Four Crossings of Ioni Creek was named for the four distinct roadways that have crossed the Ioni Creek at this place in the valley of the Palo Pinto Mountains of North Texas. The first road was a crude pioneer trail traveled by adventurers, settlers, indians and prospectors heading into the west Texas frontier. In the early part of 1890's, J.Y. Dendy and his bride Blaxie O'Neal Dendy came from Mississippi and settled on the west side of the creeks crossing; to build a home, a business and raise a family. They purchased 800 acres and a two room cedar board cabin with a center breeze way. The house had an unscreened porch facing a southern exposure. The west room had a fireplace and the east room had the kitchen and wood burning stove. The hand dug cistern well. The well is 26 feet deep and is hand lined with sandstone. It was outside the eastern door. John Youngerset Dendy built the barn about that time with the construction of a three pier suspension bridge across Ioni creek in 1911to assist the travelers' cross the frequently swollen creek. This bridge was abandoned in the 1920's as a new bridge and paved roadway was built as part of the Fair Roads Act of 1914. The highway, named after Senator John Bankhead was the first coast to coast highway in America and was designated as U. S. Highway 1. It began in Washington DC, traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, ( Senator Bankheads hometown) and then west to San Diego, California. It was often referred to as America's Main Street", later to be dubbed "The Bankhead Highway". It was re-badged as U.S. Highway 80 as the highway system expanded after WWII. The "Bankhead Highway" follow the dirt road and wagon paths down Metcalf Gap, the passage through the Palo Pinto Mountains. In the mid 1950's the old road and bridges of Highway 80 were abandoned and a new highway was built somewhat along its path. It was re designated as State Highway 180. At this spot J.Y. and Blaxie began their family. Over the foundation of the"Dog Run" cabin the Dendy's constructed the two story house as it exits today. They raised nine children in this house and today could boast hundreds of grand-children and half as many great grand-children. When the Bank Head Highway and bridge crossing the Ioni Creek was constructed sometime between 1924 and 1928 the size of the cabin was expanded by double. The twenty by twenty cabin structure was expanded to fourty by fourty. The original fough fock fireplace was abandoned and dismantled and a new central fireplase was constructed with brick. Since the roads to the south had now moved to the North, J.Y. moved the front of the house to the North as well. With the new construct he added a 2 bedrooms and a formal entry and parlor. An upstairs loft running a full forty feet by 16 wide with two dormer rooms housed the growing Dendy family. Life in the depression years were brutal for people out in the country. Blaxie passed in 1944 and J.Y. followed in 1966. Both are buried with many of their children and grand-children at the Brad Cemetery just up the road. One J.Y.'s sons moved into the house and began improvements and modernization of the home of his parents. On a summer's day his young daugher crawled out of the house and found her way to the Ioni Creek were she fell in. After the death of the child the family sold the property to George and Poly McKendricks, George passed and Poly remained on the property until her son moved her to an assisted living facility at the age of 96. At that time the Kendricks sold the property to Dana Kinerd and Chelese Davis. Kinerd began the demolition phase of the Dendy Homestead. All plumbing and electic had been removed as well as the wall covering, flooring material and ceiling material had been removed. A metal outbuilding was built to the south of the house. It was at this stage in 2002 when Samuel W. and Janice A. Thompson bought the property from Kinard and Davis. An extensive reclaimation and rennovation of the property began. Samuel passed in 2003 and during the following years Janice continued to work on the property to see the work to its conclusion. The refurbished Dendy Homestead now serves as the Guesthouse at Four Crossings of Ioni Creek. It i availabe for rental so that one may experience the feel and flavor of life on the farm in 1920's with just the right touch of modern and technically savy for todays modern man, but rural enough to bathe in well water and burn logs to keep warm on cold winters evenings. Air conditioning, modern plumbing, and technology have been added to the house to bring to modest specifications of the current era.