Waxahachie City Marshal John Henry Spalding deserves a Historical Marker

Yesterday driving down 342 I saw a large gathering of Lancaster police vehicles at 342 and old red oak road. I thought something had gone terribly wrong until I noticed cameras and smiling police officers. It appears the tragedy happened years ago to one of their own. City Marshal P.M. Solomon was struck down by an interurban train he was trying to flag down. There was a station called valley view at this spot on Nov 2, 1912. The City Marshal had got on the south bound train because the driver had alerted him to a drunk on the train. After they got the drunk into custody Marshall tried to flag down the north bound train back to Lancaster but was struck and killed.

 Makes me think that John Henry Spalding deserves a monument to where his death occurred in Waxahahcie, Tx. I believe the location of his murder is on Smokey Lane where Oldham's branch intersects. He was killed by the intoxicated Chas Smith while the Marshall was trying to apprehend him during a shootout. J H Spalding was an original pioneer of Waxahachie and served six years a s City Marshal until his death on December 17, 1882. Director Robert Benton is the Great Grandfather. Benton based the movie Places In The Heart loosely on the shooting death of his Great Grandfather. Dallas County Sheriff Assistant Deputy (Ret.) Terry Baker has researched and brought back respect to many forgotten fallen officers. Guys like him could probably get an historical marker put up for Marshal Spalding. Sheriff Baker actually has left his research in the Sims Library resources department.