Euless History - Our Past
Visit Heritage Park at 201 Cullum Drive in Euless, TX. Tours are free on the second Saturday of every month from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Group tours can be scheduled on a different day depending on staff availability. For more information call 817-685-1649 or email Ofa "Mary" Faiva-Siale
Elisha Adam Euless
Texans are proud of their heritage and the citizens of Euless are especially proud of their founding fathers. In 1867, Elisha Adam Euless moved from Tennessee to Texas and later purchased 170 acres on the present intersection of North Main Street and West Euless Boulevard. He had a cotton gin and a community center located on his property and became a very prominent figure among other settlers. The community eventually grew around his land and settlers decided to name the city, Euless, after this successful farmer and businessman.
Euless has since grown from a population of 25 in 1915 to a population of 45,500 in 2000. As Euless continues to grow, City officials have strived to preserve its historical significance by restoring the Fuller House, the first brick house in Euless as a museum, obtaining a historical marker for Elisha Adam Euless from the Texas State Historical Commission and restoring the Himes Log Cabin, which dates from the 1850's.
The Fuller House
The house is named for the family of Homer and Edith Fuller, who built the home in 1932. After the family sold the house, it fell into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition. Fortunately, in 1995, the City of Euless and Historical Preservation Committee launched a campaign to save this symbol of Euless' history. A united effort began between Taco Bell restaurant, Saebit Baptist Church, the Fuller family, Euless City Officials and concerned residents, which resulted in the relocation of the house to Heritage Park at 201 Cullum Drive.
The Fuller House provides an unusual glimpse of a Euless residence at its prime as the Mid-Cities area evolved from a rural environment to a bustling business economy. At a time when most Euless residents lived in wooden farmhouses, the Fuller House was unique because it was the community's first brick house. The graceful structure is typical of fine homes of the 1920s and 1930s.
Himes Log House
In 1851, an unidentified settler built a log house now known as the Himes Log House. It was a spacious one-room structure with a loft for sleeping. In 1888, Andrew Jackson "Andy" Himes bought the house and 100 surrounding acres. He remodeled and added to it, completely encasing it in milled lumber. The house would eventually boast modern electric appliances, but the log structure remained intact beneath new walls, roof, paneling and wallpaper. Seeking to preserve Euless' history, Shirley Himes Melson donated the house to the City with the assurance that the original oak wood and frame would be restored closely to its original state. Euless' Historical Preservation Committee recognized the historical significance of the structure as something that could be shared with future Euless generations.
After considerable research, the City hired Bill Marquis, a restoration specialist who is well known across Texas for restoring historical sites. The log house was disengaged from its facade and moved to Heritage Park, next to The Fuller House at 201 Cullum Dr. For seven months Marquis labored to stay true to the construction techniques used by the house's builders. That included carving 1,100 wood pegs - pioneers did not use nails - using 80 wheelbarrow loads of mud and straw to fireproof the chimney and mixing clay and straw for mortar between the logs in a process known as "chinking."
And for a flavor of life as a pioneer in North Texas, there are gun ports, small rectangular openings in the walls of the house, that could be used for defense in case of Indian attack. Fortunately, they never had to be used for that purpose.
For a glimpse into the life of Texas pioneers, Marquis oversaw the purchase of furniture that the residents would have used in the 1850s. A bed made of sturdy branches, table and chairs, a cooking pot and a spinning wheel adorn the house.
McCormick Barn
Willie Mae McCormick has donated a family barn to the citizens of Euless. The McCormick Barn, which now resides in Heritage Park, was built after World War I from materials salvaged from the Camp Bowie Barracks. Mrs. McCormick’s husband, W.W. Mack McCormick, and his father, Walter Lee McCormick, built the barn after bringing the materials to their farm by wagon. Bill Marquis, an expert in the art of restoration, was hired to restore the barn to its original state using authentic period-style materials and construction methods. It joins two other historical Euless structures in Heritage Park, the Fuller House Museum and the Himes Log House, also restored by Bill Marquis.
