Near Pecan Gap in Fannin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Site of Hockaday Homestead
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026
1. Site of Hockaday Homestead Marker
Hockaday sold his property to Laurence Pickard in 1916 and moved to Ladonia (4.5 mi. west) where he spent the remaining two years of his life. Pickard moved the Hockaday house in 1921 and divided it into rent houses for the farm's employees. Although the house itself is gone, the existing barn was constructed from Hockaday's cotton gin.
T. H. B. Hockaday's youngest child, Ela (1875-1956), followed her father's footsteps into education. In 1913, at the peak of a teaching career that began at age eighteen, she established the Hockaday School in Dallas. In the thirty-three years she was with the institution, the Hockaday School earned national recognition as an excellent college preparatory
this page online
Erected 1998 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 8897.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 33° 26.221′ N, 95° 52.097′ W. Marker is near Pecan Gap, Texas, in Fannin County. It is at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 64 and County Road 3655, on the left when traveling west on Farm to Market Road 64. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4732 FM64, Ladonia TX 75449, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026
2. Site of Hockaday Homestead Marker
Also see . . .
1. Hockaday Homestead Site. On December 6, 1870, Thomas Hart Benton Hockaday purchased 286 1/2 acres of land from Samuel Day and his wife, Nancy. ... Mr. Hockaday later purchased one acre from Cal T. Scott and wife, and nine acres from Jane Odell. Soon after the purchase of this land, Mr. Hockaday moved to this new homestead with his wife, Maria, and five children. (By Laurine Garrison; via Fannin County Historical Commission) (Submitted on September 17, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. A Legacy of Learning. Ten students enrolled in the school in 1913 on Hockaday’s first campus, located in a house on North Haskell Avenue in Dallas. In the next few years, Hockaday increased in size, adding a Lower School. By the end of the 1920s, Hockaday’s reputation for high academic standards was well-established. (The Hockaday School) (Submitted on September 17, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Ela Hockaday: Pioneer of Girls' Education in Texas. Ela Hockaday, school founder, was born in Ladonia, Texas, on March 12, 1875, to Thomas Hart Benton and Maria Elizabeth (Kerr) Hockaday. Her father was a farmer and teacher versed in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. (Joan J. Perez, in Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association, 1976) (Submitted on September 17, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
