We outdoorsy specimens run around hither and yon in the wilderness to new and familiar destinations as much as possible. But when do we take the time to research why this or that place is called by this or that name? We probably should, because knowing the history helps us to understand the culture. Bob Murphy Sandlin is the namesake of Lake Bob Sandlin.
Robert (Bob) Murphy Sandlin was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana, to Robert Hodges Sandlin and Lena Alice Murphy Sandlin on August 24, 1902. Sometime before 1937, Bob moved to the Mt. Pleasant, Texas, area. He served as a local businessman and civic leader his entire life. Sandlin Motors is a fixture in rural Northeast Texas to this very day.
Bob and his first wife, Vivyenne M La Robadiere Galloway, had one boy, Bob Murphy Sandlin Jr., in 1925 in Arkansas. Bob and his second wife had their first child in 1936, Sara, and their second son, Joe, in 1937. Bob moved to Texas sometime in the 1930s. Bob’s parents remained in Louisiana and are buried there.
Bob left a sales manager position in Henderson, Texas, in 1937 to buy interest in Irvin Chevrolet Co., and the dealership’s name changed to Irvin-Sandlin Chevrolet Co. By 1940, Bob had been married to Stella True Williams Sandlin for a few years and was living in Mt. Pleasant with True and their children, Sara, and Joe.
The Creation of Lake Bob Sandlin
The Fort Sherman Dam, named after a fort built in 1839 of the same name in the area, on Big Cypress Creek, created Lake Bob Sandlin. Big Cypress Creek is part of a chain of waters that were navigable before the railroads in the 1870s. The principle port on that chain was in Jefferson, Texas, between 1842 and 1872.
River traffic slowed way down during and after the railroad era, but the agricultural economy of the region continued to reign. In the 1950s, area county civic leaders began advocating construction of a reservoir on Big Cypress Creek for water supply and to attract industrial growth. It would be 1974 before this reservoir was realized.
Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 [Texas]
Voters and civic leaders established the Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 under the 60th Texas legislature in a county-wide election in 1966. Texas Utilities Electric Company invested in the project in 1973. The water company began to acquisition property for a dam and reservoir on Big Cypress Creek in 1973.
In that same election, the voters also elected B. M. Sandlin, A. C. Anderson, Harold Smith, John F. Cook and Buck Self as .the first Board of Directors of the District, and named Bob Sandlin president. Today’s Lake Bob Sandlin was Cherokee Trail Lake in 1974. The Cherokee Indians, after removal, historically traveled back and forth on an established trail from the Nacogdoches area to Oklahoma that crosses the lake.
A formal ceremony dedicated Cherokee Trail Lake as Lake Bob Sandlin on June 25, 1978. Fort Sherman, for what the dam was named, was a Republic of Texas stockade built in 1939 and now only an obscure note in Texas history. Sometime between 1842 and 1847, the fort fell into ruin. The Fort Sherman Cemetery lies within the Bob Sandlin State Park today and is inaccessible to enter.
Bob Sandlin worked for many years to bring about the reservoir that carries his name. After the lake’s impoundment in 1977, the Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 held the formal dedication ceremony in 1978 to honor Bob Sandlin’s commitment as its primary advocate to see the lake come to fruition.
Sandlin Family Values
All that time, Bob’s son, Joe Williams Sandlin, was growing up. Born in 1937, Joe joined Bob’s dealership in 1957. Joe eventually replaced his father as president and general manager in 1970, with Bob as vice president. Their company incorporated as Sandlin Motors. Bob’s grandson, Joe W. Sandlin, Jr., took over as VP in the 1980s.
Today, a fourth generation of Sandlins operates Sandlin Motors. The dealership and service center is in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Joe W. passed away at the age of 85 on May 23, 2023, and served as on the board of directors as president of Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 from 2009 until his passing in 2023.
Sandlin family history is scarce. Bob’s grandparents hailed from Georgia, his parents from Louisiana. Bob married Stella True Williams Sandlin, affectionately known as True. True was born in Arkansas. All available accounts point to the Sandlin family as deeply patriotic and civic-minded throughout their generations. From Bob’s son, Joe Sandlin’s obituary, we glean a bit about why this family served so historically and prominently in civic affairs.
Joe was born in and lived his entire life in Mt. Pleasant. He attended Mount Pleasant schools through junior high and graduated from the Texas Military Institute in San Antonio as a Company Commander in 1956. He married the love of his life, Sue Nicholls, in 1957. They had three children, Carol, Joe, and Amy.
During his lifetime, Joe served as a statewide director of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, on the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce in the Economic Development Corporation, the Mount Pleasant City Council, and the Titus Regional Hospital Board of Managers.
Joe Sandlin and immediate family attended the Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church as an active member for over 50 years. He served on his church’s Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, and Building Committee.
We can only conclude that Bob Murphy and Lena Alice Murphy Sandlin imbued their value systems and ethics into their children for generations to come. From Joe Sandlin’s obituary:
“He [Joe] embodied his Christian beliefs and values with kindness, generosity and a positive attitude to all who knew him. His hobbies included fishing, hunting, golfing, traveling, and spending time in Rockport, Texas with family and friends.”