For nearly ninety years, the William Cameron House was a notable nineteenth-century landmark located near the intersection of Austin Avenue and Thirteenth Street in Waco, Texas.
William Cameron was born in Scotland in 1834, and immigrated to the United States in 1852, procuring employments as a construction foreman for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. During the Civil War, he joined the Union Army but was captured in 1861 at the Battle of Springfield. After being released, he helped supply grain to the government in Missouri. While living there, Cameron married Letitia Stewart and had two children. After her early death, he married Flora Ann Berry , and they had three more children together.
In 1865, Cameron began working for the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad. He soon established lumberyards along the expanding rail lines in the Southwest, which helped him build significant wealth. In 1876, Cameron moved his family to Waco, Texas, where he founded another lumberyard and set up the headquarters of the William Cameron Company. He also became involved in the grain and flour milling business and served as a director of the First National Bank of Waco.
In 1885, Cameron completed a large and elegant mansion in Waco as a surprise for his wife Flora. The house was designed by architect William Winant Larmour, who also worked on Baylor University’s Old Main and Burleson Halls. The mansion featured elaborate white woodwork and iron detailing against a French blue background. Inside, it included heavy crystal windows, grand mahogany staircases, parquet floors, and a cupola topped with an iron crown. The spacious home accommodated Cameron’s family, extended relatives, and household staff.
After William Cameron’s death in 1899, the house passed first to his son, William Waldo Cameron, and later to his grandson, Edward Cameron Bolton. Eventually, the property was sold to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, which planned to demolish the aging structure. Although many Waco residents regretted the decision, preserving the large and deteriorating house was considered impractical.
Before the building was torn down in 1966, entrepreneur Homer Owen organized a public sale of its contents. For a small admission fee, residents were able to tour the house and purchase various items, including furniture, clothing, structural materials, and even personal belongings such as Cameron’s love letters to his second wife.
During this time, rumors spread that the house was haunted. Owen and others who stayed overnight reported hearing unexplained sounds and footsteps, and some visitors refused to return after spending a night there. While many dismissed these stories, others believed the spirit of Cameron—or possibly the architect—was trying to protect the home from demolition.
Later in 1966, the vacant mansion caught fire, and the remaining structure was eventually torn down.
