Mark in Texas History: C.W. Raines served many roles in history of East Texas

MINEOLA, Texas (KLTV) - We begin in Georgia and end up here in East Texas. That’s where Cadwell Walton Raines made his mark in Texas history.

It was 1853 when C.W. Raines first came to Texas with his parents. He lived in Rockwall and Paris before enlisting in the  army in 1861.

Following the war, Raines married Mary Bowden in 1871. They moved to Arkansas, where he served as a Methodist preacher.

After that it was back to Texas, where he practiced law in Canton. It was during his time as an attorney that he crossed paths with future governor James Stephen Hogg, and Raines entered the newspaper business.

In 1880, Hogg sent him to Mineola to begin publishing The Hawkeye newspaper. Fast forward four years, and C. W. became an educator in Quitman, where he taught at the Concord Academy.

He was elected Wood County judge in 1886 and served two terms. In 1891, Raines became state librarian and was the library’s leader until his death in 1906.

He wore many hats during his lifetime, and history was always his passion. Raines was a co-founder of the Texas State Historical Association.

In 2001, a marker was placed in Mineola to honor his legacy. You can see the marker on Commerce Street, just west of Johnson Street.