Marker Inscription
The development of barbed wire fencing had a revolutionary impact on the economy and settlement pattern in Texas. In 1874, Joseph Glidden of Illinois received a patent for his barbed wire. By 1875, Henry B. Sanborn had come to North Texas as Glidden's barbed wire salesman. Cleaves & Fletcher Hardware, once located at this site, and other Gainesville businesses began to stock Glidden's Barbed Wire as it came into demand by Texas ranchers. Sanborn's 1875 transaction with Cleaves & Fletcher may represent the earliest sale of two-stranded modern barbed wire in Texas. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
About this site
Barbed Wire in Cooke County is a historical marker in Gainesville, Cooke County, dedicated in 1986. It is one of 44 historical markers documented in Cooke County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 59 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 33.6242, -97.1446 near Gainesville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Gainesville National Bank (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Cooke County Courthouse, Morton Museum of Cooke Co., and City Hall-Fire Station, Old.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5097000301. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
