Kennard, Houston County
Isaac Adair “Ike” Daniel (1864-1924) was a prominent businessman and politician in the Kennard and Crockett area. He held the office of sheriff in Houston County from 1892 to 1894 and owned real estate and a variety of businesses such as a general store, gristmill, cotton gin and sawmill. Among his business ventures, Daniel helped build a telephone line from Crockett to Coltharp and opened a large mercantile store in Kennard, selling everything from farm and ranch equipment to home goods and funeral supplies. He also served as a representative of the Texas legislature from 1905 to 1907, 1907 to 1909, and 1920 to 1921. In January 1905, Ike Daniel married Ruth King (1875-1966). That same year, he purchased one acre of land from the Louisiana and Texas Lumber Company and began construction of this home. Built with pine lumber from the 4C Mill, this early Victorian farmhouse served as the Daniel home until 1909 when the Daniels sold the property and moved to Crockett. In 1912, James Creath “Jim” Merriwether (1881-1975) and his wife, Georgia Brown Merriwether (1886-1968), purchased the property and made it their home for over fifty years. The home at that time consisted of four large bedrooms, two large open-hearth fireplaces, a high-pitched roof and a wide wrap-around porch that encircled the east and south sides. In addition to the house, the property contained a smoke house, several barns and corncribs, and two garages. Many of the original features of the home including the gingerbread trim and the outbuildings remain. This historic home is a testament to the early development of Kennard.