The George Butler - Jesse Harrison House
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of first brick houses east of Brazos River. Built by land buyer Butler and his wife Emiline, in 1869--before east side became a part of Waco in 1871. Historic guests here have included Governor Pat Neff.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
George Butler and his wife Emiline built this house in 1869, making it one of the first brick homes east of the Brazos River. At the time the east side was still its own settlement, joining Waco only in 1871. Over the years the house welcomed notable guests, among them Texas Governor Pat Neff.
Why it matters
The house marks the moment a scattered Brazos-riverside settlement grew into greater Waco during the rebuilding years after the Civil War.
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Related people
- · George Butler
- · Emiline Butler
- · Governor Pat Neff
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Waco began where a Native village once stood, the former home of the Waco Indians, when the first town lots sold in 1849 and Shapley Ross opened a ferry across the Brazos the next year. Ferry, then bridge in 1870, then railroad in 1872 turned the settlement into a cotton-trading powerhouse and, by 1900, one of Texas's great inland cotton ports. Baylor University arrived in 1886, three governors called the city home, and 20th-century military camps made Waco known far beyond Texas.
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