W. E. Mayes Property

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the W. E. Mayes Property in Houston County.

Now, some men arrive in a place and leave barely a footprint. Buck Mayes was not that kind of man. William Elbert Mayes, born in Alabama in 1836, came to this part of Texas in 1856.

Young, ambitious, and a long way from home. Then the Civil War came along and pulled him away from everything he'd started building. He served, and when it was over, he came back.

Back to Houston County. Back to work. And the work he did.

Buck Mayes built himself a reputation as a businessman with his hands in just about everything that makes a town run, banking, real estate, construction, retail sales. If money moved in Crockett, there's a good chance Buck had something to do with it. By April of 1893, he owned three commercial structures sitting right there at 509 through 513 East Goliad.

Three buildings, side by side, and together they became something more than just walls and a roof. They became a genuine part of Crockett's business community. A newspaper found a home there.

A theater too. Think about what that means for a growing Texas town, a place where people could get their news and take in a show, right there under roofs that Buck Mayes put up. He passed in 1915, leaving behind a city that had grown with him, in no small part because of him.

Those buildings on East Goliad still stand as a reminder of that. Some men pass through. Buck Mayes stayed, built, and left Crockett bigger than he found it.

What the marker says

Alabama native William Elbert "Buck" Mayes (1836-1915) came to this area in 1856. After serving in the Civil War, he returned home to Houston County and became a successful businessman with interests in banking, real estate, construction and retail sales. By April 1893, he owned the three commercial structures at this site (509-513 E. Goliad). The buildings became an important part of Crockett's business community, providing space for such operations as a newpaper and theater. The site now serves as a reminder of Mayes' many contributions to the growth of the city.