Rock Barn
Wheeler, Wheeler County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built 1891 by F. M. Patton, a rancher; native stone with cottonwood framing. Part of lumber came from abandoned Fort Elliott. Barn was one of first in county; used to store prairie hay, alfalfa. W. G. Stiles family, owners, purchased ranch in 1901. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in 1891 from native stone framed with cottonwood, this barn stood among the earliest in Wheeler County, on the rolling ranch country of the Texas Panhandle. Part of its lumber was salvaged from nearby Fort Elliott, a frontier Army post whose abandonment left useful materials for practical ranchers. Bought by the W. G. Stiles family in 1901, it stored the prairie hay and alfalfa that sustained the working ranch.
Why it matters
Built partly from a decommissioned frontier fort, the barn ties the era of Indian-wars military posts to the ranching economy that succeeded it on the Panhandle plains.
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Related people
- · F. M. Patton
- · W. G. Stiles
Themes & tags
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