George Alonzo Soule
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Before coming to Wichita Falls George Alonzo Soule (1840-1913) owned a freight and stage line in Jacksboro and Fort Griffin. After the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad came through here, Soule brought his wife Lilla and Family in 1883. He opened a stage line and livery stable at this site near the business section. He hauled freight and passengers to Oklahoma and as far west as Quanah and Benjamin. Occasionally he was robbed by highwaymen. After railway transportation increased, Soule closed the stageline and ran livery barns here, in Harold, and in Vernon until 1912. (1979)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
George Alonzo Soule ran freight and stage lines in Jacksboro and Fort Griffin before following the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad to Wichita Falls in 1883. From this site near the business district he hauled passengers and goods across North Texas and into Oklahoma—occasionally at the mercy of highwaymen—until rail traffic finally overtook the stagecoach and he shifted to running livery barns.
Why it matters
Soule's career captures the pivotal moment when railroads displaced the stagecoach, transforming how people and goods moved across the settling West.
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Related people
- · George Alonzo Soule
- · Lilla Soule
Themes & tags
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