The Sterling Trio LbNA #76627

Ross Shaw Sterling was born in 1875 on a farm about 4 miles south of Anahuac, Texas. He grew up there, one of 9 children and never had more than a 4th grade education. He became the 31st governor of Texas, serving a single two-year term from January 20, 1931, to January 17, 1933. That’s remarkable on its own, but what he accomplished before and after being governor is almost unbelievable. He began working as a clerk at the age of 12. At the age of 21, Sterling launched his own merchandising business. In 1911, he, along with his brother Frank and other oilmen, he formed the Humble Oil Company, a predecessor of present-day Exxon-Mobil. They were joined in the venture by their sister Florence. Ross Sterling, his brother and his sister were referred to in the family as “The Sterling Trio”. In 1925, he sold Humble Oil Company and invested in real estate in the Houston area and got into politics, which led to winning the office of Governor. In 1933 Sterling returned to Houston, where he appeared little in public life, but in a few years had built another fortune in oil. He was president of the Sterling Oil and Refining Company from 1933 to 1946. He was president of the American Maid Flour Mills and the R. S. Sterling Investment Company and was chairman of the Houston National Bank and the Houston-Harris County Channel Navigation Board. Oh, and did I mention that he never got more than a 4th grade education”?

Directions: You need to find the Historical Marker which marks the location of the farm where Ross Sterling was born. The marker is near Anahuac, Texas, in Chambers County on Eagle Road (Farm to Market Road 563) 4.3 miles south of town, on the left side of the road.

To the box: You can park on the side of the road and walk across it to the marker. This hiding place is kind of old-school. By that I mean that you have to walk behind the marker to the treeline and find the big dead pine tree. The base of the tree is littered with bark that has fallen off the tree, leaves, pine needles and thorny vines. I wish I could have found a better place. Be very careful of the thorns, bring gloves if you can. You don’t have to go behind the tree, the box is on the front side under the rubble and a small rock.