Granbury in Hood County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Nellie Gray Robertson

Photographed by Brian Anderson, August 10, 2019

1. Nellie Gray Robertson Marker

Inscription. Born in 1894 as the sixth and only daughter of William Jarrett Robertson and Arminda Barton Robertson, Nellie Gray Robertson grew up amid financial hardships in Hood County. She entered the University of Texas in the fall of 1912 and attended for six years. Nellie passed the Texas Bar in 1918 to join the male-dominated profession of law. Nellie returned to Hood County to run in the Democratic Party primary for County Attorney. She became the first female County Attorney in the State of Texas. Between 1918 and 1926, Nellie was elected County Attorney for three terms. In 1922, she ran for County Judge of Hood County against four men and lost. However, in May of the next year, Nellie returned to the County Attorney's seat. She was named to sit as Chief Justice on the first all-woman Texas Supreme Court in 1925 but she could not serve because of the rule that any justice had to have practiced law for at least seven years. She was a couple of months shy of this requirement.

Nellie lived at home with her mother on Travis Street in Granbury and never married. After Nellie left elected office in 1926, she moved to New York City to write law books for Doubleday Publishing. Nellie returned to Texas to work for the Stewart Abstract and Title Guarantee Company in Houston in 1927. She was promoted to manage the Stewart Title Company in Beaumont where she worked for 20 years. Nellie was also a partner in the Beaumont law firm Stewart, Burgess, Morris, and Robertson. Nellie was very active in the community, serving as Grand Matron of the Granbury chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. Nellie Robertson helped open the doors for women to become involved in politics and positions of power in Texas.

Erected 2014 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17832.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Women.

Location. 32° 26.551′ N, 97° 47.22′ W. Marker is in Granbury, Texas, in Hood County. It is on East Pearl Street (Business U.S. 377), on the right when traveling west. Marker is located on the courthouse grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 West Pearl Street, Granbury TX 76048, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region

and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: City named for Texas Confederate General H.B. Granbury (here, next to this marker); Hood County Courthouse (a few steps from this marker); County Named for Famous Confederate General John Bell Hood (a few steps from this marker);

Photographed by Brian Anderson, August 10, 2019

2. Nellie Gray Robertson Marker

Harris Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Granbury Opera House (within shouting distance of this marker); Haynes-Burns-Ewell Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Baker-Rylee Building and Town Square Service Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The Granbury House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Granbury.

Also see . . . Robertson, Nellie Gray - The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) (Submitted on August 22, 2019, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2019, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. This page has been viewed 548 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 24, 2019, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.