G.A. Hess House

Original Owner: G.A. Hess

311 Quitman Street

Built: 1918

Larkin Hess brought his family to Texas in 1858 from Mississippi. One of his sons, George W. Hess, married Sarah Jane Ligon in 1871; he was in the livery and dray business in Pittsburg. The couple had 10 children. One son, Aubrey Hess, became a grocer and his brother, Louie B. Hess, had a clothing store. The daughters married into families with names like Ellis, Lockhart and Russell. In 1902 Aubrey married Nannie Kate Cleveland and they raised twin sons, Robert and Aubrey. One year the twins rode in the Northeast Texas Fair parade in a car decorated as "The Gold Dust Twins." The family lived for many years on Mt. Pleasant Street until a fire destroyed their home. When Aubrey Hess acquired the Quitman Street property, an existing house was moved back to Fairview Street and the present two-story home was constructed. Mr. Hess was a retail and wholesale supply grocer. He was an active leader in the Chamber of Commerce, the Ferndale Club, Rotary Club, and was a member of the school board. The family attended the Baptist Church.