(November 8, 1866 - April 15, 1945) Born just outside Palestine in 1866 to Nathaniel and Jennie (Beeson) Hunter, Mary Kate Hunter played a significant role in recording, promoting and preserving the history of Palestine and Anderson county. Educated at Palestine Female Academy and Sam Houston Normal Institute, she studied piano with classical musicians across the United States and in Germany, and taught piano to countless Palestine children. As a clubwoman, she was a charter member of the Self-Culture Club in Palestine, organized in 1894; served as a delegate to the first annual meeting of the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs in 1898;organized a local chapter of the Women's National Foundation in 1921 for the preservation and study of local history; and founded and led the Fort Houston chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. A supporter of voting rights for women, Mary Kate Hunter organized and was first president of the Palestine Equal Suffrage Association, and held statewide office in the Texas Equal Suffrage Association in 1915-16. In addition to her civic duties, Hunter also was a published poet, editor of a local society journal and board member of the Texas State Library. She extensively researched the history of Palestine and Anderson County and conducted dozens of oral history interviews with early area residents. At her death in 1945, she bequeathed her voluminous collection of material to the Palestine Public Library, where it remains in use as an important record of Anderson County history. (2001)
Mary Kate Hunter (November 8, 1866 - April 15, 1945)
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Mary Kate Hunter (November 8, 1866 - April 15, 1945) is a historical marker in Palestine, Anderson County, dedicated in 2001. It is one of 115 historical markers documented in Anderson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 229 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.7687, -95.6303 near Palestine. The nearest cataloged historic site is Link House, The (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Seven Oaks (Mallard-Alexander House), Firstt Baptist Church of Palestine, and Anderson County.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5001012774. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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