WCHS

Sam Woody Cabin

Located on the grounds of the Wise County Heritage Museum
1602 S. Trinity St., Decatur, Texas

Tennessee pioneer Sam Woody (1826-1920) migrated to Texas in the 1840s and then brought his family to Wise County in 1854. This cabin, originally located near Deep Creek, was the first dwelling in the area. After Woody cut the logs, friends and relatives helped him erect the cabin in one day. Indians came to trade buffalo robes and moccasins for corn. The house was frequently crowded with guests because frontier travelers were never turned away. Woody guarded pioneer settlements as part of a Ranger unit and served in the Confederate army during the Civil War (1861-1865). It was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1970. The cabin was moved from its original site to the museum grounds in October 2006.