Doan's Adobe House - Doan's Crossing, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This site is about all that remains of Doan's Crossing, which declined after the rise of the railroad made cattle drives obsolete. It is very east of Odell, TX, near the Red River in northern Wilberger County. There is a marker in front of the house, noting the passage of the Great Western Trail through the area, as well as a 1936 Texas Centennial Marker across the road, which provides a sound byte:

[Doan's Crossing on Red River] By herds on the Western Texas-Kansas Trail, 1876-1895. Six million cattle and horses crossed here. "You don't need much monument if the cause is good. It's only these monuments that are for no reason at all that has to be big. Good luck to you all anyhow. Yours, Will Rogers."

Dedicated to George W. Saunders, President of the Old Trail Driver's Assn., "who kept the trail records straight."

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Will Rogers's wisecrack seems to be aimed at the trail drivers memorial that stands next to the historical marker, placed in 1931. It says:

In honor of the trail drivers who freed Texas from the yoke of debt and despair by their trails to the cattle markets of the far north; we dedicate this stone, symbol of their courage and fortitude, at the site of the old Doan's store, October 21-22, 1931.

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In addition to its listing on the National Register, this house is a Recorded Historic Texas Landmark, and a 1962 Texas Historical Marker in front of the house provides some background:

Corwin F. Doan (1848-1929) settled here on Red River in 1878; erected this house in 1881. In his early picket store and later, permanent building, he had large stocks of goods to supply the cowboys who annually drove cattle in herds of thousands along the Western Trail. The village of "Doan's Crossing" had 14 or more buildings. Doan, his wife Lide (1850-1905), and their 3 children entertained people from all walks of life -- English Lords to Indians -- in this adobe house.

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Note the bandstand behind the house: There are occasional picnics and events here, and they get pretty big, bringing life back to this little ghost town that is now basically a rural community.

Street address: FM 924 & FM 2916 Doan's Crossing, TX USA 76384 County / Borough / Parish: Wilbarger Year listed: 1979 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering, Exploration/Settlement Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic Current function: Vacant/Not In Use Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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