The founding of several colleges, including a number of seminaries, teaching colleges, and incipient universities, earned Marshall the nickname "the Athens of Texas", in reference to the ancient Greek city-state. The city's growing importance was confirmed when Marshall was linked by a telegraph line to New Orleans; it was the first city in Texas to have a telegraph service.
The founding of several colleges, including a number of seminaries, teaching colleges, and incipient universities earned Marshall the nickname "the Athens of Texas", in reference to the ancient Greek city-state. The city's growing impor,tance was confirmed when Marshall was linked by a telegraph line to New Orleans; it was the first city in Texas to have a telegraph service.