Mitchell Family HistoryMaker - Generation Home Builders

The Mitchell family has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. It started when O.N. Mitchell Sr. opened Mitchell’s Grocery in East Fort Worth after his time as the meat department manager at Leonard Brother’s Grocery Store. When some concerning health issues emerged, O.N. Mitchell Sr.’s doctor suggested moving into an industry that was less stressful and outdoors. So, he began building homes for soldiers returning from World War II.

Under the name Young American Homes, O.N. Mitchell Sr. and O.N. Mitchell Jr. built and sold their first home for roughly $5,000. In April of 1949, the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Annual Home Show recognized the Mitchells in a full-page ad that featured Helen Margaret Mitchell and baby Bryan Mitchell in their home.

O.N. Mitchell Sr. and Jr.’s Pike View community strayed from the then-standard practice of developing a handful of lots at a time. This Arlington community, comprised of 160 single-family homes, kicked off the beginning of a new building standard: developing full communities. The best, most upgraded home in the neighborhood sold for $9,995.

The Texas Association of Home Builders awarded Young American Homes, now known as HistoryMaker Homes, first place in the 1960 Parade of Plans’ category of homes priced $12,000 and under.

O.N. Mitchell Jr., his wife, Helen, and two boys, Dee and Bryan, were known for spending Sunday afternoons signing contracts on the hood of his Oldsmobile Fastback. No matter how many contracts were signed, the family always packed up at 6:00 p.m. to attend Sunday evening church service.

In September 1977, the Mitchell family experienced great loss at the passing of co-founder O.N. Mitchell Sr. His life was celebrated by his contributions of time, money, and efforts that supported his Christian values. He was admired for his insight and innovation in the growing industry of homebuilding. The seeds he sowed into his family and the business continue to bless and inspire today’s generations.

The Mitchells sold one-and-a-half story floorplans that included an unfinished room above the garage of the home. At a time when Americans faced high gas prices and pricey mortgage rates of 18%, this innovation kept costs affordable for buyers, allowed families to move in sooner, and finish the room on their own time.

In 1971, Bryan graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in veterinary medicine and went on to open three vet clinics in Tarrant County. But the homebuilding industry offered Bryan more time to spend with his father, so he transitioned away from veterinary medicine. Colonial Estates, a twenty-lot subdivision, was Bryan’s 1986 debut as a full-time builder.

Nelson Mitchell graduated from Texas A&M University and joined HistoryMaker Homes’ ranks in 1994. He spent his first year out in the field learning how to build both homes and relationships within the industry. In 1998, Bryan dealt with serious illness that required Nelson to step into his father’s shoes and support the company.

Nelson’s time as the company’s president brought tremendous innovation. He oversaw the development of the first showroom, totaling 10,000 square feet and HistoryMaker Homes’ tagline, “More Home. Less Money.” These additions were indicative of this period of growth; from 2002-2006, the company quadrupled the number of homes sold in a year from 300 to 1,200.

With an impressive lineage of Texas A&M graduates, the Mitchell family is an integral part of the Aggie family. Texas A&M’s construction science program receives enormous support from endowments, donations, scholarships, and programs facilitated through HistoryMaker Homes.

Alongside the North Texas area, the opportunities that lay waiting in Houston became too good to pass up. After more than six decades in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, HistoryMaker Homes opened its first Houston model home in Spring, Texas named Wright’s Landing.

Lane Wright became the company’s first president outside of the Mitchell family on January 1, 2017. He formerly served as the Chief Operating Officer, playing an integral role in HistoryMaker Homes’ growth. Though his title has changed, his commitment to the company’s core values and passion for excellence has not.

After helping over 22,000 families make their dream of owning a home a reality in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, HistoryMaker Homes set sights on San Antonio. Morgan Meadows was the Texas-born homebuilder’s first community in the metroplex and led the way for further expansion into a third major market in the Lone Star State.

Following Lane Wright’s retirement at the end of 2023, Zac Thompson transitioned to become President of HistoryMaker Homes on January 1, 2024. The former President of build-to-rent sister company, ONM Living, pulls from over 15 years of homebuilding expertise, operational strategy, and passion for excellence to carry out HistoryMaker Homes’ vision for 2024 and beyond.

HistoryMaker Homes celebrated 75 years crafting homes and communities that have become the foundation for those living in them. Honoring this history set the stage for many more decades of delighting customers and making homeownership dreams come true. Our legacy is building homes, communities and neighborhoods for our homeowners based on trust, excellence and Texas traditions for seventy five years. We are more than just a homebuilder, we are family. ​​