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(April 11, 1844 - April 19, 1922) Born in New Hampshire, Ira H.Evans grew up in Vermont. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army, attaining the rank of major. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor and in 1865 was a member of the Honor Guard for the funeral of President Lincoln. Following the war, Evans was stationed in Texas along the Rio Grande until 1866. After his discharge from the Army in 1867, he returned to the area as an agent for The Freedmen's Bureau. He was elected to the Texas Legislature in 1869 and in 1870 was chosen Speaker of the house, the first Republicna and youngest person to date to hold that office. He was removed as Speaker on May 10,1871, in a dispute over interpretation of the 1869 state constitution. Evans began a business career in 1872 and, as President of the New York & Texas Land Company, became a leader in Texas railroads and land development. He moved to Austin in 1885. Active in civic affairs, he served as President of the board of Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson College) from 1911 to 1920. Evans bought this house in 1892 and hired noted architect Alfred Giles to remodel it to its current appearance. He moved to California in 1921 and, after his death in San Diego in 1922, was buried in Vermont. (1991) |
