David Curlee Enloe House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in 1852, a man named David Curlee Enloe built himself a house right here in Tyler County. Took him less than a year, apparently, because by April 4, 1853, he was bringing his bride through that front door.

Now, you have to appreciate the timing there. The house goes up, the wedding happens, and the very same year, the people of Tyler County turn around and elect this man their sheriff. Eighteen fifty-three was a busy year for David Curlee Enloe.

But here's what I love about this story. Enloe wasn't just a lawman. He was a teacher.

A trustee of Woodville College. A man who believed in building things, whether that was a community's knowledge or, as it turns out, the community itself. Because Enloe owned a sawmill, and that sawmill cut the lumber for the first Tyler County Courthouse.

Think about that. The sheriff's own sawmill provided the wood for the courthouse where justice would be done. He served as sheriff for several years, all while that courthouse stood on timber he had milled.

The house he built in 1852 still stands as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and it carries the whole story with it. A teacher, a trustee, a sheriff, a sawmill owner, and a man who brought his bride home in the spring of 1853. Not a bad foundation to build a life on.

What the marker says

David Curlee Enloe built this house, 1852; brought his bride here April 4, 1853. Enloe was a teacher and trustee of Woodville College. Elected sheriff 1853, he served several years. Owned sawmill which cut lumber for the first Tyler County Courthouse. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967