John Henry Kirby, son of John T. and Sarah Payne Kirby, was born in the village of Peachtree in north Tyler County, Texas, in 1860. A promising young student, he was encouraged to move to Woodville to attend schools with a more challenging curriculum. After marrying Lelia Stewart in 1883, he joined the staff of Texas State Senator and attorney Samuel Cooper, gained admittance to the Texas Bar in 1885, and became Cooper's law partner. After helping Boston investors form the Texas and Louisiana Land and Timber Company, he founded his own Kirby Lumber Company in 1901. That company grew into a regional economic powerhouse, creating numerous lumber mill towns in Southeast Texas, employing more than 16,000 people, and controlling more than a million acres of timberland. Kirby built a lumber empire and became known as the "Prince of the Pines." Though immensely wealthy and prominent in Texas and the nation, he remained mindful of his Tyler County roots. His philanthropy in East Texas included gifts to churches, schools, parks, and organizations, as well as his donation of land and funds to build Kirby High School at this site in 1928. The last Kirby High School class graduated in 1979.