James Brown - Parker Properties

Thanks for sharing Parker Properties Real Estate!

✨Today's agent spotlight is James Brown - Parker Properties !!✨

📱 817-691-6912
📩 [email protected]

James is a native Texan and was raised in Decatur. He graduated from Decatur High School and continued his education at the University of Texas Arlington.

He is very familiar with Wise, Denton, Jack, Montague, Parker, Cooke, and Tarrant counties. He spends his free time cruising backroads on his motorcycle, camping with his kids, and tending his vegetable garden.

He started his real estate career in mortgage finance where he worked as a loan originator. Learning the loan process and what happens once a real estate contract is signed, is where he found his passion for helping people realize their dreams of home ownership. Whether you need it, or just want it, he is ready to help you get it!

OPEN HOUSE at 146 County Road 4877 Newark, TX 76071 today from 2-5! 2 homes 🏠 🏠 on 1 property!

🏠146 County Road 4877, Newark, Texas 76071
💰$245,000 NOW $240,000 Seller will finance!
📱Contact James Brown - Parker Properties for more information! 817-691-6912

No HOA, no city taxes, and no known restrictions! There are 🏠✨2 homes✨🏠, mature trees, and endless possibilities on this 🌳 .7 acre lot! Half a mile from lake access and easy access to hwy287 and SH114 make this location ideal for the commuter that likes to fish on the weekends! The larger of the two homes has new flooring and fresh paint and is ready to move-in...with 🛏3 bedrooms and 🛁2 bathrooms.
The single-wide is currently leased and has 🛏2 bedrooms and 🛁1 bathroom.
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Price improvement and Seller financing is now available! Call or text for an appointment:) 817-691-6912

Preserving Texas history can be very hard at times!
Especially when those who own the history have no interest in doing so! I will continue my yearly rant about the historic Waggoner Mansion in Decatur, Texas that is going to waste, and someday will be gone for the future generations of Texans to be able to see and enjoy it's rich history! All Things Texas will continue to do this until it is restored to its once glory! The page was just coming off a 7 part series of the history of the Waggoner Ranch. Take the time to share this and help us try and preserve this historic landmark.

Here at All Things Texas, we hope all have enjoyed this look at a storied family. I know my former administrator poured her heart into this. Trudy Mader, you have been my guiding light for this page. And I know our members appreciate the hard work you put into this series! I know I do. But one part of this families legacy is not complete.

And that would be the Waggoner Mansion in Decatur, Texas. And I will say as head admin, I will never use thename El Castle in reference that hangs above the entrance to this historic home. I might be wrong in this but this will always be the Waggoner Mansion. And no sign in front of the home will change our mind.

But what our members have to know, that when this estate was settled in 2017, the settlement by the family had nothing to do with the Waggoner Mansion in Decatur. This piece of Texas is still in turmoil, and that continues to this day. The house was built and owned by the Waggoner family from 1883 until 1906.

This impressive masonry Victorian house was the home of the Waggoner family, prominent in the early days of ranching in Texas. In the boldness of the style and in the strength of the material the builder achieved an appropriate expression for the original owner, Daniel L. Waggoner, and the times he personified. Samuel Bellah, would own the ranch until 1929, when it was sold back to the Waggoners. Then a family by the name of luker would purchase this property in 1942. And that is where we find ourselves today.

What will become of this historic place in history, it certainly didn't come, from those heirs of Dan and W. T. Waggoner. Bradley Wharton, a representative of the Wharton heirs to the Waggoner Ranch. Or Helen Biggs Willingham, representing the Biggs heirs. Or Electra Biggs Moulder, namesake of her mother Electra Waggoner Biggs and great aunt Electra Waggoner Wharton. No they have no part of this fight to preserve Texas History. This piece of Texas history was on it's way to be gone long before, the Waggoner Ranch history was settled. It is up to those in Wise County to continue to shine a light on this.

Each member of the family praised the settlement of 725 million. I can personally say if the members of this family cared one lick about preserving the history of this family,

they would only have to look at the Mansion in Decatur, Texas to show how much they really cared about the family Legacy they claim to want to preserve! Members this is mostly an opinion piece, but All Things Texas wants this piece of Texas history preserved for the Next generation of Texans. We don't know the solution for this. But as long as this page is around we will shine a light, so all can still have a voice. And yes we know who has control of this property, But they deserve respect and privacy of owning the property, even though we may disagree with them. We can only hope they do the right thing with this piece of Texas History!!

Here at All Things Texas, we want those new members to enjoy the history we post!
And I have found new energy for this page!

I am working on having Facebook live meetings with individuals who I have met, or talked with over the past few years. Members will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with them! I am very excited about this opportunity to give our members something that will change this page.

A former administrator posted this bit of unusual Texas history. And yes I know those who you will read about! We hope you enjoy this!

