TheScott-Gonzales House
TheScott-Gonzales House

TheScott-Gonzales House

605 W. Elm St. Olney, TX

In 1924, W.J. Logan sold the lot to M.D. Council, an early day lawyer here in Olney. In 1928, Council and his wife Ophia sold the lot to George (1877-1962) and Rosie Belle (Upton) (1885- 1967) Scott.

The Scotts married in 1905 in Mart, Texas, and moved to Olney in 1907. Mr. Scott was a carpenter and building contractor. The Scotts paid $450 for the lot, and they probably built the house that year.

In 1928, Mrs. Ida C. Wren paid $2,750 for the property. Mrs. Wren was a Methodist and was active in the church. She was also a member of the Kill Care Club, an 84-women’s club.

In 1943, Mrs. Wren sold the house to S.A. Morriss, who evidently bought the house for his daughter, Margie (Morriss) McDonald, an early widow from World War II. Her husband was a True person, and the Morrisses lived there also. Mrs. Morriss was a Green from the Green family who lived on Falls County Road in Archer County. The Morrisses also had roots in Archer County on Onion Creek. Mrs. McDonald did not remain a widow very long as she married Julius Otto Mixon, who divorced his wife with whom he also had a son, Gerald B. (1932-1977) Mixon. Otto started his livelihood by the late 1920s as a mechanic and car repair person in a shop he eventually owned on East Hamilton and South Avenue C, which stands today with the Mixon name still on the building. Margie and Otto were the parents of Patricia, and she had an interesting childhood on West Elm—visiting all the neighbors—the Joe Parsleys, Walter Reynolds, the John Foxes, the Claude Hedges, the Paul Atchleys, the Lloyd Perkins and the Clyde Bensons. Patricia pulled a little wagon loaded with vegetables from her mother’s garden to sell, not out of necessity, but to give her mother some relief. Currently, Patricia lives in the Country Club area of Olney.

In 2000, Margie sold the property to August A. (Buddy) Bernhardt (1911-1982). Buddy married Edith Knipe (1919-2018) in 1938 in Archer City, and they had two boys—Allen and Herbert. Two of Buddy’s sisters are well-known in the community—Helene Kunkel and Ruth Furr.

In 2004, Bernhardt sold the house to Dixie Elliott, who lived here until she died in 2014. Her heirs sold the property in 2014 to Larry and Janice (West) Rich. Janice worked at the Olney Library for many years.

In 2020, the Riches sold the house to Jose Gonzales Diaz, and he sold the property in 2021 to John Edward Gonzales and his wife, Amber Nicole.

Contact Clifton Key (940.564.2979) for changes or corrections.