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Note: him, he had a heart as big as the State in which he lived. There is a lot of information available concerning Judge Robert F. Arnold. This is from a writing by his grand daughter, Jacqueline Arnold Kunkel, and was collected from his personal friends, newspaper aritcles, bank records, the Texas State Archives, "Biographies of Young County", and "History of North and West Texas".
Robert F. Arnold was born in Alcorn County, Mississippi on March 14, 1857, the son of Judge John F. Arnold and his wife, Julia Fields. Educated in Jacinto College in Mississippi, after completing his education, he engages in teaching school for a few months and while doing so, took up the study of law. He was only nineteen years of age when he was admitted to practice. He accompanied his parents to the Lone Star State during the centennial year to win a position among the able expounders of the law. The twain established themselves in Fort Worth, where the firm of Arnold, Paddock & Arnold was an active and effective factor of the bar from October 1876 until December 1879, at which time the Arnolds withdrew and followed the Federal Court to Graham, ever afterward the radial center of their professional activities. When Robert F. Arnold was only 22 years old, he was enrolled at the bar of Young County, and it is noted that he possessed the natural endowments so essential to become a good lawyer. He was a hard student adn was ambitious to secceed. Night study at Blackstone & Parsons had prepared him for admission in youth, and day and night study now prepared his invulnerable brief or planned and builded impregnable fortresses about his court cases. He knew and understood the law and his arguments before the court came early to be strong, clear and clmplete. By the time he had extended his acquaintance throughout the district, his fame as an able lawyer had been achieved. He was on the side, one or the other, of some of the most famous murder cases in the county from the start, and the firm of Arnold & Arnold embraced two lawyers whose banner seldom bore the word "failure". Robert F. Arnold was only 25 years old when he was elected to the position of County Judge. The original building, which still houses the court in which he practiced, still stands. Across the street from this building is where he had his office. The town of Graham, Texas, is built around the Courthouse. Judge Arnold served at different times as Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, District Judge and County Judge. In 1889 he defended the noted Marlow Mob prisoners and carried the case to the Supreme Court of the USA to get a verdict for his clients. When the Federal Court was removed from Graham to Abilene, Texas, a strong support of the legal fraternity of the Couty was taken away, and the most desirable business and best source of revenue to attorneys was shut off. The bar dwindled down to suit District and County Courts until only Judge Robert F. Arnold and C.S. Johnson of the "Old Crowd" were left to answer the roll. On December 21, 1882, he was married to Miss Katherine Taylor of Rienza, Mississippi. Her father, Calvin A. Taylor, and brother were associated with him in the practice of law, during his first years in Graham. Judge Arnold was one of the organizers of the Baptist Church at Graham, and was one of its' most active members. The Baptist Church was organized in 1880, on the corner of Groves St. and 2nd St. The church records show that on May 10, 1885, Judge Arnold was elected to the post of Sunday School Supt. He was a fluent speaker and was always in demand by various churches throughout the State for church lectures, most especially a lecture he often delivered on "The Trial of Jesus, from a Lawyer's viewpoint". Records obtained from the Beckham National Bank of Graham, Texas, show that in 1890, Judge Arnold served as Vice President, later as President, and then on the origin
Note: Robert F. Arnold was a big man, with big ideas and according to people who knew
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