As the oldest of the 13 cities on Cedar Creek Lake, Malakoff evidently offers the most intriguing history as well. Pat Isaccson, president of the Malakoff Historical Society and Museum., recently talked up the 158-year-old city during an appearance at the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting. Isaccson's appearance followed the Acme Brick Co. of Malakoff joining the Chamber of Commerce this summer. Chamber President JoAnn Hanstrom noted the internationally-famous brick company's involvement in the organization represented a milestone for the organization. Isaccson noted that Malakoff's interesting history began with the naming of the town in 1855 when city leaders applied to the U.S. Postmaster for a post office. The two names they suggested already were taken so the postmaster offered the idea of Malakoff because he had just read a newspaper account of the Crimean War in Russia that mentioned a town by that name. "He suggested that name for our town, and our forefathers said OK," Isaccson said. Malakoff first began to grown when a mining company opened to dig for lignite, and 45,000 miners moved to the area. They built a camp for the miners, and some of the homes are still standing today. "It was quite a period in our history," Isaccson said. The mining company closed in the mid-1940s when gas and electricity became widely used for energy. The Malakoff Historical Society and Museum operates from a two-story brick house built by H.L. Flagg, who was president of the First State Bank of Malakoff, in 1921. He built the house for his wife and six children at a cost of $35,000, which was a hefty price tag for the time. The house is in pristine condition today, and it is furnished in the period that it was built. It has 54 windows, and it comprises 4,900 square feet. In 1929, T.A. Bartlett, who was the owner of the Acme Brick Co. in Malakoff, built his family home near the brick plant. In the 1930s and 1940s the owners of the Bartlett House and its gardens hosted larges parties, and the property was renowned for its beauty. The house is known for its elaborate concrete architecture, which includes a flat roof with pillars forming a fence like structure topping its outside edges, concrete pot finials and yellow brick columns. Bartlett designed the yellow brick especially for his new home and never again manufactured the style. The house is now abandoned, but the Greater Malakoff Area Garden Club bought it in 2008 and hopes to restore the gardens to their former grandeur. If enough money can be raised, the club would also like to restore the house. Bartlett's employees who were digging for materials for brick construction decades ago near the Trinity River discovered human remains that archeologists believe pre-date the ice age. Replicas of what they discovered are on display at the museum. Isaccson said that anyone who wants to tour the Flagg House should visit the museum at 207 E. Main St., Malakoff, 75148. It is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visits at different times for the Flagg House or tours of the Bartlett House are available by appointment. Call 903-489-8118 or email [email protected] Pictured below are the Flagg House, the Bartlett House and Isaccson speaking at the chamber luncheon.