Imagine living in Italy and thinking, “I think I’ll move to Marshall, Texas.” Seems unlikely but it’s what a businessman did in 1896. It was all because of a railroad. Mark Scirto explains in this week’s Mark in Texas History.

The Ginocchio Hotel was built for Charles Ginocchio. The establishment of the railroad in Marshall led to rapid growth in Harrison County and many moved to the area to find new riches. Ginocchio was one of them. He was an Italian immigrant who came to Harrison County specifically because of the railroad. He built this hotel, which was considered the grandest of many hotels in the area.