Imagine life in 1849. Amos Barber hauled logs by oxen to build his two-story dog trot cabin. This is the story of the Amos Barber Homesite and Cemetery Plaque. This place marks where his home once stood.
Amos Barber was Mont Belvieu’s first settler. He came to Texas from Louisiana as a young man. In 1848, he married Susan Ann Hodges Fitzgerald. The following year, 1849, Barber built his cabin here.
The Amos Barber Homesite became a landmark. It stood on the main road connecting Huntsville and Lynchburg. Travelers and friends often stopped by. Even Sam Houston and Ashbel Smith visited the Barber family.
Amos Barber was a real estate broker and cattleman. He expanded his home over time. He needed more space for his large family of ten children.
The area around the house was thriving. Peach and fig trees grew in an orchard. Horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, and poultry populated the plantation land.
Amos Barber also contributed to the community. In 1877, he helped establish a public school at Barbers Hill. Though he never joined the Methodist Church, he and Susan donated land to the Methodist congregation in 1878.
After a full life, Amos Barber died in 1885. He was buried in the family cemetery south of his home. His wife, Susan, joined him there after her death in 1910. The Amos Barber family cemetery is still used and maintained by their descendants.
Around 1923, the Barber home was taken down. Only a well remained as evidence of its existence. Later, a rooming house was built on the site. The Woodmen of the World bought it for a lodge hall.
In 1974, the Mont Belvieu Church of Christ acquired the property. Amos Barber’s eldest daughter, Amanda Melissa, and her husband had given them adjacent land.
Today, the Amos Barber Homesite and Cemetery Plaque commemorates this important piece of history. It reminds us of the Barber family’s contributions to Mont Belvieu. It stands as a testament to their enduring legacy.