A STORY OF HOPE, HISTORY and HUMANITY

    Founder, President and Board Member, The Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Project 

 Ed Touchet, a native of Beaumont, graduated from Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont, TX, in 1975. Ed was on the Beaumont Y Swim Team from 1965 to 1970. He was a member of the Boy Scouts from 1968-75, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Ed is retired from the US Army and TX Army National Guard after 32 years of military service, enlisting in 1982 and promoting to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before his retirement in 2014. He retired from Texas Department of Public Safety in 2010, where he was a State Trooper assigned to the State Capitol. Since 2010, Ed has been the owner of Austin Architecture and Planning Associates in Austin, and in 2013, he became the founder and CEO of Austin International Shooting Club. In June 2019, he became the Commander of VFW Post 4443 in Austin. Ed founded The Beaumont Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Restoration, Maintenance and Management Project as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in March 2018.      The Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House was the last house on Ed’s Beaumont Journal newspaper route when he was growing up in Beaumont. The memories and emotions that swelled up when he saw photos of the house slated for demolition are the source of his inspiration to save it from destruction. Ed has training in urban planning and a vision for how the Hinchee House could benefit Beaumont. He believes “The trick is to start a movement to stop the destruction.” Ed’s hope is that saving the Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House and using it for the betterment of the community will be the beginning of this movement.  

 Administrative Director and  Board Member, The Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Project 

 Kate Beaver was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from Eastern Vocational Technical High School, Class of 1977, also in Baltimore.  After graduation, she joined the U. S. Army. She attended Basic Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, then was stationed at Fort Sam in San Antonio. She became a medic and transferred to Aschaffenburg, Germany. Kate attained SP4 while serving in Company D, 3rd Medical Battalion, Marne Division. After leaving the Army, Kate moved to Dallas, while there, she worked at a dental office beginning as hygienist’s assistant, and eventually became office manager and payroll clerk.  Kate worked as a secretary for C. R. Guy Insurance Co. from April 2004-November 2010.   
 While in South Dakota in 1986, Kate saw a town named Frazee, Minnesota. Frazee was her maiden name, so this piqued her curiosity and led to her lifetime project of researching her family history. Having started her genealogy work before the days of computers in everyone’s home, she spent a lot of time in courthouses, libraries, and cemeteries, plus lots of time writing letters and making phone calls. Kate is an artist, writer and photographer with a passion for genealogy which led to her interest in history. Her over 30 years of genealogy experience, along with her interest in history, naturally led Kate to researching the Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House, and the families that have lived in the house over the years. Her office and leadership skills have well-prepared her for her work as  Administrative Director of the Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Restoration Project. 

 Executive Director and Board Member,  The Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Project

 Bruce Hamilton graduated high school in Beaumont, TX, class of 1973, Forest Park High School. He served in the US Army from 1974-1978 where he attained the rank of Sergeant. During his service he was stationed in Camp Casey in Korea, as well as Fort Sill, OK. Bruce attended Cameron University in Lawton, OK, as well as Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. After his military service, he became a chemical process operator at Goodyear Tire and Rubber, where he was employed from 1978 until 2005.   
 Bruce’s family has roots in Beaumont going back five generations and has since added two. Some of his family were business owners – Hamilton Nursing Home and Hamilton Lumber Company. He has been owner of Papertiques of Texas since 1982 which is a business centered on memorabilia and antiques. Bruce has an extensive collection of Beaumont memorabilia as a result of his long-standing interest in history, particularly Beaumont’s history. He is a member of the Jefferson County Historical Commission, having served many years in the past as Chairman. Bruce was installed as Commander of VFW Post,#1806 here in Beaumont in 2019. Bruce’s love of history and Beaumont led to his work with the Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House Restoration Project.