The Jim and Sallie Hogg Honeymoon Cottage is located in the Governor Jim Hogg Park in Quitman, Texas, which was the first home of Governor and Sallie Hogg (Sarah Ann Leannah Stinson).
Americans might not know the names of many governors from states other than their own, especially not from decades ago, but Governor James Stephen “Big Jim” Hogg (March 24, 1851 – March 3, 1906) of Texas could be an exception. Hogg was known to be a great governor, but non-Texans might recognize his name from the name he gave his only daughter: Ima. Some joked that he had a second daughter named Ura, but Ima had only brothers, who had ordinary names — Will, Mike and Tom.
Ima’s name was taken from The Fate of Marvin, an epic poem written by her uncle Thomas Hogg. Ima (July 10, 1882 – August 19, 1975) didn’t like her name, and had no middle name, so she often used only her first initial. As soon as he heard of his new granddaughter’s odd name, Ima’s maternal grandfather raced to his son-in-law’s house to protest, but Ima had already been christened. She never married and kept her last name until she died.
Ima Hogg, around 1900, from Wikipedia.
Ima was known as “The First Lady of Texas.” She was an American society leader, philanthropist, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century, Her father was a lawyer, state attorney general and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was the first Texas governor to have been born in Texas and was governor from 1891 to 1895. I first thought of writing about Jim Hogg when I saw a highway named after him near Tyler, Texas, which I often visit. Other places in Texas are named for him, too.
Jim Hogg County in southern Texas is named after him. There is a Jim Hogg Historic Site near Rusk, Hogg’s birthplace.
In 1906, Governor Hogg asked that a pecan tree be planted at his grave instead of a traditional headstone, requesting that the seeds be distributed throughout the state to make Texas a “Land of Trees”. His wish was carried out and this brought more attention to pecan trees. In 1919, the 36th Texas Legislature made the pecan tree the state tree of Texas. The Texas town of San Saba claims to be “The Pecan Capital of the World.”
Governor Jim Hogg became his political career in Wood County, a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,964. Its county seat is Quitman. The county was named for George T. Wood, governor of Texas from 1847 to 1849.
Wood County Courthouse, Quitman, Texas.
To learn about the Hogg family’s contributions to the state of Texas, as well as what Ima thought about her unusual name, click on these links:
About Texas Governor Jim Hogg.
About Governor Jim Hogg Park in Quitman, Texas.
Jim Hogg Historic Site, Rusk, Texas.
About The Jim Hogg Highway, near Mineola, Texas.
Another famous name associated with Quitman, Texas, is the actress Sissy Spacek, who was born in the town and has a street there named after her.
A street in Quitman, Texas, is named for the actress Sissy Spacek, a native of the town.
Click on any thumbnail to see a larger size of the photo.
Catherine Sherman 