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Mamie Ethel Blount was given the Tucker property
by her father, Guy Arthur Blount. Mamie Blount married Edward
Tucker in 1930, and the house was built in the late 1930’s.
Mamie Tucker is a direct descendent of Stephen William Blount,
signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Mamie and
Edward Tucker had two children, Guy Blount Tucker, who died
as an infant, and Edward B. Tucker, Jr., who was killed in
a car accident at 29. One of three grandchildren, Susan Tucker
Motley lived with her grandparents after that accident and
remembers the Tucker House:
 The
architect for the home was Mr.Raiford Stripling from San
Augustine, Texas, and the builder was Mr. Thomas Hampton
from Nacogdoches. The acreage consisted of 38.91 acres and
the home contained 3100 square feet. Included in these square
feet were a kitchen, small breakfast room, sunroom, dining
room, entry, sitting room, living room, three bedrooms,
2 fireplaces, and 2 ½ baths. Mr. And Mrs. Tucker
were wonderful at entertaining others. Every Easter, they
held a large Easter egg hunt after Sunday church services.
Azaleas and dogwoods were always in full bloom and this
annual event was a magical time for so many families of
Nacogdoches. Everyone came in their Easter clothes with
bonnets and baskets in tow. Of course there were plenty
of places to hide eggs here and we all did that over and
over. Quilts were spread throughout the lawn for a fun picnic.
It was a great way to celebrate spring and was the highlight
of everyone’s Easter. Thanksgiving at the Tucker home
was always a special holiday. Today it reminds me of a Norman
Rockwell scene. Crystal, china, silver, and a large turkey
on a platter at the head of the table were a part of this
scene. The home was always filled with large arrangements
of fall foliage in all colors especially maple and hickory
leaves. Mr. Tucker always carved the turkey and gave the
blessing. Tradition is the word that best described the
Tuckers when it came to entertaining. Christmas was the
most special of all the holidays. It was a wondrous time
and perfection is the word that best describes this holiday.
Fresh greenery throughout the home, a large colorfully decorated
Christmas tree with beautifully wrapped packages, fireworks,
sparklers, Christmas carols and the glow of fires in both
fireplaces were Christmas traditions in this home. One of
my favorite memories of Christmas was the heavenly scent
of paper-whites filling the home. Mrs. Tucker would mix
these with bright red nandina berries and fresh greenery
to create a perfect centerpiece for our Christmas Eve dinner.
Guests would drop in, off and on, and some of Mr. and Mrs.
Tucker’s closest friends always joined us for Christmas
Eve dinner.
Tucker Woods used to be called the Blount
Woods, because the thirty-nine wooded acres on LaNana Creek
belonged to Stephen Blount. Mrs. Edward Blount Tucker inherited
the woods from her father and built the Tucker House on the
property in the late 1930’s. SFA bought the Tucker estate
from the heirs in 1986. The Tucker Woods, which grow from
Raguet Street east to the banks of LaNana Creek, are filled
with old growth hickory, sweetgum, red oaks, and all the creek
bottom trees of east Texas. They have never been cut, but
they were terribly thinned by a twister that came through
in 1999. In 1991, the LaNana Creek Trail volunteers began
clearing a path through the briars, brush, and privet hedge
that grew along the creek bank and under the forest canopy.
The LaNana Creek Trail through the Tucker Woods was finished
in 1993. In 1994 an Eagle Scout project built a walkway across
a creek drain and swamp, and another trail was cut from the
LaNana Creek Trail west to Raguet Street. This was called
the Tucker Woods Trail. The wetlands part of the Tucker Woods
Trail will be managed as an East Texas baygall. Dr. F. E.
Abernethy, Texas Folklore Society
 SFA
purchased the Tucker House and land July 21, 1986 from Commercial
National Bank acting as Executor and Trustee of Mamie Tucker
Estate. The KSFA Radio Station was temporarily located in
the Tucker house for almost a year while the Boynton Building
was being remodeled in 1991. In the fall of 1992, Dr. Ken
Adair from the College of Forestry headed the Tucker Center
for GIS Application Development and Training. When Dr. Adair
retired in 1997, the College of Forestry established the Forest
Resources Institute, funded by a 5-year grant from the T.L.L.
Temple Foundation, headed by Dr. James Kroll. In 1997 SFA
began interior renovations to the Tucker House. Funding ($200,000)
provided by the University served to convert Tucker House
and its grounds into a first-class facility that includes
a state-of-the-art conference and presentation room, complete
with surround sound projection and computer interfaced conference
media support, computer center and staff offices. In 1998,
the University approved additional HEAF funds of $85,000 to
renovate and expand the original garage to add additional
office space for research staff and visiting scientists and
to make the Tucker House ADA compliant. The LaNana Creek Trail
connects the estate to the A.T. Mast Arboretum, Azalea Garden
and Arthur Temple Nature Trail. The College of Forestry and
Agriculture Department began a cooperative venture on March
27, 1999, to develop the Pineywoods Native Plant Center (PNPC)
on the grounds under the direction of Dr. Kroll from the Forest
Resources Institute and Dr. David Creech from the SFA Mast
Arboretum. The PNPC achieved affiliation with the Lady Bird
Johnson Wildflower Center in 2000, and former first-lady Lady
Bird Johnson attended the dedication of the Lady Bird Johnson
Demonstration Garden. Darrel Morrison, University of Georgia
landscape architect, developed a concept plan for the PNPC
in March, 2001 . The drawing consists of the Ladybird Johnson
Wildflower Demonstration Garden as well as representative
samples of six major pineywoods ecosoystems connected by trails.
Also included in the plan is the location of the main entry
road, education and administration complex, a horticulture
facility, and maintenance area. PNPC staff have already made
progress toward implementing this plan. The entrance road
is in place, and a greenhouse has been constructed.
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