~Chico, Tx~ Green Elm Bridge
Actually in Jack County, but has a Chico address. The supposedly haunted bridge spans 100' and 15' wide. It is derelict and abandoned and reportedly burned by vandals. The following account was written by Bob Hopkins in 2011.
The day was warm for October, but he loved the fall, regardless. The crisp cool mornings and warm afternoons of north Texas were perfect for those exhausted from the scorching summer heat. The year was 1948 and four cattlemen were on their way back to Chico after a trip out to west Texas on a cattle buying excursion. The weather was dry as drought had claimed the land earlier that year, recalled G. E. Francis, age 92 when he shared this story back in 2002.
"We had been driving for hours, stuffed into a dark colored sedan. There was no air-conditioning in cars in those days and the trip had been warm, even for October". The car rattled along the winding road through what was known as "the bottoms," a stretch of roadway that is now under water and encompassed by the north end of Lake Bridgeport on the Jack-Wise County line. The last leg of the journey home ran from Wizard Wells (now a ghost town) to Chico.
"We had to stop for a nature break. We'd been driving for hours and though we were close to home, we decided to pull over," the driver coming to a complete stop right on the bridge. "We could do that back in those days as you might not pass another car on these old country roads for half an hour or so." The bridge he spoke of spanned the west fork of the Trinity River and was constructed of iron frame and wooden slats.
The four companions exited the car as the sun was just about to set in the western Texas sky. As they finished their business they stood on the bridge taking in the scenery and the cool of the autumn evening watching the vast blue sky fade into orange across the horizon. The bridge was known as the "Green Elm Cemetery Bridge" because of its proximity to an old cemetery located about 500 feet south of the river crossing just beyond the bend.
Suddenly, without warning, a blood-curdling scream vibrated across the air amongst the men with a waling that chilled the soul. The feminine like cry was so loud and startling that they found themselves dumbfounded of its origin. All four were confused about what it was or where it came from. Once able to gather their senses they realized the sound was coming from about 100 feet or so up river.
"We saw this thing", said Mr. Francis. "It floated in the air about eighteen to twenty feet above the river and was moving toward the bridge as if it were floating in unseen flood waters. It was coming straight toward the bridge…and us. I was scared half to death. Actually, terrified in my shoes was more like it. I couldn't move I was so scared and apparently, either could anyone else. We just stood there in complete horror and bewilderment trying to figure out just what this thing was and just what was its purpose. As it got closer we all began to realize that it appeared to be a woman, a Mexican woman, in a white dress…screaming and moaning as if she were in great turmoil, as if she were drowning, being carried downstream through invisible turbulent waters, in mid-air.
I was so scared, not knowing if I should run or hide or just get back in the car. She floated right toward the bridge, wiggling and thrashing about as she went right over it and right over us. She floated on south down the river about 500 feet or so till she got to the bend near the old graveyard then, just like that…she just faded away like a v***r in thin air. We all stood there completely stunned not knowing exactly what to do next. We just looked at each other not knowing what to say. We then quickly got into the car. Everyone was screaming at once with extreme consternation. We just got the heck out of there, still not sure what to make of the strange ghostly encounter."
The men couldn't get away from the bridge quick enough as they realized they needed to calm down and get a grip on their emotions. Taking a while to gather their composures they began to discuss what they had just encountered. Obviously shaken by the incident the four decided they would not tell anyone what they'd seen as they feared friends and neighbors would think them taking too fast liquor or at least, pulling some sort of prank. They simply didn't think anyone would believe them and wondered if they could believe it themselves.
But as human nature would have it, secrets are known to be shared and within a couple of years word of the "Ghost of Green Elm Bridge" began to leak out. Teenagers looking for a thrill and the curious from Jacksboro, Chico and Bridgeport began to visit the bridge in hopes of seeing the specter. Some got just that over the following years, reported Mr. Francis who swore the ghost was the real deal. He said, "I remember every minute of the terrifying event as though it had happened yesterday. A fella don't forget that kind of thing…it stays with you always."
As of 2002, most of the area around the old bridge belonged to the son of G.E. Francis who declined to comment on the story. He, according to his father, has had his share of the spook over the years. He and his wife have heard the screaming woman down on the river several times in the past.
"Back in 92, said Francis, two oilfield fella's got quite a scare down at the compressor station near the bridge. They were working and went to leave long about sundown one evening when their truck wouldn't start. While working on the truck they heard a horrifying scream coming from the direction of the river. I'm not sure if they actually saw her or not but they did hear her because it scared them both something terrible. They high-tailed it on foot and came to my son's house down the road. One of them fella's quit his job right there saying he was never going back down to the river where that ghost was. He was really, really scared from whatever he saw or heard".
Not much is known about the old Green Elm Cemetery (also known as Verner Cemetery), or those buried in it. It is located down river from the bridge on the left side of a right bend in the river among a dense area of mesquite bush and post oak trees. The grave yard is located just on the Jack and Wise County line. The earliest grave in the cemetery is entered in 1870 and the last in 1909. The cemetery is occasionally mowed but mostly un-kept. According to Jack County records, 55 or so graves have been entered into the cemetery with 20 to 30 sadly unmarked.
The life and times of pioneers in north Texas was a very rough road to travel in the mid to late 19th century. Many died from the hardships endured by life in this once savage land. Who knows who or what the phantom could be. What terrible fate had befallen this poor soul? What is it that still holds her to this plane so many years after her death? Did she die in a flood? Did she simply drown in the river? Is she buried in an unmarked grave in the near-by cemetery or is she something from beyond our realm of understanding? We will obviously never know.
Perhaps, however, we could find it in our hearts to say a simple prayer for this specter in hopes she may find peace.
Green Elm/Verner Cemetery is located about five miles down a lonely dirt road that basically turns into a trail eventually ending in the cemetery. The old skeletal remains of the bridge still remain. The bridge was burned many years ago and is not passable. There are no longer roads on the other side anyway. The cemetery lurks just down from the bridge, lonely and isolated, reflective of the lonely soul that haunts it.
If you ever feel brave enough to venture down that lonely road be very mindful and respectful to the present property owners and know that the scream you may hear in those hollows could be your own.
© Bob Hopkins September 3, 2011Column

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