Tom Michero: My Story

I first learned about McKinney's Historic Home tax exemption in 2013 at a presentation the then Historic Preservation Officer Guy Giersch made at the Hall Library. At the time I was relatively new to the city and didn't know much about its history. I had heard things like Jesse and Frank James hung out here "because they like the chili" and other tidbits of history but I was woefully ignorant of who built McKinney and why. 

Because of my background in architecture, I was initially drawn to knowing more about the buildings on the Square and the many wonderful homes in the historic district. My home on Tucker Street is not one of those incredible homes. In fact, i didn't think my modest Craftsman-style home was significant enough to be considered historic. Yet, the tax exemption that I might get was too much to ignore. 

As I began to research my home, I discovered that it once burned around 1922 and was built back with some of the lumber from the original house. That explained the chard rafters I saw in the attic. However, the biggest surprise was when I discovered the owner of my house was Jesse G. Graves whose aunt married the second cousin of Jesse James and likely met with him during his visits to McKinney. It may seem like a tenuous connection but a connection none the less. After that I was hooked. I wanted to know more about ALL the homes in McKinney. 

I began telling others about what I found out about my house and the tax exemption i got. Soon friends and neighbors began asking me to research their homes. I have now had the pleasure to research over 60 homes. I am never disappointed by what I discover. Each home has its own unique story and those stories are what make McKinney what it is.