Lanius House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll give it to you straight. Now, every good story starts somewhere, and this one starts in Bonham, Texas — birthplace of one Clarence Lanius, born in 1880. Clarence grew up to be a cattleman, and not a small-time one, either.

He ran ranches in several locations across the state of Texas — which, if you know anything about the size of this place, means the man stayed busy. By 1922, though, Clarence and his wife Myrtle — she was a Swecker before she was a Lanius, born the same year as her husband, 1880 — the two of them had settled into something a little more permanent. A brand-new home, right in the finest residential area the city had to offer in the early twentieth century.

Now, the house they built is what folks called Bungalow style — popular at the time, and you can see why. It's got broad overhanging eaves with just a touch of flare to them, like the house itself is tipping its hat at you as you walk by. Out front, a wide porch and a porte-cochere dominate the whole facade — that's a covered carriage entrance, for those of you keeping score at home.

Clarence Lanius passed in 1947, and Myrtle carried on until 1958. But that house? That house stood right there through all of it — a cattleman's lasting mark on city life, dressed up in the finest bungalow the early twentieth century could offer.

What the marker says

A native of Bonham, Texas, Clarence Lanius (1880-1947) was a cattleman with ranches in several locations across the state. By 1922 he and his wife, Myrtle (Swecker) (1880-1958), had moved into their new home here in the city's finest residential area in the early 20th century. The Lanius house is a good example of the Bungalow style of architecture popular at the time and features broad overhanging eaves that are somewhat flared. A wide porch and porte-cochere dominate the facade. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1985.