Allan Shivers was born here in a now-razed house on Oct. 5, 1907, to Robert and Easter C. Shivers of a pioneer East Texas family. As a youth, he worked at odd jobs to earn his own pocket money. He served twelve years as a State Senator and two years as Lieutenant Governor. A strong, progressive Governor, he held the longest term in state history, marked by reforms in state hospitals and special schools, prison and highway improvement, protection of natural resources and historic sites, and creation of agencies on alcoholism and for higher education. In private life, he was one of Texas' outstanding business leaders.