Saunders, Thomas B., Family

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.

Saunders, Thomas B., Family is a historical marker in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, dedicated in 1981. 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 32.7885, -97.3484 near Fort Worth. The nearest cataloged historic site is Fort Worth Stock Yards Exchange (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Thannisch Block Building, Coliseum, and Fort Worth Stockyards Hog and Sheep Markets.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5439005465. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.