Chances are if you’ve been in Lamesa for awhile, you probably already know about how the Preston E. Smith Unit, a state prison here for men, got its name. It is rather ironic that a place housing lawbreakers is actually named after a lawmaker. Preston Earnest Smith (1912-2003) was a Lamesa High School graduate who served as the state’s 40th governor from January 1969 until January 1973. He served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1945 until 1951, then as a state senator from 1957 until 1963 before becoming the lieutenant governor under Governor John Connally from 1963 ...