Well, the heat is on and I have a feeling July is going to be a hot one! I thought I might write about the heat this month but instead I am going to write about something you can do to avoid the heat.

Last month, on my way to and from home I would pass a sign that said “Tour of Homes”.  Everyone pretty much knows that the point of having a tour of homes is for builders to showcase the latest and greatest, new design and their eye for detail.  I personally try to avoid tours like these not because I don’t like them but because I live in a house that was built around 1926, I don’t see myself moving anytime soon, and it’s best if my wife doesn’t know what she is missing, if you get my drift!  So this month I would like to take you on a driving tour not of the latest and greatest but of some of the oldest, most interesting and now unassuming houses in town.  Think of it as a scavenger hunt. To begin this hunt, you will need a car with good A/C, a beverage from your favorite drive-through and a passenger to be your navigator.  Also, before I start I must give “the” disclaimer, I am not a Lindale Historian, most of my information comes from generations of family stories.  Could I get something wrong? You bet your bottom dollar I could but it’s never stopped me before!

Let’s begin the tour on the corner of Cooper St. and Boyd at that whompyjawed 4 way stop.  The big white house is the Bowdoin House.  It was built in the early 1900’s.  Mr. John Bowdoin was one of the largest land owners in the Lindale area at the time.  He owned numerous acres in farm land and had share croppers to farm his land.  I always thought it was strange that he lived so close to town. Next, take Boyd St. North to South St. turn right and then turn left on College St.  The big house on the left is the Morris House.  T.J. Morris was a wealthy business man and owned Morris Drug Company.  His drug store was on the corner downtown at the new gun shop location.  I believe his house was probably built in the late 1800’s.  If you make the block and head back to South St. you can see the first brick house built in Lindale.  It sits on South St. across from Lindale Floral Shop.  This was the Jeffries House built in the late 1920’s.  The next house on the tour was actually the second brick house in town.  If you take South St. east, cross over 69 it is at the corner of South St. and Marchman St.  Although second place is usually not remembered, this was my Grandparents house and was built in 1929.  Another house  my ancestors lived in was over on Hubbard St. aka 16 East, so from South St. if you turn left on Waters St. and shoot over to Hubbard at the stop sign if you look across Hubbard and to your right you will see the Russell House.  The Russell House was built in the early 1900’s.  I know a little about this house because my Great Grandfather loaned the Russell Family the money from the bank to build the house.  The story was the Russell’s fell on hard times and defaulted on the loan.  My great grandparents had to move in the house and take over the loan because my Grandfather had made the loan.  My grandparents also moved in along with my Dad, which was not uncommon back then to have multiple generations living in one household.  The last two houses on the route belonged to the Eason Brothers.  They owned Union Canning Company which was down where Picker’s Pavilion is now.  The first house as you head east on 16 is between Hamrick St. and Charles St.  The second Eason house is on 16 just past the Central Baptist Church.  They are similar houses, kind of like brothers!

Well, if you find yourself thinking I have driven by this house a 1,000 times and have never noticed it before then the blog has been a success! Also, if you can’t follow my directions and go on a wild goose chase, I’m sorry, just consider it an adventure!

Happy House Hunting!