Historical MarkerKay House
Winona · Smith County · Dedicated 1983 · THC Atlas #5423007737
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Marker Inscription
South Carolina planter Francis Lemuel Kay (1814-1867) settled in Smith County in 1856. Between 1856 and 1860, Kay bought 640 acres of land and built this two-story home for his wife Mary Ellen (Black) (1826-1896) and their eleven children. By 1860 Kay owned and operated 1300 acres of farm and ranchland. The Kay family sold the property to the Combination Orchard Company in 1909, and the house became the headquarters for the company's pecan orchards. In 1937 the Hunt Oil Company bought the house and land and has continued to operate the pecan business.
About this site
Kay House is a historical marker in Winona, Smith County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Smith County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 272 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.5091, -95.1675 near Winona. The nearest cataloged historic site is Kay (cemetery), about 0.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include First Baptist Church of Winona, Lott Grave, and Lott, Elisha Everett.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5423007737. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
