Marker Text
Built in 1860s. Ranch style forerunner. Since 1878 in the family of A. V. Doak, Taylor's first doctor, organizer of mule-drawn streetcar line, civic leader. Son, Dr. Edmond Doak, b. 1878, had spend lifetime in this house. Grandson is Dr. E. K. Doak of Houston. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1965.
Map
History of Dr. Edmond Doak Home and Ancestors Historical Narrative be Mrs. John Cornforth - 1965
The old Doak homestead in Taylor, Texas is still good enough for the son of a pioneer physician, which is a place of the sentiment of the kind that causes people to pause and express appreciation that such human feeling still exists.
When Dr. A. V. Doak, father of Dr. Edmond, present heir, bought the residence in the year 1878 from a Mr. J. H. Saul of Hutto, Texas, the house was about twenty years old.
Dr. A. V. Doak was born in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi on August 2, 1838.
He married a lady from. Virginia in 1866. They came to Texas from Virginia by boat, landing at Galveston, where they took the only railroad to its terminus, Brenham, then a tiresome two-day trip to Lexington, Texas. While in Lexington, their son, Edmond Doak was born. That was back in the days when Taylor was still Taylorsville and they brought him to this town at the age of two months soon after the railroad was run through Taylor. Dr. Doak grew up in Taylor and watched the town grow from a mud street shipping center to a small city. Most of the residential section was east of Main Street in the old days, but the Doak home was on the western outskirts of the city, the same location where Dr. Edmond Doak lives today, 600 West Seventh Street.
Meanwhile, his father, being one of Taylor's first doctors, had established Doak's addition to the city of Taylor and put in a streetcar drawn by Spanish mules in the year 1889 which ran until 1901. Dr. Edmond Doak's first job was to manage the streetcar line.
In 1907, Dr. Doak married Miss Ethel King, daughter of Mr. & Mr. G. E. King.
Dr. Doak graduated from Taylor High School being the only boy in his class.
Later he attended the University of Galveston and was later graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. After the death of his father, who died at the age of sixty-two on September 15, 1900, he returned to Taylor to take over his father's practice in 1901.
In 1907, Dr. Doak married Miss Ethel King, daughter of Mr. & Mr. G. E. King. The couple had one son, Edmond King Doak, who too is a doctor, is a specialist in internal medicine living in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Doak owned and operated his first two-story, ten-bed hospital located on Elliott Street.
Later through the years, he helped to organize the Doak, Strom-berg and Vaughan Hospital on Main Street, and later withdrew from that hospital to be associated with the Wedemeyer Hospital.
In the year 1940, Dr. Doak had the famous old home re-modeled at an expense of several thousands of dollars.
But the same roof remained on the old home and the same lumber was used and put back, even though it cost more than tearing the building away and erecting a new one would have cost. The new roof was put over the original old roof under which his father and mother lived so many years. Even the original boards were put back in the walls and the original floors were laid back in place with new hardwood floors over them.
The old historical home which has been famous for its hospitality for many years will not look vastly different from what it did before it was remodeled, this only being done on the inside such as taking out -partitions in order to have larger rooms. As of now, the old home will be solid and able to stand another generation or more of time.
Mrs. Doak died in January of 1941.
The great aim and purpose of Dr. Edmond Doak were to preserve the historical home where there will always be happy memories.
On the ninth day of August, Dr. Doak will have lived under that same roof eighty-seven years.
He is now still practicing medicine at the same historical home, 600 west seventh street at the age of eighty-seven years, a clear mind, good health, with many happy memories, a kind disposition, living each day with gratitude, being driven to his farm often, which he calls his hobby. All of which makes life worth living.
Prepared by: Mrs. John Cornforth, Taylor, Texas - March 25, 1965