Eight is Enough: The Houston Family Legacy

by Olivia Discon

Huntsville is home to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Presidential Library (SHMM) for good reason. Sam Houston and his family made their home here, and their lasting legacy continues to shape our community. But what did their lives actually look like beyond Sam Houston’s legendary public service? SHMM set out to explore that very question through a new exhibit titled The Fate of the Eight—a look at the lives of Sam and Margaret Houston’s eight children: Temple Lea, Margaret Lea, Antoinette Power, Andrew Jackson (AJ), Nancy Elizabeth, Mary William, Sam Houston Jr., and William Rogers.

LEAP Ambassadors attended the exhibit’s opening reception on May 13, 2025, which was well-attended by community members and history lovers alike. Jude Routh, SHMM Curator of Exhibits, remarked that while the display was expansive, it only scratched the surface of the museum’s Houston family archives.

Centered in the exhibit space were personal artifacts—swords, Bibles, marriage licenses, family photos—that brought the Houstons’ story to life.

Below is a brief look into the lives of each of the eight Houston children, all of whom carved unique paths shaped by their family’s name, their own aspirations, and the changing world around them:

Sam Houston Jr.
Born in 1843 at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Sam Jr. was the first child of Sam and Margaret Houston. He attended Baylor University and Bastrop Military Academy before enlisting in the Confederate Army. Wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, he was later released from a Union prison and returned to Texas. He studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and practiced in several towns before turning to writing later in life. He died in 1894 in Independence, Texas.

Nancy Elizabeth “Nannie” Houston
Born in 1846 at the family’s Raven Hill plantation, Nannie was the Houstons’ eldest daughter. She was educated at home and at Baylor and was known for her musical talent. After marrying Joseph Morrow, she raised six children and cared for her younger siblings following her mother’s death. She died in 1920 and was buried in Georgetown, Texas.

Margaret Lea “Maggie” Houston Williams
Maggie, born in 1848, assisted her father with correspondence during his later years. She married Captain Weston Williams and lived for many years in Independence, later relocating to San Antonio. When she died in 1906, the Alamo flew its flag at half-mast in her honor.

Mary William “Mary Willie” Houston
Born in 1850, Mary Willie was educated at Baylor Female Seminary. She married John Morrow and, after being widowed, served as postmistress in Abilene. Known for her church involvement and independence, she died in 1931.

Antoinette Power “Nettie” Houston Bringhurst
Born in 1852, Nettie was a gifted poet whose works were sung in Texas schools. Married in the Governor’s Mansion and later active in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, she led a literary life. She was killed in a car accident in 1932 and buried in San Antonio.

Andrew Jackson Houston
Born in 1854, Andrew had a long and varied career that included service as a U.S. Marshal, military school cadet, lawyer, and historian. In 1941, at age 87, he was appointed U.S. Senator, making him the oldest person to serve in that body at the time. He supported completion of the San Jacinto Monument before his death that same year.

William Rogers Houston
Born in 1858 in Huntsville, William Rogers Houston was the seventh child of Sam and Margaret. Though often sick as a child, he grew into a strong and devoted man. He served in the U.S. Indian Service, a role that reflected both his sense of duty and the legacy of his father’s early years with Native American communities. William never married and remained deeply connected to his siblings throughout his life. He died while on official duty in Oklahoma.

 Temple Lea Houston
The youngest of the Houston children, Temple was born in 1860 in the Texas Governor’s Mansion. A gifted orator and attorney, he gained fame as a frontier lawyer known for his dramatic courtroom presence. He served in the Texas Senate and later as counsel for the Santa Fe Railroad.

The Houston family has a strong legacy here in Huntsville, and it was great for us LEAP Ambassadors to learn more about it through The Fate of the Eight exhibit.

If you happened to miss this exhibit, you are in luck. It runs through June 29, 2025, so there’s plenty of time to check it out and enjoy this wonderful hub of culture and history in the Huntsville community.