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The Old Sheriff’s House

Gaze off to the right as you head south on Morgan Street just before crossing the US Highway 377 overpass on your way to Glen Rose, and you can’t help but notice what is clearly a piece of history sitting less than 100 yards from the bustling highway. Featured prominently on the front side of the two-acre corner property is a two-story German-style Texas farmhouse – windmill, water tank and all.

It’s the kind of structure that at first glance, you instantly know it’s been around a while, like 100 years a while. The Wright-Henderson-Duncan House, known to many by its nickname, “The Sheriff’s House,” is believed to be one of, if not the oldest existing home in Hood County.

The word “believed” we use with intention. With this home, its history and heritage are relatively well known, but there’s also a lot that can’t be confirmed. It’s that hazy place where records cease to exist, and oral tradition takes the wheel. As generations pass the history becomes lore, and sometimes crosses over into legend, where little fictions might break in to take root among the remaining facts. But the mystery is part of the fun. Any questionable stories that might stick usually do because they add color and pique peoples’ interests. As we toured the 19th century home, we found the new owners, James and Rhonda Cathey, would occasionally tack on disclaimers, “Well, don’t treat this as gospel, BUT…” or “We aren’t 100% sure, BUT…” I laugh, not because we are in under oath, but because when talking to the Amarillo couple who bought the place in 2020, it’s very clear they have a deep respect for the past.

“This is the ultimate antique,” the Cathey’s told us when asked how it felt to own the historic homestead. Despite their brief tenure as caretakers, James and Rhonda have immersed themselves in understanding the details of it’s past. It’s a responsibility they don’t take lightly.