Bain-Honaker House
Farmersville, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Anna Melissa Hicks Bain (1834-1906), widow of John Alexander Bain, built this house in 1865 on 6.75 acres of land east of the town square of Farmersville. She reared five daughters here: Mary Clorinda, Martha, Catherine, Christina and Margaret. An astute businesswoman, Anna Bain divided her property into lots, built commercial buildings and sold some property to the Red River Railroad Company. She also provided rooom and board for teachers and students from nearby private schools. The Farmersville Culture Club was founded here.In 1902, three peaked gables and a narrow porch were replaced by an asymmetrical facade and new porch, and the northeast bedrooms were extended.Anna Bain's daughters Mary and Catherine (Cassie) married brothers, Henry Honaker and Andrew Honaker. Martha married William S. Aston. Cassie Bain Honaker lived here while her husband was in medical school, where he died. She later married James E. Jones and lived here until her death in 1928. Five generations of the Bain-Honaker family lived in this house.Honaker family descendants donated the house to the Farmersville Historical Society in 1989.Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1996
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Widowed young, Anna Melissa Hicks Bain built this Farmersville house in 1865 and raised five daughters here while running a shrewd real-estate and boarding business. She subdivided her land into lots, put up commercial buildings, and sold a parcel to the Red River Railroad, all while housing teachers and students from nearby schools. Five generations of the Bain-Honaker family lived under this roof before descendants gave it to the local historical society in 1989.
Why it matters
It honors a nineteenth-century woman who built independent wealth and civic standing at a time when few women could, a quiet chapter of American women's history.
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Related people
- · Anna Melissa Hicks Bain
- · John Alexander Bain
Themes & tags
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