Born in Weston, Vermont, Henry Gray Carter moved to Texas in 1852. During the Civil War, he enlisted as a Lieutenant in the Confederate Army in 1861 in Gen. Tom Green's Brigade, Texas Cavalry, and was promoted to Captain in 1862 for gallantry. He fought against Gen. N.P. Banks' army at Fort Butler, Mansfield, Bisland, and Pleasant Hill, where he was wounded. He married Cleopatra Williams in 1864, moved to Marlin in 1871, and became a prominent banker, rancher, and business leader. He built a house on this site in 1871; in 1926 it was remodeled, and its original ax-hewn log foundation, fireplaces, and square nails are still visible.