John McClannahan Crockett
Encyclopedia
John McClannahan Crockett (December 26, 1816 – August 4, 1887) was a Texan
lawyer, mayor of Dallas, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
. A South Carolina
native, Crockett moved to Texas in 1847. He became the second mayor of Dallas, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
from 1861–1863.
, on December 26, 1816. He studied at Franklin Academy in Lancaster. Before studying law, he was involved in a business career. He married Catherine W. Polk on March 17, 1837. He started studying law in 1841, and in 1844, he was granted a license to practice law.
in 1847. In 1848 they moved to the Dallas area. William H. Hord, the brother-in-law of Crockett, was county judge there. Crockett started practicing law in the Dallas area, and also became deputy county clerk there. He became commissioner of the Mercer colony in 1850. In 1851 he became state representative from the Dallas area. He was involved in multiple court trials, and was a law partner of John Jay Good
in the first half of the 1850s.
Dallas was granted a town charter on February 2, 1856 by the Texas legislature
. He became the second mayor of Dallas in 1857. He served for three terms. He became meteorological observer for the Smithsonian Institution, Dallas in 1859, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
in 1861. He left the lieutenant governor's office in 1863. Despite a supportive constituency, he refused to enter the race for the governorship of Texas. He went back to the Dallas area to become superintendent of the Confederate arms factory in Lancaster, Texas
. He was an incorporator of Dallas Grain, Elevator, and Flouring Company in 1872. In 1875 he became a charter member of the executive committee of the Dallas Pioneers Association.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
lawyer, mayor of Dallas, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
. A South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
native, Crockett moved to Texas in 1847. He became the second mayor of Dallas, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
from 1861–1863.
Early life
Crockett was born at Lancaster, South CarolinaLancaster, South Carolina
Lancaster is a city in Lancaster County, South Carolina which is in the United States and is located 35 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina and 20 miles east of Rock Hill, South Carolina. As of the United States Census of 2010, the city population was 10,160. It is the county seat of...
, on December 26, 1816. He studied at Franklin Academy in Lancaster. Before studying law, he was involved in a business career. He married Catherine W. Polk on March 17, 1837. He started studying law in 1841, and in 1844, he was granted a license to practice law.
Life in Texas
Crockett and his wife, Catherine, moved to the city of Paris, TexasParis, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
in 1847. In 1848 they moved to the Dallas area. William H. Hord, the brother-in-law of Crockett, was county judge there. Crockett started practicing law in the Dallas area, and also became deputy county clerk there. He became commissioner of the Mercer colony in 1850. In 1851 he became state representative from the Dallas area. He was involved in multiple court trials, and was a law partner of John Jay Good
John Jay Good
John Jay Good was a Texan judge, soldier, and mayor of the city of Dallas.-Biography:John Jay Good was born July 12, 1827 Monroe County, Mississippi to George Good. He married Susan Anna Floyd, daughter of Nathaniel Crosby Floyd and Susan Umpstead Hart, on July 25, 1854 in Dallas, Texas...
in the first half of the 1850s.
Dallas was granted a town charter on February 2, 1856 by the Texas legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
. He became the second mayor of Dallas in 1857. He served for three terms. He became meteorological observer for the Smithsonian Institution, Dallas in 1859, and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
in 1861. He left the lieutenant governor's office in 1863. Despite a supportive constituency, he refused to enter the race for the governorship of Texas. He went back to the Dallas area to become superintendent of the Confederate arms factory in Lancaster, Texas
Lancaster, Texas
Lancaster is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 25,894 at the 2000 census.Lancaster is a suburb of Dallas, Texas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Lancaster, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Duncanville. Most of the city is in Dallas County. But a...
. He was an incorporator of Dallas Grain, Elevator, and Flouring Company in 1872. In 1875 he became a charter member of the executive committee of the Dallas Pioneers Association.