 Thomas B. Saunders Family
Posted by: txoilgas
N 32° 47.287 W 097° 20.903
14S E 654663 N 3629005
A Texas Historical Marker stands in Saunders Park, located along the "mini river walk" below the Fort Worth Stockyards, a hidden area not seen by many visitors. It commemorates the Saunders family and their cattle ranching accomplishments.
Waymark Code: WM7YGC
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/22/2009
Views: 22
Marker Number: 5465
 Marker Text: A native of North Carolina, Thomas Bailey Saunders (1816-1902) migrated to Texas in 1850 and started a cattle ranch near Gonzales. After the Civil War he completed cattle drives to markets in New Orleans and Kansas before settling in Bexar County.
Two of Saunders' twelve children were also involved in the cattle industry. William David Harris Saunders (1845-1922) helped supply beef for Confederate forces during the Civil War and later became a successful Goliad merchant and rancher.
Another son, George Washington Saunders (1854-1933), became a noted trail driver of the 1870s. He later opened a livestock commission in San Antonio.
Thomas B. Saunders, II (1872-1929), the son of William, owned a livestock firm in Houston. He later moved here and in 1902 became the first cattle dealer on the Fort Worth Stockyards. He was a pioneer in the transporting of cattle by truck. His son Thomas B. Saunders, III (1906-1974), was involved in extensive ranching operations throughout the Southwest. During the 1930s economic depression, he started a cattle clearinghouse for traders, order buyers, and commission companies.
Since the 1850s, Saunders family members have been actively involved in the Texas cattle industry. (1981)

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