Eber Worthington Cave (July 14, 1831 – March 28, 1904) was a journalist, civic promoter, and politician in Texas. He was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and began working as a printer in New Jersey. He moved to Texas in 1853 and bought the ''Nacogdoches Chronicle'' in 1854. As editor of this newspaper, he opposed re-opening the African slave trade and supported

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

in his effort to become Governor in the late 1850s. Houston made Cave his Secretary of State in late 1859. An opponent of secession, Cave resigned in early 1861. He did later materially support the Confederacy and served as a Confederate officer with the rank of Major. In 1864 he sold what was later known as the

Mrs. Sam Houston House Mrs. Sam Houston House is a historic house on Farm to Market Road 390 in Independence, Texas. Sometimes known as the Root house, this Greek Revival house was built probably around 1855. Margaret Lea Houston, the widow of politician and Texas sta ...

to his friend

Margaret Lea Houston Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 – December 3, 1867) was First Lady of the Republic of Texas during her husband Sam Houston's second term as President of the Republic of Texas. They met following the first of his two non-consecutive terms ...

. In his later years, Cave was an executive with railroad and shipping companies. He helped to promote what eventually became the

Houston Ship Channel The Houston Ship Channel, in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston, one of the busiest seaports in the world. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and it serves an incr ...

. Major Cave died March 28, 1904, several days after falling from a streetcar, and was buried in Houston in Glenwood Cemetery.

References

Handbook of Texas Online - Eber Worthington Cave
1831 births 1904 deaths Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Texas Secretaries of state of Texas Journalists from Texas {{Texas-politician-stub