The Perner House
Ozona, Crockett County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1893, T.L. Hammonds moved a 3-room frame house from the nearby town of Emerald to this site. In 1894, Phillip Perner (1860-1905), a local merchant, purchased and enlarged the structure. Following Perner's death, his wife, Mary Ross Perner (1864-1942), and their 11 children continued to live here. The house was sold in 1944 to Ralph Jones (1905-72), who was later elected a Crockett County Commissioner and County Judge. Mrs. Ralph Jones is current (1975) owner. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark--1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This frame house began in 1893 when T. L. Hammonds hauled a three-room dwelling here from the vanished town of Emerald. Merchant Phillip Perner bought and enlarged it a year later, and after his death his widow Mary Ross Perner raised their eleven children beneath its roof. Later owned by county judge Ralph Jones, the house passed through the hands of families who helped shape early Crockett County.
Why it matters
It preserves the domestic world of a West Texas merchant family and the way frontier towns recycled buildings and fortunes as settlements rose and fell.
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Related people
- · Phillip Perner
- · Mary Ross Perner
- · Ralph Jones
Themes & tags
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