Fort Worth Stockyards Horse and Mule Barns

The Fort Worth Stock Yard Company's wooden horse and mule barns on this site were destroyed by fire on March 14, 1911, opening day of the Feeders and Breeders show (later Southwestern Exposition & Fat Stock Show). The show opened as planned, with former President Theodore Roosevelt giving the opening address. The company announced plans to replace the destroyed barns immediately with new concrete and steel fireproof buildings. Construction was completed in March 1912, and the new barns measuring 540'x350' had a capacity for 3000 animals. With a price tag of $300,000, the buildings were described as among the finest stables in the world. Activity here increased considerably in 1914, at the outbreak of World War I. Horses and mules were needed in great supply by European armies, and agents were sent in droves to Fort Worth to buy stock, spending an estimated $11 million. During that time, Fort Worth was designated the largest horse and mule market in the world. The wide space between the buildings has over the years spawned the nickname "Mule Alley". In recent years the barns have been used for various cultural activities and annual events. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.

Fort Worth Stockyards Horse and Mule Barns is a historical marker in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, dedicated in 1986. It is one of 358 historical markers documented in Tarrant County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 501 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7886, -97.3467 near Fort Worth. The nearest cataloged historic site is Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (museum), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Quanah Parker, Fort Worth Livestock Exchange, and Fort Worth Stockyards Hog and Sheep Markets.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5439002035. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.