Mills served in both House and Senate

By Dr. Tommy Stringer

November 15, 2008 09:26 pm

— The elegant house at 1200 West Second Avenue in Corsicana, which currently houses the offices of attorneys Barbara Moe and Lowell Dunn, was originally the private residence of a prominent political figure named Roger Qualls Mills. He was born in Kentucky in 1832 and came to Texas in 1849, settling in Palestine. As was customary in those days, he “read law” in the office of a local attorney and passed the bar. He then moved to the newly created community of Corsicana to establish a law practice and work as a road overseer. In the latter capacity, Mills helped build the first road from Corsicana to Waxahachie.
Mills’ political career began with his election to the Texas Legislature in 1859, as sectional tensions were mounting and disunion was imminent. He maintained strong pro-Southern views and signed the petition supporting Texas leaving the Union to join the Confederate States of America. As a member of the Confederate army, Mills was wounded twice and held the rank of colonel when the conflict ended in 1865. He then returned to Corsicana to resume both his law practice and his political career, openly challenging the Radical Republicans who controlled political power.
Mills was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1872 and served seven terms. As chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Mills promoted legislation that opposed high protective tariffs on imported goods. He was narrowly defeated for the position of Speaker of the House in 1891.
The following year he was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the vacant seat created by John Reagan who resigned to accept the chairmanship of the newly established Texas Railroad Commission. Mills was elected to a full six-year term at the next election, making him the only citizen of Corsicana to have served in both houses of the Federal Congress. The 1890s were marked by a period of expanding American involvement in world affairs, including the Spanish-American War and the United States annexation of Hawaii.
When his term ended in 1898, Mills chose not to seek re-election. He returned to Corsicana where he enjoyed a comfortable retirement, made possible by his investment in the newly developing oil industry that had come to the community in the 1890s. Washington and Lee University of Lexington, Virginia, conferred him an honorary degree in 1894.
Roger Mills County in Western Oklahoma is named in his honor. He died at his home on Second Avenue on Sept. 2, 1911, and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
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Dr. Tommy Stringer is executive director of the Navarro College Foundation.

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