The evolution of Hall County houses

A dugout near Hall County. Photos from the collection of John R. Ballew
A dugout near Hall County. Photos from the collection of John R. Ballew

Most of the founders of Hall County arrived on the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad around 1888. They found their “Garden of Eden” was a “Sea of Grass.” The problem was you could not build a house out of grass. They dug a hole in the side of a hill outside of Memphis and survived until better materials were brought in on the train.

Some people built their homes using native rocks and whatever they co…