Robert N. Stafford

(November 6, 1856 - June 18, 1911) A Georgia native and son of a Methodist minister, Robert N. Stafford moved to Mineola in 1880. He was county attorney from 1880 to 1882, served two terms as district attorney, and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1894. He served twice as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. A longtime advocate of public education, he donated two acres of land to the city of Mineola for an African American school in 1902. In addition to his public service, Stafford edited the Quitman Record, worked for the International and Great Northern Railroad, and managed the Mineola Ice and Light Company. (1999)