New Hampshire native Hermon (Herman) Aiken worked in Illinois and Tennessee before moving to New Orleans. There, he served as a ship's captain taking supplies to Galveston in support the Texas Revolution. He lived in Texas by 1840. In 1846, with five children from his marriage to Mary Ann (Taylor), he wed German-born Margaret E. (Louchious) and in 1851 settled near Belton on Cedar Creek. The couple had seven children, and Herman worked as a surveyor. The family moved to Salado in 1859, and Herman served as trustee for the new Salado College. A community leader, he was active in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Freemasons. (2006)