John T. C. Patrick Home
Henderson, Rusk County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1854 John Campbell Patrick (1814-68), his wife, Eleanor Stephenson (Currence), and their five children came from South Carolina with Patrick's brothers and other families. Patrick bought 335 acres here on Shreveport Road in 1855 and built a log house that became the center of the Patrick Community. The settlement grew to include a gin, grist mill, schoolhouse, and church building. Mary Bolding, Patrick's widowed daughter, operated a store, post office, and telephone switchboard in the Patrick home until her death just prior to World War I.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
John Campbell Patrick came from South Carolina in 1854 with his wife, five children, his brothers, and other families, and in 1855 bought 335 acres on the Shreveport Road. The log house he built became the heart of the Patrick Community, drawing a gin, grist mill, schoolhouse, and church around it. His widowed daughter Mary Bolding later ran a store, post office, and telephone switchboard from the family home until her death just before World War I.
Why it matters
One family's homestead grew into a village, showing how kin networks and a single dwelling could seed an entire rural community.
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Related people
- · John Campbell Patrick
- · Eleanor Stephenson Currence
- · Mary Bolding
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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