's delight." Among the East Texas city's noted historical distinctions: it became the Harrison County seat in 1842 and served as the capitol of the Confederacy west of the Mississippi after the fall of Vicksburg. Heritage tourists visiting Marshall are offered a diverse range of historical venues to explore. • The Harrison County Courthouse, built in 1901 and located in the city's center, has been authentically restored and features a stained-glass dome. • New Town, a historic African American neighborhood, is home to Wiley College, the oldest black college west of the Mississippi River. • The Ginnochio Historic District includes numerous historic properties including the Allen House, circa 1879, and the Ginnochio Hotel, constructed in 1896 to serve passengers of the nearby Texas & Pacific Railway. • The Harrison County Historical Museum has one of the largest collections of documents and artifacts relating to the early settlement of Northeast Texas. • The Texas & Pacific Depot, built in 1912, is an active Amtrak station, which includes a railroad museum. • The Starr Family Home State Historic Site showcases 150 years of family history, including some time that predates their residency in Marshall. Tour Maplecroft Mansion, Rosemont Cottage, the Starr-Blake Home, and four other buildings (see the Starr Family history that begins on page 24). V o l u m e 2 2 0 1 3 | T E X A S HERITAGE 25