Houston, Lock E., 1814-1897

Lock E. Houston was a politician and judge in Mississippi in the nineteenth century. Born on May 19, 1814, in Knox County, Tennessee, Houston became a blacksmith at a young age to raise money for his education. He graduated from the University of Tennessee and then became a teacher in Alabama. He subsequently studied law and moved to Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he became a practicing attorney. By the 1850s Houston was active in state politics and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives during the Civil War. From 1863 to 1865 he was Speaker of the House. Houston served in various other positions after the war, including circuit court judge and chairman of state and county Democratic executive committees. He died on January 18, 1897, in Aberdeen. Houston was married to Sue Maury Parrish and had at least seven children that survived until adulthood. He is buried in Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery in Aberdeen, Mississippi. (FindaGrave; Wikipedia; The Weekly Democrat-Times, Greensville, MS, January 27, 1897)