D. A. Parker House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker on the D. A. Parker House tells it, and I'm going to give it to you straight.

A man named David Absalom Parker was born in 1849 out in Ohio, and if you'd told him then that one day he'd have his name attached to a two-story stone house in Coleman County, Texas, he might've given you a skeptical look. But that's exactly how things unfolded. In 1876, Parker came to Coleman County, and he didn't come alone.

He brought his wife, Nannie Rachel, born an Atkinson, and together they got to work. Shortly after arriving, they constructed that two-story stone residence, which is no small thing when you consider what it took to build in stone out here in those years. Now, Parker had an eye for cattle, and over time he became a prominent area cattleman.

That alone would've been a life's work for most men. But Parker wasn't finished. Come 1910, when rail lines were built into the area, Parker helped establish the town of Novice.

A whole town. He owned a general store and a cotton gin, and he was instrumental in the formation of a school, a church, and a post office. The things a community actually needs to hold together, Parker had a hand in building each one.

So the next time you pass through Coleman County and spot that stone house still standing, remember the man from Ohio who showed up in 1876 and, by the time the rails arrived, had helped put an entire town on the map.

What the marker says

A native of Ohio, David Absalom Parker (b. 1849) came to Coleman County in 1876 with his wife, Nannie Rachel (Atkinson). Soon after, they constructed this two-story stone residence. Parker became a prominent area cattleman and helped establish the town of Novice when rail lines were built to the area in 1910. The owner of a general store and cotton gin, he was instrumental in the formation of school, church, and post office. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983