Barbed Wire in Cooke County
Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas
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.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This site marks an early chapter in one of the West's most transformative technologies. After Joseph Glidden of Illinois patented his barbed wire in 1874, his salesman Henry B. Sanborn brought it to North Texas, and Gainesville's Cleaves & Fletcher Hardware began stocking it for eager ranchers. Sanborn's 1875 sale here may have been the earliest transaction of modern two-strand barbed wire in Texas.
Why it matters
Barbed wire fenced the open range, ending the era of free-roaming cattle drives and reshaping the settlement and economy of the American West.
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Related people
- · Joseph Glidden
- · Henry B. Sanborn
Themes & tags
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