Hamilton-Soules House

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Hamilton-Soules House in Mills County. Now settle in, because this one's got roots that go deep into a little Texas town called Star. Thomas Edgar Hamilton, born in 1878, came to Mills County with his family in the early 1890s.

Young man in a young part of Texas, and he wasn't wasting any time. By 1898, he wed Nettie Ethaline Sargent, born in 1879, and together they built a life and had four children. They made their home in Star, and Thomas kept himself busy.

Working at a nearby family cotton gin. Keeping the books. And then, somewhere along the way, he became a banker.

A school board member. And here's the detail that tells you something about the man: he was active in bringing an electric plant to the town. Now think about what that meant for Star, Texas, around the turn of the century.

Lights coming on where there hadn't been lights before. Thomas Edgar Hamilton, it seems, was the kind of fellow who liked to see things running. The house itself went up around 1900, and it's built in what they call a late Victorian transitional style.

Which is a fancy way of saying it stood at the crossroads of one era and the next, much like the man who built it. That house became a focal point for social and community activities and events, and it kept that role going long after Thomas was gone, he passed in 1933, and Nettie carried on until 1950. Their daughter Maurine wed rancher John B.

Soules in 1918, and in 1937, the two of them moved into that same family home. The Soules name joined the Hamilton name, and the house held them both. Some places just have a way of keeping people.

The Hamilton-Soules House in Star, Mills County, is one of them.

What the marker says

Thomas Edgar Hamilton (1878-1933) moved with his family to Mills County in the early 1890s. In 1898, he wed Nettie Ethaline Sargent (1879-1950), and the couple had four children. They made their home in Star, where he worked in a nearby family cotton gin and as a bookkeeper. He later became a banker and school board member, and was active in bringing an electric plant to the town. Daughter Maurine wed rancher John B. Soules in 1918, and they moved into the family home in 1937. The c. 1900 house represents a late Victorian transitional style and has long been a focal point for social and community activities and events. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2004