Ferguson House
518 N. 7th St., Temple, TXThe Ferguson House in Temple is significant as the residence of two of the most colorful personalities in the history of Texas politics - James and Miriam Ferguson, often called "Pa" and "Ma". The husband-and-wife team developed a Populist political technique and style that dominated the state's government for twenty-five years.
Jim and Miriam Ferguson were both born and reared in Bell County, Texas. Jim Ferguson worked his way into community affairs by first farming his father's homestead, acquiring the nickname of "Farmer Jim", which he would later use as a political slogan in many campaigns. In 1897 he was admitted to the Texas bar, and became active in local and regional politics. Ferguson married Miriam Wallace in 1899. In 1907, he established the Texas State Bank of Temple and built the home at 518 North 7th Street.
In 1914, Jim Ferguson was elected governor on an anti-prohibition, protenant farmer ticket. During his first term, he provided for the penitentiary system's becoming self-sustaining, instituted state aid for rural schools, and created the Austin State School, a school for mentally-retarded citizens still in existence.
In 1916 he again ran successfully but the second term was marked by controversy instead of achievements, Ferguson soon became embroiled in an argument with the University of Texas Board of Regents over the Board's refusal to fire several faculty members he disliked. The governor retaliated by vetoing almost the entire University appropriation.
The furor surrounding Ferguson increased when the Travis County grand jury revived old charges that had originated during the 1916 campaign. A combination of old and new charges led to an indictment on July 21, 1917, on nine counts, including misapplication of public funds, embezzlement, and diversion of a special fund.
As a result, a special session was called to consider charges of impeachment. Of the twenty-one articles of impeachment, ten were sustained by the Senate. Ferguson was convicted on a vote of 25 to 3 for his quarrel with the University, misapplication of public funds, failure to respect state banking laws, and refusal to disclose the source of a $156,500 cash fund. The Senate declared that Ferguson could never again hold any office of honor, trust, or profit in state government. Contending that the High Court of Impeachment was a farce, Ferguson ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1918.
Miriam made her first appearance on the ballot in 1924, blatantly admitting that her husband would be the real power in the capital building. Her campaign slogan was "Texas will have two governors for the price of one" ("Jim's price", her opponents said) and her platform included vindication of the Ferguson name, attacks on the Ku Klux Klan, and a promise to reduce state expenditures by $15,000,000 a year. She was elected but was unable to fulfill her promises. In addition, she was accused of graft in the letting of highway contracts and accepting bribes, a charge stemming from her pardon of about 100 convicts per month. These detractions helped Dan Moody defeat her in the 1926 election. The Fergusons again ran "Ma" in 1930 but she was defeated in a runoff by Ross Sterlin in 1932, Miriam was elected to her second term as governor of Texas. Her promise to lower taxes had appealed to Depression-torn Texas. A high point of this second, less controversial term was her attempt, although unsuccessful, to tax the gross income of corporations. In 1940, Miriam ran her last campaign for governor at the age of 65. Although her platform of pensions for qualified persons over 65, elimination of waste in government spending, aid to tenant farmers, a large education appropriation, and the third term for Franklin D. Roosevelt still attracted 100,000 votes, she was defeated. With this defeat, the Fergusons ended their active political life but continued to campaign for their favorite candidates. Jim Ferguson died in 1944, and Miriam in 1961. They are buried together in the State Cemetery in Austin.
Jim and Miriam Ferguson were the first husband and wife ever elected to the governorship of any state, and, she was the first woman elected to that office. Between the two of them, they were elected four times and ran for the governorship eight times. Their obvious partnership was cheerfully expressed in the slogan "Me for Ma, and I ain't got a darned thing against Pa, either!" Although their administrations were dogged by accusations of a wide variety of transgressions and embraced many daringly progressive ideas, they repeatedly re-surfaced at the top of the political pool by appealing to the "home folks". Jim Ferguson was perhaps the most finished exponent of the cornbread and pot liquor style of political campaigning that Texas has ever known. His "country boy" approach assured him, and thereby Miriam, the backcountry vote, called by his opponents the "vest pocket" vote. This personal appeal and their undaunted table self-confidence made Ma and Pa Ferguson folk heroes in the eyes of many Texans who are unfamiliar with or in disagreement with their politics.
As was their style, the Fergusons were very visible residents of Temple. The big house on 7th Street was the hub of the publicity that surrounded their political careers and attracted both admirers and detractors, such as the Ku Klux Klan members that threw rocks at the windows while Miriam and the girls calmly finished their dinner inside. Many details of Ferguson's life, like the white Stanley Steamer, kept in the carriage house, are recalled by local residents.
The Fergusons and their daughters Ouida and Dorrace occupied the Temple house from 1907 until Jim's first term in office (1 915), when they moved to the Governor's Mansion in Austin. After the impeachment in 1917, they returned to Temple and remained until Miriam's election in 1924, when they returned to the Governor's Mansion Between her two terms, the Fergusons lived in Temple. After her election in 1932, the family moved to Austin permanently but retained the Temple house as rental property until 1941, when they sold it. Since then, it has been sold four times. It is being restored by the present owner. No other sites possess a strong association with Jim and Miriam Ferguson.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.