Evans-Carpenter Cabin (1857)
The story of this cabin begins with Robert J. Evans, who built this 160 sq. foot cabin in 1857 on his land at Cherry Mound, just east of present-day Denison. Long remembered in family stories as a fearless and formidable Confederate soldier, Evans was said to have evaded death in battle on more than occasion and was pursued by Union troops who allegedly placed a bounty on his head.
Grayson County at this time was already a decade from its formation, but still somewhat wild and untamed. Settlers from Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky were steadily arriving, carving out new lives on the frontier. There was no town of Denison yet—only scattered homesteads, rough encampments, and the promise of opportunity in a rapidly changing landscape.
Evans (born in Maryland in 1839) came to the area to build a life on the Texas Frontier. He built the cabin in 1857, and after serving in the Missouri Calvary of the Confederate Army during the Civil war, he married Laura Ann Fulp in 1869. The couple lived in the cabin until Laura’s passing in 1887 and Robert following shortly in 1899.
Following their deaths, the cabin and surrounding land were purchased by John Calvin Carpenter, who expanded the structure by adding three additional rooms. According to a 1931 obituary, Carpenter became a prominent Grayson County farmer for 36 years. He passed away on January 16, 1931, and is buried in Cherry Mound Cemetery alongside his wife, Mary Elephare Blaylock Brown Carpenter.
Years later, the property was acquired by John Patterson. While dismantling the old farmhouse in 1984, Patterson made a remarkable discovery—the original log cabin, still intact and perfectly preserved. Recognizing its historical significance, he donated the cabin to Frontier Village.
In November 1985, the cabin was carefully relocated to the park by Mr. Jamie Gilliam, where it stands today as a rare and tangible link to Grayson County’s earliest days.
Grayson County at this time was already a decade from its formation, but still somewhat wild and untamed. Settlers from Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky were steadily arriving, carving out new lives on the frontier. There was no town of Denison yet—only scattered homesteads, rough encampments, and the promise of opportunity in a rapidly changing landscape.
Evans (born in Maryland in 1839) came to the area to build a life on the Texas Frontier. He built the cabin in 1857, and after serving in the Missouri Calvary of the Confederate Army during the Civil war, he married Laura Ann Fulp in 1869. The couple lived in the cabin until Laura’s passing in 1887 and Robert following shortly in 1899.
Following their deaths, the cabin and surrounding land were purchased by John Calvin Carpenter, who expanded the structure by adding three additional rooms. According to a 1931 obituary, Carpenter became a prominent Grayson County farmer for 36 years. He passed away on January 16, 1931, and is buried in Cherry Mound Cemetery alongside his wife, Mary Elephare Blaylock Brown Carpenter.
Years later, the property was acquired by John Patterson. While dismantling the old farmhouse in 1984, Patterson made a remarkable discovery—the original log cabin, still intact and perfectly preserved. Recognizing its historical significance, he donated the cabin to Frontier Village.
In November 1985, the cabin was carefully relocated to the park by Mr. Jamie Gilliam, where it stands today as a rare and tangible link to Grayson County’s earliest days.
