DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, far as I can reckon. Wilhelm Reue grew up right here in the Sandy Hill area — learned the land, learned the seasons, learned everything a man needs to know about putting down roots. Then he went and married Alma Muegge, who came from the William Penn Community, and that was 1914.
Now, one year later — one year — the man had a new daughter AND a finished house near Prairie Hill. Some folks take a lifetime just to manage one of those things. Wilhelm apparently didn't believe in half measures.
And that house didn't just sit there looking pretty. For decades it was the beating heart of the community — parties, dances, meetings. If something was happening worth happening, there's a good chance it was happening inside those walls.
In 1950, Wilhelm and Alma sold the place to Wilhelmina and Henry Eickenhorst — Wilhelmina having come from the Swarze family — and the Eickenhorsts kept right on farming that same ground. Now here's the part that stops you cold when you finally pull up and look at it: that Queen Anne-style house still carries every original feature it was born with. The L-shaped porch.
The roof cresting up top like a crown. Porch brackets cut with a star and ribbon motif. And in the front door — an oval glass inset, still there, still clear, still letting in the light.
A house that held a community together for generations, and it's still standin' tall enough to prove it.
What the marker says
Reue-Eickenhorst House Wilhelm Reue grew up in the Sandy Hill area and married Alma Muegge from the William Penn Community in 1914. A year later, with a new daughter, the couple finished their home here near Prairie Hill. For decades the home was the site of community events, including parties, dances and meetings. In 1950, the couple sold the house and property to Wilhelmina (Swarze) and Henry Eickenhorst, who continued to farm here. The Queen Anne-style house retains original features, including an L-shaped porch, roof cresting, porch brackets with a star and ribbon motif, and an oval glass inset in the front door. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002