James Harper Starr served as a commissioner of the Texas General Land Office

Texas General Land Office

.The Texas General Land Office is a state agency of Texas. It manages state-controlled lands and mineral rights properties. The agency originally collected and kept records regarding lands controlled by the state. The agency has its headquarters in the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building in...

 and later Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas

Republic of Texas

The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...

 and also as director of the postal service of the Trans-Mississippi Department

Trans-Mississippi Department

The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...

 of the Confederate States of America

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 as well as the namesake of Starr County

Starr County, Texas

Starr County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 60,968. Its county seat is Rio Grande City. The county is named for James Harper Starr, who served as Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas. It is part of the Rio Grande City-Roma, TX,...

 in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

After the defeat of the Confederacy, Starr was barred from serving in public office, as were most Confederate officials. His home in Marshall, Texas

Marshall, Texas

Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...

, "Maplecroft

Starr Family Home State Historic Site

Starr Family Home State Historic Site is a historical site operated by the Texas Historical Commission in downtown Marshall, Texas. The site encompasses several structures used by the Starr Family; most notably the main house or Starr Home, Maplecroft, and the Rosemont Cottage.The site portrays...

", was designated a state historic site in the 1970s and is open to the public. He was known for his diminutive stature.