Houston Family

General Sam Houston was born into a lineage steeped in courage and tenacity, traits he embodied throughout his storied life. His great-great-grandfather was Sir John Houston, who established the family estate in Scotland. Sir John’s second son, also John Houston emigrated to Ireland, and later brought his family to North America in 1735, settling first in Pennsylvania. Drawn south by the prospect of new lands, the Houston clan relocated to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where John’s son Robert, and later his grandson Major Samuel Houston, expanded their family’s holdings.

Samuel Houston, a major in the American Revolutionary War, and his wife Elizabeth Paxton Houston, were the proud parents of nine children, their fifth son being Sam Houston, born on March 2, 1793. The Houston family endured the untimely death of the elder Samuel in 1807, which prompted their move to Blount County, Tennessee, under the care of Elizabeth. It was there in Tennessee that the legend that became Sam Houston began to grow.

A significant figure in 19th-century American history, Sam Houston is most notably recognized for his instrumental role in Texas’s independence from Mexico and subsequent admission into the United States. In his personal life, Houston was first married to Eliza Allen while Governor of Tennessee, a union which quickly ended in scandal and eventual divorce. Prior to his divorce in 1837, he lived for several years with a young Cherokee widow named Tiana Rogers. His descendants all spring from his final marriage to Margaret Moffette Lea.

Sam Houston’s legacy continues to inspire, from his humble beginnings in a hardworking Scots-Irish family to his instrumental role in shaping the destiny of Texas. His descendants reflect the spirit of their father – resilient, brave, and committed to the causes they held dear. As we remember Sam Houston, we also remember the lineage from which he sprang and the family he cherished.